NEW LENTILS...

I'm REALLY loving these...


I'm busy working on taking photos... trying to decide if I'm going to try to list some pieces on Etsy or start building stock for some upcoming shows. I've had several people online contact me...wondering how or where they can buy from me... kind of tough to do when I don't have anything for sale out there, isn't it?

I saw a really nicely put-together site the other day... Sorta Flowering Designs, as far as online selling goes. They have catagories upon catagories of really cool bead styles that they make & sell on their website, as well as items they sell on eBay & in their Etsy shop, too! They also have really awesome single bead style tutorials for sale in their Etsy shop... check them out. Talk about having it together!! :o) That's what I want to do when I grow up. :wink: Maybe it's because they're a couple, working as a team... that would help, I think.

I can figure out how to do it all... it just takes some good time-coordination. :o)

Time to come up w/ a plan...

FACEBOOK...

Help... they're sucking me in!! LOL.

Do you "Facebook"?

My little sister told me about Facebook a while ago & I finally signed up. I didn't get what the big deal was. One more site to maybe find old friends... search for old boyfriends, LOL, etc...

THEN... I realized that there is a huge amount of glass artists on there that I know, some that I've met & many many others that I would like to know, some of whom I could possibly worship at their feet, if I were inclined to do that sort of thing. ;o)

So... I've been "making friends" on Facebook... and they're a super active crowd, so it's been fun getting to know people a little bit better, letting them get to know me. It's kind of cool... I like it... great for networking, for sure.

...except that it's sucking me in. :o)
It's hard to be at my computer, Photoshopping or whatever, when Facebook is calling to me, telling me to see what others are up to. And your "friend" can see when you're online there.... my silly sister-in-law started a chat w/ me today w/ "OMG, are you always on here???" LOL.... um, sure seems that way!!

Anyway...I still don't get what all of the invites, requests, gifts & such are all about... I have a gazillion of them waiting for me to accept them. If you've sent me one, sorry... one more distraction. :o)

One more thing to balance...

HAPPY 2009...

Happy New Year!

2009, huh? Wow. Where did 2008 go?

It was a crazy year... fun & fulfilling as far as glass goes, I'm loving how I've grown as a glass artist... I still enjoy feedback from others (duh!)... showing me that I'm on the right track. I had some really successful shows this year, even after bigger signs of US financial troubles started stressing people out, which is amazing to me (I think it's an emotional thing for people.... jewelry, beads, etc... being able to spend a little something on themselves maybe makes it a little easier to cope w/ stress???)... so I'm just really thrilled w/ how things are going from that point...

...but I'm still looking for balance in my life. Is balance possible? LOL. I'm praying that it is & that somehow this ADD brain of mine will allow me to figure it out.

Anyway... that's not where I was going to go here... ;o)

2009 is already shaping up to be an awesome & busy year! One of my biggest wishes this year was to somehow get into the BEAD & BUTTON SHOW in Milwaukee in early June. I put the word out in a few places that I was looking for someone who wanted to share their existing booth because I heard it through the grapevine that there was a long waiting list to get your own booth & I hadn't even started that process yet. Well... my wish came true!! Kristi Evenson of Coliebug Beads has done B&B for years & found out that she was going to have a conflict w/ another big show here in Minneapolis the same weekend (for at least the next 2 years!). My friend Jennifer Ionta told her that I was wanting to find someone to share a booth with & Kristi contacted me!! She was so happy that she didn't have to lose her perfect B&B booth space & I was thrilled to get the chance to do B&B for the first time w/out having to wait on a waiting list forever. :o) She had to get it okay'd w/ the B&B people, but no problem. So... I'll be bringing her fantastic copper & sterling stamped charms & pendants so she at least has some of her items there & I'll get my own 8' space for my stuff!! I'M SO EXCITED!!! :o)

Check out my SCHEDULE on my website to see what else I'm up to so far this year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, all!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS...

Merry Christmas, all!

Had a fabulous day chillin' out w/ my hubby & the kids. Opened gifts, watched movies, had a fabulous dinner of grilled beef tenderloin & other yummy fixins, etc. It was a nice day.

We "do" Christmas w/ my in-laws a week or two before Christmas each year because they head south to Texas for the winter via Christmas in Phoenix w/ my brother-in-law's family. They've been doing this for a good 10 years now & my sister-in-law told me a few years ago that she felt guilty for taking them away from us each year & I told her to NOT feel guilty... that I just loved having all of the "family obligation" stuff (okay, I know that sounds awful, but you know what I mean) out of the way before hand so I can relax & enjoy getting things ready for my own family the days coming up to Christmas.

We have a traditional Mexican dinner for Christmas eve... taquitoes, refried beans (no spanish rice, though) guacamole, etc... just as my family has done since forever & my siblings continue to do in their own little corners of the country... sorry Dad, we drink Coke products, not the Pepsi w/ Mexican food that he insists upon, LOL. We played some games & listed to some Christmas music all evening & the kids got to open one gift each.

Anyway... it was a nice day.

Hope you had a very merry Christmas today, too... or whatever you celebrate this time of the year... I hope you took the time to enjoy those around you.

xoxoxo.....

me.

ps... I forgot... here's my Dad's Christmas gift... he liked it (ALOT, I hope!)... called the magnifying glass an "ant killer". LOL.
(click on image for detailed view)

Awesome, huh?? :o) Ivory, silvered ivory & DH Psyche. The letter opener & magnifying glass blanks came from Shawnette at Glassgoodies.

NEW PENS...

It's been a little while since I've made up some new pens & I had someone ask me if I had any in natural "leafy" colors... I didn't, but what the heck, let's see if I can come up w/ something.

I told her that I generally don't do alot of custom pieces, but that I was game to see if something different would work w/ what I'm currently producing & the kind of glass I'm using... so I made up a few for her to pick from...

She loved them & went for the black pen w/ the green bead. I love that one. I lighly etched the green glass ones, just to knock the shine off of them. It's Vetrofond Odd Lemongrass & it looks really awesome etched.

It was fun to do these. The ones on the left are my older style. You can see why I felt the need to try something new, can't you? :o) I like the organic-ish feel (in a contemporary sort of way) to the new ones.

Anyway... things are settling down. I've had a few days of torching fun, making some last minute gifts. I made an awesome magnifying glass & letter opener set for my Dad... I took pictures, will post them tomorrow... or maybe I should wait until after Christmas... in case he reads my blog?!! (doubt it! LOL!)

I'll be back...