I Have A New Blog...

Don't worry, this one isn't going anywhere(not that I think THAT many people actually read it!). I decided that I needed some where to express my ramblings about my experiences in bead making. It doesn't mean I'll never talk about that here, but I wanted a place that was dedicated to my glass work and beads, so I started A Glass Princess Tale... You'll have to go check it out!

In typical fashion, at least for me, it took in inordinate amount of time to put together. I am never satisfied with standard formats, so I find cool blog templates online and upload those, that part isn't so complicated anymore, I've done it a couple of times now, and made enough mistakes in the process that I finally have it down. Altering a template you get from somewhere else, well, that's another story all together. I am not a computer genius, I have a sort of love/hate relationship with my computer. I have learned a lot more than I thought I would ever know about them in the past year since I started selling online, but I have miles to go to actually feel like I KNOW what I am doing.

I will eventually have my up coming bead listings there and use it as a place to talk about bead making and glass in general. Just like here, you may find post about how I feel about the weather, or that someone nearly ran me off the road and acted like it was my fault, general "my life" stuff.

I have listed some new items in my Juniper Gems shop, so go by and take a peek. I have lots more to come, I just need to conquer my new photo editing software, and figure out the right place to take pictures here. It has been a challenge since we move to find the right spot. I am not really satisfied yet, it's still a work in progress.

Please jump over to my new blog and give it a look!

Back in the Saddle!

After what seems like an eternity I am finally back to torching at home! While the garage is not all the way put together, it enough so that I can do my thing without having to stumble over a mountain of stuff just to get in and out of there. I even have the added benefit of being able to easily access the refrigerator out there and find a muffin pan should I need one, that of course being for a different use, not torching.

I am finding that the time off from my torch has actually proven to be a good thing and has helped me be better now. Sometimes a break from things came help make us better, doesn’t usually feel like that in the interim, your just aching to be back at it, but somehow, it helps refine things without doing anything. My best example would be my yoga practice, something I has severely neglected since we moved and need to get back on track with. I have found that there are time when you are introduce to a new pose and your body just doesn’t want to go there, so you stop doing it, six month later you try it again and you are more successful now than you were the first time you tried it. You haven’t been practicing this pose, so why can you now do it? Chances are you’ve been working towards it in other areas without being aware of it, be it physically or mentally, you are now ready for it.

Last night I went out, fired up my new GTT Cricket torch and sat down to make a bead on it for the first time. I will admit I was a little intimidated by it in the beginning, I am not used to this much power and heat! I just made basic beads for quite a while until I felt I had my feet back under me and I had begun to make friends with my new torch. I think we are going to get along very well, Cricket and I. I worked on a minor in my lampworking class last weekend, but have to say I think this little guy blows the minor away! Everyone has different reason for the torch they choose and the minor is a great torch, I wouldn’t regret having one at all. That said, I am so glad I made the choice I did and went with the Cricket! It’s the right one for me!

My beads from last night turned out pretty well, some better than I thought they would. I will be torching my little heart out for years to come I am certain. There is so much more to learn, explore and experience!

What A Great Weekend!

We had absolutely gorgeous weather this weekend! We even had the doors and windows open today! I love the fresh air, my neighbors on one side who we love prefer their air conditioner and already have it going, our neighbors on the other side, that are less than appreciative of our existence, like having their doors and windows open. We are privileged to hear all of the very loud conversations they have, especially the mothers exchanges with her two young boys. Now, If only I could get them to enjoy their A/C and have our other neighbors open their doors and windows we'd have a really good time! I guess that is the nature of things! Unfortunately!

I was going to take some pictures of new pieces for my Etsy shop to get posted this week, but it was actually too sunny! I am not complaining, it's spring in Oregon, I am guaranteed more overcast and rainy days to come! In the mean time I still have plenty of items left in my spring clearance sale to pick from, so if you haven't already, go check it out!

My friend Nikki at Bastille bleu has been hard at work creating some great new spring lampwork bead set that are now listed on her Etsy shop, stop by and see what she has been up to! My Mom has also been working hard on her Etsy shop PG'sGemspiration. She has a bunch of new listings to check out, stop by and see her as well.

Easter is coming up quickly and I haven't done a thing for it yet! I'd better get out early this week and pick up something for the Easter Bunny. I didn't do any thing for Valentines Day, so if I miss two in a row there is bound to be trouble!

It's All About The Love...

Cupcake love that is! At the risk of having done TOO many post about cupcakes, I am going to do one more. I can't promise this will be the last since I am on a cupcake bracelet theme of sorts, so it could happen again. The photo is of my latest listing called "Cupcake Love", it is my favorite so far. I am in love with pink, black, white and lime together. I just put the bracelet up in my Etsy shop tonight, along with the accompanying earrings. I know... earrings? I am working on getting more in my shop. I have such a thing for bracelets, that I have kind of lost any inspiration for earrings. I am tring, so when I think of something I think will work, I am giving it a go. Taking pictures of them has been a bit of a challenge for me, I am working on that also. I think the cupcake earring photos came out pretty good, if I do say so myself!

I just got in some really cute beads which I will be working on this weekend. I have the cutest set of cactus beads! They are going to make such a cute bracelet! I have some really pretty lentil shaped beads from an Etsy seller I just got in. I thought maybe they were going to be too big, but I think they are going to be a great size. I am really bad about visualizing size on the Internet. I have a gauge that sits right here next to the computer,(Thank you Clarkie!)but I still have trouble knowing just how big or small things are going to look unless it is something I have had experience buying, then I have a reference. I also don't know my left from my right, I doubt that will ever change! My husband thought when we got married I could just look at the hand with the rings and know it was left. Only problem is, when I look at the ring hand I still have to think, do you wear your rings on your left hand or your right hand? My car has an arrow that points to the side that the gas tank is on, I've had the car for 7 years, I still need the arrow!

I still have a whole bunch of things still to list, plus more pictures to take and lots more beads to make new things with, so if you haven't looked at my Etsy shop lately, chances are there are some new things you haven't seen yet.

Shop Update...

This week I listed several new pieces in my Etsy shop over the weekend including the one shown here called "Sunnyside Up". This bracelet features beads from Desert Bug Designs. She is not an Etsy seller, but her work is so popular, highly sought after and distinctive, that I went a head and listed where the beads came from, even though it is basically my personal policy to only list by name the artist I buy from, if they are Etsy sellers. It is my goal to promote Etsy in general, so if they sell there I will list them. Doesn't matter to me if they sell other places as well, that is up to you to figure out, I'm just only going to list the Etsy connection.

This bracelet got quite a bit of attention this week! It was listed in TWO treasuries on Etsy! I was so excited when I got a message about the first one and completely shocked the next day when I got another message from someone else letting me know they also had used it in a treasury! It's amazing to me with all the volume of stuff on Etsy that someone would find and pick anything of mine! Both treasuries were about things either sunny or pink, both well represented in this piece I suppose! I'd put the links up here, but the treasuries run for such a brief period of time that they will have expired before anyone has a chance to read this.

I love these beads! They are sunny, bright and very detailed to say the least. The artist certainly puts as much as one possibly can into every millimeter of bead. This artists strands of beads routinely sell for well over $100.00. I was fortunate to not have paid anywhere near that much, but this is still the most expensive set of beads I have bought so far. I think they are worth the price, given all the workmanship involved. One only needs to have a basic understanding of lampworking to see how much work is involved in each bead.

I have learned a lot over the past few months of buying lampwork beads and am proud to say I buy only artisan made lampwork beads made by artist who live here in the USA. I have seen some very talented people on Etsy from Canada, Australia and Europe as well, but I am too impatient to order from them! It's not even the cost of shipping, most offer very competitive rates, it's knowing I'll have to wait a couple of weeks to get my beads. I'm not sure how this is any different than waiting for made to order beads, since they can take that long as well. I guess I may have some flawed logic, which may need some reconsideration.

I also posted some fantastic pieces in my shop featuring beads by my friend nikki, of Bastile Bleu on Etsy. Look for bracelets named "Day At The Zoo", "Reflections In Gray", and a piece yet to be listed called "Laughing Heart". She does a fantastic job with her beads and offers a wide variety of styles to chose from. You have to check out her new baby dragon hatchlings! These are adorable! I'm getting one for myself since I am a dragon by the Chinese zodiac, even though no one ever believes I could be a dragon...(she says sarcastically!)

I've got another cupcake bracelet finished and ready to list. This one even has matching earrings... I'm not going to show a picture of it here yet.. it's so cute! I'll unveil it later this week in my Etsy shop!

Did Somebody Say SALE???

OK, It sounds more exciting than it actually is, since it isn't so much a new sale, as much a continuation of the previous one... I added a sale section to my Etsy shop and put the remaining valentine pieces in there. I will probably begin adding items I feel aren't selling and are just taking up space in the shop as time goes on. I feel I need to do some spring cleaning, so I am certain a spring sale is on the horizon. I have a lot of stock right now in my shop and it's just not all getting looked at. I know there are some really great pieces, but when they sit on the back pages, they just don't really get viewed.

I have had a fairly productive weekend. I made quite a few bracelets, and I'd give you a sneak peek here, but I haven't made made it to the photo part yet, so that will have to wait. I need to update my slide show that plays at the bottom of the page since quite a few things on there are sold. I will add a bunch of my new items onto there this week, I promise. I have been able to get the laundry done, did the dishes, have dinner cooking, had Emily vacuum and dust(thank goodness for slave labor!), I even got Bob to clean up his mess, although he didn't like my approach very much!

I have a lot more beads still in the mail... I have made some SUPER cute stuff for the shop! Including the much talked about cupcakes! I am amazed at the array of talented lampwork artist I have been able to find. They all bring something different to the party! It's so much fun! I really enjoy working with this type of bead! They are just fascinating!

I should have some pictures taken tonight and new listings going up in my Etsy shop little by little this week! Thanks for stopping by

Three Day Weekend!!!

Who doesn't look forward to a three day weekend? I guess the people who aren't having one... Sorry Bob. I think I will get a lot of beading done this weekend. I got in a whole bunch of fantastic lampwork beads, with more still to come. I've stocked up on some nice Bali silver pieces, still waiting for a bit of that to arrive, as well. I tried out a few new sellers this time around, mostly from Etsy, one from eBay, whom I since discovered also sells on Etsy.

I have so many ideas floating around in my head right now, I need to find time to create, so I came clear out some brain space! I go to sleep beading, wake up beading, and think about things I could be doing with the beads as I am opening the packages when they arrive.

Things are definitely going to be more whimsical for spring and summer. I can't help myself with all the fun beads I have found. I will still have some normal stuff, or as normal as I get. Look for some nice bright colors, I have a great set of bugs that will make it's debut in several pieces, some delicious strawberries, and of course, the much talked about cupcakes! I have plenty more ocean/sea/beach themed pieces planned with a good bit of whimsy involved. I will post some of my finished pieces here, but all items of course will be in my Etsy shop as I get them made. If you are interested in something custom don't hesitate to contact me. I'd love to work on something special. You can leave me a message here or contact me through my Etsy shop.

Cupcakes!!!!

I just bought a bead set that has to be one of the cutest set of beads I have ever found!

I thought the set was adorable, then I noticed, THE CUPCAKE!!!! That did it for me! I had to buy it! This gal sells beads on Etsy, and usually does sets with lots of cupcakes, but I liked the variety offered here... Plus you get a CUPCAKE!!!! Look for these beads in the future in my Etsy shop They will make such a cute bracelet!

Speaking of cupcakes, if you like the edible variety and are ever in Portland, Oregon, you must visit Saint Cupcake. This place is heavenly! I think they picked the right name! They sell regular size cupcakes, but they also sell what they call dots, little one-two bite cupcakes. This way you can try several different cupcakes in one visit with out appearing to be total pig!
I absolutely love this place. I wanted to take a friend there on Monday, but they are closed on Mondays! What's up with bakeries being closed on Mondays? I think I need to start a "people need pastries on Mondays" petition! We we're going to go to another bakery that same Monday and they were close too! These places need to find Monday bakers! A girl needs her cupcakes!!!!

A Brand New Look!!!

I bought a book on blogging since I am not a computer genius by trade and I have already made some significant strides just in one evening! I was able to find this cool template in pink, black and white, to which I added just a touch of lime. I rather like it!

I went to my favorite book store in downtown Portland, Powell's books. If you are ever in Portland it's worth a stop, if you read anything! They are an independently owned store that takes up an entire city block and is at least 4 stories high. They sell both new and used books. It's book heaven! I was able to find a book I was looking for there, used, in perfect condition for almost half price, plus on additional book on the same subject.

I have been adding new pieces to my esty shop(www.junipergems.etsy.com) every couple of days. I am trying to find a balance with my time. Time to make, time to photograph, edit, write copy, list, time to grocery shop, do the laundry, pay the bills, go to work, yes, the day job... I can't say I feel terribly successful in any one area daily. I can get a few things done, but never all. Something always suffers. Tonight I "made" dinner with a take and bake pizza, that's it, no salad, nothing! How sad! (Not that the 14 year old complained!)

I did have a lovely outing today with a girlfriend I meet at my favorite french bakery. They make a fantastic quiche, to which I added a chocolate almond croissant and tea. It was quite a nice afternoon.

I just got a couple of new beads sets from www.bastillebleu.etsy.com and they are tres magnifique! Beautiful beads and the packaging was too cute for words! Like a gift to self only better!

I had today off, teacher planning day or something, but tomorrow it's back to the grind! Emily has the day off, so she is coming to work with me. She tries to act like she doesn't want to, but she's not really putting up a fight, so I think she secretly wants to go. I told her all the little kids think the high school kids are super hero's when they come in.

Hope you like my new look

My Latest Obsession.... Lampwork Beads!!!!

I tend to kind of leap off the deep end when getting into something new, and while lampwork beads aren't completely new to me, I have recently become quite fascinated by them. They are amazing, especially that they can be handmade by an average person. I have been buying them on a popular auction based web site lately, and getting pretty good thanks to Bob. He is now regretting showing me how to win a auction so well. I must admit it is a bit addicting. The thrill of the kill! Your heart starts pumping that last two minutes as you get ready to pounce!

I have been creating with my winnings and listing them in my shop. There is quite a range of quality and prices available out there, some overpriced, some under priced. I've made a few things that span the field, from the higher end on down. I have been fortunate so far to not have bought any complete duds. I have a few pieces I wouldn't put in something for my shop, but would use in something for personal use. I'll put up a few pictures here as a sample of what is now available in my shop. Plenty more to come. I have at least a dozen stands of beads I should be getting next week!!!!