Unplanned November Coupon!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I've been so wrapped up in orders I never planned out a black Friday sale, so here is a coupon for 15% off anything in my Etsy shop. I'll leave it going through the end of the month. Use the coupon code Thanks9

Also here is a picture of a portion of the order I've been working on. Just want to show proof that I haven't been a total slacker :D

Etching Beads

Etching beads is pretty easy. There are a few different ways to do it, but the easiest is to purchase etching acid, plunk the beads in it (using proper safety of course), clean them up and they're all done!

Gradually over the years, I've been etching a larger and larger volume of beads. I've run into minor annoyances with etching, like when several beads are touching in the etching solution, so they have some shiny unetched spots. It's even more annoying when i have a strand of beads strung up, I etch them in liquid and when they come out, they have shiny spots on the ends of each bead where the beads were touching.

So here's how I currently etch a large amount of beads.

First you need a shaker cup

Make sure you get one that has a sealable lid and a plastic grate. I bought mine at Walmart for 5-7 dollars.

Etching solution is pretty important too I suppose.

I highly recommend Arrow Springs' etching crystals. You add hot water to the crystals and make a liquid solution that will last a long time. 

Don't forget to be safe! Use gloves and safety glasses for this. Be sure to work in a well ventilated area. Keep all animals and small children away. This is not a chemical to play with!

Put your beads in the shaker cup. Keep in mind that they will get shaken a little bit. I don't use this method with beads that have raised stringer design on it. I mostly use it for large amounts of spacers, or other round beads.

Using your gloves and safety glasses, pour enough etching solution into the cup to submerge the beads. I do this over my slop sink in the basement. Seal the container with the grate in place and set a timer for 20 minutes.  I usually use this time to dip some mandrels, clean up the studio or whatever miscellaneous tasks I can do for 20 minutes. Every couple minutes I will gently shake the cup. This should make sure all the beads get an even coating of etching solution.

All done? Using proper safety, Pour the etching solution back into its container. The grate will hold the beads in the shaker cup. Add a little bit of baking soda to the shaker cup and a bit of water to be sure the solution is neutralized. I give the beads a good rinse with the shaker cup and then pour them all out onto a towel to let them dry.

Pretty easy right?

Back from Beadfest 2012

I'm back from Pennsylvania! Actually I've been back for a few weeks now, but I've been busy getting ready for my next show in less than two weeks. I think I might have overbooked myself a little bit.

So how did it go? It went very smoothly. The show was very well organized and that helped relieve a lot of stress. I purchased an artisan table which worked out perfectly for me. I really liked how they had all the artisans together, but I do wish they had labeled "Artisan alley" better. I had quite a few people who were surprised when I told them that everyone nearby was a self representing artist.

I got to meet lots of cool people. I was sitting next to someone selling kits for needle felting. I had never seen it before and while I'm not a huge fan of felt beads, I loved her little animal sculptures. They were just way too cute. On my other side, I was sitting next to Diane Dennis who creates amazing intricate beadwork.

I also got to Bobbi Helms of FatDogBeads. She has been a customer of mine on Etsy and it was really nice to meet her in person. Along with her, I was able to meet several lampworkers whos work I had admired online. They're work is just beautiful in person.

So how did I do financially? I made quite a few sales on Friday and was feeling pretty good about it, but Saturday and Sunday felt very slow. I made enough to come back again next year, but I have to keep my expenses down. As someone who is still very new to shows, I do have a lot to learn, but I am learning and getting better each time.

What will I do differently next year? Bring a cooler full of food! I was planning to do that this year, but about a week before the show I received an email with some last minute rules. One of which was "no outside food." This was my first year and I didn't want to get in any trouble, so I played it safe and only brought a protein bar and a small box of teddy grahams. That snack helped, but by the end of the day I wanted to eat everything in sight! Even if there is no outside food allowed, I might keep an ice chest in the car or hotel to help with food costs. Eating out and eating semi-healthy is expensive.

Another cost that I was surprised about was the tolls in Pennsylvania. Driving across New York cost me  $2.40 in tolls. Driving across Pennsylvania cost me at least $30. I was expecting toll roads, but I was thinking they would be a similar price to the NY thruway. I suppose it's a small cost on the grand scheme of things, but these things add up quickly!

I do plan to be back next year. I'm hoping these small changes on my part, will make it a more profitable show for me to attend in the future.

Pictures!

I've just been plugging away creating inventory for the next couple shows I have. Not much else to say, so I'll just post some pictures and be quiet :)

Who's Going to BeadFest?

I am! And I hope you will be there as well. I have a pass for you :)

I'm working hard trying to fill up my table. Things are coming along nicely, but I always have so much stuff I want to bring and there's really never enough time to do everything I want to do. I feel like I do my best work when I have a deadline though, so it's ok.

Though I get anxious when I see my fellow lampworkers posting in their blogs about how Beadfest is right around the corner. Then I logged into Beadfest's website and saw that there was a countdown timer. No pressure right?

Hope to see you all there.

What Have I Been up To?

What have I been up to you might ask, since I haven't updated here in over a month. Well, a lot of production. I have about six weeks to go until Beadfest in Pennsylvania. This will be the biggest show I've ever participated. Even if it wasn't the biggest one, it's still only my third show ever! I'm always nervous about shows, but this one especially.

I sell a lot of made to order style lampwork beads online and in person. Since I've been working on building up my inventory of made to order beads, I haven't had a lot of new items in my Etsy shop. When I do, I've actually been selling them on Facebook before I even get a chance to list them. I'm not complaining at all of course :) I'm truly appreciative of my customers, but it does make me look like I've been slacking off.

I did get a table set up in my house to help me visualize what I need to make. It's still looking a bit empty and I might end up reworking things a little bit. It all depends on where I'm at in mid August.

Here's where I'm at as of today

Still lots to do though. I'm having a little bit of trouble balancing two Etsy shops, Ebay, my own site, a show table and a  part time job. Something is bound to get neglected, like this blog. 

New Website and Bead Previews May 25-26th 2012

Hope everyone is having a nice Spring and looking forward to summer. I haven't had a lot of new groundbreaking beads to share, but I have been keeping busy working on a new website! I will always list on Etsy and Ebay, but sometimes I feel that when you get a lot of items in your shop, it gets harder for customers to find what they need. I wanted to create something that was well organized and easy to shop by color, size, price or anything.

So without further adieu, here it is

I'm still working on adding new items. I have a lot to add and will probably always have new things. Let me know what you think :)

I also have some bead previews to share with you. I will be listing them Friday and Saturday, but if you see something you like, feel free to comment for 15% the retail price.

 

These beads will be listed on May 25 2012

If you see something you like in this picture and jump on it before I list it, I will give you an additional 15% off. First person to post a comment here can buy the item with the 15% off, but it must be BEFORE I list it. I send invoices with paypal and charge 2.25 flat rate for shipping for fans, likers, friends, family and so forth. Thanks so much :)

5 raspberry cream lentils - $27
4 black rondelles with blue luster dots and striped murrine $24
2 topaz orange glow crystals with a white core etched with black lines $14
2 pale aqua blue glow crystals with a white core etched with black lines $14
1 squoval blue green luster raindrop focal bead - $20
5 ivory rondelles with blue luster murrine , pink luster dots and metallic accents $30
2 ivory rondelles with blue luster striped murrine and metallic accents $12

These beads will be listed on May 26 2012

If you see something you like in this picture and jump on it before I list it, I will give you an additional 15% off. First person to post a comment here can buy the item with the 15% off, but it must be BEFORE I list it. I send invoices with paypal and charge 2.25 flat rate for shipping for fans, likers, friends, family and so forth. Thanks so much :)

5 aqua swirl lentils $27
5 sparkling rounds with goldstone scrolls (older set that I forgot to list) $28
2 dark emerald green glow crystals with a white core etched with black lines $14
1 purple core bicone with flowers and blue sparkling swirls $22
2 amethyst purple glow crystals with a white core etched with black lines $14
2 black rondelles with striped blue murrine and blue luster dots - $12
2 tangerine orange rondelles with peacock metallic lines and silvered ivory $12