Pack News - Yellow Dog Beads

Sara Sally LaGrande class!

2011-02-17T18:31:00.000-05:00

Took this class over the weekend - fabulous! For Sally's work, see www.prettybabiesglass.com. For mine, see below!

I have DIED and gone to HEAVEN

2011-02-09T18:58:00.001-05:00

Pantone has announced their new color of the year: Honeysuckle

Now, truthfully, this isn't the color I think of when I hear "honeysuckle." Maybe it's because honeysuckle in the south comes mostly in one color (that I know about, anyway): a somewhat drab, washed-out yellow. But, no matter what they want to call it, it's a gorgeous, vibrant color that will be fun to wear.

So, what's next?

2010-08-05T13:10:00.004-05:00

I told Tony on Tuesday night, as I was placing the last price tag on the last focal bead, that I was pretty sure I never wanted to hear about / talk about / think about beads again. Ever. Of course I say that the day or two before EVERY show!

I do plan, however, on re-visiting my seed bead roots. Especially after the arrival of these little juicy gems:

The latest and greatest from Miyuki, called Tila beads. The picture doesn't do them justice, as they're still living in their little plastic bags, but you can see the promise....right? At this point I don't have anything in particular in mind; guess it's time to get out the old sketch pad.

Hope to see a lot of you over the weekend!

My new favorite thing to make!

2010-08-04T15:24:00.005-05:00

As you can tell from the picture, they're not much to look at on their own. But, string them together, and wowser! Well, at least I think so, and after the trunk show I'll be making some for ME! I thought about making more (what you see is it) but I'm not sure everyone will be as enamored with them as I am. Another nice thing about these - every beginning bead-making kit in the WORLD includes a little baggie of murrini (or, alternately, they're called millifiori, although the two are technically a bit different) but you're never really told how to use them. (A murrini is the little patterned piece of glass you see in these beads.) And, in fact, most bead makers look down their noses a bit at commercial murrini, preferring to make their own.

New equipment goodies

2010-08-03T13:32:00.003-05:00

The concentrator:

I know, I know - a bit like watching paint dry. It doesn't seem like much for $700, does it? Plus - bottom line - I really LIKE the idea of tanked oxygen. It just burns so clean and is so powerful. But, it's dangerous. And good god heavy! The tanks are as tall as I am, and weigh a bunch. And, expensive first and last. I have to rent the tanks (and I rent two so I always have one available), then there's the cost to refill. There didn't used to be a delivery charge, but two summers ago when gas went so high they started charging a small delivery fee. So, all in all. I will say I'll miss talking to the guys (and yes, they're all guys) at Alamo Welding. I never felt like I was anything but their biggest customer every time I called and said, "Can you bring a tank of oxygen out?"

And here's the lap grinder, more or less:

It will probably live happily in its box until September. I need time to deal with it, and I'll most likely have to use it in the garage, which in Texas in August is pretty much unbearable.

The storm before the calm

2010-08-02T14:59:00.007-05:00

Last minute beads, and a parting shot of my work desk, so to speak. It looks a LOT different now; realized as I was uploading the messy version that you should see the desk in its incarnated state. Everything is packed up for the truck show - tools, glass, annealing bubble, and...what am I forgetting? Oh, yeah - beads!

trunk show update...

2010-07-22T11:50:00.003-05:00

Hold the presses. There has been a scheduling miscommunication regarding the trunk show, which, unfortunately affects the Austin Bead Society show. I could have SWORN the trunk show was the weekend before the ABS show, but I finally looked at the flyer Nomadic Notions sent out through email - and, sure enough, the dates on it are August 6th, 7th, and 8th.....

I'm not sure what this will mean for sales, but personally for me it's a bit of a relief. I've been making beads like mad, and the thought of having to be "on" for two weekends in a row after all that torch time was a bit daunting. So, from that perspective, it's good.

Anyway, it means that I will not be able to attend the bead show to 1)sell or 2) to shop! Of the two I'll probably miss the shopping more.

If you're confused, check with Nomadic Notions or shoot me an email. I do of course hope to see you at NN. As in previous years I'll have my torch set up and going full blast.

On working two jobs....

2010-07-07T15:38:00.003-05:00

Most of the time I really enjoy both of my lives - the 8 to 5 one I live at UT, and the sometimes-in-the-evening and almost-every-weekend job of my bead life. But, at times, it gets to be a bit much. How do you know when too much is too much?

Here's a handy checklist I came up with to help me know:

1. The toilets are so dirty the dogs won't drink out of them.
2. You actually lose one of the dogs because the dog hair on the carpet is so thick you can't tell the difference between it and the dog.
3. You buy a fourth jar of mayonnaise because 1) you're sure as hell too busy to use it in anything to eat and 2) you're even too busy to check the pantry to see if you even need to buy mayo.
4. You ask your husband to make an appointment for, um, well, you know. When he does ask, you tell him the first opening isn't for 3 months.
5. Just like a guy, you sniff the armpits of your shirt to make sure it's clean enough to wear.
6. You have learned to simultaneously brush your teeth and apply mascara.

Trunk show's a-brewing....

2010-07-05T15:48:00.005-05:00

Yes, it's true, believe it or not I'm back at Nomadic Notions for a trunk show! There was a bit of a delay this year (it's usually in early July) because of Mick's departure (sniff) but we've got things squared away. I'll be there the last weekend of July - torch in hand (so to speak). As Mick is departing, and as I usually borrow her oxygen generator rather than lugging the oxygen tank that's as tall as I am and weighs almost as much (okay, okay, no snickers) I bit the bullet and bought my very own. And while I was at it, I bought a flat lap machine, too - Jim (of Blue Moon fame) even threw in a saw that fits on the machine. What's that mean? Well, I've always wanted to do some lap work on beads, and the saw means I can actually make substantial murrini and cut it myself.

And, because Nomads wants pictures, you get to see some, too. I've come to the conclusion that I just HATE taking photos....I bitched and moaned for an hour yesterday taking these.....

Technology time SUCKS

2010-06-11T14:36:00.003-05:00

And, no, that's no typo. Here it is, 2:36 p.m., and I've been "with" the computer/tech stuff since 8 a.m.

The good news: wireless is now working. Finally. I've only had the router 6 months. (We used to pay TW $10 a month, b/c I thought that was the only option - then I find out that you can purchase a router and set it up through TW for NO monthly charge.) I actually called a tech support place yesterday and asked them to come out and set it up. His response? "Oh, it's EASY, you can do it!" So, after labeling every cord (in case I need to reset everything to conditions I KNEW worked), I started tinkering. Router to splitter; splitter to computer; no, nothing. You get the idea. And then all of the sudden - success! (When Tony asked me what I did to get it to work, I truthfully answered "I have no idea.")

My next task was to hook up the new desktop. Oy vey. Okay, right, this really IS an easy task under normal circumstances. But NOT with the Tony "desk I just can't live without." It's a rolltop, almost as tall as me, probably around 300 pounds of solid wood. With ONE (ONE) single, 4" hole at the back that you run all the wires through. To make bad matters worse, the hole isn't at down-on-the-floor level, but up about 2 1/2 feet. So, when you're down on your hands and knees trying to poke stuff through this hole, there's no possible way to see AND get your arms over your head enough to do said poking. You crouch, then stab blindly towards the little hole, hoping the cord falls through. I finally went and got the kitchen tongs. Poke. Hope. Get up. Go to the back of the desk. Use tongs to pull cords through. SHIT I pushed it BACK through to the front. Around again. I'm exhausted. Time for a drink.

New beads

2010-06-08T14:24:00.002-05:00

Took kind of a last minute class with Jill Symons at Blue Moon on Saturday (Jim and Rose are determined to get every last dime out of me). The class was on inclusions, and turned out to be quite useful. We mostly just did copper inclusions, but also some mica flakes - which I'd used one time in a Japanese beadmaking class, but never again. (And the verdict for me on those is still out, although a woman here at work immediately snagged one for herself.)

I'm particularly partial to the first one, the copper flowers on turquoise. I'll definitely do more of those. One other one that I'll try to photograph and get up needs, I think, etching, so it's not quite ready. Jill also loves the Picasso silver glass; I've worked with it a little, but it's still not one of my favs, although it does look spectacular with the copper. I'm most interested in trying some freeform copper cutouts rather than the little punched pieces....

Feast or famine - pictures!

2010-06-07T15:14:00.006-05:00

I'll provide commentary tomorrow - don't want to wear myself out....

Pam as the mad scientist

2010-05-24T13:06:00.008-05:00

Took an electroforming class at Vickie Hallmark's house on Sunday. Although my result wasn't so good (let's just leave it at that she's taking it with her to her Bead and Button class as an example of what NOT to do) I had a splendid time. Lydia and Leslie were there, too, two people I see way too seldom. And, kudos to Vickie, who recently took a tumble, and is spending her time between a wheel chair and a walker. Also doesn't help that her bedroom is upstairs, and her studio is downstairs. And she's literally stuck in the middle. Her humor is much better than mine would be. Anyway, I did snap a few pictures, mostly so I could remember what to do later.

This first one is just a snap of my beads in the beaker, ready for their bath. At this point they've been coated with copper paint and processed:

This one is of the beads all hooked up, ready to coat:

The last one is pretty boring, but does lend to the whole mad scientist thing. It's also a reminder of how to hook stuff up once I get the equipment home.

Vickie has a PhD in Chemical Engineering, so she was able to give quite a bit of insight on the whole process. Needless to say, I'm anxious to try again. Take a look here to see some of the amazing electroformed work she's done.

Emily - deer (almost) slayer

2010-05-24T13:03:00.002-05:00

I went out to get the mail on Saturday - and looked up just in time to see a deer clear the back fence, hurtle towards me, and bound off to the neighbor-across-the-street's yard. And who was on her heels? Well, okay, until the back fence, at least. Miss Emily! She of the arthritic hips....LOL Her muff was about fours times normal size. I'm sure she was dreaming of venison tacos.

Tomorrow is bead making day!

2010-05-21T13:39:00.001-05:00

So, Saturday is the day I get to sit down at the torch. Maybe I can get super motivated and even take some pictures.

Later!

Another day....

2010-05-18T12:34:00.003-05:00

And not much to say. Work is winding down - today is the last day of finals, and it's QUIET around here. I got two major projects out the door - one yesterday, and one today. Did I say it's QUIET?!

Too bad I can't bring my torch up here. I guess I can spend some time thinking about designs, doing some sketching, maybe. I'm just totally not good at wasting time.

On the bright side: a guilt-free hamburger!

Oh, yeah - beads!

2010-05-13T14:51:00.006-05:00

Well, no beads, really, but pictures from a few classes I've been to recently:

In February, Trey Cornette - all about stringer control:

In March, with Caitlin Hyde - drawing on beads.

And, in April, a BHB (big-holed bead!) class with Heather Trimlett

Next up is Vickie Hallmark for an electroforming/carving class, then Haley Tsang in June.

First pedi of the summer

2010-05-11T14:53:00.002-05:00

I just LOVE that first pedicure of the summer. Kinda like getting new tennis shoes when I was a kid, I guess. I don't get them over the winter, even though I'm fanatical about keeping calluses at bay year 'round (probably goes in the "more than you wanted to know about me" category). Anyway, toes are a beautiful shade of hot pink, with little yellow flowers and shooting glitter leaves on the big toes....Breaking out the Birki's tomorrow!

How pathetic is this.....

2010-05-10T13:35:00.010-05:00

Yes, there's a reason I make beads. And there's a reason I don't bake:

Tony said he'd bake me a cake for Mother's Day. Yeah, right. I finally did the baking about 3 yesterday afternoon - German Chocolate. The first picture is about 30 minutes after the cake was iced. After about an hour, it looked like this:

Given another 30 minutes, it acheived full Balcones Fault status:

I'm blaming Betty Crocker.....

Woo hoo!

2010-05-07T14:00:00.002-05:00

Two days in a row. Loving the cute little computer. Er, digital clutch....

Really enjoyed seeing everybody at the bead show. Often the only time I get to see many of you - always reminds me of my hermit ways. LOL I guess the only down side was the astonishing amount of chinese (assuming) beads at $1 per strand. I understand the economy is tough and all, but geez....oh well. I do have to admit that when I was a newbie beader I would have snapped them up to, and congratulated myself on my bargain-securing talents. I wonder if it's like that with all addictions? I mean, do you start out on crap heroin, then say, "Oh I want THAT heroin because it's better quality?" Just random musing here, but I do remember that when Tony and were first married we thought round steak was the bomb! We'd never had anything like that growing up.

Also very excited because Syfy is premiering Mongolian Death Worms Saturday night....

Blogging, part deux

2010-05-06T10:44:00.002-05:00

Okay,trying this again. One reason I haven't been posting is just simply the logistics of my schedule. I have most often posted from work - typically over lunch breaks - but of course using my work computer. My bosses here are terrific, and I know they wouldn't technically have a problem with this, but I've always been a bit queasy about it. (And, I'm totally on board with a policy like this.) Anyway, I thought I'd pretty much shoot myself if I got fired for something this stupid. And, YES, of course I have a computer at home, but it's just hard to sit down and think even MORE, even just to blog. Deciding that the only reasonable solution all the way around was to take a portable computer to work, well, sorry, but laptops are still frickin' heavy. So, voila, a solution:

Vivienne Tam Butterfly Digital Clutch

As I told Teresa, it is just so friggin' cute I can't STAND it!

Peeking out....

2010-01-13T10:17:00.001-05:00

Yoo hoo.....

2009-10-09T16:53:00.002-05:00

Okay so I love my new iPhone. Maybe (?) y'all will hear from me a bit more often. Although fat fingers suck.

Waiting, waiting, waiting

2009-09-20T10:10:00.002-05:00

So, the people who know me best have already said it: I know when your work load at UT increases becuase you stop blogging. Well, YES, that is exactly the case. I can often sneak in an update at lunch, but I'm so busy right now that it's "what lunch?" Really sitting at my desk catching up on emails while I slurp down soup, usually.

But right now I'm waiting on the timer to ding telling me that once more I'll be able to face the world without gray roots. I do occasionally thinking about saying "oh to hell with it" and letting the gray come, but I always think the transition would be terrible. Kind of like on ongoing score: gray, 1/2 inch, blondish, 10 inches; gray 1.5 inches, blondish 8.5 inches - and so on. I just don't think I can do that. Maybe if I were a stay at home person and could just don a cap on the outside visits...anyway.

The bead show was terrific as always. I get to see everybody that I only see once or twice a year. I actually count them ALL as friends - I'm pretty sure I could call on any of my bead buds for anything and get it (exceptions, of course!). It's a wonderful, comfortable, loosely tight-knit community, if that makes sense. Sales were much better than I expected given this economy thing. So, if you bought or if you just stopped by to say "hi," thanks!

I'm taking a class with Holly Cooper next weekend at Blue Moon. Too lazy to do the link thing (how sad is that) but you can easily google her. I just LOVE her style of beads, maybe especially as I do a lot of scroll work myself.

Beep beep beep! There goes the timer - later!

Kim Fields

2009-08-15T08:48:00.006-05:00

Got home late last night from a two-day Kim Fields class. Having Blue Moon Glassworks in Austin is a double-edged sword: I get to take from some of the very best bead artists, but I stay broke!

This class was on sculptural birds. We made a transparent beginning-of-the-class bird, an owl, a pudgie, and a bunting. Here's a photo of the owl steps - it's really nice when the beadmaker provides this kind of reference:

My owl came out pretty good, and my "gift" from the class was the owl that Kim demonstrated. I think I'll make it up for Tony because it's one of those few beads that can work as a "guy" bead. And, here's Kim working on it....

I'll try to get my ass in gear to get a couple of pictures of the ones I made, although the bunting is still at Blue Moon. Also, Jim is really good about posting pictures of the class beads, and you can see the ones everybody made, so if I don't get them up go check out Blue Moon for photos. Now, I need to get my butt up off this chair and go make beads!

The road to hell is paved with good intentions

2009-08-13T08:05:00.001-05:00

but not with pictures of beads. At least not from my camera. The last few days have been completely nuts, so very few beads made Saturday, and absolutely no photos.

I'm off to Blue Moon in a bit to start a class with Kim Fields - my camera battery is charging right now, promise.

More later!

Bead pixs soon....

2009-08-10T15:01:00.000-05:00

Good Saturday at the torch; pictures to follow.

Big honkin' beads

2009-08-09T18:59:00.002-05:00

I’ve been reorganizing/rearranging the bead room a bit. It’s just so hard to find space for beads, books about beads, a table to use to photograph beads….and what’s really ironic is that beads – even the “honkers” – are really little ol’ things. Can you imagine if my hobby was cars?

Here are pictures of the two biggest (I think) beads I own. The purple one (a whopping 3.25 inches long) is by Jennifer Geldard (to the best of my memory…) and the red/purple one (over 2 inches long and more than an inch wide) is by Michelle Waldren, who STILL doesn’t have a website, but does have an Etsy shop.

What's funny is that 3" really doesn't seem that long - but when you see a 3" long bead...wow.

At last the weekend

2009-08-07T21:58:00.000-05:00

The weekend again. I’ve really enjoyed working a modified flex time schedule over the summer. I was able to work 9-hour days, which “earned” me an afternoon off, and then work from home on Friday mornings. The upshot is that one blissful day a week I didn’t have to make the daily commute. I always get up early, so I could make coffee, feed the girls, and be on the computer by 6:30 or so. Which means that I could be through with work by 10:30 or 11 – and the rest of the day was mine. Alas, that’s not an option once the kids come back….It’s truly amazing how much longer three days feels than two….Anyway, gotta torch my butt off tomorrow. I have the Kim Fields class next week, and sometimes the first day on the torch isn’t particularly productive following a class….

Austin Bead Society Bazaar

2009-08-06T17:56:00.001-05:00

I’m gearing up a bit for the Austin Bead Society Bazaar . The website says it’s the 18th ANNUAL – I’m not sure if they’re not counting last year or not…as they didn’t have one. Anyway, it will be at the Palmer Auditorium, which I think will be good. The first year they had it on Labor Day Weekend I thought they were nuts – but it was the best crowd ever. And, Saturday is also the first UT home game (yawn) so that usually ups the traffic. Maybe husbands stay home in front of the TV (YAWN) while the little ladies shop? Although as the husband-unit pointed out people will have to purchase parking – so maybe plan on carpooling if you can. I’ve made quite a few beads since the trunk show, and will of course have patterns for you to peruse….hope to see you there!

Just a blah blah update....

2009-08-04T20:55:00.000-05:00

Almost finished with the special orders. Realized I had run out of one color of glass that I needed, so had to make that reorder. And of course that one color turned into $150 worth of glass! LOL I’m also working on one order that requires a special-sized mandrel, and rather than buy one (or two) more at a whopping $15 each, I’m just making one a weekend. Beth said she wasn’t in any hurry, so I’m taking my time (and taking her at her word).

So, Saturday was spent torching, Sunday was spent with my arms above my head, taping and floating the ceiling. To say I ran out of energy quickly would be an understatement. And it wasn’t even that hot. I think that what did me in was climbing up and down (and up and down and up and down) the ladder. I could only do a small area at a time without climbing down, moving the ladder, climbing back up, etc. Ugh. Too old for this shit. Oh well. The ceiling will look clean and pretty good, if not perfect. Although I will say that we hired a guy to do the dining room ceiling, and mine looks at good as his – and MUCH cheaper!

More home moanership woes

2009-08-03T19:49:00.000-05:00

Got to work on the torch Saturday – special orders almost finished up. I had run out of a specific color of glass for one of them, so now I have to wait for that to come in. That’s okay – I LOVE getting packages in the mail.

Sunday was spent tearing down more sheetrock/putting up new sheetrock. Joy joy. I’m aiming for the end of August (hopefully) middle of September (conservatively) for me to have a living room to walk into where I don’t immediately shudder. The sheetrock probably won’t be taped/floated by that time, but it will be clean. Wish me luck!

Poblano mashed potatoes

2009-08-01T19:44:00.000-05:00

I’ve been cooking a lot more lately, mostly because Tony has taken over most of the weekday cooking chores. Well, okay, I can see in re-reading that sentence that it doesn’t make a lot of sense. What I mean is that I’m cooking more real food when I DO cook. I actually make pork loin last weekend, with poblano mashed potatoes. Would you believe I had to go out and buy a roasting rack because I didn’t have one? See – told ya I didn’t cook much! And, yes, it was yummy.

Poblano Mashed Potatoes

2 1/2 lb baking potatoes; peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 1/2 tb salt (for water)
1 c sour cream
1/2 c olive oil
4 poblano chiles, roasted and seeded, diced about 1/4"
Salt; to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper

Place potatoes in a sauce pan, generously covered with salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, uncovered until soft, about 20 to 30 minutes. Drain well and while potatoes are still warm mash with a potato masher or food mill. In another pot heat sour cream, olive oil and chiles; fold into potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately. Yields 4 to 6 servings.

It's almost August?!

2009-07-30T19:43:00.001-05:00

Holy moly almost the end of July. On the one hand I’m glad – only 3 more months until it cools off. On the other hand, UT starts back in just a few weeks. When I started there, summers were slow (I’m on a 12-month contract). No more. I think there’s so much to do while the kids are here that piles of stuff get pushed back to the summer. Over time the piles that accumulate have become higher and higher. No complaints, though – I have a good job with health insurance.

Real live lampwork beads on Etsy

2009-07-29T19:39:00.000-05:00

Woo hoo! I’ve actually got stuff up for sale on Etsy! Truthfully, for me making the beads – even cleaning the beads – is preferable to photographing the beads and writing descriptions. I guess if you don’t make beads and don’t have a huge stash, that seems funny. But at some point I just want to name them Bead 1, Bead 2, Bead 3, you get the idea. I mean, it’s a BEAD! What more can be said? If I start that yada yada yada crap about artistic vision, just shoot me, okay? I remember a long time ago working one day at Nomadic Notions…this woman comes in with an ugly rock and says, “this stone told me it wants to be wrapped in silver.” I didn’t know whether to laugh or call Shoal Creek (the local mental facility for you outside of Austin). And, yes, I digress….Just realize I didn't do a link thingy - my seller name is yellowdogbeads....

It's hot....(said with a whiny voice)

2009-07-27T19:08:00.000-05:00

I did manage to get torch time this weekend, and whittle down the special order pile. Whew. Unfortunately, it’s just too hot to torch after about 3pm. Even with the AC running full blast, the house gets HOT. (And, I have NO IDEA how we’re going to pay our electric bill this month – if I set up a PayPal account, would y’all donate?) I’m absolutely a morning person, but as it’s the weekend, and I’m a work-a-day girl, I sometimes need to use Saturday mornings to run a couple of errands. It would be easier if stores opened at a reasonable hour – like 7am – instead of letting their employees sleep half the day and not open until 10! It takes the kiln about an hour to heat up once I’m home (I ramp it up pretty slowly, as it’s easier on the heat-thingy). Do the math – it might be noon before I get on the torch. I worked Saturdays AND Sundays when I was getting ready for the trunk show, but now I’m back to working on the house on Sundays. Someday I’d like to have a house that’s livable rather than craptastic, and that not-so-small feat is pretty much going to be up to me. I wish I had taken action when I was 30, not at the age I’m at now. Oh, well. They say that those who keep learning stay young, and I guess hanging and taping/floating sheetrock counts.

Don't drop dead

2009-07-25T18:13:00.003-05:00

but there's stuff up on Etsy – at least a bit. I took a bunch of bead photos last weekend, and they all turned out looking like c-r-a-p. Probably because I was in a huge hurry, as usual….so I had to re-take them all.

Professional Development....

2009-07-24T18:02:00.000-05:00

Otherwise known as lampworking classes.....If you ever wonder about how I spend the money you so graciously put in my pocket when you buy beads or beadweaving tutorials….

In August, I’m taking a class with Kim Fields. I’ve taken a class with her before (would you believe she’s an Emmy winner?!) but it was on your standard flowers etc. stuff. This time she’s teaching sculptural birds. I don’t always see very well in 3 dimensions, so I’m hoping she’ll have some tips on that.

In September, a class with Holly Cooper . The class is being taught on a hothead, although I’ve asked Jim if I can opt for a minor (yes). The class will focus on stringer control (which I don’t need) and design (which I feel like I DO need). You can see from her website that she has an artist’s background AND eye, and I’ve long admired her beads. Can’t wait.

I think that’s it for this year. It would be nice to pick up a beadweaving class – I wonder why we don’t have more “names” in that arena come through Austin?

What's next?

2009-07-23T18:56:00.001-05:00

What’s next? Well, I’ll be at the Austin Bead Society show Labor Day weekend (September 5th & 6th). The show this year is at the Palmer Event Center (unfortunately the website says PARMER Event Center), which will definitely be a new experience. I’m pretty much used to bead shows being in little “odd-use” venues – so having it in a real, live convention center will be interesting. There are lots of amazing restaurants close, so maybe plan a trip to one of those when you come downtown.

I’m on the fence about doing the Houston Bead Society Show this year. The booth price has gone up the last two or three years, and it’s now up to $275 for an 8-foot table. Which, no, isn’t a TON of money, but I have to travel to Houston – which means gasoline, food, and hotel. Admittedly, I HATE to travel, so I’m trying to not let that negative emotion play a factor in my decision…anyway, the show last year was not good financially, and I certainly don’t expect it to be any better this year. So, just not sure….I try to keep the prices on my beads very reasonable, but I really just can’t (refuse to?) work for free.

Beadweaving

2009-07-22T18:55:00.001-05:00

I’ve heard from a lot of people since the trunk show. Some with questions, some with orders, others just to chat. I’ve enjoyed talking to everybody. I got to work on some of the custom orders this last weekend, and will put in some time this weekend, but it will most likely be the first weekend in August before I get everything finished up (TOTALLY not complaining, okay?). I’ve also heard from a couple of people asking about Loretta – her visit to the doggie ophthalmologist – yes, she seems to be fine, and there’s a bit more about the experience in my dog-blog, Heartbeats at My Feet. I’ve also heard from quite a few people who have visited the website about when I’ll have new beadweaving patterns. Believe it or not, I AM working on it. I sketch a lot (how do YOU spend staff meetings?!), I’ve just not been very good about translating the sketches into action, so to speak. I’ve decided that that’s gotta change. It’s really a matter of having something at hand to work on. With designing, that’s not always easy, but I’m going to give it a go again. Part of my reluctance has been that I’m not teaching, and I really like the idea of being able to road test a pattern before offering to the masses for sale….

Woo hoo! Trunk show is over!

2009-07-21T18:48:00.000-05:00

Thanks so much to everybody who came by the trunk show! We all (I hope!) had a fabulous time. The store stayed pretty busy Friday and Saturday, a little less so Sunday. But, overall, the traffic was good. And thanks also to the FABulous employees at Nomadic Notions. They all have a talent for making every person who walks through the doors feel welcome without being pushy. I do know that their customers appreciate them.

I also had a chance to eat a couple of times at the next-door restaurant, Casa Chapala. Mick (Nomads’ illustrious manager) said that the Austin Chronicle had given the restaurant a slam review, which was definitely not my experience. The fish tacos were great – everything very fresh; the migas, although not typical of this Tex-Mex town were also very good. I asked for fresh chopped jalapenos on the migas – and got TONS of them. So, no, this is not a restaurant review, but if you’re in a Nomads for a class or whatever I do vote that you give them a try. Their service was also good, a relative rarity this day and age. Oh, oh, and the beer was cold. What else could you want?

Counting down the days

2009-07-01T08:35:00.004-05:00

until the Trunk Show! YIKES! It's almost here!

Can you tell I'm stressed?! It's debatable whether the best use of my time (considering the trunk show only) was spending the weekend at Blue Moon Glassworks at a Kristina Logan class. As far as the best use of my time NOT considering the show - YES - absolutely. I'm totally a dot girl, and I came away from the class with a new appreciation of all things dots. And, Kristina is one of the most genuinely sweet people I've ever met. I just can't say enough positive about her personality or her art. She's coming back (hopefully!) next year to do a glass/metal class. Fingers crossed I'll be able to attend that one. I snagged a couple of pictures off Jim's (Blue Moon) website - didn't take any of my own...

I did drop off some tease beads at Nomadic Notions - go take a look!

Hot hot hot....

2009-06-24T20:19:00.001-05:00

It's basically too hot to live. The girls are totally lethargic. Nights are an issue - we have the "big" AC, but at night we turn on a small window unit that's pretty much just inches from the foot on the bed on my side. As soon as one of us says something remotely like, "are you ready for bed?" or "I'm going to bed" Ruby immediately gets up and heads down the hallway, and yes, you guessed it, climbs up to lay RIGHT IN FRONT of the little AC. Within minutes Daisy is up there as well. Loretta and Rosalita typically wait until I come to bed (Tony is almost always in bed first as he's up so early) - but then they climb up there, too. That's roughly 300 pounds of dog (and me!) vying for the AC.

So, I found a recipe online for deer repellent. I'm going to try it this weekend and I'll let y'all know.

Heartbeats....

2009-06-15T20:02:00.001-05:00

Is updated.

Okay, nobody drop dead now...

2009-06-10T18:54:00.000-05:00

But I've updated/retooled the "real" home page - www.yellowdogbeads.com. It of course still needs some tinkering - good GRIEF this stuff is hard to get just right - but there are pretty pretty pictures to entice y'all.

Ummm....did I promise pictures?

2009-06-09T18:30:00.000-05:00

No, wasn't me! LOL

I DID get the camera out, at least. Y'all just can't believe how focused I've been on making beads. June is very busy for me anyway - a conference next weekend (assessment - ugh), then I'm taking a class from Kristina Logan - whose beads I've LONG admired - the last weekend in June. Then it's the 4th of July weekend, then - EEK! - it's Trunk Show weekend!

Checking in...

2009-06-05T21:34:00.000-05:00

Still no pictures. But, I left work early today (we're actually able to take some flex time over the summer - woo hoo! - Friday afternoons off!), and I'm hoping to at least get out in the garden for a few pictures this afternoon. The Texas Star has starting blooming in a big way - FINALLY. Actually, everything's pretty much in bloom, but we had drive-by deer a couple of nights ago (argh! with 5 dogs you'd think they'd pass our place by!) and the tops are gone off of everything. Even the jalepeno peppers. Hope they felt that one after-the-fact, so to speak.

I made a couple pair of cute cute earrings earlier this week - hope to get those photographed, too.

Driving by....

2009-06-01T18:11:00.000-05:00

No pictures or nothing.

Very busy weekend. Lots of beads made, probably 6 or so bluebonnets. I also made quite a few earring sets. Now all I have to do is make earrings! LOL

Theresa said she'd help me, but she's gone for the week to B&B, lucky girl. Hopefully I'll have a few pictures in a couple of days.

Bluebonnets...

2009-05-28T10:39:00.007-05:00

ready for picking soon:

It's funny, because in these pictures these canes look HUGE. In reality, they are about 3mm, or about 4 times the diameter of the lead in an automatic pencil. I'll leave the blue canes pretty much as they are, as they'll be stippled on, but the green striped canes will be pulled down quite a bit smaller. "Pulling them down" involves reheating the cane, and stretching it out a bit, so it's thinner in diameter. I also use this reheating/pulling process to make the cane look more random when applied - rather than the nice, straight, neat cane you see here, it will be bumpy, wavy, more like mother nature intended. These will be painted on to the bead - think about making a long comma stroke, but with glass.Of course, it's not all naturalistic - if you look closely at the striped cane close-up (the cane closest to the bottom), you can see the tiny stripe of goldstone I added...in the picture, it looks kinda like pixelization, but it's not - it's sparkle!

I made most of the blue canes last night - all except the darkest blue. I made those and both sets of green cane, light and dark, at 5:30 this morning. I'm ready to make bluebonnet beads first thing Saturday morning!

So what have I been up to?

2009-05-27T13:29:00.002-05:00

Here I am, sitting waiting for my class to start. It's actually every afternoon this week - and yesterday was really good. With all the stats classes I took, SEM wasn't one of them.

I have been making beads - like crazy! I'm doing a trunk show at Nomadic Notions in July, so I've been torching, torching, torching. Probably cranking out 6 to 8 sets every weekend. During the week, I try to take an hour after Tony has gone to bed and make materials - twisties, complex cane, encased case, etc. - to use in the weekend's work. It might not seem like it, but this saves a LOT of time when it comes to actually making the beads. People at bead shows invariably ask, "How long does it take to make a bead?" Well, once all the parts have been made, not very long. But a single complex cane or twistie can take 15-20 minutes to make. And, if I'm lucky, I get enough usable cane to use in three or four beads. Maybe.

This weekend I'm going to concentrate on focals. I've got a few goddesses, a few thimbles, but absolutely no bluebonnets and very few other type focals. So, tonight I'll probably start pulling the encased case for the bluebonnets. I use three or four different blue (basically very light to very dark) color combos on each bead to mimic the bluebonnet colors; I've also got to make a complex striped cane for the stems and leaves. And then the canes for the background paint brush. I'll be busy!

Not too proud to admit it....

2009-05-26T15:41:00.002-05:00

Okay, how sad is it that I'm updating - while I'm sitting in a class on Structural Equation Modeling! LOL Nothing like jumping back in in a wacko way.

I HAVE been contemplating getting back in the saddle, so to speak. I just got so busy - home, work, home, work, Tony, the girls, home, work...you get the idea. Judging from the last update, which was right before the Houston bead show, I was busting butt getting stuff ready for that, then there was the end-of-semester at work, and working on the house. A new floor - finally! - and I didn't have to do any of it! But, I was without a kitchen for 2 or 3 weeks. Gee, that was fun. Although I can't say it was all bad having the refrigerator in the living room.

Anyway, to those of you that have emailed or that I've seen at bead shows - YES - everything is fine. I think I just needed a break. Truthfully, I still need a break, but I guess I'm beginning to realize that I'm not gonna get one.

Class is resuming - I did post on a break - what! you thought I posted DURING class!? Gotta go.

The Truth....

2008-10-29T17:48:00.000-05:00

Okay. The truth is that I just haven't felt very "beady" the last several weeks. Maybe it was the stress of the trunk show, maybe I'm just tired. Maybe there's just too much other stuff on my plate. I will be the first to admit that it's hard to have a job and a job, so to speak. And a husband. And five dogs. And a house. Etc. etc. Not really moaning and groaning here, as I know many of y'all are in the same boat. I think that maybe the impending election has me a bit stressed, too. I actually did my early voting today. It's been a strange year, politics-wise. And, if you think for a minute that economics and politics aren't related, read the now somewhat dated but still amazing Secrets of the Temple: How the Federal Reserve Runs the Country. Wow. I have fears for a McCain victory. I have fears for an Obama victory. And I'm not your typical fear-laden person....

So, anyway - next weekend is the Houston Bead Show. One of my favorite shows to do, although I do so hate the travel, even though it's relatively close. I won't have anything new-new, even though I've taken a couple of classes lately (including a metals-light class from Bronwen Heilman) that I'll be incorporating into my stuff eventually. Stop by and see me, okay?

Al Janelle's Class

2008-09-23T17:19:00.001-05:00

Was a rockin' good time. Got to see some of my most favorite people - Leslie, Jan, Amy, Antoinette, the two Vick-ies (they spell them differently, darn it!)...I know I'm forgetting somebody...anyway, a great time. And lunch Saturday was from EZ's - their poblano chicken sandwich is absolutely to die for. Jim grilled for us on Sunday - sausage wraps for breakfast, hamburgers/hotdogs for lunch. I think I always gain 2 or 3 when I'm there for the weekend.

Al shared lots of secrets - he's really the guy who came up with a lot of these canes in the bead world. Before that, they were pretty much in the purview of the hot glass shops. I totally love making complex cane anyway, and I definitely learned some new tricks. My only problem is that I can sit and make these all day and be perfectly happy - but I wind up the day with no beads to sell! Life is a balance, right?

It's quiet in the bead world

2008-09-19T17:44:00.001-05:00

It's just been quiet in my bead world. I have been on the torch only one day a week, which, trust me, is not much. It basically means that I have time to 1) play, OR 2) produce. And, as playing is much more fun....well you get the idea. Need to think about the fact that I have a bead show coming up in a couple of months, I guess.

It's my weekly drive-by!

2008-09-11T17:43:00.001-05:00

Seems like all I can muster right now is once a week - it will improve again, promise. Just got to get a few things off my plate. (Yeah, right.) Getting this in quick before I go outside to pack away lawn chairs, hoses, etc. etc. Anything that can blow away. Of course what will happen is that I'll pack everything away and Ike won't come near. That would be good news, though, yes?

I received a lot of new glass a couple of weeks ago - used some of the new purples - yum! Will take photos this week and get them up. What you get today is a little scroll bead - Triton on Canyon de Chelle.

September is NUTS!

2008-09-05T17:17:00.001-05:00

Yes, I know, lots of silence. September at UT is beyond crazy. I go home at night so tired I don't know which end is up.

But, I had to check in for a second because I'M TAKING A CLASS FROM AL JANELLE later this month! I can still hardly believe it! Al has been absent from the bead world for a while...I got to know him a bit the year I was publicity chair for the Austin Bead Society, and that's been - gee - I don't even remember how long! Anyway, thanks to Jim and Rose Berry's hospitable shop and attitude, Al's decided to teach again. It's an entire weekend of twisties (yes, I know that wouldn't excite everybody, but twisties are one of my favorite things in the whole world to make - I don't even always use them in beads!). Here's a pic:

And here's another goddess:

One of the things I love about this goddess is that the glass I used is called Heffalump (don't have a clue why) and that's one of the many nicknames we have for Daisy-dog.

Won't get to torch this weekend, have to work. A victim of my own success, my boss says....LOL So, TA training for UT Signature Courses.

Goddess is....

2008-08-26T18:18:00.002-05:00

As goddess does. Finally got around to taking a couple of photos - I'll put them up one by one...draw out the moment....I had a hard time picking a favorite. I just LOVE this opal yellow, how it goes pinky in some places. But, there's a lavender one that's yummy, too.

Yeah, yeah, yeah

2008-08-22T17:24:00.004-05:00

It's an old picture, so sue me. Why, oh WHY, is it so hard to squeeze 30 hours of needs-to-be-done into a 24 hour day?! That's my official excuse for not being better about taking pictures. The truth? I went home last night and watched an hour of television - well, actually 40 minutes because it was DVR'd - instead of working like I should have been doing.

Also, we're remodeling the kitchen, and the motif will be "Mexican restaurant meets Mexican whorehouse." Not that I've ever been in a Mexican whorehouse - hopefully the extremely large number of Mexican restaurants I HAVE been in will make up for that. Anyway, the remodel reminded me of this - really a pendant, not exactly a bead. Cute, though, huh?

So here are links to some of the rockin' stuff I've come up with for the kitchen:

Tiles - that I'm actually using for a small section of ceiling: I'm thinking either the copper fantasy or the verdigris, although I really like the brushed aluminum, too. The brushed aluminum would require new cabinet hardware, though, as the existing hardware is bronze.

Various and sundry stuff: a new cutting board

Probably a decorative tile or two or three .

And of course new switchplate covers.

The living room/dining room/kitchen is really kind of one big circle with a center wall. There's a wall between the entry hall and the kitchen, but I'm thinking of building a low wall between the dining room and living room with acrylic blocks.

Good torch day

2008-08-11T18:50:00.003-05:00

I finally had a good torch day on Saturday, so hopefully there will be some beady pictures in a day or two. I guess it was just a lull after the trunk show. I spent a couple of days just "playing," which I rarely get to do. So, yesterday when I cleaned beads from the last several torch sessions, quite a few went right to the trash can! Playing leads to many more sad mistakes than happy accidents, which I would suspect is true for artists in any medium. This last Saturday, though, was back to buckling down, working with the one or two happy accidents as well as some tried and true. I'm only spending one day a week on the torch right now, as our home is sadly in need of some repair. I can't do it all, but I have found out that I'm hell with plaster and a taping knife - so, our kitchen is close to featuring all refinished walls. I've just decided that it's up to me - I won't know that I can't do it (whatever the "it" is) until I give it a try. So far, so good. I'm sure not looking forward to redoing that floor, though....

Nuthin' to say...

2008-07-30T13:37:00.004-05:00

Haven't posted because I've had nothing to say. How's that for dismal? It's hot, I'm hot, the house is hot, even with the air conditioning on. The girls sit around panting. One thing we've done this summer to cut down on the electric bill (yeah, right) is to turn the central AC up quite a bit at night, and turn on a small window unit that's basically about a foot from my end of the bed. Which is where Ruby gets every time it's turned on! So, any heat-relief I'd get is blocked by her big self. And, no, I do NOT make her get down. And, to top it off, Piglet still thinks she's freezing, so under the covers she goes. Wants to sleep right next to my hip. And, no, I don't maker her move, either.

Hope to get some beads made Saturday. For whatever reason, last Saturday was not at all productive. I spent about 5 hours on the torch, and had a grand total of 8 beads - 2 focals and one set - when I finished. And, both of the focals, IMHO, look like crap, so you won't even see them for sale....

Where should I post?

2008-07-23T09:44:00.006-05:00

With two blogs, it's sometimes hard to decide "where" to post - if I don't talk about beads, is it okay to post in the "bead blog?" If I don't talk about dogs, is it okay...well, you get the idea. The bead blog won today, as the dog blog was more recently updated. Logical thinking. Gee.

There's really nothing much going on in my world. I'm still very busy at work, which gives me a bit of the queasy with regard to the semester starting back - if I'm busy now, what's it going to be like when zillions of students descend on us?! But, it seems like I have a lot of August 1 deadlines, and I'm hoping that on August 2 I can breathe at least a tiny sigh of relief. And, of course, I'm busy at home, too. I always let a lot of stuff slide before a show, and this time was no exception. I dusted the bedroom Sunday, and it was so bad it took me a good 30 minutes. Most of the time I really hate having such a small house, but NOT when it comes time to do housework!

We went to the home-moanership stores on Sunday, to look for new kitchen flooring and counter tops. You want HOW much for that counter top?! Would you believe that the faux stuff - Silestone, etc., is coming in at $40 to $60 (and yes, even more) per SQUARE FOOT?! I figure I have about 32 square feet of counter space...and the square foot price doesn't include all the little extras like back splash and the front dooby thing and backer board and what-not. We're talking $1,700 EASY. There's just no blanking way. None. The flooring is a bit more reasonable - there's a chance I can afford it in this lifetime - as in without waiting for the life insurance policy to pay out...LOL And I don't even cook - how's that for irony?

In looking for a picture to share, I came across one of the container planting I did a bit more than a year ago, as well as one of the same planting from last weekend. What a difference a year makes! Maybe there's hope for my kitchen after all!

Hmmmm....shiny.....

2008-07-17T18:05:00.001-05:00

I'm pretty sure this bead went home with somebody...although I haven't really gone back through what's left. Anyway, it's SHINY! All the stuff you see "going on" in the bead is mostly reflections. One of those newer silvered glasses, ya know...in fact, that little circle looking thing towards the top right is actually the camera lens reflection!

It was great to see all of y'all!

2008-07-15T14:07:00.002-05:00

Literally just two minutes to post a bit...first, OF COURSE, thanks to all of those who came by the trunk show! It was a BLAST! The store stayed pretty crowded all day Saturday and most of Sunday. Needless to say, I left the store with a LOT fewer beads. I'm sure they all went to good, loving homes. A couple of people stayed right in the store to make up bracelets, necklaces, even some earrings, and everything that I saw made up came out just gorgeous. It's a great deal of fun to see it translated from my torch to a little piece of temporary copper wire to a beautiful creation.

I'll fill y'all in on a few details later.

I'm here I'm here!

2008-07-09T08:01:00.004-05:00

It's just been a crazy of couple of days. I actually AM ready for the trunk show - thank god. I can't imagine what my life would be like right now if I weren't! I do a LOT of academic counseling in my day job, and I get almost all the private appointments for time management/procrastination. And what I usually tell students is to 1) think how good it would feel to be ahead of the curve rather than behind the eight ball, and 2) what happens if you wait until the last minute to do something, then everything else goes to hell? (Yes, of course I tell them more than just this, but I always hit these two points.) Anyway, these are my words to live by. So, today finds me tired, but relatively calm none-the-less....and, as I've been absent a day or two, you get TWO blings! I used to worry that my style was all over the place - as you can see, these beads look completely different from each other. But for me, that's the fun. I'm easily - EASILY - bored, but the glass never disappoints because there's just so much you can do with it.

Later!

Bling!

2008-07-06T09:02:00.001-05:00

Just a little bling today - one of the sets that will be at Nomadic Notions. I usually use a sage green with this purple, but decided to try a bit brighter green this time. I'm happy with the outcome.

Yum, pink and black

2008-07-05T08:01:00.001-05:00

What more needs be said?

Hope everybody's holiday was great - ours was very low key - perfect!

Happy 4th of Julie!

2008-07-04T10:57:00.001-05:00

Another bead made with DHG Terranova2! And, this - really - may be my favorite bead that I've ever made. Those of you who know me know I don't say that often...This glass is just delicious. I've always loved florals, and really thought that they'd always stay my favorite, but as I get older I find that I like simple graphics more and more. Even my clothes have started changing to reflect that - I'm much more likely to wear something "plain" as opposed to the "ditzy" prints that used to pretty much make up my wardrobe. Anyway, have a great "Fourth of Julie" (as my Uncle Scott used to say - and no doubt somebody in your family as well!). Stay safe, eat junk, drink a little, play with beads. That's exactly what we're gonna do!

Serious lick factor!

2008-07-03T10:48:00.007-05:00

I made two focals last weekend using one of the new Double Helix Glassworks newest glasses, Terranova 2. I just can't even TELL you what serious lick factor this glass has - even at $100 a pound! Unfortunately, a camera just can't capture everything that's going on. Here are three pictures - while the decoration looks mostly blue or ruddy-blue, it varies from deep blue, to electric blue, to electric green, to an almost pigeon-blood red. Absolutely glorious. And, hands down, my favorite DHG glass to date.

Pictures, pictures

2008-07-02T10:02:00.004-05:00

Gee, it's nice to have a choice of pictures to show y'all....I'll have to REMEMBER this feeling. Maybe it will prompt me to take pictures more regularly! Anyway, this is a bead made entirely of dark silver plum. In the rod, it's a blah gray, but in the flame turns iridescent.

I did take a collection of the big-holed beads to Nomadic Notions yesterday, and I'll have an instruction sheet available (with the purchase of a BHB) for how to make your own bracelet for this type of bead. Mick will have a couple of samples, made up, too. Trust me, it's not rocket science, and you can most likely figure out how to make one from just looking at the sample, but a little take-a-way instruction sheet will be nice, too, yes?

Enjoy the rest of your day! I'm working today and tomorrow, then taking off for a long 4th of July holiday - Monday off, too! Woo hoo!

I say hello.....

2008-07-01T15:54:00.001-05:00

And I say goodbye....

(Sorry, you'll have to provide your own tune...)

Just a quickie

2008-06-30T08:55:00.004-05:00

This morning. I seem to be having one of those incredibly low-energy days - y'all ever have one of those? I think it may be allergies...or maybe just "allergic to Monday morning!" LOL

After previewing the upload of this picture, I see that it's kinda crappy. Sorry about that, and the original is already deleted. Anyway, it's very pretty in person. It's about 1.5 to 1.75" long, ivory base, with a long spiral wrap of goldstone. I then tarted it up with leaves and vines in one of those silvered glasses (you know, the ones that are $100 bucks a pound?!) that turns all kinds of colors in the flame. One of the things I love most about the silvered glass on ivory is how it kind of mottles the ivory in places...

It's Friday!

2008-06-27T11:34:00.006-05:00

So, I've spent every evening this week working with beads - last night I finished pricing the sets and focals. At least this is something I can do with a glass of wine in my hand. Well, I can't price and drink at the EXACT SAME TIME, but you get what I mean (although, hmmm....maybe with one of those bendable straws?). This afternoon Tony and I are driving out to Theresa's to pick up my leftovers from her show, then hitting Herbert's for dinner and Eskimo Hut for dessert (said with an evil grin!).

Here are today's beady pictures!

Bead pix as promised!

2008-06-26T10:16:00.004-05:00

Remembered to take my camera card home last night - battled my way through a battery disaster - all to bring pictures to YOU! LOL

Today's is just a "teaser:" Here are a couple of shots of the sets I made up on Monday evening. I didn't count, but I'd say somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 sets, maybe? I'll be showcasing some of the sets individually, and I'll also have pictures of the most recent focals in the days leading up to the trunk show at Nomadic Notions. Don't forget - I'll have my torch set up there, and will demo beadmaking most of Saturday and Sunday - please try to stop by to say "hi!"

I hate beads....

2008-06-24T08:31:00.003-05:00

I start saying this within a couple of weeks of every show I've ever done. I was sitting last night with a huge pile of beads, ready to be made into sets. When I say huge pile, I mean huge pile - probably around 300-400 beads. Not sorted in any way - "good" beads, "bad" beads, orphan beads, focals, oh my. I've told myself time and time - and time - again, that if I just took care of making sets within a day or two of torching them, my life would be SO MUCH easier. For some reason this is something that I just seem unable to learn. They get torched, they get cleaned, then they sit there. Until a couple of weeks before the show. And on the subject of things I can't learn - to make spacers as I go, too. Now, I ask you. What's hard about sitting down at the torch and making, oh, say a periwinkle and purple set, with touches of goldstone and maybe little yellow flower centers. THEN making a couple of bead-kabobs full of periwinkle and purple beads to use for spacers. Next morning, everything comes out of the kiln and ready to go. But, oh no - I find out when I sit down to make sets that I have to spend the last weekend before the show making dozens of friggin' little, BORING TO MAKE, spacer beads. Sigh. I hate beads.

Finally Friday

2008-06-20T08:54:00.004-05:00

It's been one of those weeks - busy busy busy. Work's been crazy, home's been crazy, you get the idea. And everything I've done this week has involved MORE MONEY. Filled up with gasoline - yikes! Got the electricity bill - uh oh. Went to the grocery store - you've GOT to be kidding. I heard a couple of days ago on the news that Prez Bush is sending $1.8 billion in aid to the areas that have been absolutely devastated by floods. Now, that sounds like a pretty good chunk of change, yes? But I decided to see how much Iraq war that same amount would "buy." Wanna take a guess? Try ONE WEEK. So we have hundreds - if not thousands - of Americans without homes, without crops, people whose lives will never be the same - and they're worth about one week of sending money to a foreign country. How would that make YOU feel? The next time you hear somebody (or you yourself) talk about the fiscal irresponsibility of the Democrats, or that only Republicans are "for" the good hardworking Americans of this land - STOP! No, the Democrats may not be any better (hopefully we'll be able to find out in the New Year), but you certainly can NOT say that the Republicans ARE.

Two sides of the same

2008-06-16T15:52:00.003-05:00

bead.....

Ivory "guts" with copper mesh, encased with ivory and clear, a little bit of Canyon de Chelle stringer. I fumed the ends with fine silver to give them a little antiquing.....

An almost drive-by post....

2008-06-11T09:32:00.006-05:00

I had a couple of emails asking me what to do with the large holed beads - well, they're the "hot thing" in jewelry right now, and go on a "Biagi," "Troll," or "Pandora" bracelet. Do a Google on those terms, and you'll see lots of cute big hole silver "charms" for this type of bracelet as well. Anyway, here are most of the beads from my "I'm trying to get that wispy look" torch session - on my Biagi bracelet.

Who took the prop wax?

2008-06-10T09:51:00.005-05:00

Thought I needed to start whetting appetites for the trunk show at Nomadic Notions, so I'm trying to take and post a few pictures. This one came out nice, but it really needs to be displayed "standing up," and the prop wax was nowhere to be found...

It used to make me just crazy to not be able to find something. I'm well-organized, and our house is tiny. So, my thinking was always, "Okay, how hard can it be to find in a house this small - even IF I didn't put it away where it belonged?!" It finally dawned on me that the reason things go missing is precisely because my house is so small. Essentially, there's no room for error (no pun intended). I have tiny designated spaces for things, but it's just too easy for whatever I'm working on at the moment to encroach on the space designated for something else...and whatever it is that I'm looking for gets covered up, pushed aside, etc. etc.....And that prop wax container is about 1" square....Poor me - right?

When is copying okay?

2008-06-09T12:56:00.004-05:00

I open with that question today because I have a copy for you:

I truly love Amy Kinsch's large holed beads - particularly the wispy little "clouds" she gets. (Here's a link to her Etsy: AK Designs.) I posed a question on Lampwork Etc a couple of weeks ago, asking for tips on getting those cute little wisps. No answers. Well, not any answers that were helpful. So, last weekend, I sat down and experimented, and came up with this - which is pretty darn close. Today on LE there is a huge discussion on copying....in this case REAL copying, as the copy-er is posting and selling on eBay essentially the same beads as originally sold by the copy-ee on eBay. I'm sure you can imagine the discussion - if you're an artist, or even follow bead and/or bead-related forums, then you've seen the same discussion over and over again. But, these discussions always interest me. I remember taking oil painting lessons from a woman who was quite well known in this area. In her studio was a magnificent "copy" of Van Gogh's Sunflowers, which she displayed proudly. Why? Well, in her day as an art student (and she was close to 80 when I took from her, so we're talking a quite a few years here) they would let art students go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and copy the masters. If the copy was good enough - as judged by the museum's curators - they would "certify" it as an acceptable copy. Which Della's was. And, in fact, this is exactly the way most masters learned - from copying. EXACT copying. I guess the difference is that Della wasn't offering the painting up for sale...anyway, I wound up making quite a few beads in the "Amy-style," which I'll wear with delight. I'll try to put a twist on them, and perhaps even sell them as large-hole beads....Here's something else I did with what I'd learned from my experiments, and it's very different:

Pretty, isn't it? The wispies are only in the center row - it's a pretty big bead, probably close to 25mm to 30mm....

Metals 101

2008-06-05T09:36:00.005-05:00

Pictures today are some of the stuff I made in the class I took with Lydia and Gwen of Hill Country Artisan Retreats. It was the first class of this kind I've taken, and I really enjoyed it. I can't see myself using it a LOT, but I definitely took away some useful things...and you might see a bit of it popping up in my bead sets.

This will be a pendant (sorry, still haven't gotten around to purchasing findings...). Note the CUTE CUTE CUTE little paw prints on the inner piece!

Next is what will be a pair of earrings, which I'll never wear...LOL I envision some kind of little dangly things on the bottom...

Last, but certainly not least, is a ring. The only "catch" here is that it's assembled with a very long, very tiny bolt...for which there is essentially no source. Don't you just HATE that?! Anybody have any tiny bolts they want to part with? Anyway, too bad, because this definitely has possibilities, especially as it can use a lampwork bead.

If anybody has any questions about how any of this stuff was made, let me know, and I'll answer as best I can.

Feast or famine

2008-06-02T13:47:00.004-05:00

I know I've been promising pictures forEVER - and finally had a chance to take some this weekend. The problem now? Do I flood you with pictures, or do I dole them out, one or two at a time? As it may be a while before the camera comes out again, I'm betting you know the answer!

So, first, I'll post a couple of pictures from the class I took at Heritage Glass a couple of weeks ago. These are from the "Mick class." Really just some simple wire wrapping, but I like the way they came out. As a lot of the stuff in my closet is pink and black or pink and brown (and is truly determined pretty much by the color pants that I choose to wear LOL!), I made two bracelets, one in each color. Got one on today - brown pants, peachy-colored linen tank and shirt - can you guess which one I'm wearing? And, it's makes a lovely jangly noise...

Busy, busy

2008-05-30T12:37:00.003-05:00

It's been one of those weeks - actually, one of those months. I can truly say that I'll be happy to put May behind me.

I'm out of the office most of this week, taking two statistics workshops. Categorical data analysis in the mornings, and factor analysis in the afternoons. Thirty-two hours of statistics in four days. What possessed me, you ask? If you know me at all you know how much I hate crunching numbers, despite that Master's in Program Evaluation. But, it had been quite a while since I'd had a refresher, and I will admit that both classes have been useful for that purpose at least (and the FA beyond that, even). The most intriguing thing for me about statistics is its potential for, um, creativity? If that piques your interest, check out these two books: How to Lie with Statistics (Huff) and The Mismeasure of Man (Gould). You'll never read another "fact analysis" in the same way again. And, both books are very readable.

Face of the earth

2008-05-23T08:46:00.002-05:00

No, I haven't dropped off it! LOL Just been a very busy week. The classes last weekend were fab, and I do have pictures to show, but I want to finish the stuff up a bit first. We used copper and brass in the cold connections class, and all the earwires I have at home are sterling or GF, so won't really work. Thinking about making some copper earwires, but they're so cheap to buy, ya know? Both classes were great, and I do have two bracelets finished from the "Mick-class." Lovely, jangling, full-of-beads bracelets. One is pink and black, the other pink and brown. Well, not really pink-pink in the brown one, but pink over opal yellow, which gives a wonderful peachy-blushy pink. And, in staying on a roll, I restrung a Dustin Tabor bead necklace that I wore once and wasn't happy with; also wire wrapped an awesome Brad Pearson bead that I bought a couple of months ago. I've just GOT to be better about doing this, and wearing things....I know a lot of beadmakers will only wear their own stuff, but I think that's kinda like only eating Mexican food. I LOVE Mexican food, but I think I'd tire of it pretty quickly. So, with a three-day weekend, I'm hoping to get the camera out for a bit.

Gathering the beads for ME!

2008-05-15T10:32:00.004-05:00

I'm off to take a class - actually two classes - at Heritage Glass this weekend. On Saturday, I'll be doing wire work with Mick McNulty (of Nomadic Notions fame). It's really all pretty much stuff I know how to do, but I do so little wire work that I'm really looking forward to a refresher. And, of course, a lot of the stuff I taught myself, so I'm sure I'll learn some easier ways of doing things. Here's a promo picture of what she'll be teaching:

I've got my pink and black beads ready (yes, Juls, I made more) as well as a set that's in brown, opal yellow, and pink. I still need to pull together a few crystals, and maybe some pearls...gotta go through my stash. I wear so much pink - and I just LOVE pink with brown - that I thought I'd shoot for two bracelets. Even if I don't get both finished in class, maybe the muse will stay with me long enough to get two done...I'm also taking a pretty good handful of my beads to leave with Mick - they'll be on display at Nomadic Notions to promote the coming trunk show (July 12th and 13th).

On Sunday, I'm taking a class with Lydia and Gwen. That class is called Jewelry with a Bang. No promo pictures, but the description says we'll be working with copper, silver, and some patinas - something I've really wanted to do. I'm actually trying to look at the weekend as a "for me" weekend, rather than a "business" weekend. When what you do for pure enjoyment turns the corner into a bona fide business, well, the distinction is sometimes hard, ya know?

Good intentions...

2008-05-12T09:29:00.008-05:00

Where do they lead? Well, in my case, to the Amazon bookstore where I found several really interesting titles.

The journey started while looking for a witty quote to address how, while I did make lots of beads this weekend, I never managed to get any of them photographed. Again. I wanted something along the lines of "good intentions - not worth the paper they're printed on" or something profound like that....that led me to a couple of really interesting titles on Amazon: Woman's Book of Creativity (sadly, no longer available). Which then led me to The Twelve Secrets of Highly Creative Women, and This Year I Will....Both of these are very highly rated, and the fact that I added them to my cart says, I guess, something about my current state of mind. I think I'll also throw in The Life Organizer: A Woman's Guide to a Mindful Life.

My intentions to read them are really good....

You CAN go home again!

2008-05-07T12:16:00.004-05:00

Back home from a FABULOUS bead show! I didn't take my camera - just one more thing to keep up with - so there are no pictures. But, as expected, I did see many MANY wonderful friends. Even better because a LOT of them bought beads! Perhaps they read the blog and just took pity; even so hopefully they really love the beads they took home.

I sold two pink and black sets to Julie that had my name on them....boo hoo for me. LOL She wore a really cute pink and black blouse to the show Sunday, and I'll have to say the beads went GREAT with her outfit. GG got the really cool opal yellow/terra focal....when I etched it, the opal yellow went more pinkish and the terra didn't etch at all, so it was a really cool look. Cat got the DSP shards on red. I think those were the three sales that "hurt" the most! Like I need more beads....

So, back to my torch for the impending trunk show at Nomadic Notions in July.

The bags are packed...

2008-04-30T09:44:00.003-05:00

I'm literally ready to walk out the door. The bead cart. The other two carts holding various sundry items such as table covers, display signs, and all the sales-related stuff. I have my just-in-case chair sitting there; the small TV tray that becomes a work table. The floor mats.

So of course now the burning question is, "What did I forget?" LOL Hopefully nothing, I'm a pretty organized person. I do have to get by the market to get some fruit, and I guess something for sandwiches. Although maybe I'll just say "screw it" and eat the unhealthy, expensive stuff there. One less thing to carry, to worry about. I do remember, though, the ONE YEAR I decided to do this - they were out of everything by 10am the first day, had nothing the second day! So, I guess I'd better plan for those sandwiches.

See y'all soon!

Almost ready....

2008-04-29T09:21:00.006-05:00

for the SABOS show!

So now I'm going to launch into politics for a minute. IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY POLITICS, OR DON'T FEEL LIKE POLITICS SHOULD BE AIRED IN PUBLIC, THEN DON'T READ ANY FURTHER. Also, do NOT email me to tell me you don't like my politics. I don't really give a flying fig, okay? (And, yes, I do get emails from people telling me this, as if they thought they could make me see the error of my ways.)

Gee, that paragraph is almost politics in and of itself, isn't it? LOL

The SABOS show is coming at a time when I could really use the money. Those of us who do "art" do it first for the love of it, but also because we really don't have a choice, if that makes sense. For me creative enterprises are as natural and necessary as eating, sleeping, breathing. Many artists do try to eek a bit of money from it - if not profit, then enough to permit us to continue to do it (remember, it's like food for us, just as necessary). My "bead" bank account is depleted from supplies, tools, and, of course, classes. Classes are not a true necessity, I guess, but the other half of me is all about education, and I guess I take it seriously. But, I digress. I know that many of you don't have extra money to spend. The bead forums are full of chats about Ebay sales, Etsy sales, craft show sales. As in there are NO sales. And, no matter how you (or I) slice it, beads just aren't a necessity. I would never expect you to buy beads rather than food, or gasoline. So, as much as I'm looking forward to SABOS, I don't expect it to be a financially good show for me. I'm afraid it won't be a good show for many of us, and many of the people there make all or part of their living selling their art. If you can't afford to spend money at the show, don't. But, please DO stop by to see me, and to see all the other vendors you know. Tell me my beads are pretty. Tell me that "that woman 3 booths over has wonderful things for sale." Tell me about the new artist on the back row with so much talent for beadweaving. If you can spend a few dollars at the show, do it with glee and thankfulness. If you spend some with me, I'll appreciate it, and know that it's hard-earned money for you, not to be taken for granted.

Beads, beads, and more beads

2008-04-25T11:12:00.003-05:00

Beads have truly taken over my house. This has been the case for some time, of course, but I think I'm more acutely aware of this fact when I'm preparing for a bead show. I keep everything in those nifty little semi-disposable Glad containers, clearly labeled, of course. Yes, scoff at me for my Monk-like (as in Tony Shalub)tendencies, but I'm an organization freak. Anyway, now I've got little containers of "sets," "earring pairs," "vertical focals," "horizontal focals," - an almost unending supply of those little marked containers. So, what's the problem, you ask? Well, none of them - NONE of them - are priced yet. There's even the "to be etched" and the "needs additional finishing" containers - which contain beads which have to have other things done to them BEFORE they can even BE priced. Believe it or not, I actually begin to think I'm tired of beads at this time point before every show. It's their "everywhereness," I guess....

Can't wait to be home tomorrow to work on the "have possibilities" container!

Sounds of silence....

2008-04-24T09:36:00.002-05:00

Things are (hopefully) returning to a bit of normal today. We've interviewed about 150 undergraduate tutor applicants in the last three days. I feel every single one of them this morning....We have to do the interviews in the late afternoon, after classes are over, and of course the Center's business continues as usual. Which means my workdays for the last three days have averaged 11-12 hours. We do group interviews, but between the introductions, the competency exams, the "mock tutoring" exercise, and the debriefing/selection process, we're talking 3 hour interviews at a minimum. I'm tired. I'm cranky. I feel old! LOL

Still getting ready for the SABOS bead show. I have pretty good amount of stock, although no new bead weaving patterns as I had intended. I've said, "maybe next time" so often that I'm not even going to say it again!

Beyond swamped...

2008-04-21T16:29:00.006-05:00

But there are pictures! No time to "talk" today, so enjoy. Oh, I may put these in Etsy - not sure yet - but if you see something you want, email me. You KNOW my prices are reasonable! And ya know ya want 'em....

Last of the dot face

2008-04-15T08:38:00.003-05:00

Here's the dot face, pretty much finished. Truthfully, I can't remember if he tinkered any more after I took this picture. He probably did, as it's in his nature as a perfectionist. This definitely falls under the category of "something I'll never do," but the experience of watching is well worth it. Just knowing what CAN be done if you want to badly enough (and, practice enough, too!).

It's a gorgeous day here. The nights have been exceptionally cool, the days pretty cool, too - in the high 70s. I know that summer is right around the corner, but I'm enjoying this while I can. I'm off to Blue Moon tomorrow, so don't look for another update until Friday or Saturday.

Later!

Ha ha - fooled ya!

2008-04-14T13:13:00.003-05:00

Told y'all I was going to take a few pictures over the weekend. You didn't really BELIEVE me, did you? As always, my intentions were good, but peeps, there's only so many hours in the day. Even though Tony was gone, and I had the house to myself, I still had to do a little laundry, a little (very little) gardening, a little vacuuming. Friday evening I spent pricing beads; Saturday morning the gray had to be covered - again. (I'm thinking (not very seriously) about just letting it go - now really, don't you think that having to cover roots every three weeks is just ridiculous?!) So, the little of this and little of that turned into a LOT of stuff. I did get quite a few sets of Theresa's cow and cow-titty beads made (you'll have to ask her...). Also some killer pandora beads for ME ME ME.

Anyway, I'm at work today and tomorrow, then off to Blue Moon Wednesday and Thursday. I'm actually gonna pick up the paperweight I made in Loren Stump's class. Andrea is a hoot, looking forward.

More face

2008-04-11T11:48:00.004-05:00

At this point, the face is really starting to come together. I chose this photo, even though it's a bit out of focus, because it shows both the face and the back of the skull. Remember that the entire underlying structure was formed out of clear glass.

Tony is off doing bowling stuff this weekend, so I hope to get a lot done. I have most of the sets I've made strung up, but they need to be priced; all of the focals need to be sorted and priced. I also want to etch a few, because there are always customers who prefer that look. I also bought a nice little bottle of wine....for after torching, of course! My best intention is to take a few photos, too. We'll see where that goes....

Dot face, two...

2008-04-09T11:29:00.005-05:00

Time's limited today, so I'll just let the picture do most of the talking.

At this stage, the skull is fully formed (gee, I sound like a physiologist, don't I?). In this step, the base is being coated with pink. The reason the glass looks so "wormy" is because Loren swirls the glass as he's applying it - almost making tiny brush-like strokes. This prevents regular or organized-looking streaks from forming, as would happen if the glass was just swiped on. Basically, it makes the glass look more like skin and less like glass.

Have I mentioned that he has a commission to do a life-sized Cher in glass? Yes, THAT Cher.

The "dot" face and other stuff

2008-04-07T12:39:00.003-05:00

Over the next few postings, I'll share pictures of what Loren Stump calls the "dot face." Why dot face? Well, I'm not sure, because there weren't any dots used that I could see! Here's the face as it's just beginning to be formed - at this point all you can see is the vague shape of a skull. And, yes, it's formed completely in clear - it will be overlaid with color in the next steps.

On MY bead horizon, I've been busy busy busy making beads. I have a show coming up next month (yikes!) and a trunk show - I think - in July. This whole weekend I had to do mostly "production" work, which for me means spacers to go with all the sets. Every time I spend a weekend this way, I PROMISE myself that "from NOW ON I'll make these little buggers as I go." But, I never do. It's just so much fun to make pretty beads....but, really I think the spacers make the set. So, from now on....

Look at that hair!

2008-04-04T09:32:00.003-05:00

Just a quick minute today - I was going to post a couple more class pictures, but still going through and editing. And, every time I look at this picture....

I think, "Look at that gorgeous hair! It's prettier than mine!"

Have a great weekend. I'm torching tomorrow, getting ready for the San Antonio/SABOS bead show.

Faces, Part Deux

2008-04-03T08:46:00.011-05:00

In theory - and I'll be quick to point out that this not - at ALL - how mine looked, this is what we did in the Stump class with the face canes. From the canes (see yesterday's entry) we sliced a piece off - probably about 2mm thick. We then formed a skull shape, off mandrel, from pink glass (the same color as used in the murrini face). The little sliced faces were warm in the kiln; we picked them up with hemostats and applied them to the "face" of the skull. After that, it was a matter of stretching the murrini face a bit to cover the skull's face, then sculpting in details. No, not easy. For me, anyway. Loren also demonstrated what he calls a "dot face," which is made completely differently. I'll have pictures of it later.

Might give the kiddies nightmares....

2008-04-02T10:27:00.005-05:00

Is this just freaky looking or what? These are all our little faces made from murrini canes; they're about 3/4" in diameter, on average. They have to be annealed because that's really quite large - otherwise they'd self-destruct.

These have to be made in several parts. You make the eyes, the nose, finally the mouth. These pieces are put in the kiln and brought up to a bit more than 1000 degrees - hot enough to reintroduce into the torch without disintegrating, but not hot enough to slump. To make the face, you first pick up the nose - the center of the face. Start adding pink glass to the area just above the nose; add the eyes. Continue adding glass to build the forehead. Then, come back down below the nose, start adding glass that will become the upper lip, and finally add the mouth. And then, yes, the chin. At all/any points you're shaping, shaping, shaping....After the face is together, you attach "punties" - basically glass handles - then heat the glass bundle until it will flow enough to be pulled out into a long shape. The magic of murrini is that the "picture" you've created remains the same, just reduces in size. There were 10 people in the class, and the reason you see so many faces is because you get several 3" to 4" segments from one pull. The segments can then be used to go into a larger piece (see the murrini on Loren Stump's site) or sawed into little face slices with a glass saw.

67.75

2008-04-01T10:53:00.005-05:00

hours of instruction in five days!

The Loren Stump class was amazing. I'll have a few pictures in coming days, but what a giving, enthusiastic, energetic teacher! The earliest we got through was Thursday night at 10:45 (class started each day at 10am) and that was the night Blue Moon hosted a "Meet Loren Stump" open house. Truthfully, I think he would have preferred that we (the class) stay after everybody else went home, but thankfully others rebelled with me! LOL On the last night, when everybody was finishing up their paperweights, we didn't finish until 1am (as in Sunday morning). That day was particularly special as Al Janelle came and hung out all day. Al and Loren apparently go way back, and although Al hasn't made beads in quite a few years, he was full of tips and stories. I got to know him just a little the year he was president of the Austin Bead Society - it was the same year that I handled bazaar publicity, so we met a couple of times. A genuinely nice guy.

Jim and Rose were also incredible. They kept us fed - which in this case meant three meals a day! - and full of snacks, soda, and water. Loren is already scheduled for next year at the same time.

Here's a picture Jim sent out of all our paperweights in the kiln. I *think* mine is in the second row, 3rd back. I'm picking it up in a day or two.