Monday, January 27, 2014

Custom Work Keeping Me Busy

Good Morning! My wire work class at Glendale College was AWESOME this past Saturday! Everyone got it and made a lovely bracelet and earrings! It was such a fun group! And none had tried wire before! Eight new wire workers out in the world now!

These custom boobie pendants went to Sweden!

My 2nd bakery show was a bust. Zero sales. I had pre-arranged to sell an earring display, so by the time I paid my breakfast / lunch tab, I had a profit of $8. Well, I always thought my stuff was a little to ritzy for this area. But it was January...people are in shock paying off Christmas. There was almost NO promotion this time. It was cloudy and breezy. We had one less vendor so the sidewalk didn't look as full. I left early because my sinuses were killing me. It was an experiment. C'est la vie! I know I'm going to busy with weekend classes for the next several months so maybe I'll try again before Mother's Day.

I still feel good about it. I always share the show with the fan page for our local paper. This time, they showed up and took pics! And, asked me to write about my Memorial Glass Beads! So that's really good!

 Scenes from the Bakery Show

And I made significant progress on a bracelet I've been doodling with for years! 

I still have a couple of custom orders to wrap up and I'm waiting and waiting for the next steps in my "real job hunt." I'm told I just need the final hiring appointment but... no word as to when that will be. 8-/

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Vino Love

I FINALLY finished a customer order for Bar-ware I've had on the books since November! It's been so hard not being able to torch while working on the job hunt!

I really like how this one came out. Same colors as my Uptown Girl Series. The bead reads "Vino Love" and there are heats for the "o" letters and tiny heart dotting the "i" in Vino. Another heart between the L and e... in love.


My customer also wanted a dichroic floral and the tiger bead with just for play.

Very happy to be catching up on work... I hate to keep customers waiting. But then, if I had more customers... I wouldn't be job hunting.... sigh.

Monday, January 13, 2014

Finally Back at the Torch

I've been so busy with my job hunt and pre-work prep that I haven't been able to torch...despite having custom orders! OY! There's something about the thought of returning to gainful employment that sucks the creative juice right out of me!
It's like I assume that because I'm no longer self employed...why bother? Well, there is less motivation but, I'm hoping eventually to feel more freedom to make what I want to make and less pressure to make what I hope will sell. I've never been right about what sells... EVER but I still try. Hoping to get rid of that all together!

Re: the glass beads up ^^^ there. The two large ones are for a wine topper order. I adore the red one. I made another version of it for my in person sale at the bakery last month and forgot to photograph it! It says "Vino Love" and the "o" letter are hearts! It's so cute!

The ribbed round was to be a palette cleanser between big beads and I forgot I was supposed to make it on a Pandora sized mandrel... sigh! It's hard getting back in the swing! Then I was interrupted by a violent wind... hate torching in the wind! C'est La Vie!

I had been away from the torch so long... this is my new Facebook avatar:

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Art Glass My ^$$

While I was actually in a retail store over the holidays, I stumbled on these bottle stoppers. Art glass for a whopping $4.99! Yeah, right! Pick them up and they have hardly any heft. I seriously think they are plastic! And yet I'm sure people fall for this... I saw one gifted to a friend. ICK!


Nothing like the serious beauties I made for the holidays!

It just makes me sick that people fall for this stuff!