What's Up Wednesday

What's up Wednesday

Most important things first.... COUPONS! I woke up to about 30 emails on Monday from stores offering their Cyber Monday sales, so I decided to go ahead and have a sale too.  Since I did it on a whim, late Monday morning, I also decided to make it good until December 1st.  Use the code CYBERWHIM for 10% off everything!!  Ok, I realize that's not as good as getting a giant TV for $10, but I also promise you won't get pepper sprayed! (and I'm not spamming your email!)

That's the big news, other wise not much.  I survived hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my house and more importantly, so did everyone else!  After that little mini vacation I really had to get it in gear at the torch!  I've been making beads non-stop since Saturday. Well, not exactly non-stop. Occasionally I take a break from the torch to post an Etsy listing, make some jewelry or blog. :)    These were from the weekend.

Lots of new listings are available in my Etsy shop, so stop by and see what you need

 (and don't forget your coupon!)

P.S.  A quick note to the Universe ~ I would love to sell all the beads I make, move to Belize and lose 30lbs.  Thank you!

Motivation Monday

Motivation Monday

It's Motivation Monday!  So what's my motivation for this week?  Doors!  I know, it seems strange, but look at these great doors and try not to get motivated!

I'm not sure how this will wind up in beads, but seriously, how can you not be inspired by these!

and the music that's rocking my studio this week?

Love and Theft

because sometimes, no matter how great things are, I still fantasize about running away.

What's Up Wednesday

What's Up Wednesday

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so this week I've been focusing on all the things I'm thankful for.  Foremost is the fact that I'm married to the perfect man.  He makes me supremely happy every single day, and he makes me laugh - loudly and often! But the most important reason I'm thankful for him is the way his love, kindness, support and respect provide my daughters with an example of what a husband really should be. I'm thankful for my daughters, three of the most beautiful people I know inside and out. Each of them is funny, sweet, smart, caring, imaginative - I could go on and on!  I'm thankful for my best friend, the one that listens when I need to vent, rationalizes for me when I screw up and just acts as a general sanity check. I'm thankful for my Dad whom I know I can always turn to for advice and encouragement. And I'm thankful for my grandparents whom I continue to learn so much from and my siblings who always make me laugh. I'm thankful for internet friends who seem to suffer from insomnia as much as I do :)  and I'm thankful for the fans and customers who  make it possible for me to do what I love to do.  What it comes down to is I'm thankful for people. It's the people in my life that make it worthwhile, and I appreciate every single one of them! I hope that each of you are surrounded by the people you are thankful for this holiday ~ Happy Thanksgiving!!

P.s. My new weekly schedule is working out well!  Ok, it worked well last week; we aren't counting this week since I'm hosting dinner and that kind of overruled the bead list!  

Motivation Monday

Motivation Monday
things that inspire me, color combinations I love, the music that rocks my studio and anything else that makes me want to jump up and make a bead!




It seems I've been inspired by everything rainbow. How can anyone look at a rainbow and not be happy? I love happy!!



These fun pancakes are from tablespoon.com . I think if everyone ate these for breakfast ever day the world would be a friendlier place!

And look at these fun cookies from amandascookin.com I don't even need to eat these, just looking at them makes me happy!

And I'm rocking it old school with Def Leopard!





See you all next Monday ~ and until then Stay Motivated!

Featured Friday

FEATURED FRIDAY

Cool handmade stuff from artists I admire

Maybeads

My friend Maybeads makes the most adorable critters!  Every one of them makes me smile :) They sell out quick though, so if you see one you like don't hesitate!!

Metamorphosi

                                                                

I love this piece by Metamorphosi!  Partly because it's glass of course ~ but it's also up cycled and beautiful and just looking at it makes me really, really want to hear how it sounds in a gentle breeze!

Thanks for taking a peak ~ and check back next Friday for more great handmade finds!

What's Up Wednesday

Another regular feature on my blog?  YES!  What's up Wednesday is where you will find upcoming events, news, and interesting tidbits. 

So what's up this Wednesday?   I'm attempting to make a major overhaul in the way I manage my time.  Until last week I managed my time by making a daily to-do list.  Totally sounds like a great idea.  It's not. My list included everything, everyday, and I do mean EVERYTHING! 

Here's a sample:
Make beads,
clean and photograph yesterday's beads,
deliver beads to Sun Dog,
list on Etsy,
Flikr update,
blog,
fan page update,
tweet,
post office and/or bank,
make jewelry
(plus housework, dinner, laundry, grocery shopping, dishes, etc., etc., etc.)

See what I mean?  Basically, I always felt like I was behind, then overwhelmed, and then in need of a nap. Not to mention the guilt over whatever didn't get done.

So my new program is to make a list of everything that needs to get done in a week and assign tasks to specific days.  Many of these things could be done once a week. I don't have to clean and photograph beads everyday; if I do it once a week I only drag out all the supplies for those jobs once (saves time and since it's not on the list every day I don't feel like it's overwhelming me).

Many of you are probably thinking "well, duh!".  But believe me, it's huge for me to tell myself it's ok to put something on the list for Tuesday, and then only worry about that thing on Tuesday.

This is my first week, so I'm still tweaking my schedule - but I see this working really well for me.  The goal is to eventually get everything done, AND be less stressed, and (slightly) less neurotic ~ Wish me Luck!

The Great Studio Clean Up

WARNING:  This post will be image heavy, and mildly alarming ~ small children and those with OCD should look away!  :)

I'm so embarrassed I can't believe I'm sharing this!  My studio is in a convenient location to be the dumping ground for everyone in the house.  If you don't know where it goes, just put it in the studio "Mom will deal with it".  Okay, that might work if Mom actually dealt with it.  But I don't.  Usually, I'm in a hurry so I just push the stuff into piles to get it out of my way, then dig through it to find stuff that I "know" is in there. You know the drill, I can't possibly be alone in this!

Anyway, here are the before pictures.  I should have taken a picture of the floor, the game trails were a nice touch!

 

 

SEVERAL hours later..... The studio looked like this:

 

 

Sooooo worth it!  I can find stuff again (well, except for the stuff I'm currently packing all over creation!)

There is one small remaining problem.....

I didn't touch the glass storage.  To be honest, the task is so overwhelming I'm afraid to start. 

                                                                                  Under the torch:

Torch Table:

                                                                        

                                                     

And the all important "oh, there's an empty spot" method of actually storing the glass.

I want labels, I want organized by color, I want to know what I need BEFORE I place an order.  I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Anyone want to come help? There might be some glass in it for you!

Long Distance Running

No, I'm not running a marathon (no suprise to those of you who know me!), but it certainly feels like it these days.  Right now I'm running my life, my home and my business long distance while I help my Grandfather with harvest.  I'm scattered all over "Hell's half acre" (as Grandpa puts it) and it's a bit of a challenge.  Hubby and the kids are at home ~ thank goodness for text messaging and facebook! And I must say, Dusty makes a much better housewife than I do!

But the business stuff all has to travel back and forth between here and home when we're not picking. Unfortunately, that sometimes means that no matter where I am, something I need is in another location.

This is the temporary torch set up at my in-law's house:





I have an 8X10 studio at home that is absolutely packed ~ so when my husband saw this he said "really, is that all you need?"  Um, no.  I need all that stuff, this is just the very bare essentials.

And my temporary jewelry, Etsy, mailing station at my friend's house:



But it's totally worth it when I get to spend all day outside; fresh air, the sun on my face, and haning out with my Grandpa!  This amazing man has so much knowledge to share and so many interesting stories to tell. I learn something new every time he talks to me.  It is an incredible experience to go to work every day with a man who truly loves what he does and I continue to learn so much from his passion for life. 

I wouldn't miss this opportunity for anything!

Here's my Farmville post from last year, and every word of it holds true.
http://vedasbeads.blogspot.com/2010/10/life-lessons-from-farmville.html

Plus ~ I get to play fun games like "Can you spot the fruit in this tree?"  Hint: It's a pear.



And just look at the view from my "office"!



So, while my life may be crazy, busy, scattered ~ I wouldn't have it any other way!

Today's experiences are tomorrow's memories, and I treasure every one.

When Cupcakes Go Bad

We've all done it.  You're baking cupcakes, they're turning out great and then bam! you over fill one or forget to set the timer and they start going bad.  I've been "baking" lampwork cupcakes lately and they're super fun!

However; this white cake, lemon frosting with a cherry on top went horribly, horribly wrong and bam!

FISH!

I love this job :)

More Collaboration

A couple weeks ago my husband found an ugly little desk at a second hand store. He brought it home and refinished it and then asked me to make knobs for him.

It turned out great!
Here's a close up of one of the knobs

I wish we could work together all the time, but one of us has to have a day job so the kids can eat. (Not it!)

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Spoon Bracelets

As a continuation of my previous posts about collaboration:  I thought I should share the finished product ~ I'm super excited about these! Thanks to my master spoon bender, I have over 20 more prepped for me. I just need to figure out what kind of special beads to make for them. :)

This is the first one that made it to "ready to list" status!

It's available here:  VedasBeads Lampwork Spoon Bracelet

I have to get cracking on those beads!  Thanks again to the incredible man I'm fortunate enough to call my husband!

What Doesn't Work

Sometimes answering the question "what doesn't work" is as important as learning what does work.  Partly because answering this question means you are trying new things, experimenting with new ideas, and probably well on your way to some fantastic new art work! 

As a continuation of my collaboration post:  Dusty thought I could do something with the fork and spoon ends that were left over from making the bracelets.  So I decided to add glass to the ends and see if I could make fancy hors d'œuvre forks. 

It didn't work....

They would have been a little short, but I attempted it anyway as a "would it work" test.

This fork was stainless steel, which is what my mandrels are made of, and I know from experience I can permently stick beads to my mandrels if the bead release breaks.  However, in this case the glass shattered on the interior (why it didn't fall off yet I don't know).

Will I try this again?  Maybe.  Perhaps there is some other way to do it that would have better results.

Will I try other things?  You Betcha!  I already have 2 more new ideas that will either be abject failures or totally cool successes.  Either way ~ another valuable lesson learned at the torch.

Collaboration

If you ever want to really amp up the creativity in your art work ~ collaborate with someone!  Not only is it more fun, but the ideas grow exponentially when you work together.  I know when I sit down to create jewelry with a friend we're always critiquing and improving each other's work.  The other day I asked my husband to bend some spoons for me to make into bracelets. He did a few and they turned out like this:

I love it!  I'm so excited about these and I have a bunch of ideas for more! 

So anyway, while he's out there bending spoons he thinks maybe I should make necklaces too.  I hadn't thought of that, but told him I would certainly try it.  And here's what happened:

I love this too!  It turned out so much better than I expected ~ and without him I would not have even thought to try it.  He's still out there bending spoons and has lots more ideas for me.  The only downside to this collaboration is that I don't think I can keep up with him!!

Thank you Dusty ~ You Rock!!

Show Booth

Whether you are taking your wares to sell at a one day street fair or a week long art festival, the question you always ask yourself is "what will I need while I'm there?".   I've seen this question come up over and over online, so I thought I would share my list.

First things first ~ I start making my list 3-5 days before the event.  And yes, I do make a new list every time because I can never seem to find the old one.  Assuming you're more organized than I am, you will only need to do this step once. :)

This is my list, in no particular order:

Tent
Tent Stakes
Weight for Each Tent  Leg - in case you are on concrete or not allowed to drive stakes

   ~ This could be 5 gallon jugs of water, concrete cylinders, sand bags or anything heavy you can transport

Tables

Chairs   

~ These first few may seem obvious, but I've learned the hard way - Everything goes on the list!

Table cloths

Table skirts and clips

Any Required License or Proof of Insurance

Display items - for me this includes a driftwood tree, bowls, boxes, shadow boxes, busts, etc.

Signs - I have 2 that hang on the booth and a stand up one on the table

Camera - You will want pictures, some shows actually require them before they accept you.

Extra batteries/memory card for camera
Clamps - I use these to hold down my table cloths if it's windy
Change
Cash Box
Business Cards
Basic Tool Kit - I don't know how many times I've found a need for a hammer or a screwdriver
Candy and Dish - you will be surprised how many people stop and look just so they can have a candy!
Duct Tape - Every time I have set up a booth I've found a use for it
Pens
Receipt Book
Square (or whatever method you use for accepting credit cards)

Price Tags - they invariably fall off of something

Sharpie

Scotch Tape
String - Believe me, you'll find a use for it
Card Stock - You always think of one more sign you wish you had made
Baling Wire - I've hung signs and displays with it as well as attached weight to my tent legs
Sunscreen
Cooler
Water
Jewelry Tools and a cloth measuring tape - for resizing or an on the spot special order

Lint Roller - for the table cloths as well as your own clothes

Kleenex

Hand Sanitizer

Note Pad - for email sign-ups or just notes to yourself about what you forgot

Scissors - for removing tags

Mirror - for customers to see how that great piece will look on them

Wagon - really helpful if you can bring one, you never know how far from your booth you will have to park

Packaging - bags or boxes to send your customers' treasures home with them

And of course ~

Beads and Jewelry!

Leave the list where you can see it for a few days as you will invariably think of things to add.

2 days before your event - start staging.  Gather everything on your list in one place because even with the list you are likely to forget something if it's not all together.

The day before the event - load the vehicle.  Pack all the items from your list and then take a walk around your house and/or studio to see if anything else comes to mind.

Event Day - Set up your booth.  Pat yourself on the back for remembering everything (see, you did need that duct tape!)

Take pictures of your booth - even if you don't need them to get in to the next event, you will want to know what worked and what didn't for next time.

Here's a picture of the booth I did last weekend.  I now know to put the tent SIDES on my list, and the extra memory card was also added to the list because of this booth!

Hey ~ it just occurred to me: I now have a permanent copy of my list!

Unloved Beads

We all have them.  They don't go with anything.  Maybe you made a few more than you needed or they just weren't what you planned when you made them. Somebody asked for them and then changed their mind and you don't know what to do with them. They kick around in the studio forever and all they do is gather friends (and dust).

Well guess what, you can love your beads again! 

I need to buy more pens ~ I know I have more "finally found a way to love them"  beads!

New Website!

I just got a shiny new website! 

 It even has that new website smell!  :) 

I was very careful this time to select a host that provided simple drag and drop, cut and paste, point and click set up.  I told the service rep I didn't want to have to know html or any of the other acronyms to use it. Basically it was easy, but there certainly was a learning curve.  After several hours of working on it, my daughter decided it was too painful to continue watching, so she jumped in and TaDah!
http://vedasbeads.co/ was ready to go! And this is why we have teenagers, lol! 

How I ended up needing a new website is a long story, but the silver lining is it lit the fire under me that I needed to set my focus on my web presence.  If I didn't really want to kick some people, I would probably at least have to thank them.

Anyway - I think the last thing to do is set up the gallery so it's filled with lots of beady goodness!  (apparently, I made such of a mess of it that my daughter deleted the whole thing and is starting over. Once again, a reason to appreciate your teenagers!)

I think this is the begining of a whole new side of Veda's Beads!  Check it out and let me know what you think  :)

Coolest Thing Ever!!

Yesterday I was torching (Yay!!)  and I decided I wanted to make a rainbow colored twistie.  I'm not sure what the accepted way to do this is, so I set about figuring it out myself.  I started with a paddle of clear, striped on the colors, and covered the whole thing with clear. I'm using CIM clear at the moment. I took a picture because I thought it looked kind of cool.

This is the paddle, striped and encased.  I usually encase going around from one side to the other, but in this case I was afraid the whole blob would melt off the clear rod if I did it that way, so I striped on the clear.

I got this hot, grabbed the end with tweezers and started pulling the twistie.  Then I decided that since I had a begining picture, I may as well have a pulling picture.  Obviously, with both hands full, I needed help.  So I called to my 12 year old (who by the way is a real shutterbug!) and asked her to come in and snap the pic for me.  Feel free to ignore the mess in the background!

Here are the finished twisties.

While she's snapping pictures my daughter says "Hey Mom, that blob at the end looks like a heart!"  Huh.  It kind of did.  But I'm pulling twisties, so I make several more.  Then I decide to see if I actually could make a heart out of the blob.  I held the blob with tweezers, used the atached clear rod to make a bail and popped it in the kiln.

Then I made a bead with the twistie, just to see if it worked.

Not quite what I was going for. It looks as though some of the colors didn't make it into the pull.  Nothing to write home about, but it's okay.

 
Do you want to see what I pulled out of the kiln?  The coolest thing EVER! And it's the first bail I've made using this method that actually worked! I am sooo going to try to do this again!

                                                      Thank you for the inspiration Jill!!

Back to Work

Ah the poor neglected blog.

So here's what I've been up to the last several months in 50 words or less:

Got a real job.  Had fun.  Met great people. Stressed out.  Cried.  Stressed out some more.  Quit real job.  Regained personal life. Realized if I put the same energy into my own business it would be successful.  Fell in love with lampworking again. 

Whew!  Hope I never have to run through that cycle again! 

So what's next? 
Back to the torch full time, but with a new appreciation for what I will now consider my "Real Job"!

P.S.  I'm walking in the Anacortes Relay for Life this weekend.  Check out my Etsy shop to read my personal story and see how you can support this great cause.

The Dark Side

That's how the glass world fondly refers to using boro ~ and I'm thinking of crossing over.  I make happy little beads.  They're little, bright, technically acurate, but they aren't spectacular.  Every time I feel pretty good about where I am with my beadmaking, some boro boy comes along and tells me "if you would just practice a little you could be as good as I am.  I've been doing this for 6 months!"  Thanks.  So you're telling me that several years of working with soft glass was a waste of time.  In a way, perhaps they're right.  My happy little beads, in all honesty, don't hold a candle to their 4 inch marbles, wine glasses, 8 inch pendants, bracelets, etc. the list goes on.  I would need a MUCH bigger torch, all kinds of new glass and tools, a bigger kiln; essentially doubling the investment in my business.  But I'm tempted, and I hear they have cookies. 

Vacation

During the month of May my husband and I will be backpacking across Belize ~ I'm so excited I can hardly breathe!  Preparing to be away to for so long is a lot of work ~  I'm going back and forth between worrying and jumping up and down!  I think almost everything on my "before I can leave" to do list is done.  Hmmm.....  what am I forgetting?  (Jump, Jump, Jump!)  Hmmm... What am I forgetting?  (Jump, Jump, JUMP!) 

I know I'll come back renewed, rejuvinated, relaxed and ready to make fantastic new beads ~ 

Bon Voyage!