What's Going On ...

Are you scared yet?

6:33pm...its dark...we're outside waiting for the kids..(one has come by so far)...all the lights are lit, friends are here hanging out, Brian is going to get my computer setup so I can watch Halloween (my favorite scary movie, it scared me to death when I saw it at 16) and in the meantime i'm just updating here and surfing the web...Happy Halloween! Go eat some Snickers..!

I think I was ready for Halloween two weeks ago, but now that its here, I find I have to straighten up my decorations that the dog has dug up, and its supposed to RAIN tonight - so that might keep the kids away...plus its Monday which is never a popular night with neighborhood kids...I am excited about tonight, tho...it's gonna be fun...

I appreciate all the good sentiments ya'll left in yesterday's Comments field, I really do...I hope you realize that I wasn't fishing for reassurance or compliments - and that the decision to not do remakes will actually FREE me up instead of bog me down (which is not ya'll's fault, its my inability to focus when I have new stuff in my brain wanting to come out)...

No one was hasseling me per se (thanks for defending me tho, Beth) because I think if you've paid for beads, you should EXPECT them to arrive in a timely manner...I blame myself and my inability to turn the beads around quickly, and after feeling this way for a long time, its time to adjust...some of ya'll have been around long enough to remember when I stopped taking orders from the old catalog I had before the Gallery appeared...had to stop that too, just can't keep up...so at least hopefully ya'll understand now...and we will move on...

Are you dressing up for the day at work? I have a fun spider hat that's bright red that I'm gonna wear, and if I still had my black cape, I'd pull that out, but I think I wore it so much I had to toss it...it was like 4 yards of black satin and weighed 20lbs, or at least it felt like it around my neck...I like capes that drag the gound - very gothic...

I made the mistake of catching a little bit of a show about Instant Jackpot Winners last night..folks who've won the Lottery and are now overnight instant millionaires...one guy makes 18K a DAY from the interest on his 40 million...can you imagine? One lady won 96 million...I could only watch a few seconds and then I STILL woke up last night wondering how much we'd get if we just won only ONE million...and then I started remembering all the millionaires I knew in the computer game industry (some of the folks I worked with are new millionaires from their stock options - folks I HIRED and were there after I left the company..can't think about it...ha) and it was hard to get back to sleep...I'm glad I didn't watch the whole show, it might have made me sleepless for a week!

I finished the orders I had staring me in the face, they are all sitting waiting to be mailed...and I started a new set (one whole test bead in the kiln) and liked the results so I'll be making more of them...now that my classes are all completed, I should have loads of free time to get back to work...lets shoot for some cool stuff this week, whaddya say???

Time is changing...

Did you rememeber to set your clocks back one hour last night???

1:00pm - Just got back from the nursery, bought some rosemary bushes and some neato flax and sesame seed snack chips, spinach and avocado dip and balsmic bean dip...hippy dippy, man...

9:30am One thing I just thought about, after writing my diatribe below - if I'm not busy making remakes of beads, that doesn't mean that I won't offer sets of stuff again - for instance, I made 6 strands of the Mosaics and offered those - not just 1 strand...and if I'm not doing remakes while the clock is ticking, then I could in theory, make 6 more strands and offer them again...so that plenty of folks would have opportunities for them (or I'd end up with 6 strands that no one wanted, but I'd make something cool out of them for sure)...so, if that doesn't make any sense, what I'm saying is - by being freed up not to do remakes, I can still remake the sets and offer them a second time...espeically if I liked doing them so much the first time...hope that hasn't made your brain fuzzy...

7:00am I have come to a conclusion, something that I probably should have done ages ago, but have always had a hard time saying 'no', especially when it comes to making beads which I really enjoy doing anyway...ok, here goes - I believe that as I put up sets of beads for sale on my REady for Pickin' page, that once a set has sold, I will be automatically issuing refunds for any secondary sales that slip in...WHY would I do this? (better question - why haven't I been doing this already?)...Well, the reason I've decided I need to do it is because...

I am not really GOOD at doing remakes of sets, especially in a TIMELY manner...as I'm sure MANY of you have probably already discovered, as you've had to sit patiently waiting for beads to arrive...the reason I haven't already issued instant refunds is frankly its hard for me to say 'no' when it comes to remaking beads - I love making them, i've already made the set once, I know what it takes to remake them, ya'll are wonderful folks who want a set, why shouldn't I just make you a set, right? that's how I've always felt, but I also end up with mountains of guilt for not getting the beads turned around quickly enough, and ya'll are expecting them and things happen in my world and before you know it, its 4 weeks later and I still haven't gotten them completed..(especially if I have a bunch of strands to get done)..feelings get hurt on all sides and its just not good for either of us...my intentions are good, my follow-thru sux...So, I'll be adding an update to my FAQ regarding this 'policy' if you want to call it that, but just please understand - you'll be happier with the $ returned to you, so you can have more shopping pleasure, rather than getting a strand of beads you feel bitter about because I took so long...AND...AND...it should free me up so I can move onto new and groovy things you might like even BETTER!! I hope you see how this is actually the best thing for both of us...

I had to just take yesterday off, even tho I wanted to get beads made...the day was too nice, and Brian was busy planting new plants (hopefully we won't kill this lot too), so I don't have anything exciting for ya this morning, but its Football day and I hope to be watching JB, Terry, HOwie and Jimmy and get ya some beads made today..something new and fun, how does that sound...?

We found out that a couple that we've known since we worked in the computer game industry years ago has separated after 10 years of marriage...we aren't very good friends with them, but we've always thought they were 'cool' and 'had it together' and seemed to be the perfect couple...obviously we didn't know them well enough to expect a separation, and we are sad for it...they have a 5 year old, so I hope they can make it all work...bummer...

Guess no one liked the Rocky reference from yesterday, hope I didn't scare everyone away with that pic...

Its astounding....time is fleeting...

I have emails to answer and entries to update (here), but we have to go run some Saturday morning errands first, so I'll be back in a bit...For all my Rocky fans, here's a little pic of the gang to keep you company...madness is taking its toll, indeed...

Frank has a message for you, click the link under his pic...and to hear more messages, you can click here (and scroll down on the page)...

I've updated!

Alrighty then...my student, Stephanie, is safely off to the airport, her friend Eric who she met at Loren Stump's class has come for a visit and is on his merry way, and Michelle who is renting studio space left early to help her daughter with some 'first day at work' assistance...so...the house is QUIET! its amazing! the past 2 days Steph and I worked for 8-10 hours, then after dinner she'd stay and play on the torch until 10:30 or so...so they were LONG days for both of us, but she wanted to practice all the new knowledge bouncing around in her head, and I couldn't just lock the door and turn out the lights, right? I enjoy going back to the studio after a class and working on stuff too, so why not? But ironically, because I don't talk much during the days when I work here alone, my voice is scratchy and I've been coughing from the over-use...go figure...but now I'm not saying a WORD, just typing stealthily from the computer...

So, if you were wondering about the 'amazing gossip' I mentioned the other day, you should have seen it all play out on 'the website' by now...if you don't know of what I speak, go visit Corina's site and be sure to click the 'chat archive' for even MORE info than what's posted today...and now you can see why I was AMAZED at everything I heard...boy howdy...

still haven't even had a chance to GET to any emails yet...so i'm not ignoring you, really...will do that eventually..right now I just wanna go melt something and see what happens...Brian is planting the plants we bought last week, the yard is looking cool...i put more bird food out, so we're starting to hear songs again...the weather could not be nicer, I DREAM of days like this and wish we had more of them...

I can't believe its Halloween already...good lord, Christmas is right around the corner..I'm not anywhere NEAR ready, but since we don't have kids, we just have to worry about each other's stuff...Brian just bought a new bike yesterday so we can both ride and Lady can drag us down the road..heh...I am not ready to think about Christmas yet...I won't, I won't...

Teacher Teacher...

I'm teaching here at Blackberry Studios the next 2 days, so you won't see or hear from me for a while...i have some things up my sleeve, tho, so come up to the lab and see what's on the slab...

rock on...

Could you do this?

My silversmithing class was moved to today (Wed) cause my instructor was at a 5-day retreat where you could not speak for the entire 5 days...getting in touch with God, your inner voice, all that cool stuff...I don't actually talk all that much during the day, I work by myself and so I don't speak much anyway, but I think it would be a very COOL test to see if I could go 5 days w/out speaking at all...I asked how they communicated, could they write stuff down or point and they said you were allowed to journal and read, but were encouraged NOT to do that if it was something you typically did...try to allow your head to work out whatever you had been blocking...

So, after class I stopped at a drive thru Starbucks (how decadent - don't even have to get out of the CAR!) and got a Chantico...mmm...liquid gold...if you haven't had one, and you like chocolate, go get one...$3 never tasted so good...but you'll think 'what a rip off' when you get the teeny little cup...it's probably cheaper to melt a bag of Toll House in the microwave and pour them into a mug...add a little cream or butter and just pass out...or maybe amoretto? i don't drink much, I don't know my licquers, but if there are desert drinks like cherry rum or something, maybe that'd be good...I like the straight up chocolate myself...but don't make it a habit, or you wont be able to get yourself in and out of your car!

I'm working on some claps and toggles in silversmithing...made 5 bezels and now need to work on some stuff here before the next class...so hopefully I'll have some cool things to offer next week...we shall see...its a fun class, I'm enjoying it...I told them I'd be signing on for another 6 weeks..you can just keep paying and attending until you dont want to anymore...I have a lot to learn, so I'm going back for more..and the chicks there are a fun group and have a lot of knowledge...so its all good...

I was experimenting at the torch last night...a few cool Raku beads, and a few other things, but nothing I feel I can sell at the moment...Michelle has been making cool stuff for her show in November (she's the one renting studio space from me)...We are having a good time hanging out...there's a show here in austin on Sunday, so we're going so she can meet folks and get into the show-scene...she does more shows, and I do more internet stuff, so I wanna help her find her way around the show world...the show she's doing in Nov is in Houston...I did that show a few years back, it was fun, but I guess I just don't dig doing shows much...I wouldn't mind doing the B&B show, but I really LIKED taking the classes there this year, so I'm gonna do that again this year and then maybe one day if I get up the nerve I'll try for a booth...its a lot of work and I don't think I'd get enough stock made in time...you KNOW how I like to make stuff and sell it here to YA'LL!! heh...

Did you watch The Great Pumpkin last night? I hope so!!

Chantico is tasty...

I had fun last night, playing at the torch, just seeing what popped out...Sometimes I just like to 'go unconcious' and let the beads do their own thing...I don't really remember making these (maybe the BF brought them?) cause I didn't have a plan or any stress worrying about what to do next...that's always a nice way to make beads, or anything really...don't stress over it - there's a Dove chocolate message that says the same thing (although no Dove chocolate was harmed in the making of these beads)...I haven't had a Chantico in AGES, I think maybe I'll treat myself to one today...

Brian will be working on my layout eventually..I screwed up the column with the blog in it (this column in fact!) and I never bothered to learn the code to fix it - I tasked him with that since he was so gung ho about having this blog to begin with..its all good, I haven't screwed it up since like March, but unfortunately since I can't fix it myself, I have to wait patiently...so hang tight and it'll get done...eventually...at least you can still READ it, you just have to scroll side to side a bit...sorry about that...

With this colder weather, the dog has lost her mind...she's having a ball running around the back yard, chasing squirrels, taking her toys outside to rip them to shreds, 'killing' the frisbee and just going insane..she loves this weather..I bet she'd be good in snow too...she's doing really well, and the bike is in the shop, so Brian will be riding down the street with her, giving her legs a nice workout...

It looks like your questions will be answered very soon, as I suspected they might...just keep an eye out..I haven't said anything to anyone - so don't think I'm secretly sharing behind the scenes - I'm not...although it was awfully funny that everyone who emailed me referred to the same person, even tho I never mentioned who I was talking about...just want to make that clear...time to sit back and let the info take it's course...

We're all jumpin around here..

Its in the 40's and we are having a blast...walking Lady was pleasant, not the typical sweat fest...we came back and played a little frisbee till I sent the thing sailing under my deck...she looked at me quizically like "wha happen'd?"..I know doggie...gotta get the rake and find your toy..In the meantime, the squirrels are keeping her occupied, taunting her from the trees...the doors are wide open, the sun is coming up, I'm going to pull the beads from the kiln and see if anything looks decent...yesterday wasn't the best torch session I've had, but when I'm playing with new technqiues, it rarely is a good session...but we shall see...

Both the Cowboys and Astros lost their games in the last few minutes of the game...disappointing...

I have some AMAZING gossip that I am not allowed to even PEEP for fear of DEATH, so alas, I probably shouldn't even be mentioning it...but I will give ya'll a headsup...there is some really interesting stuff going on behind the scenes that I imagine you will become privvy to shortly enough...it has nothing to do with me (would it be 'gossip' if I spread news about myself?), but get ready to hold onto your hats when it hits...wow...

I'm back...

Look for it - Tuesday night, ABC...

"Linus and the Pumpkin Patch" bracelet

The class beads are listed - don't be surprised that I don't have a lot done, tho...we played and made some stuff but it was more of a technique style class, not a 'copy this bead' class, so we kinda did a free-for-all kinda thing...which is fine, I don't mind...I like learning techniques and coming home to play with them..

I'm gettin' emails from ya'll, will respond later, but am watching UT beat Tech...heh...

Class was a hoot, I"m back and ready to take pics of my thangs...my beads aren't all that hot, but that's ok - remember the beads I make in my classes are always crapola...but if I can get the techniques and practice them, then it's all worthwhile...Its a gorgeous day here, we've already been out to buy some new plants for the yard and Brian is cleaning up some of the leaves and dirt the dog has been digging up...its a crazy wacky weekend and I'm just waiting till 2:30 when the Longhorns come on ABC..tonight the Astros start their World Series run..its a good day for Texas sports...back in a minute...

Its Crazy Donner's Going out of Town Sell off...

Yep, come on down to Crazy Donner's Squeeze Sell off...I got yer squeeze bracelets, models you know and love, only worn by a little old lady (me) on Sundays to church and home...We are crazy here at Crazy Donner's, the selection is great, the prices are right, say it once, say it twice, three times the charm...Crazy Donner's!!!

I dunno if I mentioned I'll be in Kate Fowle's class the next few days, so you won't hear from me...I'm not as mobile as some beadmakers, when I go to class, I'm so busy that I don't have downtime to update my site...so you'll hear from me again on Saturday when I return...

However, lest ye think ye can come over and raid my house of its goodies, Michelle will be here working in the studio and we also have that big black ferocious dog to scare you away...Lady sounds scary when she barks, even if she does just want you to pet her all day...but hey, I didn't say that! she's mean!!!

I looked at my dresser the other day and realized I have WAAYY too many bracelets piled on top of it, I love them all, but perhaps I should share my toys...so I've posted a few here for ya'll..I hope you like them as much...I'll leave them up for the next few days, so if you need to decide on one, take your time..until someone else snatches it up and then you'll kick yourself...I get those 'waaa' emails and I always feel for ya...so don't wait too long...!

The margins are messed up on the site, Brian is going to bail me out - he knows how to fix this..it has something to do with the blog code that freaks out every once in awhile...sorry about that...I also heard that the Bravenet Mini Poll was launching pop up windows? I didn't see them, but I've taken the poll down - I hate pop ups, so sorry about that...i just didn't know it was happening...

Ok kids...laundry to do, packing to do, can't forget my notebook and glasses for class...back later...!

Told ya Tuesdays would be 'late' days!

its 4:30 and I'm just NOW getting to update the site...but I was outta here before 9:00am, heading to my silversmithing class which I'm really enjoying...only 3 weeks in, I've already completed a ring which I'm happy with...I learned a lot of different techniques with it, things I can use in my future endeavors, and I plan on continuing with the course once my 6 weeks is up...I really like the chicks and instructor, its a fun way to spend 3 hours...

I was just telling Katie that its been bang-on busy here in the studio since Saturday...I've hardly had time to read email, let alone respond...Michelle Waldrin is here renting studio time, so of course we have to hear each other's bead-history stories...

she was here till after 8:00 last night, then I went back to the torch to work, and now today she just arrived, and will be here for the next few days while I'm taking Kate Fowle's class...then next week I'm teaching among everything else that's going on, so its action-packed and crazy, but sometimes it just hasta be that way...I like my world quiet and orderly, so it reminds me of being on a roller coaster or grabbing a horse that's running fast- you just gotta hold on till its all overwith...at least I'm getting some neat beads made from it...!

Is it morning already?

Nancy will be here this morning shipping goodies, and I'll be back this afternoon to catch up..not sure if Michelle is coming over today, haven't heard back from her to schedule a time for torch rental, but she sounds like she really needs a place to work, so I figure all my studio cleaning won't be for naught...I can finally SEE the table again! love those rolling drawer bins from Target...sweet...

Don't forget to vote in my POLL, scroll down the page to see it..I'll be changing the questions regularly, no time limit for each query, so you never know when I'll have an adequate amt of info...right now it looks like the majority of ya'll want 3 or 5 day auctions, which is what I suspected...I'm glad to know the 5 day auctions aren't driving you crazy, I use them more for advertising than to drive up the price...its not about the money, really...now, if I was lucky enough to get Kim Neely prices...she's groovy, makes ultra cool beads and her prices show it!

Halloween has been relocated

B is keeping our pumpkins company, and there's a new freebie listed...

The other night I noticed one of our decorations had dropped to the ground...I knew it couldn't have done that w/out someone physically trying to remove it from it's post, so I went out to fix it, only to discover that 4 of our plug-in pumpkins from our pumpkin patch (we bought them at Target, you've probably seen them recently)had been stolen, along with a neat little hanging sconce that I bought last year (and cannot be replaced)...

So at 3:00am, I took everything down and brought it into the house (our front yard was decked out)...Brian looked at the living room where I just dumped everything and said "what happened??"...It looked like Halloween had thrown up inside our living room...heh...

Instead of just packing up our toys and going home, I decided we should set up everything in our fenced in BACK yard, so last night that's what we did...all our summer flowers are dead and gone, so I created a cemetary in that spot, and we fixed up a new pumpkin patch, hung up the cauldrons and it looks better than ever...plus I'm not worried about the stuff being stolen again - we put padlocks on the fence handles to keep folks OUT at night...its all good...I'll have to get some pics posted so you can see...

I found a faucet online and we picked it up today...Brian's going to install it while I'm in class later this week...magic fairies will come and install it while he sleeps, I'm sure...

So today I'm gonna organize the studio a bit better, get my wire work and silversmithing stuff put into rolling drawers so I can find what I need, and get it off the work table, so Michelle can start coming over tomorrow making her giantisaur beads...not everything she makes is huge, I'm just kidding...her mom likes the big beads, so the 4 she brought for show and tell were hers...but it'll be cool to see what she makes..she used to teach in Alaska, she knows all the 'major' teachers like Loren Stump, Al Janelle, Kevin O'Grady and such...so I think she'll be fun to hang around with and hear her stories...she also likes animals, so she won't mind the cats and dog in and out all day...I think it'll be fun for both of us...

maybe more beads tomorrow, I DO want to get on the torch, I've started a new set and am eager to get back and work on them more today...some cool shiny results are in store...

You shook me all night long

Well, we couldn't find a faucet we liked, so we came home empty handed..but the day has been action-packed since then...Andrea Guarino recommended a friend to come over to my house and see about renting some studio time (she's new to Austin), so we did the whole studio-tour thing..she makes amazing beads, I can't wait to get some pics and show them...they were the size of baseballs! (practically)..Really cool! And then a friend bought a house just one street over, so he and Brian were hanging out, doing the Star Wars toys thing, and visiting the new house (he hasn't moved in yet)...So, its been busy busy busy...but now things are quieting down and I finally got some pics shot of the 'weird but loveably cool' things I've been experiencing at my torch the past few evenings...enjoy!

Up till 3:00am, actually even later, but I don't like to think about how late i was *really* up...and why...oh how I love me some Halloween hoodlumns...more on that later...

I was playing with the Morrocan beads, making a squeeze bracelet, and I have a pic to show ya'll what the beads look like BEFORE they go into the kiln...an entirely different look and feel..but there is a price to be paid for non-annealing the beads, and I'll tell ya about it when I get back....

right now we are going to buy a new sink faucet...our old one is needing replacing and we want to go with stainless steel to match our other knobs and pulls in the kitchen...I'm still a bit sleepy but its gorgeous outside and there's lots to do today, so I better chop chop...more when I return...Longhorns 2:30pm on ABC...they better beat Colorado, Katie!! Hook 'Em!

The best time of year..

I've been trying to streamline the site lately, take out stuff that's old or you're bored with...(Picasso gallery, Lego gallery, etc)...So in it's place, I've added a Poll in the left hand column...I'll be changing questions from time to time, but its a nice fast way to get instant feedback w/out making you type any letters...!

The Morocco Orrbs are posted and ready..I decided not to eBay them, so here ya go...and alas, they are all gone...snatched up quickly..thanks for making my morning!!

I have to live vicariously through ya'll, so send me your fabulous tree sightings near your home and I'll post them here...Our trees don't change colors here, we go from green to brown, and I miss all the fall color from when I grew up in Northern Illinois (not that I miss the cold or snow)...So, feel free to share your colorful joy with me and I'll share them with everyone else...

I did a very informal hit count on my website yesterday and in a 24 hour period, I had over 500 hits come in...so there are folks out there (hi there!) who are looking and would enjoy your photos too!

I did make some neat organic beads yesterday, I must say the colors were different when they went IN the kiln than what I just pulled out a minute ago, but that is the nature of organics and letting the glass do its own thing...I still LIKE the beads, I think they look very Moroccan and like a tribal blanket, so I'll be offering them, and might even make more..I made more than I realized yesterday,so I have a big fat set of them...

I didn't realize my Kate Fowle class is sneaking up on me so soon...next Wed-Fri I'll be gone to take her electroforming class...have you seen any of her electroplated beads? I think its gonna be a hoot...Kim Affleck brought some of hers with her last year and they turned out wonderful..I hope to do something nearly as nice, but as always - anything I produce in a class is typically junk, until I come home and refine (practice) the process...Still, I'll show ya'll what I make and give you the rundown...and the week after that I have a student coming in for a couple of action-packed class days...we're gonna tear up the studio, that's for sure!!

So, there ya have it..my world as it stands now...bring on the leaves!

Crash and Burn...

Catch that Trick or Treater this season...Scare the kids who ring the doorbell...I dare ya...

I had such high hopes for a new frit I was playing with last night...when the beads went into the kiln, they looked great..but coming out this morning all the color had disappeared and the beads were 'blank'...! That's part of learning how to manipulate a new frit, trial and error...but its always a bummer when the first trial doesn't pan out properly...

So, I'm still working on the Mosaics, only one strand left to make, then I'll be emailing everyone who had asked for one...If anyone drops out, I'll be glad to offer them on the site, never fear...

Just got an email that Monarch butterflies are migrating thru the city in the coming days...I need to keep an eye out..we still have new butterflies hatching each day just outside my studio window, I see them fluttering, drying out their wings, getting used to the outside world...Lady likes to jump at them, and Clementine is fascinated watching them with her big eyes...So far, no casualties from animals, but some do die on the vine while cooking...I dunno what happens, but the cocoon starts to turn funny colors and then its done...I pluck those guys off...I have some fat juicy caterpillars waiting to turn, should be in the next few days...

We've put up our outdoor Halloween decorations, we have a lighted pumpkin patch, a lighted arch, two flaming cauldrons, a large smoking, bubbling cauldron and various sconces and bats lit around the yard...its quite fun...I would take a pic, but the ones I took last year never turned out...i need to adjust my camera for night shots and, well, that might never get figured out...we'll see...

Are the trees changing in your part of the world?

Goin' for a dog walk...

Whew! I feel better...Annik set me straight - Cher's celeb bio has her listed as 5'8"...THAT sounds more like it!

How tall is Cher? 5'4"??? I thought she was 6 foot! Anyway, enter your height and compare yourself to famous folk...my biggest surprise (other than Cher) is that they say Elton John is 5'3"...? what????

You'd think a dog would know 'how' to walk, but for some reason, our dog thinks its fun to pull your arm out of its socket...she likes to walk at the same pace a horse likes to run the Kentucky Derby...so even tho I pull back on her collar, that doesn't help, and she just gets dejected and looks sad...

how is it that I can't master how to walk a dog simply? She's not a stupid dog, she knows what she's doing, she just goes ahead and does it anyway...I seem to live with a house full of that behaviour...

I finally got around to working on the Mosaics yesterday...not finished, but a couple sets are done, a few more to do today...

Metalsmithing went well, I learned how to make a simple ring, solder it together, bezel set a stone (its actually a half of one of my own beads), and next week I think the piece will be soldered together and shined up...I'm gonna need to buy a few more weeks of class, I'm sure...just when you 'get going' on a project, the 3 hours are up and its time to come home...I have a few tools here but not enough to just pick up and keep soldering on my own...but one day my pretties...one day I shall have a studio that I built and made my own...and then...just wait...

So, now I have a dog who's been walked, but it wasn't far enough, so she's still full of energy and won't leave me alone..looks like I'll be making another run around the neighborhood...run...heh...like I could move my fat rear fast enough to be considered a 'run'...bah...

Go Saw Something

I'm off to go saw something and see what messes I can make...

Why did the invisible man look in the mirror? To make sure he wasn't there...

Nancy was here shipping everything..

Cats In Sinks

So, if you've bought a set of beads and been wondering if you'd ever see them, never fear...they've all been sent out! granted, today is Columbus Day, but the post office DOES work behind the scenes on holidays, they just don't deliver...

Tomorrow is silversmithing class...havne't done much to get ready, I need to spend some time looking thru books for ideas and drawing out some of my own...I think I'll do that today, and work on beads later tonight...I have a fistful of Mosaic remakes that still need to be done, and maybe some new stuff to do as well...its all good...

Other than that, my day is now starting, although technically it started very early this morning when the city trucks arrived around 6:00am and parked out front, lights blinking, getting ready to remove some old telephone poles...so I've been up for awhile, but unable to get on the computer...

its cool and muggy here, but I'll take that over hot and muggy any day...my hair is frizzing like I poked my finger in a light socket..I look like those cackling witches in all the grocery stores...

Time for lunch and to get the day 'started'...

I spy with my eye...

1:15pm And away we go...

12:25pm Well, i was drug off to have breakfast and make a Target run for new bathroom rugs...but I'm back, the beads are cleaned and strung, now its picture takin' time...

Some sweet beads the BF left last night...time to get to cleanin' them...back in a few...

Red River Shootout!!

Texas 45 Oklahoma 12...Yeehaw!!

Oh yeah, I'm watching the HUGE rivalry between Oklahome and Texas...SWEET! They have handed our heads to us the past 5 years, so we're hoping to get a win today...Hook 'Em!!

I managed to get a nice little set of Orrbs made yesterday despite the fact that every cat in the house was trying to sleep in my lap last night...Amelie was the most determined, so I named the set after her...

And guess what...the TV feed from ABC just went down and we can't watch the football game!!!!! Good lord!...oh, its back...we are laughing!! Oh and we just SCORED!!!!!

If you're a beadmaker or curious about my comments about the Orrbs press being difficult for me, I'll try to make a succinct response here:

Let me clarify - I don't hate the Orrbs press AT ALL...I think its a neat shape and if you're at all interested in one, by all means BUY one! I don't mean to sound like I'm blaming the tool - not at all...its not the tool that is struggling, its ME...and the reason could be many things - any time I get a new press I have a learning curve before I get used to it...when I bought the lentil press, the squeeze press, even the mini pillow from Zoozii, I struggled with the amt of glass to use for a good shape...

I think I'm just so used to making lentils and squeezes that I now have a pretty good idea by just eyeballing the amt on my mandrel and can hit them pretty much 98% of the time..(yes, I still have some mistakes with them, there's always a short ramp up for me to get used to the amt of glass again, cause each size is different)...

So, here I am, used to making lentils and squeezes pretty successfully, and now I have 2 Orrb presses and things aren't going as smoothly as I'm used to...I'm finding that it takes more glass than I anticipate for each bead, so I often press before I should, and thus the bead is wrecked if I've decorated it, and I have to start over...that's my fault, tho...

I'm also experiencing that the top part of the press seems to wiggle slightly when I press the bead, causing the two sides to be slightly off center...but not every time, so that also tells me that its ME who's having to adjust when to press, how molten the glass should be, how strong I should apply pressure...I've also noticed that some of the sizes still cause the 'dreaded dimple' at the hole - now THAT is something I need to talk to the manufacturer about, as i've seen that in the press mold itself, and there's nothing I can do about that...but I'll email them today and ask if there's something that can be done...in the meantime, I am still playing around, still getting my footing, getting used to how much is enough glass, how hard is enough pressure to push...all that good stuff...

and of course, I want it to be perfect NOW - something I don't expect from my students, but I sure would like for it to work for me..and it doesn't..I just need to be patient and keep at it...tis all...

I need some quiet

Make Stewie Dance!

Do you ever get to moving so fast, and everything is going so quickly that you just need to get somewhere quiet? I'm having one of those days...I'm looking over my email, seeing ALL the emails I have read but not responded to...and my upcoming silversmith class that I'm not ready for, and the scads of beads I want to make today and I realize I need some quiet...so i don't have on the radio or tv, and I'm just letting the sounds of the neighborhood float thru the backdoor while the cats and dog come in and out like a turnstyle at Macy's on the day after Thanksgiving...it finally feels like Fall here, and now i'm feeling more inspired to make more beads in the fall world...

we're putting up decorations this weekend, while the weather is nice and cool, and I plan to get more work done because Nancy is coming in Monday to do shipping for me, so I need to have some beads ready for her trip to be worthwhile...its all good..

Yesterday Mick and I spent the afternoon at BlueMoon Glassworks just down the street...Jim asked me to come over and try out the new Mini Carlisle CC torch that he wants to start selling...Its a neat little torch, it can get nice and hot, or achieve a pinpoint flame, its very quiet and I thought it was a nice piece of machinery..he said he found it to be an O2 hog...it doesn't hold up well with a concentrator, but w/ tanked O2 it was humming right along...I wonder what it'd do with my generator...I may have to get one and see...we had a good time, tho and I only exploded a few rods hitting Mick strategically in the face w/ hot flying glass...of course...

I tried my other Orrb press last night, the small/med/large one...the smallest orbs are tiny but thick..the med seemed nice and I never did get the largest one tried out, so that'll be today...my head started hurting at 9:30 sharp and didn't stop till I went to bed..I feel better today, tho...ready to go...

And there you are...my life in a nutshell...speaking of which, I need to go collect the acorns that are falling in my yard...

Orrbs alert

I was hoping to get some beads made for ya'll today, but my head is killing me, so i'm retiring early and will be up and ready to go tomorrow...the cold Canada air has hit us, its fabulous, but I also think it's blown something really neato in as well, and I typically get sick when the temps start changing from hot to 'not so hot'...it never gets 'brrrr cold' here in Texas...I heard the other day that we are on the same lattitude as Cairo Egypt..is it any wonder its so hot here...thank goodness for Canada sharing their cool air with us..and I feel for ya'll in Salt Lake City who got pummeled with snow...I can't imagine what that's like right now...

My Orrb presses arrived yesterday, so after I finished another set I was working on, I gave one of the presses a run around the block...its a pretty cool tool, I DO like the shape that it creates, but I had a bit of a learning curve before getting the right shape from it..It reminded me of when I first got the Squeeze press, the beads I made with it were so wrong that I had to email Corina and ask what I was doing...once I realized I had to make round beads and not 'donut' shaped beads, it all started to fall into place...so after about 5 or 6 'mistakes', I think I got it going...I ran out of time to make more sets, but I have the rods and stringer pulled and will be working on those today...

Favorite new Fall Show?

I watch weird stuff on tv...I despise reality shows, although I did watch the Apprentice one season, and I do like American Idol...but all the shows that make folks eat bugs, or swim thru manure just don't do anything for me...guess I'm not a voyeur at heart...So I watch Mythbusters, Poirot, Antiques Roadshow (and the even better History Detectives - PBS!), I love the BBCAmerica shows like Cash in the Attic (you get to see inside English homes and all their junk - much more sophisticated than American junk!) and the comedy show Little Britain cracks me up...

but I started watching the new show on Bravo called "Great Things About Being..." where they take a subject and spend an hour interviewing comedians about what's so great about being...whatever...So far I've seen the 'Fat' and 'Queer' episodes and they have a few new ones coming up, like what's great about being Blonde, 30 or living in a Red State...If you've seen any of the 'I Love The 70's/80's' shows on VH1 (I don't include the 90's cause its not nostalgic to remember something that happened last week), then you get the idea...yes, it kept me up late last night watching, but so far both episodes have been pretty funny...and the comedians are not TOO obnoxious...

So, what shows have you discovered on the new Fall Lineup that you like? I've not followed much of the new stuff on the major networks, I'm waiting till the chaff is cut away...I tried watching the 'My Name is Earl' show and just didn't get it...but I do like the Office with Steve Carell...its not new, but no one is watching it...I also like Arrested Development - another show no one is watching...at least I'll have it on DVD...sigh...

Who did the skeleton invite to his party? Anyone he could dig up!!

?Amelie says 'hello'

As I'm sitting here, contemplating something witty to say, Amelie starts to walk across (crush) my keyboard...she applied the ? before I was able to shoo her away...she's a chunky monkey - the kind you don't want stomping over a small delicate keypad...

my lack of sleep is catching up with me..I'm sitting here staring off in space, obviously I need some more zzz's...

I did make some fall squeeze beads last night, similar but not exactly like the Cornucopia beads...still need to clean/string them...

How do monsters tell their future? They read their 'horrorscope'..!

my night owl gene has kicked in...

Both BeadGirl Folios are sold, thanks kids!

Uuuhhh....ooowwwww....I got 3 hours of sleep, oh yeah...now I know how doctors in residency must feel...exhausted...but I was so excited to get these beads posted, and I had promised that I'd get up early to clean them, so here I am...

I had a great time making them last night, too bad I didn't start until 11:30! I need to work on that...hopefully I've reset my internal clock so I'll be going to bed at a normal time tonight...

I need some breakfast...foooood...

Its almost 2:00am and I'm still wide awake...but I'm ramping down the kiln...I'll have one relatively large (12-16 or so beads?) set of lentils to offer tomorrow...if you're in the mood for purple, sit tight...

dontcha just love those little trick or treaters going back and forth...? they look like they're lost...I found them on a GIF site tonight, downloaded a bunch of fun Halloween images to post thru the month...didn't put up any outdoor decorations, but a cold front is coming thru on Thursday, and I think we'll be able to do something then...My neighbor across the street started hanging her stuff up today, so we're gonna have a groovy street this year, yeah buddy...

I'm headin' to bed, but I'll be up early to clean and post beads...see ya'll then...yeehaw...

I'm here and bein' lazy..

its been a draggy morn for me...lazy...I've been awake since 7:30, but just kinda loungin around, readin the paper and watching some football...playing frisbee with the dog...but i've turned off the tv, the cats are outside playing (or sleeping) and I'm buckling down to do some shipping...afterward, its beadmaking time...i got 1 bead made yesterday, gonna set the world on fire at that rate, dontcha know...

I wanna hang up Halloween decorations, but its just so dang hot out that its not fun...and if we wait too long, then we have to take them down again, cause before you know it, its February...ghosts are scary in Feb, but not in a 'good' way...I bought a cute Halloween book yesterday, filled with ideas and jokes - I'll start posting a joke a day here on the site..ready for the first one? "Why didn't the skeleton dance at the party? Because he had no body to dance with"...

Halloween is on its way!

Oh, I try so hard and I should know better to *check my code* before I post a page...I even tested the page, and checked *part* of the code, but as it turns out the part of the code I changed was the *wrong* part...You see, when a set of beads sells thru PayPal, I am sent an email and in the subject line it tells me which set sold - so I thought I had updated each of the 5 buttons to reflect the proper set numbers, but I ended up changing the code in the wrong part of the page...

so every time a set sold, it told me it was 'Set 1'...I thought "why are people all buying set 1? what is so great about Set 1?"...i suspected something was wrong and sure enough a customer said "no, I clicked on set 5, not set 1"...uhoh...once I found the problem all the sets were sold and I was left to untangle the mess...I have no one to blame but myself...SOOOO..since I screwed this up, I'm gonna make more of these (they seemed pretty popular) and will post them with the CORRECT code...you know this has happened before, and it'll happen again, but I always feel bad when its something I should have caught properly...grrr...

The beads survived the trip from the BF, she did a good job in leaving them safely in the kiln...while you're waiting for me to post these, enjoy a pic of a cute Frog, or watch this girl band...I think they are called the 'Frightening Girls in Shiny Sweaters'...

Decorations are going up today...

AND...it looks like our favorite low-flying, donut-eating fairy was coming in for a landing...i'm gonna go to bed and see what she's left us in the morning...she better get this right, I am really looking forward to something GOOD from her...goofy fairy...