WHERE DOES THE TIME GO???

Yikes... I can't keep up!!! LOL! Just wanted to write a quick note to say that I'm alive & well... just a busy busy girl.

I spent a long weekend in Missouri at the 3rd Annual Missouri Bead Retreat, having a blast & wishing it was much MUCH longer. Such fantastic people, makes me wish I lived there. I got some fantastic feedback on my beads... I've improved just a teeny bit since last year's retreat, where I had only been torching for about 3 months at the time!! :o) I made my first boro implosion there... it's not fabulous, but it was very cool to do. My first experience w/ boro glass, too. I also learned kumihimo (japanese braiding), did some chainmaille & played w/ some PMC, too.... as well as many other fun things. The weekend was packed full & like I said, WAY too short! We're all looking forward to next year already.

I've had a chance to torch a bit & have plenty of beads & such to sell, but finding time to photograph & list them seems to be my issue these days. I've GOT to find my groove... there's just so much to this business, it's hard to keep up & I seem to be all over the place!! I have NOTHING in my Etsy store... having just sold the last 2 pieces that were listed last weekend OFF Etsy.

Updating my website is another issue... I had it built as a Flash site & can't seem to update the flash portions myself... which is mainly all of the images!! LOL. Ugh. I'm going to TRY to get it updated sometime soon... don't know when, though. My main priority is to get items listed to sell on eBay & Etsy... probably more so on Etsy.

Anyway... I've had fun playing w/ some PMC lately, too, trying to come up w/ some awesome interchangeable pendant/bail designs. I'll try to post some of it... someday. LOL.

& I thought my last month or so has been crazy.... June is going to be even more so.... I'm going to Bead & Button in Milwaukee the 2nd weekend in June to check it out, then I have a few weeks to get ready for my parents coming to town AND make a 6 tiered wedding cake!!! (seriously) ... THEN I'm heading to North Carolina for my neice's wedding, I'll be doing her cake, too, the week after the first cake (this'll be my 3rd wedding cake... never had a class, etc... I've only made fabulous cakes for my family)... I'll be there for 2 weeks, wanting to spend some time w/ my sister & brother who live out there, it's been 4 years since I've seen my sister!!! (she's a new grandma!!)

Okay...I'm off. I'll be back soon, though, I have some fabulous pieces to show you! :o)

Julie