Thoughts on the dentist, yarns, and selling your product...HUH? and Quiz to follow. Get your pencils ready to answer the questions!!!

The dentist
Oh, yes, I visited the dentist yesterday.  That was me after he told me about the work he feels needs to be done--in August--in 3 weeks.  I half jokingly asked him if should mortgage my house.  He just smiled and said, "If you think you should."  Ouch!  Don't get me wrong.  He's good at what he does, and he looks like Jack Nickloson--a lot!!!  That does make me a bit nervous when he starts to drill.  We'll see what the estimated bill is going to be.  My teeth might just have to wait a bit, at least all of the work he wants to do.  Ouch!!!! 

Yarns

I have way too much in the way of yarns.  I'm working on ways to incorporate them into what I do.  Scarves are good.  Weaving them into jewelry is good.  Well, we shall see.  The reason I mention yarn is because I have started to haunt a local yarn shop called Mary Lou's.  I love this place.  It's dangerous for me to go there.  I'd willingly spend more on yarn than I would on my teeth!!!  I am also working with the owner to sell on consignment.  That's the next topic.

Selling Your Product 

Etsy has been devastatingly slow this month.  I think I've had 3 sales?  I will probably owe Etsy more money this month than I made in sales.  I'm looking into consignment now.  I've only sold consignment once before, and it took me over a year to be paid.  The owner went out of business, then opened another store in another town.  When I found that out, I went into the store and let it be known I was not happy.  I felt then, and I feel now, that if you someone can open another store, the monies that were owed to consignment sellers should be the first paid.  After this incident, I found a check in the mail with a nasty note a few days later.  I was satisfied.  This was in June.  That December, I was in a show in the same town.  I spoke to some of the vendors who had consignments in the same store.  They had not yet been paid yet.  This has made me very leary of consignment selling, but I do feel good about the young woman who runs the store.  We are currently negotiating terms, but I think it will be good.  I really do.  Hopefully, business will improve overall.

So, now for the quiz:

How do you feel about the dentist?
Have you ever sold consignment?
Has this been a successful venture for you?
Do tell!!!

I Heart Macro - Rosebuds!!!

I Heart Summer!

I Heart Macro!!!!

I'm Thinking Summer...

and it's time to start finding clothes to wear.

I love this blouse for summer!

It looks cool, but funky.

Hot, but full of style for the casual day.

Click

HERE

and you'll see more of her great clothing items!!

Others might not, but I'd couple these pants with the top!

Even more funky and summery.

Click

HERE.

I'd add this to the mix!

It would be cool, but hot.

Love it!

Click 

HERE.

I'd add this linen hat,

and the outfit is almost complete.

Click

HERE.

I would complete the outfit with these

barefoot sandals.

Click 

HERE.

Then, I'd be ready to go out!

Summer will be here soon,

I hope!!

Taste and see

Spring tastes of 

daisies and bees.

Summer tastes of

 picnics and fireworks.

Fall tastes of

 milkweed pods and sunflower seeds.

Winter tastes of

 family.

I love my year!

So, I made Myself Some Flip Flops

I've never been able to wear flip flops because they hurt that space between my toes.

This year, I decided that time was over, and I am now wearing flip flops!!

Well, they still hurt, but I'm wearing them!!

I found this great tutorial on Pinterest, then I tracked it down to the original blog.

Click HERE to see the tutorial.

It's fun!

It's easy!

You can customize your new flip flops!

And,

they don't hurt like some of them do!

Here are my new flip flops!

I love them!

And they don't hurt!!!

Next time, I'm adding beads!!!

A Day for Closure--The Transition is Made

Technically, today did not qualify as a true Indian Summer Day, but I think it was. Traditionally, an Indian Summer day is a day following a hard, killing frost, before the snow falls, that is wonderfully warm in late October or early November. Since we have already had 3 measurable snow falls, today didn't actually qualify as an Indian Summer day, but on the other accounts, it did. Our high was 67 wonderful degrees at the start of November! We have had several hard, killing frosts. The landscape has changed remarkable from summer. The leaves are off the trees now, and they are sharp and brittle. When you walk on them you hear the crunch of cornflakes before the milk is poured in the bowl.

I knew I had to finish the leaves today. Last week I raked for several hours to get as many leaves as I could to the curb before the street department brought their trucks by to suck the leaves from my front curb. After the momentous raking sessions last week, I also went to the hardware store and bought a leaf blower. Why we didn't do that years ago, I don't know. In my book it's one of the most wonderful inventions since the advent of the light bulb! I blew the remainder of the leaves to a place where I will mow them and mulch them tomorrow in about 15 minutes. This tool is an amazing tool!

As the leaves blew, waves formed and the air caused undulations and patterns. I caught myself thinking, if only I could catch that wave in a bead! I even took a video of the process, but between using the leaf blower in one hand and the camera in the other, I could not catch the amazing waves of leaves. Another day. Things are changing now.





















This little garden which yielded tomatoes and herbs is still alive in spite of the frosts and freezes. Of course, the tomatoes are gone, but the herbs hang on. I was able to smell the each herb as I cupped my hands around this final aromatic supper. Tomorrow I shall cut the herbs back and bring them into the house to dry. The change is almost finished. Transition time has come full circle.

Tomorrow, we will put the lawn mower away and will bring the snow blower to the front of the garage. The herbs will be cut and dried or frozen. Pixie and I might head over to the dog park for a final romp before the cold returns along with the ice and snow. The circle will be complete. Summer is over! We are heading towards spring once again!

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood,
Do you remember Mr. Rogers singing that song?
I do.
As I walked today, I realized,
it really is a beautiful day in my neighborhood.
Join me in my walk.
Roses are still blooming.
My garden is mature!
Trees are just starting to turn.
We're starting the transition.
The milkweed is ripening.
The brown eyed susans are blooming!
The thistles are mature.
Even the weeds look pretty!
Crab apples anyone?
Time for this welcome wreath!
Isn't it a beautiful day?

I'm Ready for Change, Almost

The seasons are beginning to change. Right now we are here when summer has matured and is ready to slow down for a much needed nap.

















I'm beginning to see the winds of change in the plants outside.






















The brown eyed susans are in bloom.





















The ragweed cometh. These are all signs that fall is on the way.






















Soon the leaves will begin to change color. What a magnificent show we will see then!

















The birds will begin to fly south as we prepare for the onset of winter.
















Then there is the quiet beauty of the first snowfall.

I don't look forward to the bitter cold, ice and snow of winter, but I am ready for change.

Breathe Even More

Easy Peasy Skull Tutorial for Glass Bead Makers

Looks like someone needs to clean her work area! Oh, well, for now, this will have to do. Remember, too, that my first photo is very blurry, but after that, they are nice and clear.

As I write this quick little tutorial on how to make a lampwork bead skull, it's pretty warm outside, and it's summer. I can't help but think of fall, pumpkins, and Halloween.

Skulls are fun beads to make, and they can be very easy.

Materials:
1 rod of dark ivory (You can actually use any color you like, but I chose this color because it looks more like a skull to me.)
a brass marver
tungsten pick or uncoated mandrel
some type of masher
mandrel coated with bead release



















1) I begin by making a tube bead the length I want my skull to be.


















2) I continue to add glass to the bead so that one end has more glass than the other end of the mandrel. Notice, too, that there is a bit less glass in the middle of the bead.

















3) Using my brass marver, I make indents about 1/3 of the way to the top. I also flatten the bead at this point. You can see, now, that the shape of the skull is beginning to form.


















4) Remembering to keep my bead warm by flashing it in the flame, I take the bead out of the flame quickly, and using my tungsten pick or my uncoated mandrel, I make indentations in the bead for the eyes and nose. After doing that, I warm the bead up again in the flame. I don't want the bead to go back to the molten state, so I flash the bead in the flame.

















5) Again, using my tungsten pick or uncoated mandrel, I make a mouth on my skull. Again, I flash the bead in the flame before I put this easy peasy skull in the kiln to cool down properly.

See what I mean? Easy Peasy!

Variations using the same tools. You might need to use your tweezers, though with these variations.

1) change the color of your skull
2) Add shards
3) Add a stringer or twistie
4) I like to use murinni for the eyes
5) Add a cap
6) Add a tongue sticking out
7) Change the size
8) Make an eye patch
9) Make a mask
10) Add teeth
11) Encase






Feel free to use this tutorial to make your own skulls and sell them. Pass it on to your friends. My only request is to have fun making them! We all need a little fun now and again!

My Summer Favorites

Who doesn't like a tomato fresh from the vine?

Flowers of any kind are wonderful in summer!
Fresh herbs in the garden and freshly mowed grass. The smells are intense!
Spike enjoying the area "by his tree." A memory I will always cherish, and someday, I will miss!

Watching the living sculptures develop and change, what a show!
These aren't my only reasons I love summer,
but they are in my top 10,000.

Summer Solstice 2009

Welcome Summer!
Today, is the Summer Solstice.

Today, we have the most amount of light in a day, and we have the shortest night.
From today on, until the Winter Solstice,
We will begin to loose bits of our daylight each day.
It's still going to be warm.
It's still going to be light.
It's still going to be summer.
Let's welcome the gift of summer
with
love, peace and joy!

Let's Try Again!

I tried to export this from ByHandMe yesterday. It didn't work exactly. There was no explanation other than some wonderful items, with links, that help to make summer more enjoyable.

The title of this Spotlight is Summer. If you go there, then you can click on each link to learn more about each product.

While you are at ByHandMe, take a look around. Their motto is: Put the Personal Back in Handmade. There's a lot to see and enjoy. You do see the person behind the craft.

My Summer Line: I'm the Queen of Discs!

I love making discs!
I'm the Queen of Discs!
Huh?
Well, maybe not the queen,
but
I honestly love making
lampwork glass discs.
Discs and spacers will be the focus of my summer line!
Orange discs!
Multicolored discs!
Blue discs!
Transparent discs!
Apricot Discs!
Seashell Colored Discs!
Softened Discs!

Need to see more discs?
Be sure to visit my
Etsy Store,
my
Artfire Store.
For finished products,
be sure to visit my
1000Markets Store.