The Bead Bowl

Here it is.

Orphans in Tucson

I've just returned from a family reunion in Tucson. I brought my bead bowl with me, which is a large glass bowl filled with 'orphans' and extra beads from sets. My family had a great time spreading the beads out on the table and looking through them. So did I! There's something wonderful about being able to sift through a bowl full of colorful beads. They're all different, and they make a nice clicking noise when you move your fingers through them. A very tactile experience. A lot of them I had nearly forgotten about... there must be hundreds that I've accumulated in the past year. Maybe I'll post a picture of the bowl (much diminished of beads due to purchases by family members -- thanks everyone!) in my next blog entry.

Freeform bead #3

The obsession with off-mandrel beads continues...
Here's one I made a couple of days ago. It's etched.

Freeform bead #2

Here's my second attempt at an off-mandrel bead.
I'm wearing this one today on a silver chain. I like it!

Off-mandrel bead

I had a good day at the torch yesterday. I worked on a colorful set using German Kugler glass and silver foil, and I've also made my first off-mandrel freeform bead. You can see the picture of it here.

I like that it's all wobbly and funky. And the best part is ... no bead release to clean out of the hole! There are a lot of new design possibilities with this, so I'm going to have some more fun today.

Pancake Beads

Each time I turn on the kiln and begin a session at the torch, the first bead I make is what I call a Pancake Bead. 9 times out of 10 it's a total flop, just like the first pancake to be poured into the pan. Knowing this, I usually make my first bead a color or shape experiment, or I'll try out a design I've been thinking about.

Sometimes, like yesterday, the number of days away from the torch dictates how many pancakes it will take before a decent bead emerges. So yesterday I had four pancakes in the kiln as my first four beads. I almost gave up for the day discouraged, but I kept at it and broke through the pancake phase. I ended up getting a few really gorgeous beads that I'm happy with.

Back to the torch! ...praying for crepes....

Computer day

I've spent most of today on the computer, doing more photoshopping and updating my Etsy store and website. I haven't had a lot of torch time these past few days... most of the family is down with the flu and I've been doing 'mom' stuff. It's been good to have this time that I can devote to much-needed computer work.

Being a self-representing artist who sells online means spending quite a bit of time at the computer! The actual making of the beads is just a small part of the process. Luckily I enjoy working on the computer so it's all fun for me. Here's a photo of a bead I just uploaded to Etsy.

New Auction Posted

It's been a beautiful, sunny day here, turning into a nice sunset. I'm sitting outside watching the quail and doves eating the birdfood in the yard. Though it's a quiet evening, I've been busy today posting new items.

I've posted a set of 5 Kronos buttons on ebay like the ones pictured in the blog entry from a couple of days ago. I've also made a couple of sales from my Etsy shop today, so I'm really happy that in the first week I've seen three sales. Today I have a couple of new floral sets on up on Etsy too. I'll post a photo.

First Etsy Sale

Yes, I had my first sale in my new Etsy shop today, and I'm so excited! The floral bead pictured here is the one that sold.

It's been a quiet, rainy day at BeadAbundant. I've done some shipping today, and I'm working on the photos I took yesterday, but other than that it's been a day to do around-town errands and relax. It's pizza night tonight - yum!

Kronos Beads

Here's a photo of a few of my latest beads made with Kronos II and Gaia on a black base. They're similar to the bead in my profile photo, which was made with Gaia, Kronos I and fine silver.

Photography

I pulled some more great Kronos beads out of the kiln this morning, and today I've been cleaning those and doing photography. I have amassed a large collection of beads over the past few months that need to be photographed for my website and online store.

The best tutorial on photoshopping bead pictures that I've seen is from Sarah Hornik's blog. It's an excellent guide for anyone who wants to get great looking photos for the web. Here's the link:
A Few Words on Photoshopping

Coming soon: a photo of my latest Kronos beads.

Windy Day

It's a very windy, sun-shiny day here in Sedona. I made some beautiful beads yesterday with Kronos and some other reducing glasses from Double Helix. Today I've been cleaning the beads and preparing to make more to finish them out as small sets.

I've just opened a store at Etsy.com. I have a few beads up there now, and will be adding more every couple of days. Mostly I'll be selling smaller sets and focal beads in my Etsy shop. Here's the link:
http://beadabundant.etsy.com

Today I've posted my first page on my website. It's just a welcome/under construction page, but I'm celebrating because at least it's SOMETHING! It's been a challenge learning Dreamweaver and Fireworks, so until I figure out more about the programs I'm just going to start building a basic site.

Here's the link for my website:
http://www.beadabundant.com

Until tomorrow......
Karolen