Fire-n-Sand Glass Art: The Journey

Exploring Handmade ~ Holiday Shopping Event

2011-11-17T11:06:00.010-05:00

Recently I was invited by Debi of Designs by Debi to be a featured lampwork artist in her "Exploring Handmade" Holiday Event. Debi is a wonderful jewelry designer who loves to use handmade artisan glass beads in her creations. The following is directly off her blog explaining what this event is all about.

Exploring Handmade Online Holiday Shopping Event!!

Are you ready to Occupy Wall Street (from the comfort of your home in your slippers)?

Are you ready to send a BOLD message to Congress, Corporate America and the 99%?

Are you ready to support Artisans and Small Businesses to send that message?

Excellent!!

So I guess that means you're also ready to find some really great gifts for yourself and your loved ones, huh?

Alright then let's go....

I'm very happy to see you here and hope you'll enjoy following along this 13 day event. I didn't have time to put out all my fancy decorations so please excuse the accommodations... I've been spending my time searching for handcrafts and artisans to introduce you to ;) Every day I'll show you a handcraft or two and some of the artisans that lovingly create items using that particular craft.

There are soooooo many benefits to buying handcrafted items direct from the artisans who make them. I discuss them in an article I wrote called "Why Buy Handmade Jewelry" ...... it ended up being about a whole lot more than jewelry ;) Artisans care about you and give a special touch to your items. We also give you custom one-on-one service and many ways to work with us. You'll notice most artisans are on facebook and twitter... we want to talk to you and share with you. Come join the fun and we'll show you just how amazing personalized service can be!

We're all pinching pennies and gift-giving budgets for sure aren't what they used to be. But the people you'll meet during this event make gorgeous things... truly special things... things that, even if they are the only gift you give or receive, will fill your holiday with meaning and love.... from our homes to yours.

So, take advantage of this opportunity... Do your shopping for your loved ones AND don't forget to use the Amazon Universal Wish List to help your loved ones shop for you! If you're not familiar with it, please read my previous post so you can use this useful tool.

I'd appreciate it if you would share this event with your family, friends and fans so they can enjoy it too :)

I wish you all a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous Holiday Season!

Thank you for coming by!

and

Thank you to everyone who is taking part in and promoting this event!

♥ Debi
***************

Thanks so much for supporting handmade during this Holiday season! Please follow Debi's 13 day shopping event on her blog.

Tis The Season Diva Challenge

2011-11-15T20:13:00.010-05:00

The Fire Divas are doing a Holiday Season Challenge! Take a look at these beauties! Please cast your vote in the poll on the right side of the Fire Divas Blog The poll closes at midnight on Sunday, November 20th. Make sure to leave your comment below after you vote-the winning comment (randomly chosen) will win a 20% off coupon to Susanne's ArtFire Shop!

Entry 1

Entry 2

Entry 3

Entry 4

Entry 5

Entry 6

Sizzling HOT Summer Sale! 40% Off

2011-07-17T06:07:00.004-04:00

It's time for a hot sale! I've been so busy with warm weather projects that I haven't been at my torch as often as I'd like so to boost some sales I'm doing the biggest discount ever!

40% Off

Use this coupon code at checkout.

" SIZZLINGHOTSALE "

Great time to pick up new beads for your fall and Christmas season shows! The sale will end on Thursday the 21st.

Are you following me on Facebook? Here's the link, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fire-n-Sand-Glass-Art/163583837011756. Hope to see you there!

That's about it for now. Worked a night shift last night and going kayaking with my glass buds in a few hours, I really need to catch a nap.

Auction for the BOC, Beads of Courage

2011-05-28T10:43:00.004-04:00

This ebay auction features a collection of beads made by the Fire Divas team I belong to. We also made a duplicate set that has been set directly to the Beads of Courage Program to be distributed to the kids.

The proceeds of this auction will be donated too so we're all hoping that it gets many bids. Most of these beads can used as focals in designs. Please click on the picture and take a look. The winner will also have the option to donate the beads to the kids in the program and we'll even mail them for the winner if they choose that option. Great opportunity to "Pay it forward!"

Beads of Courage Program

2011-03-26T16:44:00.003-04:00

Beads of Courage provides Arts-in-Medicine for children with serious illness.
This is a picture of some of the beads I've been making for the Beads of Courage program. This wonderful program was started by nurse Jean Baruch in 2005 and has spread to 60 hospitals.

I've linked the picture to their about page so you can read more about what they do for the kids and families who are going through so much. They even have a Beads in Space program where beads are selected to ride the space shuttle and then return to earth and the BOC. How cool is that!

Many artists also donate their work for auctions and web sales with the money going directly to this cause. The artist site can be found here http://www.artistsgive.com/

The Fire Divas, an Etsy Team I belong to is having a sale for the next week. There are 16 of us participating with varying discounts and coupon codes to apply them. You can read more about it and see the list of shops on the Fire Divas Blog.

Gotta run and get ready for work. Next up here is another freebie drawing as soon I make a piece for it. Get on the mailing list (right hand column) to be entered for a chance to win!

Until then, Think Spring!

Customer Appreciation Sale!

2011-03-24T13:40:00.006-04:00

Having a 20% Off Sale to say "Thanks" to all of you who have made it possible for me to continue to work with glass all these years. I appreciate you as a customer and will continue to treat both you and your information with the utmost respect.

Now for the sale info. You'll need to use the coupon code 20PERCENTOFF during checkout and the 20% off should be applied to the cart. The code is good in both my Etsy and Artfire shops. The sale runs now through Sunday night, April 3rd. If you do happen to run into issues on either site please contact me and we'll figure it out.

Here's a couple new items from me.

Budding Tulips

Classic Ribbed Rounds

That's it for now, I have more beads to make!

Cabin Fever & the Winter Blues

2011-01-15T20:00:00.005-05:00

It's here. I'm restless

Cabin Fever has set in a little earlier this year (seems to that every year now)
The older I get the less I like the cold weather and snow. There are days I don't notice whats going on outside because I never look outside, how sad it that? Do love a good snowstorm though and we have plenty of them living close to one of the Great Lakes. The promise of spring emerging in just a few short weeks (keep telling myself) helps me keep the faith, lol.

The iced Chapel Hill shoreline picture above is a photo sent to me via email with a bunch of other beautiful shots from MI. I'll be posting them on this blog over the next several weeks until spring catches my attention. I don't know who originally took the photos, if I find out credit will be given to them.

In the meantime my 20% Off Winter Sale is still active until Tuesday Midnight. Use code WINTER2011 during checkout in either of my shops, etsy and artfire

THINK SPRING!

Winter 20% Off Sale

2011-01-07T10:02:00.005-05:00

Having a Winter 20% Off Sale! For the next week or so I'm having this sale in my Etsy Shop to raise money for taxes. Etsy has a cool coupon feature now so you'll have to enter the code WINTER2011 at checkout for the discount to apply. No more waiting for refunds from paypal!

I'm going to run the same sale and same code to my Artfire Shop too! I've added a few new things there and hope to add many more in the next week.

Edited to add...
Artfire is doing unscheduled maintenance right now, I won't be able to add the code there till later today.

Cleaning Beads

2011-01-02T11:29:00.006-05:00

When you're a bead artist one of most dreaded chores you have to do is clean your beads, often dozens of them at a time. Ask most bead makers and they'll say this is the chore they like doing the least. This and dipping mandrels.

Recently I saw a post on LE (Lampwork Etc., the best lampwork forum there is) about cleaning out big hole beads, specifically pandora style ones made on a 3/16 mandrel.

I had completely forgot that I have a large stash of diamond coated bits just the right size for pandora and other euro style beads. When adding a sterling silver core to these beads you need a 5mm hole for the tubing. The bits I use are 5mm and have a pointed end which helps to center the bit when cleaning.

I also use these for cleaning vessels and dread beads since they work much faster covering a larger area than the small bits. If you haven't tried these I encourage you to do so, at $3 they won't break the bank and you'll have those bracelets beads ready to core in no time. These are in both my Artfire and Etsy shops.

Black Friday/Cyber Monday ... and Tuesday!

2010-11-26T10:21:00.007-05:00

Running late as usual, seems to be a theme with me lately. Couldn't drag myself to the computer after eating turkey yesterday to post my Thanksgiving weekend sale so here it is.

10% off in both my shops.
Etsy Shop
Please use this coupon code at checkout, BLOG2010THX
Yes, Etsy has the coupon feature now!

Artfire Shop
Please use this coupon code at checkout, BLOG2010THX

Giveaway Item

And since the Fire Divas just did a breast cancer research promotion I thought it would be nice to do a pink heart for the giveaway. Everyone on my mailing list has a chance to win this beauty! Sign up in the right column of this blog...there's still time. A winner will be chosen next week after the sale is over.

Here's the list of Fire Divas current sales too.

Karen - Friday - Tuesday, 10% off in both shops, http://www.etsy.com/shop/giapet and http://www.artfire.com/users/Fire-n-Sand

Holly - 20% off my shop http://Hollysfolly.com or Artfire shop http://www.artfire.com/users/HollysFollyGlass or my Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/HollysFollyGlass - use coupon code THANKFUL upon check out. Addition savings for fans.

Lori - 10% off my Etsy http://www.ashlyndesign.etsy.com/ and ArtFire http://www.artfire.com/users/AshlynDesign shops from Friday to Monday

Kathleen -10% off http://www.etsy.com/shop/UglyDucklingBeads

Sonja-10% off http://www.etsy.com/shop/SilverRiverGlassWork and http://www.artfire.com/users/SilverRiverGlassWorks

Lara - 10% off at Artfire and Etsy + free shipping
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=22129
and http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lutrick

Janel 20% off at Etsy from Friday to Monday http://www.etsy.com/shop/JanelDudleyBeads

Patrice - 20% off my ArtFire shop: http://www.artfire.com/users/shepherdcreations : Use coupon "FIREDIVASTHANKSGIVING2010"

Barb - 15% off on my AF shop from Friday-monday http://www.artfire.com/users/riversedgeglass

Melanie - 20% off on ArtFire http://arensea.artfire.com/ or Etsy http://arensea.etsy.com/

Amy 20% off on ArtFire shop coupon code TURKEY: http://www.artfire.com/users/AmySimsDesigns

Theresa - Free shipping on all items in my Artfire shop until Monday:http://www.artfire.com/users/teasebeads

Lea - 20% off my Artfire http://www.artfire.com/users/LAJewelryDesigns and Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/LAJewelryDesigns from Friday to Monday - use coupon code HAPPYTHANKSGIVING upon check out.

More goodies coming soon...but running late for work now......poof!

Bug Bitten

2010-11-10T00:00:00.008-05:00

I've been bitten by a new bug! More like a few bugs that go hand-n-hand. This coming Feb it will be 3 years (yeah I know it's embarrassing) since I bought an electroforming kit. I had the solution and everything needed to play with it but just never got around to it. Not surprising since I once kept an unfinished macrame wall project almost 20 years, lol. Hey...those wooden beads I salvaged from it are vintage now!

Anyway, this electroforming stuff is pretty cool! It is like electroplating except it deposits a heavier layer of metal on the pieces you have in the solution. Once they come out of the chemical bath you can patina them to different colors using homemade recipes or pre-mixed ones.

I've always loved the green weathered look copper gets when exposed to the elements. There is a copper domed roof on a church in Grand Rapids, MI that you can see from the highway... I just love the color of it. Last time I drove past it they were putting a new roof on it, it was bright and shiny again.

This process adds all kinds of possibilities for my glass work. Some of the above pieces came from nature like the mini pine cones, twig, acorns, and leaf. The ones in the photo are in various stages or being patina-ed or sealed to hold the color of the patina. Having a blast finding things to use.

Trying to decide to what to use for the blog giveaway, glass or metal? I'm way overdue for a drawing so stayed tuned to see what it will be.

I HEART YOU SUMMER SPECIAL!

2010-07-22T00:07:00.005-04:00

I HEART YOU SUMMER SPECIAL!

From now until the end of the month, if you spend $25 on glass or jewelry items in my etsy shop you will get a Free Heart Pendant Bead ($12-$15 value) sent along with your order!

You will also get to pick the heart you want from this page, http://www.fire-n-sand.com/2014b.jpg on a first come first served basis! Please put your first 3-5 choices in "notes to seller" during checkout. I will make more if needed.

The Catch.....
I will be without computer access from Thurs. July 22 - Aug. 1st. , all packages will ship after Aug. 1st. I appreciate your support and hate to close the shop (or have my family take care of it ) and hope you like this special as a way of saying thanks for your patience and understanding. ;-)

Three Winners!

2010-07-19T10:48:00.005-04:00

New bead in my etsy shop.

The three lucky winners have been randomly chosen to receive one of the heart beads shown in the previous post. Their initials are L.S., C.F., and D.L. Congratulations!

Plan to do another drawing mid August, so keep your fingers crossed...the next winner could be you!

Have a Fantastic Day!

I Heart You

2010-07-18T10:38:00.009-04:00

Ahhh... once again I can't believe it has been over 3 months since I have updated this blog. No wonder my "hits" on it are down, lol. Never claimed to be any good at this blogging thing, just trying to go with the internet social flow.

With summer in full swing I find myself torn between projects, routine chores, and the stuff you can only accomplish during the warm months up here. Sometimes feel like I'm failing at it all miserably. My gardens needs help.... serious HELP. Mom still needs the jewelry I promised to make for her birthday/anniversary (March/April) gift. She should have never said "No hurry, I know you're busy." Only when she recently asked specifically for them did I manage to get a pair of navy blue and white earrings made to match a shirt she wanted to wear this summer. I know I'm not alone, most everyone talks or writes about how busy they are this summer.

Since I haven't done a free bead drawing in so long I'm going to pick 3 winners this time to cover May, June, and July. I made 25 hearts yesterday, the winners will get to pick the one they want. You are automatically entered if you subscribe to my Glassbits Newsletter. Winners will be randomly chosen tonight. After 2 weeks if I don't hear back from them with a shipping address a new winner is drawn.

You still have time to enter by signing up for my newsletter using the form in the right column. People on my mailing list also receive other perks like special discounts and advance notice of sales. And of course, I don't spam your inbox daily or evenly weekly with it. I'm lucky to get it out every 60-90 days.

Hope you all have a great summer and take some time to kick back and enjoy a cold beverage. I know I am as soon as I finish reupholstering those foot stools and moving the rocks back into the garden. =)

And the Winner is...

2010-04-06T17:30:00.007-04:00

Today was numbers day again. Usually I ask a family member to pick one between and x and x. When googling "random number picker" this site came up, now bookmarked for future use.

It was also used to pick the winner of the April Spring Flowers bead drawing, which is Debbie Stokes. Congratulations! She has a couple weeks to claim her gift or another winner will be chosen.

Just a picture of a big hole bead I made recently. I like the simplicity of if it as I can sometimes overwork a bead until it is as busy as a Chicago highway during rush hour. And I believe every blog post should have a pretty in it.

Happy beading until next time!

April Flowers Bead Drawing

2010-04-02T08:04:00.004-04:00

Win this Pendant Bead!

Spring is here, time for a spring flower freebie. This handmade lampwork pendant bead would make a sweet focal surround by pink and blue accent beads. It is also just the right size for a key chain or purse charm.

If you want a chance to win this beauty all you need to do is sign up using the box on the right. I promise not to flood your inbox, usually just zero to 2 times a month at the most. Every person on my mailing list has a chance to win. The drawing will be April 6th (my folks anniversary). The winner will be announced here (initials only at first), then contacted for their shipping address and permission to use their name on this blog. If no reply is received in 2 weeks then another winner will be chosen.

Have a Beautiful Spring Day!

Spring Is Here!

2010-03-22T18:11:00.004-04:00

Spring is my favorite time of year, always has been. Maybe because the snow is finally gone or at least on its way out for good. Or maybe because new life starts to spout out of the ground. Not sure, just know I love the energy it gives to both the landscape and myself. Makes me feel young.

Guess that little pedestal I got from Hobby Lobby couldn't handle all that energy, it was fine a couple weeks ago when we still had snow on the ground. Wonder if the MI glass girls want to try making some Hypertufa stuff. Bet a pedestal made of that would hold up year after year. I used to spend an enormous amount of time in our yard working on my gardens. Now a days, not so much.

I freecycled the veggie garden's fence just to get help pulling it out. Still need to get that spot cleaned up and spread some grass seed over it. That leaves me with 4 other garden areas and the plantings around the house to care for. They mostly look like crap now, especially the back of the house where we had a tractor pull out 6 tall overgrown shrubs. That was about a year ago. Think DH is waiting for me to get sick of the mess and fix it, hope he's not holding his breath, lol.

If you are checking into my blog to see what the next newsletter giveaway is going to be I haven't decided yet. I'm thinking flowers, just seems like the thing to do this time of year. Of course I'll post it up here once I decide.

I also have a couple of glass "science projects" rolling around in my head, (scary). They both involve power tools, chemicals, fire, and trial and error. If anything becomes of them I'll blog it. Don't worry, my science projects aren't near as toxic as the ones we find in our daughter's bedroom. Hear my torch calling me, have to run. ;-)

Mailing List Management & Software

2010-03-12T00:44:00.011-05:00

If you've been selling your wares online for any length if time you should have a mailing list. If not you're missing out on potential sales. It is a way to keep in touch with your repeat customers and build your client base for custom orders.

What you should consider with your email/newsletter.

Frequency: Don't send it too often. No one likes their inbox bombarded every day or two by the same person or company! Once or twice a month is enough.

Layout: Make it interesting and pleasing to the eye, add only a few pictures to keep loading times to a minimum.

Offers: Grow your list by offering a giveaway, free shipping, or special sale on a regular basis.

Permission: Never, I repeat never add past customers without their permission. Doing so and making them opt-out is rude and unprofessional. Use sign-up forms on your website, blog, and emails instead.

Keep it simple: People are more liking to actually read what you write if you keep it simple. Everyone's busy and in a hurry these days so make it a quick read for them.

Like many of us I started my email list using my computer's regular pop mail program. It didn't take long to outgrow it. I needed to find and pay for a program to manage my list. I've been using the same one for the last couple of years. It does what most of them do. You can create separate lists, track messages, create messages with design content, send test emails, etc.

The cost of this service was $10 monthly. The thing that bothered me, there were some months I didn't use it at all, just overlooked it or was too busy. And now I'm close to having to upgrade my account to the next level for the amount of subscribers I have which will up the monthly bill to $15. So just like car insurance it pays to shop around. I found another service that will handle twice the amount of emails for half (yes, 1/2) the cost. I should explain that my new service is based on emails sent out monthly where the old one was based on total subscribers.

And they offer a 15% discount (use code 264XUF) to boot! So if you think you're paying more than you should for your mailing list service please check this place out, http://ymlp.com/psignup_promo. You'll save an extra 15% over their already fantastic value. The pro account is 500 emails monthly for $3.75 , the pro plus is 500 emails monthly for $5.00. The next level includes 2,500 emails monthly, pro $7.50, pro plus $10.00. Don't ya just love finding a great deal!

Shop Update Today!

2010-02-22T16:47:00.007-05:00

Just a quick post today to show some of the bright beads I put up today. Don't know about you but I'm ready and waiting for spring!

It's my husband's birthday today, we're going to see Avatar tonight. Have to get going, have 3 people asking me stuff at once, lol.

Hi, My Name is Karen & I'm an Over-Packer

2010-02-19T21:26:00.013-05:00

Remember the line in the out-takes of the movie "Liar Liar" with Jim Carrey when an actress improvises and calls him an "Over Actor"? It's hilarious because he didn't see it coming. Quite often I think of that scene when I'm packing my wares for travel via the US Post Office. I tend go a little overboard.

See the small white bundle below by the 3" yellow candle holder? It is three bead listings wrapped separately in foam padding and then wrapped together with another piece of foam. The 4" box on the postal scale above has one 7 x 13 mm bead in it, wrapped in foam sitting in a bunch of packing peanuts. The box weighs in at 2.6 oz. (an empty box weighs 1.8 oz.).

Of course, all this isn't really necessary to get a few beads safely to their destination.

Or is it?

Many years ago I had safely padded, bubble wrapped and shipped some earrings in a padded envelope only to find out later the post office had destroyed them somehow. Haven't used a padded envelope since. Call me paranoid, it fits.

Here's another order going out in the morning. It consists of a bundle of beads, one 4"-5" votive candle holder, and three tea light candle holders. The unwrapped yellow piece is to show how much bubble wrap is on the other tea light holders. You'll also notice the top, bottom and sides of the box are lined with 1" styrofoam pads. Had the styrofoam (and the 16" x 12" x 12" boxes) here because they're the perfect size for shipping my oak bead displays in.

Here's a picture after packing peanuts were added along with the bundles of glass goodies. Yes, I added some peanuts to the bottom of the box first. Used to order from a large well known glass company and they would put your goods in the bottom of the box and pour the packing peanuts just on the top. DUH???

Ready for the packing list and business cards before sealing it up with way too much tape. ;-) The styrofoam pads add extra support if heavy boxes are set on top of it during transit. They also keep the box from collapsing if the postal workers abuse the heck out of it. I've heard you should never mark a package "fragile" since it might be too much temptation for bored workers to resist.

A few other things I've learned about shipping your goods.
Paying extra for insurance is more about peace of mind than actually being able to collect on a claim if needed.

I once shipped two 18" bisque-ware molds from MI to CA. I had taken the time to open each box they came in and wrap them with several extra layers of bubble wrap. Then the two boxes were taped together and wrapped again more layers before going into a huge box with padding. One of the molds was broken by the time they reached CA. I went to the UPS shipper I used to file a claim. The claim had to go through the account holder with UPS which was a local drug store. They said UPS would pick up the package and the packing materials for review. I emailed my customer who was an online friend and asked her to set everything out for them since she would be at work when they came to pick it up.

UPS denied the claim due to "insufficient packing". Later I found out UPS had only picked up the small box the mold came in, not the huge box it was shipped in or the packing/padding materials. I was pissed, how could they review my packing job fairly when the UPS guy only took 1/4 of the stuff back with him. The owner/pharmacist of the drug store was there when I went back to explain this to the clerk and said he would cover it. A few days later I had a check and refunded my customer.

I usually ship via the US Post Office and used UPS for these molds because of their $100 of insurance coverage, and the rate was cheaper on such a large box going to CA. The Post Office has broken things too so it really doesn't matter which one you use.

The way I see it, over-packing is my best option for hassle free safe arrival. Being a little paranoid, sometimes I document how an item was packed up just in case. LOL, your looking at it now!

Just a few hours left to save 20%

2010-02-17T22:52:00.005-05:00

My 20% OFF SALE is winding down! Save on my lampwork beads and pendants. Shop and Save for your spring beads.

When the sale is over I still have to edit all the listings back to their original prices. The sale prices are good until I have the time to edit them all. That could takes hours since there's quite a few of them to do. Why not hurry and save while you can?

Sale Time Again?

2010-02-11T07:04:00.006-05:00

The Fire Divas are having a sale to celebrate our new team status on Etsy. Individual team members will be offering a variety of discounts or free shipping from their shops. The sale runs from February 11- 17.

I've included all my loose beads, sets, and pendants in this sale. Stayed up till the wee hours of the morning editing my listings to show the 20% Off sale price and the original price. Don't miss this one, might be awhile before I do another sale.

Last Day for my BOGO Sale!

2010-02-06T11:19:00.006-05:00

This is the last day of my BOGO Sale! Really loving the look of the barrel pandora bead above and think I see a series of them in different colors in my future.

Here's another design I'm partial to and works well with organic earthy beads.

Another side wrapped bead with brighter colors. These are a great way to showcase contrasting colors.

The Bogo sale runs till midnight, maybe longer if I crash before then. In that case I'll honor the buy one get one 1/2 half until I edit out the sale info from shop announcement.

In a previous post I talked about Tanya needing an operation to save her life. Her insurance company denied it, the funds were raised by the caring online community of artists and followers on facebook. Tanya has had her surgery and is recovering. She is very grateful to have this behind her and especially all of those who have helped by donating or getting the word out. May God bless her again with a speedy recovery!

Bogo Sale & Drawing Winner

2010-02-01T09:29:00.004-05:00

The Etsy Glass Artists (EGA) are having a "February Fling" Sale from February 1st through the 3rd. Checkout participating shops below to see their particular offerings! Please use the code "FEBFLING" in your notes to seller upon checking out to get the sale price. Great sales just in time for Valentine’s Day! You can find perfect gift for your sweet hearts or little sparkling treasure for yourself!!

Etsy Glass Artists "February Fling" Sale
February 1st - February 3rd, My sale will run all week through the 6th!
Participating Members:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/giapet - BOGO 1/2 Off

http://www.jewelrybynatsuko.etsy.com - BOGO 1/2off or 15% off on one item

http://www.glasscat.etsy.com - 20% off all fused and dichroic jewelry

http://www.MyCabinCreations.etsy.com - 20% off everything

http://www.StudioMarcy.etsy.com - BOGO 1/2 Off

http://www.popko.etsy.com - FREE shipping on all jewelry

http://www.prizmatic.etsy.com - BOGO 1/2 Off

http://www.kimvglass.etsy.com - Free Shipping

http://LeahPellegrini.etsy.com - 20% off

*BOGO - Buy One Get One 1/2 off

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Congrats to the Winner!

I had isp issues yesterday, between my teenager's downloads and Hughes.net's poor limited bandwidth allowance I was unable to post the drawing winner on Sunday. The biggest drawback to where we live, I can't get a decent internet service out here.

The lucky winner is Liyana Othman, Congratulations!

To be entered in the next drawing all you have to do is sign up for my newsletter. I promise you I won't bombard your inbox, I'm lucky if I get it sent out once a month.

Tip of the day: If you are paying 18.95 monthly for On Star service you can call them and get them to lower the price if you request to cancel the service. We're now paying 12.95 monthly.

Need a Classy Calendar?

2010-01-30T14:52:00.010-05:00

Order your AGLF Calendar here!
This beautiful calendar was created to help raise funds for the legal action taken filed against a disgruntled former glass bead seller on etsy. Deb explains the situation on her website so much better than I ever could. And I really don't type well either.

Anyway it is a beautiful calendar so if you need one please consider purchasing one from Deb's site (link above) Here's a couple of pictures from the inside, drooling allowed, lol.

That's my work in the last photo, bottom right. Yes, I was one of the people falsely accused of being a tax evader. Been paying taxes on my art and craft work before I even had a computer or the internet. I was a rather ADD type of crafter, little bit of this and that, throw in some wearables, cute hand painted kidswear. You get the picture, if I liked it I'd go home and get the stuff to make it.

I would like to extend my condolences to "Betsymn" who lost her husband recently. She has been one of the driving forces behind the AGLF and is the one who put the calendar together. She & a few others have worked countless hours collecting and posting info, keeping us all up to date on the legal stuff. It is because of their hard work that we are able to pursue justice in this matter. Thank you is not enough. Betsy, may God bless you with peace and comfort.

Busy next couple of days. DH has friends in town from the UP (MI's upper penisula) so we're meeting them tonight. I have to make more beads to get up in the store pronto. Really need to clean my work table, think the mess is messing with my creativity. Monday I have to get my tax records together for the accountant. Nice thing about hubby being in business, we've had the same CPA over 25 yrs. Just collect your stuff and drop it off to them. Have a sewing project that I absolutely have to at least get started soon. It's a big one and needs to be done by spring.

Pet Peeve of the Day- when someone scraps dirty butter back into the butter tub. lol, am I the only one that hates it when I open the butter and find a bunch of yuck on the side?

January Bead Giveaway!

2010-01-25T10:53:00.005-05:00

It's that time again! Well, actually it is a bit overdue for me to do another drawing from my mailing list recipients. The lucky winner will receive this set of 6 handmade lampwork beads, just right for making a spring bracelet and earrings! Remember, to be eligible to win you have to be signed up to get my newsletter "Glassbits News". I'll pick a winner from my list on Jan. 31st so there is still time to sign up and be entered in this drawing.

On another note I read last night that the fund raising drive for Tanya's surgery expenses has raised the most amount of money in the shortest time. I believe that was posted by the pledge website owner. Nice to see the generosity of the artist community in action. If you're wondering what I'm referring to, read my previous blog post. Just over 2,000 more to go and she'll be able to have to this life saving surgery.

The more I hear stories like hers, the more I hate insurance companies. To deny people a procedure that will save their life is morally wrong in my book. They still deny surgeries that they call experimental even though these operations have been performed over 20 years. Its ridiculous, and the fact that our government here in the US lets them get away with it puts much of the blame on them too. Same with the situation involving our banking system today and the grand fiasco created by greedy financial executives while our political leaders stood by all the while catering to these idiots.

Anyway, enough of that crap, its too depressing to think about and I've got work to do. Adding more items to my etsy shop today.
Hope all is well with you and yours!

Have A Heart for Tanya

2010-01-24T16:47:00.004-05:00

In the past few days I've been seeing this "Have a Heart for Tanya" on both Facebook and Etsy. Tanya is in a fight for her life because her insurance company won't cover a relatively simple surgery she needs ASAP. She is an Australian teacher living in Thailand. Many artisans have been helping raise the money for her surgery. More of her story can be read at these sites.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=254827023429&ref=mf
The facebook group started by Brenda Roberts.

http://aardvarksilver.blogspot.com/
Tanya's blog.

http://pledgie.com/campaigns/7593
This is the site where you can donate a pledge. Any amount, even $1 is appreciated. We are so blessed and don't even remember it most days. Almost 80% of the funds have been raised already. Surgery is scheduled for Jan. 31st., only 7 more days to raise the last $2,600. (at the time I posted this)

I'm off to list something for a donation for Tanya. Hope you can help is some small way too. Thank you & God Bless.

Stayed tuned for the next free drawing coming up next!

Pressing Away

2009-12-08T20:24:00.004-05:00

I love this time of year! Not so much because of the Holidays (even though they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside) but because fall and winter allow me the time to do what I want to do.

My husband is a hunter, his dad was a hunter, his grandpa was a hunter. It is an activity that has been passed down in his family for generations. They start getting "ready" to hunt late summer, by fixing what needs to fixed, scouting out new areas, building new shacks to keep them warm and dry. They are now into muzzle loading season which will be followed by the last 2 weeks of bow season. It all ends on Dec. 31st.

I'll miss it.

Falling asleep on the couch with the TV on watching "my shows", making beads till 5am, waking up at 10am. Spending hours on the computer both at work and play. Picking up the house in 10 minutes, finding things where I left them. The feeling that I'm actually getting things accomplished business wise with good sales, new supplies on order, organizing for efficiency, connecting with old friends and new customers.

I'll miss it.

I have rediscovered my crystal presses, seems like ages since they have been in my hand. An interesting shape with all the facets, makes one dream of the design possibilities. There are so ideas floating around in my head, things I want to try. I'm just going to keep pressing away! ;-)

Fire Divas Jewelry Challenge

2009-12-04T10:11:00.002-05:00

The Fire Divas are hosting an Introductory Jewelry Challenge! This challenge will be for jewelry designers who use artisan lampwork in their pieces. The winner of the Challenge will receive a beautiful group of Fire Divas' work. This is a wonderful chance for jewelry designers to show off their talents and get exposure!

Now for the details:
This first challenge will allow lampwork from any artisan. We require information about the artisan who made the beads used in the submitted piece, so if you submit something, please be ready to provide that information.

The challenges to follow will only allow Fire Divas' lampwork.

We will allow one submission per person per contest, and a maximum of two photos per submission. Entries may be submitted here (http://www.flickr.com/groups/firedivachallenge/) for approval, no later than January 1, 2010. Please include, in the comments section, the following:
Information about the beads:
Description of the piece:
Inspiration for the piece:

Fire Divas reserve the right to approve or reject any submissions.

Fire Divas reserve the right to modify or cancel the challenge at any time.

Ok, the boring stuff is over - go have fun creating!

Cyber Monday Holiday Sale!

2009-11-27T17:36:00.005-05:00

Next Monday is the Cyber Monday Holiday Sale. I'll be promoting it this weekend, starts Sunday night at Midnight! Don't worry about which time zone, not going to fuss over it. Will be 20% EVERYTHING in my etsy shop. Your 20% discount will be refunded through paypal prior to shipping. Don't miss out on this one!

Heading down to the studio in just a few minutes to start making new beads, snowmen, pendants, and whatever else comes to mind. Oh, and those orders I have to do this weekend. We had a bit of snow today, don't even care since the studio is toasty warm once I get it fired up. Have a fantastic weekend!

Winner of November's Free Drawing!

2009-11-27T15:08:00.012-05:00

A winner was picked for this set of 3 beads yesterday.

The initials of the lucky winner are J. W.

Remember, all you have to do for a chance to win some of my glass art is sign up for the "Glassbits Newsletter" using the box in the right hand column. Your name will be in every drawing I post on this blog. Each winner is notified using the newsletter format to prevent the message from getting snagged by a spam filter.

If for some reason I don't receive a mailing address from the winner within 2 weeks, a new winner will be drawn.

Coming up next....stayed tuned for details on the Cyber Monday Holiday Sale!

November's Bead of the Month

2009-11-20T21:46:00.006-05:00

Here it is, the bead for my November drawing. I'm going to add a couple small spacers beads with it. Wouldn't it make just the wettest bracelet!

Now if you want a chance to win this beauty along with the matching spacers all you have to do is fill in the box on the right with your email addy, first and last name. The winner is drawn from my newsletter's mailing list. I don't send it out very often, usually just to announce a sale or special event.

The only reason I ask for names is to be able to weed out the spam bots that auto sign up. They have weird email addresses and even stranger names. Awhile back it was Viagra Viagra...plz give me a break , lol. Don't worry I never share your info with anyone.

I'll update the picture after I make the spacers beads, should be tomorrow.
The drawing will be on Turkey Day! So get yourself signed up soon!

Something New

2009-11-17T13:34:00.009-05:00

My etsy shop has several new items in it, especially the pandora and troll style beads.

Been playing with copper sheet lately and made up a bunch of bead caps. Took awhile to find copper tubing thin enough to use with it. My first try was with tubing that was too thick, picture a bead with wings instead of caps, lol. Also sorry I've been such a slacker with my blog lately. Spending way too much time with twitter, (my twitter) add me if you please.

Today I'll be making the item for my November giveaway, you have to sign up for a chance to win. Use the box in the upper right column. Don't worry, you won't get bombarded with daily emails (I hate that too), heck I'm lucky to send it out bi-monthly. I'll post a picture of the prize later this week.

And don't forget that winter will be upon us very soon. How about a cool (and silly) fleece hat for that silly person in your life.

Put "blog hat special" in notes to seller and I'll pay the shipping on it too (hats only).

BOO, are you going for scared or scary looking?

2009-10-13T17:27:00.004-04:00

Remembering the fun we had dressing up going to Halloween parties. Haven't done that for years now. There's a place not too far from here doing a huge scary maze with semi trailers buried in the field. Heard it was pretty good this year.

Can't believe I have posted anything new here for 2 months now, geesh, what a slug. And people say I'm organized... boy have I got them fooled. I try but feels like I'm back pedaling all the time.

The cabin is looking great. I posted the latest photos on my flickr page One more roman shade to make and the windows are done. One of his (DH's) friends liked them so much he hired me to make him some. His cabin is bigger, has more windows, 10 or 12 I think. Something to do while we're snowed in this winter.

Sitting on my desk here is a bowl about half full of beads. Most of what I made this summer when camping. I was all gang-ho on getting them listed till my Canon camera took a dump. Since then its been a struggle to get the settings right and get good bead pictures with my Olympus. Does fine for your normal picture taking of family and vacations. Sure the problem is more me than the camera. I put the Canon away so I could send it back to the factory and get a repair estimate... then I forgot where the heck I put it. So much for organizing. I'm stalking a couple on ebay right now, probably cheaper to gamble on a used one than repair mine, that is if I could find it.

Plan to chain myself to my torches this weekend, wish me luck that life doesn't get in the way. Here's some eye candy, drooling allowed.

Raku Vessel

Sea Shell

Cabin in the Woods

2009-07-30T13:29:00.005-04:00

My husband and I spent the week working on the new cabin. Much to my delight the place is looking more like a small log house than a "hunting camp". DH is doing a fantastic job on it and already has bigger plans in the works. What was originally a super small bedroom with room for just a bunk bed and small dresser (for hunters or grandkids) is now roughed in for a bathroom. Along with that he plans on adding a bigger bedroom off the side of the cabin.

What we did this week was put hardwood flooring in the kitchen, tile the back splash and counter top, move the pile of junk wood from a torn down old woodshed, paint the kitchen and livingroom, make coat racks, hang shelves in the 2 main bedrooms, and hook up the kitchen sink drain. We also brought the small couch up with us. I hope to get some more pictures of the inside up soon.

Our son moved the shower to the porch of the old small cabin that will be a sauna someday. We were taking showers out the back door last time but he and his wife were there with another couple and decided to move it for more privacy. It's kind-of cute the way he did it, Petticoat Junction style,. That's DH taking a shower, I took the picture from the driveway. We see a couple cars or atv's go by when we're in it but I doubt they can see us, lol.

Congratulations to the Winner!

2009-07-13T11:14:00.006-04:00

Congrats to the winner of my 1,000 sale giveaway! I just listed 15 new items before heading out to spend the week with my folks. My 20% OFF sale is active until I return! Shipping resumes next Monday. Here's a sample of the new items listed this morning.

I'm outta here.........................poof!

Mystery Giveaway!

2009-07-10T20:00:00.007-04:00

I decided to do an extra giveaway! I'm a few sales away from hitting the 1,000 mark so I'm going to make the person who purchases and pays for the 1,000th item a mystery gift! And they get to request what colors they want for their gift. The item will about a $20-$25 value, choices are heart, shell, rose, goddess, or a set of 4-5 lentil or nugget beads.

I'm also going to extend my Christmas in July sale until the 20th of July. I'll be spending time with my parents when the sale is suppose to end so I'm extending it till I get back. Mom plays the lap dulcimer and we've gone to the ODPC Funfest together for the last 13 yrs. My folks are in their 80's now and I enjoy the week we spend together more each year. I'll be taking a torch, kiln and oxygen concentrator with me so I can make beads while hanging around the campsite. It's just me and Sadie (my dog) in our little 5th wheel, the rest of the family stays home.

The last day I can ship before leaving is the morning of Monday, the 13th. I'll catch up on the 20th. Not sure if the local library has the net, I forgot to call them today and find out. If so I'll be able to check in and maybe blog a bit.

Christmas in July Sale!

2009-07-09T15:53:00.004-04:00

The Etsy Glass Artists are having a Christmas in July Sale from July 8th through July 15th. See each shop's Announcement and the list below for their particular offerings! Please use the code "CIJ" in your notes to buyer upon checking out so you can get the sale price. This is a great time to start Christmas shopping (you know it’s going to be the season before you know it!) or a little treat for yourself.

I'm doing 20% off everything in my shop except the oak bead displays. The 20% off will be refunded from paypal so you can checkout as normal. I'm working on getting pictures taken of new items and will be adding these over the next few days. I'm also going to extend the sale for my shop until the 20th of July. Now is a good time to stock up on beads for your jewelry creations, the fall shows will be here before you know it!
http://www.giapet.etsy.com

This silver bracelet bead will up soon!

Other Participating Members:

MyCabinCreations
http://www.MyCabinCreations.etsy.com
20% off Everything

Jewelry by Natsuko
http://www.jewelrybynatsuko.etsy.com
20% off everything

RWillisglassartist
http://www.rwillisglassartist.etsy.com
20% off glass items only

tekaandzoe
http://www.tekaandzoe.etsy.com
20% off

Paulasstressart
http://www.Paulasstressart.etsy.com
20% off everything

Susan Sheehan
http://www.susansheehan.etsy.com
20% off all glass

Glass Circus
http://www.glasscircus.etsy.com
20% off everything

Color Shoppe Studio
http://www.colorshoppestudio.etsy.com
10% off all Stained Glass Jewelry

Glasscat
http://www.glasscat.etsy.com
20% off fused and dichroic jewelry; 15% off any stained glass items.

41design
http://www.41design.etsy.com
20% off

Congrats Jan T,. You've Won

2009-07-06T10:58:00.004-04:00

The winner of July's Drawing is Jan T. of Hawaii. Congrats Jan!
She was quite surprised she had won since she didn't remember entering. However, as a long time subscriber to my newsletter "Glassbits" she was in the drawing automatically. To top it off she says it is the first time she has ever one anything! I love it!

And just because we all love eye candy here's a picture of some recent work. This one's going in the etsy shop soon.

Win A Freebie for July

2009-06-27T14:06:00.004-04:00

I'll be picking a winner for this lampwork vessel bead around the first of July. The "catch" is you have to sign up for my newsletter "Glassbits" to be in the drawing. I only send it out every month or two to let customers know about upcoming events or sales in my etsy shop.

So if want a chance to win this vessel or a future freebie drawing go ahead and sign up using the form in the right column. You know you want too.

On another note I've been playing with making copper findings for my work and might be offering them up in the etsy shop in the future. Stay tuned on that one.

The Perfect Mother's Day Gift

2009-05-02T13:41:00.005-04:00

These stained glass hummingbird feeders are fantastic! I have 3 around our house and birds are very territorial over them. I have listed a couple in my etsy shop just in time for Mother's Day. Shipped Priority with insurance to get there in 2-3 days.

People who have gave these as gifts often tell me years later that it is still their mom's or grandmother's favorite gift. How wonderful is that!

BOGO SALE

2009-04-18T08:39:00.004-04:00

Its SALE TIME again! For the next week I'm having a BOGO Sale along with other members of the EGA team on etsy. Don't miss out of this great Spring Bling Sale!

Etsy Glass Artists "Spring Bling" Sale
April 18th through April 24th

The Etsy Glass Artists (EGA) is having a "Spring Bling" Sale from April 18th through the 24th. See each shop's Announcement and the list below for their particular offerings! Please use the code "BLING" in your notes to buyer upon checking out so you can get the sale price. This is a great time to purchase that perfect gift for Mother's Day or a little treasure for yourself.

Participating Members:
http://giapet.etsy.com - BOGO 1/2 Off
http://glasscat.etsy.com - Dichroic and Fused Glass BOGO 1/2 off, All stained glass 10% off
http://groovyglassgirl.etsy.com - Free Shipping
http://susansheehan.etsy.com - Glass 10 to 25% off as marked in sale section of store
http://chickadeebeads.etsy.com - BOGO 1/2 Off
http://jewelrybynatsuko.etsy.com - BOGO 1/2 off
http://MyCabinCreations.etsy.com - 20% off everything
http://rwillisglassartist.etsy.com - 20% off all glass items
http://Paulasstressart.etsy.com - 20% off entire purchase
http://colorshoppestudio.etsy.com - 20% off all stained glass jewelry
http://glasscircus.etsy.com - 20% off on all my glass

*BOGO = Buy One Get One 1/2 off

Come check out our new EGA website http://www.etsyglass.com.

Use the word egateam in the search box on the Etsy front page to find a listing of all of our members creations.

Thanks so much for your past business and support of our shops!

February Drawing Winner!

2009-02-15T22:34:00.004-05:00

Just picked a winner for the vessel!
Want a chance to win something shiny from me? Sign up for my newsletter then!

I started making oak bead displays again. Have almost 9 of them done now. Shipping out the first 4 in the morning. Feels good to get them almost done!

OWOH WINNER!

2009-02-12T23:01:00.005-05:00

The winner for the OWOH giveaway is #105, Tamerie Shriver! She won the red heart glass pendant.

Congrats to her and thanks to all who entered.

On Saturday or Sunday I'll be drawing a winner from my mailing list subscribers for the vessel too! You have to subscribe to my newsletter for a chance to win the vessel which is a totally separate drawing than the OWOH event.

Win this Vessel Pendant!

2009-02-05T09:58:00.001-05:00

This vessel is my freebie for February. A winner is drawn from subscribers to my newsletter "Glassbits". You still have time to subscribe using the box on the right for a chance to win this vessel and future prizes too! I'll be picking a random winner next weekend. This picture is linked to etsy shop if you want to view more of my work.

EGA Spring Fling BOGO Sale

2009-02-01T12:30:00.004-05:00

The Etsy Glass Artists (EGA) is having a "February Fling" Sale from February 1st through the 7th. See each shop's Announcement and the list below for their particular offerings! Please use the code "FEBFLING" in your notes to buyer upon checking out so you can get the sale price. A great deal and a great time to put a little sparkle into your day.

Etsy Glass Artists "February Fling" Sale
February 1st - February 7th
Participating Members:

http://glasscat.etsy.com/ BOGO on fused and dichroic jewelry
http://groovyglassgirl.etsy.com/ BOGO
http://mycabincreations.etsy.com/ 20% off
http://msotherdenartglass.etsy.com/ 10% off
http://jewelrybynatsuko.etsy.com/ BOGO
http://susanlambert.etsy.com/ BOGO
http://rwillisglassartist.etsy.com/ 20% off Shop
http://westernartglass.etsy.com/ BOGO
http://paulasstressart.etsy.com/ BOGO
http://vickileigh.etsy.com/ 25% off everything
http://creationsbykris.etsy.com/ BOGO
http://leahpellegrini.etsy.com/ BOGO
http://www.studiomarcy.etsy.com/ BOGO
http://prizmatic.etsy.com/ BOGO
http://popko.etsy.com/ Free Shipping
http://colorshoppestudio.etsy.com/ 20% off Stained Glass Jewelry
http://giapet.etsy.com/ BOGO

*BOGO - Buy One Get One 1/2 off

Come check out our new EGA website www.etsyglass.com.

Stop by our new blog for a chance to win some beautiful glass. www.etsyglass.blogspot.com. Just leave a comment on the One World ~ One Heart post with your contact information to be entered to win.

Use the word egateam in the search box on the Etsy front page to find a listing of all of our members creations.

In Honor of our new President!

2009-01-20T12:13:00.003-05:00

Like many I have hope for a new beginning and real change (in the right direction) for our country in the coming years. We all need to stick together and support out new President at this time.

I created this Etsy Treasury to honor this day in history and the hope we all share today!

One World One Heart

2009-01-19T09:23:00.011-05:00

Giveaway is now CLOSED, stay tuned for winner!

One World One Heart is an annual event created by Lisa "oceandreamer" Swifka to bring people together from all parts of the world through blogging.

It's simple, someone will win this red glass heart pendant by leaving a comment on this post.

This giveaway closes on Feb.12th. and is open to anyone who comments on this particular post. A winner will be drawn from all who post here on Feb. 13th.

It is very important that you put a way to contact you when you post your comment since I'll need to get a shipping address from the winner.

Let's share some love and peace around the world!

Red Heart Pendant with swarovski crystals and sterling silver.
Size in mm: 25 x 60

Click on the world logo above to open Lisa's blog if you want to learn more about the history of this event.

What would you like to see for the next drawing?

2009-01-16T22:11:00.006-05:00

Thought I'd start off the new year by asking what my readers would like to see for the next drawing. Should it be a critter bead, small bead set, flower, goddess, or what? Take a look at my shop here, find a style you like then either post a comment here or send a convo message through etsy and tell me what you'd like to see as for next free drawing.

A bit of eye candy to show you too.

I am a Canna

2008-11-07T10:46:00.003-05:00

I am a
Canna

What Flower
Are You?

The Winner is........

2008-10-27T12:19:00.005-04:00

Debby Carey! Congratulations Debby! Your Sea Shell bead will be in the mail in the morning.

For the next freebie drawing thinking I'll do something new, maybe an implosion pendant! Check back here to see it posted... after I make it that is.

To be entered in my drawings for free lampwork and glass art, just sign up for my Glassbits Newletter (box in the right hand column). Winner are drawn from the newsletter subscribers.

Hint... you have to actually open and read the newsletter to win.

We Have A Winner!

2008-10-24T07:57:00.004-04:00

Picked a winner this morning for this shell bead! I'll post the name as soon as I hear back from them. If for some reason I don't get a reply within a week or so I'll draw another winner.

I'm off to take a class this weekend and learn some fantastic new skills...YIPPEE!

Goddess Beads

2008-10-20T18:52:00.005-04:00

I occurred to me a couple weeks ago that I've never made any goddess beads so thought I'd give it my best shot. Pretty happy with the results as none of them took a suicidal plunge in the cold water on the bench. Here's what I came up with.

Not too shabby for my first attempts!

Charming Inn in Onekama MI

2008-08-04T12:36:00.009-04:00

The Travelers Motel

A friend and I were up around Manistee MI this past weekend and stayed in this charming motel tucked away in Onekama (7 miles north of Manistee). Normally we stay at one the hotels in Manistee, however I didn't call early enough to book a room for Saturday night. A google search turned up this little gem nearby. Their blog let me know there was a room available so I called first thing the next morning and snagged it up.

What a great change of pace it was from the stale hotel experience! Had my morning coffee on their fantastic porch while doing suduko puzzles. If you're wondering, the rooms are clean, the rates are better than the hotel chains and the owners make you feel at home. Oh, and on drive back to the casino we saw 7 deer and a fox....bonus!

I'm sure I'll be back there sometime in the future, maybe the next time DH and I take the bike up there.

New Listings are Up!

2008-08-04T12:16:00.008-04:00

After a relaxing weekend up north (more about that in my next post) I started listing a few new items to my etsy shop

I really like this shell focal bead, it has so much depth and sparkle with the
goldstone in it!

Here's a new silvered organic set in a great spree shape too.

And Silvered lentils with custom made glass shards that have a ton of sparkle!

Clicking on a photo will take you to the item page.

Handmade Wedding Favors

2008-07-22T19:14:00.004-04:00

I had wanted to show you the wedding favors I made for a May wedding. The bride's mother had seen one of my candle holders on etsy and had contacted me by email. They wanted to be able to give their guests something unique and handmade. The dad even worked in the same town and picked them up from my work teasing that he was only following his wife's instructions and writing checks for this wedding....what a guy!

After this first bunch was picked up, they asked for a few larger ones and some extra small ones which I shipped to the other side of the state just before the wedding. I bet the table decorations were beautiful. Think I'll write the mom and ask her to email me a picture.

The Completed Kiln Project

2008-07-10T18:50:00.005-04:00

The finished kiln!

I have it running on low to help totally cure the mortar and completely dry out the fire brick. You have to dampen the bricks to insure a good mortar joint. I used a shallow tray with water in it and dunked the sides of the bricks as needed. Probably overkill on the moisture

It has two handles for carrying and one for the lid. A flip-up bead door and a separate stand.

The lid was a bead collar I bought years ago because I needed a little extra height to do those kiln formed bracelets. Filled in the center with brick for a solid lid. I will never understand why Evenheat Kilns makes there extension collar for the Hot Box smaller than the Hot Box kiln. Guess they thought they were saving a ton of money being skimpy. Doesn't make any sense to me when you can buy firebrick for 1.50 a piece from your local refractory.

The small hole in the side (above photo) is for the pyrometer. Not using my digital controller in this picture and the pyrometer is attached to that. A bit hard to make out in the above picture but you can the heat shield between the red metal box and the fire brick.

The elements are up in the top ring, the bead ring has 2 tiles with holes for a bead rack. The elements are not encased in quartz tubing so you do have to put your mandrels straight into the tile. It would be very hard to point one up at high enough of an angle to get zapped by the elements.

The stainless I just got is brushed stainless instead of the polished type that is on the lid. I have the top vented right now to let any moisture escape while its running on low.

I'm sure it will get tons of use in the coming years. And I think its adorable as far as kilns go! Next up? Finished the little work table station I started today.... its always something!

More on the Kiln Project

2008-07-10T18:25:00.003-04:00

In these pictures I took the old jacket off the kiln and added new firebrick for a floor.

This picture shows where the elements connect to the controller. A heat shield is used between the controller box and the brick.

My Kiln Project

2008-07-10T18:15:00.003-04:00

These are more pics of the kiln project. I have it done! The previous posts explains what I did to convert my first kiln (Hot Box by Evenheat) into a bead annealer that I've used for several years.
What I did now is to make a firebrick top and bottom for it and encase the bottom and sides with stainless steel so I can easily take it with me on my camping trips.

Another project

2008-07-10T18:10:00.004-04:00

Really its more like 3-5 projects going on all at once. I'm in the process of revamping my little Hot Box kiln for about the 3rd time. Been using it with a bead collar and digital controller I made up several years ago as my bead annealer until recently when I bought a bigger secondhand kiln for my home studio.

I was taking this small kiln with me when traveling in the summer. Packing up 4 separate layers safely is a hassle. It had to go into a huge plastic tub that took up a lot of room. Wasn't trilled with the cheap fiber board top and bottom on this kiln either. Despite is compact size I am able to get 60-80 beads in it in one sitting.

Since I already had the firebrick and heat stop mortar in the shop I made a brick bottom and used an old collar to make a new flip open hinged lid.

Our nephew runs a laser cutter at a metal shop so I was able to get a new stainless steel kiln jacket and bottom cut there for cost! 8-D That has always been the hardest part of any kiln project I've done in the past... getting the metal work done at a reasonable cost. This baby should be finished early next week. Have to stop by one of our neighbors and use his metal break to shape the bottom plate and door piece.

So that's what I've been up to and why I haven't sent out my newsletter and picked a new date for the conch shell drawing. I'll get on it as soon as I get caught up a bit here.

I also have oak blanks cut out for 9 new bead racks! Hope to have those ready sometime next week too.

I've been having problems getting pics to load to the blog so trying them separately.

Freebie Drawing, Sign Up to Win!

2008-06-15T03:58:00.004-04:00

Of the four new conch shells on my desk I like this one the best so I'm giving it away! For a chance to win this beauty sign up for my newsletter (over on the right side of this page), and follow the directions in it to enter. I only send the newsletter out once a month or so, you get bombarded with them I promise.

Anyway, I'm off to bed, it's 4 am here.

Wow! Glad to be back!

2008-06-06T18:45:00.005-04:00

Just a quick post to let you know I haven't fallen off the edge of the earth, lol. Yeah, right. We've spent the last 30 days getting ready for our youngest ones graduation party.

How hard can it be to plan a pig roast for 100 people you ask? Well, if you let your yard go as long as we have (5 yrs) it takes a lot of work to get it back on track. 11,000 lbs. of stones, 3 trailer loads of bark, plants and more plants. Didn't help that DH backed into 5 bushes next to the driveway when plowing last winter either. Ugh! Yard looks great now, so glad we had a great turnout and IT'S OVER! I'll get some pics up when I have them on the camera. (quick before it all dies)

I've decided to start a prize drawing using my newsletter. Think I'll start with a shell bead (to be made yet) and have it run 2x a month. The catch will be you actually have to open, read and click on a link in the newsletter. I use a paid service for my newsletter which keeps stats, the winner will be chosen from qualifying participants. As soon as I make the bead I'll post it here too.

Lampwork Sale!

2008-04-03T18:52:00.003-04:00

Lampwork bead Sale going on now!

Ends April 7th!

Just wanted to blog about the Lest Sale going on now. 50 etsy shops from our group are participating! Wide variety of glass lampwork beads and jewelry to choose from. I'm off to list more items right now!

New Etsy Street Team

2008-03-11T18:18:00.006-04:00

Joined another Etsy Street Team recently. LEST, Lampwork Etc. Street Team. Lampwork Etc. is an online community of self-representing glass lampwork artisans. Being a new etsy team we're still working on a website and/or blog for the group. I'm quite excited to among the "cream of the crop" within this new street team. You can search etsy using the keyword "lest" to see what these talented artists have to offer. OR just click on either logo to go directly to the etsy search results for LEST!

Some of my new work also on etsy.

New Work

2008-02-21T10:15:00.011-05:00

With Feb. almost in the past figured it was time to get in gear and post some new work.
These are the silver lined or cored lampwork beads that fit the European bracelets like Pandora and Troll. There are many other brands available too, which I can't think of now or spell correctly, lol.

I'm so looking forward to spring this year! It is my favorite season of all. We have had a unusually rough winter this year with heavy snowfalls back to back without much thawing in between. My husband was lucky enough to spend a week in Florida helping a friend out (yeah right!). I couldn't help but think of the warm weather, sunny skies and beaches while he was gone. This beauty helped me through. It is available now in my etsy shop. Click on the picture for a direct link to it.

Pretty disgusted with myself for not "finding" the time to keep up with my website at all lately. If you have been there you know what I mean, just a stupid link sending you to my etsy shop. While I absolutely love featuring my work on etsy I can't justify paying for a website and not doing anything with it. Decided to use for what I would call my most popular designs, ones that I can do over and over without much difference from set to set. These will also be some of my customers favorites. I plan to have a couple size options maybe even shape options. That way those of you who design jewelry and need a few nice beads to complete a set can order them quickly through my site's shopping cart. With that said, my goal is have this ready by the beginning of summer. I'm currently working a large order of candy holders for a spring wedding and need to concentrate on that first. Our daughter also graduates high school this spring and we'll be busy working on our yard once the weather breaks. Can't wait!

New Year!

2008-01-03T15:12:00.000-05:00

Well, a new year is upon us! That and a bunch of new snow. This is what you get on a regular basis when you live close to one of the Great Lakes, lake effect snow.

Wish I had taken a picture at 7 am this morning, it was absolutely beautiful, still on most of the trees at that hour. I jumped out on the deck at 3 pm instead. Spent the morning at the torch doing a couple of orders and goodies for the etsy shop. Would you believe they predict 50 degrees by next Monday, lol. I've started making more bead racks, those warmer days will be great for working out in the pole barn.

The following weekend I'm headed to Toledo, OH. to take a glass bead vessel workshop with Tink Martin. Looking forward to learning new techniques.

Ho Ho Ho BOGO SALE

2007-11-24T09:43:00.001-05:00

That's right, we're having a buy one get one (of equal or lesser value) 1/2 OFF sale until Nov 30th! There are at least 24 of the Etsy Glass Artists participating. I've added about 35 new jewelry items to my shop yesterday and still have more ready to list. Click on the sale image for the list of glass artists to choose from.

Project Overload

2007-11-15T00:48:00.000-05:00

When we married my husband had a coffee cup with a cute drawing of a beaver on it that said "Its just one damn project after another!" That sums it up pretty good around here except it seems that many of my projects start before the previous one is completed. I'm into a woodworking project now that I foolishly thought I could do over last weekend...lol. Hopefully another day or so and I'll post it here.

Been putting more up on Etsy every few days. There's one bead that the more I look at it, the more I really, really like it. It is simpler in design than most of what I make. The shape is a bit chunky too. Take a look...

Etsy Glass Artists Holiday Gift Guide

2007-11-04T10:33:00.000-05:00

The Holidays are right around the corner! The EGA (etsy glass artists) we have put together a gift guide in the spirit of giving well-crafted handmade gifts this year. There are dozens of artists offering fantastic items!

Choosing a special handmade gift means so much more than grabbing a mass-produced item from the mall. You'll be buying American instead of from an overseas supplier. With the rash of lead tainted toys being sent to this country I'm afraid to buy my grandkids toys in the stores!

There is actually a movement going on here where you can pledge to buy handmade this Holiday Season and request that others do the same for you.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a simplier less commercial Holiday Season this year, sort of a back to basics? With the focus on the birth of Christ and spending quality time with family and friends.

I've Been Featured!

2007-11-02T15:29:00.000-04:00

Jennifer from Laughing Rat Studio has featured my work in her weekly "Seen Around Etsy" article. She is both a fiber and paper artist who has an etsy shop here, http://laughingrat.etsy.com. She has the most beautifully dyed yarns!

Here is the article she wrote about my work. Thanks Jennifer!

Going in the shop tonight...

Adding to the glass shop.

2007-10-23T15:53:00.000-04:00

A pretty quiet day today, bit on the chilly side however it is Fall and we've been spoiled by the record temps we've had this month. DH is working on his latest project (one of many, lol) fitting a meat smoker with stainless racks. I've been busy adding stock to the store.

I love these silvered river rock lentils!

Did a couples roses too!

The rest can be viewed here, giapet.etsy.com

Tonight we're taking my folks out for dinner. They spend the winters down south and will be leaving in a week or two. It's such a blessing that they are in good health and have the means to travel however it always saddens a little to see them go.

New Poll Added

2007-10-21T06:14:00.000-04:00

Good morning! I just added a new poll to the sidebar on the right. Never know how many beads to put in a set. With ebay larger sets went better, then when I switched over to etsy the smaller sets of just 2 or 3 beads were the ones moving. I've noticed too that people are mixing up their jewelry creations with many other components and not strictly making a piece with several of the same beads in it. Or is it only because the smaller sets are less expensive? Hopefully getting some new input on the matter will help me better serve my customers needs.

I'm off to the torch! Its early so I'll probably being listing today too. Have a great Sunday!

Fall is here!

2007-10-15T16:23:00.000-04:00

My first sale as part of the Etsy Glass Artists street team went well. Didn't get much time to sit at the torch, was too busy adding inventory left from the show I did in Grand Rapids earlier this month.

Thank you for your appreciation of my glass work!

I caught a nasty cold (from my daughter) last week too. Just now feeling better, don't have to have the kleenex box within arms reach today, yah! Helped that my DH was up north working on the new barn and doing a little hunting. I was able to totally veg out when I felt like it.

As I type this, my girl is in town getting tickets to her very first rock concert. Not sure how I feel about that, she's 17 now so guess we better get used to not having too much say anymore. Nothing against concerts, did my share of them. Just the maternal part of brain thinking here.

Recently joined some picture & blogging sites to try and get my Etsy presence out there a bit more. Much to my surprise I was contacted by a person who does a weekly feature on her blog about different shops on Etsy. She wanted to feature my shop and asked to use a couple of pictures in her article. Her blog is wonderful, I'll certainly post a link here if and when the piece is up.

While loading an old disc of pictures I came across a lovely set of beads that at first I didn't even remember making! They have great silver reactions that are all the rage these days. Wish I knew what glass the scroll work was done with, can't imagine its one of the $100 a pound silver glasses out today. These were made before that glass was on the market.

Etsy Eye Candy

2007-10-08T02:10:00.000-04:00

Just some of the new things I listed today in the etsy glass shop.

Just some of the new things I listed today in the etsy glass shop.

20% Off Sale In Etsy Shop!

2007-10-07T13:14:00.001-04:00

In celebration of Etsy Glass Artists street team's 1st birthday we are having a 20% off sale until Oct 14th.

The EGA site below has a list of participating artists here.
http://etsyglass.com

My Esty Shop, Fire-n-Sand can be found here. Fire-n-Sand Glass Shop

I had a show last weekend and have many more items to list this week, be sure to check back often!

Karen

West Michigan Bead Expo

2007-10-04T22:25:00.000-04:00

It's time for the Best Bead Show on this side of the state! This Saturday in Grand Rapids MI. Hope to see you there!

So many of us that do this show are friends who meet up on a regular basis. It makes the day really fun. Actually it is the only show I've done in the last few years. If they were all run this well I do many more, lol.

Anyway if you get a chance to drop by ... do it! They have demos and door prizes going on most of the day too.

Oh, and check my etsy shop on Sunday for a surprise there too!

Dang Computer!

2007-09-18T14:59:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I decided to reboot my machine (about 1 pm) since it had been awhile since I had. Boy was that a mistake! It would not reload WIN XP, couldn't even get it to start in safe mode for several hours.

I found my way into the set up and turned off the multi something on the hard drive (read that on a blue screen error, least that what I think they meant). Got it up in safe mode but didn't really know what I was looking for, lol. I know just enough about PCs to be dangerous! Next time it rebooted nothing would load again, couldn't even get into system restore or safe mode.

Let the dang thing endlessly loop while it would attempt to open windows, would stop and start over again and again and again and again....you get the picture. Went and took a bath. Later got back in safe mode long enough to set it back to a different restore point but it still wouldn't boot up right again.

Called around to see what the geeks are getting these days. Talked to who I believe was the guy's dad. This one sounds reasonable, lives close by and does house calls. Figured I'd call back first thing this morning and catch him before he left the house.

Well, around 8 pm Sara and I are eating dinner and I hear windows open music and all! Amazing! I'm still going to call this guy in a few weeks (if it lasts that long) and have him give her a once over. As long as no one turns it off we should be ok for now.

We don't have a land line so can't hook up the ol' dinosaur either. I sure hope & pray that this thing keep running until I can take the time (& money) to get it tuned up.

Tag I'm It?

2007-09-16T20:08:00.000-04:00

I've been tagged by Chickadee Buttons & Beads!

I must reveal 8 things about myself.

1) I'm really not as ditzy as I might seem, lol.

2) I'm a coffee junkie.

3) My art teacher once told me I had more natural talent than any of his students but failed to use it.

4) I am one of the newest members Etsy's EGA Team.

5) I'm an insomniac at times who can also fall asleep almost anywhere.

6) I didn't walk until 18 months of age.

7) I work better under pressure.

8) I was a wild child in my youth.

According to the rules of this blog tag game I am suppose to find 8 (yikes) people to tag.

Here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. List eight (8) random facts about yourself.
3. Tag eight people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving them a comment on their blogs.

People I tagged.....please don't flame me for this, light your torch instead.
Seriously though....participation is purely optional.

Bolimasa
Lori Greenberg aka Beadnerd
SFD Hot Glass Designs
BOSPHORUS GLASS
alilsumptinsumptin
JC Herrell
Josephine Brooks
psodesign

Joined the EGA, Etsy Glass Artists

2007-09-06T06:57:00.000-04:00

I'm a new member of a Etsy street team, the EGA. Click on the jpg below to sign up for our newsletter. It's a very talented group of glass artists! As a group our work includes stained glass, fused and slumped pieces, glass jewelry, and lampworked beads.

Too many accounts!

2007-04-21T09:41:00.000-04:00

Geesh, just trying to sign into my blog took 10 minutes. Seems I have 2 google accounts now (not what I intended to do) with one only for signing into blogger.

Opening the Esty shop was a good decision, glad I did. First sale took 3 weeks, however I've averaged about one a day since then. So I will be listing much less on feeBay and more on Esty. I can hardly create enough beads to have new auctions up every 5-7 days so putting my work on Esty is much nicer for me. Buyers don't have to wait for a listing to end or get into bidding wars, just click and it's yours! Here's the link if you haven't been there yet.

giapet.etsy.com

Today I'm off to visit the bead gals from West MI. We try to meet once a month. Great bunch of talented women!

New Etsy Shop

2007-03-12T23:05:00.000-04:00

I'm jumping on the Etsy Bandwagon! With eBay raising their listing prices once again I've decided to give Etsy a shot. Nice thing is items listed there stay up for 4 months.......wow, that's a long time for the cash involved. Instead of listing $10 auctions on eBay for 5-7 days I'll be putting the more affordable items on Etsy instead and ...... charging less for shipping there too. Won't be adding insurance automatically like I do on eBay.

My Etsy Glass Shop

Had minor surgery on my foot last week and just starting to get around a bit more with this walking boot. Going to try and add new stuff to the Esty site for the next couple weeks. Keep your eyes peeled, lol.

Long Time, No Post

2007-03-12T22:50:00.000-04:00

It has been weeks and weeks since I posted a thing here....what's up with that?

Our puppy is growing pretty fast and boy is she a naughty little girl! So far she has ate or tried to eat my slippers, a scissors, 4 of her toys, soft nail file, a hat, couple gloves, the snow shovel, underwear (anybody's will do), cat #2, every pen or pencil she can find, several socks. You get the idea. Her's a picture from last month.

and another with her digging in a brush pile.

Little Sadie

2007-01-19T19:36:00.000-05:00

My daughter and I had been watching petfinder for a couple months... Well, she would either leave pics up on the screen of adorable puppies or would print their listings out and leave them on my desk....Hint! Hint! So during Christmas break we set up a couple meetings with local animal rescues, and brought Sadie home 4 days before the new year. She's almost twice this size now at 13+ wks old. Think she will be tall and lean but not a huge girl. Her mom is a hound-rott mix and they don't know what her dad is. Her mom was rescued a day before she was to be killed and fostered in a private home to have her pups. Her eyes are brown, not blue like the camera showed.

What I've been working on.

2006-11-26T17:20:00.000-05:00

I'm getting a jump on spring with dozens of cottage roses. Ran out of LP last night when doing the last 3 blue ones. Nice surprise when I discovered a spare tank here and didn't have to run to town today to get another one. They look so cool in the bowl by the computer that I just had to share!

I'll be putting up auctions for a dozen of each color and one auction for a mixed dozen. Hint, hint!

Quick Update

2006-11-04T22:21:00.001-05:00

I haven't updated my website for awhile, except to take the bead sets and some of the jewelry off for the bead show. I've started to put all my stock on ebay since they sell faster there than on my site. I will be putting several fused glass candle shelters on the website as soon as I set-up a decent photo booth for them. They are similar to this here.

As for beads on the website, think it might be better to offer several designs, made to order and stick with ebay for new sets. Would make it easy for customers to find coordinating lampwork to match what they already have. I just can't seem to find enough time to keep both sites loaded with new beads consistently.

Bead Show & Display

2006-10-16T15:28:00.000-04:00

Just did the Bead Expo show in Grand Rapids, MI. The DeVos Center is such a great venue for a show. The room is large with wide isles and good lighting. The location of downtown brings in a good crowd every year. The volunteers are fabulous, thank you for making the day run so smoothly for us! This was the third year for this show and I only see it getting better as time goes by. Hear's a picture of my display table and of the piece I raffled off as a freebie. It was won by a lady from Kalamazoo, MI.

Bead Storage Solution

2006-09-22T08:40:00.000-04:00

Like anyone who starts to collect beads and other componets for jewelry design you soon find your storage area has become a tad inadequate. For me, a bakers rack used for plants in our office/sunroom was a good place to keep my bead boxes since it was right next to the diningroom where I could spread out and work. Fast forward a couple years and now not only was it an eyesore, the rack was dangerously overloaded with weight. I needed a storage unit that would look decent and have a good amount of space in it. Since I'd rather spend my spare cash on glass, new tools, and beads, saving for a nice storage unit wasn't at the top of the list.

DH and I found this "bead box" (what he calls it) for my birthday. I love it, not only does it hold all my stuff with some space left over, it looks great! It was half off in a clearance section to boot. I love the seedy reed glass in the doors too, no need for me to make stained or fused glass panels for it. This is the best gift he has ever given me, next to my daughter of course.

What an improvement!

Setting Goals

2006-08-29T08:51:00.000-04:00

Been thinking about making some changes in my lifestyle. I turn 50 (bleh) next month! None of my past birthdays have bothered me one bit. I don't like the sound of 50, however if it pushes me to make some positive changes for the better it can't be all bad, lol. Its time to take charge of my health.

I need to quit smoking. I did quit when I was pregnant 17 yrs ago. In my early 40's I had a complete physical check up with all the tests thinking that would help me change some of bad habits. All the stuff they tell you not to eat, etc. I passed with flying colors (great genes) and was told to keep doing what I was doing (except for the smokes of course).

When I still worked full time weight and exercise were never an issue. My job was physical and heavy which kept my weight in check. I was also single for several years so the refrigerator wasn't stocked up like it is now. I quit the job in 95 and have slowly gained an extra 20-25 pounds.

Not that this is an interesting read or anything... just putting my thoughts down thinking it might help me reach these 2 goals if I can express them in print. I'm the type who knows I can do anything once I set my mind to it. It is making the commitment that I struggle with now. lol, I'm a Virgo so I tend to analyze everything. The plan is to curb bouts of smoking withdrawals (only a past smoker can relate) with bursts of exercise. Hopefully the need for instant gratification will pass and eventually be replaced by seeing results with the workouts. I just ordered the "Slim in 6" dvds to help speed up those results, or so they claim. With DD back in school by then and DH out hunting in his spare time they'll both survive those first couple of weeks relatively unharmed, lol. It will also give me the time needed to work on myself.

Enough of that, want to see some beads?

Time to get Going!

2006-08-27T12:09:00.000-04:00

Didn't get much done in the way of beadmaking last week. I worked four 11-12 hour days instead. Not used to being on my feet that long on our hard tiled cement floors behind the bar. This week will be more fun! Only working on Friday, well, in town I mean since I work constantly in the house and glass shop at home.

Wish my new bead kiln was ready, Labor Day is my last outing this year where I could make beads while gone. Packing up my layered kiln from the basement shop is a pain. Maybe I'll work on jewelry instead this time. Off to clean the bar & get some groceries, then torching the rest of the day. I put a couple more auctions up today too, if you're interested there's a link on the right.

Have a safe Labor Day Holiday!

Playing Catch Up

2006-08-17T18:32:00.000-04:00

After spending another 10 days away from home I've got plenty to catch up on. My mother took this picture of me making beads while we were camping up in Evart MI during the Dulcimer festival in July. It is rare that I take a half-way decent picture that I'm willing to share, lol. I was in the middle of listing a few new auctions (link to them is in the right column) and decided to add that picture here too. Put a face to the artist so to speak.

A New Week

2006-07-23T14:17:00.000-04:00

Woke up this morning having no Direcway Satellite connection! I've heard tons of stories about Hughes Net (new name for Direcway) having awful problems and lousy customer service. Man, I hope this isn't a sign of things to come. Once I unplugged & replugged in the modem, it appears to be fine. Whew! I'm in no mood to sit on hold for hours with some tech in India, lol.

I wasted the whole day yesterday, didn't do much of anything. Still depressed over losing Moose. Received several nice emails of condolences which I appreciate, thank you.

My daughter borrowed a game cube and the game Animal Crossing. She left it home for me to play with while she went on vacation with her BF's family. I'm not just a glass addict, seems I'm a game addict too. Had to buy one of these for us on ebay. My excuse is... Its a nice small unit to take with us camping for when it rains. Gives the kids another thing to do too.

I am going to get to my torch today for sure! My tools & kiln are still in the truck from last week. Easy enough to set back up. Planning to build a small metal box kiln with a good controller so I don't have to pack up my revamped for bead annealing hot box from my shop everytime I travel. With a top, bottom, bead collar, main unit, and the stand alone controller it isn't very convenient to travel with it. Friends of my folks are giving me an old test kiln that I can use the brick and stainless from. I'll get new electrical parts for the rest of it since they're pretty cheap to buy.

Time to get busy!

Rest Now Big Boy.

2006-07-20T20:17:00.000-04:00

With love and much sadness our family said goodbye to our loyal friend and companion today.

I knew from the day I first laid eyes on Moose at the shelter, he was special. While all the others were overly excited running back and forth in their pens, he sat calmly looking at me as if he were sizing me up. I had a worker take him into a play area so I could see how he would react to our daughter who was only 3 at the time. He didn't react to her one way or the other so I called my DH and told him I wanted to take this girl home. Girl? Yes, they had his cage tagged as a female, lab mix, approx. 10-12 months old. I had no reason to check since the shelter is in the animal business and with his longer underbelly fur we didn't notice his family jewels until 2 days later. There is no doubt in my mind that this gender mishap was suppose to happen just the way it did. I had gone to the shelter only wanting a female, had I known that day he was male I might have passed him up. Thank God that I didn't know.

Once home I asked our 10 yr. old son to help me get some "groceries" out of the back of our truck. The look on Chris's face when he saw him was priceless! Moose and Sara quickly became good buds. He escorted her daily to and from the bus stop instinctively knowing what time in the afternoon he wanted out, usually about 10-15 minutes before the bus arrived.

He was so gentle he let a baby bird we were caring for climb around his head and nose. But when needed he rose to the task. Last summer I had to wake him from a nap (he was deaf by now) to remove a snake our stray cat had brought in the house and let go in the livingroom.

Though always well behaved in the house he did have one bad habit in the early years, he liked to intimidate people who drove up to the house. He had all the utilities workers (gas, electric, postman) fooled. His loud scary bark (with friendly tail wagging) was guaranteed to earn him a bone or too and he played it for all it was worth. After he heard of Moose's death the electric meter reader spent 15 minutes talking to my husband about the games he and Moose would play and how much fun they had.

We live in the country on several acres and he made quick friends with some of the other dogs out here, even had a thing going with the female lab next door who followed her twin boys every time they came over to play with our son. While the kids were playing in the house the 2 of them would stroll around the yard and pond or take a nap under a tree in the lawn. Sometimes at night we could hear them softly barking back and forth to each other.

He had some trouble with his hind legs, ended up being arthritis in the knees. We had to try and keep him from following the kids when they were riding their bikes or he would run himself so hard that later in day he had trouble with those first few steps when getting up. Because of his knee problem he received special treatment at the kennel while we were on vacation that year. The lady who ran the kennel fell in love with him, informed me of all the treats he really liked and that she was positive he had some black & tan hound in him along with the lab and rottwieller. Made perfect sense to us due to his goofy personality and occasional howls.

He spent many summers camping with us. He loved kids and was never harsh with them even when they got a little rough. He was very protective of us too, watching every move a stranger would make and sometimes growling under his breath when he knew I felt uneasy. Once I left him outside by mistake during a flash thunderstorm, he was hiding under the trailer while we quickly tried to cover things up and get inside and I forgot he was still out. He was so afraid of storms I felt so awful.

If he didn't get a cookie from the gas station when you got a treat for yourself he gave you the big sad eyes until you went back inside and got him one. It was that or have him start drooling so bad you couldn't eat yours for the guilt, lol.

DH took him up north to our property several months ago. He knew Moose would wear himself out trying to follow the 4-wheeler so he made a platform for him to ride on in the front. He really enjoyed the ride. The sheriff just waved at them as they were driving on the edge of the road (illegal in MI) to visit a neighbor.

That was the last time Moose was away from home. I had stopped taking him camping last year. With hind legs that didn't bend he never could jump up in the truck by himself. I was afraid he would hurt himself getting out. At 14 years of age he was still young at heart but the ol' body wasn't doing so good. He had several tumors by now, the most troublesome were the 2 on his feet and another on his front leg. He also was having small tremors when he slept and some labored breathing.

Though we might have had him in our lives for a couple more months we chose to let him go with love, dignity and respect. His personality wouldn't let him show pain. A close friend put it this way, "He's trying so hard to be normal." He has brought us closer together as a family and we'll miss him dearly.

Good Morning

2006-07-18T10:40:00.000-04:00

Boy did we get the rain last night! I was looking for my camera power cable so I could put up the new bead sets I made in the "outdoor studio", thought it was still in the camper. I ended up weeding for about an hour, really let the gardens go this summer. Normally I'd be showing off pictures or them, lol.

Insomnia again?

2006-04-03T03:03:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if its really a case of imsomnia or just the fact that I keep really goofy hours. I worked the graveyard shift for 14 yrs. and ever since my schedule has basically been no schedule at all. Aside from the few things that need to done at a given time that is. You get in the routine of sleeping days for 4-5 days and then switching to sleeping nights for the weekends.

These days I work in town for my husband one day a week and also help out during the lunch hour on Fridays. Rest of my time is devoted to playing with glass, caring for our daughter, & keeping up with the house and gardens. I've been a slacker on the house lately though. So it seems like a great time to get a blog started, quite a chore for one who still has to watch the keyboard while she pecks at the keys.

Been thinking a lot about the frustration the lampworking community is suffering over the cheap imports flooding the US market. We need to continue to educate the jewelry designers about the whole beadmaking process and the importance of proper annealing of handmade lampwork. Just like furniture, you can shop at Walmart or at Klingmans. Most people can see the difference between the two and expect to pay a premium for high end furniture. The average person cannot tell the difference when it comes to art glass beads. If you have ever done shows you already know what I'm taking about. A woman boldly said to me at a show "These aren't glass, they're plastic" or "What kind of paint to use on them?"
We need to educate, educate, educate!