Gardanne Glass Lampwork Beads and Artisan Jewelry

Wednesday Beads will be listed at 4pm

2012-02-01T15:34:00.002-05:00

Head over to my etsy shop at 4pm today that is when my new listings will go live.

Thanks for visiting.

Sneak Peek

2012-02-01T10:40:00.002-05:00

It's so hard to give you an estimated time when all today's items will be listed. I took over 250 photos last night so that gives you some idea how many items I have today.

I am going to try and have listings go live this afternoon, I will check in on facebook and this blog with an exact time as I get close to finishing up.

See you later.

Snow Finally

2012-01-30T10:34:00.003-05:00

We had about 4 inches of snow last night within a couple hours, it looks so much nicer than brown.

Snapped a few pictures with my iphone on the walk back to the studio, my iphone takes better night shots than my camera.

I made it past 2000 sales the other day, thanks so much to all of you for making that possible.

We will have a giveaway to celebrate, just give me a chance to build up my inventory so I can include a variety of goodies.

2012-01-26T22:13:00.001-05:00

Only 8 sales away from 2000!!!

I will have a giveaway to celebrate, stay tuned.

Thanks for supporting my shop.

New Listings in the shop

2012-01-26T21:00:00.003-05:00

Like I promised its all hearts and flowers in the shop tonight.

I am really liking these new hearts the enamel shows off the etched design. This is all I have of this style right now, but I have some more on order.

This is another new enameled heart I am offering they are large enough to make a nice focal. I have some in the shop with two holes top and bottom and a few with one hole at the top.

More glass bellflower headpins, all pairs tonight so they are matched for earrings if you want.

Have fun and thanks for visiting the shop tonight.

2012-01-26T20:59:00.001-05:00

New listings will be up later tonight

2012-01-26T11:54:00.003-05:00

Probably around 9pm EST I will let you know when they go live here and on facebook.

Wednesday Beads Postponed until Thursday

2012-01-25T09:43:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone, I wanted to make more enamel pieces today so I could offer you more choices.

I made more of those glass bellflower headpins.

I'm thinking the theme for tomorrow will be hearts and flowers.

See you tomorrow and sorry for the delay.

Still Having Fun

2012-01-20T09:01:00.001-05:00

Wednesday Beads are Listed

2012-01-18T11:52:00.004-05:00

I have restocked some of my small enamel swallow pairs and some heart pairs in time for your Valentine's Day creations.

I have also invested in a new Italian tool called the Bellflower Press, it is designed to put this style of flower on the end of a wire. You can see some examples in the pictures below. These glass bellflowers are very sturdy, I am selling them in matched pairs and in trios that are not exactly matched.

Have fun, and thanks for visiting.

Wednesday beads are listed

2012-01-11T18:10:00.003-05:00

Wednesday beads were just listed in my Gardannebeads shop. It's all glass tonight, next week I will have enamel. I have a lot of pairs and sets of three, as you can see I was in the mood for making round beads. This 15mm size is as large as I will go for a pair of earrings that are a comfortable weight, they also look great on a bracelet.

Here is a pair of eggs that would make great earrings, I will be making more of these as we get closer to spring.

Getting better with my stringer decoration.

This purple frit is lovely, but unfortunately it is no longer in production.

Enjoy your evening and thanks for stopping by.

Wednesday Beads are back tonight

2012-01-11T13:39:00.002-05:00

I will be listing some new items in the shop tonight, not sure about the time but it will be after 6 for sure. I will check in later with more details.

It's good to be back in the swing of things.

I'm back

2012-01-03T10:41:00.009-05:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season.

Mine was more social than usual, I went to Buffalo to see my Mom a couple times over the break, there was a cookie bake at my sisters and a Christmas Eve party at my friend Wendy's.

We had an unexpected invite to Boston for New Years. There was a wonderful visit to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, where there was an exhibition of "Degas and the Nude." This show focused on how Degas approached his work, there was a large collection of his sketches and studies that he did before his final product.

They also had a collection of paintings of nudes from other artists during the impressionist era, they all had their own style but you could still see how they influenced one another. Which is always a hot topic in the glass bead/jewelry world.

Saturday evening we had a yummy dinner at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge, and then welcomed in the New Year listening to jazz.

I did not realize this was another short week so Wednesday Beads will resume next Wednesday, January 11th.

I'm off to the studio to get back into a routine.

Looking forward

2011-11-30T08:56:00.011-05:00

I hope everyone had a nice holiday, this is a crazy time of year I can't believe it is December tomorrow. The fact that the temperatures have been in the 60's and there is no snow on the ground has not helped. Yes, I am one of those weird people that prefers snow to mud.

I have decided to suspend Wednesday beads until the New Year, in fact I may do this every December. I spent the month of November restocking the shop with plenty of choices, I promise to start earlier next year. I figure the Fall is when you need to buy supplies for your Holiday shows and I would rather load up the shops instead of trickling in items till the end of the year.

I do have a jewelry show coming up this month, the pictures show what I have been working on. I am averaging about 6 earrings a night, and next week necklaces are on the agenda. When I start making jewelry I always have renewed amazement at the talented jewelry designers out there, it is a lot harder than it looks.

I don't believe in resolutions, but if I did this is the year I am going to make a last ditch effort to have new jewelry choices in the jewelry shop on a regular basis. We will see what the response will be, maybe I am just a component gal.

Looking forward to the new year, I am planning on selling at five Innovative Bead Expo shows. I have really enjoyed my first experiences with this venue, its fun to have that instant feedback from my customers.

Based on this feedback you will be seeing more glass sets and pairs in the shop next year. I will still have focals, even though they don't move as fast, I still love making them.

Enameled components will continue to be a mainstay in my shop. I am always on the lookout for new components to enamel. I am also brushing up on my metal smithing skills so I can enamel my own metal components.

If I am spending more time at the metal smithing bench hopefully you will see more mixed metal component choices in the shop as well.

Just because there will not be Wednesday Beads until the new year that does not mean that some new items will not be heading to the shop. While I have been making jewelry this week I am seeing little piles of beads that would make great mixed bags, those are always a great deal.

I will always blog and facebook about new pieces before I list new items.

Thanks for visiting.

Holiday Sale all Week

2011-11-24T11:58:00.003-05:00

My etsy shop sale is still in progress and extending thru Sunday, November 27th there is 15% off everything in the shop.

The coupon code to get this discount is:

HOLIDAY15

Just enter this coupon code before you check out and 15% will be automatically deducted from your order total before shipping.

Check out this link on etsy for more details on entering the coupon code.

This coupon code cannot be combined with any other active coupon codes, however my free shipping for all orders over $50 still applies. This is my last shop sale of the year and I have been loading up the shops the past couple of weeks to make sure you have plenty of choices, so enjoy.

Wishing you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving.

Holiday Sale all Week

2011-11-21T09:43:00.002-05:00

No Wednesday beads on this Thanksgiving week. However starting today, November 21st and extending thru Sunday, November 27th there is 15% off everything in the shop.

The coupon code to get this discount is:

HOLIDAY15

Just enter this coupon code before you check out and 15% will be automatically deducted from your order total before shipping.

Check out this link on etsy for more details on entering the coupon code.

This coupon code cannot be combined with any other active coupon codes, however my free shipping for all orders over $50 still applies.

Wishing you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving.

Wednesday beads are listed

2011-11-16T18:08:00.002-05:00

Eighty new glass and enamel choices just listed in my etsy shop.

I am offering an 18mm filigree bead which is fast becoming my favorite. Makes a great earring on one of those long ear wires, and still light as a feather.

These are the last of the keys from my inventory, so you have plenty of choices.

I love the effect the silver foil had on this enamel branch. This is also the last of the finished branches from my inventory.

I have also restocked the glass headpins, mostly pairs so they make easy earrings for holiday gifts or shows. I also have a few sets of three that are available, great for a charm here and there on your necklace and bracelet designs.

Have a great evening.

Wednesday Beads Update

2011-11-16T10:23:00.004-05:00

Here are some lampwork glass focals you will see in the shop later today. I had been hoarding these, and I am learning to let go, I need to trust that I can do these again if I want to.

I have not been at the torch since that bead show, I have been shifting gears and making some jewelry for a couple local shows coming up.

I will check in later when I have a more specific time my beads will go live in my etsy shop.

i heart macro Sunday

2011-11-13T12:37:00.005-05:00

Visit Studio Waterstone for more macro shots.

Wednesday Beads are Listed

2011-11-09T20:55:00.004-05:00

New glass and enamel choices just listed in the shop.

Had a great visit with family and friends today and helped Mom celebrate her 90th.

Have a great night everyone.

Happy Birthday Mary

2011-11-09T11:02:00.005-05:00

Mary's 90 today.

That is Mary, the second from the right with her school chums in London. As I have said in previous posts my mother was born in Scotland, I am loving all the tartan skirts in this picture.

I am off to East Aurora today to have a late lunch with Mom at the Roycroft.

I will be posting new enamel and glass tonight at 9pm.

See you later.

All listing are in the shop

2011-11-04T23:40:00.004-04:00

I'm finally finished, all the new glass and enamel choices that I have this week are in the shop.

Wednesday beads will return to its regularly scheduled time next week.

Now that my big shows of the season are finished I am now accepting custom orders again.

My enamel inventory is pretty well stocked, so if you see something in the shop or the sold section that you want in a different color let me know, and I may already have it made.

Partial Listing Up

2011-11-04T19:54:00.003-04:00

I am the worst offender when it comes to giving a time that my listings will be completed.

I have just activated 51 enamel listings and I will be adding to that until the wee hours.

If you see anything you have to have go ahead and make your purchase and I can combine orders if you like anything else later. Of course you only get charged for shipping once and you don't get charged at all if your order is over $50.

I know I like a specific time to view listings, all I can do is try and be more accurate. I still like to list a lot of items periodically because that is the feedback I have had from my customers, especially around holiday time.

I have added an "enameled pairs" section to my shop, which will be useful if you are on the market for earring components.

I'm off to Starbucks to get a coffee to keep me going.

Have a great night.

New listings at 8pm tonight

2011-11-04T10:16:00.006-04:00

I took 270 photos of enamel components yesterday. So if you figure an average of two pictures per item, that is a lot of enamel.

Today I am sorting through my glass so you will have some choices in that category too.

I am thinking pairs so you can make some last minute earrings for gifts and your holiday shows.

See you at 8pm.

Enjoy the teaser shots of my enamel components, this is just a sampling of what will be in the shop tonight.

Say hi to Bella

2011-11-02T10:44:00.006-04:00

Yes we do already have three dogs and a cat.

But how could anyone say no to those eyes.

Bella is one of those "hybrid dogs" she is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Shitzu mix. She looks like a small Cavalier, unlike other dogs in this mix that tend to take after the Shitzu.

She will be about 18-20 pounds when she is fully grown and is our first small dog. Our other dogs are a pit bull mix, pointer mix, and a pure english lab. This is also the order of their dominance.

The pit bull and pointer mix have accepted that she is here to stay, however they do not seem to have much interest in playing with her. Because she is so small she is more of a pest, biting their toes and such. I am hoping when she is bigger they will be more playful. We are letting the dogs correct her while we are there so she will know how to behave in the pack.

Our lab shows the least interest, in fact in the past she has not been crazy about puppies. Since she was the baby of the pack until now she has never had to deal with one full time.

We are being patient and even have a special prescription collar on Phoebe (the lab) that releases pheromones that help relax a dog when they are being socialized or introduced to a new situation. I am considering getting a matching set for our whole family, I think they would make great stocking stuffers.

If anyone out there has any tips on introducing a small dog to bigger dogs it would be greatly appreciated. We have a lot of dog experience but like I said none with small dogs.

Today is supposed to be Wednesday Beads, but as I mentioned in a previous post I will be listing new beads on Friday this week. I want to have a big restocking of enamel and glass so I need the extra time for photos and listing.

Check back on Friday morning, here on the blog or on facebook, for an exact time new items will be listed in the shop.

10% off sale extended through Sunday

2011-10-28T00:31:00.004-04:00

Etsy Coupon code Gardanne10

If anyone is in Rochester, NY this weekend I will be at the Expo Bead Show at the Double Tree on Jefferson.

Saturday 10-5

Sunday 10-4

Will check back on Monday.

10% off sale starting now

2011-10-24T09:48:00.004-04:00

I always feel guilty when I have a week with no Wednesday Beads, like this one.

So in an effort to alleviate my guilt I am having a 10% off sale in the bead shop.

The sale will run from today, Monday 10/24 until Friday 10/28.

Just enter the coupon code GARDANNE10 when checking out of etsy and 10% will automatically be deducted from your order.

Have fun.

i heart macro Sunday

2011-10-23T21:34:00.003-04:00

I'm still using these pictures of my trip to Maine, I took 100's of photos so you will be seeing them for a while.

These are appropriate for the season though.

I did not adjust the color on this photo, the flower did look that yellow in the sunshine.

Maine had the rosiest and most plump rose hips I have ever seen.

Some sort of lobster catching contraption.

I love texture.

Click on the i heart macro badge and visit the other macro pictures of the week at Studio Waterstone.

Wednesday Beads are Listed

2011-10-19T21:03:00.003-04:00

Wednesday beads are listed in the shop, it is all enamel tonight.

Just a reminder that I will be pulling most of the glass out of the shop on Sunday, October 23rd to get ready for my show at the end of the month.

As I said in a previous post if there is anything that you have your eye on I can set it aside for you.

Next Wednesday, October 26th there will be no Wednesday beads because I will be getting ready for the show that weekend.

The following week I will be listing new beads on Friday, November 4th, instead of that Wednesday. There will be a large amount of glass and enamel listings that Friday since my shows will be done for a while and I want to make sure that I have plenty of inventory ready as you prepare for your Holiday shows.

Wednesday beads listed at 9pm tonight

2011-10-19T16:34:00.002-04:00

All enamel tonight, see you later.

i heart macro Sunday

2011-10-17T08:32:00.000-04:00

I had a lot of positive feedback about this post, one of the pictures that most of you commented on was of a foggy morning I spent in Maine last month.

I decided to include a few more pictures from that day, and one of them fits perfectly into Studio Waterstone's macro Sunday.

I played around a little with some effects in basic i photo, I love taking pictures but I really don't know anything about the editing tools available today.

I just ordered Kerry's new e book on taking photo's of one's products, I am using this tool as an introduction to my new digital Nikon. I really wish there had been an e book like this available when I started on etsy, I strongly believe that good photographs are the best tool to get customers to spend some time in your shop.

I was looking for a knitted cowl today and in my search I only clicked on the shops that had good clean photos of their products. This is not necessarily an indication of a better product, but if a product photo is styled properly, well lit, easy to see from all angles, etc. it is only natural that this will get my attention first.

Our host of macro Sunday, Lori of Studio Waterstone, has an etsy shop which has perfect examples of good product photography (it does not hurt that she has a beautiful model). In addition Lori often offers tutorials on product styling and design, check out her tutorials in her DIY section.

I am having a hard time getting the i heart macro button over here tonight. So here is a link to the i heart macro post for this week on Studio Waterstone's blog, that will take you to all of the great macro shots of the day.

All these shots were taken in Camden Harbor, Maine or Curtis Island, Maine.

This is my macro shot of the day.

Thank you

2011-10-14T10:18:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone, just wanted to extend a special thank you for the positive response I had to this Wednesday's beads. As I have said before your support not only of my shop, but of me as an artist means more to me than you know.

Some housekeeping:

My next bead show is October 29th, and it is going to be 10 minutes from my house. I am excited about showing my fellow Rochestarians what I do, selling in my home town has been an area I have neglected.

Because I have two shows in one month I will probably have to dip into the etsy store for some inventory.

But it will only be glass, I have plenty of enamel, and I will not touch the focals I just put in the shop this Wednesday, they should still all be on the first page.

If you have your eye on any glass in the shop I would be willing to hold your items for 5 business days before I would expect payment. I am not going to pull these items out of the shop until Wednesday, October 26th so there is no rush, and I will definitely let you know via this blog when that happens.

Same policy applies that I would expect payment before I would ship your items.

Again thanks so much for supporting my shop.

Wednesday beads finished, finally

2011-10-12T23:36:00.003-04:00

OK that is the last of all my new listings for tonight, I just listed an additional nine lampwork glass focals.

I hope you like all the choices I have offered tonight, I did not want you to feel neglected with all the bead shows I have this month.

Thank you so much for your patience tonight.

Wednesday Beads

2011-10-12T22:28:00.003-04:00

I have just listed all the enamel pieces in the shop that I will have today.

I am working on listing the glass focals right now, I will post on facebook and here when those are listed as well.

If you end up making two separate orders tonight, I will combine them and refund one of your shipping fees.

Remember all orders over $50 get free shipping.

Wishful thinking

2011-10-12T19:01:00.002-04:00

The finger crossing did not work, don't know what I was thinking.

I won't make 7pm, I don't want to have to give another time that I will have to change again. But I know I will not go to bed until everything is listed.

Check the blog and facebook later for an eta.

Thanks for your patience.

Wednesday Bead Teaser

2011-10-12T11:16:00.002-04:00

Here is a sampling of what I will be listing in the shop today.

It will be mostly enamel, but I will also have some glass. I have not had any new glass focals in the shop for a while, but it is time to part with some of my favorites.

Sometimes the first bead I make of a certain style is the best one, maybe because there was no plan and some happy accidents happened. By letting go of some of these focals hopefully it will push me to believe that lightning can strike twice.

I am listing almost 100 new items today so I am shooting for 7pm, eastern time, fingers crossed.

Check in with this blog or my facebook page to know exactly when I have listed the new items.

If you have not friended me on facebook yet, my alias is Anne Gardanne.

These wings are brand new, I need to order more for the bead show at the end of the month. I can get these so they are opposites, which would make a great pair of earrings.

I have started to add some of my glass and silver foil to my enameled pieces, in small amounts it works.

Thanks for visiting and see you later.

Bead show wrap up

2011-10-11T10:48:00.011-04:00

This was my table set up at the Innovative Bead Expo this weekend in Syracuse, N.Y.

Not as exciting as some of your jewelry displays, but selling just beads and components is a different animal. I used a lot of tips I got a while ago from my blog readers on this pos t.

I purchased these clear plexi jewelry or drawer organizers at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. The nice thing about these trays is that they are clear and someone can see all that color going on from afar and hopefully be drawn to the table for a peek.

I also have tried to not pile up the beads in the trays so my customers don't have to spend too much time digging.

At the last minute I also decided to label each bead section with a price tag. Last time I did this show I had signs with the prices and the customers had to spend time scanning the signs to find the price of the item they were interested in, this method seemed more convenient.

Sets and pairs of beads I grouped with wire, I considered string of some sort but I was concerned they would become a tangled mess. I also color coded the wire threaded through the beads by price, for example the beads with red wire were $20, purple wire were $12, etc. This made it easy if any beads strayed out of their tray, I could easily see where they belonged, and there would be no question on the price if it was in the wrong spot.

At this show 95% of what is on the table had to be loose beads, but as you can see in the first picture I did display some finished enamel earrings. This gave customers an idea of what the enamel pieces would look like in a finished piece of jewelry. I also need some finished necklaces for next time demonstrating how connectors and other components can be used.

I also need to find more lighting, I knew this banquet room was well lit but that may not always be the case.

Sales were down for everyone this weekend and the crowd was very small. It was a holiday weekend with amazing weather, and my customers said that there were several Fall festivals going on in the area.

This was my second bead show with Expo, my first was in March and also in Syracuse. Sales were down this time but I covered my expenses plus a little extra. My first show was very good so that was a tough benchmark to match.

I almost forgot the moo cards I talked about in this post were a big hit. I think this will bring more customers to my etsy shop, and it will be easy to identify those customers since I only use that coupon code for bead shows.

The silver lining is that I did not get cleaned out. I have another Expo show in Rochester, N.Y. the last weekend in October, so I will not be going too crazy building my inventory up again.

That also means that there will be plenty of new items in the shop tomorrow in every category. So check my blog tomorrow for a sampling of what will be heading to the shop and a specific time that new items will be listed.

New beads are listed

2011-10-05T19:21:00.002-04:00

Or should I say mixed metal jewelry components this week.

I will be leaving Friday for a bead show this weekend so all items purchased tonight until I return on Sunday will be shipped on Monday the 10th.

Thanks for visiting, I will try and blog about the bead show this weekend, wish me luck.

Wednesday Beads and Moo Cards

2011-10-05T11:25:00.004-04:00

Wednesday beads will be listed at 7pm tonight, EST. I will have a selection of ARTifacts, that's my mixed metal collection. I was going to take them to the show this weekend, but I did not have that many so I decided to just put them in the shop.

I have just received my first Moo cards and like most of you already know it is a wonderful product.

I could not believe how easy it was to put these together. The first picture is of some stickers which was really an impulse purchase, I already had the pictures downloaded for the mini cards so I said, what the heck. I was thinking of using them on my packaging.

These were what I had in mind when I visited the Moo site. I actually had an idea that I followed through on in a timely manner, which is very unusual for me.

At the last bead show I participated in I would tell my customers that they could have a 10% discount on their first online purchase. They just had to include a message that they met me at the show, and I would refund their 10% via paypal.

Well that is just too much to remember, and nobody took me up on the offer.

So I had these mini cards made, as you can see I have my shop address and a coupon code that they can use (sorry guys I had to hide that part) to get 10% off their first online purchase.

It's a nice little thank you for supporting my bead shop.

See you at 7pm, as usual I will post on the blog and facebook when the new pieces are listed in the shop.

Macro Sunday

2011-10-02T00:35:00.009-04:00

Hello I heart macro Sunday, I have not forgotten about you. I fact on my recent trip to Camden, Maine I was taking multiple macro shots with you in mind.

This is my macro shot for the week, it was taken on Curtis Island in Camden harbor that is home to an old light house that we visited. In fact the misty picture below is that lighthouse.

There was so much color going on here, it was such a moist day so all the colors of the shells and stones were extra vibrant.

We raced up to the top of what must be the high point in Camden, Maine to catch the sunset. This photo was taken from the top of the stone tower in Camden Hills State Park. Our hostess Kathryn showed us so many wonderful locations to paint and photograph every day.

This picture is part of our group painting on the first day, this was a short boat ride from the lakeside cottage where we stayed.

I am so glad we braved the fog and went out to this island in Camden Harbor, we could not see more than a foot in front of the boat. I developed a new eye for all kinds of light on this trip, thanks to our wonderful teacher Caroline.

This is a shot of Camden Harbor on the first day, look at those great reflections in the water. Now I just have to figure out how to put that on a bead.

One thing I realized from this holiday was that I miss being outside everyday. My little bead business tends to keep me confined to my studio or parked in front of the computer.

I really need to make an effort to get outside more, only way that will happen is to put it in the schedule.

Just a reminder how i love macro sunday works. Just click on the i heart macro logo below and it will take you directly to Studio Waterstone where you can check out other macro shots of the week.

Don't forget to check out Lori's bags in her etsy shop while you are there.

See you later.

Wednesday Beads are Listed!

2011-09-28T16:17:00.004-04:00

Well I made better time than I thought I would, that means more studio time tonight.

New glass and a few enamel choices are in the shop now.

One matched set of cone shaped ruffled discs, these would make perfect earrings. It is very difficult to make a matched set of these, at least for me.

A few pairs of ribbed rounds, no other decoration is necessary the texture is enough.

I love these headpins, nothing shows off a texture more than a metallic finish.

A new leaf shape that I made with a tool I have not used in ages, I love the slight cupped shape to this leaf.

Some pairs and trios of this pod shape I love, they look like milkweed pods to me.

This is the largest stamping that I have successfully torch fired to date, and I am pleased with the results. I hope you like them as well, at 30 x 50mm they would make a great pendant that is still very light weight.

Check out the bead shop there are more choices than what I have shown here.

Have a great evening.

Wednesday Beads

2011-09-28T11:35:00.003-04:00

I have been getting into a bad habit of not even starting to take pictures until Wednesday morning, very bad.

Not sure when items will be listed, I don't want to give a later time and then finish earlier than I thought.

I can tell you I will have headpin pairs and a few mixed bags, a few giant leaves I enameled last night, some beehive bead pairs, and maybe some beehive sets.

So I will get to work and check in later with more specifics on my blog and facebook page. If you want to friend me on facebook my alias is Anne Gardanne.

What's going on in the Studio

2011-09-26T10:40:00.012-04:00

I have been making headpins like crazy, lots of leaves and Fall colors. Getting ready for the Expo bead show in two weeks, I will also be offering some of these on Wednesday.

One week away and I have a lot of blog reading to catch up on. Summers Studio had an especially helpful post on etsy relevancy. This post also lead me to a post by Sparrow Salvage on etsy's recent search changes. After reading these blogs, I realize how lame my tagging has been, its a miracle anyone has found me.

I am from that generation (fifty something) that has fallen through the cracks when it comes to computer literacy. Of course, I did not have computers in school or even college, and no I did not get to school on horseback. In my nursing career all patient notes were hand written. A pharmaceutical rep was my next career move, and it was there I was exposed to what was probably the first version of an ipad. It was the size of a large textbook and the physicians that I called on could sign on the screen for pharmaceutical samples, but this tool still did not tell me anything about computers.

I would have to say that over the past two years of blogging and having an etsy shop my knowledge of the online world has increased 500%. In addition to reading blogs generated by people that are extremely computer knowledgeable and share that information freely (that means you Mrs. Waterstone).

So thank you to all of you out there that are so great about sharing information, I really appreciate your generosity.

As soon as I figure out what I am really good at I will return the favor.

Wednesday Beads are Listed!

2011-09-21T22:18:00.003-04:00

Well I got up to 52 listings and couldn't take the little spinning rainbow anymore.

It's all enamel tonight.

There are some owl pairs.

A couple maple leaf focals, two different sizes.

Swallow focals.

I added an extra hole on the edge of these button charms for fast and easy earrings. I will still be offering them without the extra hole for clasps.

More of these branches that never last long in the shop. I can see these being used as a bail or a connector, I have added a hole at each end.

Enjoy.

Little bit Later

2011-09-21T18:39:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure if it is etsy or on my end but the listing is taking so long to load. I am listing over 80 new pieces so it is quite frustrating.

I am anticipating that it will be after 8pm eastern time that all the listings will go live, I will post on facebook and the blog as soon as everything is listed.

Sorry for the delay.

New beads listed at 8pm tonight, eastern time.

2011-09-21T11:56:00.000-04:00

I'm back

2011-09-19T08:34:00.002-04:00

I had a wonderful week off in Maine, I didn't know how much I needed a little break until I had one. So I'm refreshed and ready to hit the torch this morning.

Today is the last day for my 15% of sale in the shops, it will be over at midnight. So take advantage, I will not have another sale until the holidays.

Use the coupon code Gardanne15.

Wednesday beads is back on track for this week and I will be restocking a lot items. Check in with the blog and facebook for an exact time.

Heaven

2011-09-15T19:50:00.012-04:00

Hi everyone I am having a wonderful time at my watercolor workshop in Camden, Maine.

I have so many more wonderful pictures to share when I get home but here are a few.

I feel like this trip is so many vacations rolled into one. Kathryn who lives here, and owns the lakeside cottage we are staying in, is taking us to unique places everyday.

The first full day we spent the morning at a private island owned by Kathryn's in laws since the 1940's.

This beautiful watercolor was done by Caroline our instructor.

The view I was trying to paint yesterday morning.

Yesterday afternoon we went to Camden Harbor for some more painting. The above painting was done by our talented and entertaining teacher, Caroline.

More harbor views from yesterday. The weather has been just like home, 85 degrees yesterday and it will be 58 tomorrow.

Today we went to the lighthouse in Camden Harbor, yet another great connection of Kathryn's.

We took a small boat over this morning at 9am, and it was so foggy we could not see the island until we were right on top of it. The above picture was right where we got out of the boat, no sandy beaches here. The oyster shells were a beautiful blue, and when I got a closer look there was a lot more color going on there.

This is one my "thumbnail" studies that we do before we paint to figure out the composition and shading. I am actually having more fun doing these because there is less to think about.

This last picture was from inside the lighthouse keepers house, see the spider web glistening with tiny droplets of water.

Remember I have extended the 15% sale in my shops until I get home on Monday, the coupon code is still Gardanne15.

I'm getting a lot of color and design inspiration for my glass, everything creative is connected in some way.

Hope you are all well.

What I will be up to next week

2011-09-10T00:15:00.004-04:00

This is where I will be headed tomorrow, for a weeklong watercolor workshop, in Camden, Maine. I will be with 8 other women, I know one of them, my friend Anne Maree who lives outside of Boston. Her daughter Shannon is one of my daughter's BFF's.

I am crazy busy tonight trying to get everything done, so this will be a brief post.

A couple updates:

I have decided to extend my 15% off sale in both of my shops until I return on the 20th, just because. Orders will also not be shipped until I return on the 20th.

The coupon code is still Gardanne15.

This sale does not apply to custom orders and this discount cannot be combined with any other previously issued coupons.

I am told that I will have wireless available on this trip, so I am really hoping that I will be blogging more frequently than I usually do.

Thank You

2011-09-05T12:11:00.003-04:00

Grab a coffee it's a long post.

A thank you goes out to all my blog friends that offered some helpful advice, after my short but whiny last post on how to coax my glass muse back into the studio. She has not set up residence yet, but has peeked over my shoulder a couple of times while I was working on some beads.

Some advice that has been very helpful:

Thanks Lucinda, visiting the glass sites you suggested has helped with shape, color, and design.

Seguso

Fratelli Toso

Venini

Several of you suggested some color sites, which I found helpful.

colourlovers

Color Collective

I have also joined Pinterest, at a time when I am trying to reduce my internet surfing, not good timing.

But the color combinations have been wonderful. I have been putting together these combinations with my glass and keeping them within easy reach of my torch. I already have several followers on Pinterest, be patient I may take a little time to get the hang of the pin boards.

Housekeeping

- Week of 9/5 no Wednesday Beads.

- Week of 9/12 no Wednesday Beads.

Wednesday Beads will resume Wednesday, 9/21.

- No custom orders until November 1st. I do have a waiting list and I will be filling orders on a first come first served basis. So if you need something and you are not in a serious time crunch I would recommend you get on the list.

*Customer service is very important to me so if you have a deadline contact me via etsy and I will see what I can do.

*Don't worry, custom orders I am currently working on will be completed.

- I am going to be out of town the week of 9/12.So my last shipping day will be this Friday, 9/9. Any orders made after that date will be shipped Tuesday, 9/20.

Sale in Progress

To take the sting out of no Wednesday Beads for a little while, I am having a 15% off sale in my gardannebeads shop (glass beads and enamel components) and my gardanne shop (earrings).

The sale will start today, 9/5 and last until this Monday, 9/12.

Just use the coupon code

GARDANNE15

and 15% will automatically be deducted from your order.

Sorry for all the boring but needed information, I will tell you about my upcoming trip in another post.

Have fun at the sale.

My Glass Muse has Left the Building

2011-09-02T11:16:00.001-04:00

It's difficult to be creative when on a deadline. Getting ready for two shows in October and I really want some interesting focals.

But I find myself reaching for the same old colors and tools.

Any hints?

Wednesday Beads Listed NOW

2011-08-31T19:37:00.004-04:00

Some examples of the new glass and enamel items in the shop, all listings up at 8pm, EST.

New Beads listed at 8pm Tonight

2011-08-31T11:05:00.006-04:00

It's Wednesday Beads and I will be listing new items in the shop at 8pm tonight.

I will have some enamel, I am trying to stick with a Fall theme so there will be some leaves.

I have some more glass eggs that will be heading to the shop, thank you for the enthusiastic response to those last week.

I will also have some glass pairs. Some will be the bagel like spacer shape and a new round shape I am calling chubby spacers. They are round but have flat bits around the bead holes. I am thinking that a wire wrap will sit nice and flat on that area. Or there may be more flexibility when it comes to the size of a bead cap.

I have two bead shows coming up in October. The first show will be in Syracuse, N.Y. and the second show will be in Rochester, N.Y. Click the links for more information.

So I have been at the torch for at least 4 hours a day to build up my inventory. Last night I made some larger focal beads, 3 hours behind the torch and only 4 beads to show for it. But I do love those focals.

Hope to see you at 8pm tonight.

New Beads in the Shop at 12noon

2011-08-26T11:39:00.005-04:00

New glass ruffled discs and eggs in the shop at 12noon EST today (Friday).

New listings have been bumped again, Friday at noon EST

2011-08-25T19:24:00.005-04:00

Well this is a new record I bumped Wednesday Beads to Thursday and now I am not listing until Friday at 12noon EST.

Glass takes so much longer to list I will be doing this until midnight. So to be fair to everyone on the east and west coast I will be listing at noon on Friday (tomorrow).

I guess I underestimated how much time it would take for me to catch up on shipping and custom orders after Beadfest.

Here are some pictures of what to expect tomorrow.

New Listings 9pm Tonight

2011-08-25T11:47:00.003-04:00

It's going to be a 9pm EST listing tonight.

It's going to be all glass. Some items you have not seen in a while, there are going to be eggs and some of those ruffled discs I showed you a couple posts ago (thou shalt not hoard).

Natalie, the teen, is in the Boston area visiting her good friend Shannon. Her stay has been extended until next Thursday, because of Irene heading up the coast. So that means more uninterrupted torch time. For Mark that means more pizza.

Again sorry its going to be later for the east coasters I know most of you have early mornings.

We have a Winner!!!

2011-08-22T10:39:00.004-04:00

Congratulations Carlene, you have won my bead giveaway.

Sorry I have no pictures, blogger is uncooperative this morning. But check out the previous post and you will see your winnings. Thank you so much to everyone for your helpful comments and participation. At a later time I will be blogging about the information gathered from the comments.

Carlene please send me you address information so I can get your loot to you ASAP, I have already sent you an email.

Beadfest was soooo much fun.

I met so many friendly people that I had previous only known through blogging and/or etsy. It was so much fun to meet them face to face, it was really a wonderful experience.

I need to catch my breath, but I will blog about who I met and what I bought soon.

Wednesday Beads will be on Thursday this week.

I will let you know a specific time via facebook and my blog.

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in my giveaway and took advantage of my sale. I will be shipping your orders today.

Bead Giveaway

2011-08-16T11:29:00.013-04:00

*It's early Sunday morning and I am having a blast at Beadfest, I will tell you all about it when I get home.

Today is the last day for the 15% off sale (coupon code bfps2011) and to enter the bead giveaway, so check out this post and the one before it for the details.

*It's Thursday and I will be leaving bright and early tomorrow morning to head to my first Beadfest.

Remember my 15% off sale and bead giveaway is still in progress until Sunday, August 21st.

Only 4 more days to to take advantage of the 15% off sale (coupon code bfps2011) and to enter my bead giveaway so keep those comments coming.

Here is a challenge for you if I make it to 100 entries I will have a 2nd place goodie bag as well. That's only about 53 comments away, you can do it!

As promised here is the loot for the bead giveaway, a collection of my glass and enamel.

To enter all you have to do is answer a question for me, and leave it in the comments section.

When you are selling earrings do you find that people have a preference when it comes to what the ear wires are made of?

I have always used sterling in the past, but as you all know with the cost of silver being sky high these days I have started to use Vintaj brass ear wires.

If you don't have an answer tell me what ear wires you look for when you are buying earrings.

I will be accepting comments for this giveaway until Sunday, August 21st. I will be randomly picking a winner on Monday, August 22nd when I return from Beadfest.

Don't forget I currently have a 15% off sale in both my shops until Sunday, August 21st.

Coupon code is bfps2011

If you want another entry in the bead giveaway mention my 15% off sale on your blog or facebook . You can link to this blog post for the for all the details of the sale.

Then please tell me in the comment section that you did this so you can get credit for that extra entry.

Housekeeping:

I am leaving for Beadfest early Friday morning. So this will be the last day I will be shipping orders. Any order made after today will be shipped after I return on Monday, August 22nd. If you are on a deadline and need your items ASAP send me a message via etsy and I'm sure I can accommodate you.

I am still accepting custom orders this week, but I will not be able to start working on them until Monday, August 22nd.

I am so glad so many of you are taking advantage of the shop sale, thank you so much. 15% off is about as high as it gets for my sales so please take advantage.

Sale starting right now!

2011-08-15T11:18:00.018-04:00

Starting now Monday, August 15th until Sunday, August 21st all of my items in both of my etsy shops will be 15% off.

Here are links to my etsy shops:

The Gardannebeads shop has enamel, glass, and mixed metal beads and components

The Gardanne shop has jewelry, most of which is made with my enamel and glass components.

This sale is the brainchild of Andrew Thornton, and it was open to people like myself that are heading to Beadfest this weekend.

See those links below? There is a sale going on in all of those shops. For your convenience the coupon code is the same for all sellers participating in this sale.

For me this is a good transition to Fall. I still have a few summer themed items in my supply shop, like sand dollars and shells. After I get back from Beadfest I will be taking these items out of the shop to make room for my Fall and Winter line.

All you have to do to take advantage of this sale, is enter the coupon code bfps2011 when you are checking out, and 15% will automatically be deducted from your order.

Lorelei has posted a great tutorial on using the coupon code in our etsy shops, here is a link. Thank you Lorelei.

I always have free shipping for all orders over $50 and that policy still applies during the sale.

This sale does not apply to custom orders or any gift certificates available in my shops. This sale cannot be combined with existing gift certificates or coupons.

Please visit these other shops, for your convenience their coupon code is also bfps2011 . I can't wait to meet these blog and etsy friends this weekend.

Lorelei Eurto
Andrew Thornton
Marsha Minutella
Melanie Brooks and Earthenwood Studio Etsy
Diana Ptaszynski
Melinda Orr
Barbara Lewis
Kristie Roeder

Mary Welsh Hubbard
Anne Lichtenstein
Lisa Petrillo

Some Housekeeping:

I will be prepping for Beadfest this week so there will be no new beads this Wednesday. But I still have plenty of items in the shop in all categories to take advantage of during the sale.

I am still planning a giveaway this week, I will blog about that tomorrow so stay tuned.

i heart macro Sunday

2011-08-14T12:13:00.004-04:00

As promised earlier in the week I am showing the glass discs I made this week for macro Sunday.

There is something about the combination of transparent glass, texture, and light that makes me swoon.

These look like they belong under the sea on some coral reef.

Not sure what to do with them yet, but they sure are pretty.

Please click on the i heart macro link and check out the other macro shots. You can even vote for your favorite, thanks to computer genius Lori of Studio Waterstone.

Make sure you check out my blog post tomorrow I have a couple of surprises in store for you.

New Beads in Shop Now

2011-08-10T18:09:00.004-04:00

I know I promised more headpins, but I had an unexpected order and they are gone. Don't worry I will make more.

So today I have all enamel.

Some great focal butterflies.

As we get into the Fall season the owl pairs have been popular.

This is the last of these round and oval vintage beads. Because they are vintage its hard to keep them in stock.

This is a new style of butterfly pairs I have been working on. The style I usually carry has been unavailable all summer with no signs of returning. So I altered this stamping to replace them, I added a hole so they hang on opposite diagonals which gives them a nice balanced look for earrings. The style of their wings is a little pointy so I also do some filing before I enamel them so there is no fear of getting poked with a sharp point. These have some dimension to them like the others, the wings are nice and puffy.

I am still trying to get the old style, but I hope you like this new style as well.

It's my birthday week this week so I think a giveaway is in the wings before I leave for Beadfest next Friday, so stay tuned.

Check out the shop there are more odds and ends than what I already mentioned.

Wednesday Beads 6pm Today.

2011-08-10T09:44:00.008-04:00

I will be listing some enamel and glass headpins in the shop by 6pm, EST today.

Check out what I have been playing with last weekend, they became a bit addictive.

I am calling them Crinoline Discs, I'm sure you can see the resemblance.

I had quite a few custom orders this week (thank you) and sometimes they take me in a direction that is unexpected.

I was filling an order for some little discs, and I just started tweezing away. They look very much like Chihuly's signature glass style.

As I have said before my discs look very organic. I like what this technique does to my disc style, that tend to be on the wonky side.

Tune in this Sunday to check out more images of these ruffled discs. I plan on using some of the macro shots for Studio Waterstone's "i love macro" Sunday.

I will post some images of what will be heading to the shop when I list my beads at 6pm, hope to see you later.

Wednesday Beads Listed NOW

2011-08-03T19:46:00.006-04:00

Well it's about time I had mostly new glass in the shop. I had to pry these little faceted nuggets out of my hands, I kept chanting " I can make more."

I have some pairs for earrings.

I have a new tool that helps me make this wonderful olive shape.

I have not made these water lily beads in a while, these are a few left over from an order.

This a comfortable shape for a bracelet.

A few of these enameled branches are in the shop, they can be used as a bail or a connector. So far I have made them in natural colors with a splash of moss. I will be making more, I love them especially for Fall jewelry designs.

Hope you enjoy the offerings tonight.

New Beads Listed at 8pm Tonight

2011-08-03T10:46:00.002-04:00

New beads in the shop tonight at 8pm.

Sorry its a late listing tonight, but I really want to get some glass pairs in the shop and they still need cleaning.

Enamel and glass choices tonight.

See you later.

Natalie is 17 Today

2011-07-31T18:11:00.004-04:00

I blinked....

... and look what happened.

That's Natalie on the right and her friend Gloria.

Natalie is 17 today....sigh.

Click on the link and check out some more macro shots.

Wednesday Teaser

2011-07-27T10:51:00.002-04:00

Wednesday Beads will be listed in the shop at 6pm tonight!

It's all enamel again, my poor glass feels so neglected. I have to get back to the glass because, unlike my enameling, if I don't use my lampworking skills I will lose them.

Lots of key pairs to choose from today.

Some oval and round chonchos.

Many of my custom orders this week were for Fall colors, so I am starting to shift gears for Fall.

But summer is not over yet, so I have lots of sand dollar and scallop shell focals to choose from.

Tonight after I finish listing these items in the etsy shop, I will be heading to my Mom's house.

Mom is having a cataract removed tomorrow morning and I am going to help her out for a few days. I was an RN many moons ago, I guess I still am, I am really amazed at how much information I have retained.

So all items ordered for the rest of this week will not be mailed until Monday.

See you at 6pm.

Wednesday Beads are listed!

2011-07-20T20:56:00.005-04:00

It's all enameled filigree beads tonight the 16 and 12mm variety, I even have some rondelle shapes.

I have matched trios and pairs as well as mixed colors, which are a little less expensive.

I was almost not going to offer the 12mm size anymore, they can be tricky to make. But I love them for earrings.

The large filigree beads work for earrings too, because they are hollow and super lightweight.

I am starting to offer double pairs in the 12mm rounds and rondelle shape. They can be used separately or together for earrings.

Have fun in the shop.

I'm off to the studio, I'm a bit of a night owl.

Wednesday Beads 9pm Tonight!

2011-07-20T12:35:00.005-04:00

Baby its hot outside, but believe it or not this is Risa's favorite weather. While our other dogs can be found in the AC on days like this, Risa will be sunning herself on the hot deck.

If you are like me I melt in the heat, with German, Swiss, and Scottish blood coursing through my veins I don't stand a chance in the South.

So here are some cool moist shots on a hot day like today, the heat index tomorrow is supposed to be 105.

So today is a perfect day to stay inside and clean, photograph, and list my beads.

New beads will be in the shop at 9pm tonight. I'm behind because I have been in the studio all week catching up on some glass orders. I am very lucky, unlike a lot of lampworkers out there my garage studio is a cool 65 in the summer, so I can keep creating in the hot summer months.

Drink plenty of water and stay cool out there.

Hope to see you tonight.

I Heart Macro Sunday/Hogwarts inspiration?

2011-07-17T08:59:00.012-04:00

I have missed a few macro Sundays, but I am back.

Right now I am in Ithaca, N.Y. dropping Natalie off at a summer college camp at Ithaca College.

The session she is signed up for is digital photography, so maybe I will learn something as well when she gets home.

I have been saving loads of macro shots on my home computer, but I just have my laptop this weekend. It turns out the shots I have on the laptop are very timely.

I have a strong Scotland connection because that was where my mother was raised. Three years ago Mark, Natalie, Grandma, and myself took a trip to Scotland and visited all the places I went to as a child.

One of them was Edinburgh, and on one of our tours we visited Fettes College. Our tour guide said that it was the inspiration for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series. J.K. Rowling lives in Edinburgh and wrote the series there.

Since the premier of the last Harry Potter movie was this weekend I thought it was an appropriate choice.

As you can see I was more fascinated by the stone carvings, here are several examples.

For some reason the i heart macro button is not working for me this morning. So please click on this link to visit Studio Waterstone and the other i heart macro participants.

Have a great Sunday.

Thank You

2011-07-13T21:25:00.015-04:00

I am overdue with thank you's to some of my talented friends out there, who have made it possible for my beads and/or components to appear in some recent publications.

In this Summer's issue of Stringing Lorelei made a pair of earrings using my glass leaf headpins, and if you look really close that is one of my transparent lavender discs on the cover.

Thank you Lorelei.

In this Summer's issue of Easy Wire, Cristi made a beautiful necklace that ended up on the cover. Click on the link and you can find that same necklace in Cristi's etsy shop.

Again if you look closely, that is my red and white striped glass bead on the necklace.

So technically I can say that I am on the cover of two magazines.

Thank you Cristi, and congratulations on the cover.

Last but not least, Lorelei used my enamel filigree beads and glass flowers in her recent eMag, Everyday Bracelets. You can see them in the bracelet on the far right.

I better get going and make more of these before the summer is over.

I spent a lot of time in the Interweave store checking out previews of all the great eMags. I have taken a few e-courses this year and I am finding out that either a teacher in the flesh or a video is the best way for me to grasp a technique. So my eMag library will be expanding.

If you happen to use any of my beads and/or components from my etsy shop, and they appear in any publication. To further show my appreciation, I will send you a 15% off coupon to be used anytime on a single order in any of my etsy shops.

I do ask that the 15% not be applied to any custom order or a sale.

Since these publications seem to come out seasonally, I will be doing this every Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. You can only be awarded one coupon a season.

I just received an email that I am resourced in four projects in a special edition of Creative Jewelry, coming out this Fall. I can't wait to see your projects.

Please let me know if I have missed anyone this Summer.

Thank you again, to all my customers, for your support.

New Choices in the Shop NOW

2011-07-13T16:14:00.007-04:00

I have just listed 53 new choices in the Gardannebeads shop.

As mentioned in my previous post I have several sets of glass headpins to choose from, matched pairs and mixed sets.

These headpins are large enough so that they can be used like beads with a built in wire wrap.

I also have some enamel choices, birds, butterflies, and some small sand dollars. Check out my grab bag section for some good deals.

Have fun, and don't hesitate to contact me via etsy if you have any questions.

Wednesday Bead Teaser

2011-07-13T09:33:00.002-04:00

I'm going to list new beads in the shop at 5pm today.

Here is a sampler of what to expect.

I had several glass headpin orders this week, so that is what guided my activity at the torch. I will also have some enamel odds and ends.

Maybe even a couple grab bags.

I will have several of my flying butterflies. I love this particular style because of the dimension it has. Unfortunately all of my suppliers are out of this butterfly, and it seems to be a problem at the manufacturer's end.

I am testing out some new styles of small butterflies, so if you like this style I only have a few blanks left to work with.

This is a new sand dollar pair for earrings or use them individually as charms. They are the same design as my sand dollar focal.

I will also have some matched pairs of glass headpins. It is challenging to get a pair to match especially if I manipulate the glass or add decoration. I make a bunch and then sort them into matching pairs.....

... the ones with no matching partners turn into mixed bags.

I love these bullseye lollipops, especially in a transparent color.

These choices and more will be listed in my etsy shop at 5pm, eastern time.

See you later.

Wednesday Beads are listed!

2011-07-06T20:58:00.004-04:00

47 new glass and enamel choices are now in the shop

Have fun.

More Teasers and ETA

2011-07-06T09:00:00.006-04:00

Today I am going to be listing items at 9pm, eastern time.

Sorry it will be so late, but I am playing my usual role as chauffeur to my daughter and her friends today. I'm not complaining, she will have her license soon enough and then I will have to be heavily medicated.

Any advice from Mom's of teens out there would be appreciated.

Here are some more teaser shots of what is headed to the shop.

Like I said in the previous post, I have several pairs of these vintage drops in the shop. If you see a pair that is sold and you want that color, send me message via etsy I may have it in my inventory. I don't like to put more than one of the same color in the shop at the same time, to avoid mixing them up.

This is a larger version of my Flying Butterfly Pairs, which makes a nice medium sized focal. I love how these have some dimension to them.

This is one of those new focals that I talked about in the last post, I fuse an enameled stamping to another enameled piece. I then apply a clear coat of enamel over the entire piece, they really turned out well.

More of these flowers that never stay in the shop too long.

This is a new large Starfish Focal that I love. I have quite a few seashore themes in my enamel section for summer.

More of the bell shaped flower pairs, these make great earrings with chain dangling from them.

More flowers.

I am now offering this style of owl in pairs, if you like them I will order more.

There will be more in the shop like bird pairs, diving swallows, and glass headpins.

Hope to see you at 9pm, eastern time.

Have a great day.

Teaser

2011-07-05T12:34:00.005-04:00

Lucky me, I got my hands on some more of these vintage dimpled tear shaped drops and I will be listing several pairs on Wednesday.

This is the last of the dimpled ones, but I am expecting some more of the plain tear shaped beads in a couple days.

I will also have more enamel FLOWERS tomorrow, and those glass headpins I never got around to listing last week.

Barbara from Painting with Fire had a great tutorial on her blog last week, showing how to apply an enameled piece to another enameled piece. I tried it and it worked, they will make lovely focals (sorry no photos yet).

Barbara has a book coming out this summer, and I can't wait. I think you can preorder them on her site. She is the one responsible for my enamel addiction.

See you tomorrow, I will have a post tonight or in the morning with a specific time I will be listing new items on Wednesday. We will see how the day goes.

Enamel Custom Orders

2011-06-30T15:25:00.002-04:00

I thought it would be a good idea to let you know (when I have an actual plan) what I will be working on in the studio from time to time. This way if anyone is thinking of a custom order the turnaround time will be quicker.

This weekend I am working on enamel, and I have just restocked a lot of my brass stampings so I have plenty of inventory available. You can check out my etsy shop and sold sections for designs and color choices.

Hope this helps you plan for your jewelry supply needs more effectively.

Wow!

2011-06-30T12:20:00.001-04:00

So glad you liked the Grab Bags, I will definitely do it again.

Thank you for supporting my shop.

Items just listed

2011-06-29T20:29:00.005-04:00

New items listed in the shop.

Sorry folks, I am a half hour ahead of schedule, I hit the publish button prematurely.

I have some vintage enamel beads in the shop, and unfortunately I did not have time to get the glass headpins together so they will be listed next week.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am offering some Grab Bags. They are mixes of enamel components that are NOT seconds, these are very good deals.

I will make Grab Bags periodically when my bowl of odd enamel components gets full again.

One more thing...

2011-06-29T16:21:00.004-04:00

I will have some Grab Bags of enamel available tonight.

When I am putting together items for listings I will have unmatched pairs, enamel experiments, and color samples that I don't end up listing. In an effort to have less stuff on my table distracting me, I have created some reduced price Grab Bags from these odds and ends.

These are NOT SECONDS, they all go through the same quality control of all my enamel components.

One more thing...

2011-06-29T16:21:00.001-04:00

New listings 9pm Tonight

2011-06-29T10:40:00.003-04:00

It's going to be later tonight folks.

9pm to be exact.

I will have mostly enamel, some vintage ones I have decided to part with, and a few glass headpins.

Natalie's first day of driver's ed today, I can't believe she is going to be 17 this summer.

The teacher at the driver's ed orientation was funny, she said " No food in the car, things will be flying." Fortunately unlike myself she has a brake on the passenger side that works.

See you later tonight.

Ahead of schedule, new items at 4pm

2011-06-23T15:22:00.006-04:00

Hi everyone I am ahead of schedule today, so I will be listing some new items in my shop at 4pm.

Thanks for stopping by.

Wednesday Beads postponed until Thursday

2011-06-21T23:28:00.003-04:00

Here is a sampling of what will be in the shop on Thursday at 5pm, it will all be items from my ARTifact Collection.

Natalie has a singing recital tomorrow and Mom is coming to visit, so it is just better to play it safe and list on Thursday.

This week I will be working on restocking enamel components. So if you have any enamel custom orders you have been thinking of, now would be a good time to place an order.

I Heart Macro Sunday

2011-06-19T00:19:00.003-04:00

I'm on my laptop so the dogwood pictures I had planned will have to wait till next week.

So this week you get to see enamel up close and personal. Wish I could take credit for these wonderful colors and designs, but the flame does all the work.

Click on the i heart macro button to see other Sunday macro shots at Studio Waterstone.

New Beads in Shop Now

2011-06-16T14:26:00.002-04:00

I have just listed over 30 new bead choices in the shop, mostly glass, and some new styles.

Thanks for visiting.

New Beads today at 2:30ish

2011-06-16T10:22:00.002-04:00

Mostly glass today, and some new styles.

Messy Studio Tour

2011-06-15T10:55:00.014-04:00

Since I have postponed Wednesday Beads until sometime Thursday, I have decided to bite the bullet and give you a studio tour. I have been reluctant to do this because unlike many of my blog friends neatness is not one of my qualities.

This is our large detached garage, and my studio occupies one quarter of the space on the ground floor. The second floor is just storage, but it would make a beautiful studio space, but that is not in the plans right now. I find the older I get I am more content with what I have, thank goodness.

No, it is not snowing right now in Upstate New York, this is just the only outside picture I could find of my studio space.

This is what I have been working on the past several days. These mixed metal pieces are made using a "soft solder" technique I learned earlier this year in Stephanie Lee's e-course, Homesteader's Metalsmithing.

I have just applied patina to these pieces and the next step would be buffing them up with the Dremel. When I make these pieces I need to put away the glass and enamel for at least a week, because they involve so many steps and so much time. If I don't take them to the finished stage, I will have half done pieces floating all over the studio. See I do have pockets of organization.

These next two photos show some other organizational solutions, that hopefully will make my studio space run a little more smoothly.

This is how I store my glass frit. I purchased these small pyrex bowls at TJ Maxx, I think they have them at Marshall's also. The glass frit is crushed glass, my favorite supplier is Val Cox. As you can see I don't need a lid for every container I stack them to keep out the dust.

This way if I need to use frit, I just grab a container. There is no pouring frit from one container to another, which for safety reasons cuts down on airborne glass dust that is not good for my lungs.

This is a similar solution I use for my enamels. Enamels are glass as well, but they are ground to the consistency of powder. Since the powder is so fine I need a cover for every one of these containers. Again I am not transferring powdered glass from one container to another, which is minimizing airborne glass.

I have one torch that I use for my enameling and glass work, and I found that set up and clean up between different projects took up a lot of my time. My solution for this was to set up a dedicated a cart for my enameling projects (photo below). That way when I am ready to enamel I just pull up the cart, it saves me a lot of time. I also have a similar cart for all my glass tools, when I am ready to play with glass.

I wanted to show one of my most important tools in the studio. That is my ventilation hood it sucks up the enamel and fumes from my torch and then that suction pulls fresh air from the outside into my workspace. Before my own studio space I rented torch time at a local studio. After working 3 hours at the torch I always left with burning eyes and a sore throat, not a good sign. I have not had any of those issues with my set up.

Here is my messy metal smithing table. I have to get another one of these workbenches, they sell them at Sam's Club. You can see my tanked O2 in the corner for my torch, and my containers of brass stampings that I use in my enameling and mixed metal pieces.

Usually lampworkers use tanked propane as the fuel for their torch. In order to keep my studio space warm in our long winters, I have a furnace in the room attached to my studio, and unfortunately heavy propane gas + furnace pilot light = boom. So I have to use natural gas as my fuel choice, however the psi of natural gas from the gas company is not high enough for my torch. The solution to that problem is the gizmo below, it is called a booster, and that is what it does, it increases the psi of the natural gas.

So I have no propane tanks to change, and right now I have a strong friend that changes out my O2 tanks. Another advantage of natural gas is that it is very clean, so my glass and enamel colors never get carbon build up on them.

That was a long post for me, hope you enjoyed it. I hope someday I will have some "after" pictures, I would really like warm up the place and make it a little more cozy.

Stay tuned tomorrow for new beads in the shop, check the blog and facebook for a specific time.

Looking at the schedule, next week's Wednesday Beads will probably be on Thursday as well. Then I think we are done with the school recitals for the summer.

Wednesday Beads Postponed till Thursday

2011-06-14T23:08:00.005-04:00

Too much going on tomorrow commitment wise to list new items in the shop.

I will check in Wednesday night or Thursday morning with a specific time that new beads will be listed in the shop on Thursday.

Thanks for your patience.

Wednesday Beads are Listed!

2011-06-08T17:48:00.006-04:00

More glass choices in the shop tonight that includes focals,

pairs,

and sets.

I also managed to restock the enamel keys

and butterflies.

Thanks for stopping by.

New Beads at 6pm

2011-06-08T08:24:00.003-04:00

A sampling of what's headed to the shop at 6pm, eastern time.

See you then.

Macro Sunday

2011-06-05T12:39:00.006-04:00

I made it to Sunday this week, these are tree peonies.

Click on the i heart macro button and it will take you to Studio Waterstone to see all the other macro Sunday pictures.

Wednesday Beads are Listed!

2011-06-01T21:07:00.002-04:00

74 new enamel choices are in the shop.

Well this was an all day affair, when I am listing its the only time this feels like a job. Thank goodness for the new etsy listing features.

This is all the enamel I will have in the shop for a couple weeks, however if you need something you don't see please contact me via etsy and we can set up a custom order. My custom orders are about a week out.

Next week will be glass and hopefully some resin filled bezels.

Thank you so much for visiting, and have fun.

Due to technical difficulties...

2011-06-01T16:47:00.002-04:00

Teaser Shots.

The new items will not be in the shop until 9pm, fingers crossed.

The little "spinning rainbow of death" keeps happening, so listing is going painfully slow.

I am going to shoot for 9pm, but I will keep you posted. I really want to list everything I have and not do it in bits and pieces.

Thank you for your patience.

Wednesday Beads at 5pm

2011-06-01T00:30:00.003-04:00

Just a quick reminder that Wednesday beads will be listed today at 5pm (eastern time).

Sorry no pretty teaser pictures this time. It will be all enamel and a few pieces from the ARTifact Collection heading to the shop this week.

There will be some new enamel pendants, think beach theme.

I am making an effort to restock a lot of enamel, because I really want to focus on metal components and bezels the next week or so.

Sorry I have been a slacker on Macro Sundays, I have not forgotten and I will be back this Sunday.

See you tomorrow with more details.

Wednesday Beads are Listed!

2011-05-25T13:40:00.005-04:00

It takes a long time to list glass, every bead is different so every description is different.

But they are in the bead shop now.

Enjoy.

Wednesday Teaser

2011-05-24T22:54:00.005-04:00

Wednesday Beads will be listed at 2pm eastern time.

Below are some examples of what will be heading to the bead shop tomorrow.

You will see some glass focals. I can't remember the last time I listed any of those, and they are still my favorite thing to make.

I really have to schedule regular glass time in between the metal and enamel work. I don't know about other lampworkers, but if I am away from glass too long my skill level suffers.

The only way to discover new techniques and styles with the glass is to practice, practice, practice.

I have a few glass heart focals in the shop.

Below is an example of something new I will be offering in the shop. As I have told you in the past applying enamel to different components is a process of trial and error. So I have acquired quite an inventory of stampings that don't work for enamel, and I have had to figure out what to do with them. Some I use in my mixed metal work, but I also have started playing with patina on some of the brass and copper stampings.

This is an example of patina that has been applied to a brass stamping, I then selectively remove the patina to reveal some of the details in the piece, and then the final step is applying 2-3 layers of clear sealer to preserve the patina.

I have some more components from my ARTifact Collection, thanks for the positive feedback on these components.

Here is another one that can be used as a bezel for resin or just leave it as is, a sweet little birds nest.

Some more glass focals.

See you tomorrow, I'm off to bed.

I Heart Macro Sunday

2011-05-22T00:59:00.003-04:00

Its Macro Sunday when some of us share our macro shots of the week, this is the brain child of Lori of Waterstone. Click on the logo below to check out other macro shots, and while you are at it check out Lori's lovely unique handbags.

I was taking a picture of some headpins that I made. I did not realize until after the shot that the checkered towel in the background was superimposed in every glass headpin.

Giveaway Winners!

2011-05-20T08:33:00.012-04:00

Yes I said winners. The outpouring of support for this bead giveaway so exceeded my expectations ( 133 entries) I just had to add a 2nd and 3rd place winner.

Like most of you I used the Random Number Generator to pick my winners.

The 1st place winner of the above bead stash is......

#30 Malin de Koning

Congratulations Malin! Malin is from Sweden and creates some lovely jewelry, please check out her blog. Malin you can contact me via my etsy shop with your address and I will get your winnings in the mail.

Before I announce the 2nd and 3rd place winners, I don't have pictures of what you will get, this was kind of a last minute decision. You will just have to be surprised.

2nd place winner is...

#25 Deci

Deci please send me a message via my etsy shop with your address, so I can send you your winnings.

Check out Deci's blog, there is some amazing beadwork going on there.

and the 3rd place winner is...

#14 Pattivan

Pattivan please contact me via my etsy shop with your address so I can send your winnings. Sorry I could not find any blog or shop to link to.

Thanks again everyone for all of your participation in this giveaway and my recent sale. There was a lot of good information in the comment section about what you need in the way of spacer beads. In a future post I will share how I am using that new information to continue to make my supply shop user friendly.

Have a great day, and congratulations to all the winners.

Wednesday Beads are Listed!

2011-05-18T18:26:00.006-04:00

Sorry for the delay tonight, but I don't think my family could handle another night of pizza. Everyone is fed and new beads are listed.

At last count I just listed 56 new items in the shop, Wednesdays are busy days thank goodness for the etsy copy feature.

This week its components from the Enamel and ARTifact (mixed metal) Collections.

I promise next week will be all about glass, I have some new tools to play with.

Thanks for stopping by.

Listings will be up at 7pm

2011-05-18T16:28:00.001-04:00

I'm typing as fast as I can!

Sorry guys, I have several new items that I have to write new descriptions for, and I don't want to leave them out.

Plus I have a hungry teenager breathing down my neck.

New listings at 7pm.