Diamond in the Rough

My mother and I drove to Escondido this weekend to the Urban Barn.  It was an hour and a half drive but well worth every minute.  The industrial building is not very big but it is warm and inviting.  The space is full of beautiful arranged displays and are packed with antiques and great vintage findings.

The owner of Urban Barn was nice enough to tell us about Matilda's Mouse, another shop just up the road.  From the moment we drove through the wrought iron gates, I knew we stumbled upon something special.  As we walked through the front door of the barn there was Matilda's (yes she is real and is a Fox Terrier) with pink rollers in her hair and sitting on the counter to greet us.  It was such a wonderful shop and any collector of antiques would love browsing though this 1878 barn.  I was fortunate enough to get a couple of items for my house.

On the way out we stopped to admire the beautiful view of the old brick house.  The owner was outside and came up and introduced herself to us.  Marla told us of the history of the 1878 house and took us through the history of the house and the different owners over the years.  Marla is such a sweet and hospitable women and I am so glad we had the chance to meet her.

Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera on this trip, so this is the only picture I have for all of you.  Luckily for me, they have an event at the end of every month.  So, next month, I will be posting some pictures for you to enjoy as well.

Easter Greetings

Meet Featured Artist Lynn of Brilynn’s Beads

Lynn is a designer of handmade floral lampwork beads. She makes each bead using her torch and melts glass into beautiful tiny flowers and roses. She say’s she has obsessive torch disorder and a serious addiction to glass. You can see her creations at brilynn.etsy.com.

What is Lampworking?
Lampworking is a type of glasswork that uses a gas fueled torch to melt rods and tubes of clear and colored glass. It is also known as flameworking or torchworking. Lampworking is used to create artwork, including figurines, trinkets, ornaments, beads and much more.

Designing a Bead

After designing a piece, a lampworker must plan how to construct it. Once ready to begin, the lampworker slowly introduces glass rod or tubing into the flame to prevent cracking. The glass is heated until molten, wound around a specially-coated steel mandrel, forming the base bead. It can then be embellished or decorated using a variety of techniques and materials. All parts of the workpiece must be kept at similar temperatures lest they shatter. Once finished the piece must be annealed in an oven to prevent cracking or shattering.