A blog dedicated to the creativity and the challenges of making and designing with handmade art glass (lampwork) beads.
About This Blog
This blog reflects the thoughts, passions and struggles of a glass bead artist whose day job is manufacturing food safe rubber stamps. I share the joys and challenges of making lampwork glass beads and rubber stamping. ALL images here are copyrighted unless otherwise stated and may not be used without permission!Contact Holly
Several amazing sales venues have popped up on Facebook expressly for artisan lampwork! I always share my current sales on my fan page there. But you can usually find me on any of the following groups:
I'm still uploading content as fast as I can to the new site and... I almost forgot to blog today!
I had two more articles about me (ME, ME MEEEEeeee!) get published over the weekend. WhoooHooo... (I may not have a lot of sales but at least somebody seems to like me! LOL!)
But... Emily, one of the writers there, did a profile on moi! You can look for more articles on the Handmade Spark writers from Emily in the future...they are an interesting bunch!
Emily, an Aussie, loves to sew and makes critters! (Her shop is on vacay while she moves from Hong Kong to Seoul but check it out in a few weeks!)
My left arm is completely numb... I've been on the computer too much and I've decided... I do weird things to my left arm. More on that on Creekhiker later.
But that means today's post (and the two others I have yet to write) have to be brief!
So I thought I'd send you blog hopping for more scintillating content than I can provide here, today!
I've been writing for the new, Timothy Adam handmade site called Handmade Spark. LOTS of good info about selling there! My articles are HERE.
And finally, there is a tax day sale on HollysFolly and my Artfire. 10.40% off and Fan page members get free shipping!
-------------- *When my BFF was the hottest karaoke act in Los Angeles, she once had a customer sign up and then repeatedly come to the sound board, whining, "When's it gonna be MEEEEeeee?" She was dead serious! Whenever we get a bit full of ourselves or self centered, the BFF and I look at each other and whine, "It's about MEEEeee!!!" Forgive me!
Yes, new month, new bead challenge at the Diva Blog!
This month's bead challenge theme is April Showers! Take a close look below at the entries, and when you've finally decided on your favorite, vote for it on the right side of your screen. Polls will be open for a week, and then the winner will be announced!
Entry 1:
Entry 2:
Entry 3:
Entry 4:
Entry 5:
Entry 6:
Entry 7:
Entry 8:
Entry 9:
Thanks for voting, and thanks to all the Divas who entered the April Showers Monthly Bead Challenge!
OMG! This is the SECOND batch of FABULOUS entries into the Fire Diva's jewelry challenge and WOW! (Just wait til you see the THIRD batch!) There are some incredibly talented jewelry designers out there!!!! If you want to enter... deadline is TAX day!
Speaking of TAX DAY, my god-dog-ter Twinkie started a TAX DAY sale on her book! And since I LOVE to chase my god-dog-ter, I'm gonna follow her lead! On 4/15, take 10.40% off anything on the HollysFolly site or my Artfire!
Scoots61 submitted a wonderful wire wrapped pendant necklace with TeaseBead's focal.
Another lovely wire wrapped piece, this one submitted by NightingGayle using beads by Amy Houston.
Rhamesses' lovely submission is made with swarovski crystals and bead from Amy Houston.
Smisuraco made this lovely amethyst and brass piece using a focal from Magikalglassworkss.
ClarindaSmith created this adorable whimsical bracelet with Maybead's focal kitty.
Splumb1us submitted this lovely beaded spiral necklace with a focal bead by LA Jewelry Designs.
If you make jewelry featuring Fire Diva Beads, we would love to see it! There's over $200 in prizes to be won and the deadline is April 15th! Click here for more information.
My saga with the poor customer service company (see last Wednesday's post) continues... I got a rather strange email over the weekend saying the status on my order had changed to "shipped."
What does that mean? Is it referring to the half order I already received or is the other half on it's way? No tracking number included... the lack of communication from a vendor in this (glass) business has been astounding! I'm already searching for an alternative! Too many people sell these products to have to deal with someone who clearly has no clue how to run a business! It's hard to believe this person will be around for long.
And... just a reminder....... The Fire Diva's Challenge Entries are DUE THIS WEEK! 4/15!!! Get those entries in...over $200.00 in prizes!!!
The jewelry challenge is ON! These the first of the entries are starting to trickle in to the Fire Divas Spring Jewelry Challenge and exciting entries they are! Come take a peek!
Kathy Dewey submitted these darling earrings made from a pair of Maybeads doggie beads:
Tinybeads2004 made this gradient African Helix necklace with a focal by LA Jewelry Designs.
Beadbell made a lovely copper bracelet featuring the beads of RiversEdgeGlass.
If you make jewelry featuring Fire Diva Beads, we would love to see it! There's over $200 in prizes to be won and the deadline is April 15th! Click here for more information.
Do you have a customer service policy for your business??? Or do you just handle things as they come up? I fall into the latter, usually with the attitude of doing my level best to make my customers happy.
And yes, there are times when I don't feel I even come close. A lady ordered a fondant smoother from me (my food safe rubber stamp biz). I shipped it in the sealed container it came in from from the manufacturer along with her other items. When it arrived, she called to tell me the smoother was "soiled."
Now seriously, it could not have picked up more "soil" in the USPS provided box than could have easily been washed off. But nothing doing... she had to have a new one.
This presented two issues for me... a new vendor. 1) That was my last one and I would have to place an order for $100 more of them to satisfy a $10 customer. Not to mention wait two weeks for them to arrive. 2) The whole ordeal just felt "wrong." Like she was looking for something for free.
I would gladly have cleaned that smoother and used it in my classes... but then I would have to refund her and pay to ship the thing back. UGH!
In the end, I was right. I offered a free stamp for her "trouble" - washing a new item to be used on food which any cake professional in their right mind would do anyway. She left happy and yes, she did return. And from that day on, I package fondant smoothers in a way that would survive an apocalypse!
Customer service is on my mind because I had a transaction with a vendor go wrong and I'm still not sure what to think about it. I ordered some items knowing I would have time to play over the long Easter weekend. I ordered on the 26th, knowing that the priority mail I paid for would surely have them here by the 2nd.
Sure the vendor was having a sale... but there was no notice of a shipping delay on the website.
Days go by. Another item I ordered the same day arrived. And more days. I wrote the vendor last Wednesday. No reply. (WTH???) I wrote them again on Thursday. I waited a few hours and put a message on their fan page: "Does anyone know how long it takes to receive a package?"*
I finally heard from the vendor and then they did something unconscionable - They LIED. They told me my package should arrive in time for my play session the next day. It didn't. It came Monday. It was shipped on Wednesday... no way for it to arrive by Friday.
Had the vendor used Paypal shipping or even typed in my email to the USPS shipping module, I would have known this. I would have known my order was on the way. Yes, I would have been disappointed but, the communication would have helped.
But then the package arrived and... my order was not right. I had ordered a large amount of two items and instead got a few samples. I was ready to get out my scale to see if the sample measured up to a full size when I finally looked at my invoice. Scribbled across it was this:
"Holly, I ran out of X & Y so I'm sending you our last little bit. I will send the balance of your order ASAP!! Thanks, V"
WTH??? You know... this is getting into gray territory here. As a vendor, you are not allowed to take money UNTIL you ship. Paypal states no more than three days. The fact that they didn't even give me the option of a refund or replacement items is beyond me!
The fact that they have MY money for product I haven't received is astounding. I now have to sit here and be sure the 45 day refund period allowed with paypal does not pass before I get my items.
Had this vendor simply communicated with me - about when my package was REALLY shipped and the fact that they were out of product - the whole thing wouldn't have left such a bad taste in my mouth. But they did not. And even if I get my product, they have lost a customer.
*After receiving the deceitful email, I left a friendly note on the fan page, "It's on it's way! I'm so excited to play with this product!!" Both comments were deleted by the vendor.
The final Allie Bead has vine cane and lots of sparkle from the cremains in the surface decoration.
I've been making Memory Beads for some time now. Memory Beads contain cremains - or ashes - of a loved one trapped inside the glass. I wrote about making my first one with my Maggie May's ashes here.
It's been quite an interesting process making these beads, getting to know a bit about the person or animal to be memorialized. But my last Memorial Bead was different. It was commissioned by a friend - a hiking buddy. The mom of a dog I loved and considered a friend. It was as emotional for me as it was making the Maggie bead.
Allie was a rottweiler and head of her household. She has two impetuous younger brothers that we all love and adore. Allie was laid back and confident - just a pleasure to know. She was a good kisser too! It was heartbreaking for all who knew her when she passed away last year.
Her mom wanted a heart the colors of our creek...not my usual palette.
So, I ran some color tests...on the same bead ... and Allie's mom loved them all! So I set out to remake the color test but with more flourish.
The Color Test
Note that on the test bead, there is no cane work... just stringer. The flowers aren't layered over white. This is a great way to test colors, size, dimension without all the time it would take to pull cane and melt layers and layers.
Allie's mom wanted some sparkle on the surface. The phosphorus in the bones make surface decoration dance in the light so I pulled all "Allie stringer" and "Allie vine cane" before beginning the bead. Stringer with cremains in it is lumpy.
Note that the stinger with cremains is lumpy when compared to the commercial stringer next to it.
The base is a mix of caramel apple and opal yellow. After shaping the heart, vine cane was laid down and semi melted in. Next came white dots to form a base and to allow more light to reflect through the florals. The flower petals were laid down in shades of light and dark topaz, followed by leaf work and tidying up excess glass.
Allie's mom wore the bead as we hiked and every time I looked at her... it took my breath away!
It took me a while to realize why I love making these beads. It's about the love... the love that lives on and is celebrated by those left behind. What a beautiful thing to be a part of!
I feel like EVERYTHING is waiting on me lately! I've been ingnoring a lot of stuff to deal with taxes and now... that new website is calling my name. So for now... these beauties are just waiting...
Well, I did it! If you read my post yesterday, you already know I was running late with my Art Bead Scene entry. And I woke up with a dream of how to design the piece! In the end, the aqua bellflower wasn't enough but this Evil Dark Purple one was! It added the punch of pink I felt the focal lacked.
This March Art Bead Scene contest, inspired by the Van Gogh painting called Almond Blossoms.
ABOUT THE BEADS: The art glass beads were handmade by me, Holly Dare of Holly's Folly ~ Glass. The focal is made of layers of opaque and transparent teal glass for depth. The flowers are white with a bit of pink. I didn't want the pink to overpower the piece.
The Bellflower dangle is an opaque pink on stainless steel wire.
ABOUT THE PENDANT: The upper part is a wired wonder! The flower petal shaped bail, the roller coaster swirl and the large hammered flower are all ONE piece of sterling wire! I carried out the flower motif with a smaller hammer wire flower dangling from the large one. The bellflower dangle completes the piece.
In my efforts to continue to educate the folks about the wonderful Revolution Money Exchange, I am offering this pendant at a $10 discount to anyone who checks out using RME. The Revolution Money Exchange does not take money from vendors for using it's services (or from customers either!) It's FREE for both parties!!! Help a struggling artist keep more of her hard earned money and save money too! That's a bargain all around! Here it's $45.00. When I move it to my website the price will be $55.
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