Wandering Spirit Designs

Expecting and A Cross-country Move

2012-02-13T17:18:00.002-08:00

It's a girl and we're due mid-June!
Apologies for the silence on the blog, been busy getting ready for our big move to Texas..San Antonio to be exact.
The packers will be here tomorrow and I'm not in the best frame of mind for such a big event.
Luckily, hubby is uber-organized and we're more ready for this move than all the others we've ever done.
It's going to be a busy year. Already missing my studio space and looking forward to getting set up again as soon as possible and re-opening the Etsy shop.
Oh, and early Happy Valentine's Day greetings to everyone!
See y'all on the flip side :)

Shop Update Nov. 30

2011-11-30T09:58:00.001-08:00

Got a few more pictures taken, these will be going up sometime today on Etsy.

These raked beads, above, were so time consuming to make- but I really love the effect. Cirque seems a very apropos name for them, don't you think?

Still have quite a few sets to photograph along with a handful of capped and cored focals. Tomorrow is another day..

From Mole Hill to Mountain

2011-11-28T10:46:00.001-08:00

I should know better than to procrastinate with this many sets to photograph and put up on Etsy. This happens to me every year after BABE- what is at first a mole hill becomes a mountain and so I continue to put off photographing 50+ sets of beads for the shop. So here is my first step, and you can be my witness :) You can check out my flickr for more pics and size reference.

I think what is causing me the most angst is the thought of having to untie allll those sets to photograph them loose, and then retying them...so then the thought of 'why not just photograph them tied?'. Although the rules of online selling recommends lots of photos, I'll most likely err on the side of sanity and take pics as they are to save myself time. This way I know I'll get them listed before Christmas, lol.

Ebb and Flow

2011-10-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting the blog since we've had family visiting and have been busy getting inventory built up for BABE! 2011..eek, only three weeks away!
Many things are percolating on the sidelines, will get to these soon enough.
My boy seems to be growing so fast, it tugs on my heart strings some of the things he'll say without prompting.
Example:
Me: How do I look? (Asking hubby before heading to a glass meeting out of town this past Sat.)
Him: Shiny.
Me: What?! (in all fairness, I knew he wasn't crazy about the beads I had strung into a quick necklace for the meeting)
Son: No, Dada- Pretty! Mama pretty.
Him: What?!
Me: Did you tell him to say that? ( I sneak a quick peek at the boy and he's grinning ear to ear as he looks at me from the living room where he was busy watching cartoons)
Him: We're going to have our hands full.
Me: Yep. (then I send a quick wink to my boy before heading out the door)

Here is the culprit from the above conversation. :)

48 hr. SALE on Etsy!!

2011-10-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

Everything in the shop will be 25% off when you enter the code:

48OCT11

You must enter the code to receive the 25% off, sale is good til Wed. night- happy shopping!

Shop Update Coming Up

2011-10-02T10:29:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking of having a flash sale this week some time, been wanting to figure out the whole sale code thing on Etsy. Editing photos right now, but expect something on Monday :)

Post Etching - new beads

2011-10-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the beads from a couple of posts ago, etched. My camera seems to be taking more grainy pictures for some reason..I'm trying to figure out what is different since I moved my photo tent to a different spot. I'm thinking I like them better etched, but everything looks better etched to me, haha!

True Blue

2011-09-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

Totally smitten with Zimmerman Mountain Blue Powder Z-971, it's such a luscious color! Really hating that it's impossible to find w/o paying thru the teeth - the Zimmerman family stopped producing their colors years ago and the glass industry is starting to miss certain colors like this one and Z-99 Purple Rose Special..along with others. I plan to enjoy using it until I run out.

Before Etching

2011-09-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

This set has been a pain in the ass to photograph, the colors are so much more amazing in person, think I'll post again after they're etched. I was playing around with one of the fussy colors I have that is pretty shocky and managed to get some gorgeous russet, green, blue and aubergine/magenta from one glass.

After

2011-09-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

What a huge relief to have this space more organized, not sure how I worked before with all the mess. I even managed to recover some buried treasure! Always a plus in my book. There are still a few things left to finish- but it's now much easier to find a place to stick my work and keep track of inventory for my upcoming show in November.
The crazy thing is that I'll be breaking all this down and moving to San Antonio early next year, the joys of being married to the military.

the ugly truth

2011-09-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

This is what I've been tackling this weekend as a birthday present to myself. I thought about getting a manicure since my nails are actually long enough for once, but figured cleaning up my workspace would give me more pleasure. Besides, I can always paint my own nails :)

So here's looking at you 31- may it be a fierce (and more organized) year. Pics of finished space tomorrow..

2011-09-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

So shiny, and hard to photograph properly..more of my Moroccan inspired beads.

Purple

2011-09-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

Z-99 headpin/thingamajigs. Building up inventory for BABE! 2011.

2011-09-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

Still getting used to this new blog setup, the picture loading is much easier- thankfully. This trio just went up on Etsy.

The colors are perfect for fall, the biggest bead is my favorite, much prettier in person!

Crackled Ivory on Etsy

2011-09-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

Just up on Etsy, my photos just don't do this bead justice. I'm having a little bit of trouble letting this one go since the crackling is so gorgeous.

Up on Etsy

2011-09-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

Got these two beads up on Etsy today, they both look very nice together :)

Shop Update

2011-09-11T10:59:00.000-07:00

Some quick pics of work that will going up this week on Etsy. Starting to get in gear for BABE! 2011 in Oakland, CA on Nov. 12-13th. Can't believe it's almost been a year since the last show, time has certainly been fleeting.

This set is something I tried to re-do from a previous sale after having some requests..the only difficulty with this is that this style is obviously organic and free form which makes it hard to truly replicate, especially when there's fuming involved. We'll see if it goes over well on Etsy. AND I even left them shiny!

Etsy Shop Update

2011-08-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

Going to do a shop update real quick since we're leaving again next week to visit more family. Thinking of just leaving the shop open and shipping what sells when we return in Sept. I've got tons more beads to photograph (really wish the pictures would just take themselves, lol).

SRA - finally did it

2011-08-11T17:11:00.000-07:00

#V45 Aja Vaz... :)

P.S. Thanks to Yee for posting about it, reminded me to get a number. Here is the link about the importance of having customers know you're a self-representing artist.

The shop will be closed for one more week since hubby is home from his deployment and we have lots of family to visit.

life in general

2011-08-07T08:27:00.000-07:00

Life regularly gets in the way of best intentions, here's a recap of the last couple of months:

-hubby is home safe- yipppee!
-been scrabbling to get work ready for the Louisville Gathering for the ISGB.

-attended the Gathering for the first time, although I've been a member of the ISGB for 5 years.

-had a table at the Gathering and sold my work, how wonderously fabulous it was although I felt like a chicken running around w/o its head getting set up..it was a tragic comedy of errors that probably had my booth mates shaking their heads at this frenetic and weird woman talking a mile a minute. (special thanks to Cherine and Hannah..and Mary and Barb, lol)

-met so many people I've admired for years and can't wait to attend next year's 20th Anniversary in Seattle.

-my baby boy turned 3!

-visited with my family.

here's a few pics:

(blogger is fighting me, so this is all for now)

New Work

2011-05-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

I've been in a metal etching fog the last few days and here are some of the beads that benefited from it:This first set will be going up on Etsy soon, I'll post an update when it goes in the shop. The two little clear beads are solid but they look so sharp capped and cored, the beadcaps are out of Copprclay that I made ages ago and found them in a container and picked some beads to fit- voila!
This trio will be getting shipped shortly to somewhere special and I'll list (or re-list in the case of the mustard bead) them on Etsy when I get them back.

Something to Sink Your Teeth Into..and a shop update :)

2011-04-14T11:14:00.001-07:00

Had a consuming craving for bacon after our lovely bike ride but had no tomato (don't really like them anyway) and had to figure out how to make it a little more well rounded rather than just snarfing the bacon right off the paper towels as they drained.

Luckily, I have some of those thin bread rounds- can't remember whose, but mine had the 9 Oats or some such and was toasted and while still warm slathered on one side w/ goat cheese then warm bacon which helped the cheese become even softer.

Cut the thick bacon in half and do 3 layers, top w/ lettuce, roasted red peppers and a light swipe of Trader Joe's Caesar Romano dressing on the other slice before topping the sandwich.

Oh, Yum!

Now onto what's going into the shop shortly:

Still playing w/ the Pixie Dust. And the Z99..

Pixie Dust- not just for Tinkerbell

2011-04-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

Planning another shop update momentarily, spent yesterday experimenting with Pixie Dust- a tricksy powder that lends a magical shimmer to beads. Don't know why I've never used it before now, but so glad I finally took the plunge. They're a little hard to properly photograph and convey the shimmery metallic look of the beads.

Aaannnd They're Up!

2011-04-09T09:00:00.001-07:00

Going up today on Etsy: Apologies for the somewhat blurry photos, I really need to figure out the settings on hubby's little Nikon..or figure out which camera I need for the business.

the past week and a shop update tomorrow...

2011-04-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

The Outer Banks were gorgeous, so glad we made the drive and stayed the night. We even had a rainbow greet us as we made our first trip to the beach. It's still the off season and it was basically deserted and the 2 yo disturbed no one.

Shop update tomorrow. :)

Made my friend a pair of earrings as a belated b-day gift.

Treasures from the sea.

Texture plates from our treasures over the week, mmmm....makes me want to dig into the metal clay.

one more update for the weekend..Z99

2011-04-02T12:14:00.001-07:00

Thought I'd edit a few more for the shop while the little man is napping, up on Etsy shortly:

Shop Update for Apr. 1st and 2nd

2011-04-01T15:09:00.001-07:00

New work going up shortly in the shop:Surely I'm not the only one who loves the colors together in this trio? *slurp* These will be slightly discounted since the two smaller ones were chipped due to my aggressive cleaning..d'oh! Doesn't affect the bead, just makes them less than perfect. Oh, oh- love the bead caps on this one and the crackling is superb. Had a hard time letting go of these capped and cored hollows, so luscious but hard to capture on camera.

Shop Update for Mar. 28/29th

2011-03-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

Are you still there? Have I scared you away due to my poor, neglected shop never being open? If not, great! I'll be adding new work over these next few days by editing in batches the hundreds of pictures of beads that have been languishing in wait for me to get the shop re-opened. Here is a quick review of this set that will be listing tonight and into tomorrow, time permitting:

Take a Bike.

2011-03-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

image from cyclecityusa.com

My bike and trailer arrived this week and was able to pack them up in the truck and go for a ride in Cary with my wonderful cousins at one of the nearby trails. image from ultrarob.com

I went for a Trek Allant and Burley D'Lite trailer. Both are working out great and yesterday was the perfect day for a bike ride. My only complaint is how difficult (re: impossible for me) it is to snap the supports together when unfolding the D'Lite. I'm hoping it gets easier the more it's used, but I've had to have someone else help me snap the bar over the plastic saddles. For sure it's sturdy, but may be difficult for one person to unfold.

It's not the best pic, but gives you an idea of size and proportion. (Don't worry, Z was wearing a helmet during the ride.)

Cruising for a Bike

2011-03-09T20:55:00.000-08:00

This week was supposed to be dedicated to the re-opening of my Etsy shop...spring fever must have hit and now I'm madly searching for a worthy bike. It's been more than a decade since I've owned one and the bike world has definitely changed.

The internet is a treasure trove of sites where you can find reviews, blogs, pictures- which has made my decision on picking one all the more difficult. I've managed to narrow it down to a few, but it all depends how I like them in person at one of the local bike shops. Perhaps some of you have a bike you love that you'd recommend?

I'm gaga over the dutch style bikes and interested in the upright comfort make.

Let's not even start on the child seats..apparently your bike has to have certain holes/screws in certain places for certain bike seats to fit. argh! Why don't they all just make one fitting fits all? Let's not get me started on all our wasted cell phone chargers laying around the house.

My favorite is the top- a KHS Green 3 speed. Alas, no local dealers w/ in an hour drive. Bummer.

The second is the Raleigh Circa i3 in Champagne. So classy, but my local bike shop doesn't have one in stock to ride.

The third is an 'Amsterdam style' bike. Electra Bikes make models similar to this to mimic the iconic dutch style bikes. Pretty pricey, but you get what you pay for.

The fourth is one I'm reserving judgment on until I see it in the store. It's a Specialized Crossroads step-thru style w/ 21 speeds. Nice but a little clunkier looking than my first two. It's still in the running since it has so many speeds and front shocks for any potholes, etc. I'd want to add fenders and a basket to cute it up :)

So there you have it- this is what has sucked up my time for the past week when I was supposed to be getting the shop open! Once my choice has been made, things should fall into place on the bead front, too.

And Another

2011-02-20T05:56:00.000-08:00

pic by my wonderful Sis-in-Law:I'm not sure how everyone else who sells online does it- when you take pics do you also think of how the layout will look on business cards, postcards, etc? Since Etsy uses square images for the products, that is the way my pics usually end up cropped. Or maybe you take one or two pics that is a little more..artsy? The plan is to try and take a couple different layout shots for the sets/focals that really set my heart aflutter and save them for business cards..after all, who doesn't like options?

Post Tumble Etching

2011-02-19T08:15:00.000-08:00

My Moroccan inspired beads after tumble etching overnight:The more I inspect them, the more imperfections I notice. Practice, practice, practice.
Hopefully I'm not the only one that likes this new direction.

Translation from Mind to Making..

2011-02-18T19:20:00.000-08:00

My mind is a sometimes dizzy place, with way too many thoughts bouncing around and then going off on tangents..which then forces me to work backwards towards my original thought similar to that guy in Memoir.

This idea of 'leveling up' (Scott Pilgrim reference, sorry lol) has been on my mind and using raking w/ stringers has been something on the back burner for a while now.

I finally decided, "what can it hurt?", and just jumped in w/ no planning. Turns out, for me at least, that every d'oh! moment eventually leads to improving my technique. The first d'oh! happened when I dropped one of my brass micro shapers on the concrete, and wouldn't you know it, it was the supa sharp pointy tip that hit the concrete and caused a slight kink on the end. Which worked great at raking the stringers today!

The next time was when I blew a hole out on a hollow big hole bead and I was determined not to chuck it since I'd already spent 20 min. making it. Once I patched the hole, it had an interesting raked edge that my squirrely brain stored as an idea for later on. There's been a few other instances but I don't want to bore you or me listing them all.

While the execution of the idea is still a little rough, perseverance will now be my friend until I'm satisfied.

I'll try and get pics tomorrow after they're done tumbling.

Nesting

2011-02-13T17:12:00.000-08:00

My lovely sister-in-law was nice enough to play around w/ her new camera using some of my beads as practice macro shots. Hubby leaves soon, so just the pic:

Press Play

2011-02-08T09:04:00.001-08:00

Between playing with the Straight Sided Lentil Slim Lg. + press and trying to figure out if hubby's camera is better than the one I've been using reminds me of the saying: PPP (practicepracticepractice). I rediscovered Picnik- the pic above is a before and after using that feature, it did improve it a little, there is a lot to explore and I just haven't had the time recently. Definitely something to put on my to-do list.

This shows my progression using the new press, the second and third beads are the only ones not on a white base. Seashell Swirl and then Yellow Ice over a core of clear are the 2nd and 3rd bead's base colors. The Yellow Ice reacted badly w/ the Dk. Raku powder which is that black color you see on the bead..live and learn.

Tumble Etching Beads

2011-02-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

My Mr. is home for some R&R, so this will be a quick post :)
My first try w/ tumble etching was a big FAIL- never use the Harbor Freight grit sampler to etch beads. I ruined a whole bunch of hollow focals, maybe they can be saved when I get my sandblasting set-up ready to use. The two beads below are a few that etched well in around 8-10 hrs. The hollow fumed focals still have very tiny shiny spots from the crackling of fuming, I assume. The ribbed beads didn't tumble etch well since the valleys stayed shiny while the ribs etched well. They are on deck for sandblasting. I'll try and get some pics up for the visual peeps among us.

Pile of Hollow Big Hole Bead Lovlies

2011-01-29T11:29:00.000-08:00

I hope I'm not the only one that loves these- still debating on whether to just core w/o beadcaps or do the whole she-bang w/ coring and double beadcaps. Sell them separately or in a set? Having a hard time making up my mind on this one..perhaps you can help me decide.

Z-99 Experimentations

2011-01-27T09:44:00.000-08:00

Time has certainly flown during my absence of blogging. Didn't mean to be gone and have the shop closed for so long- time moves differently when a spouse is deployed and the New Year wasn't as big of a deal as his R&R coming up will be. I've been experimenting when it's warm enough in the studio to fire up the torch, here are a few:The beads above are made w/ a hard to find glass- Z-99 Purple Rose Special. The Zimmerman family has stopped production and decided not to sell their glass recipes to the industry. It is a wonderful and reactive color, these beads were made on a base of Effetre White- yep, just white- w/ various frits and powders added.

Not to worry, I'm still in love w/ making my organic hollows. Here is a set that hasn't been etched yet:
Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and shared it with the ones you love. This gal knows better than to make any resolutions, but perhaps we'll be seeing each other a little more frequently at this space :)

BABE! 2010 and Beads

2010-11-16T10:17:00.000-08:00

BABE! was a hit and I'm looking forward to next year's show. Even w/ travel expenses and shipping my work, it was still worthwhile. How lovely it was to see repeat customers and getting to meet new smiling faces.

I ran out of business cards before lunch on Sunday and now know to hold a few back so if there is some who like to grab multiples, they won't take all my stack.

The booth shots were, unfortunately, quickly taken on Sunday since I forgot my camera on Saturday when my table was freshly arranged and all my beads were there. These show a table considerably picked over.

I also got to spend some time with my dear friend, Ann- we spent a day in SF and shopped at the Ferry Building w/ lunch at the Slanted Door. Yum!

This was just a quick shot of us at the BART station before I had to dash back to Mary's house to drive up to Oakland and get set-up before the show.
Now to relax and decompress for a day or two and get ready for the holiday travels.

The work that didn't sell will be going up shortly on Etsy- as soon as it gets to me by mail. Just keep a look out on the blog and I'll update before adding to the shop.

Etching and Enameling

2010-11-07T14:09:00.001-08:00

Etching on copper is a new concentration and I seem to be drawn to a fern/kelp motif. These etched discs are in the process of getting enameled and if I have time before the show (eeek!) etching the enamel so it's not so shiny may be in order. Apologies for the supadupa shiny copper, this is just a quick shot to show my progress. Those little round discs on the left are part of trying to figure out what color to use- so many choices. The counter enamel is now on the back side of the discs and after I clean the firescale off the front, they'll be ready for a couple more layers of enamel.

Perhaps I'll see you at BABE? It's the 13th and 14th- next weekend! Come by my booth and say hey if you're able to make it. :)

A Happy Accident

2010-10-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

My first try w/ Fast fire Bronzclay seems to be a success. To be completely honest, this is my second firing of this load since I accidentally used the acid-washed carbon rather than the coconut shell. Also bumping up the firing temp to 1545 rather than 1525 seemed to help, too.
The colors were quite a surprise! I figured they would be dull and maybe slightly gold-toned. The first ones out of the firing pan (the 8 bead caps near the 5 o'clock position) were not too colorful, but still have some interesting patterns on them. It wasn't until I swirled my stainless steel hemostat around in the medium trying to fish some out -with my respirator on- that I noticed a flash of color change. The bright orange was a complete shock since I've never gotten such vivid color from the coconut shell carbon. Another thing that seemed to help was almost fishing it out and then re-submerging it in the carbon. That's how I got some of the raku looking pieces. The far left are the ones that were on the very bottom and so they stayed in the longest. In case anyone is interested- I fired at full ramp to 1545* holding for two hours. I had my pan up on kiln posts, and the lid was not fully covering the container. After it was done firing, I removed the kiln lid around 1300* and left the pan- still covered w/ the lid- in the kiln until the temp read ~230-250. Can't remember the exact number now, should've written it down. After removing it carefully from the kiln, I searched for my hemostats and started digging for the bead caps soon after. Et voilà!

digital scrapbook time warp

2010-10-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

Not sure how two hours disappeared, but I blame the free templates I found online for these:The larger images can be seen on my flickr page.

Beads and 100 Followers :)

2010-10-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

This past week has been a whirlwind of travel, meeting new people, and trying to get ready for the show next month. Just noticed that I have 100 Followers for this blog!- thanks for your interest and here's to showing you work that continues to grab your attention. Met up w/ some wonderful beady people over the weekend and look forward to our next Carolina Firefiend meeting. One member generously let me borrow her Jim Moore press since my Impress Bead Liner was too slim to fit my big beads inside to core and cap. (these three beads above are a few I've done so far, before running out of bead caps) Another is going to tumble etch some of my hollows to see how it compares to my usual acid etch method.
Thank goodness my wonderful cousin is nearby and willing to babysit my little man, making it possible for me to go to these meetings.

Bead Porn for BABE! 2010

2010-10-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

Since BABE! 2010 is only a month away, it seemed like a good time to take stock of what I have and what still needs to be made. There is a LOT of etching that needs to be done- oy vey, that's going to take a while. The first shot appeals more to me visually but the last two are just keeping it real since that's what it normally looks like in the studio ;)

Looking forward to the show and getting to enjoy Cali again, even if it's only briefly.. if you make it to the show, be sure to stop by and say hey.

Post Firing- BC Hollow Forms

2010-10-09T05:33:00.000-07:00

Just a quick shot of the fired bronzclay hollow forms- my free form number hollow bead on the right developed a few fine cracks and must have had a weak spot of the back since it has the most damage. It was fired on its side, so maybe I sanded it too much- can't say as I really remember since the forms were made more than a year ago.
I'd like to get a nice patina on them that is a little more permanent than what the firing medium gives. Any suggestions?

Gearing up for BABE! 2010

2010-10-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

The blog has been woefully neglected (again) while I'm trying to get as much done as possible during my short spurts of free time, i.e. nap time. As my dad loved to say, "I'm busier than a one-legged man in an ass kicking contest."
Not sure if the slip-painted pattern on the left is too weird- the inspiration came from two different sources: the grease trail in my frying pan and one design from a book of quilts.
Oh, and these are some of the bronzclay hollow forms from more than a year ago that I'm finally getting around to using. Good thing they don't go bad- although they're hard as rocks to try and carve..hence, the slip painting.

Enamel Sampler and Do-Overs

2010-09-04T16:44:00.001-07:00

The Thompson Enamel Sample Pack for Med. Temperature Medium Expansion arrived in the mail on Friday and I immediately wanted to play around since my first attempt more than a year ago was..weak, to say the least. I usually have a hard time visualizing units of measurements. These packets are each around .5 oz. , usually .6 or .7 to account for the baggie I presume. Now, if I would've known on the website that they were each 1/2 oz. - it wouldn't have meant much to me other than telling me it's less than one whole ounce. So this is for other people like me who like to SEE what a measurement looks like, not just reading it :) Hope that helps.

My Turquoise pendant used .1 oz. Theoretically, I could make another 5 in this size before running thru my sample baggie- not bad, eh? The box w/ opaque and transparent enamel cost less than $90 w/ shipping. There are A LOT of colors- no, I haven't counted yet..but I will.

Oh, this red is so very luscious- Orient Red is one I'll be reaching for quite often, no doubt.

This is just the opaque colors, haven't done the transparents yet..

Enameling on Copprclay is next, got some pieces and just need to clean them up. I'm currently cleaning and reorganizing my studio and will post pics of the space and some beads once it's done.

Family and Cake

2010-08-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

Hadn't realized it'd been that long since blogging. Hubby's deployed now and Z and I have been adjusting- mostly me, to tell the truth. Everything seems to take twice as long.. take our upcoming trip to see family.

We were supposed to leave today but was so wiped out from mowing our lawn yesterday in the scorching heat, I didn't feel like shopping for food, loading the truck w/ our stuff AND the antique table and chairs afterwords..so, I didn't- and now we leave early tomorrow morning.

Thank goodness for GPS and portable DVD players. How in the world did we get around before? It seems so long ago that we would actually use an atlas and an area map to figure out where to go.

Z will have a belated 2nd B-day celebration with all of the cousins and get to eat cake to his heart's content.

I haven't forgotten about those who've emailed about beads- after returning I plan to work in more time at the torch, I'm so looking forward to it.

Riveting Jewelry

2010-07-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

Makes me want to try and do it, too. Etsy Treasury

Big Hole Beads

2010-07-12T07:14:00.000-07:00

Being part of an online exchange usually stretches my boundaries and makes me try something new. This time the exchange is for big hole beads and since I never do anything the easy way, I decided to see how well I could encase some long big hole beads, these were made on 1/4" mandrels. The last pic is the four I made with only the two on the top pic making the cut for possible inclusion for the exchange. The second bead cracked since I admired it for too long and the one on the far right has a sharp end. I was able to make these with my Electric Mandrel Spinner- there's no way my wrists could have managed otherwise. The short one is 14.5 mm long and the large one is 35 mm long or 1-1/4".
I knew that thing would come in handy one day.

More Progress

2010-06-27T06:32:00.001-07:00

Before LOS patina:Patina applied, think these will be beadcaps:The patinaed copper plate/pendant, not sure what will become of this one:Is this one too...weird?
It's very reminiscent of the hollow form on the left, from a year ago.

Metal Etching WIP

2010-06-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the quick and dirty pic, wanted to have a step by step history for myself. Enjoyed doing my own version of Zentangles on some of the pieces. Depending on how these turn out, some may be used as bead caps on my hollows.

New Work for Etsy

2010-06-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

Do big sets sell on Etsy? I'm still debating on whether to separate or keep this set together-any opinions? Off to try and get some torching in...*Just added to the Etsy shop!* Going to see how the beads all together do..

Etsy

2010-06-21T17:30:00.001-07:00

Just reopened the shop, new beads coming tomorrow..

Back Home

2010-06-19T22:07:00.000-07:00

Back from Oak Island and my lovely sister in law took some quick snap shots of me in the studio making some hollow focals. She only had a few minutes since they were about to leave for the airport, but Linda got some great shots. It was sliiightly hot in there, too. I have a bunch on my Flickr page if you want to see more. Apologies for taking so long to post pics of the finished space- as you can see, it gets a lot of use.

And my favorite pic from our family vacay:

That's my son's lovey, Althea- she is never far from his reach and the poor thing had an up close and personal time w/ sand and ocean. Good thing she's washable.

Etsy Update for June 14th

2010-06-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

The FIFA Cup Games are in the background as my inlaws discuss the different players-and I broke two beads to this set during photographing them..down to seven instead of nine. Hmph, time to make some more beads!
Going up on Etsy tomorrow morning:

And Again..two more sets for Etsy

2010-06-11T12:52:00.001-07:00

These look nice together- totally by accident that I put that strand of encased crackled beads together and after setting them next to the hollows noticed how nice they look together..hmm, I can see a new set in the future w/ a mix of matte and encased beads.

These will be going up shortly on Etsy :)

Going up Tomorrow on Etsy

2010-06-10T20:14:00.001-07:00

ETA in Etsy shop ---> after breakfast, before laundry :)

Etsy Update!

2010-06-10T10:35:00.001-07:00

Finally getting around to re-opening my shop and putting up new work. These are smaller hollows than what I normally make- so if you like them snag them, because I didn't make many.
These will be listed shortly:

Work, work, work

2010-06-09T12:16:00.001-07:00

Trying to get the time to get all these listed is causing me a headache. About to head out of town for an appt. that will take most of the afternoon. Maybe tomorrow?
Argh, and all of these still need to be etched and photographed..maybe the in-laws won't notice me slipping off while they admire the little man this next week?

And a closeup of a favorite bead.. still trying to figure out which color of coral it was.

Pagoda Ring Class

2010-06-07T11:08:00.001-07:00

The Pagoda Ring class at Ornamentea was great and especially nice since it was just me and one other student- which made it possible to pick our instructor's brain. Ndidi was a great teacher and we learned how to etch, something I've been wanting to learn to do for years now and it's so simple! There are a couple things safety-wise I might change, like the ventilation and wearing an apron, etc.

The leaf disc is Copprclay, not etched. For some reason my Copprclay hasn't wanted to sinter properly..not sure what the problem is, but planning on opening a new packet and will see if that makes a difference. A handy trick using tubing as a riser- got to use a tube jig for the first time and must say it's pretty handy. Which reminds me that I need to get over my fear of the saw from HF and use it for things like this. Got lots of compliments for the texture on this ring, reminds me of tooled leather. Still need to do some finishing touches, like filing and cutting the extra length on my fastener.

Stayed tuned for etched bead caps and new work soon. Planning on re-opening my Etsy shop sometime this week, just have a whole lotta work to photograph.

Flea Market Find

2010-05-24T13:22:00.001-07:00

There was a threat of thunderstorms Sat. when my cousins and I went to the flea market in Raleigh. I was told there were often more furniture vendors outside, when the weather doesn't look so dicey. Something else was going on besides the flea market and parking was a nightmare but I still managed to spot this sweet thing and was pulled in by its tractor beam. At 18" deep it will be perfect for hanging our winter coats later this year since the two shelves on the inside are removable. The lock is frozen due to disuse and I'll need to figure out the best way to clean out all the grime so I can actually use the lock, if I want. My cousin and her family usually make it up to the flea market at least once a month and have found some gorgeous things. Still on the lookout for a 'new' table and chairs..one that doesn't creak every time we move while eating. I'm sure I'll have fun on the hunt w/ my family.
The studio is finished and I'm embarrassed to say it is already a mess since I started using it as soon as everything was in place, lol. If I get it cleaned up a little I'll post a pic sometime. It's funny, my contractor was saying how I should have more than enough space for everything- but as I've been working, I've noticed I could probably use another 6' of table space! My photo tent doesn't have a place yet, and I need to figure out where to permanently place my vise and bench clamps. Organizational skills is not my forte.

Closer to Fine

2010-04-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

It was an Indigo Girls' kind of day today and my space is almost finished- now the finishing touches such as putting my glass in its place and hooking up my equipment, etc. need to be done. Behold my fabulous new work space:I'll be sure to get more photos of everything in its place by Monday- after some torching, of course. Have a creative weekend!

Progress w/ Garage Studio

2010-04-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

The studio is coming along- the table is done and next comes the ventilation box and set-up. Things were changed midway, as many projects are. We had talked about switching the back door to one w/ a doggy door and using that as our vent, but I decided we use that door too often to have it stay shut. Instead the vent will run outside when I crack the garage door open and the make-up air will be the back door (the one in the garage, not the main house).Now to get ready for my son's doctor appt. an hour away..maybe by this time tomorrow I'll get my torch set up!

Back and (almost) in the Saddle Again!

2010-04-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

Visiting family was a welcome relief from worrying about getting my studio finished. Got a hold of my contractor today and he should be by tomorrow to install everything! Keep your fingers crossed it is finished tomorrow because I'm itching to use some of the new silver glasses from Double Helix- like Clio and Terra 2. And the gorgeous murrini I got from DH and my wonderful friend, Hayley.
Not to mention getting back to making more hollows ;)

Family

2010-04-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

Leaving tomorrow to visit family that hasn't seem my little man in more than a year. Praying that he behaves in the airport and sleeps thru most of the flights.

To customers that have contacted me for orders, I love you but my future studio space is still not complete due to my contractor having a family emergency, which has delayed me getting to torch and filling requests for beads. Many apologies for the delay and I hope to have this situation rectified, one way or another, by May 1st.

Garage Studio..Part I

2010-04-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

First pics of future garage studio space. Planning to refresh the paint on the walls today and try and clean up around the space a little more since the electrical guy is coming tomorrow. Notice the perfect location of the fuse box! This will be saving me money since the electrician won't have to run a bunch of wire for my kiln outlet.
One of the things I had to keep in mind was permanence- or lack thereof. Being married to a military man means we move every few years and this means my studio has to be easily dismantled and the space goes back to the way it was since this is a rental home.
My contractor should be making my tables and ventilation box this evening w/ set-up scheduled sometime tomorrow. We have a plan for ventilation since I'm sure you noticed there's no windows..hopefully it's easily set up as we planned.

To be continued..

Moooo-vin' on Up

2010-04-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

I heart Moo products, they always make my work look even better. The business cards go into each package getting sent out and anything over $50 gets a postcard, too, since they've gone over pretty well.
Have a Happy Easter, everyone! I hope to start taking progress shots of my studio getting put together since my contractor guy is going to give me an estimate and hopefully get started next week. Yahoo!

Big Daddy

2010-03-30T15:38:00.000-07:00

The last few times at the torch I've been trying to work small, as you can see the smallest hollow bead is approx. 11x16mm. As customers keep asking if they could get smaller hollows, I thought it couldn't be too hard to make them smaller...Yesterday, I couldn't take it anymore and my hands decided to try and make the biggest hollow yet- it measures in at 37x49mm, which is nearly 2 inches across. And this made me think what else I could make bigger- smaller sculptural focals, perhaps? Who knows, the big daddy took me more than 30 minutes on my Minor torch and it was a decidely delicate dance keeping it warm enough. It's always nice to feel my creativity start to percolate and see new possibilities.

Updating Etsy Today

2010-03-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

Right-o, off to start adding work to Etsy, then off to enjoy the rest of the day :)I love the striations and reactions from the Red Copper Green in the set above- top left, third down and bottom.

Missing the beach and hearing the ocean..

Totally groovin' w/ the colors in this set..love the reds.

Etsy Update for March 23rd

2010-03-22T17:33:00.001-07:00

Hoped to get some of these listed today, but life got in the way..between a sputtering car, cranky child and hubby getting ready to leave for 9 days hasn't left me w/ much free time. Tomorrow I'll be editing all the photos for the listings- so look for these to be listed sometime in the afternoon/evening.
My etching solution was uber-strong, I'd forgotten about that since I hadn't bought new solution in a while. Next time, I know not to leave the beads in for much time.

Lotta WIP

2010-03-18T12:09:00.001-07:00

I have lots to do this weekend before hubby is gone for a week- this is just some of it, lol. Resin is a pain in the bootay to photograph due to glare, etc. I'm still on the fence about Ice Resin, but 'a carpenter can't blame his tools' so I'm going to do some more research and try try again. The beads need to be cleaned and etched..meh.
I hope to get this work listed next week..and I hear my little man crying, so much for that afternoon nap.

Etsy Update for Mar. 17th

2010-03-16T10:48:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day?! I think I did a double take when I noticed the date- this year is already flying by. Been meaning to get more pics of beads posted, editing photos, etc. is a pet peeve and sometimes put it off too long and then it's just overwhelming to go thru all the photos. Here are two sets that will be going up tomorrow morning on Etsy:I hear Pantone listed Turquoise as the color of the year, how fortuitous :)

Resin Redux

2010-03-12T07:49:00.001-08:00

Resin is a tricky thing, at least for me. It seems that Murphy's Law was in full effect each time I tried to use it. There would be micro bubbles- which I ended up compensating for by pouring a thin layer and blowing on the surface w/ a straw to pop them. Deeper settings should be done in thin layers if you have this problem..maybe my house is too cool- I'm 98% sure all my problems were user error.
These bezels weren't as tricky since they're shallow and bubbles were easily taken care of. My baby jar lid experiment did not go nearly as well..

Then I realized my surface wasn't level and I didn't have my saran wrap anchored as well as I thought since more than once a corner ended up on top of a piece, disrupting the wet resin.

*insert primal scream*

Later that night after I gave up and thought, 'tomorrow is another day', I broke a bead while I was moving stuff - that currently has no place to go- and yelled some very bad words since this current state of not having a place to work is driving me bonkers. Oh, how I need an Ikea closer than 3 hours away so I can get that awesome corner hutch I've been in love w/ for longer than I care to think about.
A trip to an antique store or some other shops may be in order this weekend.

I want to love you, resin, I really do.

Revving Up for Ice Resin

2010-03-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

This is what I worked on today..not that pile of laundry or the counter tops that need to be cleaned off. Hmm, they're not going anywhere but my resin should be arriving in the mail, tomorrow if I'm lucky, and had to have something ready to use! I had some Ice Resin and it has mysteriously disappeared..just like our 2G memory card for our camera- could be my forgetfulness or a mini person w/ sticky fingers...

Yes, those are baby jar lids that I spray painted matte black. Still need some work, but these are meant to be experimental prototypes, unless they turn out stupendous...then maybe into Etsy they will go.

It was such a beautiful day today and it felt like Spring was in the air w/ the chirping of the birds and the playful, balmy breezes.

Etching solution

2010-03-04T08:10:00.001-08:00

VS.I just realized that I have NO etching solution, and that is unheard of for me since pretty much all of my beads get etched.

Arrow Springs etching crystals are preferred over etch-all for me- partly due to price, yes, and partly due to effectiveness. Etchall is nearly twice as expensive for a 16 oz. container. The Arrow Springs version is supposed to be less caustic also, which is nice since I use it (safely) so often. I still wear rubber gloves and use baking soda to neutralize before rinsing the beads clean. Which reminds me that I need to get a big container of baking soda...

Etsy Update for Feb. 24th

2010-02-23T19:15:00.001-08:00

Found my calipers so now I can start listing tomorrow.

kaput

2010-02-22T18:12:00.000-08:00

We worked on setting up the studio in the backyard shed a lot more this weekend and was all set to go and then when I turned on the oxy con...what's that saying- 'the lights are on, but no one's home'? Um, yeah..that about sums it up, lol. It turned on but the little ball that floats to show pressure didn't move at all so that could mean a leak, a bad valve or new sieve beds are in order. Of course, the fact that we moved cross country and it was in a box for more than a month may have contributed to the problem, too >:/

Hobbies for Us is currently running a deal on a Devilbiss 515 for $250 w/ free shipping, so that's what I decided to go with since my dead one ran well.

This whole process of setting up seemed like a comedy of errors. Before we realized the oxygen concentrator bit the dust, we were worried my ventilation fan was toast due to a bad rubbing sound of the metallic kind. Turns out we were setting it on the wrong side and as soon as we screwed it in correctly, no more noise. Whew. Ventilation, check.

Now all that's needed is my new oxy con to arrive and move my glass in and organize. This is w/ an extension cord run from the house since I've had to give up on my recommended electrical guy that is supposed to be good but is dealing w/ family issues..so now I follow a new lead tomorrow and see if I can get a hold of someone for an estimate.

Apologies to customers who are waiting to see new beads, best laid plans and all that jazz. Maybe in a couple days I'll have my feathers unruffled and will stop cringing from another unexpected expense.

Now Open for Business!

2010-02-20T18:58:00.000-08:00

My Etsy shop is now re-opened for business. Many thanks for the loyal customers that gave me nudges to hurry up and list work, lol.
Hubby and I are working on getting a temporary studio set-up for me until we get electricity added to the future studio space. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be getting back on the torch for the first time in over a month- no wonder I've been so space-y, I've been going thru withdrawals :)
Planning to post some pics of new work going up on Etsy tomorrow.

More Beads...

2010-02-17T12:21:00.001-08:00

These beads were finally found amongst a box gone rogue in the depths of the garage. I was beginning to get frantic thinking these and my metal clay supplies had been lost. We're still settling in and rearranging things to suit us and we've yet to uncover the surface of my work desk so I can spread out and just ... make.
Now I just have to await word from a customer to see which ones will be left to list on Etsy.
Ugh, Etsy- having a hard time getting the enthusiasm to reopen since I still don't have my studio space set up. It will probably be a while since I need to find a reliable electrician to wire the space.

It is nice to see some fresh pics of my work, makes me itch to make more. And all that new silver glass is calling my name, taunting me.

We had a busy weekend besides it being Valentine's Day, we celebrated hubby's b-day and took care of the taxes- yahoo!

Happy creating :)

A New Beginning

2010-02-11T13:13:00.000-08:00

We made it cross country and we're now settled in Fayetteville, NC. We found a nice house outside the city away from the crazy traffic and Z has a huge backyard that's completely fenced in to run around and burn off his energy.
Here is the shed that I hope to make my studio- soon! It's in our backyard and needs electricity added. It's approx. 11'x11' inside and about 75' from the house and around 130' to the meter box on the side of the house. I'm waiting on the guy that was recommended to me to come out and take a look before giving an estimate. It's driving me crazy not having space to create, hopefully this will go smoothly and will soon be cranking out more beads, etc. :)
P.S. If anyone has advice, things to avoid, etc. I'd love to hear!
Oh, and I hope to get my Etsy shop opened soon, just gotta figure out which box my beads are in, lol.

Etsy Update

2010-01-07T11:29:00.001-08:00

Listed these on Etsy last night. This whole getting prepared to move dealio is really consuming all my time and thoughts. By this time next week, we'll probably be driving out of Cali heading east to Colorado, etc.
So I decided to make this listing w/ Free Shipping. I'm too lazy to change the rest of my listings so only this one has the free shipping, but anything else I have the time to list before next week will also have free shipping.
Monday morning will probably be the latest my Etsy shop will be open before it has to be shut down for the move on Wednesday afternoon. Depending on how smooth the drive 'cross country goes and how easily we find a house will determine when the shop opens again.
I was pleasantly surprised to see how the somewhat abhorred Translucent Yellow looks fumed- note the pretty pink flash. I didn't etch since I wasn't sure if any of the color would stay, let me tell you it makes me itch when I don't etch beads, lol.

Love Affair w/ DH Odds

2010-01-06T09:37:00.000-08:00

Double Helix has done it again with their recent batches of odd-lot silver glasses. I wasn't able to get nearly as much as I'd have liked since we're about to move and hubby has been keeping his eagle eye on me so I don't buy anything thru the mail, lol. I did get some Aether which is absofreakin'lutely amazing, it's like butter and melts so clear w/ no scumming or boiling. I have two of the KA oddlots to show, KA 356:

I love the pinks I was able to get- it wasn't difficult- but it easy to overwork or overheat while encasing that causes this glass to go more gold- which can also be interesting. I made the base bead in KA 356, let it strike slightly, then put it back in a neutral flame (which caused some slight reduction and streaks which reminds me of how Ekho works). At this point I turned down the oxygen and turned up the propane so the candles were about an inch and a half, and quickly flashed the bead until I saw the iridescence. Let it cool slightly and encase in Aether. While encasing, be careful you don't work too hot, slow and cool wins the race w/ this glass.

KA 360:

Worked similarly as KA 356, w/ a slightly more reducing flame and longer exposure therein. Encasing a red transparent w/ this glass and using Aether seems to bring out more green tones.

My talented friend, Hayley, has recently posted pics of other odd lots- plenty of eye candy, go check it out ;)

Best of 2009

2009-12-31T21:35:00.001-08:00

I picked nine best works for 2009- I could've gone overboard but limiting it to nine made me more choosy. This was done very quickly since I've been putting glass away and getting ready for the big dimantle on Sunday *boohoo*

Playing with Photoshop

2009-12-30T19:50:00.000-08:00

Oh, the possibilities!
Saw the frames on Zoa Art's blog and decided to try it on the first pic I pulled up, I'm proud of myself for figuring it out and now want to try it on other things..back to the drudgery of sorting what to keep and what to toss out before our big move.

Etsy Update for Dec. 21st

2009-12-21T15:39:00.001-08:00

Got a couple new things listed in Etsy..finally:

a hint of the doldrums

2009-12-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

I'm bogged down w/ more than a hundred photos that need to be edited before I can list more beads..boooo. Luckily, I have some edited already from a few days ago and plan on listing these soon on Etsy.

We went to a friend's house last night to celebrate her daughter's 1st birthday. When we got back home, we did the bath and feeding for Z, put him down and he woke up screaming w/ a fever last night around midnight. Not sure if it was just teething or if he's catching something, but the small bit of Tylenol and teething tablets seemed to help after a few minutes. If his teething is going to go anything like the last ones, he'll be getting a couple (or four) more teeth in the next week or two.

Gotta run to Target to get a digital thermometer that works..grr..since the one last night failed.

On a good note, Z was a little prince last night around the two little baby girls- and no jealousy or fits thrown when I held them :)

Thankfully, he was very gentle w/ the girls and didn't even get mad at Nat when she decided she loved his monkey head blankey, Althea. He would watch and wait until she wasn't watching and take it back w/o getting upset, lol, it was so funny to watch. I can't believe my little man is already 16 months, time certainly flies when they're babies.

Etsy for Nov. 30th

2009-11-30T15:01:00.000-08:00

Three of the four beads have been put up on Etsy and the fourth will be listed shortly. Still trying to get back into the swing of things after the long weekend. I've started organizing and packing up some of my art supplies in the spare bedroom since hubby has been trying to motivate me to get organized before our move 'cross country after the New Year. I'm not a naturally organized person, but thankfully for me, the husband can help ; ) .

Etsy Update for Nov. 27th

2009-11-27T21:16:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was fabulous (and tiring) since I prepared 8 dishes/desserts for our get together w/ friends- including the turkey..which I cooked according to directions and found out that it wasn't cooked all the way thru :*( how embarrassing! The hostess was nice enough to stick it back in the oven for more cooking and luckily there was also ham.
Even got to see a friend I went to school w/ from home stationed here in the same place as us- what are the chances?! Especially considering the little bitty town I come from, lol.

I managed to get some photos of beads and listed some today on Etsy:

Etsy Listings for Nov 21st and 22nd

2009-11-21T10:23:00.001-08:00

Trying to get some work listed on Etsy this weekend- these are the ones up on deck:

The set of 5 has just been listed and I hope to get the rest listed by tomorrow since today is jam packed. Have a wonderful weekend!

First Off Mandrel Torching Session

2009-11-20T15:02:00.001-08:00

After a slightly rocky start, the 1/8" tungsten pick was so fun to play with. The first one I made didn't work out so well, lol, since the glass and the pick were both molten. It was so crazy to see the glowing red pick slid thru the glass to make a hole- I just couldn't wrap my head around how in the world it would work. So many interesting ways to use this, just need to get the time..

Aftermath

2009-11-19T09:11:00.000-08:00

Still gotta get these listed..so not feeling the picture taking right now- ugh. Maybe I'll play w/ my new tungsten pick while Z is down for his nap..also have lots o' big hole beads to list, too.
Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week?! Need to get a turkey.

BABE! 2009 Booth Photos

2009-11-16T12:42:00.001-08:00

BABE! was fabulous and I sold most of my inventory- yiiippeee! Everyone was wonderful and I got to meet so many creative and friendly people- customers and other vendors. My table mate, Mary Tarara, had a gorgeous set up which I didn't get pics of, to my shame. Hayley and Helen, Sadie, Toni L., and so many others were there w/ their beautiful work. A group of us ate out after Saturday's show at Tamarindo a few blocks away and it was mind-blowingly delish! I hearted the Mulitas..yum-0!

I'm exhausted today since I had to drive 2 hours last night after the show to get home. I hope to get some work listed on Etsy in the next day or two once I get back into the swing of things.

Thanks so much to all the wonderful customers who bought my work, I'm thinking of doing this show again next year thanks to you ;)....of course, I'll have to bring a lot more beads, lol!

Countdown for BABE!

2009-11-12T09:49:00.000-08:00

It's now less than 48 hrs until the start of BABE! 2009 and I'm trying to get a little done at a time so I don't feel so rushed before leaving tomorrow afternoon. I did another banner type thing in Photoshop yesterday- although this isn't going to be printed out, it's going to be on my digital picture frame along w/ others I really like. Now to try and get on more torching session in before tomorrow..

Briefly Surfacing

2009-11-10T10:12:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to show some pics of the beads I've done in the last day or so:
Ok, back to the torch while Z is napping..more pics later.

CiM Mermaid, Mink and Tamarind Odd

2009-11-05T14:37:00.001-08:00

Here is my promised pics of CiM's new color, Mermaid. It's so beautiful and saturated. You can see how bright it is compared to my usual palette- I discovered it doesn't really react to silver in any way. I fumed it and laid wire and nothin'..but it does react to ivory w/ a dark line btwn the two colors. Just like Copper Green and Ivory.
Other CiM colors Mink and Tamarind Odd are below. The hollow w/ circles and dots is Tamarind Odd and Mink is the one w/ viney stringer work. Lots of possibilities w/ both, Dk. Ivory loves to spread out on Tamarind Odd as you can see on my hollow. The hollows were fumed also to see how they'd react and the Tamarind got noticeably darker. I'll have to order more Mermaid for sure.

Moonfruit

2009-11-04T11:27:00.001-08:00

Periodically, Moo will send me emails w/ updates on their products, etc. and this morning I noticed one about a free website thru Moonfruit. I heart Moo and order my business cards and mini moo cards from them. I set up a free website, so now I can actually put up a url for a website rather than using my blog, lol. There is also an option to add a shopping cart so you can sell directly thru them w/ PayPal.

I'm not sure how this site compares to others, but I've always been intimidated w/ code since I'm not that computer literate and you can drag and drop which saves lots of time. Feel free to drop a comment and share your experience w/ Moonfruit or other similar sites.
Here is my new website- let me know what you think :)

One thing I'm not crazy with right off the bat is the whole having to add moonfruit in the url instead of just my name. They do have an option to buy a domain name and I *think* you can change it to that w/o using moonfruit in the url.

P.S. Have you tried CiM's new color, Mermaid? Holy guac, it's soooo beautiful! I'll try and get pics for tomorrow.

Little Details

2009-11-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

I'm still busy getting ready for the show *in less than two weeks, eeek!* and it's crazy how much stuff you have to take care of besides just making product to sell. I got an imprinter and short receipts so I can take credit cards and have been playing around this morning w/ signage for my Etsy shop since it was uber outdated. I'll probably tweak it or just toss it and do something totally different for my show, but it was good for me to brush up on my skazillz - or lack thereof, lol- with Photoshop. (I'd be happy to take any constructive criticism :) )Some of us Beady Gals got together on Saturday and gabbed, ate delicious food and got down to business on pricing, etc. for the show. I still need to decide how I want to do pricing on my work- tags, stickers, or...
I also got to see Lori and she showed some of her fabu! murrini that she sells in her shop. I can't wait to try mine.
More posts to come once more progress is made. :)

Slow Progress

2009-10-25T22:46:00.001-07:00

I feel like the tortoise instead of the hare trying to get my inventory built up for my first show next month. But I suppose since the tortoise won in the end, this sort of progress is good. My Etsy shop will be lacking in love and new items since most everything will be going w/ me to Oakland.

After making these and falling in love it reminded me of a friend saying she could never work in an animal shelter since she'd fall in love w/ all the animals and want to bring them home. My beads have metaphorically morphed into cute animals that I don't want to let go, lol. But just like at the animal shelter, these beads need good homes, too. :)

One possible reason I may not want to let them go is due to the amount of work invested into each one. The beadcaps are made by me as is the bead and then they're cored after all the prepping is done on the tubing. At least an hour's time is put into each bead- this isn't including the times in the kiln for annealing the bead and firing the bronzclay.

Now I'm just waiting on more sterling and copper tubing to come in the mail so I can get more made. Ordered from Metalliferous and they were super nice and had awesome prices!

I've been field testing a smaller peg w/ my Impress Bead Liner and it's mucho easier adding bead caps instead of trying to just core the bead. I'm not sure why, maybe it's just me. Doing beads like this also makes me think sterling tubing is a little more 'elastic', I guess you could say, than copper. Or maybe I just need to compensate and cut the copper slightly shorter. Anyhoo, it's still a work in progress, but I'm so glad to be able to make this style that has been stewing in my mind for a while now.

Let's just hope they do well at the show..

More Work

2009-10-23T10:26:00.001-07:00

Another BIG focal that has been cored w/ bead caps in Bronzclay. I had to grind on my Impress Bead Liner to get it to fit, lol. After about 30 minutes of futzing around and learning about carbide grinders, it finally fit *snugly* into the press.
The sterling silver cored big hole bead is up on Etsy. Love the colors! I'm crazy about the blue and mustard look together.