Sea Shore Glass

The Best Bead Show, Tuscon 2012

2012-02-12T15:13:00.000-08:00

I'm home! I'm home!

Tucson was definitely one hell of a learning experience, I learned a lot....here is a list of things I learned thru-out this entire experience...

Day #1. Do I look nervous as hell? Because I was.

I hate cactus, as we were flying into Arizona all I could think about was how much it would suck if the airplane went down over the desert...it would be just my luck to land on a stupid cactus...Not only is the land covered in cactus, but the people of Arizona feel the need to decorate with them also, they are everywhere! I was so afraid of running into one in the dark, or tripping and falling face first into one...it could happen, check out this guy.

The entire Tuscon Gem/Bead experience is a little overwhelming, it sounds cool and all, but really, 50 separate bead shows going on in one city, all at one time...it's a little much...like, I knew it was kind of a big deal and all, but it's just a little bit over the top for me. I don't think I was the only one who felt this way, all day I noticed shoppers wander around the show with looks of overwhelming confusion plastered all over their faces...so many times I would hear "yeah, this is nice, but we've still got a lot of shows to visit, we may find something we like better over at the next show." To give you an idea of just how overwhelming it is, check out this article, it's a couple of years old, but it gets the point across.

I love bead shows and all, but this was just too much to see all at one time, does this mean I'm not a true beader? No, it just means that I'm easily overwhelmed :(

My cousin Brandi flew in for a couple of days to help out and shop :)

One half of my booth

Our booth neighbor was VERY NICE, her name is Leah Fairbanks, she has been making beautiful beads for the past 20 years at least, I think this was like her 16th year doing the Best Bead Show, and actually she was participating in a total of 4 shows over the 2 week span...crazy right? She had her husband running a booth at one show, and hired 2 of her friends to run booths at 2 other shows, she was all over the place, she was super helpful, and really nice :)

Another lovely booth neighbor of mine was the funny, talented and witty Dvora Silberman. Dvora makes some amazing stuff, she brings out the best colors in the glass she uses, I was amazed by all her beads and marbles, the shapes she creates are very unique, and very 'mantle-worthy'. I picked up a few of her tab beads, and I look forward to designing with them soon!

All in all I am grateful to have been able to experience going to the Best Bead Show as a vendor. Next time I think I'd like to experience it with a group of my favorite jewelry designer friends, and bead loving buddies, shopping all the shows over a 5 or 6 day period, with an unlimited amount of cash to throw around. Going as a vendor is just not for me, I felt like a caged gorilla just dying to get out and explore, lesson learned :) Although I did sell a great deal of my inventory, I still have a lot of beads and embossed brass jewelry components left. I am hoping to get some nice sunny days sometime soon so that I can photograph them and get them listed.

Here are just a few of my favorite parts of the trip...Meeting Andrew from Green Girl, he's a really chill, down to earth dude.

Meeting the gang from Lima Beads...my all time favorite online resource for beads and what not.

Chatting with Vlad from Golem Studios! Love them! Picked up some awesome beads and pendants here :)

The Veggie Tempura at the Cup Cafe was amazingly delicious! It was in the hipster part of town, I felt right at home ;)

This place was frigging amazing, check out the photos on their Facebook page :)

OK, so the Cracker Barrel is pretty kick ass, the concept behind the restaurant is brilliant, and the fried apples are delicious! We had dinner there and breakfast the following morning it was THAT GOOD!

Sitting outside the Cracker Barrel :)

The Veggie Firkin, the best pizza I've ever had...are you noticing a trend here...some of the best parts of the trip have to do with me porking out!

And of course the Sonoran Glass Flame Off was awesome, as expected ;)

SO, that's the rundown, I'm happy to be home, happy to be done with the daily 10 hour bead making marathons, happy to have my time back again :) time to make more beads of course ;)

Gift #4 - Jodie Marshall

2011-12-28T11:02:00.000-08:00

On the 4th day of Christmas Jodie Marshall gave to me...

An awesome blue and green lampwork lentil bead, a handmade keychain made with hemp twine, and some handmade baby lampwork beads, and a cute little handmade note pad. Thank you Jodie, your beads rock!!

On the 3rd day of Christmas Deborah Boschert gave to meeeeeeee......

2011-12-27T10:49:00.000-08:00

I love how Deborah packaged her gift! Actually, I love how all the swappers packaged their gifts. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a packaging whore (sorry, but that's the best way to describe my love of pretty packaging) She used a brown paper bag, folded the top down, and stitched it shut with a satin ribbon and a paper tag. How sweet is that?! Also, check out my super sweet necklace, it's from my amazingly talented friend Cherrie Fick. It's got an owl on it, I like it a lot.

Look what was inside that cute bag, a sweet little pin cushion, complete with pins, a felt flower and handy ribbon loop for hanging! I love it! Not only do I love it, I needed one! Bonus! Who ever said I was hard to please?! ;}

My Nana gave me an awesome sewing machine back in September, it's far more advanced than I am in the world of sewing. It's my New Years resolution this year to learn how to use it like a boss! It's a Babylock Quest, and it's got more buttons on it than my computer, possibly even more buttons on it than all 4 of my computers combined. So far I have made a tote bag, it's pretty much the first thing I've ever sewn using a pattern, it turned out nice. Anyhow, I really needed a pin cushion, and was not going to settle for a store bought one, I wanted a handmade one, and now I've got one, with a pretty felt flower on it to boot! Thanks Deborah! It's awesome!

12 Days of Christmas gift swap, day 1 and 2 :)

2011-12-26T11:44:00.000-08:00

I am super excited to be participating in Lorelei Eurto’s Twelve Days of Christmas gift swap.
Here is how it works…
Lorelei picked 11 of her blog readers who showed interest in the swap to participate. I was so happy to be picked, I just LOVE giving gifts, ESPECIALLY handmade ones, and even more ESPECIALLY to others who really appreciate a handmade gift, so many times I have given something handmade as a gift, and I can tell that the recipient is thinking ‘Oh yay, another one of your crafty concoctions’ SO, exchanging gifts with 11 other crafty peeps is super exciting for me.

The 12 of us made little gifts and packed them up and shipped them off to each of the other participants. Here I am with all my gifts.

Each one has a number on it, the number tells us which one to open depending on which ‘Day of Christmas’ I am number 7, so on the 7th day of Christmas, the other girls will open the gift I sent them. You will have to wait until the 7th day of Christmas to see what I sent.

It was so much fun getting a little package in the mail day after day.

Some of the other participant will be blogging about this exchange, here is the list of participant and the day each of their gifts will be opened. Please join me in this lovely celebration and share the joy with my fellow swappers.

1. Lorelei Eurto
2. Jennifer Heynen
3. Deborah Boschert
4. Jodie Marshall
5. Amy Freeland
6. Katie Nelson
7. Me - Amanda Cargill Austin
8. Rachel Stanley
9. Emanda Johnson
10. Melissa
11. Charlie
12. Lori Burek

Day 1 - Christmas Day, we each opened our gift from Lorelei

No, my nostrils are generally not flared like this, I have no idea why I look like Miss Piggy in this picture :/ whatever.

I got this sweet bracelet made of old buttons, which I LOVE! It’s so very me, I have an obsession with old buttons! This bracelet has found it’s new home with me, and I have a feeling we are gonna be together forever, I have so many outfits that this bracelet will complement PERFECTLY! Thank Lorelei, I love it!

Day 2 - Jennifer "Jangles" Heynen

Today I opened this sweet little Ceramic Ornament from Artist Jennifer "Jangles" Heynen! This little guy is going to hang out with me all year long, I love stars, it’s going on my inspiration board to see each and every day :) Thanks Jennifer!! It's so cute!

I hope you all had a holiday filled with happiness and love! Stop by tomorrow to see what I get on the 3rd day of Christmas :)

Artists Helping Artists Silent Auction

2011-12-08T00:10:00.000-08:00

Several artists in the blog community have decided to band together to help a fellow artist in need. I have given a monetary donation myself, and would like to do more, can you help? Yes, yes you can help! You can help by bidding on these embossed Vintaj Brass earrings! :) They are the perfect color for the upcoming holidays, right on into Valentines day!

I am starting the bidding at $15, which is less than I retail these at in both my Etsy shop, and retail storefront.
Would you like to be the winning bidder?
Please leave a comment along with your bid. If you are the winning bidder, you will receive an invoice after the close of the auction. There must be a way to contact you. If you have email preferences turned off in your profile, please leave your email.

Bidding will be open from December 8th - 11th at midnight.

Many people are auctioning items to help out! Please visit these the other artists below and place your bid!

List of participants:

Amanda Cargill Austin

Janice Everett

Rebecca Anderson

Shannon Iko Chomanczuk

Heidi Post http://expostfactojewelry.blogspot.com/

Marie Cramp http://skyejewels.blogspot.com/

Barbara Bechtel http://secondsurf.com/

Erin Fickert-Rowland http://elysianstudiosart.com/

Keirsten Giles http://www.cerebraldilettante.blogspot.com/

Andrew Thornton http://andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/

Lori Anderson http://www.lorianderson.blogspot.com/

Karen Totten http://starryroadstudio.blogspot.com/

Kristi Bowman-Gruel http://dreamsomedesigns.blogspot.com/

Nan Emmett http://spiritrattles.blogspot.com/

Maire Dodd http://mairedodd.blogspot.com/

Amanda Cargill Austin http://www.seashoreglassgirl.com/

Janice Everett http://jlynnjewels.blogspot.com/

Rebecca Anderson http://songbeads.blogspot.com/

Shannon Iko Chomanczuk http://formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com/

Feel free to return and bid again!

Happy bidding!

Gratitude is the best attitude

2011-11-24T10:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope your day is filled with love and good company

Thank you for taking the time to stop by today, I am thankful for you :) Planning on doing some holiday shopping? Everything in my shop is on sale from now until Monday :) Happy Thanksgiving!

Jewelry box faves

2011-10-20T23:20:00.000-07:00

I got an awesome jewelry armorie for my birthday...

...I'm slowly filling it up, I started with some of my favorite pieces of jewelry. These 2 necklaces are from Jade Scott

I love everything about these necklaces...

...the colors; I pretty much only wear these colors, so they are totally versatile despite the unique mix of textures and colors.

Custom Boro Pendant Necklaces from The Venerable Bead

Blue Boro and Swarovski earrings by Janice Everett, harvest colored pair by Cherrie Fick.

Another obsession of mine...little handmade travel bags, coin purses, clutches...

Stand-by lip balm, for when I lose yet another open one...I admit I have been known to 'accidentally' misplace a flavor if I have gotten bored with the taste, just to open a new flavor...that's not to say it wasn't a nice flavor, I just happen to get bored really, really quickly...I like to pick up my lip balm from Ophelia's Apothecary

Can you guess who made what?

Think you know which jewelry designer made what? Share your ideas in your comment :)

Much obliged :)

2011-09-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

I am just tickled by the number of delightful people who stopped by my humble blog during this recent Bead Soup Blog Party :) I loved having you! Thanks for the comments <3

My trip home

2011-09-18T00:28:00.000-07:00

I spent the past week down in California...that place full of memories; both good and bad...


And now I'm home...I'm a little happy, and a little sad about that...

WINE grapes!!! I love vineyards, whenever I see them I think of Neocork, and all the good times I spent in that dysfunctional office...I miss those guys...

I don't know if I was even really allowed to be there in that vineyard, the barbwire fence was so low though, I had no trouble stepping over it, the grapes were calling my name to come closer and take their photo...

Dear Restaurants of Oregon, get your crap together and start producing meals like this...It's not that hard, really...

After waiting for years and years I finally made it to the new California Academy of Sciences. The Academy recently opened a new facility in Golden Gate Park, a 400,000 square foot structure that houses an aquarium, a planetarium a natural history museum and a 4-story rainforest all under one roof.

This thing was an awesome orange and purple color, it kinda just scooted around the bottom of the aquarium, but in a really cute way.

These are sharks, they are scary and will eat you if they smell your fear...just sayin...watch out.

Eighty skylights in the roof, supplemented with metal halide lights, enable the growth of lush, tropical plants found in various rainforests around the world.

Living plants include numerous trees, dozens of shrubs, and hundreds of flowering plants. It was really humid in that rain forest, kudos to them for making it so darn lifelike!

I never pass up on the chance to take a picture of an orange flower...enjoy...

Look, a real live butterfly :)

The skylights were pretty awesome! The design of this building was far more innovative than anything I have ever seen in real life.

Generally I can't handle aquariums this big, they like totally freak me out...but I really didn't mind this one...

The de Young Museum, from the living roof.

The living roof.

Some crazy animals...

Some rare type of African unicorns...

Zebras...fierce ones...


Hungry penguins...it was really close to their lunchtime...That's all for tonight, I'll have to finish sharing the rest of my trip details another day...

Soup is served!

2011-09-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

It's reveal day! It's reveal day! Here is a little reminder shot of the soup mix that
Charlene Sevier (my lovely date for the bead soup party) sent me :)

I especially enjoyed the brass pendant, as soon as I laid eyes on it I got really excited about all the possibilities in store, I love altering metals, it's one of my most favorite things to do! I laid out all the beads and got all of my alcohol inks out, it was time to match colors! Oh the excitement! I am pretty pleased with the way it turned out, it brings all the different colors in the necklace together.

My good friend Lynne suggested that I use some matching ribbon in my design, so I pulled my box o'ribbon down from the shelf and this piece of silk sari ribbon jumped right out at me, I think I'll need to pull that box o'ribbon out more often :)


Thank you Charlene! It was fun! I hope you enjoyed being my date for the bead soup party, I know I had a good time! Check out Charlene's blog to see the beautiful bracelets she made using the bead soup I sent her! For a complete list of bead soup blog party people click here.

Fall Finds!

2011-09-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

So I know that Fall doesn't technically start until September 23rd, but to me September means fall :) I'd like to share a few of my favorite Fall Finds from Etsy!

I've fallen in love with this Rustic Handmade Chain Bead Charm Bracelet from my bead soup partner Charlene Sevier, isn't is lovely?

I simply adore this yarn and felt wreath :) it would look splendid on my hall tree.

Sweet little lampwork leaves, pumpkins and crows oh my!

Exquisite Hand Blown Glass Pumpkins in a fall harvest colors. I love the swirly stems.

I could have a fairy tea party with this adorable tea pot, all the woodland fairies would surely enjoy that :)

Ohhh how I love a pretty wrap skirt! Especially one with a cute little mushroom and butterfly on it!

This designer heavyweight cotton looks amazing with natural burlap trim.
I am a fan of the designers choice in using premium faux suede (making it Vegan, yay!) straps and decorative flap has the look of real leather and the softness of suede.

Well, those are just a few of my favorite fall appropriate items I've found on Etsy. I'm off to get ready for my trip down to California, so much to do to get ready for my trunk show and altered metals class.

Just a reminder my Etsy shop will be closed while I am away, please place your orders by the end of the day on Wednesday September 7th. Thank you :)

My Bead Soup Mix :)

2011-08-31T21:44:00.000-07:00

I've finally found the time to photograph my bead soup mix that I received from my Bead Soup partner Charlene Sevier. I'm not sure how she knew that I love carnelian, or that my favorite colors were blue and orange...I think she did a great job of putting this mix together for me, I have a few ideas dancing around in my head...Thanks Bead Soup partner Charlene Sevier!!! :)

All the pretty things hiddin down the scary path...

2011-08-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

If you stopped by my blog yesterday you read about my trip to Port Orford with my mom :)

Today I thought I would show you the photos I took from the trail to the beach from our hotel.

This flower looks mean, with it's quills and all...

...not these flowers, these flowers are nice, happy flowers :)

I hate to admit this, but I've ruined a few cameras by taking photos of the sun like this...but sometimes you've gotta do what you've gotta do to get shots like this

I love Queen Ann's Lace, it reminds me of my Nana :)

My mom loves Sweet Peas, she looked at these and she said "If I had had another girl, I'da named her Sweet Pea"

I just laughed at her and told her that was silly.

I have no words for this one...

My time was up, it was time to meet our friends for dinner...notice how patiently she waits for me while I lollygag...

Just one last shot from the top of the stairs :)

Become a more organized craftsperson

2011-08-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

I have just recently started using an app called 'Craftybase' so far I'm impressed. I look forward to utilizing the tools offered to give me a better picture of how my business is performing & what prices I SHOULD be charging (that's always a challenge)

With Craftybase I can track my sales & profit margins, calculate my manufacturing costs, and keep on top of my stock levels. It's so easy to use, the interface is clean and simple, with easy to follow instructions, just automatically import your sales, listings and transactions instantly from Etsy at the touch of a button and your off to a great start!

I would recommend anyone wanting to take their handmade business to the next level to give this a try!

Port Orford, OR trip with mom :)

2011-08-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my mom and I took a trip down the coast to the extremely sleepy little town of Port Orford, OR. A friend of ours was getting married and my mom had been asked to lend her fantastic florist skills for the wedding. We made a weekend of it, it was nice to get away if only for a short while.

This was the view from our hotel, we were blessed with wonderful weather, no fog, just sun!

I could have sat here for hours, but we had work to do, the flowers were waiting.

Sweet Peas and Wild Daisies by the beach, could it get any better?

Even mom's car had a terrific view!

This was the trail down to the beach, the very steep lushly vegetated trail...

Looks pretty inviting right? You'll have to come back tomorrow to see what was down there...

Meet my Bead Soup Partner Charlene Sevier

2011-08-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to introduce to you my Bead Soup partner Charlene Sevier! Charlene loves combining beads, metal and other objects using her skills and perspective. From childhood, she loved to make things, and would treasure every little item she could get her hands on - a spare button, a bit of broken jewelry, a few beads. She used what she had, and loved it! Today, that same passion and sense of discovery exists in her work. Charlene's signature style of choice embraces ethnic and old world inspiration.

From the Dawn of Civilization, ancient cultures have been using jewelry to beautify and protect themselves. Jewelry was used to display social rank or ownership, as well as enhance looks to attract a mate. Charlene focuses on helping women enhance their beauty and style with her custom handcrafted jewelry.

The earliest of jewelry was made of objects of nature easily collected and gathered, such as bone, shell, and feathers. You will see a lot of this in Charlene's designs, as you can see she has an eye for the beauty of nature.

As children, all cultures instinctively pick up eye-catching items, wind stems of flowers together, or put feathers into hair. Throughout the ages, jewelry has become intricate works of art and self-expression.

The use of Mother Nature's bounty has symbolized abundance, fertility, freedom, strength and beauty.

Charlene says "It’s a magical moment when you find a piece of jewelry that resonates with you, helps you express your unique style, or that you just plain love." I would have to agree with you Charlene!
Check out her links!
Etsy

www.charlenesevier.com
Blog
Twitter

Facebook

Sea Shore Brass :) Teaching another class! Etsy Shop SALE! YAY!

2011-08-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

I am super excited to have been asked to instruct another class at Beads on Main, my Favorite Bead Shop of all time!
I will also be showcasing my Designer Highlight designs from the August 2011 issue of bead Trends Magazine in addition to some brand new never before seen designs and my boro lampwork beads from 1pm-5pm.
I will be teaching my altered metal class from 5:30pm-9pm on Friday September 9th, 2011.
For more information or to sign up for the altered metals class please contact Beads on Main. 313 Main St. Vacaville, CA 95688 (707) 446 - 1014.
I've been busy making lots of new beads and jewelry pieces for the show, please help me make room in my Etsy shop for some new goodies also by taking advantage of my Pre-Trunk Show SALE enter TRUNKSHOW at checkout for 15% off!!!

August 2011 Designer Highlight, Bead Trends Magazine

2011-08-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

To say that I was honored when I received an email from the editor of Bead Trends Magazine asking me to be the Designer Highlight of the August issue would be a total understatement. I don’t know if there is a word in the world that could ever come close to describing how I felt, I was like honored to the second power. Designing the 7 projects for the highlight had it’s moments, and I would like to take this time to thank the good people at Dove Chocolate for putting those inspiring little messages inside their wrappers, they really do come in handy. I really like how they are all different, if I opened one that wasn’t too incredibly ‘inspiring’ I just had to open another, and another, and sometimes another...and when THAT didn’t work I always had Cherrie to keep me going, as she knew EXACTLY what I was going through. If you recall a few posts back I shared a little about my connection with Cherrie, and all the things we have in common, this experience was no different. The moment I got the email asking me to be featured I texted her with something like ‘OMG OMG OMG, guess what?’ to which she replied ‘I have an OMG guess what for you too!’ then she called me, we went back and forth for a minute about who was going to share their ‘OMG’s’ first, and to be honest I can’t remember who went first, I think we kind of just blurted them out to each other at the same time, all I heard her say was ‘July designer highlight’ I was like ‘GET OUT!’ She had just read her email and was asked to be featured as the designer highlight for the July issue. Talk about PRESSURE, following her line up would be tough, I envy her design skills like no other. The hardest part of the entire experience was keeping the designs secret until the magazine hit the stands, oh the anticipation I’ve been feeling! I am elated to finally share my designs with you. Look for the Bead Trends August 2011 issue on stands now!

Follow up on my previous post 'A pocket full of Daisy's'

2011-07-28T07:47:00.000-07:00

Good Morning! I had a few people ask me why I did not make the Daisy beads myself, since I make beads and all. I suppose I should have mentioned that in my previous post but I wasn't thinking. So, here it is :) I did not make them myself for 2 reasons, the first reason being that I could not bring myself to see the actual ashes, it was just too sad. When I mailed out the ashes to Kelley I had my husband retrieve the amount needed from the little box they were in, and mail them for me. Kelley was so sweet, she even mailed back the remaining ashes not used in a separate package, addressed to my husband, just so I did not have to handle them. If I have not mentioned this before I will mention it now, I just LOVE Kelley, although I have never met her in person, she is just a genuinely beautiful girl, inside and out :) Reason number 2, upon doing my research on memorial glass art I discovered that it is best to create beads using ashes with soft glass, as the flame is not near as hot as the flame used for boro (hard glass) since I'm a boro gal my flame is just too dang hot ;) it could disintegrate the ashes completely, which would be pointless ;) So, that's that :)

And now some new jewelry that will be making it's way into my shop this week :)

I hope you're having a great week <3

A pocket full of Daisy's

2011-07-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

You might recall a previous post in the beginning of the year titled 'All dogs go to heaven because, unlike people, dogs are naturally good and loyal and kind.' about the passing of our family pet Daisy Mae. Daisy was very special to my little brother, as they grew up together side-by-side, Daisy was there for Brandon thru thick and thin, as Brandon was there for Daisy just the same. Tomorrow the little brother is getting married, and thanks to a very kind soul Daisy will be there, by his side, as always. So, this might sound kinda odd, but really, it's not. I wanted to do something special for Brandon, in Daisy's remembrance, I asked one of my favorite lampworkers; Kelley Ford Wenzel, if she would create something special for me incorporating Daisy's ashes. She was so very gracious enough to accept the challenge, as it was something she had never done before. She did an amazing job, in total she made 2 sets of beads, and 3 worry stones. Brandon will carry the black worry stone in his pocket tomorrow on his wedding day.

Thank you Kelley, you did an awesome job creating something so very special!

I have a lot to say...

2011-07-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

...some of it will be shared here, and some of it won't. You might want to grab a chair and a snack, if you have a short attention span you might want to leave now :)

Just sayin'

First things first, my amazing friend Cherrie Fick is the Bead Trends Magazine Designer Highlight for July 2011! My lampwork beads and I are SO HONORED to be featured in her published designs! Cherrie is one of my best customers, and always amazes me with her talent, she inspires the heck out of me! Check out her FB page, she's got a great giveaway going on at her blog too! OH and she's also having a sale!!! Use coupon code BT420 to get 20% off anything in her shop between July 1-7

Here are some of the designs she chose to be featured as part of her Designer Highlight spread in the July 2011 issue of Bead Trends Magazine, it is an honor to share them with you.

Hearts on Fire by Cherrie Fick

Cherrie has named this one 'Hearts on Fire' she could not have picked a more fitting name for this amazing piece! As soon as Cherrie found out that she had been chosen Designer Highlight she called me to share her excitement, I was SO VERY PROUD of her, I know how dedicated she is to her art. I put together a little 'congrats' gift of various beads and components, some I had made, some I had acquired from other talented artisans, and some that came from various bead shops. In that box I included this boro lampwork heart focal fresh from my kiln, she was smitten by it :) She paired it up with 3 more of my boro fire babies, hand dyed silk ribbon, red copper components by Patricia Healey, and a mix of carnelian, garnet and citrine rondelles. I just love this piece!


Low Tide by Cherrie Fick

One of Cherrie's specialties is beach related designs, this carefree necklace includes some adorable ceramic beads by Gaea (an obsession of both Cherrie and myself) a few beach pebbles, beautiful Czech glass, Ancient Roman glass and a boro focal bead from me :) The matching earrings are a little more than awesome if I do say so myself!

Check out Cherrie's blog to see all of her Designer Highlight designs!

It's funny how Cherrie and I met, we met thru Etsy...If I tried to explain it in my own words it just wouldn't sound right...so, I will copy and paste our EXACT convos to make it a little bit more believable...

May 14, 2010 from Cherrie to me via Etsy convo...
Hey, I just hearted your shop and I wanted to share with you we have quite a lot in common. I found you because you use the tiles from moreskyejewels on etsy. Also I can see you are a fan of Vintaj. Our son and daughter in law and two grandsons live in Eugene and we love Florence. Oregon and CA are home to me. We are currently in Tennessee. When we get back out there I would love to meet you and see your studio if you have one open, or a shop you might sell in downtown. I will keep you in mind next time I need lamp work boro beads. You can find me at enlalumiere and see my line. I use Vintaj all the time and have started using the tiles from More Skye Jewels as well. Have a great weekend. Cherrie.

May 25, 2010 to Cherrie from me via Etsy convo...
Hello There!
Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you, I've actually been in California for the past 10 days or so :) It's so good to be home :)
That's awesome that we have so much in common! Weird :) I love Marie's tiles, they are so fun to work with :) And Vintaj...oh how I love it! What part of California are you from, I was born and raised in Vacaville California, lived there for 25 years, then 5 years ago I moved up here to Florence with my parents and brother, it's always been my mom's dream to live on the coast, and once my dad retired from the state we said our good-byes and hopped on the Oregon Trail with no regrets ;) It's so nice to meet you! I LOVE your Etsy shop :) Awesome work!!!
Hugs, Amanda

May 25, 2010 from Cherrie to me via Etsy convo...
Hi again, Wow I can't believe it, we have spent all but 7 of the last 32 years with a business in Vacaville. Crazy small world isn't it? Well I will for sure keep you in mind when I need beads. I love the ocean so if you get some that look like sea colors and would work for me let me know. As of today I have 12 sales. It's a huge learning curve. I am very motivated and trying to stay focused. We had to close our family business last year so this is it for me. 12 hours a day!. We are in Tennessee and hope to get back there by the end of summer. Wish it could be sooner for sure. We miss our grandkids and kids so much. Thanks for answering me. It's nice to find other artists that share the same interests. Take care. Cherrie

May 30, 2010 from me to Cherrie via Etsy convo...
OK!!! Get straight outta town!!! Are you kidding me right now? What business? Do you miss VV? Sometimes I miss it a lot (the old Vacaville, when you could go to the Nut Tree and get a delicious gingerbread cookie and ride the train, or go to Vasquez without standing in line for 20 minutes, oh and the smell of onions! (i hate onions by the way) I graduated from Will C. Wood in 1998, have any kids that I might know? About your Etsy shop...it's unbelievable! Your designs are absolutely gorgeous! I searched "vintaj glass jewelry" last night and after seeing just a few of your pieces I started immediately being able to recognize your listings as they came up in the search results, they are that good! I think you're doing a great job! It is sure nice meeting you, I cant wait to hear more about your life in Vacaville :)

And the rest is history, once Cherrie and her husband Mike moved back to Vacaville from Tennessee they came over to Florence while on a short visit to their kids place in Eugene. That day my mom and I met up with Cherrie and Mike for coffee at one of the coffee shops here in Florence, we sat and talked for hours, and discovered that not only were we both from Vacavillle, but we lived on the same street...totally bizarre right? We have become great friends, not a day goes by that we don't communicate, and we are always finding the most random similarities between us. She is truly a lifetime gift from god to me :) I think I shared in a recent post that they were able to come up and stay with my family here in Florence just recently, we had an awesome time, I look forward to more visits from them :)

OK, next up, a few new designs from my studio! Give your brain a little break from reading and enjoy the photos :)

Enjoy the long weekend! Make it safe and happy!

I love this time of year...

2011-06-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

I love to look out the window behind my torch and see these beautiful hydrangeas. They start to bloom every year around this time, I look forward to it all year long :)

Time well spent...

2011-06-22T22:57:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since I have taken my camera out for a day of adventure, lately it's just been used to photograph newly listed houses and the occasional handful of new bead sets here and there. Last week I took a trip to Sweet Creek with friends Cherrie and Mike from California and the DH, it was defiantly a picture perfect kind of day :) I love Sweet Creek, it's hard to believe that a place as beautiful as this is just a 30 minute drive away, makes me ask myself why I don't make it over that way more often...

Some new bead sets...

2011-06-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

Photo enhanced with fun filters

So, I put a few new bead sets together for my Etsy shop the other day, I hope you have an extra moment to hop on over and check them out, your eyes will thank you for it :)

A day at Bob Creek

2011-06-09T11:02:00.000-07:00