As I mentioned in my last post, I visited Delphi Glass on Saturday for some demonstrations and a little shopping. The demonstrations were excellent. Val and Tim are patient teachers and took all kinds of questions. It was worth the drive and I would recommend checking out a class there.

I stayed in Howell, Michigan and right next door in Brighton, Michigan I found a bead shop called Brighton Beads and More. Check out their website. They carry all kinds of beads, findings, glass, gemstones, Swarovski crystals, Kumihimo kits, precious metal clay, books, tools, and much more. I took some time and shopped and brought home some fun stuff. The staff was very friendly and spent all the time I needed directing me to things I asked for, as well as showing me some things I hadn't thought of.

They also offer lots of classes. I was given a tour of the workshop and shown samples of the class projects. There are some fun class offerings like Zentangle Glass, Silversmithing, Torch Enameling, Viking Knit, Wire Wrapping, and many more. Class information and visiting artists are listed on their website.

Stop by if you happen to be in the area. They are located in Brighton, Michigan at 9850 E.  Grand River Ave. Check the website for hours. Please tell them I sent you and that I said hello!

I've been working in the shop, but not on the torch. I decided it was time to start making finished pieces out of some of these beads I've been making.

Check out the new selection of cell phone fobs listed for sale, my new fish necklace, and my new Lucie Collection.

Next week I will travel to Lansing, Michigan to Delphi Glass for their Lampwork Lollapalooza. There will be demonstrations, a visit and demonstration by Glass Artist Tim Drier, a raffle of the demonstration pieces at the end of the event, and the best part - a SALE! This event is free and there is no registration so if you might be in the area, consider stopping in.

I'm off to buy glass today. I love being able to purchase it locally. The fact that I can handle the glass and see the true colors of what I am buying is important. While it is true that they don't carry ALL of the Moretti colors, I buy all I can from them and what I cannot get I order online.

Locally, I typically shop at Fire Nation. They have a glass blowing shop in the back, a nice gallery in the front, and a separate space with supplies. The suppliers I tend to use online include Sundance Glass, Delphi Glass, and Frantz Art Glass. There are many MANY others but I haven't had the chance to order from them yet.

That's just for the raw glass and things like enamels, frit, tools, etc. Then there's all the jewelry making supplies. That's a blog post for another time.

So off I go to the "candy store", because that's what it is - eye candy!