And yet another set of beads, up on eBay right now. I realised, after going through photos of past beads over the last 6+ years, that I haven't offered a set of round beads for sale for at least 12 months, so what better way to see out 2007 than doing just that? 21 teeny tiny rounds in this set (and they are REALLY tiny!) and a focal... Hope you like them!
So, another NYE is upon us - another year gone.. where does time go? I think what's freaking me out the most about the end of 2007 is that this time tomorrow, I'll be thinking "I'm going to be 40 next year". My birthday is coming up on 1 February - the last one of my thirties. I feel like it was only yesterday I turned 21, and here I am, only a year away from the big 4-0. Oh well, if what they say is true, that 40 is the new 30, I guess that's not too bad! :-)
Unfortunately, I have to work today, and I'm already an hour late, so I better finish up here. It's going to be something like 43C here today, and I'm not looking forward to that - it's only 10.00 am as I type this and I can already feel the heat setting in.
Anyway, whatever you're doing this NYE, whether it be partying, spending time with loved ones, or just taking it easy with a quiet night at home, I want to wish you and yours all the best for 2008, and to thank you for your continued support of my beads.
Happy New Year!
Monday, 31 December 2007
Saturday, 29 December 2007
Berry Brulee. . .
Here's a photo of my first set of beads up on eBay for about 2-3 weeks. I was going to offer the rounds in one auction and the squeezed beads in another, but after putting them together for the photograph, I couldn't bear the thought of breaking them up . . . so, 18 beads for sale here. Hope you like them!
Sorry its been so long since I updated my blog and/or had any beads for sale. I'm hoping things will pick up in those departments in the New Year. I hope you had a fabulous Christmas - ours was relatively quiet, with only Mum, Russ & I here for Christmas lunch, but it was nice. I received the 3 seasons of "House" on DVD from Russ and my stepdaughter, and Mum purchased all 5 Harry Potter DVDs for me - so we've been watching one Harry Potter movie each evening since Christmas Day. I can't believe I'm so hooked on Harry Potter - I finished all 7 books in less than 2 weeks.. I just couldn't get my head out of them!
We'll be having a quiet New Year's Eve this year - spending it with our next door neighbours. At least we won't have to drive!
Well, that's about all out of me for the moment. Have a safe and happy NYE, and I'll be back soon with more beads. I had hoped to spend a few hours in the studio today, but the temperature here all day has hovered around 34-36C and just the thought of firing up the torch makes me break out in a sweat.
Catch you soon! Sue :)
Sorry its been so long since I updated my blog and/or had any beads for sale. I'm hoping things will pick up in those departments in the New Year. I hope you had a fabulous Christmas - ours was relatively quiet, with only Mum, Russ & I here for Christmas lunch, but it was nice. I received the 3 seasons of "House" on DVD from Russ and my stepdaughter, and Mum purchased all 5 Harry Potter DVDs for me - so we've been watching one Harry Potter movie each evening since Christmas Day. I can't believe I'm so hooked on Harry Potter - I finished all 7 books in less than 2 weeks.. I just couldn't get my head out of them!
We'll be having a quiet New Year's Eve this year - spending it with our next door neighbours. At least we won't have to drive!
Well, that's about all out of me for the moment. Have a safe and happy NYE, and I'll be back soon with more beads. I had hoped to spend a few hours in the studio today, but the temperature here all day has hovered around 34-36C and just the thought of firing up the torch makes me break out in a sweat.
Catch you soon! Sue :)
Monday, 10 December 2007
Enchanted Forest. . .
Finally! New beads. Were you wondering if I was ever going to have beads for sale again? I know I was LOL. Anyway, click here if you'd like to visit the auction on eBay.
Although I admit a small part of me has missed firing up the torch, the larger part has simply been enjoying taking it easy and catching up on my reading. In the past 3 weeks, I've read 6 books - everything from near death experiences, to scientific evidence to support the afterlife through to Harry Potter. I started (and finished!) the first Harry Potter book yesterday and am already about 4 chapters into the second one. I've held off reading the Harry Potter series all this time, and I have to say, I'm thoroughly enjoying them.
Anyway, it's time for me to start my medical transcription job, so I'll sign off for now. Thanks for checking in, and I'll catch you again next time.
Although I admit a small part of me has missed firing up the torch, the larger part has simply been enjoying taking it easy and catching up on my reading. In the past 3 weeks, I've read 6 books - everything from near death experiences, to scientific evidence to support the afterlife through to Harry Potter. I started (and finished!) the first Harry Potter book yesterday and am already about 4 chapters into the second one. I've held off reading the Harry Potter series all this time, and I have to say, I'm thoroughly enjoying them.
Anyway, it's time for me to start my medical transcription job, so I'll sign off for now. Thanks for checking in, and I'll catch you again next time.
Saturday, 1 December 2007
Checking In. . .
So I'm checking in - you may have noticed that it's almost 2 weeks since I updated my blog - and around the same amount of time since I had any beads for sale on eBay. It's not that I've been super busy with Christmas shopping or anything of that nature actually. There's a few reasons why I haven't been around. The first one is that I've been spending a lot of extra hours working in my medical transcription job, and I've found myself so tired after 8-9 hours of solid typing that I haven't even felt the slightest urge to make beads. The second reason is that for the first time in almost 6 years, I've actually been enjoying some "me" time on the weekends, instead of worrying about what beads to make. The third reason, and this probably goes a long way to explaining why I'm so tired and also why I'm just enjoying a little R&R, is that the anti-depressant I'm now taking is finally starting to kick in and do its job - for the first time in a LONG time I am not stressed 24/7. Although I haven't completely lost the urge to make beads, I'm not finding myself constantly pressured to fire up the torch. I feel free for the first time in years. It's a wonderful feeling, and I'm really enjoying it, and I'm sure that when my muse returns from her "vacation", she's going to be ready to melt glass and just enjoy the process.
Oh, and speaking of beads. I received my copy of "Creating Lampwork Beads for Jewelry" this week. Karen Leonardo, and all the other lampworkers and jewelry designers, did a fabulous job and the book is just amazing. I am so honoured to have my bead and tutorial published alongside some of the most talented beadmakers of our time. In case you're interested, my tutorial is on pages 55 through to 63. The book already has received 6 positive reviews on Amazon, and I'm sure more are to come. If you're looking for a great Christmas present for a friend obsessed with lampwork beads, or for yourself, you should seriously consider buying it.
And on that note, I'll sign off for now. Oh, and in case you're wondering when I'll have new beads for sale - I may be spending a few hours in the studio tomorrow. No promises, but check back Monday. If not this week, then I promise to have at least one new set up on eBay before Christmas. In the meantime, look after yourself, and thanks for checking in. Sue
Oh, and speaking of beads. I received my copy of "Creating Lampwork Beads for Jewelry" this week. Karen Leonardo, and all the other lampworkers and jewelry designers, did a fabulous job and the book is just amazing. I am so honoured to have my bead and tutorial published alongside some of the most talented beadmakers of our time. In case you're interested, my tutorial is on pages 55 through to 63. The book already has received 6 positive reviews on Amazon, and I'm sure more are to come. If you're looking for a great Christmas present for a friend obsessed with lampwork beads, or for yourself, you should seriously consider buying it.
And on that note, I'll sign off for now. Oh, and in case you're wondering when I'll have new beads for sale - I may be spending a few hours in the studio tomorrow. No promises, but check back Monday. If not this week, then I promise to have at least one new set up on eBay before Christmas. In the meantime, look after yourself, and thanks for checking in. Sue
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Ember. . .
Here's a photo of my newest set of beads up on eBay. More beads probably around the beginning of next week (25 Nov). Have a great week.
Sunday, 11 November 2007
Book Release Date. . .
Great news! I have a firm date for the release of Creating Lampwork Beads for Jewelry. It's due out this Wednesday 14 November (or 15 November for those in Australia). I had hoped to have 10 or so copies available for those of you who would have liked to have purchased an autographed copy through me, however, the publishers haven't as yet responded to my email about placing an order. In the meantime, just click the link above to visit Amazon to place your order.
Apart from that, not much else to share with you. I'm working in the studio today, however, I don't think I'm going to have any new beads to share with you until at least next Sunday. There's a few worrisome things going on in my life at the moment that have been keeping me preoccupied, and I haven't been able to concentrate on beads as much as I would like. With any luck, my life may be back on track within within the next week or so, and things will hopefully return to normal (or as normal as things in my life are at any time LOL).
Thanks for stopping by, and see you again next time.
Apart from that, not much else to share with you. I'm working in the studio today, however, I don't think I'm going to have any new beads to share with you until at least next Sunday. There's a few worrisome things going on in my life at the moment that have been keeping me preoccupied, and I haven't been able to concentrate on beads as much as I would like. With any luck, my life may be back on track within within the next week or so, and things will hopefully return to normal (or as normal as things in my life are at any time LOL).
Thanks for stopping by, and see you again next time.
Monday, 5 November 2007
Woodland Retreat. . .
Here's my newest set of beads up on eBay right now. The two focals I was talking about will have to wait - I've been so busy all morning, and as I only got about 2 hours sleep last night, thanks to a shocking bout of insomnia, I can barely think straight this morning. I hope to have the focals listed on either eBay, or for immediate purchase in my Etsy store later in the day. Thanks for stopping by.
Sunday, 4 November 2007
Beady News. . .
I'll have a new set of beads up on eBay tomorrow. I also worked on a few focals over the weekend, but I'm not sure whether I'll offer the focals on eBay or in my Etsy store - I'll figure that out tomorrow.
Today was the last day of my holidays, so back to work tomorrow. Ho hum. The week just flew by, and now I wish I'd taken two weeks off instead of one. Oh well, that's the problem with being self-employed - no work = no income. I guess you have to take the good with the bad.
Well, not much else to chat about. It's been a rather depressing day - we've had gray skies and it's rained all day. I know we desperately need the rain, but I can't help but feel a little down on days like this.
Catch you again tomorrow when the beads are ready to go.
Today was the last day of my holidays, so back to work tomorrow. Ho hum. The week just flew by, and now I wish I'd taken two weeks off instead of one. Oh well, that's the problem with being self-employed - no work = no income. I guess you have to take the good with the bad.
Well, not much else to chat about. It's been a rather depressing day - we've had gray skies and it's rained all day. I know we desperately need the rain, but I can't help but feel a little down on days like this.
Catch you again tomorrow when the beads are ready to go.
Friday, 2 November 2007
Time flies. . .
. . . when you're having fun. I can't believe we've been on our vacation - the time literally flew. 4 nights ended up feeling like 4 minutes. The truth is that we didn't really do all that much. As a matter of fact, other than heading into the closest town from where we were staying (about a 20 minute drive) to pick up supplies, we really didn't go anywhere else. We just sat around the house reading, taking the odd walk around the 88 acre property, and spending time in the hottub/spa. Oh.. and feeding birds. Feeding LOTS of birds. As you can see from the photo. This wasn't taken at a wildlife park - this was just outside the back door of the house we were staying in. We had a whole bunch of birds hanging around, waiting to be fed, including the one you see in the photo (a King Parrot), Cockatoos, Galahs (as a side note, being Australian I can never mention the word "Galah" without thinking of foolish people - scroll down the page at Wikipedia until you come to the "Australian Slang Term" description of what a "Galah" is if you have no idea what I'm talking about), Kookaburras, Currawongs, Rosellas and even a Magpie who spent most of his time on our back deck singing his sweet tune and waiting for us to feed him scraps of meat!
Anyway, the vacation is over, but we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and are very relaxed. If you'd like to see more photos, then make sure to stop by my account on Flickr. The house we stayed in (Sambar Park) not only met, but exceeded our expectations, by miles. It really was absolutely gorgeous.
So.. back to reality now I suppose. If you visit my account on Flickr, you'll no doubt see the glass order that turned up while we were away, so over the weekend, I plan on spending some time in the studio. With any luck, there should be a new set of beads ready to go up on eBay on Monday.
Enough out of me for one day - I have something like 680 emails (I kid you not!) to go through regarding work, so I better make a start on that before I can even think of settling in and enjoying the rest of my vacation weekend. Thanks for stopping by!
Anyway, the vacation is over, but we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and are very relaxed. If you'd like to see more photos, then make sure to stop by my account on Flickr. The house we stayed in (Sambar Park) not only met, but exceeded our expectations, by miles. It really was absolutely gorgeous.
So.. back to reality now I suppose. If you visit my account on Flickr, you'll no doubt see the glass order that turned up while we were away, so over the weekend, I plan on spending some time in the studio. With any luck, there should be a new set of beads ready to go up on eBay on Monday.
Enough out of me for one day - I have something like 680 emails (I kid you not!) to go through regarding work, so I better make a start on that before I can even think of settling in and enjoying the rest of my vacation weekend. Thanks for stopping by!
Saturday, 27 October 2007
TTFN. . .
Well, my last auction just finished, and so that's it from me now until DH Russ & I return from our mini vacation. We should be back home next Friday, and I'll start working on new beads next weekend - make sure to stop by again around Monday 5 November to see what's new. Today I'm going to put together a few beads for my friend, Tonia, but apart from that, I'm just planning on having a quiet weekend. It feels really weird to be "vegging out" - my weekends are usually spent in the studio, so it's taking some getting used to NOT having to do anything. Tomorrow I have to visit the supermarket to stock up on food for Mum whilst we're away (she doesn't drive, so we have to make sure to grab everything she'll need for the 5 days we're away), but apart from that, and spending those few hours in the studio today, the rest of the weekend is mine to do with as I please. I have about a dozen books here I need to find some time to read (and I'll be taking about half a dozen of them away with me), so the next week will be spent catching up on my reading, relaxing, visiting wineries, and just enjoying Russ' company.
So, whatever you're doing for the next week - keep safe, and don't work too hard! I'll catch you again on my return from Howqua. I'm planning on taking my camera with me, so I'll probably have some photos to share with you too.
TTFN!
So, whatever you're doing for the next week - keep safe, and don't work too hard! I'll catch you again on my return from Howqua. I'm planning on taking my camera with me, so I'll probably have some photos to share with you too.
TTFN!
Monday, 22 October 2007
Waterfall. . .
And here's a photo of the beads I was talking about in yesterday's blog entry. Check them out on eBay.
Okay, well that's all the beads you're gonna see out of me until we get back from our vacation. See you soon!
Okay, well that's all the beads you're gonna see out of me until we get back from our vacation. See you soon!
Sunday, 21 October 2007
Sunday Afternoon Chat. . .
I hope you've had a relaxing weekend. Just thought I'd drop by to share this photo of Tasha with you, and let you know what's happening with regards to beads. I washed my quilt yesterday, and after bringing it in from the clothesline and wandering away to do something else, I came back to find Tasha had made herself comfortable in her "hidey hole".
So, apart from boring household tasks, what else have I been up to? Last night DH Russ & I went over to his eldest son's house for a BBQ. The weather the last few days has been unseasonably warm - yesterday it reached 31C (88F) and today has been even worse - at the time of typing this (5.30 pm) it's still hovering around 34C (93F) - crazy really, since summer doesn't start here for another 6 weeks. I dread to think what summer is going to be like if it's this warm at the end of October. I'm one of those people that loathes summer - not that I'm crazy about the dead of winter either, but somewhere in between autumn and winter is my favourite time of year.
Anyway, after the BBQ and some chit chat, we sat around to watch a DVD - "The Ultimate Gift", starring James Garner and Drew Fuller. The story is about a young man, Jason Stevens, (Fuller) from a super rich family who has more or less lived his life on the party circuit (think Paris Hilton). When his grandfather (Garner) passes on, he thinks he'll continue living the high life as always, however, his grandfather has other ideas, which sets Jason on a journey of self-discovery. It's one of those "can money really buy happiness?" type of stories. I won't give any more of the plot away, but suffice to say, I really think you'd enjoy it.
Okay, enough movie reviews out of me for one day. LOL.
And what about beads? Well, although the last two days have been extremely warm (meaning my oxy concentrator has been playing up something awful), I managed to finish a new set of beads - they'll be up on eBay tomorrow morning if you'd like to come back and check them out. These will be the last beads I'll have for sale until after DH Russ & I get back from our mini vacation. Next weekend I will be working in the studio for a few hours as I'm putting together a few beads for my Canadian bead making buddy, Tonia, but other than that, I won't get a chance to go anywhere near the studio again until the weekend of 3 November.
So, that's been my weekend. I'll probably update the blog again before I go away (well, I'll definitely update it again tomorrow when the beads are up on eBay). In the meantime, thanks for stopping by!
So, apart from boring household tasks, what else have I been up to? Last night DH Russ & I went over to his eldest son's house for a BBQ. The weather the last few days has been unseasonably warm - yesterday it reached 31C (88F) and today has been even worse - at the time of typing this (5.30 pm) it's still hovering around 34C (93F) - crazy really, since summer doesn't start here for another 6 weeks. I dread to think what summer is going to be like if it's this warm at the end of October. I'm one of those people that loathes summer - not that I'm crazy about the dead of winter either, but somewhere in between autumn and winter is my favourite time of year.
Anyway, after the BBQ and some chit chat, we sat around to watch a DVD - "The Ultimate Gift", starring James Garner and Drew Fuller. The story is about a young man, Jason Stevens, (Fuller) from a super rich family who has more or less lived his life on the party circuit (think Paris Hilton). When his grandfather (Garner) passes on, he thinks he'll continue living the high life as always, however, his grandfather has other ideas, which sets Jason on a journey of self-discovery. It's one of those "can money really buy happiness?" type of stories. I won't give any more of the plot away, but suffice to say, I really think you'd enjoy it.
Okay, enough movie reviews out of me for one day. LOL.
And what about beads? Well, although the last two days have been extremely warm (meaning my oxy concentrator has been playing up something awful), I managed to finish a new set of beads - they'll be up on eBay tomorrow morning if you'd like to come back and check them out. These will be the last beads I'll have for sale until after DH Russ & I get back from our mini vacation. Next weekend I will be working in the studio for a few hours as I'm putting together a few beads for my Canadian bead making buddy, Tonia, but other than that, I won't get a chance to go anywhere near the studio again until the weekend of 3 November.
So, that's been my weekend. I'll probably update the blog again before I go away (well, I'll definitely update it again tomorrow when the beads are up on eBay). In the meantime, thanks for stopping by!
Monday, 15 October 2007
Grape Harvest. . .
Here's my newest beads up on eBay. Quite a large(ish) set for me. Hope you like them, and thanks for stopping by!
Oh, and you may have noticed, if you've already visited the auction, that I had to cancel it. That was thanks to eBay "losing" my auction - it wasn't showing up in the Lampwork category, and the only way people were finding it was if they clicked on the link above, searched by my Seller ID of thatgirl1269, searched with the keyword "2cats" or were regular customers. I spent 1½ hours on Live Help today only to kept being told that it was showing up, when I know for a fact it wasn't. The last straw was eBay saying that the problem was the "arrangement of words in the title of my auction that was screwing up eBay's search facility" and that nothing I did would make the auction show. The Live Help person I spoke with told me over and over again though that that "wasn't my fault, it was a problem with ebay". Ultimately, as I'm sure anyone with half a brain can figure out, that was absolutely ridiculous. Apart from that, they admitted it was eBay's fault, but they refused to admit it wasn't showing in the Lampwork category and would not refund me the cost of the auction (am I the only person that can see that's a contradictory statment ARGH!!). So I had to pay AGAIN for the auction to be listed. I'm fast reaching the end of my rope with FeeBay. VERY very fast.
Oh, and you may have noticed, if you've already visited the auction, that I had to cancel it. That was thanks to eBay "losing" my auction - it wasn't showing up in the Lampwork category, and the only way people were finding it was if they clicked on the link above, searched by my Seller ID of thatgirl1269, searched with the keyword "2cats" or were regular customers. I spent 1½ hours on Live Help today only to kept being told that it was showing up, when I know for a fact it wasn't. The last straw was eBay saying that the problem was the "arrangement of words in the title of my auction that was screwing up eBay's search facility" and that nothing I did would make the auction show. The Live Help person I spoke with told me over and over again though that that "wasn't my fault, it was a problem with ebay". Ultimately, as I'm sure anyone with half a brain can figure out, that was absolutely ridiculous. Apart from that, they admitted it was eBay's fault, but they refused to admit it wasn't showing in the Lampwork category and would not refund me the cost of the auction (am I the only person that can see that's a contradictory statment ARGH!!). So I had to pay AGAIN for the auction to be listed. I'm fast reaching the end of my rope with FeeBay. VERY very fast.
Thursday, 11 October 2007
Time flies . . .
...when you're wasting time on Facebook.
So you may have noticed that I've been MIA when it comes to updating the blog (other than regular updates with regards to my eBay auctions, that is). That's due to a combination of being super busy with my day job (and I fear it's only going to get busier, as I will probably be taking on more hours in the not too distant future), making beads, and a lot of time wasted on Facebook. I signed up for a Facebook account ages ago, but never really bothered doing anything with it. That is until Sarah Hornik mentioned how addicted she had become to it, and I decided to check it out further.
Well, needless to say that since then, I've been spending a LOT of my spare time there. I'm having lots of fun sending electronic gifts to people, playing games and finding old, and new, friends. It is seriously addictive. Anyway, if you're on Facebook, make sure to look me up and add me to your friends - I promise not to bother you TOO much! :-)
On to other things. DH Russ & I are taking a week off work at the end of the month, and we made the decision to go away for a few nights. We've decided to stay at Sambar Park, a 40+ square house in the Howqua Valley. We'll have the whole house to ourselves for almost 5 days, with nothing to look forward to but leisurely drives around the countryside, visits to wineries, catching up on our reading, and relaxing in the hot tub. If the property is even half as nice as it looks on the website, we're in for a wonderful time.
We head off on 29 October and won't be back home until 2 November. Of course, while we're away, I won't have any auctions running, but there's still plenty of time in between now and then to offer you a few more sets. Of course, how I'm going to survive 4 or 5 days without Facebook I haven't as yet worked out LOL.
Well, that's about all the news I have to share with you just for the moment. Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you again soon - and remember to stop by Facebook to say howdy! :-)
So you may have noticed that I've been MIA when it comes to updating the blog (other than regular updates with regards to my eBay auctions, that is). That's due to a combination of being super busy with my day job (and I fear it's only going to get busier, as I will probably be taking on more hours in the not too distant future), making beads, and a lot of time wasted on Facebook. I signed up for a Facebook account ages ago, but never really bothered doing anything with it. That is until Sarah Hornik mentioned how addicted she had become to it, and I decided to check it out further.
Well, needless to say that since then, I've been spending a LOT of my spare time there. I'm having lots of fun sending electronic gifts to people, playing games and finding old, and new, friends. It is seriously addictive. Anyway, if you're on Facebook, make sure to look me up and add me to your friends - I promise not to bother you TOO much! :-)
On to other things. DH Russ & I are taking a week off work at the end of the month, and we made the decision to go away for a few nights. We've decided to stay at Sambar Park, a 40+ square house in the Howqua Valley. We'll have the whole house to ourselves for almost 5 days, with nothing to look forward to but leisurely drives around the countryside, visits to wineries, catching up on our reading, and relaxing in the hot tub. If the property is even half as nice as it looks on the website, we're in for a wonderful time.
We head off on 29 October and won't be back home until 2 November. Of course, while we're away, I won't have any auctions running, but there's still plenty of time in between now and then to offer you a few more sets. Of course, how I'm going to survive 4 or 5 days without Facebook I haven't as yet worked out LOL.
Well, that's about all the news I have to share with you just for the moment. Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you again soon - and remember to stop by Facebook to say howdy! :-)
Monday, 8 October 2007
Two New Auctions. . .
I've been busy as a beaver in the studio the past few days, and I've just finished listing two new sets of beads on eBay - "Sandstorm" and "Rock Garden". Stop by the auctions to take a peek.
Thanks a bunch for stopping by, and I'll catch you again next time.
Thanks a bunch for stopping by, and I'll catch you again next time.
Thursday, 4 October 2007
Grapeshot. . .
Another set of beads up on eBay right now. I'm having a lot of fun working with these style of beads at the moment - I'm finding it really difficult to move on to anything else! Oh well.. I'm sure I'll get bored eventually! Hope you like them, and thanks for dropping by.
Monday, 1 October 2007
Lilypad. . .
Here's my latest set of beads, up on eBay right now. Hope you like these as much as I do! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by.
Wednesday, 26 September 2007
Beyond The Sea. . .
These have just been listed on eBay. I love how these turned out - although difficult to see, I've used four colours for the millefiori in this set. Hope you like them, and thanks for stopping by.
Sunday, 23 September 2007
Bazaar . . .
Just stopping by to share a photo of my latest set of beads, up on eBay right now. It's not all that often I make a set of beads I *really* want to keep, but these are the exception to that - so much prettier in person! If you like them in the photo, you will love them when you see them in "real life".
Well, I've finished the grocery shopping, tidied the house, and finished listing these beads, so I'm now going to spend a few hours in the studio working on more beads. Have a lovely Sunday!
Well, I've finished the grocery shopping, tidied the house, and finished listing these beads, so I'm now going to spend a few hours in the studio working on more beads. Have a lovely Sunday!
Friday, 21 September 2007
Eye Candy. . .
Another beadmaking friend of mine is Lynn of Silver Moon Lampwork in Washington state, USA. Her beads are always glorious, but these ones have me drooling big time. If you want some serious eye candy, then don't miss these beads - stunning!!
[7.10 pm] I couldn't help myself. I just had to bid on these! :-)
[7.10 pm] I couldn't help myself. I just had to bid on these! :-)
Wednesday, 19 September 2007
What Lies Beneath. . .
Here's a photo of my latest beads up on eBay. I had great fun working on these, and I hope you like them as much as I do!
Tuesday, 18 September 2007
New Beads Tomorrow . . .
I'll have a new set of beads to list on eBay tomorrow, so make sure to pop back then to check them out.
And speaking of beads, yesterday I put together a bracelet, earrings, and a necklace for myself from beads I purchased from one of my fellow lampworkers, and very good friend, Antonia Jenner of Whistler Lampwork. I'm sure Tonia won't mind me sharing a photo of the beads, which I won at auction on eBay a week or so ago.
I feel very privileged to own some of Tonia's beads - she really is one of the most talented beadmakers. If you've never seen any of Tonia's beads (and how could you not if you visit eBay with an regularity?), then make sure to do yourself a favour, and stop by her auctions.. believe me, you won't be sorry.
Time for me to grab a glass of wine and wind down for the day. Have a good evening, and thanks for stopping by.
And speaking of beads, yesterday I put together a bracelet, earrings, and a necklace for myself from beads I purchased from one of my fellow lampworkers, and very good friend, Antonia Jenner of Whistler Lampwork. I'm sure Tonia won't mind me sharing a photo of the beads, which I won at auction on eBay a week or so ago.
I feel very privileged to own some of Tonia's beads - she really is one of the most talented beadmakers. If you've never seen any of Tonia's beads (and how could you not if you visit eBay with an regularity?), then make sure to do yourself a favour, and stop by her auctions.. believe me, you won't be sorry.
Time for me to grab a glass of wine and wind down for the day. Have a good evening, and thanks for stopping by.
Sunday, 16 September 2007
Mojito. . .
My latest set of beads up on eBay. Hope you like them!
Oh, and don't forget to check out the orphan auction I currently have running - 53 beads, with bidding starting at a crazy $0.99 AND free worldwide shipping.
Have a good day.
Oh, and don't forget to check out the orphan auction I currently have running - 53 beads, with bidding starting at a crazy $0.99 AND free worldwide shipping.
Have a good day.
Saturday, 15 September 2007
Studio Clearance (And Another Auction Too) . . .
Just popping in to let you know that tomorrow I'll be offering my first orphan auction for years. I'm really sick of seeing a whole bunch of perfectly good beads sitting around gathering dust, and decided to put them up on eBay. The good news for you folks is that I'm starting the auction at 99 cents and also offering free worldwide shipping. The auction will start at 6.00 pm PDT Saturday 15 September (that's 11.00 am Sunday 16th here in Australia) - and here's the link for those of you who want to bookmark it (the link won't actually work until the auction starts). Make sure you stop by to check it out.
Oh, and apart from the studio clearance auction, I'll also have a set of brand spanking new beads up on eBay tomorrow too.
Well that's about it out of me for one day. Time to grab some takeout for dinner. Hope you're having a good weekend, and thanks for stopping by.
Oh, and apart from the studio clearance auction, I'll also have a set of brand spanking new beads up on eBay tomorrow too.
Well that's about it out of me for one day. Time to grab some takeout for dinner. Hope you're having a good weekend, and thanks for stopping by.
Monday, 10 September 2007
Saturday, 8 September 2007
Whitsundays...
Here's the sneak peek of my newest set of beads, up on eBay right now. Anyway, I have to keep this brief today, as I have a few custom orders to work on - the last custom orders for a while, as I'm again taking a break from them after I finish this lot. There's a few things on my plate at the moment, and although I enjoy doing custom work, I find it stresses me out much more than just playing around and letting my muse move me in the direction she wants to go.
Have a great weekend, and thanks for checking in.
Have a great weekend, and thanks for checking in.
Tuesday, 4 September 2007
The Peter Pan Syndrome...
So I'm just about to watch Titanic again. I would like it made known, just for the record, that since I'm the most stubborn cow on the face of the planet, I absolutely refused to go see this movie at the cinemas when it came out. I hate it when movies are "hyperinflated" to mega proportions, as they very rarely live up to expectations.
However, DH Russ eventually persuaded me about 5 years after the movie came out to hire it on DVD and I really did enjoy it. I can however still remember sitting there with a pained expression on my face when it first started. Don't get me wrong, I adore Kate Winslett, but it was the thought of Leonardo di Caprio that turned me off. And why, you may ask? Well, he's always looked around 12 years of age to me. However, having said that, I do think he has potential. You know, he's one of those people that seems to be afflicted with the "Peter Pan Syndrome" whereby he always seems to look about 15 years younger than his actual age.
Don't get me wrong, he's a good looking man, but I'd always used the term "man" loosely when it came to Leo, that is, until today out of curiosity, I checked his profile on IMDB.com, to find that out he's actually only about 5 years younger than me. He's looking better these days - more mature. Give him 10 years, and he would be someone I'd say is quite appealing to me. Mind you, in 10 years' time, I will be around 48, so.. I don't hold out much hope for Leo looking my way. Like I had a chance in any event, right? LOL.
Enough out of me for one day. Off to bed to dream about LdC. Or someone anyway.
However, DH Russ eventually persuaded me about 5 years after the movie came out to hire it on DVD and I really did enjoy it. I can however still remember sitting there with a pained expression on my face when it first started. Don't get me wrong, I adore Kate Winslett, but it was the thought of Leonardo di Caprio that turned me off. And why, you may ask? Well, he's always looked around 12 years of age to me. However, having said that, I do think he has potential. You know, he's one of those people that seems to be afflicted with the "Peter Pan Syndrome" whereby he always seems to look about 15 years younger than his actual age.
Don't get me wrong, he's a good looking man, but I'd always used the term "man" loosely when it came to Leo, that is, until today out of curiosity, I checked his profile on IMDB.com, to find that out he's actually only about 5 years younger than me. He's looking better these days - more mature. Give him 10 years, and he would be someone I'd say is quite appealing to me. Mind you, in 10 years' time, I will be around 48, so.. I don't hold out much hope for Leo looking my way. Like I had a chance in any event, right? LOL.
Enough out of me for one day. Off to bed to dream about LdC. Or someone anyway.
Monday, 3 September 2007
Mexican Blanket. . .
I haven't been feeling well for about a week - like I'm coming down with a dose of the 'flu (which would be typical - if I'm going to get the 'flu, you can guarantee it will happen in either spring or summer, and today is the third day of spring 'down under' SIGH). Anyway, enough of my woes - these beads are bright enough to put a smile on the face of even the most miserable git (ie. me!). I played around with a few of the 'odd lot' colours and these beads turned out about 200% nicer than I anticipated. They're up on eBay right now. Hope you like them.
Well, time for me to start work for the day - only an hour late LOL! Hope you have a great week, and thanks for stopping by.
Well, time for me to start work for the day - only an hour late LOL! Hope you have a great week, and thanks for stopping by.
Saturday, 1 September 2007
Retro Funk. . .
My newest set of beads, up on eBay now. I was playing around with Myspace layouts and that's where the inspiration for this colour scheme came from. Pink and gray - a marriage made in heaven!
Friday, 31 August 2007
New beads tomorrow, so check back then if you're so inclined.
I'm desperately in need of a vacation. The last real vacation Russ & I had was in 2000 - the year we married, when I won the trip to the USA and we "eloped" to Las Vegas. Okay, so we did spend around 4 weeks in the USA from September 2001, just after attending my cousin's wedding in Portland OR, but technically that wasn't a vacation as we arrived on the morning of 9/11, and then Russ lost his job a day later, and everything pretty much was a nightmare for about 5 yrs after that.
Russ & I have been talking, and we're thinking of returning to the US in January next year. Russ works for a subsidiary of Qantas, which means that we receive two tickets each per year whereby we only have to pay 10% to fly. As yet, we've not made use of them, and unfortunately they don't carry on to the next year - so if you don't use them, you lose them.
So, if we do decide to travel, we'll probably fly into either San Francisco or Los Angeles (more than likely San Francisco - one of my favourite cities in the US, if not the world), spend a few days relaxing, then take a leisurely few days to drive to Portland OR to stay with my cousin and her husband. After that, I have a few beadmaking friends I'd love to spend some time with - one who lives in the USA (Lynn of Silver Moon Lampwork) and one who lives in Canada (Antonia Jenner of Whistler Lampwork). As a matter of fact, the 3 of us have talked about meeting somewhere between WA and Canada and living it up. Believe me when I tell you that the 3 of us could get into a lot of trouble!
None of this is set in stone at the moment, but it does give me something to look forward to. It actually feels like January is years away, but tomorrow is 1 September. Where the hell has the year gone? Wasn't it Christmas last month? It's true that the older you get, the faster the years fly. And don't even get me started on how much I'm freaking out that in approximately 3 months' time, I'm going to be thinking "I'm turning 40 next year".
Oh. My. God. As of 1 September 2007, it will be exactly 17 months until my 40th birthday.
And on that happy note, I'm off to grab a pizza for dinner.
I'm desperately in need of a vacation. The last real vacation Russ & I had was in 2000 - the year we married, when I won the trip to the USA and we "eloped" to Las Vegas. Okay, so we did spend around 4 weeks in the USA from September 2001, just after attending my cousin's wedding in Portland OR, but technically that wasn't a vacation as we arrived on the morning of 9/11, and then Russ lost his job a day later, and everything pretty much was a nightmare for about 5 yrs after that.
Russ & I have been talking, and we're thinking of returning to the US in January next year. Russ works for a subsidiary of Qantas, which means that we receive two tickets each per year whereby we only have to pay 10% to fly. As yet, we've not made use of them, and unfortunately they don't carry on to the next year - so if you don't use them, you lose them.
So, if we do decide to travel, we'll probably fly into either San Francisco or Los Angeles (more than likely San Francisco - one of my favourite cities in the US, if not the world), spend a few days relaxing, then take a leisurely few days to drive to Portland OR to stay with my cousin and her husband. After that, I have a few beadmaking friends I'd love to spend some time with - one who lives in the USA (Lynn of Silver Moon Lampwork) and one who lives in Canada (Antonia Jenner of Whistler Lampwork). As a matter of fact, the 3 of us have talked about meeting somewhere between WA and Canada and living it up. Believe me when I tell you that the 3 of us could get into a lot of trouble!
None of this is set in stone at the moment, but it does give me something to look forward to. It actually feels like January is years away, but tomorrow is 1 September. Where the hell has the year gone? Wasn't it Christmas last month? It's true that the older you get, the faster the years fly. And don't even get me started on how much I'm freaking out that in approximately 3 months' time, I'm going to be thinking "I'm turning 40 next year".
Oh. My. God. As of 1 September 2007, it will be exactly 17 months until my 40th birthday.
And on that happy note, I'm off to grab a pizza for dinner.
Tuesday, 28 August 2007
Oooo ... glass!
Ever wanted to see what almost $425.00 worth of glass rods looks like? I bet you have! Technically, the glass wasn't really $425, as that total included two books of pure silver at approximately $29 per book - but both the glass and silver are used in making my beads, so.. whatever. Anyway, in case you've ever assumed that making beads was cheap - well, now you know it's not!
There's a few 'odd lot' colours in this order - including that gorgeous peachy coral shade you can see, a lovely pale lemon colour called, oddly enough, Lemon Meringue, one of the opaque violets, and also a transparent pink called Antique Rose. I used the Antique Rose this afternoon in a new set of beads I've started - so far, it pretty much looks like any other transparent pale pink, but maybe I'll be proven wrong tomorrow morning when I open the kiln.
Unfortunately, I won't get a chance to finish the set I started today until Friday afternoon, so no new beads now until Saturday. Drop back then to check them out.
Hope the rest of your week goes well.
There's a few 'odd lot' colours in this order - including that gorgeous peachy coral shade you can see, a lovely pale lemon colour called, oddly enough, Lemon Meringue, one of the opaque violets, and also a transparent pink called Antique Rose. I used the Antique Rose this afternoon in a new set of beads I've started - so far, it pretty much looks like any other transparent pale pink, but maybe I'll be proven wrong tomorrow morning when I open the kiln.
Unfortunately, I won't get a chance to finish the set I started today until Friday afternoon, so no new beads now until Saturday. Drop back then to check them out.
Hope the rest of your week goes well.
Monday, 27 August 2007
Quotes of the Day. . .
I love sarcasm. I also love quotes. And there's nothing better than combining the two. Here's a few of my favourites:
"I'm not delusional enough to think that what I do is important to life as we know it on this planet. No. But neither is what you do." - Gene Simmons
"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt." - Mark Twain
"Self-praise is no recommendation". - Author Unknown
"I'm not delusional enough to think that what I do is important to life as we know it on this planet. No. But neither is what you do." - Gene Simmons
"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt." - Mark Twain
"Self-praise is no recommendation". - Author Unknown
Sunday, 26 August 2007
Spam GRRR . . .
Due to some !@#%$ leaving comments in my blog two days' running with a link to the latest "get rich quick" scheme, I've turned on moderation for all comments left in my blog. I apologise for this, but with the amount of spammers out there, I don't really have much choice. It's beyond me why people do things like that - do they seriously believe that anyone in their right mind is going to invest one red cent in their schemes? Well, I guess they do, since they continue to do it.
Anyway, I promise to add all comments ASAP after I've had a chance to review them. Sorry for the inconvenience, but, blame the spammers!
Anyway, I promise to add all comments ASAP after I've had a chance to review them. Sorry for the inconvenience, but, blame the spammers!
Saturday, 25 August 2007
Autumn Treasures . . .
Here's a preview of my latest set of beads, up on eBay right now. I'm having lots of fun with silver and gold at the moment, and I think the gold leaf on these beads adds just the right amount of bling. Hope you like them!
Thursday, 23 August 2007
Limelight . . .
Yep, new beads! These are up on eBay right now. And, I hope to have another set or two to offer you before the end of the week (fingers crossed). The reason? Since the tendonitis in my shoulder and neck are playing up something awful (thanks to Toby just about wrenching my arm out of its socket when I walked him on Saturday), I've taken the week off work from my medical transcription job. That leaves me lots of time to play at the torch - typing really aggravates my shoulder, but luckily for me, making beads doesn't appear to bother it all that much. So, stay tuned for more beads to come. Have a good day.
Tuesday, 21 August 2007
Moonlight Sonata . . .
Monday, 20 August 2007
Generically Annoyed . . .
I love that expression - "Generically Annoyed". I came across that as the subject of a message on one of the lampworking forums I occasionally visit. It totally describes my attitude lately when it comes to lampworking. I'm not going into details on a public forum about what I'm "generically annoyed" about, firstly, because there's a number of other lampworkers (who, for the sake of privacy, shall remain anonymous) that I discuss this stuff with who feel exactly the same way as I do, so most of my venting is shared with them. Secondly, I don't intend to get involved in a mud slinging match over the internet by publicly naming (and shaming) the people that are annoying me. And thirdly, and most importantly, is that there's so much I'm annoyed about that I quite simply don't have the time to list everything. There's so much injustice, underhanded and sickening behaviour going on that I'm actually at a loss to describe it, so, it can all go under the heading of generically annoying, and I'll leave it at that.
Right.. back to reality. For those who may be interested, I should have a new set of beads to offer you tomorrow. They're ready to go, but I need to charge the battery on my camera, and by the time it's charged enough, the sun has moved out of the optimal position for photos, so.. tomorrow morning will have to do.
Have a good day.
Right.. back to reality. For those who may be interested, I should have a new set of beads to offer you tomorrow. They're ready to go, but I need to charge the battery on my camera, and by the time it's charged enough, the sun has moved out of the optimal position for photos, so.. tomorrow morning will have to do.
Have a good day.
Thursday, 16 August 2007
Rainbow Lorikeets
Just thought I'd share this photo with you. For the past week, we've been putting fruit in a plastic dish attached to our back fence, hoping to attract some native birds. About half an hour ago, I was sitting here in my office typing away when I heard the unmistakable sound of Rainbow Lorikeets screeching outside my window. Luckily my camera was handy and I managed to take this shot before they flew away - it's a little "grainy" since I had to take it through the window with a fly screen on it, but I'm actually surprised as it turned out better than I expected!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the photo - aren't they just the most beautiful colours?
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the photo - aren't they just the most beautiful colours?
Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Fawlty Towers . . .
Since my Mum moved down from Sydney to live with us, there have been about 10 boxes of VHS tapes sitting in the garage, waiting for me to inspect them. Some of the videos I had completely forgotten about, and others, I have to say, I wonder what on earth I was thinking back in the mid 1980s when I recorded them (for example, why would I want to record a video on how to knit a shawl? I've never knitted in my life, and have no intentions of ever starting).
So, after spending a good hour going through the boxes, despairing that I was ever going to find anything worth keeping, I found a gem - the complete collection of Fawlty Towers. This is one of my all time favourite British comedies, and although I was a child when it was on air, I remember many a night (well, 12 of them, since only 12 episodes were ever made) sitting around the TV with my mother and stepfather, laughing uproariously at the antics of Basil, Manuel and the rest of the cast. I actually have the complete collection on DVD nowadays, but it wasn't until I found the VHS tape that I remembered it's years since I watched this show.
It's pretty difficult to choose a favourite episode, as each was so clever and well written, however, I think "Basil the Rat" and "The Germans" are two that always spring immediately to mind for me as exceptionally funny. And in case you're the one person on the planet who hasn't watched an episode, here's a few minutes from "The Germans" (and please take this in the spirit of comedy - I'm part German, so if I'm not offended by it, hopefully neither will you be).
So, after spending a good hour going through the boxes, despairing that I was ever going to find anything worth keeping, I found a gem - the complete collection of Fawlty Towers. This is one of my all time favourite British comedies, and although I was a child when it was on air, I remember many a night (well, 12 of them, since only 12 episodes were ever made) sitting around the TV with my mother and stepfather, laughing uproariously at the antics of Basil, Manuel and the rest of the cast. I actually have the complete collection on DVD nowadays, but it wasn't until I found the VHS tape that I remembered it's years since I watched this show.
It's pretty difficult to choose a favourite episode, as each was so clever and well written, however, I think "Basil the Rat" and "The Germans" are two that always spring immediately to mind for me as exceptionally funny. And in case you're the one person on the planet who hasn't watched an episode, here's a few minutes from "The Germans" (and please take this in the spirit of comedy - I'm part German, so if I'm not offended by it, hopefully neither will you be).
Tiger Tales . . .
Well, that's it out of me for the moment, hope you have a good week!
Monday, 6 August 2007
Latest Beads . . .
Here's my latest set of beads, up on eBay right now. I've gotta keep this brief as I'm running almost an hour late for work today - eek! Have a good Monday!
Friday, 3 August 2007
Blog Surfing . . .
If you're anything like me, you enjoy reading other people's blogs. However, it's rare that I come across a blog I enjoy so much that I can be caught laughing out loud whilst reading it. One exception to this is I Am Prepared to Give Up at Any Time. I just love Mike's sense of humour - even the tagline on his blog has me chuckling - "Finally! A blog that cures cancer!". I mean really, life is pretty damn difficult, even at the best of times, and anyone that can laugh at themselves and find the irony in just about every situation is a welcome change. I've been visiting Mike's blog, on and off, for about 6 months now, and his humour never fails to pep my spirits up. I love this entry, and this one - the latter, in particular, I can so totally relate to (except for the part about not wearing pants. I haven't quite gone that far yet. Give it time. I've only been working from home for 10 years). Anyway, if you enjoy sarcasm and witty banter, you'll love Mike's blog.
Oh.. and have a great weekend. I'll be back in a few days' time with new beads.
Oh.. and have a great weekend. I'll be back in a few days' time with new beads.
Thursday, 2 August 2007
I Wonder...
I've always loved the song "I Wonder" by Chris Isaak. It pretty much sums up how I feel about life. I couldn't find the original music clip on YouTube of Chris Issak singing it. The only one I could find would not allow me to embed the clip in my site, but here's a clip of taken from some TV show called Veronica Mars with Chris Isaak singing it (and excuse my ignorance on calling it "some TV show", but I've never heard of it. After doing a bit of research, it turns out that only 4 episodes of it were aired here in Victoria, so that probably goes a long way to explaining things). Anyway, this is one of those songs that's good to listen to when you're in a melancholy mood, which I seem to be in more often than not lately.
Wednesday, 1 August 2007
eBay and Their "Improvements" . . .
This is something that has been bugging me for a while, that is, eBay and their constant "improvements". I have certain categories bookmarked for ease of access, and with eBay mucking around with this and that, half the time the pages aren't found, or I end up in some other category than what is bookmarked.
So really, in the great scheme of things, that isn't such an issue, but what really annoys me is the insanity of that Detailed Seller Ratings box (the thing with the 5 stars) they've added to our feedback pages. I'm sure eBay think it's a wonderful idea, but in all fairness to sellers, I think it's the single MOST ridiculous thing they've implemented in a long time.
And why do I feel that way, you may ask? I mean, it's always handy to know those sorts of details, whether an item is the way it is described, shipping times, etc. But what REALLY REALLY bugs me about it is that it's simply NOT indicative of the true nature of the seller's performance. As an example, I always ship in a timely manner - usually the same day or very first thing the NEXT day after receiving payment, but how is it my fault what happens to the parcel after its left my hands? All I can do is post the item in a timely fashion - how long it takes to reach Australia or the US or anywhere else for that matter is outside my control.
And the same thing goes for the shipping costs - I charge the absolute minimum for international shipping that I possibly can - as a matter of fact, I actually don't charge the full price for shipping AND I charge nothing for packing materials. And let's not forget that I'm one of the few international lampworkers (and the only Australian seller I know of) who offers free worldwide shipping on any and all auctions that end at or above US$100. And yet, I notice that I have slightly less than a 5 star rating for shipping costs.
I know this shouldn't irritate me, but it does. I simply do not think it's fair that people can rate me on these two areas, when BOTH of them are outside my control. I have always, and WILL always, go the extra mile for my buyers because I appreciate every single person who has ever purchased from me, but what people who leave me less than 5 stars are ACTUALLY "ranking" is the postal service. I don't set the postage costs that Australia Post charge, and I don't deliver the mail personally, and yet I'm the one whose being ranked down!
Oh well, I guess the old saying is true - "You can't please all the people, all the time". *SHRUG*
So really, in the great scheme of things, that isn't such an issue, but what really annoys me is the insanity of that Detailed Seller Ratings box (the thing with the 5 stars) they've added to our feedback pages. I'm sure eBay think it's a wonderful idea, but in all fairness to sellers, I think it's the single MOST ridiculous thing they've implemented in a long time.
And why do I feel that way, you may ask? I mean, it's always handy to know those sorts of details, whether an item is the way it is described, shipping times, etc. But what REALLY REALLY bugs me about it is that it's simply NOT indicative of the true nature of the seller's performance. As an example, I always ship in a timely manner - usually the same day or very first thing the NEXT day after receiving payment, but how is it my fault what happens to the parcel after its left my hands? All I can do is post the item in a timely fashion - how long it takes to reach Australia or the US or anywhere else for that matter is outside my control.
And the same thing goes for the shipping costs - I charge the absolute minimum for international shipping that I possibly can - as a matter of fact, I actually don't charge the full price for shipping AND I charge nothing for packing materials. And let's not forget that I'm one of the few international lampworkers (and the only Australian seller I know of) who offers free worldwide shipping on any and all auctions that end at or above US$100. And yet, I notice that I have slightly less than a 5 star rating for shipping costs.
I know this shouldn't irritate me, but it does. I simply do not think it's fair that people can rate me on these two areas, when BOTH of them are outside my control. I have always, and WILL always, go the extra mile for my buyers because I appreciate every single person who has ever purchased from me, but what people who leave me less than 5 stars are ACTUALLY "ranking" is the postal service. I don't set the postage costs that Australia Post charge, and I don't deliver the mail personally, and yet I'm the one whose being ranked down!
Oh well, I guess the old saying is true - "You can't please all the people, all the time". *SHRUG*
Today on eBay...
Sharing a photo with you of my latest set of beads up on eBay. Click here to go directly to the auction for close-up shots and more info. I have two focals to add to my Etsy store today too - which I will hopefully get around to later in the day when things quieten down a bit. See you soon, and thanks for checking in!
Tuesday, 31 July 2007
New Beads Coming Soon . . .
I finished the custom order quicker than I anticipated, so I made a start on a new set of beads for eBay. I thought I was actually going to have them ready to list on eBay yesterday, however, I ran out of gas (propane, for those of you across the big pond) and it was too late in the day for me to bother unhooking it and taking it be refilled.
Anyway, the gas tank is full again, and after I finish work today around 12.30 pm, I plan on putting the finishing touches on those beads, and they'll be up on eBay tomorrow. If I wasn't in such a rush this morning to start work, I would have taken a "sneak peek" photo to share with you. Oh well.. drop by tomorrow if you'd like to check them out. Have a great day!
Anyway, the gas tank is full again, and after I finish work today around 12.30 pm, I plan on putting the finishing touches on those beads, and they'll be up on eBay tomorrow. If I wasn't in such a rush this morning to start work, I would have taken a "sneak peek" photo to share with you. Oh well.. drop by tomorrow if you'd like to check them out. Have a great day!
Friday, 27 July 2007
Friday Funny . . .
A friend emailed this to me this morning. It's quite clever really, and as I got a chuckle out of it, I thought I'd share it:
The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5-year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".
In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.
There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.
In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.
Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.
By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".
During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensibl riten styl.
Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.
Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.
The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5-year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".
In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.
There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.
In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.
Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.
By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".
During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensibl riten styl.
Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.
Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.
Thursday, 26 July 2007
Bead Happenings . . .
Just a quick 'heads-up' to let you know that this weekend I'll be working on a custom order, which means that in all probability, my current set of beads up on eBay will probably be the last you'll see out of me for about a week or so. I will try my hardest to put together a few focals for my Etsy store, but, no guarantees. Have a great day, and catch you again soon!
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
Glass Wall of Shame.org . . .
I came across this site today while searching for something. It's actually a shame that it doesn't appear to have been updated for a while. The idea of informing the buying public regarding shady bead practices is a great idea. I guess they never got the word out. Makes for some interesting reading though, even if it didn't seem to last all that long! VERY interesting in fact!
Tuesday, 24 July 2007
Memories. . .
I've been browsing around on Myspace again lately, and finding a few "lost" friends. One I recently came across was the home page of my ex, Toney. As many of my regular readers may know, Toney was the last guy I dated before I met DH Russ. I met him through the internet back in 1997 on a singles site. He's American, and at the time, was living in San Diego and I was still living in Sydney.
Anyway, we got to know each other really well over the phone and through tons of emails over the period of about 6 months, and in November '97 I went over there and spent about 6 weeks with him. It was a really happy time in my life, and although Toney and I eventually didn't work out due to a variety of circumstances, we have remained friends and have kept in touch occasionally over the years via email. I didn't realise he had a Myspace page though until this morning.
I think there's always one person in your life you look back on and wonder "what if?". For me, Toney's that guy. Don't get me wrong, I don't for a minute think I would have been happier with Toney than I am with Russ or that I sit here wishing life had worked out differently, because that's simply not true... but, you can't help but wonder what would have happened had you chosen the other path.
Well.. that's quite enough melancholy out of me for one day!
Anyway, we got to know each other really well over the phone and through tons of emails over the period of about 6 months, and in November '97 I went over there and spent about 6 weeks with him. It was a really happy time in my life, and although Toney and I eventually didn't work out due to a variety of circumstances, we have remained friends and have kept in touch occasionally over the years via email. I didn't realise he had a Myspace page though until this morning.
I think there's always one person in your life you look back on and wonder "what if?". For me, Toney's that guy. Don't get me wrong, I don't for a minute think I would have been happier with Toney than I am with Russ or that I sit here wishing life had worked out differently, because that's simply not true... but, you can't help but wonder what would have happened had you chosen the other path.
Well.. that's quite enough melancholy out of me for one day!
Monday, 23 July 2007
New Beads Tomorrow . . .
Well thanks to my internet access being so sporadic all day, I only managed to do my medical transcription work for about an hour today. I still don't know what the problem was, nor if its fixed itself, but it seems okay for the moment. Murphy's Law is such that I am meant to finish my job at 5.00 pm, and the internet seemed to come back online 5 minutes before I was due to finish.. oh well.
The up side to that however is that I spent a few hours in the studio today, finishing a new set of beads. Here's a sneak peek at a few of the beads. Assuming I have enough time tomorrow morning, this set should be up on eBay around 9.30 am. If I don't have time to list the auction before I start work, then it will definitely be up at just after 12.30 pm when I finish work.
And speaking of beads, this is the only half decent photo I've managed to get from my new camera, and I'm not really all that happy with this photo either. The colours are good, but when I compare the "crispness" of this photo to that of my old Nikon, well, it's just not there. And it should be since my Nikon is about 4 years old and my new camera is much more advanced.
Hmm.. looks like I'm really going to have to sit down with my good friend, Farid, and figure out what the heck I'm doing wrong - and soon.
See you tomorrow!
The up side to that however is that I spent a few hours in the studio today, finishing a new set of beads. Here's a sneak peek at a few of the beads. Assuming I have enough time tomorrow morning, this set should be up on eBay around 9.30 am. If I don't have time to list the auction before I start work, then it will definitely be up at just after 12.30 pm when I finish work.
And speaking of beads, this is the only half decent photo I've managed to get from my new camera, and I'm not really all that happy with this photo either. The colours are good, but when I compare the "crispness" of this photo to that of my old Nikon, well, it's just not there. And it should be since my Nikon is about 4 years old and my new camera is much more advanced.
Hmm.. looks like I'm really going to have to sit down with my good friend, Farid, and figure out what the heck I'm doing wrong - and soon.
See you tomorrow!
Sunday, 22 July 2007
Backyard Blitz (Part 1) . . .
DH Russ is in renovation mode at the moment. Ever since we moved into this house back in February last year, we've been talking about completely overhauling the backyard. The house is on a good size block, unfortunately, the majority of space is in the front yard, as all the houses in our cul-de-sac are set quite a way back from the road. It's nice to live in a quiet cul-de-sac with loads of trees out the front, but the downside to that is that we have a tiny backyard.
In reality though, that doesn't really bother us all that much. We don't have kids so there's no need for a large yard for them to play in, all the outdoor entertaining takes place on our back deck (granted, that doesn't happen all that often, since the weather in Melbourne for the majority of the year isn't conducive to dining outdoors), and although we have a dog, Toby spends the majority of his time either in the house with us asleep on his bed here in the office, or else sleeps in the shed.
Since Mum moved down, Russ has got his butt into gear and decided to start work on the yard. Mum loves tending garden and has a green thumb (I, on the other hand, could kill an air fern at 10 paces), so that's given him all the incentive he needed to make a start on transforming the yard. We're planning on having our own vegetable garden at some point, and Mum is talking about a whole load of flowers and plants she'd like to have (most of which leave me totally confused, since I can barely distinguish a weed from a wattle).
So far Russ has pulled out all the nasty rotting railway sleepers from one side of the house and replaced them with volcanic rocks he picked up from our 100 acre property. Here's a photo of the area before he started (and these are very early photos - there's loads of work to still do before it even nears completion):
And after he's put in the rocks:
The brick pillars (near the gas bottle) will be going at some point - at the moment, that's where the barbecue is, but as its never worked and we have plans to purchase one we can move around, there's not really much point in it being there. What we hope to put there at some point is a hot tub. It's all very difficult to imagine at the moment, but I have no doubt at all that Russ will work it out and (eventually) it will look wonderful.
Russ is taking photos of each stage, so it will be interesting to see how far it all progresses over the months (years?!). Russ is actually very good with this type of thing, and although he bitches and moans the whole time he's doing it, I know he actually loves it. It keeps him out of trouble I suppose, and God knows I'll never be the type of person who will enjoy doing this sort of stuff, so just as well he enjoys it! LOL.
Oh.. and beads! I started on a new set today, but I only managed to make about 4 or 5 beads, so unfortunately, there won't be anything new up on eBay. I'm hoping to get a chance to finish this set tomorrow, so make sure to stop by Tuesday morning if you want to check them out.
In reality though, that doesn't really bother us all that much. We don't have kids so there's no need for a large yard for them to play in, all the outdoor entertaining takes place on our back deck (granted, that doesn't happen all that often, since the weather in Melbourne for the majority of the year isn't conducive to dining outdoors), and although we have a dog, Toby spends the majority of his time either in the house with us asleep on his bed here in the office, or else sleeps in the shed.
Since Mum moved down, Russ has got his butt into gear and decided to start work on the yard. Mum loves tending garden and has a green thumb (I, on the other hand, could kill an air fern at 10 paces), so that's given him all the incentive he needed to make a start on transforming the yard. We're planning on having our own vegetable garden at some point, and Mum is talking about a whole load of flowers and plants she'd like to have (most of which leave me totally confused, since I can barely distinguish a weed from a wattle).
So far Russ has pulled out all the nasty rotting railway sleepers from one side of the house and replaced them with volcanic rocks he picked up from our 100 acre property. Here's a photo of the area before he started (and these are very early photos - there's loads of work to still do before it even nears completion):
And after he's put in the rocks:The brick pillars (near the gas bottle) will be going at some point - at the moment, that's where the barbecue is, but as its never worked and we have plans to purchase one we can move around, there's not really much point in it being there. What we hope to put there at some point is a hot tub. It's all very difficult to imagine at the moment, but I have no doubt at all that Russ will work it out and (eventually) it will look wonderful.
Russ is taking photos of each stage, so it will be interesting to see how far it all progresses over the months (years?!). Russ is actually very good with this type of thing, and although he bitches and moans the whole time he's doing it, I know he actually loves it. It keeps him out of trouble I suppose, and God knows I'll never be the type of person who will enjoy doing this sort of stuff, so just as well he enjoys it! LOL.
Oh.. and beads! I started on a new set today, but I only managed to make about 4 or 5 beads, so unfortunately, there won't be anything new up on eBay. I'm hoping to get a chance to finish this set tomorrow, so make sure to stop by Tuesday morning if you want to check them out.
Saturday, 21 July 2007
One of "those" days...
Well, that's what its been. I fired up the torch early this morning in anticipation of making a new set of beads, and I really may as well not have bothered. Everything I made ended up in my water jar, except for about 5 beads which I'm still not exactly over the moon about. All up, I made about 20 beads that ended up looking like a dog's breakfast. At 3.30 pm, I shut the torch off and gave up in total exasperation.
GRRRR... I hate days like this. I generally only have the weekends to torch nowadays so the time I have to make beads is precious, and when everything goes wrong, I feel like finding a cliff and throwing myself off. I guess tomorrow's another day, and I have a few other ideas I want to try, so hopefully things will go better.
So, assuming I have a more fruitful day tomorrow, I may have something new to offer you on Monday. At least I'm hoping that's the way it goes!
GRRRR... I hate days like this. I generally only have the weekends to torch nowadays so the time I have to make beads is precious, and when everything goes wrong, I feel like finding a cliff and throwing myself off. I guess tomorrow's another day, and I have a few other ideas I want to try, so hopefully things will go better.
So, assuming I have a more fruitful day tomorrow, I may have something new to offer you on Monday. At least I'm hoping that's the way it goes!
Thursday, 19 July 2007
My New Toy. . .
I've been thinking about purchasing a new camera for a while now. While my Nikon Coolpix E4300 has served me reasonably well for the past few years, I've never been particularly happy with the super close-up shots. Of course, that may actually have more to do with my lack of photography skills than the quality of the camera itself, but, I felt it was about time I upgraded. After comparing a number of cameras, I decided to purchase a Canon Powershot S3. I've read a number of reviews about how fantastic this camera is for super macro shots, and the added bonus of an image stabiliser was what sucked me in.
So it arrived this morning, and the first thing I really love about it is the weight - it has a lovely "hefty" feel to it and sits perfectly in my hand, which I think will really help improve the quality of my macro shots. I know I really should buy a tripod (I did have one a few years ago but it broke and I haven't bothered to replace it), but we'll see how it goes. Now, of course, all I have to do is work out how to actually use the new camera. It took me about 3 years to get the hang of using the Nikon, and now I'm on another learning curve.
Anyway, the batteries won't be charged up enough until at least tomorrow for me to even consider playing around with it, but I'm really quite excited about the possibilities this camera seems to offer. I may even sit down with my friend, Farid, and have a chat with him about improving the quality of my photos. Although an amateur photographer, he knows a heck of a lot more about this stuff than I do - as a matter of fact, he's the person that took all the photos for the book I'm in and they turned out wonderfully.
Well, time for me to start work.. have a great day!
So it arrived this morning, and the first thing I really love about it is the weight - it has a lovely "hefty" feel to it and sits perfectly in my hand, which I think will really help improve the quality of my macro shots. I know I really should buy a tripod (I did have one a few years ago but it broke and I haven't bothered to replace it), but we'll see how it goes. Now, of course, all I have to do is work out how to actually use the new camera. It took me about 3 years to get the hang of using the Nikon, and now I'm on another learning curve.
Anyway, the batteries won't be charged up enough until at least tomorrow for me to even consider playing around with it, but I'm really quite excited about the possibilities this camera seems to offer. I may even sit down with my friend, Farid, and have a chat with him about improving the quality of my photos. Although an amateur photographer, he knows a heck of a lot more about this stuff than I do - as a matter of fact, he's the person that took all the photos for the book I'm in and they turned out wonderfully.
Well, time for me to start work.. have a great day!
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
Is This Really The End?
So, it's no secret to anyone who knows me how much I love Trailer Park Boys. It's not that well known out here in Australia, with it being a sorta low budget Canadian "mockumentary" and only being shown sporadically on cable TV. I was introduced to it about 4 years ago by a Canadian guy DH Russ works with, and after getting over the initial shock of it, I was hooked. I've purchased every season on DVD from the USA, and when I can't watch it on DVD (such as Season 7 - the most current), then I tend to watch it on the web. Anyway, I've watched all of Season 7's episodes, and I loved it, particularly the last few minutes of Episode 10 which I'm not embarrassed to admit, I actually shed a tear or two over.
Anyway, if you're an Aussie and like TPB but don't generally get much of a chance to watch it, here's the last 5 minutes or so of Episode 10 from Season 7. The cast are apparently taking a break from shooting next year, and there's rumours that Season 7 may have been the last. If that's the case, then this last 5 minutes or so was the perfect way for it to end.
Oh and a warning - if you're the type of person who is offended by profanity, drug or alcohol references, then I would recommend you don't watch the video. If you're not that sort of person but have never heard of TPB, then by all means watch it, although none of it will make sense to you and you'll no doubt be thinking HUH? If you ever get a chance to watch TPB from Season 1, you may be surprised how it sucks you in (particularly if you have a twisted sense of humour, like I do!)
PS. Hey Lucy - if you make it down from Surfers, the offer still stands, there'll be a cold one waiting for you! :-)
Anyway, if you're an Aussie and like TPB but don't generally get much of a chance to watch it, here's the last 5 minutes or so of Episode 10 from Season 7. The cast are apparently taking a break from shooting next year, and there's rumours that Season 7 may have been the last. If that's the case, then this last 5 minutes or so was the perfect way for it to end.
Oh and a warning - if you're the type of person who is offended by profanity, drug or alcohol references, then I would recommend you don't watch the video. If you're not that sort of person but have never heard of TPB, then by all means watch it, although none of it will make sense to you and you'll no doubt be thinking HUH? If you ever get a chance to watch TPB from Season 1, you may be surprised how it sucks you in (particularly if you have a twisted sense of humour, like I do!)
PS. Hey Lucy - if you make it down from Surfers, the offer still stands, there'll be a cold one waiting for you! :-)
More Beads to Come . . .
Here's a photo of a focal I currently have up on eBay. There's also a matching set up for auction too. And if you'd rather purchase a few focals without having to do the whole eBay "thing", then make sure to stop by my store on Etsy. I'll also have a few more focals up on Etsy in the next day or so!
Sunday, 15 July 2007
Beads for Sale . . .
Tomorrow I'll have a new set up on eBay, plus 3 or 4 focals which I'll probably have up for immediate purchase in my Etsy store. I think the break away from the torch did wonders for my creativity - the focals in particular have me very excited. I very rarely allow myself time to just 'play' at the torch - normally when I sit down, I pretty much know exactly what I'm going to make, but today after I finished the set for eBay, instead of working on another set, I decided to simply play and see what my muse came up with. I think I need to do this more often, because the ideas for the focals just seemed to come out of nowhere and I had a hard time stopping. I know everyone says there's no such thing as an original idea when it comes to beads, but in all honesty, I really don't think I've seen these style of beads anywhere else. I can see more of these beads in the near future!
Anyway, if you'd like to see how the focals turned out, drop by my Etsy store tomorrow. I might list one on eBay, but I'll see how I feel about that tomorrow. Time for me to relax and just enjoy the rest of my Sunday. See you tomorrow!
Anyway, if you'd like to see how the focals turned out, drop by my Etsy store tomorrow. I might list one on eBay, but I'll see how I feel about that tomorrow. Time for me to relax and just enjoy the rest of my Sunday. See you tomorrow!
Saturday, 14 July 2007
Bead Update . . .
Wow, a whole week has passed me by and I haven't updated the blog. There really hasn't been anything that interesting to report - I've just been working in my medical transcription job and that's really been about it. The good news though is that I will be making beads today. If you haven't visited my website lately, you may not be aware that DH Russ took a look at my kiln earlier in the week and realised what the problem was. So he's rewired a few things, replaced the electrical cord and it's working. I haven't sent the newsletter out yet to let my customers know that I'll be returning to making beads earlier than anticipated, but come Monday, I should have at least one new set of beads ready for eBay, and I'll send the newsletter out then.
So, that's about all the news I have to share with you at the moment. My stepson, Daniel, and his girlfriend are coming over tomorrow night to see us. As I've mentioned in previous blog entries, he's an apprentice chef and has been living in Tasmania for about 1½ years while completing his apprenticeship. So tomorrow night he's coming over and cooking us garlic prawns for dinner. This is such a yummy dish and I'm looking forward to not having to cook for a change! I always find you enjoy something so much more when YOU don't have to cook it too!
Okay.. I'll be back in a few days' time when I have some new beads to share with you. Have a great weekend!
So, that's about all the news I have to share with you at the moment. My stepson, Daniel, and his girlfriend are coming over tomorrow night to see us. As I've mentioned in previous blog entries, he's an apprentice chef and has been living in Tasmania for about 1½ years while completing his apprenticeship. So tomorrow night he's coming over and cooking us garlic prawns for dinner. This is such a yummy dish and I'm looking forward to not having to cook for a change! I always find you enjoy something so much more when YOU don't have to cook it too!
Okay.. I'll be back in a few days' time when I have some new beads to share with you. Have a great weekend!
Saturday, 7 July 2007
You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby . . .
. . . so what happened? ;-)
Just kidding! Happy 52nd Birthday Russ. Love you lots!
Just kidding! Happy 52nd Birthday Russ. Love you lots!
Friday, 6 July 2007
I'm in print!
As regular visitors may remember, I'm a contributor in a new book being published by Karen Leonardo. Karen contacted me today and it appears that the book is due for release in November. Here's a photo of the front cover - and yep, that's my bead (the square one)!. You can pre-order the book on Amazon. For my Australian friends, Lily of Hotbeadbox will most likely be stocking the book when it's released too. There'll be step-by-step photos in the book of me making the bead on the cover, along with tutorials from the other contributors too of course!
Well.. that's made my week! With my kiln dying, I've been feeling very sorry for myself, and this was just the thing I needed to lift my spirits!
Well.. that's made my week! With my kiln dying, I've been feeling very sorry for myself, and this was just the thing I needed to lift my spirits!
Thursday, 5 July 2007
A New Arrival . . .
Congratulations to my beautiful cousin Felecia, and her husband, Chris, on the birth of their first baby, Zach Tappenden. Zach made his entry into the world after a relatively brief labour (your lucky girl!) on 4 July, and from what I understand, Felecia wanted to come home the same day! LOL.
Flea and Chris, I hope to see you and Zach soon. And I expect lots of photos!
Flea and Chris, I hope to see you and Zach soon. And I expect lots of photos!
Wednesday, 4 July 2007
Kiln Update . . .
Well, after speaking with my glass supplier, Lily, it appears I may not have to wait as long for my new kiln as I originally anticipated. At this stage, it looks like it may be ready to go in 3-4 weeks. If that is the case, then I anticipate I'll have some new beads ready for sale in about 4-5 weeks. I'm still not exactly thrilled at the thought of having to wait that long, but it could be worse. Lily told me that the company that is supplying my kiln are swamped with orders at the moment, and if I had ordered it next week, then I probably would have had to wait at least 9 weeks for it be delivered!
Of course, no matter how long it takes, I still have to cough up about $1900 for it. Since I don't have that sort of money sitting around, I've had to borrow the money off my Mum. I looked into having my old kiln repaired, and DH Russ called the guy I bought it off. Unfortunately, the man who made my kiln 5 years ago passed away a few months ago, and as he was a sole trader, his business has been dissolved.. so, unless I could find some other company to repair it, the new kiln was really the only option at this stage. DH Russ is taking the kiln to his workplace and asking a few of the electricians to take a look at it - those electronic aircraft engineer guys are pretty good with that sort of stuff, so.. you never know, they may be able to repair it for me.
So, that's what's happening at the moment. If you're interested in placing custom orders, and don't mind waiting, I'm still taking orders. I have a few orders on hold for the moment, but I'm always happy to add you to the list.
That's about it outta me for the moment.. I'll be back again in a few days' time. Oh, and for my friends in the USA, I hope you have a happy 4th July!
Of course, no matter how long it takes, I still have to cough up about $1900 for it. Since I don't have that sort of money sitting around, I've had to borrow the money off my Mum. I looked into having my old kiln repaired, and DH Russ called the guy I bought it off. Unfortunately, the man who made my kiln 5 years ago passed away a few months ago, and as he was a sole trader, his business has been dissolved.. so, unless I could find some other company to repair it, the new kiln was really the only option at this stage. DH Russ is taking the kiln to his workplace and asking a few of the electricians to take a look at it - those electronic aircraft engineer guys are pretty good with that sort of stuff, so.. you never know, they may be able to repair it for me.
So, that's what's happening at the moment. If you're interested in placing custom orders, and don't mind waiting, I'm still taking orders. I have a few orders on hold for the moment, but I'm always happy to add you to the list.
That's about it outta me for the moment.. I'll be back again in a few days' time. Oh, and for my friends in the USA, I hope you have a happy 4th July!
Sunday, 1 July 2007
Bead Woes . . .
I'll have a new set of beads up on eBay tomorrow morning, and they will in all probability be the last beads I'll have for sale for at least 6 weeks or so. The reason? My !@#$%* kiln died today.
I can't believe my luck (or lack thereof) when it comes to kilns. This is the second kiln in 5 years that has died on me. The one that died today was my 'back-up' kiln - the first one I purchased when I started making beads around 5½ years ago. Since this particular kiln never had a controller, meaning I had to 'babysit' it when it was going through the annealing cycle, a few years ago I decided to purchase a mailbox annealer kiln from the USA. At the time, beadmaking was still in its infancy here in Australia, and as I couldn't find a suitable beadmaking kiln, I decided to purchase one from the USA.
That was a great idea - in theory. At the time, it cost me around US$680 for the kiln, however, when you added shipping from the USA to Australia on top of that, and the extra I had to pay when it reached customs, it ended up costing me, in total, close to $2,000. And even that wouldn't have been so bad, but I never had anything but problems with it from day 1. I managed to get about 1½-2 years of usage out of it before it died. Sending it back to the USA for repairing was simply out of the question, but luckily, I had the back-up kiln to tide me over.
Until today, that is. I fired up the kiln earlier today in anticipation of starting on a new set of beads. When I went into the studio about half an hour after turning it on, the first thing I noticed was a strange smell. The only thing that was running at the time was the kiln, so I knew immediately that had to be it, and sure enough, it was going on and off and making this awful "groaning" sound. I turned it off, turned it back on.. still no joy. The last time I tried it, about 3 hours ago, it wouldn't even switch on.
So now I have to find approximately $1800 from somewhere (and I really don't have any clue where I'm going to find that sort of money on such short notice) to purchase a new kiln and wait approximately 6-8 weeks for it to be delivered. I'm purchasing it through my glass supplier, and she's going to call the kiln manufacturers tomorrow to find out exactly how long it should take. She told me that the last few she's ordered through them took less time than that to be delivered, but, at this stage, I really don't have a clue when it will be ready.
Anyway, like I said, the set of beads I'll be listing on eBay tomorrow will be it for a while. Since I still need to earn a living, and the sale of my beads usually supplements my income, it looks like I'm going to have to consider working 7 days a week in my medical transcription job to make up the difference in the meantime. *sigh*
Well.. that's been my weekend. I'm not exactly in the best of moods at the moment, but as the saying goes, "this too shall pass". As soon as I know anything more, I'll update my blog. I hope you had a better weekend than I did, and I'll be back ASAP with lots more beads to offer you.
I can't believe my luck (or lack thereof) when it comes to kilns. This is the second kiln in 5 years that has died on me. The one that died today was my 'back-up' kiln - the first one I purchased when I started making beads around 5½ years ago. Since this particular kiln never had a controller, meaning I had to 'babysit' it when it was going through the annealing cycle, a few years ago I decided to purchase a mailbox annealer kiln from the USA. At the time, beadmaking was still in its infancy here in Australia, and as I couldn't find a suitable beadmaking kiln, I decided to purchase one from the USA.
That was a great idea - in theory. At the time, it cost me around US$680 for the kiln, however, when you added shipping from the USA to Australia on top of that, and the extra I had to pay when it reached customs, it ended up costing me, in total, close to $2,000. And even that wouldn't have been so bad, but I never had anything but problems with it from day 1. I managed to get about 1½-2 years of usage out of it before it died. Sending it back to the USA for repairing was simply out of the question, but luckily, I had the back-up kiln to tide me over.
Until today, that is. I fired up the kiln earlier today in anticipation of starting on a new set of beads. When I went into the studio about half an hour after turning it on, the first thing I noticed was a strange smell. The only thing that was running at the time was the kiln, so I knew immediately that had to be it, and sure enough, it was going on and off and making this awful "groaning" sound. I turned it off, turned it back on.. still no joy. The last time I tried it, about 3 hours ago, it wouldn't even switch on.
So now I have to find approximately $1800 from somewhere (and I really don't have any clue where I'm going to find that sort of money on such short notice) to purchase a new kiln and wait approximately 6-8 weeks for it to be delivered. I'm purchasing it through my glass supplier, and she's going to call the kiln manufacturers tomorrow to find out exactly how long it should take. She told me that the last few she's ordered through them took less time than that to be delivered, but, at this stage, I really don't have a clue when it will be ready.
Anyway, like I said, the set of beads I'll be listing on eBay tomorrow will be it for a while. Since I still need to earn a living, and the sale of my beads usually supplements my income, it looks like I'm going to have to consider working 7 days a week in my medical transcription job to make up the difference in the meantime. *sigh*
Well.. that's been my weekend. I'm not exactly in the best of moods at the moment, but as the saying goes, "this too shall pass". As soon as I know anything more, I'll update my blog. I hope you had a better weekend than I did, and I'll be back ASAP with lots more beads to offer you.
Friday, 29 June 2007
Qantas' New Theme Song. . .
As many of you would know, the Australian government gave the go-ahead back in March to allow Qantas to be sold off to overseas investors. Thankfully, the whole thing fell through, but you can be certain that given the opportunity down the track, it will be sold. Since DH Russ is an aircraft engineer for a subsidiary of Qantas, the sale was the last thing we wanted to happen, because, let's face it, most of the maintenance would definitely go offshore (more than likely to Asia), and once again, more Australians would be out of work. DH Russ & I have already been through one debacle with Ansett's demise back in 2001, and really don't relish the thought of him losing his job yet again.
Anyway, a friend of mine sent this video over to me today, and I loved it. If you're in Australia and you watch "The Chaser's War on Everything", you may have already seen this. I must have missed this particular episode, because I haven't seen it before. I hope you find it as amusing as I did. By the way, I plan on having a new set of beads ready to go up on eBay on Monday. Have a great weekend!
Oh, and just to be fair.. I have to say I've always loved this song - the original version that is, not the joke version! When I was living overseas, and although I'm not particularly overly patriotic, whenever I heard this song, I admit, I shed a tear or two. So.. here's the 1997 version of Qantas' song.. as much as I despise Qantas, this advertisement still moves me to tears. Enjoy!
Anyway, a friend of mine sent this video over to me today, and I loved it. If you're in Australia and you watch "The Chaser's War on Everything", you may have already seen this. I must have missed this particular episode, because I haven't seen it before. I hope you find it as amusing as I did. By the way, I plan on having a new set of beads ready to go up on eBay on Monday. Have a great weekend!
Oh, and just to be fair.. I have to say I've always loved this song - the original version that is, not the joke version! When I was living overseas, and although I'm not particularly overly patriotic, whenever I heard this song, I admit, I shed a tear or two. So.. here's the 1997 version of Qantas' song.. as much as I despise Qantas, this advertisement still moves me to tears. Enjoy!
Thursday, 28 June 2007
Bell(AHHHH)gio
If you haven't seen Dale Chihuly's glass work, you're missing out BIG time. He's an incredible glass artist, and this particular piece (or pieces) of his work would probably be his most wonderful of all. I remember standing in awe in the lobby of the Bellagio in Las Vegas when I first saw this. If you're ever in Las Vegas, make sure you drop by the Bellagio to catch a glimpse of this.
Monday, 25 June 2007
Open for Business . . .
Well, my Etsy store is now officially open for business! At the moment, there are two encased florals for sale and the "Oasis" set of beads that were up on eBay. As time goes by, I will be adding more items to my store, including some jewellery made with my beads, so make sure to bookmark my store and check back frequently.
Catch you again next time!
Catch you again next time!
Sunday, 24 June 2007
Changes . . .
I've heard lots of good things about Etsy from other lampworkers. In case you have no idea what Etsy is, it's an online store dedicated to showcasing handmade goods. As I've mentioned before, I've been thinking about moving away from FeeBay for a while now, but living in Australia doesn't really leave a lot of options. I'm never going to be the type of beadmaker that enjoys stockpiling 92,526 items to sell at the occasional bead show and/or heading out to local markets to sell my items, so, Etsy seems like a viable alternative.
The good things about Etsy are that unlike eBay - which is now inundated with mass produced crap - is that selling your items is much cheaper. It's also much easier to shop on Etsy over my website - you just add the items you want to your cart and pay immediately - so there's none of that mucking around when I put website specials up. Once the item has sold, it's sold - so there's no disappointment from the buyer's perspective in having to wait for an email from me to find out whether or not the item you're interested in has sold.
So, if you want to check out my store on Etsy, feel free to do so. There's nothing for sale at the moment, but over the coming weeks, I hope to add some items as time permits. I made a few encased florals today which I hope to add to my store in the next few days.
Okey dokey, that's it outta me for the day. Thanks for dropping by!
The good things about Etsy are that unlike eBay - which is now inundated with mass produced crap - is that selling your items is much cheaper. It's also much easier to shop on Etsy over my website - you just add the items you want to your cart and pay immediately - so there's none of that mucking around when I put website specials up. Once the item has sold, it's sold - so there's no disappointment from the buyer's perspective in having to wait for an email from me to find out whether or not the item you're interested in has sold.
So, if you want to check out my store on Etsy, feel free to do so. There's nothing for sale at the moment, but over the coming weeks, I hope to add some items as time permits. I made a few encased florals today which I hope to add to my store in the next few days.
Okey dokey, that's it outta me for the day. Thanks for dropping by!
Lovie the aggressor . . .
So I've been busy on flickr lately, and some of the photos are unbelievable. I just *love* this one .. anyone who has two or more cats knows this scenario very well... I just love the look on the face of the black cat... it's almost like it's saying "So.. you wanna piece of me"? LOL
Friday, 22 June 2007
TGIF. . .
I'll be working on a custom order tomorrow, but I do hope to have some spare time to put together a new set of beads for eBay, so stay tuned.
Last week's getaway made me realise I'm desperately in need of a long vacation. DH Russ & I have been talking about that the last week (well.. that, and purchasing a spa) and we're really hoping to head over to North America within the next 12 - 18 months. The plan, at this very early stage, is that since I have a cousin in Portland OR, we might visit again with her, her husband and their three children for a few days, maybe pay a side visit to the Bullseye glass factory in Portland, then leisurely take our time driving up through WA and up to Canada. (Oh, and speaking of my cousin, who is Australian but has been living in the US for about 16 years .. her husband, Mike Kane, is a doctor, an anaestheologist, to be exact. Although that's now his speciality, he studied to be an orthopaedic surgeon, so I'm hoping to get a little bit of free medical advice about the arthritis in my neck - LOL.. It's always good to have a doctor in the family!).
Although I've been to the USA at least half a dozen times, I've never been to Canada, and it's one of those places that's always been on my "must visit before I die" list.
Luckily, I have a few beadmaking buddies around WA and Canada.. Lynn of Silver Moon Lampwork and Tonia of Whistler Lampwork. Although I haven't had the pleasure of meeting either of these ladies in "real life" as yet, I consider them both wonderful friends, and I'm very excited at the prospect of the three of us hooking up for some seriously fun times. I may even spend a few days staying with Tonia in Vancouver.. I'm sure the two of us will get into some serious trouble! And on a side note, if you buy lampwork, you really must check their beads out (if you haven't already) .. they are both brilliant lampwork artists who deserve far more recognition than they currently receive. Original, artistic, well made lampwork beads are something that seem far and few between these days.
And on that note, I'm off to grab some dinner before DH Russ & I head over to our friends' house for a few glasses of bubbly later this evening. Have a great weekend, and thanks for checking in.
Last week's getaway made me realise I'm desperately in need of a long vacation. DH Russ & I have been talking about that the last week (well.. that, and purchasing a spa) and we're really hoping to head over to North America within the next 12 - 18 months. The plan, at this very early stage, is that since I have a cousin in Portland OR, we might visit again with her, her husband and their three children for a few days, maybe pay a side visit to the Bullseye glass factory in Portland, then leisurely take our time driving up through WA and up to Canada. (Oh, and speaking of my cousin, who is Australian but has been living in the US for about 16 years .. her husband, Mike Kane, is a doctor, an anaestheologist, to be exact. Although that's now his speciality, he studied to be an orthopaedic surgeon, so I'm hoping to get a little bit of free medical advice about the arthritis in my neck - LOL.. It's always good to have a doctor in the family!).
Although I've been to the USA at least half a dozen times, I've never been to Canada, and it's one of those places that's always been on my "must visit before I die" list.
Luckily, I have a few beadmaking buddies around WA and Canada.. Lynn of Silver Moon Lampwork and Tonia of Whistler Lampwork. Although I haven't had the pleasure of meeting either of these ladies in "real life" as yet, I consider them both wonderful friends, and I'm very excited at the prospect of the three of us hooking up for some seriously fun times. I may even spend a few days staying with Tonia in Vancouver.. I'm sure the two of us will get into some serious trouble! And on a side note, if you buy lampwork, you really must check their beads out (if you haven't already) .. they are both brilliant lampwork artists who deserve far more recognition than they currently receive. Original, artistic, well made lampwork beads are something that seem far and few between these days.
And on that note, I'm off to grab some dinner before DH Russ & I head over to our friends' house for a few glasses of bubbly later this evening. Have a great weekend, and thanks for checking in.
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