XRite.com has a test at their website where you can see how well you can distinguish between very similar hues by arranging color chips in a smooth gradient from one color to another.  The color ranges used are ones which the human eye has a hard time distinguishing from one another — basically somewhat washed-out or muted pastels.  The lower your score, the better you are at telling similar hues apart.

How did you do?  What is your Color IQ?

Mine was zero; according to the test I have perfect color vision.  Of course, I also have a good-quality monitor for my computer, which can affect the test.  I guess all the web design, not to mention the lampworking, has paid off.

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.

Dear Glass Alchemy,

Thanks a lot.  I’ve been on a self-imposed until-we-move-this-fall glass buying moratorium recently, because I already have so much glass to move that merely thinking about it makes me cringe.  I was doing just fine until I got your newsletter in my email this morning.  Sure, I’m delighted to see that the experimental glass program is back, and I love the name “Revolution 33.”

But why, oh why, did one of your first new colors HAVE to be my much-loved Agua Azul WITH SILVER ADDED???  The instant I saw the new Agua Chameleon , my moratorium shattered into teeny tiny little shards (of boro of course).

Sure, that’s not all I immediately ordered. Who could be expected to resist new colors named “Tequila Mixer” and “Sex On The Beach”? But maybe I could have resisted, waited a bit and taken a chance that they would still be there later, if not for the Agua Chameleon.

Glass Alchemy Revolution 33, thou art a tempter beyond measure! Please don’t introduce anything else new until at least October, lest I be unable to resist breaking my moratorium again!!

Perhaps it’s just the Dog Days of Summer, but the lampworking blogosphere has been a little, well, cranky this week. It’s made for some interesting reading, that’s for certain!

• Before we start getting to the cranky stuff, Cindy Gimbrone gives a brief lesson on borosilicate glass beads, with examples, at Art Bead Scene.
• If you’ve been hearing about Mountain Honey and wondering if it’s a new bluegrass group, let Otter educate you about this new color of glass and its possibilities.
• Megan Potter, one of the staff at Just Be Connected, says that it’s not just sleep deficits, it’s creativity deficits as well, that we need to deal with in our lives.
• Now for the crankiness, and yes, it’s all lampwork-related! Andrea’s still contemplating the copying issue,
• I’m annoyed about ageism on Etsy and in print,
• Jelveh’s nailed it on the nose when it comes to new names for old stuff,
• and Andrea’s also miffed about misconceptions on the use of tools in lampworking (yep, she’s on a roll this week — maybe it’s a good thing she’s leaving on vacation next weekend ).