I really, truly am trying to get myself back on track! So here’s a brief reading list for your enjoyment.

• Lydia Muell discusses at length what she’s been doing lately to stretch her glassworking skills.
• Glass Alchemy has a brand new blog — see what Henry has to say!
• Luann Udell has some great suggestions for out-of-the-ordinary jewelry displays. In the “small world” category, one of the displays she features is from the company founded by Judy Vilmain, experimental psychologist-turned-artist and a grad school classmate of mine until I dropped out of the psych program at U of Iowa!

Some recent lampworking goodies gathered for your reading pleasure!

• Etsy recently published the Etsy Seller Handbook, a list of links to many articles on the nuts and bolts of selling on, of course, Etsy.
• If you love Lydia Muell’s beads, you’ll be blown away by her blown glass perfume bottles.
• Lori Anderson gets inspired by the latest Tierracast catalog over at Watch Me Create.
• Can you believe it? Sarah Hornik organized her glass!
• Luann Udell has some tips for making sure you get paid in this tough economy.
• Lori Greenberg finally succeeds in pairing the perfect blue with the perfect brown.
• Rachel of InfernoGlassBeads shares how three of her favorite lampworkers adorn their (and your) life with their work.
• Seraphim Flameworks doesn’t just play with Double Helix Glass — they’ve experimented with ASK Silver Rattan and Vetrofond Black recently with some stunning results.

I love my GlassHaven peeps — we’ve had a very lively political discussion ongoing this week, but everyone is keeping it very civilized in its liveliness!!!

I’ve been doing the “Best of the Week” posts here, (and cross-posting them to the GlassHaven) since TGH started. I’ve tried to include every lampworker-authored blog that I could find in my Google Reader feeds, so that I could make BotW as encompassing as possible. Currently that’s 93 feeds (plus my own blog), assuming I counted right.

Make that 92 feeds. I deleted one today because I could no longer stomach reading it . It’s a blog that has gone heavily political this summer and fall, with a very strong bias toward the political Left. What this blogger says isn’t why I deleted the subscription, though — it’s HOW they say it. Their writing is nasty and rarely refers to the Republican ticket by anything other than slurs (not to mention poorly supported with logic or fact — they are a big fan of the ad hominem argument). It’s a shame, because any valid points they might raise are obscured by the tone of their voice.

The final straw was today when they referred to John McCain as “McNasty” (which they have done before), and then “McF***” (only they wrote it out — I can’t even to quote them). I find that unbelievably, utterly lacking in anything resembling class.

Oh, I absolutely believe in First Amendment freedom of speech, and I will defend this person’s right to write whatever they wish, however they wish.

I just refuse to read it.

It’s a veritable plethora of bloggy goodness out there this week!!!

• At the new Glass Arts blog on CraftGossip.com, Lori Greenberg finds two bead artists inspired by American Gothic.
• Seraphim Flameworks tests out the latest Double Helix odd lots and test batches.
• Karolen’s still learning about Pandora as she tries restriking some unstruck beads in the kiln.
• Karolen didn’t spend ALL her time at the torch this week, though — she found a useful new tool for Etsy sellers on the Web.
• Can you make a living as a lampworker? Deanna Chase does it.
• That Marcy Lamberson is a busy, busy person! First she finds the perfect tool to help with the glassy details on your beads.
• Then she coaches Fiona in making a blackbird and a penguin at the torch.
• For the week’s Major Eye Candy, Hannah Rosner knocks our collective socks off with her latest necklaces using not just lampwork, but a plethora of seed beads and crystals as well.

Here’s your latest “Best of” list from the Lampworking Blogosphere!!

Some COLORFUL posts this time:

• Dogmaw’s been experimenting with Glass Alchemy’s Jamboree lately.
• Karolen’s playing with Double Helix’s new Pandora.
• Kandice finds plenty to love in new and old Creation is Messy colors.

We have two artist interviews:

• Lori Greenberg chats with Jill Symons, and
• Melissa Lee speaks with Sarah Moran.

In the miscellaneous category:

• Lisa Liddy compares her current studio and her ideal studio at Collective Creatives.
• Lori Greenberg’s bead designs continue to evolve at Watch Me Create.
• Luann Udell identifies her legacy in the midst of cleaning her attic.
• Finally an anonymous Etsy Bitch Auxiliary member shares a different perspective on Etsy’s “Quit Your Day Job” series.