Saturday, 7/5/08, 11:25 AM..........................................................New Auction

Hey there, hope you're having a fun 4th of July weekend! I got together with a bunch of friends last night for the traditional food and fireworks and had a wonderful time — especially wonderful because when I arrived home, Winston and Lucy were calm and collected and just happy to see me, rather than cowering in corners or hiding behind furniture as I had feared. Winston never minds thunder or fireworks, but Lucy is suspicious about both; usually when there's any kind of unusual noise, her eyes get as big as saucers and she looks absolutely freaked out. I was worried about leaving her even for a few hours with all the fireworks going on outside, but she did just fine and it was a big relief!

There's a new set available on Ebay, a gorgeous collection of shimmery seascape beads that I'm really excited about. Double Helix's Triton glass, with twisty goldstone "seaweed" and delicate handpulled shell murrini. I just love this beautiful pearlescent glass; I'm going to have to order some more soon, because I've already plowed through almost a whole pound of rods since I got it in. Anyway, hope you'll check out the beads...these are exceptional, way nicer than my camera (which has a nasty habit of translating Triton's satin/pearlescent shimmer into areas of white glare) could convey.

That's all the news for now, so it's off to the torch for me. Have a fantastic weekend, and I'll see you again soon!

K.

Sunday, 6/29/08, 4:52 PM

A few more focals up for grabs...I wasn't going to list these until tomorrow, but it's rainy and gray outside and I was bored, so I decided to get some work out of the way.

Thanks for checking in. Hope you enjoy your Sunday evening!

K.

Saturday, 6/28/08, 9:41 AM

Happy Saturday! I'm headed to the torch, but wanted to alert you to a nice assortment of Triton focals I have available in a special one-day-only auction. These are all perfectly good beads and are cleaned, annealed, centered and structurally sound, but since they were color experiments, the designs aren't as thought out as I would like and for that reason alone, I wouldn't sell them as first quality. Still, there are some very pretty beads here, lots in this group for a savvy designer to work with. Hope you'll check 'em out!

See you again soon — have a great weekend!

K.

Thursday, 6/26/08, 4:29 PM

What a good day! I finally got caught up on all the custom work I had promised, and all the beads are cleaned and packed up, ready to go. What a feeling of relief! I don't turn up my nose at custom orders the way a lot of lampworkers do; a girl has to pay the rent, so when I have the time, I try my best to accomodate custom requests. Still, I definitely prefer walking uncharted territory, so it feels great to know that tomorrow, I can diddle around at the torch and make whatever I want, go wherever the muse leads me.

Just listed 3 new Triton focals...they're all beauties, but 2 of them are really exceptional, hence the higher-than-usual prices — I've only made focals I was this happy with a handful of times in my 9+ years as a lampworker, and even my mom, who prefers muted earthtone colors and could generally take or leave my Double Helix beads, said she thought these were "magnificent." (On the other hand, Mom just wrote in her blog about cussing out a squirrel the other day, so you might not want to put too much stock in what she says, hehe.) Seriously, these are especially nice, so I hope you'll check them out.

Lots to do this evening, so I need to keep this short. Thanks for checking in!

K.

Sunday, 6/22/08, 10:31 PM

Hello everyone, hope you had a good weekend! Some new focals just listed; I've been experimenting with Triton, the newest glass from Double Helix, and it's most definitely a winner...you can achieve a lot of different finishes with this glass, from a metallic/mirror finish with rainbow/oilslick nuances to a satiny mother-of-pearl look that appears when the glass is reduced and then encased...thank you, Jed & Julie, I am in heaven!

Speaking of heaven, I passed my motorcycle safety course last week, and got the all-important "M" endorsement on my driver's license...YAY! Now I'm totally street legal (even though it'll be a long time before I have the guts to drive anywhere but in parking lots and back roads) and saving up for my first bike. I can't wait! I couldn't believe how much better my experience in the riding class was the second time around. I think I was just overwhelmed with new knowledge the first time I took the class, and they were throwing everything at us more quickly than I could absorb it. Once I had a few weeks for everything to sink in, I did just fine. It was such a rush being able to control that bike, as opposed to having the bike control me, which is how it felt the first time around! Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait!

That's pretty much all the news for now. I have a busy day tomorrow and have to get up fairly early, so I'll say good night. Thanks for stopping by; I hope all is well in your corner of the world!

K.

Thursday, 6/12/08, 7:32 PM

Welcome! I'm finally recovered from my camping trip (what a great time!) and have spent the past few days furiously torching...have some new beads just listed, a cool set of abstract buttons and rounds that makes liberal use of one of my favorite 96COE glasses, Reichenbach's Raspberry Opal. I've always loved this beautiful, creamy berry color that can't decide whether it's a pink or a purple, and it's wonderful with black and raku, as I've used it here. Hope-a you like-a.

No other real news here; just trying to get some things finished so I can call it a day and relax for a while. Long days at the torch always take a lot out of me when it's this hot; I took a nap for about an hour when I got home, but I'm still wiped out! Looking forward to a hot shower and a soft bed.

I'm retaking my riding course again this Saturday and Sunday, hoping like crazy that I don't flunk again. I could still hold my head up after not passing the first one, because I had never ridden before at all, but I think it would be pretty humiliating to take the same class a second time and still flunk...I mean, what could I really say to myself after that except, "Might as well face it, you suck!" Hopefully I'll squeak through this time...keep your fingers crossed for me, would you please?

Have a nice night, everyone. See you again soon!

K.

Tuesday, 6/3/08, 11:54 AM

Hey there! Just a drive-by update to alert you to some new beads; I have a ton of stuff to do today but wanted to get these listed so you'd know I was still alive.

I took the Harley Davidson beginner's riding course over the weekend and although it was boiling hot out, I had an absolute blast. I got 100 on the written portion of the test, but I flunked the riding skills test by ONE lousy point. I refuse to feel bad though, because it was the first time I'd ever driven a bike or for that matter anything with a clutch, and considering that we were given no real instruction on how to operate the clutch in conjunction with the throttle, or even the shifting process (some beginner's class, huh?), I think I did a pretty bang-up job just making it through all the maneuvers (figure 8's, riding over 2x4's, etc.) without busting my ass. By the end of it all, I was doing pretty well, leaning into turns like an old pro, but my clutch problems stressed me out so much that I couldn't really focus on all the things we needed to be doing at once during the tests, and it cost me points. Oh well...I get to retake the riding portion of the class for free, so I will have another chance to pass the skills evaluation tests and get the motorcycle endorsement on my driver's license. I'm ready!

I'll be back later on; just wanted to get these beads listed and say hello. Thanks for checking in!

K.

Wednesday, 5/28/08, 12:05 PM

Hello everyone! Sorry about the long silence — things are fine here, I've just been chained to the torch finishing all those 'Street Art' sets I sold. Whew, talk about a sprint!

Two new sets just listed, and these may be it for a while; I have lots going on in the next week or so, and I'm not sure how much I'm going to get done in the studio until after the 10th. Tomorrow I start a 5-day motorcycle safety course that will eat up most of my time until Tuesday (wheeeeeee, I can't wait!), and at the end of next week I'm headed to Mississippi with some friends for a big camping/tubing trip that I've been looking forward to for months. I'm hoping to get in some torch time next week before I leave for MS, but I'll probably be kind of preoccupied so am not expecting to be very productive.

Have to get to the post office with some beads, but I'll check in at some point after the weekend. Thanks for stopping by. I hope all is well in your part of the world!

K.

Sunday, 5/11/08, 2:52 PM

Just a quick update to wish you all a happy Mother's Day. I'm headed over to see my own beautiful mom, then we're off to my sister's for a family crawfish boil, which has become kind of a Mother's Day tradition in my family over the past few years.

I caved in to the pitiful, guilt-inducing emails a few of you guys sent after missing the last auction, and have decided to commit to 4 more sets of the 'Street Art' custom text beads. New auction is up now, and these are the LAST sets of these I'm offering, seriously, so if you wanted a set, this is the last chance highway, babe.

Hope you guys have a wonderful day. See you again soon!

K.

Thursday, 5/8/08, 10:20 AM

Good morning! Here's an unusual, kind of fun offer...I've never done anything like this before, but the Serenity Prayer set seemed to spark some interest in custom sets of text beads, so I've decided to offer a few sets on a made-to-order, you-choose-the-words basis. All the details are in the auction listing...if I missed anything or you have questions, just drop me an email. Have fun!

K.

Sunday, 5/4/08, 11:38 PM

Welcome! This will be a pretty short update; I've been sick with a cold for a few days and at the moment my head feels like it's encased in a concrete block, but I did at least want to get out of bed long enough tell you about the new beads. I finished these yesterday and had such a blast working on them — I have that obsessed feeling about this as a new direction and am pretty sure I'll be exploring the whole text bead thing a lot more in the weeks to come...anyway, hope you'll check them out.

I'll be back with more beads as soon as I'm feeling better and back at the torch, hopefully in a day or two. Thanks a bunch for stopping by, I'll see you soon!

K.

Wednesday, 4/30/08, 3:04 PM

Hey there! I thought I'd start putting up the occasional middle-of-the-day listing — I've heard from a few folks out there who keep missing my "Buy It Now" auctions because I normally list new auctions at night and they only have internet access at work during the day, so I'm going to try to vary my listing schedule a bit to accomodate those of you who have to sneak-browse at the office. Anyway, this new listing is a yummy double strand of hollow beads from my Bella Luna series: delicate, light-as-a-feather spheres formed from the palest transparent glass in bands of sapphire, emerald and lavender, and decorated with raised metallic trim on the ends. There are also some matching metallic accent beads, in a flat-top disk shape with raised surface detailing. I really like the antique vibe these have...hope you enjoy them.

That's all the news for now. Have a happy Wednesday!

K.

Sunday, 4/27/08, 6:56 PM

Happy Sunday! Rainy day here today, gray and cloudy all day, but I'm sitting here with a smile on my face just the same. I have a belly full of crawfish, spent the afternoon laughing with good friends, and am feeling pretty blessed right now...it was a very good day.

Now, if I could only figure out how to fit this into my already-strained budget, life would be perfect:

Hey, a girl can dream, right? Nothing wrong with looking at pictures on the internet, and I'm just going to keep wishing over the picture of this shiny beauty until I can figure out a way to make it real.

Anyway, thanks for checking in, beadheads...enjoy your day!

K.

Monday, 4/21/08, 5:39 PM

Hola! New beads are up, a set of batik-style crystals in swampy blues and greens on weathered, caramel-tinged ivory. These are great spring and summer beads because they go so well with turquoise and coral, which I always think of as warm-weather stones.

No other real news here; I'm running out the door, but will be back in a day or two with more beads. Thanks as always for checking in — I hope the first day of the new work week is treating you well!

K.

Wednesday, 4/16/08, 9:14 P

Welcome! New beads are up now...the "Gift" set I did last week sold so soon after I listed them that hardly anyone even got to see them before the auction ended, so I decided to do another set this week in deference to those who didn't get a shot at the last ones. This is the third set from the series, a strand of hand-sculpted leaves, lentils and pods in a riot of vibrant hues — prussian blue, violet, magenta, moss and sea green, with earthy touches of rust and caramel. Like the set last week, this is a special "Terra" edition; I parted with some of my precious Terra rods to make half the leaves in this set, and they have beautiful opalescent amber-purple centers. The other half of the leaves were made with a newer Double Helix glass, Khaos, which strikes to blues, magentas, purples and creams. The lentils and pods, all done in shades of blue, were kissed with a reducing flame to produce a shimmery iridescent luster. I really like these a lot...they'll combine beautifully with any number of metals or gemstones for some really elegant, natural-looking jewelry...anyway, hope they inspire you!

Thank God I love my work and we're having some amazing weather this week...otherwise I would be having a really irritating week. Men! Such tricky creatures...I swear I will never figure them out. Say the wrong thing to one of them who happens to be in a sour mood and you can bet he will create more unnecessary drama than a whole room full of women with raging PMS. This is not my idea of a good time.

Oh well...onward. Thanks for checking in, I'll see you again soon.

K.

Wednesday, 4/9/08, 9:47 PM

Well, I got a phone call just before I finished updating this page with the newly-listed auction, and the auction sold with the Buy It Now price while I was still on the phone...so I find myself in the rather schizophrenic position of offering a new set and announcing that they're sold in the very same breath. Sorry about the unintended tease. I'll leave the link up in case anyone wanted to see the beads (a set of Terra leaves, lentils & pods from the "Gift" series) and will be back with something new for you as soon as possible.

Thanks for checking in; hope all is well in your world.

K.

Wednesday, 4/2/08, 8:51 PM

Welcome!

Just listed the last two "Helium" series sets that I'll be doing, at least for a long while...I love making these beads — specifically, the challenge of seeing how many different colors I can pull out of the glass just by changing the characteristics of the flame — but I have a lot of ideas bouncing around in my head that I'm anxious to pursue, so it's about time for me to leave this series and move on to something new. Both of these sets are top-notch, and the beads in No. 4 and No. 5 coordinate perfectly, so the two sets can be mixed and matched. All of the folks who've bought beads from this series have been absolutely thrilled with them; they just really have a lot of visual impact. Anyway, hope you'll take a minute to check them out.

Thanks for stopping by, beadheads. I'll see you soon!

K.

Friday, 3/28/08, 7:29 PM

Hola! New beads just listed — and these are something, made with Khaos, one of the newer Double Helix glasses. I hadn't really had a chance to spend much time with Khaos since I got some in, and WOW! Very beautiful stuff. I made some really neat leaves, lentils and pods...I guess all the green popping out everywhere lately is getting to me. Whoever wins this auction has to promise to send me a photo of the jewelry that is made with these...I don't make much jewelry but I actually felt like making something with these myself, they'd go with so many different semiprecious gemstones, etc.

OK, need to run — I'm meeting a friend tonight, still haven't showered and I'm running way late. Have a great weekend!

K.

Wednesday, 3/26/08, 8:43 PM

Hey, hope you guys had a great Easter. Mine left something to be desired due to the end of a romantic relationship, but life is feeling a lot better this week...in fact, I'm kind of surprised by how fast I've regained my perspective over the past few days. Breakups are never fun, but having had a few days to think about this one, I can see that it was probably for the best. So...no sense being all gloomy about it, is there? It is what it is. Or, was.

Anyway, my focus should be a bit better now...I'm looking forward to putting in some serious torch time in the next few days, now that the weather is warming up, things are blooming and birds are singing. I have a lot of new design ideas that I haven't really had time to work out in the past few months, and it'll be good to be able to focus all of my energy on them.

No other news here right now, really; I just wanted to post a quick update before I went looking for dinner. Thanks for stopping by — have yourself a happy Wednesday, and I'll see you soon!

K.

Wednesday, 3/19/08, 9:56 PM

Welcome! Just did a major cleanup on this page...I can't believe I still had entries here from back in July...surely some kind of personal sloth record. Anyway, hopefully the page will load faster now, and you can see my babies at the bottom of the page without scrolling forever and ever.

2 focals from the new "Dreamscape" series listed tonight, as well as a nice "Prism" series set. I've put "Buy It Now" prices on everything, but I expect that option to disappear pretty fast, since bidding on all of the auctions starts at $.99 and once a bid is placed, the BIN option is no longer there. So if you want to grab something at the BIN price rather than waiting for the auctions to play out, you'll have to step lively. (I'm not sure why that happens, by the way; it's just the way Ebay is set up. I'm still trying to find a balance between BIN/bidding that will make everybody happy. If you have suggestions/opinions, let me hear from you!)

Not sure when I'll be back with more beads; I'm torching every day, but I'm also planning to be very lazy and self-indulgent over Easter weekend, so I may just lay off listing anything else until next week...we'll see.

Hope all is well in your world, and thanks for checking in!

Cheers,

K.