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Well, it looks like I'm still not successful in posting photos - so come back later to see Jim's beautiful orchids ... OK they are here now.





I would love to hear your comments on what inspires you - if you're at all like me, you see ideas everywhere you look. I can't look at a flower without either redesigning it into a stained glass panel, or trying to figure out how to create it on the torch, or maybe just take note of the colors to create beads. I remember once making beads inspired by the wallpaper used as a backdrop for Target ads! Speaking of Target, sales flyers are a great way to see what colors are being promoted. I know there are sites that specialize in color trends, but I'm the sort who likes to recycle. I don't have a computer screen in my studio, so I tack up clothing ads. I'm a great lover of crossword puzzles, and I tend to approach life as if I'm solving puzzles - so, when I worked for the airlines, I enjoyed the challenge of creating airfares using all the tricks of the trade. Nowadays, airfares don't work that way. But computers do. And even working on the torch - I'm always trying new techniques and combining different colors to see what happens. Mind you, I'm not always successful. But, like many other lampworkers, there is usually someone who loves a bead that didn't turn out the way I wanted. That brings me back to puzzles. I am determined to see what I'm doing wrong with posting pictures. Wish me luck!