Michael Dickinson here on Sat., April 8, 2017

Michael Dickinson will be here at Graceful Customs Studio in Gilroy, Ca for a one day seminar April 8!  See his work on Facebook and website www.Dickinsonglass.com  Michael will be teaching glass blowing and other boro glass techniques.  No experience needed!  New students will be started on a basic project while students with previous experience can further their practical experience with Michael's help.  Class is 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.  Fee is $100.  Please bring your own lunch, some boro glass provided, otherwise bring your own for your own project.  Bring your favorite tools, e-mail me at Grace@GracefulCustoms.com for further details. 

Meet the Artist Evening with Rashan Jones

Come meet and greet Rashan Jones, Boro Artist, from Albuquerque's, New Mexico, on Saturday, November 5, 2016, at GracefulCustoms Studio, in Gilroy, Ca, e-mail us for more info:  grace@gracefulcustoms.com  See his work at http://jonesartglass.com/jones-art-glass/
He is here that weekend to teach a boro class!  Let us know if you are interested in the class.  See class description on this blog. www.Gracefulstudios.blogspot.com

Open House, "Meet the Artist" Rashan Jones

Come meet Rashan Jones, who will be teaching a 2 day Borosilicate skills for soft glass flame workers on Sat. Feb 20 and Sun. Feb. 21.  e-mail Grace@Gracefulcustoms for directions.

New tool listings! Check them out at Etsy!

The Pinch-Me-Right Hole Maker is ready! Here is our latest tool, made for people like me who cannot make a straight hole in a bead. Somehow, the bead always moves. See our listing on Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/65617881/pinch-me-right-glass-hole-maker and thanks to Norma, our latest new student, for helping us with a great name, Jelveh and I were straining our heads for a new, catchy name and Norma just walked in and suggested it!
We also listed a pair of tubes, a lighter weight of stainless steel that Frank has purchased, and since we know you like to make more than one bead at a time, the listing is for 2! http://www.etsy.com/listing/65617881/pinch-me-right-glass-hole-maker

Blowing Glass & Making Implossions!

Wow, what a great weekend we had with Toni Lutman. The weather was perfect, cool for August, only a tiny warm with 9 torches going. But DeAnn is used to 110 in Arizona, so she was in heaven I think! Everyone learned to make huge balls of molten glass, blow the ball thinly then crack it! Using many colors and silver glass made the most beautiful colors that shimmered in the light. These pieces of shimmer were then applied to shaped beads. Then Toni demonstrated her Implossions and various patterns of flowers and how to apply the implossions onto a bead. Alot of techniques were learned and students made 4-6 beads each, pretty good for a one day class! Thank you all for your enthusiam and thank you Toni for sharing your talent as a lampwork artist and your enthusiam for the love of glass bead making and your teaching techniques, I know everyone appreciated all the personal attention you gave as you continuous walked around helping everyone! Hope you return soon!
See the rest of the pics by clicking on the Smilebox play button below!

May's Monthly Get Together (MGT) Friday, May 14

Wishing all Mothers a Happy Day today! Our son is barbequing for us today, maybe not outside as it is raining lightly. Nevertheless, I will enjoy not cooking today and being with my kids and our extended family. I am also spending some time social networking on Facebook with friends & nephews & nieces and looking at their pics with their kids! Where did time go?

Well time marches on here also, at Graceful Studios! Frank is busy, designing new tools for our Lampworking community and Jelveh is testing all tools in-between her bead making! I have been practicing my beads with Jelveh's patient instructions, here are a few. I have also been practicing with a new tool, a "grove" making bit for my glass grinder, it makes a shallow cut on the side of cabachons to fit silver wire around it. You don't think the glass pendant is too big do you? Come by on Friday 3:00 - 7:00 pm, torch time is free! Come practice, Jelveh will be demo-ing blowing glass to make small vessels and making chards! We will have 1/4 inch hollow tubes for you! And Jennifer will be here to demo some of her wire-wrapping techniques! Bring her a challenging item to wire-wrap! Have goodies to sell? Bring them, we love to shop! Refreshments served & gift drawing at 6:00 pm.