SO....still not sticking to a schedule...

The good thing about going back to teaching tomorrow is that I will have more of a routine.  I tend to just go with whatever direction each day takes me.  It's always productive in some sense, just not always what I had planned.  Today I was going to work on the store that Ben and I will be selling through at Artisan Beads Plus.  I started this website a couple of years ago (probably on a day that I had sometihng else planned!) and now I think I am going to get it up and running again.  I've been using it to display the other fabulous artists who take my beads to a whole different level!  I'm going to keep that, but add a store for some custom beads (I think I said that in my last post) and jewelry. 

It looks like it might actually work as a store this time.  When I tried to sell from it before it was a ^#*&*!(*^%%&###::!!! headache!  I literally had to link every item to paypal and then when something sold, I had to remove it manually.  NOT GOOD!  Now I am assured that when I sell something that there is only 1 of, it will automatically delete.  Time will tell. 

And speaking of time???

Instead of working on the store, I ended up working with a couple of beads that my son  Ben made.  His first group had the holes in the wrong place, but I thought...."That's okay, I will just make it work."  I planned on selling them on Etsy (I sold a few), but then today had the idea that maybe they would make cool rings.  So there you have it.  My first rings.  They only took the entire day! 

I know at this point, you must be asking, "Why did it take the entire day....Something so simple?"

Well...if you were inside my brain, you would know.  I obsess about getting it just right, getting rid of rough edges, making the circle of the ring perfect.  And when you obsess like that...well....you break LOTS of wire, scratch beads, get blisters on you palms, etc. 

I'm done for today.  I will be glazing beads in 5 minutes.....

...well maybe 15.

TO GIVE OR NOT TO GIVE...

 

Giving is ALWAYS good....I believe in good karma.  Let's see.....I have been INCREDIBLY busy this past month and sometimes find it really hard to juggle everything.  I have a list of jewelry friends that I want to blog about, I have a website that I am working on, I am a full-time special ed. teacher, I make beads, sell them, have 3 dogs and a hubby!  I also have 3 grown children who, at times, stop me in my tracks... 

Sometimes I don't know if I'm coming or going...  How about leaving a comment about how you juggle your busy lives.  For me, it's just random.  I tend to put off what I like to do the least at that particular time.  I find the computer very addicting and pulling myself away from it can be challenging...How about you?  I could use some tips!!  I'll give these away on Saturday, the 19th.  Leave your comment for these little popular buttons and a lone bead :O)

match.com.....really???

This is a second marriage for both Bill and I and I think we got it right this time.  It's actually a 3rd for me, but the first one was just as a young 19 year old and it lasted less than a year soooo....technically it does count, but I was a REALLY YOUNG RISK TAKER back then!  What's great about our marriage is everything that we have in common.  One of the things that I loved about his personality was his love of all things artistic.  Meeting someone like him was a little more thought out this time....not a random meeting in the produce dept. at the grocery store (I hear that's how it happens sometimes to people that aren't me), but a planned meeting through match.com.  For all you single people out there who would like to have someone in your life, I would highly recommend it.  What I also recommend is that you do your homework on the topic prior to jumping into it.  Okay, there's a few true confessions.  I was really just going to mention the woodfiring, but sometimes my fingers type into another direction.  I'm a risk taker, so ....Why Not?....just go with it?  It takes less thinking that way!! 

I guess I'm not as much of a risk taker when it comes to firing a kiln.  Bill is.  There have been many trials and tribulations that revolve around that too.  I'm hoping that tomorrow, all of that experience (10 firings) gives him the results that he wants. He made the beads in the picture, I'm getting them glazed so that he can do all the grunt work to get the kiln ready.....He likes that kinda thing...wood, cutting, splitting, chopping, etc.  I like to plunk my butt down and know that the biggest pain in the butt will be getting those little guys to make "happy" with the bead wire that they are going get into the HEAT with!  So there you have it ....a match made on the internet over 5 years ago and a woodfiring from our country home tomorrow!  I think we have a good thing going!

Man....I Feel Like a Woman...

with this new firing!!!  Doesn't take much! Thank-you Shania :O)  I don't usually make this many multiples, but I really like this new glaze combo I've discovered in one of my experiments.....The "teenie" beads (5-6 mm) are not my favorite thing to make......They are always dropping and rolling across the floor...Ughhh!!  I've gotta chase 'em down.. only make them if someone requests or, in this case, if I want them!!

5 out of the 6 strings I will be sending to Juls from Julsbeads.  I first wanted necklaces for my sons since she makes some really cool "manly" necklaces and then I thought...."Can't just give them to them....I have a daughter too!"  and....my sons have wives....so, you have probably figured out where this is going..  The littlest ones are for the girls (well...women ;o) and the larger gray and earthy ones are for my sons.  I hope that the small aren't too small and the big aren't too big...I think an artist as talented as she will make it work...after all...She said she would :O)  GO JULS!!  The greens are a custom order for a new customer.  I think she will be surprised since I told her up to 2 weeks and it's only been 2 days...(happened to have more smalls than I needed).  Oh, and one more thing....these links...the "spring colors" is a custom order, but as with most custom orders, I try to make a few other similiar items while I'm in that zone.....New idea for a link!!

The winner of my bead give away will be announced later on today....Stay tuned :O)  Look at that....they MULTIPLIED in the kiln.....How'd that happen?

What Do a Win, a Field Trip and An Upcoming Give Away Have in Common?

This posting, of course!  I'll try not to be long winded!!  I had two contests that have just recently ended.  One was for the last 180 sales in my shop.  It didn't matter if you purchased 10 items at a time or one.   Each sale counted as an entry.  The winner of this was Kelli Pope....  That beautiful necklace that you see is one that she designed.  I love it and wanted it for myself, but it already went out to a buyer of hers who owns a gift shop?  Right Kelli?  A gift shop or was is a museum?  Either way this woman searched for Kelli on the internet after buying numerous "Kelli Pope" necklaces and a museum that carries Kelli's jewelry.  I HOPE she likes it as much as I DO!!  ;o)  Kellie has some other work on my website.  Check 'er out!  You won't be disappointed!!!!

The second offer I had was free beads to my 1000th customer.  That winner was Shannon from Missficklemedia.  You'll see from her sales that she does a terrific job with forging metals, patinas and ice resin.  These beads are some of my favorites from her shop.  Check it out if you haven't run there already.  My goal is to be like her.....She has almost 6000 sales...Holy Moly!!!!  Her components are very unique and will definitely make a difference in your custom designs!

A Field Trip....well, I'm off the the Museum of Earth in Ithaca today with a bunch of 11 and 12 years olds. That sounds like a blast ;o)   I'm actually looking forward to it.  This year's students have been the best in years.  The past few years, I was making reservations to live on the funny farm since I knew I'm would be heading there SOONER than later.  Phew~  just when you've had enough~some sort of peace comes into your life.  Hey, maybe I'll even get some ideas for beads and pendants while I'm there!

IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY SIGNED UP FOR FREE BEADS, please do so on my April 3rd blog.  I'm hoping to have them done by Sunday...Monday at the latest!  Weekend coming!!!!!  YAY!!!

Dont' Forget the Freebies from April 3rd...

The give away will be this weekend if all goes as planned.  So far...  so good.  They are bisque firing as I write.  My goal is by Sunday to use the random number generator to pick a winner.   Anyhow...these beads have nothing to do with that :O}  I'm only putting them here to add a little interest to the blog.  I made a design like these quite a while ago and it seems like that sat in my Etsy shop for a mini lifetime.  I'm not sure why this happens, but this time they are selling as quick as I list....well...that's a little stretch. As speaking of "stretch" all I do with these is roll out the clay ....ever so carefully....roll it back up....every so carefully...add some water, a little vanilla and Voila.....You have a bead!  (no vanilla...for you serious types ;o))....  I'll be listing these later on...In the meantime I'm sitting here telling myself that this is why I rush around every morning so I can get to work on time...Gotta Go!!!

A DOG, A BEAD and A GIVE AWAY

I'm home from work today.  My dog Jake had me up all night as he is sick.  He had surgery two years ago for laryngeal paralysis which means that his lungs have a better chance of filling up with fluid since they are always exposed.  (I'm calling the vet once they open).  Hopefully, they will give him antibiotics and he and I will both feel better. 
Last night I was scrambling to make a bunch of beads, some for my give away this weekend and some, of course, to list.  I don't normally make this many of one style, but I was on a mission and I loved the new glaze combo.  Bill sat down with the camera and decided to take some pics of me hard at work ;o)  Not the most flattering, no studio....just me sitting at the kitchen table like I always do when I make my beads.  The downside is that I have a mess going on for a couple of days.  It's only the two of us though with the dogs and the dogs don't mind!!  I would like to talk about my studio and the one that I'll have one day, but I'm not sure that I ever will.  I like to sit upstairs, with the dogs and the tv on for sound and computer close by....  I'm a multi tasker (or a person who makes good use of her ADD) who likes to have multiple things happen at once......I don't see that changing any time too soon!!  That armoire that you see right behind me IS my studio.....Everything closes up really nicely in that!  Don't forget to comment on my April 3rd post if you'd like to be entered to win some beads....Bill is giving away a woodfired cup too!
UPDATE:  Back from vet....He's fine, but needs to lose 30 lbs...didn't realize he was getting fat....same thing that happens to me ;o)  Go figure!!??  ...Like mother like canine son...Guess he'll be eating his whole 2 cups of food a day and I'll be eating mine!  We can support each other :O)

Rolled Out of Bed...Grabbed the Camera...

I forgot that I even took these yesterday at 6 am.  When I know that I have a kiln full of goodies waiting for me I can't go back to sleep once I wake up.  This is the most recent firing.  I just came across these pics while taking individual pics for my Etsy listings and for the beads-of clay website (Of which I am VERY psyched to be a part of).  The second pic is once the shelf was removed.  One of these days, I am going to make some new bead trees that stand up nice and straight....For now....these work!! Don't forget to check out yesterday's blog for my give away!!

St. Patty Day... It's All Good...

Today I was going to complain about why I can't sit all evening, make ceramic beads, eat whatever I want and keep an hourglass figure (that's providing that I have one to begin with ;o)  I think I'll wait on that long saga and just wish everyone a Happy St. Patty's Day....Would be sacriligious not too since I'm all Irish (maternal grandparents right off the boat to make a new life- Thanks Nonnie and Pa!)...  Do I always need a picture to accompany my posts?   Here's some green beads ;o)  As a kid, I would have been politely informed that this is the WRONG green....BUT ...It's my BLOG and I'll do what I want to!!!  Happy Day to Everyone!  Stay Safe! 

POST SCRIPT...Of course I had to go back and see how it all looked and realized that these even look LESS green on my VERY GREEN blog!!  NO more editing...I've procrastinated getting ready for work long enough :O)

He Doesn't Want to Play with You Buddy!

So, it all starts out pretty innocent.  I took Bill out to eat because I just received my retro check from a newly settled contract.  The dogs Jake (yellow lab), Buddy (our rescue dog) and Mikito (mistake #1 was naming him this since it means Little Prince in Japanese and he takes it literally) were home patiently awaiting our arrival.  On the way home, I visualized the dogs anxiously awaiting our presence and how much Buddy likes to run around on our 15 acres (he usually stays within 1 acre).  My first feeling was, "Ohhh, I better not....I smelled that skunk this morning and was thankful that I had put him out on the run...."  Second thought was the talking myself out of thought #1.   We get home, they're estatic and I open the door to let them run.  Five minutes pass and I take some quick pics of beads.  I'm going to sit down, have a glass of wine (hence the reason that sometimes I come up with names that are a little out there ;o)  and list them on Etsy.  Off to the door I go to let my little darlings in.   Jake and Mikito are right at the door as always and I call Buddy.  I call him again and again and again.  No Buddy.  This couldn't be good.  "Not the first time," I tell myself, "He loves to run the trails."  "I'll get started and give him a few more minutes." There is a knocking paw at the door (he serves as the doordog for all of them in regardless of the weather and it's not uncommon for the door to fly open when they are ready to come in).  I answer it and what do I discover......"THE SMELL!  UGHHHHH!"  Why didn't I listen to myself?  A few choice words from me and it's off to the shower, then another shower, then another....now a little cucumber conditioner.....Perhaps that will cover up what I can't get out...Needless to say, there is a REAL GOOD reason why they don't sell scents called Cucumber Skunk!!!  The beads are going to have to wait.  Another day, another lesson and at least for the next month, I will remember to listen to my gut instinct!  Is that a piece of white fur on his nose?

Winner ... January Challenge at Art Bead Scene!!!

Janet McDonald was the lucky winner of  beads created by Humblebeads,  Suebeads and me in the January challenge at the ever so popular site Art Bead Scene.  I think you will agree that she put them to excellent use.  This necklace is GORGEOUS!!  Janet's Etsy shop opened in January of this year.  Besides my beads, she included hand-dyed Ribbons, Green Girl Studios heart and bird, rondelles, Swarovski crystals, steel wire and lots of lampwork. This fabulous necklace adjusts to 48 inches long.  I think if you check out her shop, you won't be disappointed!  Thank-you Janet for sharing this with me :O)

This Week Pre-Listing Look.....

I'm trying to use the colors from this year's Pantone Color Chart, but also keep them in my own earthy style.  I've also tried out some bezel designs.  I think I may keep one of them to try my skill at using my granddaughter's pictures and a little ice resin on top.  I'll let you know how they turn out.  Please feel free to convo me on Etsy if you see anything that you would like to reserve.

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS 2 in 2

I've experienced 2 separate acts of kindness in the past 2 days! The first was a beautiful necklace with matching earrings from one of my Etsy buyers. She used my beads and created awesome jewelry for me :O) How great is that? Thanks so much, Kim!! Kim makes jewelry for her get togethers with her scrapbooking friends!

The next surprise was a letter that I received from Vera House in Syracuse, New York. Vera House is an organization dedicated to ending domestic violence. Eleanor, http://www.lilysoffering.etsy.com/ is a VERY successful Etsian who sells her own handmade findings and charms as well as a big variety of other jewelry making supplies. What is extra special is that she donates 10% of her proceeds each month to a domestic violence organization of your choosing. She donated over $300 to the shelter in my name.

So often we hear of all the bad that goes on in the world. These two people are in MY news showing that there truly is a balance!!!

The Good, The Bead and The Ugly

Well....what can I say. While starting out 2010 I'm going to refrain from creating anymore beads as shown in the pics. You might ask, "What the @#$%! happened?" The sad truth is: My bead wire sculpture was created during my first experience with stoneware. Prior to that I only worked with low fire clays. I was using my cute, little personal kiln to make beads for my jewelry. Well....inexperienced and dependant on a defective pyrometer, the temperature never did reach 2250 degrees.....so I thought! I finally gave up at midnight, shut the kiln off, woke up to see my new beads and cried! There you have it.....I would say that I definitely learned the hard way. I was determined to overcome this and not give up! I have :O)

My mistakes since then have been minor. I occasionally apply too much glaze around the bead hole which results in the little bead flowers that you see. Bill was given the lovely little vase by Jack Troy during a workshop in Syracuse. The only way to remove these beads is with a hammer which I haven't been able to do just yet. It always seems like to much work to just take a hammer to!

Hot Hot Hot

This is my little electric kiln. The other pic is an inside shot of Bill's woodfire kiln. Those were the turquoise beads that were grabbed shortly after listing them on Etsy. They were very cool. I have pics listed in an earlier post. Hopefully, we'll have another bead woodfiring in about a month or so.

For right now though I'm excited to see what this bead firing brings. I'm passing the time away before I can take them out. I'm usually happy.....

My Life Outside of Teaching and Bead Making

Here's a picture of our beautiful granddaughter Lacey. Last weekend she spotted the 2 mounted fish in the laundry room. This fit right in with her current obsession with Nemo. She was estatic!! Her eyes got wide and she exclaimed with shear excitement, "Nonnie, it's NEMO!" She is absolutely precious.

I thought I'd also throw in my latest version of ceramic coin beads. I like the way these came out so I think I'll make some more :O)

Our First Bead Wood Fire

These are awesome in person. I have been tempted to keep them myself and make my own necklace since I'm sure they will get tons of compliments. I just can't decide how I would string them to make them stand out the most. I'll keep them listed for a while, but if they don't sell soon, the temptation may get to be too much. I keep them next to me since I love looking at them while I'm on the computer. The process is very time consuming, the product worth it. We'll try some more in the next firing that will be a few months away. Check out my husband's blog to learn more about wood fire (splitfirepottery.blogspot.com). He's the one who actually does the work ;o) I did the sanding and glazing....and posting, of course!

They're Glazed....

Here's a few pics of what it looks like once my beads are glazed and then put in the kiln. In this firing, I've added a couple of name signs that my nieces glazed when they were here this weekend. It's Thanksgiving and I'm passing the time away before we go out to eat. Tomorrow I should hopefully, be able to post how exciting it is to open the kiln. I LOVE it!!!