The Mermaid's Tale

Stormy Weather...

2011-01-21T05:47:00.006-05:00

Life truly is a whirlwind. Sometimes that whirlwind becomes a cyclone that comes roaring down on you, sweeping you up and tossing you around like a ragdoll, leaving you with barely enough strength to just hang on and ride it out. When the storm finally moves on, if you're lucky, you're still standing - breathless and shaking, eyes glassy and vague, wondering to yourself, "Where am I and how the hell did I get here?"

For me, the storm does seem to have moved on. The winds are beginning to die down and, somehow, I'm one of the lucky ones.

It's been so long since I've written just for the joy of it that I'm already exhausted! I only wanted to say 'Hello' today. I'll be popping in regularly again for chatting, passing on interesting (or maybe not) information and sharing pics and links to all of my favorite finds.

Thanks to all of you who've kept in touch, supported me and become true friends during this time. You're the best.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Bead Box...how fun is that?

2010-11-03T14:55:00.002-04:00

I haven't been blogging lately but, seriously, this is worth it! Go check out Lorelei Eurto's blog for the details and to enter. It promises to be fun.

Check just some of the contents of this bead box (I swiped these pics from Lorelei, btw):

What's for dinner?

2010-09-01T09:34:00.005-04:00

Image courtesy of www.vegalicious.org

Do you have a really busy day ahead?

Would you like to get one of your 'must do' chores out of the way in the morning before that late-afternoon energy crash happens?

Do you want a healthy, delicious dinner tonight?

Do you like Mexican food?

Well, my answer is yes to all of these and if yours is, too, then I'm going to share one of my favorite recipes with you. Because it goes together quickly with minimal ingredients, it's a breeze to make. Because it actually tastes better after sitting for a while, it's perfect to make in advance. Because it's a meatless option, loaded with veggies and good carbs, it's a pretty healthy choice. And, because it's cheesy and gooey, your kids will probably love it, too!

Laurie's Veggie Enchiladas

1 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 15 oz. can of drained, chopped tomatoes (with or without chiles, depending on how spicy you like your food)

1/2 can chopped green chiles (again, adjust this to how hot you like things)

1 15 oz. can of corn

1 cup of cooked brown rice (you can use white if you like. * Whenever I make rice, I throw in a vegan, low-sodium bouillon cube to add extra flavor)

1/2 - 1 cup silken tofu (OPTIONAL. I use it because it adds some moisture to the recipe and gives a great boost of protein. It doesn't change the flavor at all, in my opinion.)

1 1/2 cups of Colby-Jack cheese (more or less as you like)

1 can of enchilada sauce (I actually use another 1/2 a can because I think the corn tortillas need the moisture, but that's up to you)

salt, pepper to taste

I add 2 teaspoons of cumin powder because I like it and it smells good

1 package of corn tortillas (some people like flour tortillas instead, but the corn

is healthier)

* shredded lettuce, fresh chopped cilantro, chopped black olives, chopped tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, salsa, etc... for toppings

1. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with oil. I actually make mine in 2 - 8 x 8 pans because I freeze one.

2. Mix together beans, tomatoes, chiles, corn, rice, tofu, 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce, 1/2 of the cheese and your spices in a large bowl.

3. Spoon a small amount of your enchilada sauce into the bottom of your baking dish, just to cover the bottom

4. Spread approximately 1/3 cup of the mixture into your tortilla, roll up and place seam side down in your baking dish. When you've finished all of the rolls, spread the remaining enchilada sauce over them, then top with your cheese.

5. Cover them with oil-sprayed foil or a baking dish lid. At this point, you can bake them immediately for 30-35 minutes in a 350 degree oven or do what I do:

I put one in the fridge to 'gel' until time to cook it for dinner. I think that putting them in the fridge really helps the flavors blend and all the juicy goodness soaks into the tortillas. The other pan gets wrapped and bagged and put into the freezer for those times when baseball and basketball practice collide on the same night.

When it's time to eat, just top them with your fresh veggies, salsa and sour cream. I usually serve it with fresh fruit for the kids, a salad for us old folks.

AGLF Calendar is available!

2010-08-30T09:07:00.005-04:00

Just a little preview!

The AGLF calendar pre-sale is available now. Visit here to order yours!

Help your fellow artists - support the AGLF

2010-08-03T06:30:00.011-04:00

Please visit the AGLF Etsy store.

There are so many beautiful items donated by various artists to choose from - these are just a few - and 100% of the proceeds go directly to the AGLF. The AGLF is currently helping to fund the legal defense of 30 glass artists, jewelery designers and other indie craftspeople who are being sued after speaking out about a bogus tax fraud website that targeted dozens of small business owners last year.

Some (but not all) of these defendants actually sued the originator of that blog, forcing her to admit that she was the sole author of the site which features a fictional 'team' of tax investigators. It was all a fabrication, created to perhaps destroy the business reputations of dozens and enact revenge upon a select few. Ultimately and unfortunately, that suit had to be dropped due to lack of funds before she could be forced to permanantly remove it.

Understand that many of the people originally listed on her blog were complete strangers to her but whose businesses were in direct competition with hers. Others that she targeted were people who had spoken out against her practice of purchasing lampwork beads from independent artists and then reselling them, claiming them as her own work which had been created in her studio in Italy. It's my understanding that the suit was filed against her merely in an attempt to defend against a campaign of lies and misinformation.

Please don't let this continue!

Several of the people currently being targeted by her had no interest in the original case, have never been in contact with the plaintiff, had no real idea who she even was until a process server showed up at their door. She has just arbitrarily picked them out of the artistic world and chosen to sue them. That's completely legal, believe it or not. Although she has no case against them they still have to spend their hard-earned money to defend themselves and I think we all understand how scarce extra funds are these days.

To have to take the income that's supposed to pay for food, medical insurance, school supplies, the electric bill, braces for the kids - and hand it over to an attorney to defend against this random person is virtually impossible for some of the defendants. So please, go check out the AGLF Etsy shop or visit here for more information and to donate directly to the Fund.

Every little bit helps.

Yet more new colors...

2010-07-31T09:33:00.005-04:00

Yes, I have even more new Fairy Flowers colors in my Etsy shop. I can't help it - they're addictive to make and the color combinations are almost endless.

Also, I've spent the past week working on my fall beads. So many rich, warm colors! I'll work on getting some of them listed this weekend.

Worst soup flavor....EVER?

2010-07-26T08:10:00.003-04:00

Is it just me, or does this company need to take a serious look at their marketing strategy for this product?

For owl lovers!

2010-07-21T07:16:00.004-04:00

~NIGHT FLIGHT~

This was such a cute treasury! I love owls I'm so happy that my little one was included. There are really some beautiful, fun, whimsical items in here, so if you are an owl lover or if you know one, come check these out.

Who wants to be published?

2010-07-18T09:04:00.005-04:00

Would you like an opportunity to be a published artist/designer? Who wouldn't, right? It's time to start working on the AGLF (Artist's and Glassworker's Legal Fund) 2011 calendar and they need your submissions!

The AGLF is a co-operative that was organized to help independent artists and craftspeople with legal expenses ranging from fraud to copy write infringement; from creative property theft to malicious and frivolous lawsuits. All proceeds from the sale of this calendar will go directly to the Fund.

The 2010 calendar was a huge fund-raising success as well as a great opportunity to become published. I was proud to be one of the many independent artists included last year and I hope to be again this year.

Submission is open to ALL of the handmade arts so don't be afraid to show what you've got. If you're a ceramic artist, metal smith, jewelry designer, lampworker, beader, baker or candlestick maker...if you create beautiful things by hand, they want your pictures!

You can send your submissions in the form of 300 dpi images, as well as website and/or blog links and additional info here.

New Fairy Flowers colors!

2010-07-17T08:01:00.003-04:00

All available in my Etsy shop!

~Poppies~

~Cottage Rose~

~Twilight~

~Vintage~

~Wisteria~

This is JUST what I (almost) had in mind!

2010-07-16T08:38:00.006-04:00

I love seeing my beads used in ways that I wish I'd thought of myself! Here are a few designs that I thought turned out beautifully perfect.

You can find these and many more unique jewelry pieces at Lorelei Eurto's Etsy shop.

And this one! I love the blues and I was really excited to see a design using these glass rings. I love them, but had no idea how they could be incorporated into a design. Go check out this necklace and so many other pretties at the Pearl and Pebble Etsy shop.

Wish I were there......

2010-07-09T13:18:00.006-04:00

More bead baby follow-ups

2010-07-07T20:14:00.004-04:00

Another bead baby has been released. This big, fat hollow focal ended up in a gorgeous, long pendant made by Bobbi Moore. She sent me pictures of the finished project which is up on ebay right now, but I couldn't get them uploaded for some reason. Probably because my computer is an ancient piece of crap, but that's another story for another day.

Make sure you check out Bobbi's creation before it ends. You can find it here: Rio

Something pretty!

2010-06-30T07:01:00.004-04:00

~Jessica Earrings~

I love seeing where my bead babies end up. Aren't these earrings gorgeous? I love copper components but I never would have imagined these working with it (that, of course, is why I don't make jewelry).

Fortunately, Tari over at Pearl and Pebble could. The result: perfect, beachy little earrings. I wish I had them for my upcoming trip to the island!

Final push

2010-06-28T12:34:00.007-04:00

Do you have plans for Independence Day? Do you have a family tradition followed year after year, looked forward to with anticipation and remembered later with sweet nostalgia?

We always head to this quaint and quiet little coastal island for the the 4th. It's all about relax, recuperate and recharge while we're there. It's such a lazy, easy-going getaway. All we pack are swim suits, shorts, T's and flip-flops. Nothing to do and nowhere to go but lay on the sand, eat ice-cream and watch fireworks.

Heaven....

Before we leave for Utopia, I've been making a final push of new bead listings. I'm really happy with these designs - some new and some old - and I hope you'll like them, too.

~Organic Hollow Focal Set~

~Flower Fairy Discs~

~Sea Blossoms~

~Pink Flower Fairy Discs~

~Moonstone Discs~

Whatever your plans are - be safe, be happy and enjoy the day!

Too busy, no time to chat!

2010-06-25T10:22:00.003-04:00

~Rustic Rolos~

I can't even capture how cool the colors in these beads look!

Things have been so hectic around here - washing machine broke, dog got sick, lost iPod, beads got lost in the mail and had to be remade, many custom orders, swim meet, basketball game, nephew's car broke down, lawn mower broke. Seriously, I don't have time to chat right now. I do have some interesting things to share, cool shops to visit, fun things that I've bought - but that will have to wait until tomorrow. Sorry.

For now, it's just beads. I've got new things listed in my Etsy shop that you might want to check out. I'm also completely caught up on custom orders, so if there's anything you want or need, now's the time to let me know!

Look at all this great stuff!!!

2010-06-21T18:11:00.003-04:00

If you're a designer or just love to collect beads and findings in hopes of someday actually making a piece of jewelry (this is me), you need to head on over to Denise Yezbek Moore's blog. She's got one insane give-away going on right now!

Destashing. Seriously!

2010-06-16T06:35:00.008-04:00

Well, the kids are back from their vacation and so it's back to the same ol', same ol' for me. I'm getting up at 5:30 so I can get studio time in before it gets hot out. Connor has swimming 3x a week at 8:30 am and Anna has basketball the other 2 days. Meets and games on Saturdays, plus art camp and baseball camp. It's a little bit of a grueling schedule for summer but, since we aren't vacationing because of the economic situation (in our house) , I wanted to make sure the kids got to do something fun that would keep them busy and occupied.

I just didn't realize quite how busy and occupied it was going to keep me!

At least I managed to get some 'To Do' items scratched off my list while the little darlings were away. The most important one was me sorting through hundreds of beads that I've made and then tucked away - thinking I'd use them to make jewelry (ummm, yeah, right) or take to shows.

I've faced the truth about myslef, finally, and I realize that neither one of those things are going to happen so I've decided to release them into the wild.

Fly away, little beads, fly away.

The perfect Sunday...

2010-06-13T18:53:00.007-04:00

Monday Give Away Winner!

2010-06-12T16:43:00.003-04:00

Denise chose the blue wave links and requested that I etch them for her. I can't wait to see how they end up.

Congratulations to the Monday Give Away winner, Denise Moore!

I really want to thank everyone who participated and gave me feedback and critique. It's a huge help to get designer input and perspective. I like to make what I like to make and that won't change, but it's very helpful to know if there's some tweaking that I can do to make my beads more useable to those of you who, well, use them.

This so was so much fun and so helpful, I think I'll do it again. I've got some new design ideas brewing upstairs that I'm curious about. As soon as I get a chance to work them out, we'll have another give-away.

2010-06-12T15:08:00.005-04:00

GRAPHIQUE

I'm having a lazy Saturday.

The kids are away and Robert and I are living like newlyweds. We were supposed to go to the beach early this morning, do a little fishing on the river, take Tuck so he could play in the water, stop at our favorite fish camp on the way home for some wings and rock shrimp, ice-cold beer and sunset.

Really just a perfect day.

However, instead of the perfect day, we stayed out too late last night, played too much pool, listened to too much music and overslept this morning. We didn't get up until almost 8:30!!! By then, it was too late for fishing and we were feeling very, very lazy anyway.

So, I've frittered my day away watching the Star Trek movie (the latest one), eating popcorn and building the above treasury. I think it turned out very pretty.

Last day for the Give Away!

2010-06-11T10:11:00.004-04:00

It's the last day to weigh in on my give-away items from previous post. Thanks so much for all of the great critiques and input! Later this afternoon I'll be drawing a winner, so don't miss out!

I've also got some fun new items listed in my Etsy shop. I'm heading to the torch right now to get some work done while the kids are away at Grandma and Grandpa's house, but I wanted to share some quick pics.

Monday Give Away!

2010-06-07T09:22:00.002-04:00

Should I etch these?

Here's the deal. I tend to operate in something of a vacuum. I make beads because I enjoy the process of making them. I like color theory, I like trying out new glass, new designs, interesting shapes, etc... I'm very interested in the science of glass, but I don't really keep in mind that somebody is going to have to make something with all of the beads I produce.

Lately, I've really trimmed down my designs to make them more user-friendly. The beads are more streamlined and, I think, usable. But I'm not really sure.

I have questions.

So, I thought I'd put up some of my recent experiments here and try to get some feedback from jewelry designers. I want honest (but useful) critiques. I need this. It'll be good for me.

All you have to do to enter the Give Away is leave a comment with some feedback about these - or any other of my beads that you've seen. On Friday, I'll scientifically (name drawn from Tupperware container) choose a winner and that winner can then select whichever one they like from these four sets.

Pretty easy, huh?

Are these too plain? Etched or shiny?

Would you ever use something like this?

Do these look like bacon?

OK, that question is irrelevant. I was going for a petrified wood look, but I'm pretty confident that I achieved bacon.

Yummmmm, bacon!

Sunday Mornings

2010-06-06T08:46:00.005-04:00

Sundays are a gentle time at our house - the one day of the week where we aren't rushing, bickering, working, studying, bickering, etc...

But there is a routine. I get up early, usually around 6 a.m., I tend to all of the pets, and put the coffee on, then I do a little yoga stretching. If I'm in the mood, Tuck and I will go for a quick run.

If I'm not in the mood to run, I do what I did this morning. I take my coffee and my big, furry boy - my third child - out to the patio and I clean the pool.

I like this little chore, actually. It's so peaceful out there in the morning. The water birds are fishing at the edge of the lake where a soft breeze is usually blowing, the tree birds are singing, few cars are out on the roads and no child is calling for mom to do, find, get or make something for them. It's good exercise, too, but relaxing with it's slow, repetitive motions.

Tuck's a huge help...

Being good is just exhausting !

By the time we finish, everyone (except Tucker) is up and restless, ready to make a plan, ready to roll.

How do you spend your Sundays?

Just a swingin'

2010-06-03T10:27:00.003-04:00

Courtesy of Coastal Living, photo: Colleen Duffley

I'm having this!!!

Well, not this exact one, but a similar one. I've always wanted a patio swing bed and now I've got my chance. When my daughter was younger and used to have tons of sleepovers, I bought a beautiful, high-end futon for our family room so she and her friends could stay up late, watch tv and not be cramped into her bedroom. Now that she's older and sleepovers are more private (and rare) occasions, I've decided to appropriate the futon for my own use.

You may not know this, but I love to build things. I've built several pieces of furniture from scratch, converted others for better use and functionality and also created some more utilitarian items for my work area. So this is right up my creative alley!

I've drawn out my plans and this promises to be a pretty simple conversion, requiring only some extra supports, heavy-duty hardware, good quality rope and ingenuity. I think it'll make a perfect addition to the patio!

I'll share photos as soon as it's done.

Beads, anyone?

2010-06-02T12:58:00.007-04:00

~Eternity Wave~

Lots of new beads in my Etsy shop right now. With just 6 days of school left, I'm trying to stock up before the little darlings are released.

~Pink Gold~

~Tangerine Dream~

~Antiquity~

~Lagoon Spacers~

Thanks for looking!

Scenes from yesterday

2010-06-01T10:12:00.004-04:00

As always, we spent most of our Memorial holiday at the beach. This year, instead of showing all the photos I took, I thought I'd share some of Anna's. She snapped all of these with her little $30 Kodak point-and-click.

She hates having her own picture taken, but I did manage to capture one of her off-guard.

Never too grown up for ice cream!

Treasuries really work!

2010-05-27T18:29:00.003-04:00

Very reasonably prices, free shipping and so many beautiful and fun fabrics it was hard to choose!

Today I was in a treasury that included this adorable little item from Bitsnpiecesetc. I hardly ever buy anything for myself, but I fell in love with it and ordered two - one for me and one for Connor's teacher. I thought it would make a perfect little end-of-the-year gift for her, with a gift card tucked in the pocket. (although, seriously, what better gift could she possibly get than the fact that it is the end of the year?)

I love Etsy treasuries. I used to make them all the time. I loved the challenge of coming up with a theme and a fabulous name to match, of finding just those few perfect items among thousands, the fun of sending out sweet little notes to all the sellers included. It was quite a creative outlet.

Yes, I do realize that my entire life is a creative outlet, but this was an outlet from my outlet.

Anyway, I don't have the time to spend on treasuries anymore, but I still love being included in them. Not for marketing purposes or to try and make sales, but because it gives me an opportunity to be exposed to different artists and crafts people's creations. Creations that I probably wouldn't otherwise find on my own as I stumble around, clueless about searching tags, what's hot, what's trending, etc....

Dinner out

2010-05-26T07:07:00.009-04:00

I had a chance to get out and meet a new friend last night. When I heard jewelry designer Lorelei Eurto was going to be in town, I couldn't resist a chance to get together.

We'd exchanged beads and jewelry a few weeks ago and I became an instant fan of her work, so it was a happy coincidence that she was going to be working in Orlando for a few days. My friend and fellow Etsyian(er?), Kelly came along, too, because she covets my Lorelei bracelet and loves to meet new people (plus, it's always a bonus to escape the 'burbs in the middle of the week).

Kelly makes unique paper crafts, scrapbook kits and adorable vintage assemblages. You can find more like this in her Etsy shop, Gongy and Squish

Trying to get two kids out the door to different sports and make my way across town in rush hour traffic was a little tricky, but Lorelei was an angel. Her B&B was surrounded by restaurants and outdoor cafes. There was a soft, food-scented breeze whispering through the ancient oaks that line the street but, even though she was starving after a long day trapped at the museum, she patiently (only one desperate text!) waited for us. Thanks, Lorelei!

This is one of the funky, eclectic pieces in Lorelei's Etsy shop right now!

Anyway, we had a quick walk down a quaint brick street, ate relatively healthy food and had some good convo. It was a nice break from the daily grind and Kelly and I got tons of good advice and info. Plus, we got to make a new friend in the bargain.

Yay for cold winters!

2010-05-24T09:16:00.003-04:00

Thanks to the unusually cold Florida weather this winter, so many of my flowers that usually give me a hard time blooming in the spring are absolutely bursting!

My Hydrangeas - which typically make a huge plant but very few blossoms are exploding this spring.

And, to top things off, all but one of my bananas survived ....

and my pineapples are covered in yummy fruit! Yay!!!

There are twelve more just like these!

Spacey

2010-05-23T09:10:00.011-04:00

~Across the Universe~

You may have noticed that I've been making a lot of spacer type beads lately. Why? Well, for two reasons, I guess.

For one, I've had quite a few custom orders for smallish colored spacers. Jewelry designers seem to be looking for simpler, reasonably priced beads to use in their designs, as well as pricier elaborate focals.

Secondly, (and this is probably the more important reason since I can only make what I like to make, not what I'm told to make) I've been having so much fun blending custom colors lately, I'm loving the opportunity to showcase them in these simple styles. (*note to self: "um..run on sentence much, Laurie?")

Here are some of the ones I'm offering in my Etsy shop right now. You don't want to miss out on these! Every one is done in premium, hand-blended color combos 'cause if I'm making spacers, you betta believe I'm making the best, prettiest, most unique damn spacers on the planet!

Summer calling

2010-05-12T09:45:00.006-04:00

Beach Baubles on eBay

After spending a gorgeous day at the beach on Mother's Day, I'm feeling very summery this week. I've put several items on 'Clearance' in my Etsy shop. I also have lots of new beads listed in both Etsy and on eBay. Come take a peek!

New Organic Essentials in my Etsy shop

In my mailbox!

2010-05-11T09:39:00.003-04:00

Ask me how much I love this bracelet?

I wanted to share one of my new favorite things. Isn't this gorgeous?

A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to make a trade with Lori Eurto of Lorelei's Jewelry - some of my beads for one of her wonderful pieces. (Did you know that a 'lorelei' is another name for a mermaid?)

I love getting a package that's as beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside!

I hardly ever wear jewelry, but when I do, it's a bracelet. I love chunky, eclectic pieces with unique details and that's just what her jewelry provides - beautiful, artisan elements joined together in perfect harmony.

Thanks, Lori!

Sound of silence...

2010-05-06T09:25:00.011-04:00

Do you ever have periods of time where you just want to be quiet? Does the effort of talking, discussing, recounting experiences ever just seem to be too much work?

Well, that's how I've felt for the last couple of weeks. I just had no desire to communicate. I mean, sure, everyday conversations with family and friends I could manage. Those necessary words that must be spoken.

But I had no desire to hear myself or read any words I'd written. With blogs and Twitter and Facebook I just feel like I spend way too much time putting myself out there. It's exhausting, quite frankly. I didn't feel like promoting my work, sharing my thoughts or talking about 'what's going on' right now. I didn't even have a strong desire to talk about other people's work, lives and activities. So I had myself a little break and the time away was good. Cleansing, I guess.

In the meantime, I've been working. Working in my garden, working on my house, working on my friendships and working on....well, my work. I've even managed to get some new things listed on Etsy, too!

~A Walk in the Clouds~

~More Beach Baubles~

(I can't stop making these. I'm addicted to custom-blending my own glass colors and I'm fascinated by the results)

~Moody Blues~

~Organic Essentials - Rare Earth~

~Organic Essentials - Fresh~

Lampwork pricing - any thoughts?

2010-04-23T09:34:00.010-04:00

Well, I have some. This is getting to be a hot topic among many lampwork beadmakers and everyone has their opinions and input. The debate is whether or not some lampworkers are cheapening all of us and destroying the marketplace by grossly underpricing their work, just to make sales in this poor economy.

It's true - there are a LOT of cheap beads out there right now. The market's glutted with unanealled, sub-par sweatshop garbage from China that cracks when you breath on it. There are also piles of bad lampwork from amatuers who are just out to make a buck and care nothing about the quality of their product.

Then, there are the rest of us.

Those of us who do this for a living by choice - because we love this ancient artform and because the worst day behind the torch is better than the best day behind a desk. We don't do it to get rich, that's for damn sure. We do it because the passion to create in this meduim - to grow and learn and innovate - is something so strong that it just won't be denied.

And, yes, lot's of us do also earn our living from this passion. We pay for our kids braces, pet vaccinations, autism treatment, food and rent with the money we earn. And so, because we must earn, we must price according to what the market will bear.

vs.

This is an example of how the market has changed. The first set of beads sold for nearly 10x the price that the second set sold for. Same basic beads, same glass, same beadmaker, same sales venue. Whatta ya gonna do?

Believe me, I don't want my work under-valued any more than the next person. I know how hard this work is, how many hours I spend in my hot studio in the relentless (almost endless) Florida summer with sweat running down my face, pouring water down my throat as fast as I can to make up the difference. I know how much time and effort and love I put into each bead I make and I know the cost and quality of the materials I use.

However, I also know that there's a jewelry designer out there somewhere who's struggling in this economy, too. And I understand that this is a partnership. She loves making jewelry as much as I love making beads but if she can't sell her designs, then she can't buy more beads. If she can't buy my beads, then I can't keep making them. Then we both end up in a cubicle somewhere, browsing Etsy on our lunchbreak, thinking to ourselves, "That used to be me." (I'm actually thinking, "I coulda been a contender" but that's a movie reference I'm not sure everyone is going to be able to recall and I don't want people thinking I'm all crazy and stuff.)

That's just not an option for me. I'd rather cut prices in half for now (and I have) to make this work than to go back to 9 to 5-ing it.

So, in order to keep this machine running until the economy rights itself, we're going to have to work together. Beadmakers need to keep prices fair and reasonable - without trying to undercut the competition - and designers need to hang in there and stick with high-quality artisan work instead of jumping ship for the cheap stuff, no matter how tempting it might be.

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on this issue.

Latest tip

2010-04-22T13:08:00.003-04:00

Never, under any circumstances - even if your garage studio is well over 90 degrees and you feel like you're going through 'The Change' - should you sit down at the torch in shorts and a tank top.

NEVER!!!!

omg, my leg hurts...that's the shockiest glass I've ever used...I look like I've got chicken pox! Where the hell did I put that aloe vera last summer?

Officially flip-flop season!

2010-04-14T11:09:00.005-04:00

This is, of course, a pointless announcement to me due to the fact that I always wear flip-flops. Unless I'm going out - in which case I delve deep into my shoe stash for a pair of my fabulous but rarely seen in public, super-expensive strappy sandals. This almost never happens anymore.

It's sad, really.

Anyway, in celebration of the season, I've loaded up my Etsy shop with several sets of flip-flop beads. These are made to order, too, so if you like them but want them in a different color combo, just let me know and I'll whip them up for you.

Speaking of whipping things up... When the weather turns perfect like it has this week, we sort of move outdoors to enjoy the fleeting moment of weather perfection. Spring in Florida is sunny and breezy, the birds are everywhere, the air is warm but dry. It's like Southern California, only green!

So, when the weather lightens up, so does the food. It seems like we eat seafood at least three times a week and shrimp is one of our favorites. So, I thought I'd share one of my 'go-to' shrimp recipes. It's super simple, really an awesome little marinade that adds just enough flavor to taste, but not overpower.

It's really versatile, too. You can cook them up and serve them as a 'peel and eat', you can skewer and grill them, you can throw them in with pasta or rice (or if you're a true southerner, toss them on top of a nice pile of grits, cheesy or otherwise).

Corona Lime Marinade

1 tbs.olive oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1 tbs. minced garlic

1 tsp. Old Bay or Adobo

1 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro

3-4 shakes of crushed red pepper ( I use a little more 'cause I like hot stuff!)

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk your ingredients and then add

1/3 cup Corona

Pour it into a plastic freezer bag or dish with a cover. Add 1 1/2 pounds of shrimp that has been peeled and deveined, but with the tails intact. Stir it together so everything is coated and then pop it in the fridge for about an hour.

If you decide to grill it, then, that's it. Throw it in a griller pan or onto some bamboo skewers and cook it up in less than five minutes.

But, if you decide to make it in a skillet, you're in for a nice surprise. Just pour it into your wok or skillet - marinade and all - with a little plop of butter and cook very quickly, just until it pinks up. The marinade thickens and you'll end up with a gorgeous, saucy pile of shrimp that's heaven on it's own, over angel hair, linguine, rice, in a salad - really, whatever you want to buddy it up it with.

It has such a fresh flavor with just a hint of spicyness. Yumm!!! I think I'll make this tonight.

I hate to laugh, but....

2010-04-06T13:26:00.007-04:00

I stayed up too late last night watching stand-up acts on YouTube. I'm not much of a YouTube utilizer, but there are certain videos and comedians that I can only catch there - like one of my favorites, Russell Brand. He's been touched by the American PR wand lately because of his whole link-up with Katy Perry of whom I am not a particular fan. Not a hater, just lukewarm on her work, I guess. I mean, 'I kissed a girl..." and all that? Well, um, who hasn't? kidding

I only became familiar with Brand a couple of years ago when he snatched the spotlight from that formulaic comedy super-star, Adam Sandler in 'Bedtime Stories'. After I watched that movie (with my kids, obviously), I had to come home and look him up. PRONTO!

He has the same dark-eyed sexiness with a quirky twist that Johnny Depp has, only without the sometimes awkward-making level of intensity (plus, Russell Brand is considerably taller). He's slick and witty, but also quite honest and self-effacing in his humor.

In fact, there are times in his act when I feel uncomfortable about laughing. Yes, I am aware that laughing is the point of it and he's very cool and beautiful and sexy and 'most stylish' and 'best shagger' and all, but he also has this vulnerability that makes me feel bad - like he was maybe a dorky kid and he's overcompensating for it now. I sometimes end up feeling like I'm laughing at him and not with him. I don't like laughing at other people - it makes me feel bad.

image courtesy of: www.myparkmag.co.uk/

Spring...

2010-04-04T08:26:00.003-04:00

Poor indeed is the garden in which birds find no homes.

- Abram L. Urban

What's hot?

2010-04-01T16:56:00.004-04:00

My torch, my kiln and my studio, that's what! I've been working like crazy the last couple of weeks. Nothing like taking a month off to recharge the creative batteries.

I decided to list some of my Organic Essentials on eBay this week, just to see what might happen. I'll be adding a couple of more sets and a handful of focals throughout the weekend, so check back!

I've thrown some new things into my Etsy shop as well. Come by and take a peek.

And, because you're such good readers, I'll tell you a little secret - I'm listing SIX new small sets of beachy and BoHo beads in my shop tonight. And guess what...they'll all have free shipping to celebrate summer. Yes, it's summer here now and I'm in a fantastalistic mood. All that sunshine, ya know.

Tip of the week

2010-03-31T09:01:00.005-04:00

This is my BFF, Perry. And, no, I am not a sad, lonely, phsycotic beadmaker (although I am something of a quiet loner, the neighbors all say). It's a paring knife - hence 'Perry'- and when it comes to lampworking, I've found few tools of better value and greater usefullness . Perry is one of those things I wish I'd known about right off the bat and regret all the wasted time we spent apart.

He's not a 'trade secret'. Most lampworker's have a trusty little knife that they use on a regular basis, but it's not something you think about when you first start out. I didn't figure it out until at least 2 years into this adventure, so I thought I'd share this knowledge with anyone out there who doesn't already know.

If you do already know, move along, there's nothing here to see.

I picked Perry up at the Goodwill (for God's sake, don't tell my daughter I referred to the Goodwill in my blog. She'll, like, totally die of humiliation). He used to travel around with us in our travel trailer (back before the travel trailer was crashed and ruined in an ironic twist of fate that I won't go into here). He's small but powerful, incredibly sharp,very pointy and, best of all, I paid about 25 cents for him.

He and I have been collaborating at the torch for about 2 years now and have spent much quality time together. He's truly my most fab BFF.

Here are some of the things he and I have made together.

Perfect for cutting seashell spirals and adding ruffle-edge elements

Impossible to make this bead without Perry. Essential for cutting spiral lines and utilizing Michael Barley's (freaking genius, that guy!!!) 'baleen' technique

No optic molds for me. No way, never make it easy. Every indent and petal is hand-cut.

Perfect for a poke in the eye,drawing down the brow, shaping a beak, or making feathers.

Again with the 'baleen'. Pretty, ain't it?

I'd heard that there's a new tutorial out there, teaching this internal, stacked spiral technique. Perry and I have been doing it for years and I didn't realize it was such a big secret. I should have written it down, I guess. Oh well, it's really not about the money...

These are just a few of things we've made. There really are an endless variety of tools that you can buy, try and then stack back on the shelf, but I think simple things are best. Sure, there are a dozen different tools I could accumulate that would probably end with the same results - and probably much faster, too. But I like doing things this way. It makes me feel more connected to my work - less like a production robot and more like a true artisan.

Which brings up a commercial I saw on TV that's been annoying the hell out of me.

What's 'artisan bread', supposed to be anyway?

Bunnies fly the coop...

2010-03-30T12:35:00.003-04:00

...or hutch.

A good day, but a little sad. Two of the bunnies, Stairs and Star, found a new home today. I'm happy because the family that took them already has a rabbit and knows how to care for them. They got to go together, so they won't be lonely. That's good.

But those were the two that Connor loved best. He would sit with Star on his lap, playing video games and hanging out. He loved that little bunny.

And Stairs, the escape artist, everyone's little sweetheart. He crawled out of the cage when he was just 2 days old and got lost. We found him after an hour, miles (in bunny measurement) away from the cage, icy cold and grey. We were sure he'd die, but, no. He was a tough one and pulled through. Always the most curious and always the first to go exploring, the spirit of adventure is strong in him.

So, I get to face my little guy when he gets home from school and teach him yet another lesson on loss. But, at least this time, he was somewhat prepared for it.

Live long and prosper, babies.

Finally working again

2010-03-25T09:15:00.005-04:00

After many weeks of mishaps, injuries and unforseen 'emergencies', I'm finally back at to regular torching sessions.

How many wierd things can happen in a single month, you ask? A lot, apparently. I mean, seriously:

1. Fridge dies

2. Back goes out and leaves me on the couch and with limited mobility for almost 3 weeks. Actually fainted from the pain, fell down and cracked my elbow on the dresser. Awakened to find large, slobbery dog globbing up my face with his big, stinky tongue. Gross, to say the least.

3. Rabbit has babies, AGAIN, adding even more stress

4. computer crashes and cannot be repaired. Lost all contact with outside world. Also lost many pics, contact info, forms, templates, etc...

5. had to go out of town for 4 days for work

6. custom order went very, very wrong and ate up many hours of time. No more custom orders.

7. new fridge must be replaced - this sucked. Can't believe how much hassle it is to move in and out of a refrigerator. Twice. How do people manage to move out of entire houses? I'm never leaving this house. Never. Ever.

So, whatever. All is well now and I've been chugging away, trying to relearn this strange and mysterious art of 'lampworking' all the kids are talking about. Hold a tiny, thin metal wire and spin liquid glass onto it into shapes and designs that actually look like something, all while huddled over a hissing, searing stream of fire? Crazy talk, I say.

Anyway, here's what I've got on eBay this week. More is coming but this is a start.

By the way, does anyone need a bunny?

Make way for ducklings...

2010-03-23T21:06:00.008-04:00

Of course, they're not actually ducklings. They're big, orange, fabulously homely Sandhill crane babies and they like to wander around my back yard. Aren't they adorable? I love spring!!!

You don't want to get too close to them, though, or Daddy will take your eye out with his gigantic beak. These cranes are over 4 feet tall and quite fiesty, even when they're not busy being over-protective parents.

Made it into Stringing Magazine!

2010-03-15T14:15:00.007-04:00

I almost forgot!!! A selection of my little woodland animal beads are featured in the Spring issue of Stringing Magazine.

How fun is that?

New bead sets...

2010-03-15T09:13:00.004-04:00

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Lot's and lot's and lot's of rain here, as I suspect there was everywhere.

I've been busy working on new bead sets so I've got several new listings on eBay.

Becoming....

2010-03-09T10:28:00.006-05:00

I remember when we made this birdhouse together, my daughter and I. It hung so bright and shiny in the cypress tree where we could see it easily from any point in the back yard. Such an innocent time, when she still looked forward to doing things together, when I was really her closest friend and most reliable confidant.

When I asked her about her day and she told me.

That was years ago. It’s old now and no birds ever lived there. The paint is worn. The wood is decaying and the chain is rusted. The bottom fell out two summers ago.

I know that time passes and children grow up. That’s the way it should be and I love watching her change, becoming more and more the person she’ll be as an adult. But I worry.

She’s twelve now and her life isn’t as easy as it used to be. She’s caught in that shadowy, confusing time where up is sideways and black is grey. I think she’s a little lost – trying too hard to grow up, to move into this new phase, to shed her old self and become someone entirely new. I’m not sure how to help her find herself, how to make her understand that her old self is wonderful and beautiful and that her friendship is a treasure.

She’s stoic but really an open book, willing to put herself out there but so easily hurt - always young for her age, a little socially awkward but such a sweet, loving girl. Some of these new ‘friends’ she’s trying to make are so different from her. They’re hipper, more savvy, have already moved forward in so many ways. She wants to be like them, be with them, be accepted by them and this is what I most worry about.

I can see her making mistakes and I want to step in – intervene and fix it the way I did when she was little but I know I can’t do that every time. Things are different now and she’s not a baby. The world is bigger than she ever realized and this is something that she’ll have to learn, to accept, to deal with. It’s just so hard, watching it happen. Not knowing when or where to jump in. How much is too much? When to push and when to step back? These are hard questions.

But then, these are hard times.

If I were a .....

2010-03-03T19:27:00.009-05:00

If I were a month I'd be September
If I were a day I'd be Saturday
If I were a time of day I'd be deepest night

If I were a sea animal I would be a mermaid

If I were a planet I would be Saturn
If I were a direction I would be due South
If I were a piece of furniture I would be a hammock, swinging in the breeze

If I were a liquid I would be the sea

If I were a gemstone I would be an amethyst
If I were a tree I would be a river willow
If I were a flower I would be a peony

If I were an element of weather I would be a summer storm

If I were a tool I would be a torch
If I were a musical instrument I would be a violin
If I were a color I would be the softest sea blue-green

If I were an element I would be water

If I were an emotion I would be resolve
If I were a fruit I would be a lime
If I were a facial expression I would be a single arched eyebrow

If I were a sound I would be trees blowing in a high wind

If I were a car I would be a jeep (or a Jag)
If I were a food I would be a pineapple
If I were a material I would be cotton batik

If I were a place I would be the beach

If I were a taste I would be spicy hot with a hint of sweetness
If I were a scent I would be amber and sandalwood
If I were a body part I would be hands

If I were a song I would be 'Melt With You'

If I were a bird I would be an osprey
If I were a gift I would be wrapped in the funny pages
If I were a street I would Lombard Street
If I were a city I would be a hidden treasure, written up in a travel magazine

If I were a pair of shoes I would be flip-flops

My thanks to Lori and to Pearl and Pebble - wonderful blogs that I 'borrowed' this from. Please, take this and fill it out for yourself and then pass it on to your friends. It's such a wonderful way to take a minute and think about yourself - about who you are and what you're about

....for a change

Important, true thoughts

2010-03-03T10:27:00.002-05:00

It is true that whenever a person loves a dog he derives great power from it.

~Old Seneca Chief

Birthdays, Bad Backs, and Baby Bunnies

2010-02-25T13:40:00.003-05:00

Well, here I am again. It's been a long two weeks, I have to say.
Where have I been? Here. Right here. The whole time.

First, my back went out. I have a bad back but it's been a long time since I've had a really serious flare-up. I'm not sure if this time around was the worst or if it's just because it's been so long since it's acted up that I forgot how debilitating it can be. It literally flattened me. I was in bed for days and barely moving for the last week and a half. Today was my first day back at the torch.

Of course, in the meantime we've celebrated three birthdays - mine and both of the kids all in one week. I can't hardly believe the kids are 12 and 8. How did that go by so fast, I wonder?

Speaking of time flying by, how about those baby bunnies? This litter is going strong and they're so cute you can hardly stand it. Such funny little faces. Such tiny, perky little ears. Such big feet! The one in the picture is my special favorite. Now, I need to work on finding good, safe homes for them.

Oh yeah, and on top of everything else, my computer was horribly infected by a Trojan horse virus and is still out of action. I'm borrowing the kid's for now. So, even if I had been working, there wouldn't have been any pictures or listings or communication. One thing after another.

But, trying to keep a 'glass half full' attitude, I'll tell you that my new fridge (the one that I had to sacrifice my ski trip to buy) is working beautifully.

There's always a bright side. Sometimes you just have to look a little harder to see it.

New Beads

2010-02-11T12:34:00.005-05:00

I've been a busy little bee in the studio lately, but I haven't been taking many pictures. My camera is in the process of dying a slow and lingering death. I'm hoping (begging) for a new Nikon digital SLR for my birthday (which is in just a few days!) but until then, you and I will just have to put up with my yuck photos.

I have a few new focals and sets that I'm going to be listing on eBay - maybe - or Etsy in the next couple of days.

~Prom Night~

this one's actually listed on eBay right now. With no bids. None.

~Mermaid's Garden~

I'm crazy about this one. The color and texture are extremely cool.

(Don't you like how I talk about my beads like someone else made them, like totally shameless self-promotion?)

~Deep Water~
~Tide Pools~

Thanks for looking!

Mmmmmm, Bead Soup!

2010-02-10T06:24:00.022-05:00

When I received my ingredients from Maire Dodd, I knew almost immediately what I'd cook up. I'm a Florida girl now and absolutely live for the sound of the ocean, but one thing I miss so much about the Midwest is autumn. I yearn for the intense, crystal blue skies, the smell of burning leaf piles and all of the earthy color of the season.

Whenever September arrives down here and the season fails (once again) to change, I have such a sense of nostalgia...total awareness of the passing of my days and of the memories of my childhood that have - thankfully - mellowed and improved with age. So, when I saw the beautiful focal that Mary Jane made and the pretty little spacers and copper components, I knew I'd be making something just for myself - something eclectic, a little bit funky, casual.

Something for September.

Thanks to Lori, for organizing the party. I've discovered so many beautiful, inspiring, creative, funny, thoughtful blogs that I might never have found if not for this. And now, I can't wait to go and visit the rest of the partygoers and see what they came up with. Here's a list of all the participants so you can come along.

1. Lori, An Artists Year Off

2. Mallory, For the Love of Beads

3. Terri, Blooming Ideas

4. Cindy, Sweet Bead Studio

5. Lorelei, Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio

6. Kerry, Kab's Creative Concepts

7. Erin, Treasures Found

8. Jeannette, Jeannette Blix Wire and Metal Jewelry

9. Adrienne, Adrienne Designs

10. Nan, Spirit Rattles

11. Laurel, Rue's Daftique

12. Nancy, Beading From the Heart

13. Mary, MK's Creative Musings

14. Cassie, The Glass Beadle

15. Dot, Winchell Clayworks

16. Sharon, Sharon's Jewelry Garden

17. Lisa, Lo and Behold

18. Norma, Bead Dreams and Moonlit Fantaseas

19. Judith, Judith B.

20. Debbie, Prairie Emporium

21. Maria, Garden Path Beads

22. Susan, Kaplan Creations Jewelry and Glass Design

23. Melissa, Melissa Meman: Art, Love, Life

24. Marianna, Pretty Shiny Things

25. Lisa, Joolz by Lisa

26. Cristi, 2 If By Sea

27. Sandra, Marbella Jewelry Design

28. Maria, Greene Earth Originals

29. Barbara, Jewelry of Distinction

30. Leslie, Bei Mondi

31. Loretta, Designs by Loretta

32. Linda, Bella Bead Jewelry

33. Kathie, The Bead Cult

34. Patty, Plays With Fire

35. Nicki, Nicki's Reef

36. Anne Marie, Heart's Desire

37. Mary, Mary Harding Jewelry

38. Jayne, Mama's Got to Doodle

39. Emanda, Artemesia's Studio

40. Whitney, Whitney Lassini

41. Marcie, La Bella Joya

42. Suzann, Beadphoria

43. Jen, Jen Judd Rocks

44. Julie, Credit River Art Glass

45. Janiece, J Birds Garden

46. Kate, Organic Odysseys

47. Laurie, The Mermaid Tale

48. Michelle, My Crazy Crafty Adventure

49. Sue, Sue Beads

50. Janeen, Wild Vanilla Designs

51. Nancy, The Rabbit Muse

52. Kristie, Artisan Clay

53. Regina, Regina's Writings

54. Tari, Pearl and Pebble

55. Lyn, Lyn Foley

56. Beth, Sunshine Daydreamz

57. Cathryn, Chile Cats

58. Emma, Fred Bean's Nook

59. Connie, Cetta Cheese Chatter

60. Juli, Jul's Beads

61. Julie, RockerJewlz

62. Libby, LibbyLeu and Glass Too

63. Melanie, Earthenwood Studio Chronicles

64. Katie, My Life and My Beads

65. Zuleykha, Zuleykha's Polymer Clay

66. Rekella, Me But a Little More in Depth

67. Ricki, What's New at Ricki Voges Design

68. Lisa, Lucid Moon Studio

69. Jo, Daisychain Jewellery

70. Lynette, Rock Hill Designs

71. Lynne, Island Girl's Insights

72. Chas, One Woman's Haven

73. Ruthie, Rose Works Jewelry

74. Elizabeth, Turquoise Sky

75. Maire, Maire Dodd

76. Janet, Singing Woods

77. Eileen, Dorset Hill Beads

78. Julie, Miss Kitten's Jewels

79. Joann, Jo's Jewels

80. Patti, PJ Clark Designs

81. Mel, Kookie Designs

82. Erin, Every Heart Crafts

83. Dale, Flights of Fancy

84. Dee, Runako Designs

Too good to miss!

2010-02-06T13:01:00.004-05:00

OK, I'm getting ready to leave for a camping trip (yes, camping!), but I have some beads that are so special and so completely, perfectly beautiful, that I wanted to let you preview them before they actually get listed.

Most of you know that I'm pretty modest and very objective about my own beads but these are so pretty, so delicate and light that I can hardly resist keeping them for myself. If I didn't KNOW that they'd just end up in the dish on my dresser and be completely wasted, I'd keep them.

Anyway, here they are. They'll be going up on eBay later this evening.

*FAIRY FLIGHT*~

Cleaning out the stash!

2010-02-02T09:08:00.003-05:00

I've got some new things coming but, in the meantime, I'm clearing out a lot of old beads. Some are perfect but some are wonky, confusing and downright imperfect. They're all sound, useable beads, though - annealed, cleaned and made with premium glass.

The first thing I've listed is on eBay for a starting price of just 99 cents!!! It's a lot of over 100 silver glass beads. The profits from this lot and the others that I'll be listing will go towards a fundraising project of my daughter's, a local animal rescue center. It's a good cause, so come check it out!

Silver Glass Orphans

This and That

2010-02-01T09:30:00.003-05:00

I haven't been very good about blogging lately, I know. Things are just hectic. So, I thought I'd do a condensed version of what's been going on.

First of all, happy birthday to my Mom today. We're into February, which is known as The Birthday Month around here. My mom is February 1st, I'm the 17th, Connor is the 22nd and Anna is the 23rd. Very poor planning on our part, I must admit. Crazy times.

Strawberry picking a couple of weeks ago. Florida amazes me. One week, everything is frozen and things are turning brown and it looks like we'll never make it back to the beach. Then, a few days later, the kids come home from the strawberry fields with these and a lot more just like them. Of course, I still need to spend a week cleaning up the yard, cutting things back, hauling lawn debris to the compost pile and replacing plants, but, at least I have strawberry shortcake.

Connor got glasses. That's been a big help. When he got them he threw his hands in the air and yells, "Yeah! Glasses!!!" Kids? I don't know.

Tucker grew up. I refer to him as 'My Little Pony' now. He's not even six months old and he already weighs almost sixty pounds. It's ridiculous. He walks us now, not the other way around!

And, of course, the fridge died. The day I was going to put the deposit down on our ski house rental, it just decided it was done. It had already been repaired 3x and didn't actually work right anyway so it had to be replaced. Of course, the new one cost - almost to the penny - what we were planning to spend on our trip. So, no skiing this year. Very sad. Better luck next year, I guess.

What I got!

2010-01-28T09:11:00.005-05:00

I got my beads for the Bead Soup party in the mail a couple of days ago and I wanted to share them with you.

Isn't this just a gorgeous focal assemblage? It was handmade by Mary Jane who makes the most amazing, interesting, unique jewelry. She maintains a beautiful blog that you can visit at http://mairedodd.blogspot.com/.

It may come as a surprise to those of you who know me, but I actually can't wait to get started on my jewelry piece. I'm not much of a designer - mostly because I can't ever make a decision regarding what beads to use, how many, what color, bracelet or pendant, etc.... but I think I can handle this one. I already have a plan.

Some Valentine pretties

2010-01-23T14:57:00.006-05:00

I'm not making much in the way of sets lately, but I did have a few Valentine beads that I wanted to share. They're adorable and perky and girly - three things that I am really not. Hmmm....maybe that's why I like them....

They're all available right now in my Etsy Shop:

Bead Soup party contribution

2010-01-21T09:54:00.003-05:00

I only have about 47 seconds before I need to run out and make a bunch of beads but I wanted to share my contribution to the Bead Soup party. The party is a fun little undertaking that pairs up participants who then exchange a focal, clasp and spacer beads and try to come up with a worthy design.

This is my contribution: Some pewter and ss beads and clasp, abalone discs, a whole bunch of my Organic Essentials beads and one gorgeous focal that I made especially for my partner in my favorite combo - copper green and Double Helix Aurae.

Hope my Mary Jane likees!

Waaay back week!

2010-01-13T10:42:00.003-05:00

It's Waaaay Back week on Facebook. The deal is, you change your profile picture to one from way back (obviously).

It sounded like fun, so I thought I'd do it. I didn't realize how hard it would be to find an old picture of me. Or a new one, for that matter. I'm the one behind the camera 99% of the time. I actually force my family to get a portrait done once a year, just so I'll make sure I have a photograph of myself occasionally, to look back on in my dotage.

So, anyway, here's my choice. It's from my very first trip down to the Islands. I was in Jamaica on Spring Break in 1989 with my friend, Colleen. It was cool to look back. Very cool to be reminded of what my actual hair color is (was). :)

More bunny news

2010-01-11T10:36:00.002-05:00

Well, I had to break down and hand-feed the babies. All the reading I've done said that this was an absolute last-ditch effort, that more harm could come than good, but the mother was definitely not feeding them, she had no milk whatsoever and they were basically shriveling up into nothing.

So I did it. I'll keep you updated.

In the meantime, I wanted to share some of the new beads I've been working on lately. That will take my mind off of sweet little defenseless bunnies for awhile.

These are all listed on Etsy:

New Organic Essentials!

~Adrift~

~Pink Dream~

Babby bunnies

2010-01-11T06:36:00.003-05:00

Well, yesterday morning began with quite a surprise. Baby bunnies! Violet Bunnygirl shall hereby be known as 'Maxwell McBoy'.

So, yesterday, when he was feeding the rabbits, Connor suddenly races into the kitchen yelling his head off, "Mommy, there's babies in there. Violet and Blackie had babies in there!!!"

I, of course, was skeptical, "No, it's probably just apple slices from last night. Sometimes they don't eat them all."

"No, there's BABIES in there!"

So now I'm getting worried. And a little bit queasy. And a lot horrified. I go check.

Damn it!

There's babies in there! And they are not cute and they are not furry and they are quite possibly dead. Oh no. I think they're all dead.

But, they're not. There are six of them and they are spread out all around and underneath the wire rack in the cage, they are icy cold and they are barely moving. I quickly run to the Internet, to the House Rabbit Society website to see what I can see. I follow the instructions, get the father (Violet) out, make a warm, cozy nest box, move the babies in and relocate the entire cage to a quiet area, covering it with a large beach towel for privacy.

The kids are excited about these events but they are practical. They've already lost a puppy this year, unexpectedly and in very bad way. They know about baby animals and the survival rate. Connor qualifies every statement about the babies with the words, "If they don't die." Anna refuses to bond at first, but, as the day goes by, I can see her interest building. She has chosen her favorite and can't seem to help herself from it. A big, sleek black and white one that looks just like the mother. (They have no fur yet, but their skin already holds the colors they will grow into.)

We have to run some errands. When we get home, we check on the babies. One has died. The kids are sad, but they understand. That one never looked quite healthy. It was expected. They prepare a little box, bury him out in the pet cemetery and perform the brief ceremony.

I continue to check on the babies through the night. They seem fine. They are pink and plump, so I have to assume they're o.k. Finally, I go to sleep.

I wake up at 5:00 this morning and check the babies. Another has died. It's the big, freckled brown and white one. My special one. I double check him but he is gone. I prepare his little box and wait for the kids to get up. They'll want to tell him good-bye.

It's almost time for the kids to get up for school. I check the babies again. Another one is gone. It's the big black and white one. Anna's baby.

Damn it.

What's wrong with this picture?

2010-01-08T10:01:00.005-05:00

These are pineapples, that's what!!!

My kid's tire swing doesn't really look very inviting either, does it? Apparently someone doesn't realize this is Florida...

Party, Party, Party!

2010-01-06T15:35:00.003-05:00

How much fun does this sound?

Lori Anderson of Pretty Things is hosting this 'virtual' party and I thought it sounded like a lot of fun. All you have to do is go here, to Lori's blog for information on joining in.

Basically, participants get paired up and the two of you exchange bead kits which will include a focal, some coordinating spacers and a special clasp. Then, it's a free-for-all of creativity. Just see what you can come up with. Everybody will post pics of their completed project on their blogs on Feb.1 (my mom's birthday!).

I'm not really much of a joiner, but I'm going to give it a shot.

Trying something new

2010-01-01T08:01:00.007-05:00

Do you all have your resolutions carefully thought out and safely tucked away? Did you save them somewhere easily accessible where you can look at them every day? Because I think that might be the key to achieving them.

Every year I make out my list of aspirations and resolutions - all of my bright and shiny goals for the new year. And every year I half-keep them in mind.

But I don't usually go back and revisit the file where they're stored very often, probably only once or twice during the year, including the week after Christmas when I'm going through a frenzy of prep and organization for the upcoming year. And by then, it's too probably too late to travel to New Zealand or learn to play the piano.

Still, I typically get quite a few more mundane items accomplished, even if it's only because they're things that are relevant to my every day life. This year, though, I was shocked by how incomplete the 'completed' column was. Because I'm getting old and because my kids are growing up, the time is racing by at an uncontrollable pace. I can't slow it down. I can't even keep track of it's passing, some days thinking it's Wednesday when it's already Friday. It's terrible and frightening. I have lots of things to do still with my life. I need to pay more attention to that and less attention to doing the laundry and loading the dishwasher.

In fact, that's one of my resolutions: To spend more time accomplishing goals and less time worrying about the trivial details.

Not that clean clothes and sanitary eating surfaces are trivial. It's just that they probably aren't as important... oh... say, finishing that book I started writing 3 years ago, taking my daughter on a hot air balloon ride, or helping build a house for Habitat for Humanity.

Know what I mean?

So to help keep me on track to fulfilling the absolutely limitless potential that life holds, I will be keeping New Years Resolutions - 2010.doc open on my desktop, every day of the year. When I turn on my computer in the morning, immediately following the opening of To Do.doc, I will open my Resolutions and review them, with all intention of completing every single item on it within the time frame allotted.

I think it's going to work. I'll keep you updated.

Slooooow down

2009-12-18T06:37:00.005-05:00

I can't believe it's down to the wire! I mean, all the buildup, all the waiting, all the hype and traffic and marathon shopping sprees and now it's almost here. The older I get, the faster Christmas arrives and the less like an 'EVENT' it seems and more like something I need to write down in my organizer so I don't forget about it. I know, I know....that's just how it goes. Everyone feels that time goes too fast and that they're overscheduled.

But I'm not everyone. It bothers me to see my life racing past in a flurry of packing lunchboxes, doing laundry, running errands, cleaning bunny cages, taking kids to practices and making beads. (O.K., I actually don't mind to beadmaking, but the rest of it is just so..... so.)

What about all the stuff in the middle?

When do we get to do all the other stuff. The cool stuff. Where is the 'beef' of life, if you will. I've been thinking about that these last couple of weeks and so I'm determined to enjoy these holidays and not spend them stressed out, racing around town trying to make everything perfect. Last year, we got so busy we didn't even have time to make the gingerbread house, for crying out loud.

I'm done shopping and I'm going to get everything wrapped today while the kids are enjoying the last day of school. Then, we're going to just unplug. We're going to take a couple of little road trips to visit places I've been wanting to see for a while. We're going to do some Christmas crafts, make that gingerbread house, cook up some s'mores in the patio fireplace, take the dogs to the dog park... whatever strikes our fancy. No schedule, no little calendar book to keep me on track, no stress. We're going to kick back, get the frenzy behind us and just do a little living.

I hope you all do the same.

FREE SHIPPING THRU CHRISTMAS!!!

2009-12-09T06:38:00.006-05:00

Yes, it's been awhile. That's because, like everyone else, I've been incredibly busy. And my rationale for not updating my blog has been, "If I don't have time to write it, I know they don't have time to read it."

Howevah...I have an awful lot of Christmas items languishing in my Etsy shop. An awful lot. And, well, it's almost Christmas......so, um, you know.....if you could maybe just stop buy...oops, I mean stop by.

And, starting today,

FREE SHIPPING THRU CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

There are lots and lots and lots and lots of other beads, jewelry and beaded gifts available. Come check it out!

Oh, how they grow!

2009-12-01T09:31:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday, filled with food and fun. I know we did. Every year, we trek up to Robert's sister's home in St. Augustine. The day is filled with family gossip, food, football and some Monkey-in-the-Middle. This year, everyone brought their dogs. As our children have gotten older, the dogs have sort of taken their place in some ways. Just like the kids used to do, they ran loose all day, playing and jumping, stealing snacks, bickering when the got over-tired. By the end of the evening, the kitchen floor was wall to wall with sleepy canines. Lots of them. Two pit-pulls, two Chihuahuas, a Husky, an Akita and our yellow lab. That's a lot of dogs, let me tell you.

A tradition that we have is, after dinner and dessert, when everyone is winding down, we all head down to Old Towne, where they light up the city with thousands of tiny lights. We walk through the square and wander through the streets, stop for hot chocolate and ice cream (well, it's Florida!), admire the Bridge of Lions and soak up that last bit of peace before the Season kicks in full speed.

As we walk through the square, I always make the kids stop and climb up on one of the old cannons and pose for a picture. We've done this every year for, oh, about a decade or more I guess. This year, when I downloaded the pictures later, I was amazed by how huge the kids were. I mean, really so big. So I went back, looking for an older picture to compare. The earliest one I could find on my computer was from 2004. It's not very good quality, but you can get my general point.

Wow, that went by quick.

Pondering on it

2009-11-25T18:31:00.007-05:00

Like about everybody else in the neighborhood and thereabouts, tonight I'm thinking about what I'm thankful for. I mean, there's momentary thankfulness like, "Holy crap, thank God I didn't run over that kid! Freaking blind spot!!!" and there's the deeper thanks of, "My family is good. We've gone another year and we're all still here, still healthy, still together." But there's an awful lot of in between, right? So much grey, so much that seems trivial but that's not really.

So, here's a few things I'm thankful for:

1. My healthy, intact family. Yeah, I know I already said it, but it's the most important thing so I'm saying it again.

2. My new puppy. This one's healthy and lovey and sweet. Goofy as a three dollar bill, though.

3. My kick-ass husband who lets me melt glass all day every day and never bats an eyelash.

4. My kids who do the same and think my job is cool.

5. Although we haven't been untouched by this diseased economy, we haven't been destroyed by it.

6. For the first time since my daughter was born - I'm withing spitting distance of getting my ass into a size 8. And I mean a real 8, not the fake 8 that's really a 10.

7. That Ullja is getting sued

8. The beach. Honestly, I don't know how I'd live without it. Just knowing it's there is enough to get me through the toughest times.

9. Tomorrow is the biggest pie-eating day of the year. Pie's my all time fave.

10. That the world, though still greatly distressed, seems somewhat more hopeful than it did two years ago when I was having trouble even imagining my children's future.

So, what's on your list?

What color are you?

2009-11-23T06:44:00.005-05:00

Do you have a color that's just so close to you, so loved by you that it's more than just a 'favorite'? A color that's truly yours?

I don't mean one that you wear all the time (although, that does count) or that you choose because it makes your butt look smaller. No, I'm talking about the color that's reflective of you, that the sight of alters your mood, brings a private little smile to your senses and somehow soothes your overworked nerves. The color that when you look around your home you realize that - through no intentional design plan - you've surrounded yourself with.

Thank you to Joan Miller Porcelain for this pendant. It's my favorite and I wear it all the time!

Some Things to Think About

2009-11-18T13:09:00.005-05:00

I didn't write this and yet I still find it funny. And true.

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer's history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to the ten-page paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this garment... ever.

15. I hate it when I miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

18. How many ounces of alcholol I consume daily has a direct correlation to how far into summer vacation we are. (This one is mine. It made more sense than the original. To me, anyway.)

19. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

20. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with a martini than Kay.

Something different (for me, anyway)

2009-11-04T16:11:00.006-05:00

I don't do a lot of etching in my lampwork. I love the look of other peoples etched beads, but my own are usually these intricate, multi-layered objects that don't lend themselves to that technique.

But I was playing around with the last of my Gaffer Chalcedony and I was drawn into making a bunch of different shapes and textures, using different base colors, frit, different striking times, etc. After a while, I realized that I was really liking these beads, enjoying the color reactions and all the different shapes. So what turned out as an experiment ended up as a set.

A big set.

I've actually broken it down into 3 different sets, but this is the first one. The overall look was very rustic and eclectic and I thought it would look cool to etch it. Let me know what you think. I have them listed on eBay right now.

~*Autumn Garden*~

What have YOU been up to lately? Seriously.....

2009-11-03T14:07:00.006-05:00

Yes, I've seen Rock City. But what else have I done?

This weekend, I had a conversation with a person I hadn't seen in about 12 years. It was awkward at first, the way that kind of thing can be. We chatted about jobs and kids, houses, pets. The usual. But then he asked me,

"So, what have you guys been up to? What else have you been doing?"

And I was silent. I just stared at him, dumbstruck by my inability to come up with an answer.

What had we been doing? Raising kids, working, paying bills. Is that it? Is that all there is? I mean, I used to do things..... didn't I?

I think we're so busy with just day to day, working through it that - somewhere along the line - the living part of life has just faded to grey.

I have a list of things I want to do someday. Places I want to go, where I want to take the kids, things I want to see before I die. But, my daughter is almost 12 now and I realize that most of those things are left undone, still waiting for the right time.

When is the right time?

Why all the 'saving for retirement'? Braces? College? A new drain field?

When does life start getting lived and not just prepared for?

So, please share your thoughts. Maybe I'll get inspired.

P.S., if it's any consolation, after a few minutes, I asked him the same question and he had exactly the same reaction as I did. Silence.....

Fairy Balls....?

2009-10-28T09:20:00.003-04:00

Umm.... yeah, probably not the best name, upon further reflection. But, when these beads first came out of the kiln, that's the name that popped instantly into my head, Fairy Balls. However, they shall from this point forward be called ~Fairy Lights~ . They're listed on eBay right now, if you'd like to come check them out.

Have you ever....

2009-10-27T06:35:00.004-04:00

had a puppy that was more work than a baby?

Don't get me wrong, Tucker is a great little guy. He's so cute and he's super sweet. He follows me everywhere, gluing himself to my ankles. He's pretty smart and he did finally learn to swim like an actual Labrador Retriever (he used to swim free-style, hauling his front legs completely out of the water and then slapping them back down really hard - creating such a churning wake that he'd nearly drown himself).

It's just that he gets really, really lonely at night. When we're sleeping. Or, when we used to be sleeping. His heart wrenching cries fill the house until not a creature is sleeping, not even a mouse. (except for my husband who, much like when our children were babies, is miraculously unable to either hear or respond to these cries) But after nearly a month, those cries are not nearly as heart wrenching as they used to be.

So puppy is in the garage. I swear, I just couldn't take it anymore. I'm so sleep deprived, I'm afraid we're going to have a case of Shaken Puppy Syndrome soon. Seriously, he's better off out there for right now. Sorry, Tuck....

Woefully out of shape!

2009-10-15T10:49:00.005-04:00

I just went for a run, if you could call it that. OMG, I am so out of shape it's embarrassing! Seriously, I could run farther when I weighed 20 pounds more than I do right now. After taking the entire summer and the last 1 1/2 off, I have absolutely no stamina and no wind. Sad!!!

Anyway, I'll keep at it. I love running and I miss it, so I won't give up.

In the meantime, I have a new set listed on eBay. It's made with gorgeous Gaffer Chalcedony. The colors are just amazing and I made them with Zoozi's crystal press, so they have a wonderful shape to them. Very fun.

~*INDIAN SUMMER*~

Something new, something blue

2009-10-14T06:47:00.005-04:00

I have about 45 seconds to post this, so no chit-chat this a.m. Must leave plenty of time to guzzle coffee.

After a many month hiatus from eBay, I've finally listed something new.

~Fairy Dance~

Also, I'm in the process of updating the Mermaid Glass website (finally!!!) and I'm starting to list some items there and remember - I always give FREE SHIPPING from my site. Here's a preview of what's there. I'll be adding more items daily.

Back in the groove

2009-10-12T13:29:00.004-04:00

Whenever I take too much time off, it feels like I have to relearn everything - how to make beads, how to photograph beads, how to list beads, how to...well, I think you get the picture.

Anyway, after too much time off, I am actually settling back into the routine of it. Last week was my first full week back at the torch. I had some good results and some not so good.

As I expected.

Today, I forced myself to take bead pictures (a chore I hate!) and actually got some things listed. It feels good. It feels 'normal'.

One listing in particular that I want to mention is for a pink and Chalcedony goddess. All profits from this bead will got to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, in recognition of Pink October. I'll also match the profits and double the donation. She's in my Etsy shop.

I've also been working on some Pandora-style beads. They're fun to make and very relaxing. They sort of put me in the mood for bigger and better things, so I used them as a 'warm-up' all last week. As a result, I have a ton of them. These are the ones I listed today but, rest assured, there are a bunch more. They're also on Etsy.

Thanks for checking in!

Boys get sleepy

2009-10-02T10:30:00.003-04:00

Naps are good!

This is our new puppy, Tucker. We still miss Titus, but Tuck is a sweet little guy and the kids are happy to have a puppy to love. We've had him for a week and he's very healthy, has had his check-up and shots and everything is looking very good so far. He's fiesty, though. Not adjusting to his crate very quickly. Obviously, he prefers the couch!

Something Blue....

2009-09-24T14:23:00.004-04:00

Well, after many weeks away from the torch, I'm finally back at it. It's hard, almost like I'm trying to relearn how to do it. And it's weird. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy it, how it takes you out of your own head for a little while and actually relaxes you. I wish I'd thought of that a few weeks ago when everything was going crazy around here. It would have helped.

Anyway, I made a ton of butterfly beads to send off to Beads of Courage (and I encourage all of you beadmakers out there to do the same). And I even managed to get some things made to list, too!

I've got this one in my Etsy shop right now:

~Deep~

Check back, because I have quite a few new ones that I'll be listing over the next few days. I've got some focals and some sets, some cutie beads and some organics.

Lisa Atchison

2009-09-22T13:58:00.007-04:00

Today's post is going to be about one of my favorite beadmakers -Lisa Atchison of A Touch of Glass Designs. I've been a long-time admirer of her beads. They're amazing - full of beautiful, fluid motion and so much detail. I visit her blog from time to time to drool over her work.

A few weeks back, I was feeling down. Business was slow, personal issues were piling up, I'd just been targeted by the 'Fraud Police', etc... Anyway, I visited Lisa's blog and absolutely fell in love with one of her 'Abyss' beads. I commented on it and asked her about purchasing it. I felt like I deserved a little pick-me-up, and I just knew I had to have that bead.

Well, instead of letting me buy it, she made a gift of it. So sweet! Imagine my joy when it arrived and, not only was my dream bead in the package but another, equally gorgeous creation and a goody bag of fabulous supply samples.

Wow! I have to say it was the most generous, thoughtful thing anyone has done for me in a very long time.

And the beads!!!

If you're a beadmaker, you've probably had this happen: You see someone else's beads -whether online or in person - and you say to yourself, "I could totally make that" and then, very quietly inside your head, you say, "And I bet I could make it better."

Right??? You know you have so don't even try to deny it!

Well, I took one look at these beads and for one of the few times ever, I absolutely knew that not only could I not make these beads better I couldn't make them at all. In my dreams, I make beads like this!

Here are pictures, though they in no way do justice to the true beauty. I'm serious. In person, the color blending is perfection and they're so deep and sparkling you could get lost in them. The details and design are outstanding. They're just...wow.

If you've ever, for one second, contemplated purchasing one of Lisa's beads... DO IT! They're even better in person than they are in pictures - true works of art in miniature. (Although, not that miniature. These are substantial focals.)

Thanks again, Lisa. You're the best.

Of course, now I have a severe inferiority complex and can't even make myself turn my torch on. I mean, seriously, why even bother? : )

Much ado about....

2009-09-19T14:20:00.003-04:00

...sports.

Today was incredibly hectic. Connor had his first soccer game at 8:30 this morning. Robert couldn't make it because he had to coach Connor's baseball team practice at 9:00. Immediately following the end of the soccer game, we hightailed it over to the bb fields, with C stripping down in the car and switching over to his other gear. He made it in time to get two base hits and make an out at pitcher during the scrimmage game.

Needless to say, he's whooped.

This all happened because he couldn't make his mind up between playing baseball or soccer. So we told him, since it's the short fall season, he could play both. When I signed him up for soccer, I was given a choice between Friday or Saturday games. I chose Fridays.

He got Saturdays.

All Saturdays.

When I called to complain I was informed by the YMCA, where he plays, that they don't even offer Friday night games any more. Wow. That sure would have been nice of the guy who signed us up to have told us before he took our $160.

So, obviously, we have some conflict. Lots of conflict, actually, but at least we've only got 7 more weeks of this nonsense. Yay!

New beads, just for fun

2009-09-17T10:15:00.003-04:00

I've finally pulled myself together enough to list some new beads in my Etsy shop. Nothing serious, just cute and fun. Some of them are for Halloween, some are just for anytime.

Ways to Make Your Family Healthier Without Telling Them

2009-09-16T07:51:00.007-04:00

Do you think he knows there's beets in that cake?

After a visit to the doctor informed me that I have borderline high cholesterol, I've been much more careful about my health. Well, not much more careful, but definitely slightly more.

I walk and swim every day, I cut down on caffeine, I don't eat pork and almost never eat red meat (this is hard. I don't like steak, but I might commit a felony for a cheeseburger), I have replaced most dairy with soy-based products, etc... But how, some of you might ask, do you get your family on board? Is it possible to turn a cheese-loving, french fry gobbling seven year old around once you've let him walk on the wild side?

Well, the truth is, I lie to them. Well, not lie. I omit. I haven't tried to break all the bad habits. I'm easing them into it slowly. I thought I'd share a few of my 'omissions' with you.

* And please understand, we are actually a pretty healthy family anyway. I try to grown most of our veggies in my organic garden. The kids eat virtually no fast food, processed food, refined sugars, or white flour foods. They do drink, maybe, a soda every couple of weeks. We eat very little red meat, no processed lunch meats, and they get plenty of exercise. And veggies. I've always made the kids eat what we eat, like it or not. I've never been about tricking them but what I'm doing in the instances listed below is really more of a 'replacement plan'. I'll tell them about it, but it's easier to deal with after than before.

So, here goes.

1. I switched all eggs to an egg substitute. Unless we're having Eggs Benny, that is. They know about this one, but don't care.

2. I refill the Half & Half carton with soy milk. My husband never knows the difference.

3. I make 'chicken' stir fry using seitan. Seitan is a gluten-based meat replacement. It doesn't really have any flavor of it's own but if you cook it with veggies and other great seasonings, it takes on that flavor. Unlike tofu, it has a chewy, meaty sort of texture. I cut it into small pieces and everyone thinks it's chicken. I'm probably going to tell them about this one in a couple of weeks.

4. When I make lasagna, instead of ricotta cheese, I use a little bit of fat-free cottage cheese and silken tofu. Blend it in the food processor until it's a puree and mix in some egg substitute, a little Parmesan cheese, garlic and spices. Blended together, no one can tell the difference. This way, they get some extra protein and vitamins. When I make 'white' lasagna, I add spinach to the food processor, too. My kids don't like spinach lasagna normally, not because of the taste but because of the texture. By blending it up, it just becomes a puree with no texture at all.

5. I make my spaghetti sauce with V-8 juice. I use tomato sauce and paste, too, 'cause toms are good.

6. I add pureed veggies to virtually every baked good. I've actually been doing this ever since Anna was a baby. She'd eat her veggies, but this way she'd get an extra serving or two. It's just a way of adding some extra vitamins and fiber without having to think about it or add it to a meal. They can have a helping of veggies in their after school snack. Some of these they know about, some they don't. Like the beets in the chocolate cake. (Which is weird, because my kids love beets. I should tell them this one. They'll probably think it's hysterical.)

7. I use silken tofu to replace 2/3 of the fat/butter when I'm baking cakes, cookies, etc.. You can't taste the difference at all.

8. I make frozen 'pudding pops' with flavored goat milk. The kids actually like them better than ones I used to make with skim milk. They're sweeter and thicker.

9. I add milled flax seed to almost everything. You can add it to your breading if you're frying or oven-baking something. You can put it in bread, baked goods, smoothies. It can also be used as a fat substitute. Very handy and it tastes kind of good, too. Sort of nutty.

9. I don't use sugar substitutes because they are just full of bad stuff. However, I don't use refined sugar, either. I use turbinado or raw sugar. It's more natural, tastes sweeter, and has fewer calories than refined sugar. I have also tried stevia, but it's got a funny after taste that I don't like. Agave nectar is o.k., but not my fave. I just like plain old sugar, but in limited quantities.

10. And here is my number one tip. My kids like vegetables, but they don't like salad. I don't know why but I do know a trick to get them to eat it. It's actually sort of a trade off - you get them to try something good, but you have to add something not as good to the deal. What? Goldfish. Make a small salad, with a nice variety of veggies that they like, put on a small amount of a good quality, low-sugar dressing, and then add a sprinkle of Goldfish crackers to the top like croutons. My kids love it and we've branched out to trying different flavors of Goldfish. It's not too much of a compromise and they do make whole grain Goldfish now.

Got any tips of your own? I'd love to hear them so c'mon, share.

Hey

2009-09-08T07:27:00.003-04:00

I've been out of touch lately because so much has been going on but I thought I should just touch base. This is hard to write and it won't be a long post because I just can't think or talk about this without becoming upset.

If you saw my last entry, you know that we recently got the kids some new pets. One of those pets was a sweet little lab puppy named Titus. What a great little dog - smart, good natured, beautiful and absolutely lovable. Sadly, Titus died on Saturday. He had hookworms when we got him and, for some reason, even with treatment he became dangerously anemic, requiring the vet to administer a blood transfusion. At first, it seemed like this would work but then he began to deteriorate and passed away. We think that it was a negative reaction to the transfusion.

No matter what the cause and even though we only had him for a short time, we all loved him very much and he is being missed greatly.

Where's the beads?

2009-08-22T13:23:00.007-04:00

I've had some emails from folks wondering what I'm doing?...What's up?...Where's the beads?

Simple. There are no beads.
I'm not working.

I'm pretty sure that a goodly portion of you know what it's like just before summer vacation ends. The frenzied rush to the finish line - the scramble to get everything inventoried and organized. What do we need? What do we need to get rid of? What fits? What fits but that we absolutely refuse to ever be seen wearing in middle school?

And I'm like that, too, sort of. But, though I'll deny it until the bitter end, I always get a little touch of the weepies at the end of summer. Those children drive me crazy and half the time I'm wishing they were sitting in a classroom elsewhere from me, but I do recognize the rapid passage of time. I know that by next summer, many 'favorite' things and activities will have fallen by the wayside. Grown out of.

Forgotten.

So I try to appreciate this undiluted together time with my kids as much as possible. I try as hard as I can not to be one of those moms that ruins the last few weeks of vacation by constantly reminding the kids that "Summer's almost over. Better enjoy it" or "We have to get back on a schedule so no more staying up late and having 'slumber parties' in the family room every night" or "You're going to be so busy with school pretty soon that you'll wish you hadn't wasted your summer sleeping until noon."

No. Instead, we've filled our last weeks of unscheduled time playing with friends, making homemade ice cream sandwiches and having 'night swims'. We've stayed up really late, eaten pizza for breakfast (I suppose it's technically brunch at 11:00) and played as many video games as we wanted to. We've gone to the beach, we've gone to the movies. We've caught baby lizards, ditch tadpoles and tons of fish. We've hatched butterfly cocoons, we've made soap and we've played super heroes and Dolphin Adventure for hours.

Oh yeah, we've had some other stuff going on, too.

In a move that was obviously fueled by some sort of early onset empty-nest syndrome, I agreed to let the kids get bunnies. They've always wanted them and somewhere in the back of my mind, I suppose I have, too. So we made a trip to the bunny farm.

Meet the bun-bun sisters, Violet and Blackie. Aren't they lovely? And very well mannered.

Unfortunately, the bunny farm was also the puppy farm. Meet Titus. He's one of a kind. And that's all I have to say about that.

So this is why there have been no new beads, no tutorial available even though it's been finished for nearly a month, and virtually no contact with the outside world. I am not working.

Until tomorrow.

Because today is the last day of summer vacation. It's over. I stood on the patio this morning, drinking my coffee and watching the sun rise. I looked around at the empty juice packs tossed carelessly beside the lounge chairs, the faded, half-deflated pool toys (so awesome just a couple of months ago), the rock village and pyramid built and abandoned in the flower bed 'jungle' and I felt almost overwhelmed by a sudden rush of emotion.

My son is in second grade now, in an upstairs classroom at the end of a seeming maze of hallways. My daughter is in middle school. Middle School!!! I highly doubt she'll be wanting to play any Ocean Rescue Dolphin Adventure with her baby brother and her mommy next year.

Summer is over.

Kids...what's up with that?

2009-08-11T06:40:00.008-04:00

We were able to get away for a very quick mini-vacation at the beach a couple of weeks ago and, when going through some of the pictures I was struck by the differences between kids and us.

For example. Here we have an entire ocean of sparkling blue-green mystery just waiting to be discovered. And where did they snorkel?

In the 4-inch deep tidepool

And here. A huge zoo full of incredible animals. It was one of the best we've ever visited (and that includes San Diego). I mean, just look how close we are to these beautiful giraffes!
But this was my daughter's favorite activity! Here we spent nearly 40 minutes watching the rays swim in circles and 'petting' them. In the wild, my kids are terrified of rays. (It really, really hurts when you step on one.) We stayed in a hotel complex that had gorgeous pools, restaurants, a very cool beachside entertainment complex, water sports and a facility completely dedicated to kids activities. And where did Connor decide was the most fascinating place of all?

He spent so much time in the evenings sitting beside this fountain that other people started taking his picture!

Children's minds are so, so different from ours. Their thoughts are more direct, more elemental and their joys are simpler. It's the old dilemma - which is better, the toy or the box it came in? Wouldn't it be great (particularly in these times!) to be able to shrug it all off and think more like kids? To just stop worrying about getting and find fascination in the wonder of the life that we already have?

That being said, there are some events that are hard to top. Doesn't everybody remember their first major league baseball game?

New Super Sale Item

2009-08-07T11:05:00.007-04:00

Most importantly, I must acknowledge the passing of the great John Hughes, whose movies were such a part of my youth. I mean, I was Molly Ringwald. A piece of living Americana was that man. Bless him for his understanding, for his insight and for the way he gave independent thinkers and those on the fringe a voice.

Less importantly, as you might know, I've been listing lampwork glass bead Super Sale items in my Etsy shop for the last couple of days. These are items that are immediately available and that I've discounted as much as 30% off of their regular prices. I'm trying to clear out some things to make room for upcoming holiday beads.

I wanted to share a quick picture of todays item, a chunky sea shell focal in fantasy blue colors:

~Blue Lorelei~

Thanks for looking!

New beads

2009-08-04T08:39:00.008-04:00

Contrary to some people, I have been working very hard the last couple of weeks at making beads. I took a vacation in between, but before and after I've spent days and hours in the studio torching as fast as my little hands can. I'm thinking of doing a couple of shows in the upcoming months and am trying to build up some inventory. That being said, don't worry - I'm not going to be ignoring my online shops at all.

I have a couple of sets of beads that I'll be listing on eBay tonight. One is a brand new set, the other is a few weeks old but I haven't had a chance to list it yet. Make sure you come check them out.

~Bejeweled~

~Fairy Dance~

Also, over the next few days, I'll be inundating my Etsy shop with some small, adorable sets of beads. New designs and some reworking of older designs, but all really cute and very, VERY well priced.

Check back, because I've got LOTS more to share!

But, seriously

2009-07-31T08:28:00.007-04:00

I'm going to get serious (kind of) just for a minute, which I rarely do. Then I'm going to leave the situation alone, for now.

First of all, I want to say 'Thank You' to all of you who've emailed me, PM'd me and purchased items in the last 24 hours as a show of support now that the Eye of Sauron has fallen upon me. You're amazing. I don't even know what else to say. Just...thanks. It's a huge help. You are the BEST!!! (and that's almost the last time I'll be using caps, bold and exclamation points.)

Secondly, and this is very important, I want to assure you all that, contrary to the claims made against me, I am not now and have never, NEVER been a FRAUD SELLER!!!!! Quite frankly, I was so shocked by this accusation that I was nearly speechless (nearly). I have never sold a Fraud or participated in the exploitation of a Fraud before in my life. I want you to know that I am morally opposed to both Fraud mills where the Frauds are bred and then released out into the world and also to the trafficking of Frauds. I would never be a party to this. Ever.

Finally, I want to say that I'm not going to do this again. It was done last year when this Creature of the Dark Forest purchased beads from respected lampwork artists and then resold them, claiming that she'd made them herself. It wouldn't have been a problem if she just resold them. But no. She couldn't be a (gasp!) bead supplier. She had to pretend to be an 'artist', a master 'sculpturer'. (BTW, it's sculptor, dumbass) She's not an artist. The appearance and execution of her beads alone shows that. She's just someone who wants to make a quick, easy buck off the backs of real craftsfolk.

But she wants people to believe that she's someone of great creativity and talent and, because they don't - because they're laughing at her pretensions and her poor grammar- she's again on the attack. Just like she did last time, she's trying to ruin the reputations of beadmakers who have more talent in their pinkies than she does in her entire swollen head. I'm sure she's going to read this, and I think that's funny. She can sit there, rubbing her veiny hands together, cackling gleefully while her pinwheel eyes spin madly in the blue-white light of her monitor.

Whatever.

Eventually, her legs will begin to shrivel and then roll back up under the house of lies that she's stuck beneath, leaving the Ruby Slippers of Truth behind and we'll all skip off down the yellow brick road, leaving her behind. (Too far with that analogy, do ya think?)

This is nothing. She is a blip who will go away soon enough. She can't do any real damage because the people she's attacking can't be harmed by her libelous words; they can only be inconvenienced. They are too talented, too secure, too well-loved and trusted in the lampworking community. Things that she will never be.

So, thanks again to my many, MANY loyal FRIENDS and CUSTOMERS!!!!!!! (Sorry, I just couldn't resist that nonsense right there at the end.)

I've been hit!

2009-07-30T21:16:00.008-04:00

Aw, I'm touched. She cares!
Ullja has posted harmful lies about me on her blog. It's what I've been waiting for. I will, of course, be forwarding this information to an attorney, not a government agency.

Thanks, U, for all you do and MANY kind REGARDS, you grammatically challenged cow! :)

LMAO

2009-07-30T07:51:00.005-04:00

Yes, bad things have been brewing while I was wasting away again in Margaritaville and otherwise offending the general public with displays of too much skin at the beach and bad beach bar dancing at night.

Allegedly, a U-boat has been spotted in the waters off the Texas coast.

Err, off the coast of Italy.

Umm, make that somewhere in German waters.

Oh, what the hell, I can't keep it straight anymore.

If you are A beadmaker then U know WHAT THIS IS about!!!!!!! (please take note OF MY blatant misuse of bold caps and exclamation POINTS!)

Just grab a couple of cookies and check out this blog, http://handmadeartisanfraudtruestory.blogspot.com.

I laughed!
I peed!
I got warm funny feelings! (not related to merlot, lifeguard boys, or eating cheeseburgers in paradise.)

Fun, cool stuff that I didn't make

2009-07-19T08:28:00.006-04:00

YAVA glass

How fun is this? These folks are the featured sellers on Etsy, so I'm not advertising them. It just caught my eye. This is not a new idea, of course. I've seen similar items before, but (and maybe I'm just thirsty!) I really like these.

Remember the infommercials (we didn't call them that at the time) from years and years ago for the glass bottle cutter that you could use at home? You could make all kinds of cool, interesting things with your old bottles.

Maybe that's why these appealed to me. Nostalgia.

Anyway, I'm going to advertise myself, since this is my blog.

I have listings ending tonight on eBay, including this focal.

It's the second time around for this big beauty. I hope someone buys it because it's positively gorgeous and I think whoever opens the package would be very happily surprised by it. I think they'd congratulate themself on what an amazing bargain they got.

O.K., I'm gonna go get started on some nice Pinot Grigio flower vases or a fabulous set of Kettle One tumblers. Have a happy day!

Look what I found!

2009-07-13T10:21:00.006-04:00

I was out, stumbling around in my little shade garden, looking for a place to hang a windchime I'd just finished so I could get some good shots of it, and I found my bromeliads were blooming like crazy. I've been so busy and so distracted, I didn't even notice. They've spread like weeds and the whole garden was in bloom and I never even saw them.

I also found some beads on my desk that I'd completely forgotten about, so I listed those last night. I put some in my Etsy shop and I listed some on eBay.

These are on eBay. They're the most gorgeous, deep blue and aqua. I used some of my original Olympia Rain from Double Helix. The company has made a limited run of it again, and that reminded me that I've still got about 1/2 a pound of it. A little bit goes a long way, so I'll probably have it for years.

These lively little beads are listed in my Etsy shop. I wanted to brighten things up over there.

I also wanted to share another little Gaffer Chalcedony goddess. I used the frit this time. I wish I could capture all of the different colors, but I can't seem to get my camera to cooperate. Well, she's pretty anyway. You'll have to take my word for it. I'm thinking of listing this one. She's just too nice to keep for myself. She'd end up tossed carelessly into a bowl or scattered on a tray somewhere with a bunch of mismatched orphans, wonkies and oddballs. I don't think she quite deserves that, do you?

What next?

2009-07-07T09:50:00.005-04:00

I just wanted to pop in and say hi.

Hi.

Hope everyone had an awesome Independence Day. We're usually on vacation over the 4th but not this year. And that turned out to be a good thing. Robert's back went out on the 3rd. (My sister was watching the kids for us and we actually had a 'date' and plans, so OF COURSE that's when it happened.)

Anyway, his back went 'Krechhicktrckkkkrkkkarggggg' and he's been in bed ever since. Literally, he's gotten up 4 times since it happened. Which is progress. The last time this happened, he was on the couch for three days, unable to get up at all.

Do not ask.

So, I've been not working, trying to stay quiet and keep the kids occupied. Nothing has gotten done except for a few orders I had to fill. I did do my best to make sure the kids had fun on the 4th. We played and swam and ate typical 4th of July food. We spit watermelon seeds all over the patio, threw water ballons at each other, made snowcones, set off fireworks, (carefully placing them on the driveway where Robert could watch through the bedroom window), watched and listened to the neighborhood set off real fireworks late into the night. I let them stay up and eat ice cream and watch movies until about 2 a.m. (they couldn't have slept anyway, what with the rednecks in full-on firework mode) and then I let them sleep as late as they wanted the next morning.

It wasn't exactly a Bahamas vacation, but it wasn't bad, either.

Chalcedony - Yay!!!!

2009-06-27T13:49:00.008-04:00

I've been having a bad couple of weeks, but thanks to a special delivery from Mona, the Glass Fairy (seriously, that's what I call her now) over at Gaffer, things brightened up considerably. Mona knew I'd been dying to try out Gaffer's G-109 Chalcedony so she hooked me up. She and the girls sent me a most excellent 'Box o' Joy' to play with and I finally had a chance to dig into it just a tiny bit.

Thanks, Mona. You rock!!!

Now, I'm going to post some pics, just so you can see the colors. Don't laugh. They are lumpy, unbalanced, wonkies. These are not beads that were made with the intent to sell or even ever have anyone see them and I am well aware of the fact that they quite suck. I was just trying to get an understanding of how Chalcedony works, torch settings, etc.

I only had about an hour to play so things are pretty basic but I love this glass so far. It melts like butter, blooms like spring and is a piece of cake to use. It positively puts some of the other striking colors to shame.

O.K., here goes. I can't believe I'm showing these beads to the world but...whatever

This is my first bead. It's just a gravity spiral over black. The edges have a stripe of clear because I wanted to see what it looked like encased. I love the color in this one and I did basically nothing to get it. Just super-heated, let it cool to almost cold, then did a deep re-heat and Voila!

This is the second one. It's an encased gravity spiral over a black base. I can't believe how much of this color remains so brilliant, even after encasing. It's color is much better in person, richer and earthier. Not sure why they look so pastel in the picture.

I made this one last and treated it a little differently. I wanted to see what the color did if I struck it after encasing. You can see that they are much softer, gentler colors. I don't know if this is always the case, but I'm going to find out next week.

And this was my final bead. I'd been wanting to make her from the start, but I wanted to try the glass out first. She's pure Chalcedony, topped with a little sprinkling of Chalcedony frit. I love her. And don't worry, I didn't squander my entire stock of G-109 on her. She's very petite, only an inch tall!

That's it for now. I can't wait until next week when I can play some more. I have a couple of ideas that I think are going to work out beautifully. I'll share pics.

What's up?

2009-06-22T06:37:00.004-04:00

Is it possible to blog on a regular basis?

Is it possible to blog in the summertime?

Is it possible to do anything other than run from place to place, shuttling between movies, parks, pools, sleep overs, roller skating, ice skating, swim practice, swim meets, parties, play dates, the beach, etc.,,,?

In my mind, I thought this summer would be different. My kids are older now, a little more independent and able to entertain themselves. I pictured them having long, lazy days of relaxing, kicking back, swimming and playing outside, eating snow cones, doing craft projects, catching up on reading, watching videos - all while I joined them periodically while still managing to keep up a steady production of work.

Instead it's been a steady stream of running, running, running.

No beads have been made in days. No floors have been vacuumed, no socks have been sorted, no listings have been created. I haven't even downloaded the pictures from the last day of school from my camera yet.

And, to add to the mix, it's been incredibly hot. The heat index has been hovering between 105 and 112, with insane humidity. Nobody has any interest in going outside unless it's straight into the pool. If my cat hears the door open, he runs for his life in fear that someone will make him go outside. My studio is well over 100 degrees, even with my little A/C unit chugging away. (I think it might have curled up and died from sheer exhaustion.) I don't even want to think about my power bill.

Still, I'm hopeful. I really want to get some work done, some pictures posted and something interesting accomplished this week.

I hope....

Fairy Circle

2009-06-14T13:55:00.006-04:00

When I was little, I was totally in to fairies and all kinds of make-believe, magical woodland creatures. I'd go off by myself, out into the woods or fields looking for elves, or trolls or horts. I was completely in a world of my own.

While some people argue that I still am, I think that I'm much more practical nowdays. (well, a little more practical, anyway.) But, when these beads came out of the kiln, I swear the first thing that came to my mind was, "Fairy wings!"

Something about the color, or the way the light dances across them or the way they shimmer just looked like gossamer wings to me. I didn't name them Fairy Wings because, well, that just seemed a little creepy. Like, as if they were made out of fairy wings. Eeewwwwww!

Anyway, they're awfully pretty. They are, of course, made out of Aurae. I'm starting to feel like the DH spokesperson or something, I swear.

Glorious silver glass

2009-06-08T18:17:00.005-04:00

I loved the last set of Aurae beads I made, Northern Lights, so I decided to do a little series of them - using different shapes.

Here is Northern Lights II. These are barrel shaped and a bit larger than my original set was.

I've had so many people contact me, asking 'How did you get that color?' and 'Are those really that blue/purple?' and saying how nervous they are to try out their Aurae or that they're not sure what to do with it or how to make it work. My advice is the same as with regular glass.

Just play with it.

I know it's super-expensive, premium glass but you have to always be prepared to experiment. You have to just grit your teeth and tell yourself that it's OK to blow a rod or two, learning the potential of a new product. Otherwise, you end up with the same thing as everyone else. I probably spend at least 50% of my time at the torch just playing, experimenting and trying out ideas, no matter how wacky. OK, maybe we should make that 70%.

Triton and Aurae both have so much more to offer than just shimmery gold or metallic blue beads. Not that those beads aren't gorgeous, but it's so much fun to push it and see what else you can get.

So, if you're curious about this glass, just give it a go and work with it. But I will give you some specific tips that I've found out along the way:

1. Reduce very lightly for a super-luminous almost ghostly effect. Just shimmy the glass in and out of a barely reducing flame once or twice. It won't look like much happened, but when you encase, the color just blooms right in front of your eyes.

2. Cool your bead with a brass shaping tool or press. It must be a chemical reaction, because my colors are so fierce when I cool with brass as compared to graphite.

3. Use a variety of different base colors. Don't get stuck in a rut. Aurae over transparent cobalt is out of this world!

4. Try out encasing with a variety of different colors. Don't just use clear. Seattle Blue is gorgeous over both Triton and Aurae.

If anyone is interested, I could post some pics of different experiments - some that worked and some not so much. Let me know.

School's Out!!!!

2009-06-06T08:56:00.003-04:00

Wow, that was a whirlwind week. Man oh man oh man, am I beat.

The last week of school is always hectic and this time it was even worse because my daughter's moving on to Middle School now. Notice how I capitalized that, 'cuz it's THE most important thing in the world?

Anyway, there was just a lot going on and I felt like I was gone all day every day and never got a thing accomplished. My house is a wreck, my studio is a disaster, and I don't have anything cleaned to photo right now. Maybe later.

How about all of y'all? Is everyone on summer vacation now? Any big plans? Are you headed to the seaside? Grand Canyon? Or are you planning long days spent watching cartoons with the blinds pulled, eating cereal for lunch and never getting out of jammies?

We're planning some of those, for sure. But, we've got some stuff going on and some places to go and people to see, too. It's not all 'Ben 10' and Wii and Fruit Loops, I assure you.

I'll chat more about that later.

Anyway, I do have a gorgeous 'wave' set ending on eBay tonight. It's Aurae and it's really, really nice. The beads are pretty big, too, for olives. Check it:

~Wave Rider~

Perspectives Exhibit in Corning

2009-05-26T09:26:00.007-04:00

A friend of mine commented that she hadn't read anything about my acceptance into the ISGB Perspectives exhibit in my blog.

"Why so quiet?" she asked, "I thought you were excited."

Well....I am excited. I've never submitted any of my beads for anything. Ever. I've never even taken my beads into a bead store to try to sell them. I did this on a whim, out of some belief that I just needed to put myself out there and see what happened.

The Perspectives exhibit is part of the Glass Art Society Conference in Corning, New York. It's a juried exhibit presented by ISGB, representing styles, techniques, and processes used in contemporary glass beadmaking. The collection will be on exhibit from June 5 to September 7 at the Radisson Hotel, Corning, and opens specifically as part of the 2009 GAS Conference.

Also, the top three beads with the highest jury scores will share the cover of the summer issue of The Glass Bead magazine, a quarterly publication from the ISGB. Here's a link to the slideshow of all of the beads: http://www.isgb.org/info/article_256.shtml

So, anyway, my bead was accepted and how happy and proud and excited I was! Yay! They like me. Oh, they really, really like me!

Here it is, by the way:

Then I saw the other beads.

Oh no.
How humiliating.

I mean, those beads are art. Some of them are so amazing and intricate and fabulous that I was embarrassed that I even submitted mine. I am seriously outclassed. I didn't even make anything special for it. I just sent pictures of a bead that I particularly liked and thought highlighted a cool technique I'd been working on.

Don't get me wrong. I really do love this bead. It has a wonderful, free-flowing vibrancy that I think sort of sums up not just my artistic style, but me. But it's far from being the greatest bead I've ever made. I'm thinking it's just going to get swallowed by the fabulousness that is the rest of the exhibit.

Now I'm kind of sorry for my little bead and hope it doesn't feel too badly about what I've subjected it to.