Joy's news!

I'll post my latest and greatest news here.  There's always something new going on.  The problem is, sometimes I'm so busy I don't have time to update my web site. 

Try this Puzzle: 

8/24/06...Wow, what a busy summer it's been!  Only 2 more Thursday nights to demo at Assateague State Park campground.  It's been a blast.  Several people who attended the demos over the past two years have returned.  Next year, I think I'll offer a free bead to anyone who tells me they saw this on my web site.  I wish I thought of it before now.  Help me remember it for next year, guys!

I did buy a new camera, and it takes incredible pictures. In fact, it took the picture of Bead Creation Station, and my turtles.  I put together a montage of my beads, and what a difference I noticed.  Crisp, clear pictures with beautiful colors.

Speaking of colors, I got to play with some brand new glass last night.  It's called "Messy Color" glass and the name of the company is "Creation is Messy", or CiM for short.  They only have 7 colors in production so far.  I played with 4 of them last night, and WOW!  "Gelly's Sty Pink" is absolutely incredible!  It's the perfect bubblegum pink I've been searching for!  It's wildly reactive, at least with the 2 colors I've worked with so far.  I coaxed a gorgeous purple out of it.  I'm going to anneal tonight to see if it changes.  I will DEFINITELY get pictures up here, as well as send them to CiM for their website.

Bead Creation Station and I are now local suppliers of CiM.  Look for the update on their web site listing us.

Well, gotta run to Assateague.  Catch ya later!

July 21, 2006...Wow, we've been busy!  All of my turtles sold this past week!  I have more calls for crabs and starfish, and the Assateague Island Campground activity is getting larger attendance each week.  Here are some pictures of Bead Creation Station. 

Joy and Vicki having fun in front of the sandwich sign.

Outside view of Bead Creation Station in Trader Lee's Village.

This is the first of the three downstairs rooms.  See all the pretty baubles!

And this is the combination Glass Studio/Classroom/Lounge area upstairs.  Having this much space is heaven!

If you're at the beach, please stop in and say "hi", make a bracelet, or maybe even watch a lampwork demonstration, or even take a class!  Let us know you saw us on the web!

July 14, 2006...gee, it's been a while.  I've been busy this summer, teaching and making new beads. 

     Vicki's new store, Bead Creation Station, officially opened on Memorial Day weekend.  During the summer it's open 7 days a week, 10:30 an - 7:30 pm.  If you're planning a beach vacation, come on to Ocean City, MD and check us out.  It's hugely expanded with plenty of workstations for you to design your own jewelry, and the helpful staff is there to help you put it together (if you need help, that is).  Our classroom area is upstairs, with lots of room to spread out.  I'll post some pictures as soon as I can.  We have lots of glass and starter kits for your lampworkers out there.  Don't know how to lampwork?  I'll teach you!  just call or email.

     Vicki, AJ (a new employee of and I have been going to Assateague State Park on Thursday evenings to demonstrate and lecture on lampwork bead making.  Afterwards, the camp counselors show them how to add the bead and shells into a hemp keychain.  It's been well attended.  This is the third year we've been invited back, and some campers have been there every year!  One young lady told me she's been hemping everything for the past two years since the first time she saw us.

     A young man from Tennessee, AJ (a different one), commissioned me to do a special piece.  It's all done and I've been trying to get in touch with him.  AJ, if you're reading this, here is the turtle you asked for.  Email me please.  The emails I sent to you were  bounced back.  Thanks!

On my monitor, the image is the same size as the turtle.  Sorry the image is a little blurry, and the brightness of the color changes in the light.

     I loved it so much I made another one...

and another one...

     The hole measures 3/32" and runs from head to toe on the purple one.  On the other two, the hole is 1/8" and passes through the head from side to side.  Thanks for looking! 

May 16, 2006...Lots of doin's lately, where do I start?  The most important thing is...Bead Lady's Kharma has closed its doors in Salisbury, MD, and is reopening as Bead Creation Station in W. Ocean City.  There is three times the room as the old place, and two stories!  Vicki and Mike will have a lot more beads, findings, and tools.  Plus, it will feature a build-your-own bracelet bar.  Anybody can walk in and make their own keepsake Ocean City memory bracelet, and professionals will be on hand to help finish it for you (unless you're a pro, yourself!).  Personally, I will be spending most of my time upstairs, in the classroom.  This room offers lots of room, lots of light, and lots of great conversation.  Various instructors (including me) will teach classes in glass beadmaking, glass fusing, PMC art clay, bead stringing, beadweaving, macramé and much much more.  If you have a request for a class, email me and I'll do my best to make it happen.

The fire marshall has approved the store and classroom, now we're just waiting on the final decree from the inspectors.  Once that is done, Bead Creation Station can open its doors in 72 hours!  Keep you're fingers crossed!

In other news, my son, Beau Williams, have been taking borosilicate glass marble, pendant and sculpture classes!  We've been studying with Jill Moliettiere and Dennis Briening of Salem Community College, and loving it!  Dennis, if you see this, email me.  I'd love to have you look at our classroom and give any suggestions.  I will post pictures of our work soon.

Assateague demonstrations will be starting in June.  Thursday evenings starting at 6:00 Vicki Todd and I give a demonstration and short lecture on lampwork bead making at the Nature Center in the state campground.  This is part of the arts and crafts activities for registered campers.  All ages may attend.  Participants will be given a fully annealed glass bead and shown how to make a hemp macramé keychain with it.  There is a small fee which benefits the Assateague Island campground.  Vicki and I donate all the beads for the craft.  Additional beads may be purchased after the demonstration.

Oh, I took the most wonderful class with Kate Fowle-Meleney this past winter.  "Is This Glass?" focused on using metals and glass enamels to bring added dimension to beads.  It was fantastic!  For two entire days we explored color reactions, fumed with silver and gold, painted beads, etched, dipped and sprinkled with enamels, and watched the process of electroforming with copper.  Check out the beads I made in her class below.    As an added bonus, Kate asked "who wants to see me make a sea shell?"  I threw my bead in the kiln, and rushed to her side...Well, behind her actually.  What a treat!  I saw her make an ivory seashell previously, but this was a totally different technique for the striped conch shell.  The class was sponsored by the Society of Glass Beadmakers, Mid-Adlantic chapter, of which Kate was one of the early leaders.  If you ever get a chance to take one of her classes, take it!  Gotta go, talk to you another time.