Beautiful Porcelain Beads

I was messing with lowfire clay, raku and stoneware clay for so long I forgot how beautiful and amazing working with porcelain clay can be.

 This past week I was able to get a couple of glaze firings in and while it literally takes all day to fire the results are stunning. I have posted some bead sets in my shop... reluctantly, I might add.  I really really wanted to keep them!

My neck is out so I am going to put up some pictures and then go lay down.

Thanksgiving all Yearlong at Canters!

I got new glaze last night and oh boy I am excited to use it!  I first need to do a bisque fire of some beads though before I can use it and the kiln is loaded with red mesa beads glazed and ready for their close up, so it will be awhile.

I also got some wire and findings and I have some grand ideas for jewelry so expect some new ready to wear pieces in the near future in my shop.

I am still posting pendant sets in my shop with the hopes that people will snatch them up. These are pendants that I usually sell and 8 to 12 dollars each and they are now in my shop grouped up at lower prices. 

The family went out to Hollywood yesterday afternoon to visit my eldest Daughter who just turned 22.  She manages a kiosk in the Hollywood and Highland Mall selling these cute little silicone watches.  We walked around a bit with the kids and walked down the steps that the movies glide up to the Kodiak Theater for the Oscars.  We did a quick tour of Graumans  Chinese Theater and then met my daughters boyfriend for dinner at Canters.

Yum is all I have to say about that place! I had Thanksgiving dinner, I am a sucker for turkey,stuffing and gravy. The kids ate enormous sandwiches and we shared cheese cakes for desert the cream cheese cheese cake was the best by far.

Woo hoo It is the New Year!

My first post of the New Year and let me tell ya whew, am I ever happy that Christmas is behind us.  No I am not a grinch but dang the holiday's are tiring. My daughter has been sick with back to back colds since Sept so that didn't help and I caught one over the holiday too.

 While laid up in bed I did manage to roll a few hundred beads so I am getting back into the swing of things.  I also got some new raku and porcelain glazes that I am eager to try out. Tons of new ideas for the New Year!

I want to take my shop to the next level and my social networking too.  I feel like I am blogging to myself most of the time, I need to find my people.

I am also in the process of posting all of my old stock and making room for the new beads on the horizon so here are some pictures.

Etsy Treasury's

I finally figured out how to do a treasury on Etsy. As always I made it harder than it was. I do find it a little more ungainly than the Artfire Collection maker, but maybe I just need to fool around with.
Licorice Whips and Peppermints

Giant Paper Flowers

My daughter's sixth birthday was last week and her Grandmother sent a treasure trove of crafty kits  for her. One of the gifts was a paperflower kit.

The kit came with lots of tissue paper in a rainbow of colors and pipecleaners to match.  The instructions were easy to follow and soon we were making beautiful flowers.  My daughter got bored after the third flower but I continued to make more. What a fun simple little kit.

I may have to buy my own kit now!

RockStar Beads

Yesterday I spent all day glazing and watching bad movies.  I tried a few new things out. I had bought these bright pastel underglazes awhile back but had yet to really give them a go.  I usually go with a more natural color palette but also I hate being put into a box and labeled as that one thing so every now and then I like to breakout of the box and do something different.

So here are a few pictures of my latest kiln fire and oh boy, I am super pleased. I had listed some in my shop already and am going to list more tomorrow!

Posting Crazy in my Shop

I  feel like I have a good routine going with my picture taking (finally!) and I my editing is going nicely too.  I wish I could  be one of those people who set a nice stage for their products but really that just doesn't work for me.  Maybe some day ....

My next big tackle is shipping and learning to tag and that whole seo oh boy makes me anxious and get all overwhelmed by it .... baby  steps.

I really feel like the bead sets are working out nicely and  they are selling well. Maybe because they are what I love best of all.  It makes me happy when I know that a bead lover bought my beads because I know they went to a good home. So more beads will be a coming!  I have made bead sets out of most of my stash and have been posting them almost daily.