Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

Glass Lampwork Beads are among my favorite eye candy.  When I saw this tutorial on faux lampwork beads I decided I had to try it!  This is the link for the tutorial:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/176555759/faux-glass-polymer-clay-tutorial-pack-3?ref=related-6 It is very well written, nicely illustrated and a pleasure to follow.  I recommend this! I love these beads and can't wait to make more with this technique First I started collecting the supplies and naturally I needed to order some things!  I did not have Kato liquid polymer nor did I have a heat gun.  I love tools so here was another excuse!  Now I have a heat gun!  I bought the Ryobi 11 Amp Variable-Temp Heat Gun that was suggested in the tutorial.  It is great – easy to hold and the temperature is easy to adjust!  The Kato clay I bought came in a bubble wrap envelop and the lid was loose.  Ick! What a mess.  Amazon refunded the money and I was able to salvage enough to do the project.  Finally ready! I m

The weather is cooling off and the bird activity is heating up!   More birds are coming to the feeder and luckily we have black sunflower seeds ready!   I want to share today’s birds with you.   Two Mountain Chickadees came to visit today and since we have not seen them for quite a while, I was excited!    They have white eyebrows which differentiates them from other chickadees.   I love to look for those field marks and they are very handsome!   Remember, the details make the difference!   These birds are tiny and flit through the high branches of our pine trees looking for seeds from cones.   They often hang upside down to gather insects and seeds – very acrobatic!   This winter they may also eat suet and peanut butter so I’m getting ready.   It is very funny to watch them shell a sunflower seed.   They usually hold it between their feet and hammer it apart with their beak!   Not to be outdone, the White Breasted Nuthatch also visited.   Talk about handsome with the sun hitting his w

Photographs!   I have a computer full of photographs I’ve taken and I bet a lot you do too!   While I love to look at them and remember the events, emotions and friends, I want to do more with them.   Since I make jewelry, I’ve been experimenting with ideas.   That’s what I do- experiment with ideas and then turn them into wearable art – jewelry. So as I went through my photos one day, I saw that I had a lot of animals.   Especially animals from Africa (what a surprise since I only brought home hundreds of photos from Africa!) and I decided to make a silver bracelet with a cat family.   I had great photos of a cub, a lion and a lioness.   I experimented with photo sizes and charm sizes and eventually figured out I could use 3 charms on a bracelet and have room for tiny beads.   And then I realized that this bracelet had endless possibilities. It could have photos of birds for a birder.   It could be a friendship bracelet.   It might be a reminder of a trip.   Mothers and grandmothers m