I ventured out into the land of shopping yesterday and was pleasantly surprised at the lack of crowds at my local Target. I picked up a couple of sale items, but mostly was looking for more stainless pinchpots and measuring spoons for my frit. I'm guessing that people don't know about the Target near my house, because Brian tells me the ones near Dell were completely packed to the gills with folks out buying. I enjoy the hustle bustle of crowds (otherwise we wouldn't go to NYC at Christmastime!) but when I need to get my shopping done, I want to get in and get out. Leisure crowds=good. Serious shopping crowds=bad.
I played around with some Valentine heart beads yesterday - i'm not real happy with them, but they are giving me ideas on where to improve, so I hope to have a decent few sets here in the coming weeks. I also made another Galadriel type bead, actually a couple of them - so I'll get the pics posted soon. There's no sun here today, so its kinda dreary for pics, but I'll figure something out.
Merry Christmas!
for your viewing pleasure, i've posted a couple of bead that I've made in the past few days. Sparkly, shiny, exactly what Christmas means to me!
Last night we decided to do the 37th street lights - and it was a total and complete madhouse. But we loved it all the same. Normally in years past, went would go early in the month, and the crowds were thin- we could walk at our own pace down the sidewalks, and were gone in about 30 minutes. Last night there were a few thousand folks on the sidewalks, and we were walking at a crawl, frequently stopping and having to get in the street to get around crowds. But everyone was laidback, no one pushed or shoved or even got run over. There were the kids in strollers, dogs on leashes, some dumb guy ahead of me with no coat on (it was 37 degrees out). We had just eaten a big dinner and had fun walking it off. There is one house who decorates his entire front yard, back yard and all over the house itself. Someone started to hang dollar bills on his clothes line, so each year we clothespin money on the line too - a 'money laundering' line. There were large piles of change where folks just emptied their pockets, all to help him with his super high electric bills so we can enjoy his yard. My favorite are the imaginitive ways he chooses to cover his strings of lights, using old shampoo bottles, tictac bottles, perscription bottles, tiny airplane liquor bottles, playdough tins, easter eggs, jack-o-lanterns and whatever isn't nailed down. Its the best house on the block, by far.
If you click on each of these pics, they will circle 360 on your screen, so you get a nice effect. Being there in person is the best, of course...
just took my latest batch of beads out of the kiln this morning, am cleaning and stringing them. mostly frit experiments for Val, I'll post them soon.
for your entertainment, the Dexter and Darcy are playing tag in the dirt.
I didn't attend the last show of the year yesterday - I just didn't feel up to it. My left ear is still completely blocked and my head just won't dry up, even with the meds. So I stayed home and just rested. Man, I hate being sick during the holidays.
today I'm going to take my bad ear and try to get some beads made at the torch. Brian is working all day today for some overtime, so it's quiet here. the cats are sleeping and I have jazz on the radio - too bad I can't hear it. haha...
Thanks for voting for me and keeping my site listed on the boards. It helps with folks who are clicking through and drives more traffic to my site - and hopefully more sales.
I'll have more eBay auctions listed after the holidays - it seems pretty quiet on eBay right now, so I'm taking a small break. But I'll be back in full force with a whole new style of beads - i'm inspired and have ideas of what I want to do next. Be on the lookout!!
Finally went to the Dr. today - and they tell me I have an inner ear infection. At least I know what is wrong and they gave me meds to dry up my head and work on the infection. Except, of course, they make me sleepy. I've just been jolted awake from a nap that I didn't mean to take and now I'm worried about having a student come over tomorrow. I hope I don't conk out on her too!
Nothing new in the bead dept - I'm working on the frit study for Val Cox. She's nice enough to send me a sampler of frit and I'm making beads to see how the frit reacts, then giving her a writeup on my thoughts about the frit. What I've decided to do in order to keep from wasting the frit, is to make sample beads with silver on them, melt the frit in, then reduce half the bead. that gives me 4 various states of the frit in 1 bead. I've found the dark ivory to work great, but on black nothing is happening. Now I just need to take the pics and write up the page. HOpefully I can get to that on Sunday.
My last show of the season is Saturday and I have stuff to show, but no real display means - this show is for finished good only. So we'll see how it goes. I may end up just laying all my necklaces out on the table and letting folks pick them up and try them on. My bead boards are dessimated, from all the sales and eBay. Not that I'm complaining! thank you for buying and keeping me in business!
I've completed pretty much all the special orders I've had for Christmas. I think i have one or two left, but I should be able to knock those out today - they are small. and then I get to play around with the frits from Val again. I've done some initial testing, but am not happy with the results. a bunch of the beads cracked - the COE are not compat and I think i used too much frit. plus i'm not getting good results when encasing - that's not the frit's fault, its mine. I should not be encasing 104 moretti with 90 frit inbetween. that's a recipe for cracked beads...
My cold just wont go away and now my left ear is entirely closed up. I can't hear a thing out of it at all. I tried using the wax dissolving solution yesterday and I guess i just made it worse. it hurts now and i'm afraid to leave the pressure too long for fear of rupturing my eardrum. If you are a Dr. or in the medical field, email me with what you think I should do...
Brian went to the Rings trilogy yesterday. it was on the local news, there were folks dressed up like the Hobbit and Elf characters, someone brought some 'lambas' bread wrapped in leafs and B had a great time. I think he was home around 1:30, but I was asleep and not sure. He's ready to go again, i think we'll be going Monday for my turn to watch it. I'm looking forward to it!
I'm finishing up the orders everyone has placed, hopefully they'll be in the mail tomorrow or Wed...Its been a very busy couple of weeks and it's taking its toll on us. Brian's truck was in the shop, I'm cat sitting for a friend (stopping in 2x a day to check on the house and cats), one of our kitties had surgery today to fit a displaced hip when the cement birdbath flipped and pinned her under it. We think she pulled her leg out of socket when pulling herself out from under it. Tomorrow I was supposed to be at a Lord of the Rings Trilogy Theatre (all 3 movies are playing back to back starting at 11:00am) and ending after midnight), but I told Brian that I needed a break and some down time. I have a student coming in Friday, a show on Saturday, orders to finish, necklaces and bracelets to make and I just don't have time to sit in a theater for 16+ hours. So he's going to take a friend of his and they will super-geek out and I get to stay home and get some quiet time to myself (getting work done mostly).
I've also not even begun to shop for presents, I think everyone may get theirs after the holidays this year. I'm sure you won't mind. And I'm sure you can guess what you're getting...beads! no surprise there...
a whole new selection of auctions are up this week, starting tonight at 8:00pm Central. I've been busily working on orders, taking pictures, cat stitting for a friend in NY and am ready for a nap...but there's no time! Must make beads...! I have one more show next Sat and then I'm done until May 2004.
On Tuesday we will be in an All-Day Lord of the Rings Trilogy. We have to get in line around 6:00am to get good seats when the doors open at 11:00am. The Fellowship of the Ring extended version starts soon afterward, and then The Two Towers extended version, and finally Return of the King. I think we're supposed to be out of the theater at 1:30am? What is that like 18 hours total? I'm going to be zany, loony, crazy by Wed morning...! if you don't hear from me, I'll be in Middle Earth battling Orcs and chasing Legolas through Fanghorn Forest in my dreams...
It's been raining here, so i can't get outside to take any pics, but I've been playing with some new frits for Val Cox and I want to show you how they are turning out. I like some of them better than others - probably because they fit my beadmaking techniques better, but they are all fun to work with. I've also incorporated the new Corina Bead Stamp (lentil maker) which arrived while I was out of town - it was like Christmas for me when I returned, I had a frit set, lentil maker and new rose gold ring waiting for me when I got back. Now if only I felt good enough to get any 'real' work done on the torch. I have started on the custom orders for ya'll who've purchased sets on the website, and I made a ring tonight for another order. So they are coming along - don't fret. Hopefully I can get them all completed tomorrow and mailed Monday. Don't see any reason why not...
I haven't done any shopping for anyone in my family yet. I'm not ready for Christmas. i'm typically ready for the holidays about 2 months after they've passed - around Feb I'll be ready to shop and wrap and mail. But of course its just a little late now, isn't it? Maybe when we put out our lawn decorations tomorrow, I'll feel more festive. It seems as if our entire neighborhood has gone light-crazy. Now HERE's a neighborhood that goes wacky for the holiday lights. We walk this street every year and enjoy the resident's work. 37th Street Lights, Austin TX. Its been featured on CNN, and may be again this year, who knows? My favorite is a van parked in front of a house that has a nativity scene in the back w/ two small Gouda rounds in it, and a sign that says "the baby Cheeses". Austin is a groovy place to live, no doubt...
More 37th Street links here:
a little explanation about 37th street lights
these are good light pics
Click 'Play Video' for local TV coverage
The beads are going out in the mail if you've won and paid for an auction. I have 5 sets heading your way this morning. I'm working on custom orders when I return as well as new beads for eBay and my shows. So now you know what I'm doing with my life. I'm really itching to get back to the torch - i was feeling it while in NY...so I'm very happy to be home. Plus, a week in NY is great, but about Monday afternoon, we were ready to pack it in and come back. We spent Tuesday at Grand Central for their Holiday Fair and seeing everyone's handmade artwork made me want to run right to a torch. Alas, there was none to be had. I did buy some really cool gloves and scarf from a booth I found last year.
we are now home in Austin. i am officially sick with something I caught in NY. I will be working on mailing the eBay wins tomorrow, and begin working on the orders ya'll placed with me while I was gone. Thanks for your patience. I'll be emailing you when I've sent your items, or completed them. I hope to have them all ready for you in plenty of time for the holidays. I'm so glad to be sick in the middle of all this, how very festive for me.
more tomorrow, gotta unpack and go thru the mail and get ready for tomorrow...
The Empire State Building tour takes from 2-3 hours to complete, but its worth it! The inside of the building has cool art deco designs on the elevators and door jams, and there are neat old black and white pics showing what it looked like when being built. And then finally after waiting in line and listening to every language on earth - I think we were the only native Americans there - we went onto the observatory deck and saw the most fabulous vistas and views. I would post the pics, but they are locked on Brian's machine this morning, and i'll have to get them later. This morning we are heading to Grand Central for their holiday festival, and then over to Dave Letterman's and try to get tix outside their theater. Tomorrow we head home - right through Chicago, where a snow storm is brewing. Great. I hope they re-route us, cause I'm not excited about staying at Hotel O'Hare...!
Yesterday was time to spend learning about our natural history, and eating fab food at the Tavern on the Green.
Today we are hitting the Empire State building, the Diamond District and a bead store and hopefully will get into David Letterman's taping. Busy day in the city. Sunny and cold, but no blowing snowstorm, just mushy snow to stomp thru. But its all fun and we're having a great time. We're heading home Wed and we expect the airports to be back on track (some people have been there for 3 days, trying to get out) and the weather should let us get home. We've been pretending that we live here, coming and going on the subway, walking to our hotel as if it were our apt. (good thing it isn't, its a real pit-hole). All in all, its been a very fun trip and we hope to come back next year, but are also considering other spots in the country...so you never know!!
We've survived the first day of Winter Blast 2003 in NYC. The snow is blowing already this morning (Saturday) and we haven't ventured out...yet..But Brian has assured me that we WILL be leaving the hotel and will be visiting parts of the city today...I'm thinking museums! Indoors! but really, walking around in this is pretty fun for us - this is Brian's first snowstorm and we are having a good time with it. Maybe Central Park today, to make some snowmen and throw snow balls...
We hit Times Square and Macy's yesterday as well as Carnegie deli for a massive corned beef sandwich and a piece of cheesecake with strawberries - amazingly wonderful. Oh and matzoh ball soup. yum. Macy's was completely packed - crazy busy with people. I found a pair of 9.5 Timberland boots just sitting in a chair, tried them on, they fit, and bought them. There were 1 sales person per 10-12 customers, shoes thrown all over, it looked like a panic scenario. Toys R Us was also packed, we didn't ride the ferris wheel this year, but it was still good to walk the store, see the TRex bark at us, and feel like it's Christmas hustle/bustle yet again. Everyone is doing really well, the shoppers are having fun, the subways are warm and dry and we can't complain. We are having a great time and are glad it'll be 50 when we fly out on Wed.
ow ow ow...my feet huuuuurrrrttt!! i think we walked the entire length of NYC in two days! we've learned how to get from our hotel on 107th/Broadway to Chambers St (near Tribeca), to the Diamond District, to Rockefeller Center to see the tree, all over 5th avenue window shopping, then to David Letterman's studio (he's off this week, but we had some hot chocolate in Rupert Jee's Hello Deli), then back up to Columbus circle to the subway and back home...owwww....i've had to come home for nap - our bed is sooo bad that I get no sleep during the night. but its paid for and we can't relocate. its 1:30am and i'm updating this site instead of sleeping...good thing it's going to snow like mad the next two-three days - maybe we'll get snowed in. Brian has vowed that we have to walk all over town in any weather, just like the mailmen. argh. I love NY, but not when I'm tired and in pain. I'll feel better in the morning after I get some slee...oh, wait.. :)
Thanks for all the orders coming in while i'm gone. I'll get to them as soon as we return mid next week. Pics will be posted soon...
Yes, we are in NY! No snow yet - but supposedly it's on it's way this weekend. Right now it's 28 outside, not quite the 70 we left in Austin, but it sure feels like Christmas now!
The room we are in (in the Upper West Side) is about 10x10 and the smallest room I could have imagined. Thank goodness we won't be here very much and our eyes will be closed most of the time we're in here! Brian has both of us hooked up on wireless networks - he's even figured out the default password for the poor guy's network who hasn't bothered to put himself behind a firewall...he could do major damage but of course he won't. We also reprogrammed the TV and we get cable now - even tho the front desk said there was no cable hookup. The room is getting better by the minute!
Hopefully some pics tomorrow. Diamond District, Chinatown and who knows what else we'll hit. I'll keep you posted...
The countdown is on to NY - only 2 days left before we leave. I've been working madly on orders and have actually finished most of them. Some will be ready to mail tomorrow, others will have to wait until I get back, but most of those have said 'no rush' so I figured 'no rush'. Hope that's cool with you.
Made new rings for sale, check out the Rings page to order. I really LOVE the Octopus ring - I found a pic of it on a museum website and had to try it out for myself. Came out pretty much like the pic. I won't be doing mass production of them, maybe one or two here and there, so the museum has nothing to worry about from me.
Its 70 here and I'm in shorts. Not really a Christmas feeling, I'm hoping NY will snap us into the season, but even there I hear it'll be in the 50's and pretty nice. Guess its time to stick my head in the freezer again and 'feel' Christmas!
Haven't been at the torch for a few days, we visited Homestead Heritage yesterday because Brian is interested in taking woodworking classes. We had a great time, bought a neat cutting board that an 8 yr old had made, a mug from thrown pottery, some hand made cheese (and a book so i can make some later) and some neat little kitchen gadgets. There were oxen, sheep hearding, bee keeping, a grist mill, apple cider press, chicks, veggies all outside and leatherwork, wookwork, pottery, fly tying, basket making, quilting, spinning and weaving, crochet, knitting etc all inside. We watched the blacksmith make a letter opener and now we're ready to take blacksmith classes too.
I have plenty of beads on eBay at the moment, many with no bids, so if you're looking for inexpensive beadsets, feel free to jot on over and place a bid. 4 sets come due tonight at 8:00 CST, and another 3 are done tomorrow.
I am firing up the kiln this morning and hope to get a lot of stuff done before I leave for the Big Apple. I really can't wait, its going to be great having a week in NY instead of 2 days. We've already made plans to hit Carnegie Deli and Tavern on the Green as well as the museums. Its supposed to rain on Saturday, that sounds like a good day to be inside! At least no snow this year, but maybe that would be more fun than rain!