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This blog is intended to document my journey into the world of handmade artisan lampwork beads.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Monday, December 27, 2010

No Excuses


As is the case with everyone at this time of year, I have been in overload mode. Hazel Green employees, family and friends have been keeping me busy at my torch. Thanks to everyone for this. If I didn't love doing it now it would be a problem. But even when the pressure is on, I do not dread making beads and jewelry. If I am not making something I am researching new ideas and techniques. It is amazing that projects that friends suggest and I am not supper excited about seem to turn out to be my favorites. Usually they are outside my comfort zone, is why I hesitate. Please keep asking me to try new and different things. A perfect example of this is a teacher at school asked me to try and do an apple bracelet for her sister who was completing her education to become a teacher. I was a little hesitant, I hate to disappoint anyone. I played around a bit, cracked the first one. Showed her a sample, she of course said it was fine. I proceeded to make lots of little apples. It ended up, if I don't say so myself, pretty cute. I am anxious to hear how her sister liked it. It is definitely something I will repeat for other sales venues.

I also made two sales at the gallery. I was pleasantly surprised to receive two checks right before Christmas. I was on the fence as to whether to continue in that avenue.

Hopefully everyone has a wonderful Christmas. Ours was a little different. Patrick being in Korea was not with us except via the internet. Maggie was supposed to come home yesterday but due to horrible weather her flight got canceled. She is coming home with Brian's parents via car today. So we will be waiting anxiously to be able to spend some time with her. So our Christmas was very quite but very nice. My father had back surgery right before Christmas so his holiday was a little different also. He is doing much better now. He was is so much pain, he is not a complainer, so when he says he is miserable you know it is bad.

Last but not least, due to a very supportive husband and a wonderful father I am the proud owner of a new beautiful camera. This is not only a wonderful gift but will help me sell my beads online. It is really hard to sell online without good pictures of the items. No body in their right mind is going to buy something that the picture doesn't make it look it's very best. I am so looking forward to learning everything about it. It is very similar to Maggie's, so hopefully she can help me learn quicker.

So over the past year I have complained about needing a new camera - Now I have no excuse not to blog with lots of pictures and hopefully list more items on Etsy and hopefully in the near future a actual website.

Some of the following pictures were taken with the old camera and some with the new.

New member of our household Abbygail (Patrick's cat)
Trying to figure out our pecking order.
Lots of beads.

Thanks for visiting. I will try to post more often with my new toy in hand.