Chat Archives

Hi all! Well, my goodness! A whole month went by... And here I thought I'd keep up with this more often ~ oops! My apologies!

I have some new beads up on etsy! These are gorgeous lil' pairs, perfect for earrings, I like to call "Minillusions" as they are an adaptation from my Aurora's Illusion series. Aren't they great? I've been having so much fun with these!

I have also been working on jewelry sets (see the fish sets below right). I've been asked by a few shops if I would do wholesale and I finally caved and decided that yes, I will do wholesale!

Soon I will be building a page with wholesale information, but in the meantime, if you are interested in carrying my work in your shop, just email me and I'll give you all the info you need.

In other news: In a nutshell, I've had a very busy month. I've done a few shows, which were great, and I've been working as a book designer on another book on how to work with children with autism. Great stuff there!

Also, I've had a lot of trouble lately with my computer (a virus which hopefully is gone now) and intermittent internet connection (which is hopefully fixed now). Everything seems to be working again, and that is such a relief.

This weekend I will be attending the 10th annual Arkansas Bead Society bead retreat, called the Bead Cave. I am SOOOO looking forward to it. I'll be teaching a class on photographing jewelry and plan to take several classes on beading, too. It will be great fun!

OK, so no rest for the weary, it's getting late, so I need to go get some beauty rest. Tomorrow is another day! Woo~hoo!

Hi all! I hope you had a great summer and that "life is back to normal" now, if you have kids. My lil' Ginny is now in the 2nd grade, and although she spent the first week of school sick with the flu, she is already doing well and making new friends.

Now that summer is over, the weather is getting cooler. I'm lovin' it! I have an arts and crafts show this weekend and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the rain that is forecasted stays away. The show is the Prairie Grove Clothesline Fair, which is a long running event (like almost 60 years I think) and this will be my fourth year doing the event. It is one of my favorites to do all year ~ as long as the weather is good!

Anyway, I've been busy making lots of new jewelry for the show, a lot of inexpensive necklaces, bracelets and earrings. I have been unusually productive! If you're in the area (near Fayetteville, Arkansas), come see me! The show runs Saturday through Monday. Mention that you saw my blog and I'll give you a 20% discount on everything in my booth!

Hi all! Boy, am I on a roll. Can't stop! Don't wanna stop! Having way too much fun... Especially now that my hand is about 90% recovered, I am just having a blast playing with glass. Thought I'd show you how wonderful these Aurora's Illusion beads work up into pendants. Isn't this beautiful? I might have to keep this one... Or not... or maybe... I don't know. Really torn! BTW, the sterling silver changeable bead pendant finding is by Mary Poineal of McDuck Creations. I just love her findings! These come in all lengths. The ball on the bottom unscrews so you can change your beads, and the bail just slips onto any chain. I think it looks very elegant!

Anyway, lotsa new goodies up on Etsy, Artfire and here on my site! Check 'em all out! You'll be glad you did. C'mon, where is the harm in looking? I just know you need some eye candy to look at. Don't we all? :)

Hi all! More new goodies up! As you can see (at right), I've been busy. This is what happens when I have a show lurking around the corner. In two weeks I will be at the Hot Springs AKS Bead, Gem & Jewelry Show and I have to admit ~ I am ULTRA excited! I can't believe how long it's been since I did a bead show ~ almost a year!!! I had no idea I missed it so much, but gauging by how excited I am getting, I've missed it more than I realized. Anyway, having been too lax keeping my inventory up, I am going gang busters now! Enjoy all the new goodies! :)

Hi all! I just spent the last two days listing stuff on Etsy, Artfire and here. I had accumulated so many beads in recent weeks, it was starting to overwhelm my beading desk, so I had to get cracking and get everything up. That meant taking photos, lots of photos, and editing them in Photoshop and writing up listings. Whew! Lots of work! :) I'm happy it's done now, but it never ends... Alas, more beads are soaking in the kiln as I write... Oh well! Look at ALL the goodies at right, and these aren't even everything, there are lots more! Wow! Oh, and don't miss the seven new Aurora Illusion beads!!!

I also wanted to mention that I recently signed on to exhibit at the AKS Bead Show in Hot Springs, AR, August 21 - 23. I'll be sharing a booth with another lampworker named Sharon of Morningstar Glass. This will be Sharon's first time showing at this event, so if you're in the area, come on out and welcome her to Hot Springs! We'd love to see you!

I'll be mailing out discount postcards for the show this week ~ if you want one, let me know.

Hi all! Just a quick pop in to mention that I just completed a new tutorial on how to make my Aurora's Illusion beads. It's FREE and it's listed here on my site! Those of you who like to play with glass ~ check it out!

Hi all! Isn't there a saying something like "don't fix what ain't broke"? Well, Murphy's Law being what it is, I attempted to do that here on the website, only to discover I messed a bunch of stuff up. I couldn't update the site for weeks. Oh, se la vie. I should have left well enough alone!

It's summer here and we've been camping and have been swimming and otherwise just trying to keep cool. My daughter Chelsea moved out a couple weeks ago, and the house seems so empty without her. I did something crazy and completely cleaned out her room, and now that I did that, I kinda wish I hadn't. It looks so plain and empty now. I need to hang up some artwork or something... I moved my photo studio in there from the shop and I love being able to just step into another room to take bead pictures instead of traipsing through the grass and all the ticks to get to the shop. :)

So, now it's just me and Ginny, most days of the week, and torching has to be done in the evenings or on my hubby's days off from work. I am still trying to learn how to use the Electric Mandrel Spinner and I am wondering if I will EVER get it... Oh well. Every bead I make using that thing comes out wonkier than a drunken sailor on leave.

Anyway, I have been making beads, mostly froggies and floral lozenge sets, with this or that in between. This week, I'm hoping to make some encased florals, but who knows where the muse will take me?

I have several new items available! I really love the new tropical flowers series I'm doing, (as shown at right). They are so fun, and I have to say, quite pretty to boot. These are inspired by Susan of Doodletart Glass, a very talented glass artist and a member of www.wetcanvas.com. I just love Susan's work! It was only a matter of time before I tried some of her techniques. The flowers remind me of the beautiful leis I saw in Hawaii back when I had the very fortunate pleasure of visiting the islands in 1997. I lived in Florida at the time, and I brought home a sampling of the Plumeria (aka Frangipani), literally a "stick in a bag" and stuck in a pot to see what would happen. It actually grew into a small tree! By the time we left Florida in 2000, it had bloomed several times. I miss that tree... The flowers smell like pure heaven, it is very much my all-time favorite scent on earth.

My hand is doing much better now, too! I received many emails from people wishing me well, and all those prayers must have worked, because after a treatment of Prednisone and wearing a splint, the hand feels as good as new. I feel really blessed.

Still, not one to tempt fate, I have to be careful with it. So, I received an Electric Mandrel Spinner (a gift from my very dear friend Lois) and have started to learn how to use it. For now, I am using it to make simple beads (like the inexpensive focals shown below right, under the funky bracelet and earrings), until I can figure out a way to use it for most of my work. It is definitely going to take a LOT of practice, but I am very grateful to have the tool. Thank you, Lois!!!

Yesterday, I had a student here, Mary, from Lawton, OK. It had been quite a while since I had a student here, and we had the best of fun! She seemed to be a natural to beadmaking and asked me to show her many different techniques. It was really a treat having her here!

In a few days, we'll be leaving for the Buffalo River for our annual camping trip. The drive is just barely an hour north of here, and we're going back to our favorite campgrounds, Steel Creek. We'll be there from Wednesday to Sunday. My SIL will be caring for "the boys" (our kitties) while we are away, that is, if Chelsea doesn't decide to opt out and stay home. She thinks she is getting a summer cold, so we'll see...

We plan to hike to Hemmed In Hollow (HOPEFULLY the waterfall will be running!!!) and we plan to innertube from Ponca to Steel Creek. Should be a lot of fun, and yes, you can expect photos upon my return!

Hi all! Yikes! It's been over a month since I logged on here. My apologies for my long absence!

...So, why have I been away so long, you ask? No, I did not fall off the face of the planet. No, aliens did not abduct me. No, I was not in a coma, nothing like that.

Actually, I've been doing less beadmaking and more graphic design work due to an injury to my left hand. Through the years, repeated abuse while lampworking has finally taken it's toll and I've had to cut back. WAY back. The only torching I've been doing in the last month or so has been for custom orders only, in an attempt to rest the hand.

I saw a doctor and they gave me a splint for the hand and prescribed Prednisone, which I am still taking. I have begun to see some improvement and I have ordered an electric mandrel spinner and that should be arriving this week. I fully expect to be making beads again soon, but I might have to pace myself. It took years to create the damage and I imagine it may take quite a long time before the hand has fully recovered.

Meanwhile, as I said, I've been doing some freelance work as a typesetter/graphic designer for Robert D. Reed Publishers and I am thrilled to have to work. The people I work with are absolutely the finest of people and I hope to keep working for them on a long term basis. I have just completed one book for them and am almost finished with another. More books are coming in to work on and I'll back at it soon. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to continue to work from home, even if it isn't making beads full-time, which I really miss.

Anyway, soon we'll be on vacation, going camping again up at the Buffalo River here in Arkansas. We'll be gone from Thursday, June 11 to Sunday, June 14. It'll be a short, but very sweet vacation, and I'm sure we'll enjoy it. Summer is definitely approaching fast here in Arkansas!

Hi all! Just a quick note, as I forgot to post this earlier... I'll be at the pARTy in the Park arts and crafts festival in Russellville, AR this Saturday, so come see me, if you can! :) The event is 10 - 4 with free admission, and will be held at the Russellville City Park. Email me for directions.

In other news: We just celebrated Chelsea's 18th birthday ~ can you believe it? Some of you will remember when she was just starting out making beads when she was 12 years old. My, how time flies! Chelsea will be graduating from high school on May 22, in just one month!

I've been keeping busy with making beads, and working on other projects. I have even applied for a job in town. For the time being, I need to scale back on my time making beads to shorter sessions due to an increasingly painful problem with my left hand. I need to purchase an electric mandrel spinner, but unfortunately, they are really expensive, so I'm thinking of doing some sort of raffle or something to raise the money.

I have also been given the opportunity to return to my roots in graphic design and am in the process of acquiring the correct software for that.

Rest assured, though, that I will never stop making beads and I will keep the "home fires burning" with my torch... I'm actually looking forward to spending more time being creative and less time on production. You're bound to see some new stuff from me in the process!

Hi all! My new series seems to be a hit! I am really excited about these! I have four more to list and I made a couple more today, so keep checking back!

Hi all! I just created a special new page for my newest design, something I am REALLY excited about it! Check it out!

Hi all! Busy weekend this weekend! Tomorrow night is Chelsea's prom and Sunday, I'm going to a bead show with some friends. Can't wait! Thought you might like to see the necklace I made for Chelsea, in bright green, to match her dress, of course! If you like the Lacy Drop pattern, let me know and I will get you a link for it.

I have just made some NEW and EXCITING beads that I can't wait to show you ~ but I will! LOL! I gotta get pix taken, and I'm not sure I'll get them taken this weekend. Trust me, though, it will be worth the wait!!! I haven't been this excited about my work in a long, long time.

Hi all! Recently I sent out a newsletter asking for feedback on how the economy is affecting you and how you are adjusting ~ particularly in the beading arena. As an incentive I promised a free bead to the first twenty people to respond and WOW! I have to say, I really got a lot of great responses and the investment was well worth it. Here are few of the tips I received from people who are trying to stay creative in a challenging economic situation:

v Finish more of your unfinished projects. You know you have them, stashed away, those long forgotten about projects that you tucked away to finish at a later date. Most of you have all the supplies for those projects already, so you don't need to spend any money, you just need to pick up where you left off and get it done!

v Do more time consuming projects. If you are a bead stringer, try learning a new stitch and enjoy the time it takes to create something new. Seed beads are relatively inexpensive and you can create a beautiful piece with little investment while enjoying the process of creating it more, giving you more "hours of entertainment". For something really special, try stitching a rope in bead crochet, tubular peyote, spiral stitch or tubular netting and adding just a single focal bead!

v If you are not into bead stitching, you can still save money by not creating elaborate pieces, instead more earrings or make pendants and offer your customers a variety of ways to wear it; on a chain, kumihimo braid, leather or nylon cord, silk ribbons, etc.

v Some of you are cutting out magazine subscriptions, since you can read them online and download those irresistible projects if you want/need to. I, myself, am letting my subscriptions lapse. If there is something you really want to learn to do, you can google it and you may get lucky and find a similar project tutorial online for free.

v You can shop for small bead purchases with online sources that offer free shipping. Websites like www.artbeads.com for example. I used to do a lot of shopping with Fire Mountain, racking up my quantities until I reached one of the price breaks. Now, I just buy what I need from Artbeads or other sites like it, and I find I am spending a lot less.

Bead shows are still a good place to shop as many vendors offer discounts and bargains, competing with one another.

v If you do shows, stick to shows close to home so you don't have travel expenses like gas and hotel to cover.

v If you sell online, try using social networking sites like Facebook to promote your work ~ it's free!

Some of the responses I received were very helpful to me as a lampworker as well. Some people suggested I create smaller sets or pairs with the option to order more if customers need or want more. It was also suggested that I offer some less expensive focals in the $10 - $15 range, offer free shipping and continue to offer incentives via the newsletters. One customer alerted me to the Saturday Night Specials (SNS) that run every Saturday night on Etsy. Many sellers participate successfully and the buyers couldn't be happier. I ran my first SNS this last weekend and wound up making a couple sales. It was fun and exciting and I plan to make it a part of my regular regimen. If I can remember to do it, that is!

To shop the Saturday Night Specials, search the Etsy forums by typing in "SNS" and you'll find the weekly thread with all of the sellers offering discounts listed. Many run great sales like Buy One Get One Free and the like. Read through the thread and see what sellers are offering and click on their avatar or the links they provide to go to their stores and shop.

Anyway, I've been listening to you! Right now you'll find lots of new pairs on etsy, Artfire and here in the What's New dept. I would be happy to make them into a full set for you if you need, the more you order, the bigger the discount you'll get per bead.

I'm also making and listing some less expensive focals with more to come! I am trying really hard to list something every night on etsy and Artfire, so keep watching.

As for free shipping? If you want it, just say so when you check out. Plain and simple. I do plan to change all my checkout templates but that is a process I've yet to figure out how to do easily. In the meantime, if you see something you want, whether on Artfire, etsy or my website, and you want free shipping, just email me for a revised invoice or put "free shipping please" in your checkout page and I will reimburse you for the shipping fee. Okee dokee?

I know you're struggling in this economy, we all are. But, there are ways you can keep beading and make your inner creative child happy. We'll all stick together and we'll get through this together. Hang in there!

Hi all! Happy St. Patrick's Day! Of course, I'm writing this in green, how can I not? You would probably assume that purple is my favorite color, and while yes, I do love purple, my all-time favorite color is actually green! I especially love shades of teal and sage and lime. It's all good. :)

I had a great time this weekend! I visited some friends in Heber Springs for some beading fun. I tried (unsuccessfully) to teach one lady bead crochet and wound up learning a new stitch instead, a tubular netting, which I found to be very easy and work up quickly. I will have to show my first piece after it's completed, but I've really come a long way on it already.

For one, I've been a Nymo thread fan from way back, but when I tried Fireline for the first time this weekend, I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised! I had always assumed it was a type of monofilament, which I've always hated working with, but it isn't like monofilament at all. It is, as best as I can tell, a kind of plastic thread. It doesn't fray, it doesn't tangle up easily, and you can't split the thread with a needle (well, not easily, anyway). But, I do have a problem.

I bought this years ago after I'd gotten tired of how thread from tightly wound bobbins would tangle horribly. I had noticed, as I got closer to the end of the thread on a bobbin, it tangled worse and worse, and I thought about it, and common sense told me that maybe a larger spool would be less likely to tangle. So, I bought this gigantic spool from Fire Mountain and was delighted that my hunch was correct. It didn't tangle nearly as much!

This was good news for a beader like me, who HATED using beeswax (it always makes everything feel dirty to me), but I also didn't like tangled thread. The big spool was the miracle I had been looking for, and thought for sure I would never find anything else that I would like better than my "mountain of Nymo".

So, now that I've discovered Fireline.... What the heck am I gonna do with THIS? And I don't have just one, no, dagnabbit, I have TWO of these things!!! ACK!!!

The other thing I found to be very interesting and useful was something another beader did, Katy. She had brought with her several "UFO's". I didn't ask what "UFOs" actually meant, as I'd never associated the term UFO with anything other than flying saucers, so I kinda figured out that it might have meant, "Un Finished Objects", by the many unfinished projects she brought to complete over the weekend. By the time I left Sunday, she had completed about five projects and I was very impressed.

And yesterday, on a whim, Tim and I decided to visit my in-laws in Alma, which is about a hour and fifteen minute drive each way, and I had just enough time to grab my tray with my UFO tubular netting piece I started over the weekend. While Tim drove, I managed to make some real progress on the project. And, as I worked on it, I thought about how smart it was of Katy to bring so many UFO's this weekend. I realized I should always have UFOs ready to grab and go at a moment's notice, and maybe then, I can be as productive as I'd like to be! What a great idea! So, my new goal is to have at least five UFOs at all time.

Hi all! We might get snow tonight! I'm excited! It's been so warm it is hard to believe. I do hope it does snow, but I don't want my travels to Heber Springs this weekend to be affected. We'll see what happens, keeping my fingers crossed!

Hey, check out these earwires... These are the ones I mentioned the other day that I made at the bead meeting this weekend. These are made with copper, since I needed some copper earwires, but you could make these out of any wire that your ears can tolerate. We played with different designs and it's really easy to do with round nose pliers and a pencil or a pen.

Here are a few links to get your started making your own! It's really fun and easy to do!

Hi all! Holy smoley! Have I been busy! New goodies at right, most of which are florals. I made a bunch! I made matching focals to pairs, so if you want an earring and pendant set, well, there ya go!

It's been a lot of fun revisiting my favorite beads to make. I guess florals will always be my #1 thing. I just love them, and I've gotten quite used to making them... I always relax and get in my "comfort zone" when I make florals. It didn't always be that way!

Florals were the motivating reason for learning to make beads. I had seen some florals on ebay and was totally wowed out by them. I knew I wanted to do that ONE thing. It was such a struggle though, to learn to make them! YEARS! So many ugly beads, many cracked and many wonky, but I eventually got there, eventually they became my "comfort zone". Honestly, had I know how much time and practice it was going to take to learn, I might never have tried! Good thing I was so oblivious, just lost in the love affair with the flame...

I went to a bead meeting yesterday, in Ft. Smith. We all had such fun! We did a show and tell and talked about a new group we just formed on Yahoo appropriately called "The Ozark Bead Box". This group is for bead swaps, selling, trading and just general bead fun stuff. Nothing any of can't do without, huh?

While we were at the meeting, we learned how to make earwires. A woman named Cathy was there to show us. Now, I had made earwires before, many times, and initially, I wasn't planning to participate, since I already knew how, but I decided to give it a shot on the chance I might learn something. I did! I learned a lot! Cathy shared a wonderful little secret with us ~ when you make earwires, make them both at the same time, so they match! I love that! Not only that, but it takes half the time to make a pair. We sat and played, making some new designs, some quite ornate. This is such a fun group, and worth every mile of the 3 hour long round trip drive.

Next weekend, I am going to visit a friend in Heber Springs, Libby, whom I met at the Arkansas Bead Cave bead retreat last fall. This poor soul has been struggling with bead crochet. and I thought I would try to help her learn. I know for me, it took hands on teaching by my dear friend Vickie, to whom I will be forever grateful, and now it's time to Pay It Forward, so to speak. I hope I can help her! I'll keep my fingers crossed...

Anyway, that about sums up my beady little life in a nutshell. I know, not very exciting, but it is what it is...

Thanks again for checking out my site, reading my blog and otherwise being so supportive of my art!

Also wanted to mention the Wetsy Team's (Wet Canvas Etsy Street Team) March Madness promo this month! There is a an image of pot of gold hidden in one of my etsy listings and if you find it, and mention it in your check out page, you'll get FREE SHIPPING on your etsy purchases this month, PLUS a special beady beauty! Don't delay ~ shop today!

Hi all! Lookie lookie lookie! New goodies! Yay! And I hope to have more up tomorrow or over the weekend. Although Rachel is coming home this weekend, and we're taking Chelsea prom dress shopping, so who knows when, but I assure you ~ worth the wait!

I've had a hankering to making something new and different. I wanted to try combining fine lines and dots into a unique pattern and so I came up with the orange & turquoise tab focal bead shown at top right. What do you think? I made another similar to that yesterday. They sort of have a Native American look to them, although that wasn't really the intent. I like them, though, and want to explore them further. Not having shows and being caught up on custom orders (well almost) is giving me a bit more freedom to play and maybe hopefully learn new things at the torch.

I also need to get started on the next book. I have already begun "assembling components" but I will be also looking for outside contributions. Not beadmaking, per se, but more beading with lampwork, or making things with lampwork. Anything at all, really. Feel free to drop me a line and show me a photo of what you would like to submit and we'll go from there. I think I am going to be accepting just photos along with tutorials. No deadline at the moment, but that may come later. I may also just get out there are recruit contributors as well.

Hi all! New goodies at right! Yay! Most are here on the website, and if you're on the newsletter mailing list ~ you can take advantage of that coupon you got, hint hint! ;)

Little Ginny and her daddy went to a Father Daughter Dance last night. I took some photos before they left. They had a GREAT time! After seeing her sisters go prom dress shopping and going to proms (4 times so far) Ginny finally got HER night. Anyway, thought you would like seeing these pix...

Just popped my head in to say I've got some new critters on the What's New page ~ I've also put up a few on Artfire and etsy, to be fair. Hehehe...

Book sales are going well! I have just a few copies left at the $9.95 pre-order price, and you still have a few more days to take advantage of the sale, so don't delay, if you haven't already ordered the book. Reviews have been coming in and I am so delighted that the feedback has been so positive! (Click the photo at left to order the book).

I'm excited that I received the ISGB Gathering conference booklet just the other day ~ this year's event will be held in Miami and I am HOPING I can go. I would love to visit my Mom and my brother and his family along the way, since they all live in the Tampa Bay area. I am keeping my fingers (and toes) crossed that it all works out so I can go.

In other news, my local art guild, Artwaves, and I finally got our window display up in downtown Clarksville and when I get some good photos, I'll post them here. We're excited to finally establish a permanent place to show our work to all those folks passing by.

This Saturday night is the local Father - Daughter Dance and my husband is going to be taking our 6 year old Ginny to her first dance. She is really excited! I hope they'll get some good photos. I'm so tempted to sneak down there for a peek! Think I should?

Hi all! I just listed several new items! A lot of beautiful jewelry and beads! Yay! I have also been continually listing new and old stuff on Artfire, lots of goodies there at half price, so be sure to check it out! Any purchases on Artfire gets FREE SHIPPING! You can't lose!

I have just a few books left and they'll be on sale only for two more weeks before the price goes back up to $11.95. Don't miss out!

Debby,

Your book is beautiful! Signed by you the author, no less :-) I've just read it from cover to cover. Very comprehensive and well written! Congratulations for a big job well done! Excellent photos, too!

I'd like to buy a second copy of The Beader's Handbook on Lampwork for my sister. I'm sure she will thoroughly enjoy having a copy, too!

Clara Stultz, Norfork, Arkansas

I admit, I've been feeling nervous about the book, and was hoping people were liking it, so this comment really helped to boost my confidence in the book. Thank you, Clara!!!

I do have a few new beads to show, and I'm hoping to get them listed soon. I last made beads last Monday as I came down with a horrid cold/flu/God-knows-what on Tuesday and have been down for the count all week. I'm feeling better today and was planning on attending a bead meeting in Ft. Smith today but then Ginny came down with the same funk. So, I stayed home to play Mommy and let Chelsea take off in the van to go visit her boyfriend. It's his birthday tomorrow and she made cupcakes. I hope he appreciates her efforts!

Stay tuned... I have a new barrel slider and a new spring lozenge floral set coming soon, plus others!

Hi all! My first shipment of books arrived yesterday, so anyone that has ordered a book ~ it is on it's way! :)

There are still a few copies left, available at the $9.95 price. Hurry! They may not last. After these are gone, the price goes up to $11.95. Click on the photo at left to order the book.

Hi all! I have a couple of exciting announcements! I checked today, and my book is now available on Amazon! Check it out!

The other exciting announcement is that I just listed several new items on etsy! Yay! A new barrel slider, a lozenge flower set with matching pair, two new floral pairs, and a floral ring.

I am continuing to add items to Artfire, too, and just started a CLEARANCE section ~ be sure to check it out!

In other news: We survived the big ice storm earlier this week! It was crazy! Our power went out Monday night and didn't come back on until Thursday afternoon. Our whole house is totally electric, so we got really cold. We had a little heater, but it barely kept the house 50 degrees. We wound up staying a night in a motel, just so we could get showers!

We lost several young trees and there is a very tall pine that is REALLY leaning over the house now, so we need to get that one taken down.

And now, my poor sweetie pie has the flu, what a drag! I hope he feels better soon.

Hi all! IT'S DONE! IT'S OFFICIAL! Can you feel my excitement? Today I received the proof of my book, "The Beader's Handbook on Lampwork", and I am happy to report that it is perfect! I have just looked it over and I am very satisfied with how the book reads and looks.

Soooo... without further ado, if you would like to pre-order the book, please click here! I made up a new order page just for you! Order by February 26, and pay only $9.95. Regular price is $11.95.

The book is also available on CreateSpace and will be available on Amazon by February 10.

Thank you to all of you who continue your support of my work ~ I will always be grateful for your unending loyalty.

Hi all! Thought you'd get a kick out of this photo. This is what's left of our mailbox after some crazy drunk teenagers ran it over the other night. This is exactly how it looked after we got the truck out of the ditch. The flag came up all by itself, as if in surrender. The teens were supposed to come back with a new one, but it's been a few days now and I think they're a no-show.

Hi all! I hope your week is going well... Things have been pretty quiet here this week, so I've been a bit more productive at the torch than I have been in recent weeks. As you can see at right, I've been doing all sorts of creative things. I really like the orange and coral lozenge set! I took my most recent Chico's catalog out to the shop for inspiration. There sure are some yummy color combos in that catalog! I sure have been having fun!

I finally got the gas guy out to hook up my torches to the 150 gallon tank we use for the heater, so I'm not running off the BBQ sized tanks anymore.

I've also been listing stuff on Artfire and so far, I'm really pleased with the site. Be sure to check it out! I've been listing stuff that used to be on JustBeads before they went *poof* and also some other things that I've made that somehow slipped through the cracks and never got listed anywhere. Right now, I am offering FREE SHIPPING on sales from Artfire in hopes to jump start my sales there. With Artfire's exceptionally cheap rates, I may be able to offer free shipping there indefinitely. We shall see. This looks like a great place to list all those spacers and whatnots I have laying around. I am also planning on starting a clearance section there as well, so be watching for that.

Regarding The Beader's Handbook on Lampwork ~ I'm awaiting the arrival of the proof, any day now! Woot! Once I see it, and determine that it is exactly what I am expecting, I can order my first batch of copies and I will send out invoices then for all the pre-orders that are coming in. Remember, you'll save $2 on the book by pre-ordering the book through me. There is still time to sign up for the pre-order list! :)

Hi all! Happy Martin Luther King Day! Are you excited about tomorrow? I sure am! I am planning to watch Obama's historical inauguration, (after I return from a meeting in town with some other art guild members). I can't wait! What an exciting time for this country!

I've just listed some new critters on etsy, all shown at right. Aren't they just adorable! I thought you'd think so! More to come this week, so please check back. I am also going to start listing stuff on Artfire.com, and when I do, I'll post a link to my store. I'm not sure if Just Beads is ever coming back... Does anyone know???

Hi all! Quick update on my book, The Beader's Handbook on Lampwork, An Introduction to Working with Art Glass Beads. The book is in the final editing stages now, and I expect to be ordering a proof in the next few days. The book will be 40 pages, and will list for $11.95, and will be available on Amazon. I don't have a date yet, when it will be available, but it could be in the next month or so. More info, including a photo of the cover, is below.

I hope you have a fantastic year, filled with realized hopes and dreams, and filled with joy and love.

I've gotten right to work, creating new work for you to see and enjoy. Tonight I've added two new adorable lizards, the aqua floral ring and the tantalizing mouth watering new winter snowflakes set ~ my best winter set yet, in my opinion... I have more work coming up soon, that I still need to get pictures of.

Winter break came and went. It was absolutely divine having my 17 year old join us this year for the holidays, although I know it was probably hard for her dad to miss seeing her. I've suggested to her and Rachel that they try to plan a trip to see him, maybe over spring break.

While Chelsea was home for winter break, she focused hard on completing an art project to enter into the 2009 Thea Foundation Visual Arts Competition. She created a beautiful self portrait in a very warm and comfortable setting, and is still working on it. I hope I get a picture of it before she sends it in. The deadline is coming up fast! Thea Kay Leopoulos was an amazing young woman who was a very talented artist and writer, who touched a great many lives in her very short life. She is an incredible inspiration to any young person, especially artists. You can see her artwork and journal writings on the website in the above link.

Tomorrow the kids return to school, and life will return to normal. That is, if we don't get iced in overnight. Never know, there is a chance of that happening. We'll see...

My book, The "Beader's Handbook on Lampwork" is in the editing stage at this time. I have two wonderful artists helping me with that, Rita and Sam, both of www.wetcanvas.com and I am so appreciative of their help. I am so excited to have this project so close to completion! (See more info about the book below).

As if I weren't busy enough ~ I am also working on TAXES. UGH! My absolute LEAST favorite thing to do in my business. I absolutely detest math, and it wouldn't be so detestable if I weren't so bad at it, but I'll get through somehow. My aunt has talked me into trying to do it myself this year, with Turbo Tax or something. I hope it is not a complete waste of my time. We have used an accountant for this undesirable task for the last 7 years or so, and frankly, I realized I really do almost all of the work myself. All she ever had to do was enter in the numbers I provided to her, and she charged us a whopping fee every year to do it. I really do think I can manage myself.

We shall see! I may wind up running down the road screaming, pulling all my slightly-graying hair out of my head.

Hi all! I hope your holidays have been super and wonderful! We had a nice little Christmas here, it was the very time I've had all three of my girls here with me together on Christmas Day. Usually, Chelsea and Rachel visit their dad in Georgia, but Rachel, now 20 years old (as of yesterday), had to stay and work at her job in Little Rock, and Chelsea needed to stay home and work on some art projects for school.

Yesterday, Tim got called into work, so Chelsea, Ginny and I went to Little Rock to celebrate Rachel's 20th birthday with her. We went shopping at the mall and had a good time.

Then, we went for a late lunch at one of my favorite places to eat, Macaroni Grill. Here are a couple photos we took at lunch. The top photo is of Rachel and Chelsea and the bottom photo is of Ginny and me.

As you can see from the far right, I've been making a few beads lately, but my beadmaking has taken a back seat during winter break, while the kids are home. Since Chelsea has so much stuff to work on for school, I have avoided using her as a babysitter and have been working in my office instead. I guess I can "let the cat" out of the bag so to speak, and let you know that I've been working on a book.

I got the idea for the book while doing one of my shows this summer, when for the umpteenth time I was asked, "What IS lampwork?" and "What do I DO with it?" Actually, it was at about 3:00 in the a.m., in the hotel room, when the thought came to me that it would be GREAT to have a book available to beaders who are interested in learning about lampwork. Not how to MAKE the beads, just what they are and how to work with them.

When I got home, I searched Amazon to see if such a book existed already, and if so, I was prepared to purchase several copies to carry with me to shows. I couldn't find any. No, every book I found on lampwork was written by lampworkers FOR lampworkers. I even realized that all the bead magazines out there just seem to publish how-tos on either how to make beads (which is rare) and how to feature art glass beads in jewelry. That's nice, but they still seems to leave out some important details. There are still a lot of newbie beaders out there that have no clue what lampwork is, how it's made, or how to work with it in their jewelry designs or other craft items.

My idea is to produce such a book for beaders. People who have these questions, but don't necessarily want to learn how to make beads themselves. There are a whole lot of things you can do with lampwork other than making the usual jewelry items with them. I decided to write the book, and keep it small enough to fit in a purse or handbag, with a slim profile, to keep it lightweight. Currently, the book is a soft cover book, 32 pages, full color, in 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" size. Although I have checked with a few publishers to see if they would publish the book for me, I have yet to find one that will do it without a very large sum of money from me to publish the book. I have no illusions that this book will be a bestseller or anything, so I don't need 10,000 copies taking up space in my bedroom and closet. I would rather print the book in small increments, on an as need basis, and I think I've found an online publisher to do that for me. I anticipate the book being ready in the spring ~ maybe earlier, but it is close to being done already. It is my hope that I can market the book for $9.95 or so, and I'm hoping that the beaders out there who might be interested in it will find that to be a fair price. Believe me, I was very surprised at the cost of printing a book! My profit will be next to nothing, but as long as I don't take a loss, I am OK with that...

Anyway, this image is the cover design for now. I may make changes to it, but I think it looks rather nice! If you are interested in more information or pre-ordering the book, please just email me.

I wanted to list a bunch of stuff on JustBeads, but evidently, the site is down...

I did list two new items on Etsy, and I guess I'll just put the other stuff I would have put on JustBeads right here on the old webby... Debby's Webby! LOL! Been too long since I listed anything here, anyway...

Chelsea and I went to the Artwaves Christmas party last night, and had a great time! Here's a picture of us...

Hi all! Woot! It's been too long.... Although I do have some new work to show, I have to get some photos taken first... Sigh! There's been a lot going on. I've been in a huge gift giving mood so almost all the stuff I have made lately has been gifts for friends, family members and exchanges I'm participating in. This is what happens when you don't do shows: The pressure to have a ton of stock ready just melts away like a Snickers bar left on a sidewalk in the summertime.

I've also just gotten a new computer. Not so much because I needed a new one, but more because I wanted to give my 17 year old daughter one for Christmas and I was too selfish to give her one that was newer and better than mine, so she'll get my old laptop. It still works great, and she says she'll be really happy with it. She spends a good bit of time playing a favorite game online and now she won't have Momma harping on her to get off the laptop. Now she'll get to spend a lot more time playing her game in her room.

I've found that transferring files from one laptop to another has been a huge undertaking. More than I anticipated. I could have purchased one of those fancy dancy expensive transfer cables that does the job for you, but there was a lot on the old laptop I just didn't want or need anymore, so I decided to do it the old fashioned way.

I'm about 90% done, so I've made a lot of progress this week. I hope to give Chelsea the old computer in the next day or so.

Weather wise, we've already had our first snow ~ on the last day of November, which is the same day it first snowed last year! Weird! It's been cold and the pond across the road has already frozen over a couple of times. We might get some more snow or ice in the next few days, or so they say...

Today, Chelsea went to take her ACT test for the third (and final) time. She's done pretty well the first two times, but we're hoping for an even higher grade. No matter, I'm sure UALR would love to have her, as I think she has set her sights on going there, like her older sister.

Tonight Chelsea and I are going to the Artwaves Christmas party, which is always our favorite yearly guild event. I hope to get some photos taken to share with you all. We have a Dirty Santa exchange and the only requirement (since we're all artists) is that it has to be something we made. It's always fun as a whole lot of thievery goes on.

Well, my sweetie is due back from town with lunch. He went to get some "essentials" as well as a new propane regulator for me, as the one on my Lynx torch went out yesterday. Thank God I had a back up, the Bobcat torch, I use for students. My, that is one sweet little torch... I just made a bunch of little florals that I hope some of my regular customers might like... :) I'll be back later with new photos...

Hi all! I realized I needed to fix some links to the right here, so I thought I would chime in with some holiday blogging! The kids are off now, for six days, but my poor honey has to work, he won't be off til Sunday. He usually has Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays off.

We're just going to have the five of us here for Thanksgiving, but I'm doing some baking today. I went looking for eggs this morning in the fridge to discover we had four left! Just two or three days ago, we had 3 cartons! Tim loves eggs. He was off for three days, and must have gobbled a bunch of them down on his days off. I might have go back to the store now. Don't wanna! I went yesterday so I wouldn't have to go today! Chelsea offered to go tonight when she goes to church with her BF. I might take her up on it.

Hi all! Just listed lotsa new goodies! As you can probably tell, I've been having fun. This comes from not having shows to do and having more time to play with glass.

I started my Christmas shopping yesterday and had a lot of fun, taking my girls Chelsea and Ginny with me. Everywhere we went, we noticed people were being exceptionally friendly and nice. I am so relieved to see that, in spite of the economy, the Christmas spirit is alive and well! Yay! It sure got me in the holiday mood!

Right now it's very gloomy outside and cold. The weather reports online say it's about 41 degrees outside, but they of course, are not factoring in the elevation. While it may be 41 in town, up here it's always cooler. I just checked and it's 34. Not quite cold enough for snow, but it's supposed to get colder and rain tonight. We shall see what develops! Keeping my fingers crossed! Yes, I am one of those nuts who love snow, please don't think I'm crazy. I have a good excuse. I lived in Florida for 34 years ~ 'nuff said.

Well, hubby is on his way home with a bucket of chicken, so I'd better get the table set...

Hi all! Wow, can you believe it is almost Thanksgiving already? And, I don't know about where you are, but it is COLD here! This morning I went out to the studio to get the beads from the kiln and checked the thermometer while I was outside. It was only 10 degrees! That is pretty unusual for November here in Arkansas.

So, are you gonna have a big feast for the turkey day? We usually go down to Alma to visit my in-laws, but this year everyone in the family had other plans, so we are staying home. Unfortunately, Tim will be working all day, so we'll have dinner later than usual, and it'll just be us and the kids. Rachel will be visiting us from Little Rock ~ can't wait to see her! It should be a nice quiet dinner with just the family, and isn't that what this holiday is all about anyway? Celebrating family and giving thanks. And, I do have MUCH to be thankful for, and I am. I truly am, I am SO blessed!!! :)

Hi all! I hope you all are doing well, enjoying your fall season and your family time and getting time to play with beads and making jewelry. Here, things have been somewhat hectic, but nothing we can't handle. We finally put Sassy, our 15 year old kitty with a tumor, to sleep, last weekend. It was very hard to do, but I know she is no longer suffering and is at peace now. We buried her with the "others" out in the yard...

The typical illnesses have run their course through this household, and both Ginny and Chelsea are still fighting it... Tim has a new position at work that has him working a lot of OT, there is so much for him to learn. I've been keeping busy working on custom orders and at this writing, only have one custom order left to fulfill. Meanwhile, I've been trying to keep new work going here, JustBeads and Etsy. Admittedly, it hasn't been easy! I also have a new cause to rally for, as I have just discovered how absurd the sex offender laws are in this country and the more I learn, the more insane it really gets. Did you know that there are children on the sex offender registries across the nation??? Little kids! Five year olds! I am appalled. Those poor kids will have to register as sex offenders the rest of their lives and will not be able to get jobs or anything. While I am definitely in favor of punishing the truly dangerous criminals, lumping them with little kids, teenagers, and one-time non-violent offenders is just flat out wrong.

Ya know, it was just a year ago, I was touting the dangers of dry cat food, and while I'm still an advocate for fighting feline diabetes and other illnesses with wet cat food, I kinda feel like all the "causes" that I've rallied for over the course of my life have just been leading up this one: Righting the wrongs of the current sex offender laws. These laws are doing nothing to protect the public and their children and yet their hurting FORMER offenders and their families. Something is very wrong here, and it just breaks my heart. I think I should do my part to spread the word, so here I am...

Oh, forgot about the hike photos to the Glory Hole, mentioned in an earlier post... Here ya go: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AYsnDJi3as2eY

Hi all! Just a quickie to tell you that I will be showing at the Subiaco Art Fair this coming Saturday! Ya'll come out and see me! Although the show is indoors this year, the weather should be perfect!

Sunday, I'm planning on a group hike to The Glory Hole on Dismal Creek. Photos to come! :)

Hi all! Just listed some new goodies! Hope you like my new vessels, my new florals, and other stuff...

Gotta get Ginny out of the tub and to bed. Chelsea and I want to watch a movie... Take care!

Hi all! Woo~hoo! Do you like the new changes to my home page? I've been meaning to do this for a loooooooong time... If you're new to the site, you won't know what I'm talking about, so I'll just mention that what you see to the right --------> That's what's new. ;) Now you can see at a glance what I've been up to. Plus, some of you will recognize that column from my newsletters, so I ingeniously thought that column could do double duty here and there. A little less work, (I think) than setting up two different looking columns.

Hi all! I went to a bead retreat this past weekend and my, it was FUN! That was the first time I've ever attended a retreat, and boy it definitely was a TREAT! I learned some great new things! I learned some new stitches and some new tips and tricks with bead crochet, which is probably my favorite stitch. I've been making lots of fun stuff this week. (Take a peek at my What's New page, and you'll see what I mean). I've also been filling custom orders, which has been loads of fun. I made some cool rainbow beads for my Memphis buddy Mary, some cute doggy creations for my other Memphis buddy Barbara, and today I worked on a V-bead set for Ida, one of the people attending the retreat this past weekend. Ida is an AMAZING beader, very talented!

Tomorrow, I'm taking the kids to the Applegate art festival, a show I was in last year, but we had such horrible weather, I decided not to risk it again. I guess it's ironic that since the festival opened on Wednesday, the weather has been beautiful and is expected to remain so for the remainder of the weekend. Oh well, I'll have more fun attending the event than I would have had working it.

My kitty Sassy is not doing very well these days, and I am afraid it won't be long til we either have her put to sleep or God takes her for us. She is 15 and is the most loving kitty I've ever had, so this is especially hard. We have been so fortunate to have her in our lives for so long...

Hi all! Just a quick hello to let you know I just added three new items ~ a Dalmatian doggy, a new cool face bead and a large lentil focal bead ~ to the What's New Department. I hope you have fun looking!

I've also been listing LOTS of stuff on etsy ~ and why not, what a GREAT site for buying and selling handmade items! I still keep a presence on justbeads, simply because I've always loved the site and always will.

Tomorrow I am heading to Horseshoe Bend in northern Arkansas for a bead retreat with the Arkansas Bead Society. I am so excited to be going! This will my first time attending the retreat, although this will be the society's 9th one. I am looking forward to seeing many of the faces I met last April and meeting many more. I will be taking classes and am looking forward to the much needed break. This will be a little "mini-vacation" for me.

On a more somber note, my dear little Sassy is not doing so well. I took Sassy in to the vet today for the second time after an eye infection we were treating didn't quite clear up. Just as I feared, her sinus condition that she has had all her life, is the cause of all the swelling and eye problems. There is definitely a tumor there, above her nose and it's draining through her eye mostly, as her nose is completely clogged. There isn't anything that can be done. Poor baby, she appears to be miserable, but we aren't quite ready to put her down just yet. As long as she is still eating, anyway. The vet says we'll know when the time is right, and then we'll do what needs to be done. I don't relish this thought at all. She's not eating much, and has lost weight since her last visit, so I know her quality of life has gone downhill. All she does is sleep on the bed, and breathe out of her mouth. The vet said he's amazed she's lived as long as she has with this tumor. It first showed up on an x-ray when she wasn't even a year old. She is 15 now. She has been through so much, has been with me for so long. It is so hard to imagine life without her.

The good news is that we'll each get time to be with her some more and to say our goodbyes, but I know it's gonna be hard on the kids. We'll get through this!

Now you know why I'm really looking forward to this weekend ~ I really could use the distraction!

Hi all! I returned home from Arlington late Sunday night. My daughter Rachel went with me and we had a great time! The show was fun, although a bit poorly attended, and we had fun exploring the area after show hours. Turns out Six Flags, the Texas Rangers stadium and even the new Dallas Cowboys stadium (under construction) were all right near the convention center! Traffic was crazy, but we managed really well. We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and also at Simply Fondue, both really fun places.

Hi all! Wow, it's been exactly one month since I posted anything here! Eeeks! And October 13 will be my 7th wedding anniversary, so I might not post anything that night. ;)

It's been a busy couple of months for me... The Gathering, a bead show in Hot Springs, an arts and crafts show in NW Arkansas, and next weekend is the AKS Arlington Gem, Jewelry and Bead Show in Arlington, TX. I am greatly looking forward to that! This will be my very first show of any kind in Texas. My daughter Rachel will be accompanying me, so that is an especially nice treat.

If you happen to be in the area, come check us out! Mention this page for a 10% off discount on your entire purchase from my booth! (Excluding fused glass jewelry by Mary Foster, which I also carry).

What's left of Hurricane Ike is currently dumping a lot of rain on my house and knocking down tree limbs. Ya know.... I left Florida partly to leave all the hurricanes behind and instead they all follow me here to Arkansas. The good news is they just aren't as bad here as they were there... I just hope everybody is OK along the gulf coast regions...

Hi all! I'm sorry I haven't popped in here sooner, but I am very excited about my trip to the International Society of Glass Beadmakers Gathering in Oakland, CA. It was INCREDIBLE!!! I had a fantastic time. I arrived on Thursday and was immediately taken in by all the glamorous glass I saw people wearing! I attended the first timer's orientation and the opening reception and helped out with the wine stopper contest.

There were 33 entries and there were raffle tickets that people could buy and vote for their favorite one(s). I was surprised to see, right off the bat, that my entry was receiving a lot of votes!I couldn't believe it. I STILL can't believe it. I placed 2nd! My wine stopper is shown at left. Lewis Wilson took 1st place and it was very much deserved. I voted for his! It was amazing.

I believe that Mark Collins will be putting up images of the winners on his website www.beadpen.com soon. I am looking forward to seeing that.

Friday, I helped out with the silent auction and took in a couple of the demonstrations by Tom Holland and Wayne Robbins, both were excellent. Friday night, I went out with friends from Wet Canvas (www.wetcanvas.com) to dinner in Alameda, at La Pinata, a Mexican restaurant. We had a great time, and stopped by a beadshop on the way back, too!

Saturday, I exhibited in the Bead Bazaar, with half a table. My table-mate was Lily, a lampworker from Australia! We had a blast. I traded for one of her beautiful floral lentils with gorgeous cubic zirconias placed in the flower centers! GORGEOUS! I managed to also sneak away for bits at a time, and went around and did a little shopping for myself. Boy, did I get some beautiful goodies!!! I hope to take pictures of them soon.

Saturday night was the banquet with the live auction. Dinner was delicious and the auction was spectacular. It was so much fun.

Sunday, I took in a demo by Trey Cornette, which was totally amazing, did some quick shopping in the technical vendor area before leaving for the airport. My flight home seemed much longer than my flight there, so I didn't get into Little Rock until after 9 p.m.

Next year's Gathering will be held in Miami and I am already looking forward to going!!!

Hi all! We're back! We had a GREAT time, but it was HOT!

We stayed at the Tyler Bend campground on the Buffalo River. We had never been there before and although the campgrounds were a bit more "manicured" than I would have liked, it was pretty nice. I prefer more primitive surroundings to camp in, but at least we had a spot. The campground area filled up quickly over the weekend. The first morning, Chelsea, Ginny and I went on a 3 mile hike through the woods, up a mountain to see the Collier Homestead and back. The Collier Homestead was built in the 1930s as part of the Homestead Act of 1862. The hike was pretty rigorous but it was fun. Just HOT, even in the thick forest, HOT.

Saturday, we went on a 6 mile canoe trip, which was really fun. I wish I could have taken photos during the run, but I only had my $500 camera and wasn't about to risk it getting dumped, so it only came out of the waterproof bag when we stopped. There were so many bluffs and caves I wanted to photograph. Oh well. Next time, I'll get one of those throw-away cameras so I can take more pictures.

We were going to go on to Kyle's Landing, another campground about an hour's drive west from Tyler Bend, and stay there for another couple of days. I wanted to hike to Hemmed-In Hollow (Google or YouTube it if you'd like) but because of the extreme heat, we decided to wait until maybe the fall sometime, when Tim will have more vacation time. I think temps have been running 100 - 110 around here this week. Not fun.

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AYsnDJi3as2cQ

Anyway, I leave for the Gathering, a glass bead conference, in California next week and I have a lot to do to prepare for that event. There will be many masters there, people who are "famous" in the lampworking world. Their work is AMAZING. I look forward to seeing the demos and lectures, as well as participating in some of the contests and the bead bazaar. I just heard about the earthquake in LA and I am freaking out. I am leary about earthquakes and really wish they would have had this event somewhere else. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to be brave. Aside from a layover once in LAX, I've never been to CA. Should be interesting.

Meanwhile, I will TRY to get some new beads made this week and get them listed, but due to the heat, I am only able to torch early morning or evenings. Trouble is, now we have bears coming around because it's getting so dry down in the hollows. My brother-in-law, Bill, who lives next door, shot one right on his back deck this morning! It ran off into the woods. I wish he wouldn't have shot the bear (I personally am against such things) but Bill felt threatened and did what he felt he needed to do.

I will have to be very careful as I trek between the house and the studio, especially late at night. I don't want to end up like Timothy Treadwell....

Hi all! Just a quickie to say ciao! We are leaving on our vacation, a camping trip first thing in the a.m. We will be camping at Tyler Bend followed by Kyle's Landing, both of which are along the Buffalo River here in Arkansas. My SIL will be housesitting/petsitting while we are away.

We will be back either Monday or Tuesday! :) I hope to have lots of pix to share!

Hi all! I've just listed some new florals in my What's New department. I am trying something different ~ I have created each item's own page, so when you look at the What's New page, you'll see a large thumbnail of the item and the price, and then if you're interested, you can click on that item's image and be taken to the page with all the item's info and more pictures. I'm kinda "etsy-ing" it, for lack of a more proper term. I like that Etsy can show up to 5 images per listing and I thought it would be nice to do that on my own website, too, so, hence the change. Let me know what you think. Pros and cons, likes and dislikes and all that. There may be a few quirks I am unaware of at the moment, so I am definitely interested in your input.

Meanwhile, I have been very busy loading up my Etsy store will all kinds of goodies. Things seem to be kinda slowing down on ebay, so while I plan to continue listing there, I really am putting more focus on Just Beads and Etsy. I am liking Etsy more and more, the more I use it.

As a matter of fact ~ I plan to add a whole new department to my Etsy store ~ my friend Mary Foster's dichroic glass work! Sometime this week, I plan to start adding her beautiful pieces. I know a lot of you Memphis customers look for her work when I do the shows there, and I am so sorry I will NOT be there for this month's show!!! At least now you can finally find her work on-line.

For those of you who don't know about Mary, she is a very dear friend of mine who lives on the other side of town from me. We get together occasionally, but these days she is spending a LOT of time caring for her parents. My heart goes out to her, she is under a lot of stress, so I wanted to find a way to help her out by selling her stuff on the net. I think Etsy is the key. We shall see anyway.

Mary makes the most beautiful fused glass beads, pendants, cabs, and earrings. I absolutely LOVE her work and I know you will too. While others out there are more focused on production, Mary takes the time to really make each and every piece extra special, and it really shows in her work. I just can't wait for you to start seeing what I'm talking about!!!!

Today I received a very special email from a good customer of mine, Rose Jewelry Designs. She sent me a link to a VERY beautiful bracelet using some of my beads from a special set I recently offered to my newsletter recipients. (If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter, click here).

Click on the image at left for a link to this beautiful bracelet! It is SOOOO worth the click and VERY reasonably priced, too! Check it out!

Hi all! Congratulations to Jane Anderson of Memphis, TN, the winner of my first contest drawing for this Ocean Depths bead! Way to go, Jane!

My lil' assistant Ginny helped me with the drawing, as shown here in the photo on the left. If you look in the bottom of the photo, you can even see Phoenix relaxing in the background. Aren't they cute?

I plan to have another contest soon, so don't fret if you didn't win this time, there will be more chances! I just have to make a special bead for it!

I've been busy working on florals lately, and listing them on ebay and on Just Beads. Here's a sample of what I've been up to. I've been making them larger, with "double-petals" and I happen to think they are really, really nice. Be sure to check them all out! :)

I have also finally listed some things on Etsy. For now, I just have some older accent beads and one really nice bead sets, but I plan to list some of my new florals there, too. I am hoping you'll take the time out to check out my Etsy store and let me know what you think. I am still learning the ins and outs of the site, and I know I have a lot to learn. Feel free to make suggestions.

Thanks again, everyone, for entering my contest! I really appreciate your continued support of my work.

WIN THIS FREE BEAD! Just email me with "I Wanna Win" in the subject title and your name will be put into a drawing to win this beautiful Ocean Depths bead shown at right. Drawing will be held June 10, 2008. (Please include your name and address in the email.)

The bead features a white core rolled in goldstone and "Monet" frit and encased in transparent aqua. The surface was decorated with Nyx stringer which looks metallic in most places, and twisted into wave-like designs. Waves also extend out from the sides of the bead. Hole runs vertically. Hurry! Email me today! You could win!

If you like this bead ~ there are a couple like it for sale in the What's New department. I am working on a series and I am trying for a certain look, which admittedly, I haven't quite achieved yet. Meanwhile, all these great beads are being made and I'm sure you'll enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed making them.

There are also some cool NEW sets and focals up on Just Beads and lots more beautiful 99 cent lampwork accent beads on ebay! Go ahead, take a look, you might be pleasantly surprised!

OK, I hope you don't mind my sharing this... I'm just such a proud momma and want to share in my excitement!

Last night was Lamar Elementary's "Academic Academy Awards" banquet dinner and our little Ginny was honored along with 43 other elementary school students, who all made straight A's throughout the whole school year.

Each child was awarded a trophy engraved with their name and achievement. We were really surprised that the school put on such an event. Another mother told me that she has older kids in elementary school and this was the first time that Lamar did anything like that.

It was quite a magical night, and we are very very proud of our little Ginny. Here's her picture with her trophy. She's also showing off her first missing tooth, which fell out just a few days ago. :) Just look at that smile!

Hi all! Spring is almost over here, and school is almost out. I am really looking forward to having the kids home for the summer, even though it means less time to work. I have to admit, I don't like getting up at 6 a.m. to get the kids up for school, I do much better getting up about 7 a.m., so I am looking forward to that extra hour of sleep every morning.

My daughter Rachel just completed her first year of college and is moving into an apartment on Monday. I can't believe how grown up she is! Her first apartment! She'll need lots of stuff, I hope to be able to help her with some of it...

Ginny "graduates" Kindergarten next Friday, and NEXT year, Chelsea will graduate high school. Chelsea attended her first prom last weekend. Look how beautiful she is! :)

OK, folks, there is new stuff listed in What's New! I just listed three new large hole beads, a sweet fishy pair, and two LARGE fishes, ideal for pendants. Take a looksie!

Oh yeah, there are still LOTS of fantastic goodies ~ some NEW some not-so-new ~ up on Just Beads and lots of beautiful 99 cent lampwork accent beads on ebay! I just know you're not gonna wanna miss a thing! :)

Hi all! I hope you are doing well and not suffering too terribly with these horrid gas prices! Stay home! Don't go anywhere! Do your shopping on the internet! ;) Seriously, though, have you changed your summer vacation plans? We have. We were planning to go to Colorado this summer, but we've decided to stay closer to home. We might spend our vacation in Hot Springs, instead. It's a shame, but I refuse to let the oil companies get any more of my hard earned money than what is absolutely necessary. It's the principle of the thing, you know?

Anyway, today was my youngest child's birthday. Ginny turned SIX! Can you believe it? Seems like the time has passed just too quickly. She'll always be "my baby" but there is no "baby" left, she is all little girl now, and growing up way too fast. SIGH!

We had a nice dinner at home, Tim grilled some baby back ribs, and we had cake and ice cream. While Ginny was at school, we brought some cupcakes to the class for them to celebrate with her. All the kids loved it!

Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but I am the FEATURED ARTIST OF THE MONTH on www.justbeads.com this month. I am really honored and really excited to have been chosen. I plan to list several exciting new beads this month to celebrate. I've already gotten started ~ there is already sooooo many really great beads to see there! Be sure to check them all out! Woo~hoo!

I've also just listed several new floral pairs, fishy pairs and some dynamite sculptural flower bead necklaces on the What's New page. I've been really pleased with the quality of my work lately and I hope you are, too! :) Take care!

Hi all! The show in Memphis went great, but I got home in time to develop a killer toothache. I lost about 5 hours of sleep last night as a result. I already had a dentist appt. scheduled for Thursday this week, but when I called, they were so booked up they could not move it forward. So, in the meantime, I'm one hurtin' puppy. I'm eating Ibuprofen like candy, and I've been applying oil of cloves to the tooth, which really doesn't help much... Oh well. Just trying to keep my mind off it by working.

Hi all! Just a quick note ~ I am leaving for Memphis in a few minutes, for another Intergalactic Bead & Jewelry Show! I am so excited, I love the beaders in Memphis! I'll be meeting with my friends Chris and Mary tonight for dinner, and I can't wait to see their new goodies. Chris makes the most fun lampwork beads and jewelry ~ fun, just like her personality! Mary likes to make a lot of beautiful, delicate jewelry with a lot of seed bead work, often incorporating Swarovski crystals and lampwork. Her work is always breathtaking. I am sure we'll have a blast!

Tomorrow night, I'll be meeting with Rosie, a fellow Arkansas Bead Society member, whom I met at the bead show in Jacksonville, AR, a couple weeks ago. We're going to sit and play with beads, working with peyote and brick stitch. It'll be fun.

Oh, and I'm SURE I'll have fun at the show, too! I can't wait to see all the familiar faces! :) If you're in the area, please come see me!

Hi all! OMG! I thought I would NEVER get in here! I have been unable to publish changes to my website in WEEKS and I don't know why... I need to call my web host because I STILL cannot send out email from my website, which translates to no newsletters. It has been so long since I've sent one out, I bet many of you have even given up on me.

Anyway, I don't know why the website is working now when it hasn't for so long, but at least it is... so I am sneaking in a quick hello. Who knows how long it'll be before I can get back in...

Well, one good thing, I just listed three new froggies, four new floral focals and a really cool black and white focal too, all on Just Beads, my favorite website for bead auctions! Have fun looking! Hoping to be back soon!

Hi all! Just a quick update... I have really been unable to update my website due to the fact that I am in Florida and my mother does not have wireless internet, so I could not access the internet from the laptop. I've been able to check email using her computer, but that's about it.

I was at the AKS Bead Show in Tampa this last weekend and when I found out there was another show, the Down the Street Bead Show, also in Tampa NEXT weekend, I decided to stick around and try to get into that. The timing really couldn't be better since my mother was going in for gall bladder surgery today and I got the feeling that maybe I should stick around for that.

I'm writing from the hospital and the nurse JUST came to tell me that my mother's surgery went well, but I will still have a while to wait before she comes out of the anesthesia.

This morning I noticed my name was on the vendor list for the Down the Street Bead Show so I guess I can assume from that that I'm in the show! Yay!

I miss my family, but I will be home next week. Meanwhile, I guess I'm just gonna enjoy the Florida sunshine (which is a tad too warm for me, but that's OK) and enjoy visiting with my mom and brother and his family. Afterall, they're all really worth sticking around for. :)

Hi all! Another week has flown by! The weather is finally starting to warm up a bit, and the daffodils are starting to show their little yellow heads. Spring is almost here! :)

I've just listed several new critters, a sweet tropical bead set, a few new large hole slider floral beads, a few large lentil focal beads, a couple new bead pens, a couple bracelets and a pair of earrings, all on page one of my What's New section. WOW!

AND, there's still a bunch of great stuff on Just Beads just waiting for you to notice and bid on! Woo~hoo! 3in1's! Florals! Beadsets! Lotsa goodies! :)

In just five days, I will be embarking on my long journey from home (in Arkansas) to Tampa, Florida. I estimate the drive will take me about 16 hours, so I will be stopping for the night along the way, somewhere around Atlanta. I'll be doing the bead show in Tampa along with visiting my mom. The visiting my mom part is the icing on the cake. I really miss her! Sniff sniff! It will be great to see her again...

Hi all! I am just now getting over the flu, which really stunk! I really felt more sick than I ever have in my life, it was the worst cold I've ever had. I am still coughing a lot and I still have a lovely runny nose, but I am LOADS better than I was a week ago. At least I feel well enough to work anyway.

Because of the flu, I missed out on an exciting class this past weekend with Dustin Tabor. I am so sorry I missed that class! Oh well, maybe someday I'll get another chance. Meanwhile, I need to get ready for my next show, which will be in Tampa! A long way to go for a show, but I'll get to visit my mom and my brother and his wife and family. That'll be the icing on the cake, for sure.

I've just listed several hollow sets, a couple new florals, and a few large hole floral slider beads here. You really should take a peek! I especially love the hollows, they're so fun to make and I love how the light plays with the glass. They're so pretty!

In addition, there are lots of goodies available on Just Beads, surely you could find something you can't live without! :)

Remember that bad storm we had recently, the one with all the tornados you heard about in the news? Well, that storm knocked out my computer phone line and a tech came out to fix it. While he was here, he told us we could get DSL! Oh boy! I ordered DSL the next day and now we have it! Yay! What used to take ten minutes now takes a split second. I have been discovering You Tube and all sorts of goodies! I'm lovin' it...

Hi all! It has been too long since I updated the website, so you'll be happy to know, I just did! I added some new things in What's New and updated some pages in the "beadset", "specialty focals" and the "pairs" sections. Should be good to go for a while...

Meanwhile, we had the freakiest weather ever. Last night, thunderstorms and tornadoes ripped through this state and three others and over 50 people were killed. That is really, really sad! My thoughts and prayers are with them and their families at this time of great loss.

And this morning, as I stepped outside, I noticed there was snow on the ground! Thunderstorms one night, and snow the next morning. Can it get any stranger than that? Ida know...

Hi all! I just listed a bunch of stuff here on the website and a few more new items on JustBeads. I have more stuff on JustBeads right now than I have ever had, so much now that it displays in TWO pages! It was funny, I didn't realize that at first, and when I went to check on an auction, I didn't see it right away because it wasn't on page 1. When I saw the clickable page 2 button on the bottom, I was like, "Two? Page TWO??? Wow!" OK, small victories, I know, but I thought it was neat.

Anyway, next weekend I'll be at the Intergalactic Bead and Jewelry Show in Memphis, so I'm looking forward to that, big time. I can't wait! I can't wait to see what new goodies everyone has. I do a lot of my bead-buying at this show, it's great. Prices are always reasonable, and sometimes I can find things at a real bargain. Love that!

I just received an email from IpowerWeb, which is the keeper of my website domain. They are moving to a new platform (whatever that is) and my site will be transitioning next Thursday night. I'm told there won't be any down-time for me, but just in case there is, I wanted you to know why.

Hi all! More new goodies here, there and everywhere! LOL! New sets! New accent beads! New bead pens! New pairs! New focals! All new and exciting! How fun is that, right? :)

Hi all! Just a quickie! I just listed this really, REALLY cool new Iced Paisley set on JustBeads and a matching focal and a matching pair perfect for earrings, here! I love this new design!!! :)

Hi all! Well, 2008 is already off to a dandy good start! I've been a very busy bee, which I love being! It feels good to be productive, especially after having a difficult time the past couple months with various illnesses making the rounds through the house. But, finally, we're all feeling better, and soon the kids will be back at school and the cycle will probably start all over again. Pffft! Oh well!

I just listed a brand new spring set on JustBeads along with a new 3in1 floral focal and a bicone floral focal, both of which match the spring set. I also just listed a large lentil and a pair of small florals here in What's New, all of which match the spring set, too! OK, yeah, I was on a roll... Anyway, look how well all of these go together! :)

As you may have already figured out, each image is clickable to take you right to where it is listed. ;)

The next Intergalactic Bead and Jewelry Show in Memphis is just around the corner, January 26 - 27. I am greatly looking forward to being in this show, I'll get to see all my favorite customers again.... Mary J. especially... I love the way she comes on Saturdays, buys some beads, and goes home and makes stuff with her new beads and comes back on Sundays wearing her new creations! She is amazing. Maybe Pat Santa and his wife will come visit me again, that would be great! Oh, and let's not forget Margaret, my favorite fish collector. She comes to the show every time to collect another fishie, and carries all her previously collected fishies with her so that they can all meet again. It is just so sweet! There are a lot others, too, so many great people that I just love to gab with... I think my bead buddy Chris will even come hang with me at the show and go out to dinner with me too... This is definitely one of my favorite shows to do all year ~ it's like a mini-vacation to me! :)

Hi all! How are you? Did you have a great Christmas? We sure did. My daughter Rachel came home and we all went to my in-laws for a big ol' scrumptious Christmas dinner. It was great seeing everybody. My hubby sure has a big family, and every single one of them the salt of the earth. I love them all dearly ~ I am so blessed!

The day after Christmas we had our first snow! Ginny got to break in her new snow boots that I just happened to get for her on Saturday. We had a few inches on the ground, and everything was really pretty, but by midday yesterday it was all melted off. Sniff sniff!

Last night Tim, Ginny and I drove to Little Rock to take Rachel out to dinner for her 19th birthday. We had a really great time, and this morning Rachel and her best friend Ian flew to NYC. I am sure they will have a lot of fun on their trip. They plan to visit all the big art museums. Oh man, would I love to do that!!

Anyway ~ more new stuff in What's New, in case you're interested... and new stuff on JustBeads, too. I made a few new things today and should have them posted by Sunday, I 'spect. Just plugging along!

Hi all! Well, it's almost that time... are you ready? I thought I was... and then Rachel, my almost 19 year old, called me today to ask me if I had gotten her a certain gift she had wanted, and when I asked her why she wanted to know, she admitted to me that her boyfriend had gotten her the same thing. Grrrr!!!! That boyfriend! LOL! Now I have go back to the crazy world out there and return the item I bought for her and find her something else. Talk about a major UGH!

So my 16 year old, Chelsea, is leaving tomorrow to visit her Dad in Georgia, for two weeks. Rachel has to work at her job in Little Rock, so she isn't going. She's off Christmas Day, though, so she'll come home Christmas eve, and return to Little Rock the day after Christmas. Her birthday is the 27th, so I'll go to Little Rock to take her out to dinner, bringing my 5 year old, Ginny, and maybe Tim, too, if he's not too tired. (He has a crazy work schedule this week). On the 28th, Rachel and her best friend Ian are going to NYC for a week. They plan to be in Times Square on New Years ~ maybe I'll see them on TV!

I hope and pray each and every one of you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Stay safe and enjoy being with the ones you love. This time of year is such a special time, a time to cherish and remember all our lives...

Hi all! OMG! A post from me twice in one week!!! GASP! Will wonders never cease!

Actually, this is made possible by the complete and total lack of shows to do for the whole month of December. See what I can accomplish when I'm not running around like a chicken with my head cut off? ;)

OK, so new stuff. Two new pens (with more to come, I'm on a roll), and several large hole beads for you Pandora nuts out there, all available at a 20% discount on my What's New department! Woo~hoo!!!

Now, on JustBeads, there are two new really BIG sets ~ the kind of sets for making a bracelet, necklace AND earrings, all matching of course.... Two new florals, one new 3-in-1, (which is mouth-watering, BTW), and a new line of beads I'm making ~ ideal for use as accent beads! There are several LOTS on JustBeads of approximately 30 beads in a lot, but you can buy one, a few or as many as you want. They're priced individually at an incredibly affordable $2.00 each! I will be making up a lot more too, as I go along. These are a great way to get high quality handmade lampwork beads inexpensively, especially if you need a lot for a certain project. These are bigger and prettier than plain ol' spacer beads. I'm really excited about offering you this line of beads, I think you will be too!

Since I have SOOO much up on JustBeads now, I think I might start clearance-ing some of the older stuff there onto ebay, just to move them out. I plan to do that in the next few days, so keep your eyes open. I'll be starting the items off at 99 cents, so this may be a GREAT way for you to get some GREAT beads at a super GREAT bargain!

OK, 'nuff news for now ~ it's raining right now, but we might get snow or ice. Hope my honey can make it off this mountain to get to work in the wee hours of the a.m.! Poor baby...

Hi all! Are you through with your Christmas shopping yet? Not me! I still have to get a few things, plus Rachel's birthday is the 27th, so I have to get her a birthday present too... What do I get a college girl? I saw her Christmas wish list on My Space. She listed three items, all of which cost about $500 or so. Expensive tastes. Well, I'm on a beer budget, so I'll have to get a bit creative... So far, I have no idea!

Well, Ginny is home from school, sick today. She had a fever ALL weekend long, and it is still trying not to let go. Tim is off work today, and I would be torching right now, but he is fixing my kiln first. I'm the "meek wife" and couldn't undo the screws on the darned thing, so he's doing it for me. He's handy to have around sometimes! :)

Anyway, just listed some jewelry and a really cool pair of lampwork cone bead caps, in What's New. Check these out! These have a large opening on one end, perfect for finishing the ends of necklaces. I've been wanting to make these for a while, and I finally have the right tool for it. I think this will add a new dimension to my own jewelry making, and you may like them, too!

Hi all! Just a quickie to let you know that I've just added four brand new listings to just beads ~ a FANTASTIC set of yummy Terra scrolled beads and 3 luscious new 3in1's for your beading pleasure!

I have also just added four new items to the What's New dept., a set of cones, a scrumptious blue hollow heart, a sweet bicone floral focal and an adorable large hole bead! Now, how you can resist at least taking a peek? ;)

Gearing up for the holidays, otherwise, I bet you are, too! :) If you're in a pinch and you see something you like, let me know, I might be able to help you out and sweeten the deal ~ I know how tough it is this time of year.

Hi all! Thought I'd better touch base with ya'll. I've been getting ready for my little show this upcoming Saturday night, in between fighting continuing illnesses. We've all been taking turns getting sick, which isn't fun...

I just put up some new goodies in the What's New section. Enjoy looking! I also listed a new set of beads on just beads, plus relisted some goodies. Lots of great stuff to choose from!

Hi all! I can't believe it's just a week away from Thanksgiving already. My, how time does FLY!

I am feeling back to normal now and have been working back at the torch, trying some new things. This last Sunday I visited my friend Clara and also Sage Holland, her son Beau Anderson and his girlfriend Alex at the Riverview Hotel in Calico Rock. They were there doing a workshop, demos and a trunk show. I bought a bead from both Beau and Alex. I love my new goodies! I had a GREAT time, especially visiting with Clara, and I came home feeling so inspired! I love it when that happens!

The hollow heart I just listed on my What's New page is an example of that inspired work. Sage and Beau do these beautiful hollow hearts using twisted canes, so I thought I'd give that a shot. I was surprised I was so successful right off the bat! I made another one today, it is currently soaking in the kiln.

I also have a new black and white set of V-Beads that I hope to make a necklace with, too. They are so cool! I can't wait to get that made up... Plus, I have several other new goodies in the works! Look out!

Meanwhile, in other news ~ we have a new member of the family, a little 8 week old kitten named Phoenix. Here is a picture of him cuddling up with Fidget. Isn't he just a little cutie pie?!!

He's been home a week and we are all totally in love. He is really a little character!

The Dustin Tabor class I was gonna take next month has been postponed til sometime in February, which worked out fine for me, as I suddenly have an opportunity to do a little show that Saturday night, at the Ft. Smith symphony. That'll be fun!

I hope you all have a terrific Thanksgiving Day! I think we'll be heading over to the in-laws, and I hope our daughter Rachel will be able to join us. Not surprisingly, we haven't seen much of her since she went off to college.

Hi all! I have been SICK! Ack! Last Saturday I came down with a cold (or flu, who really knows) and it is STILL kicking me in the butt. I haven't been able to work much, but I have worked SOME. I really NEED to work since my hubby's truck is now in the shop and it is going to cost BIG bucks to fix. Ugh! I finally get rid of my old van back in June ~ trading constant car repairs for car payments, and now the truck... Sigh!

Anyway, I've been playing with dichro again, with much better results than I have had in the past. I am very pleased! I listed two new dichro sets on just beads last night, and plan to list another set tonight or tomorrow. They're just so PRETTY!!! I just get LOST in all the sparkle... Ooooh! Ahhhh!

I've also been playing with fusing again, and have three new pendants up in What's New. I REALLY like the big white one with the black, pink and green... It is SO pretty! I'll have to make more like that. It'll be fun to explore with that glass some more...

Meanwhile all else is going just hunky dorey! Rachel is enjoying her first year of college and unsupervised freedom. She plans on going to NYC with a friend this winter break. Scary for a Mom. Does it get any easier???

Chelsea is doing great in school and is taking a special pastel drawing class this weekend ~ this means I'm "stuck" home with lil' Ginny. We've been playing games and having fun. I wanted to take her to a local art fair this weekend, but I'm just too sick to go, so we're having fun at home instead.

I have a trunk show next weekend and hope to have a lot of new stock ready for that, and other than that, I don't have any shows again until January, unless something else comes up.

I am also planning on taking a class with Dustin Tabor, first weekend in December, and I can't wait for that! I just LOVE his work!

Hi all! Just a quick note to let you know everything is in order again here on the site! You're more than welcome to purchase anything you see here and I'll actually have it to ship to you! Yay! :)

BTW ~ I loved doing Applegate, and definitely plan on doing the show again next year!

Hi all! The Applegate show is having a rough beginning, folks... Last night bad storms went through and blew away many of the tents around my booth, yet my tent remained standing. Still, I did lose about $450 worth in beads, mostly critters and the sculptural florals and some of my fused dichro pieces with bails fused onto them. It will take me quite a while to go through the website and remove all of the listings for these items as well as the sold items, so if you are planning on making any purchases off this site in the next week or so, please check with me first to see if the item(s) is/are still available. I expect things here to be back to normal more or less by Tuesday or Wednesday next week.

I do hope tomorrow and Saturday and Sunday do go well at the festival. The weather is supposed to be nice and warm, so maybe that will help buffer losing so much. I am really pleased with the Applegate show so far, as a whole, even though there are fewer vendors than we hoped to get. But, anytime you move a show to a new location, vendors get skittish. The number one rule of thumb in any craft selling book is ALWAYS visit a show first BEFORE vending at it. So, very few vendors are willing to take that "leap of faith" that people like me are willing to take.

We have had VERY large numbers of people attending this event, which is actually impressive. People visiting the show have made several VERY positive comments, which is very encouraging. Most are saying it's not that far, and EVERYONE agrees that the Mulberry Mountain Ranch property is THE most beautiful property they have ever seen for an arts and crafts show. Trust me when I tell you, this show will one day be HUGE.

Before I go, I just want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Mary, my friend and business partner, who showed kindness today beyond anything I've ever seen. She came to the festival just to help me clean up, bringing sheets, towels, trash bags, even shower curtains to lay stuff out on, and when she saw how blustery the wind had gotten, stayed with me to basically "hold down the fort" right up until the very last minute of the day. Mary, you are, by far, the most kindest and considerate person I have ever met, and I am so very, VERY, lucky to call you my friend. May God bless you and smile upon you. Thank you so, so VERY much!!!! I owe you BIG TIME, girl!!!

Hi all! Thanks for checking up on me! :) The Memphis bead show went well, I had a great time! I saw a few familiar faces and saw some new ones. It is really fun to see a never-been-to-a-bead-show-before person's reaction to coming to the show. The ONE word I hear most often is "overwhelming". Yes, it can be overwhelming to see all those beads in one place. I remember the first time I went to a bead show. I think it was back in 1995, and I went with my Mom to one in Orlando, back when I lived in South Florida. It just so happened to be one of the Intergalactic Bead Shows, and at that time, was still fairly small, held in some little armory in town. I think they've since moved to a bigger location! At least I hope so! I remember just REELING at the site of all those beads in ONE place and I spent about 3 times more than I expected to, but GOSH I had fun playing with all those beads. I even bought some imported lampwork, thinking they were the best thing since sliced bread. Sure, the bead holes were dirty, and sure, some of the beads on the strands were broken, but I assumed that they were just supposed to be that way, that I was supposed to accept things as they were, and not question why. Everyone else around me was buying them, too.

It's fun to look back and see how far I've come, though! Although I've been a beader for 18 years, I really didn't get serious about it until about 2001, as my first hubby and I were splitting up. I've learned WAY more in the last 6 years than I ever learned in the first twelve. And now, look, I MAKE beads! LOL! I'm still surprised, and I'm still just as excited about it as I was the first time I lit the torch. (Well, actually hubby had to light the torch for me for at least the first MONTH. I had to get over my extreme fear of fire!)

So, now I have to get ready for my next show, which will start a week from yesterday. It's the Ole Applegate Place Autumn Arts and Crafts Festival at Mulberry Mountain, which is a festival that's been running for 21 years, but is in a new location. I hope the show goes well! If you happen to be in the area, please come by and show your support! This promises to be one of the best shows ever!

Meanwhile, there are several new goodies for those of you who would like to take a peek! ;) Plus, I listed a few new sets on Just Beads last night. Have fun looking!

Hi all! I have been a very busy bee! I have just listed several new items; some cool new focal beads and some new earrings, even some V-beads! Meanwhile, I've been steadily adding new stuff to Just Beads as well. Something new I've been working on what is I lovingly call "toothknockers", a term borrowed from my friend Vickie. It is a quite descriptive term for a really large bead that you wear low enough on your neck that when you bend over, it knocks you in the teeth. Of course, if you wear them high enough, that won't happen, but I still like the term. I've made four of them so far, and two of them are currently listed on Just Beads but the other two, unfortunately, cracked.

I think it's the core color, so I'm gonna try again, with a different color and see what happens. I wish you could see how cool these look in person. In my opinion, these are definitely some of the most exciting beads I've ever made. The photo at right shows one of the cracked ones, but you can at least see the potential there. It is worth trying to get it right, although each one takes nearly an hour to make.

I hope to have a bunch of these made in time for my next show, in Memphis, which is in... oh gosh! A WEEK! Ack! Better get off the computer and go get to work! :)

Hi all! I just listed 10 new pair sets here! :) Have a great weekend! Hugs ~ Debby

What a question, right? LOL! No, really, I actually do have some beads available! This is a set of six of my special V-Beads that a customer ordered but changed her mind on. Sooooo..... I decided the most fair thing to do was to offer them here and see if anybody wants them. These are in a southwest color scheme in ivory, turquoise, coral and brown, and they're etched for a soft matte finish. This set is only $40.00, and I'll ship for free. Just drop me an email and let me know if you are interested in them. Thanks!!! :)

Hi all! New stuff listed here and on Just Beads! Yay! I knew you'd be thrilled! :)

Hi all! It's funny, ya know? Throughout much of August I was actually considering taking a part time job just to help out the family finances, and lo and behold I suddenly get enough work to throw that whole idea out the window. I'm NOT complaining! Actually, I prefer it this way. I would rather make beads and jewelry than to work some mindless job somewhere. I'm only qualified to work as a graphic designer and trust me when I tell you, there ain't NUTHIN' for me like that here. Ad agencies? Not in this corner of the world? Local paper? That little rag publishes just one day a week! Small towns are great for some things, but not so great for other things, like JOBS.

OK, so I've gotten quite a few orders for V-Beads, and YES I am getting them done, slowly but surely. I wish I could just devote ALL of my torch time to making them, but I have other things I need to work on as well. Some people are writing me and asking me where the V-Beads are available here on my website, and I'm sorry to say I still don't have any sets available as I am filling custom orders at this time. I'm sure that the frenzy will taper off soon enough and you'll find them available here. Meanwhile, just drop me an email if you'd like any, and I'll custom make them for you.

Meanwhile, I've had some recent shows lately. The most recent was Prairie Grove just this last weekend. It was fun to do, and having a booth right next to my friend Vickie was an extra special treat. I saw some familiar faces and I do plan to do the event again next year.

This Saturday is the Subiaco fair, which is a really small, but great, event. However, storms are forecasted for the whole day and I might decide not to do it. It would be pointless to set up for just one day and sit in the rain all day. Wouldn't you agree? I could stay home and make some more V-Beads!

I'm continually trying to keep a presence on Just Beads, so I just listed a couple pretty florals, made with some new glass that just arrived. I love the new grasshopper green and the orange sherbet colors! Yum! More to come, I'm sure!

Hi all! Just a quick note to let you guys know that I'm still kickin'! Actually, I am writing this from my hotel room in Hot Springs, where I am doing the AKS Bead Show. We had our first day today, and it went really well, and I'm expecting tomorrow to be really busy... It's a great show, and Kay, the promotor is a pleasure to deal with! What a contrast to a certain other promotor I won't name names here. :)

I've been adding some new stuff to the What's New department, in the meantime. You just might want to check it out. ;)

Hi all! I've bee keeping a little secret from you. Not out of not wanting anyone to know ~ just not wanting to jinx it. Wanna know what it is? I'm finally getting my first article published. The article has been in the works for a long time, and since I am not good at keeping secrets, this one was REALLY challenging to keep under wraps.

The article is the V-bead and necklace tutorial coming out in the September/October issue of Step by Steps Beads, which will hit newsstands on August 14th. I wasn't sure when the issue was going to be released, so imagine my surprise today when I received an email from someone inquiring about the V-beads she saw in Step by Step Beads. ACK!!! Already??? I admit, I wasn't ready. I'd planned to make up a V-beads page with link directing you from this page, so I just now created both the page and link. (See top right corner here!)

Anyway, I am writing from Florida, so this will have to do until I get some sets made and put up for sale. We are here visiting my mother, and my two older daughters will visit their dad. We are excited about being here, but the drive took FOREVER! We left at 7:00 a.m. central time, yesterday morning, and arrived here 17 hours later, at 3 a.m. eastern time, this morning. We could have done without all that construction on I-75 all the way from Atlanta to Valdosta, that's for sure! Ugh!

Rachel's best friend Ian came along for the trip. He's a great guy, and I'd love to adopt him as a son! LOL! But, in all the excitement about being here, and the excitement about the article coming out, we were totally blindsided by some really bad news. A dear friend of Ian's and her fiance both have just committed suicide. How awful. We all feel so bad for Ian, but we are so glad he is here with us. I could not imagine how much more difficult it would be for Rachel to console her best friend, long distance...

So, sigh! Off to the mall to try to cheer the young man up... We don't have any really good malls in Arkansas, so this will be a good outing for all of us....

Hi all! Is it hot where you are? It sure is hot here, finally. We've had a great mild summer, but it was just a matter of time before the rain would go away and the temps would rise. It is definitely stay-inside weather now...

I just finished adding LOTS of new goodies here. A few days ago, I listed several new bicone florals on Just Beads, and I'm about to list a couple new bead strands as well. Just keeping busy while life continues to present constant challenges to me in the process.

My brother and his girls left, and now we're getting ready to go down to Florida. We leave first thing in the morning. I do plan to take my laptop and remain connected to the net, so don't ya'll fret any ~ I'll be here! :)

Gosh, if it's hot here in Arkansas, just wait til I get to Florida! ACK!!! Not looking forward to that! I remember what that's like... Getting into my car and the steering wheel being SO hot it literally BURNS my hands. UGH!!!

Hi all! I just put up several new goodies in the What's New section. Plus, I hope to have two new scrumptious hollow sets listed on Just Beads by tonight. Have fun looking! :)

Next week, my brother will be visiting from Florida, with his two older daughters. They will be here for about a week, and then afterward, we're all driving back to Florida together so that I can visit my mom and other family. Rachel and Chelsea will get to spend some time with their dad, too.

I may not get to do much torching next week, and definitely none the week after, and once I'm home from Florida, I will have to help Rachel get moved into her dorm room at UALR. Finally, then, life will pretty much get back to normal. In the meantime, I will definitely try to keep in touch! :)

Hi all! I'm here in Memphis! I'm all psyched up about tomorrow! It's funny, my friend Vickie and I are at this moment sitting in our hotel room both on our laptops, both on the net. We've been looking at all the goodies on Wet Canvas and on Lampwork Etc., and just having fun. For me, it's especially nice since this hotel has WIFI and I have dialup at home. Wow, what a difference!

Anyway, if you happen to be in or near Memphis, come see me tomorrow at the bead show! :)

Hi all! Well, it's time for another show. So soon already? Seems like I just got home from the last one! This one is another Intergalactic Bead and Jewelry Show in Memphis, this weekend. This is always a good show and I am really excited about going. I love seeing all the familiar faces and just talking with people who love beads. My good friend Vickie will be traveling with me this time, and we'll share a hotel room, too. This will be the first time Vickie will be showing in Memphis. I am so excited for her ~ she has some really beautiful lampwork beads and jewelry!

Speaking of beads ~ I do have some new goodies up, just in case you were wondering... ;)

All else is pretty normal around here. Rachel is working at Wal-mart and otherwise getting ready for her first semester at UALR in the fall. Chelsea has been babysitting Ginny a LOT which I REALLY appreciate! She is such a GREAT help. I just have the best daughters in the world!

My brother, David, and his two oldest daughters are planning to visit us here the last week of July. Then, Rachel and Chelsea are gearing up to return to Florida with them, the first week of August and I am hoping to go with them. I'll just have to see if I can swing the time and the gas money. There is a lot to consider. But, I'd really like to see my Mom especially, and other friends and family as well. Keep your fingers crossed for me, OK? It's been more than two years since I saw my family.

Take care! I'll see some of you great folks in Memphis! :) If you received one of my postcards, remember to bring it with you... You'll save $ on admission!

Hi all! The Arkansas Bead Market show went GREAT, Vickie and I had SOOO much fun! We had good sales and we both got a chance to do some shopping ourselves. Our booth looked great and we just had so much fun talking to all of the great customers.

Today was the Polly Cat Bead Group meeting in Ft. Smith, and that was fun also. Everyone brought all their goodies they bought from the bead show. We had a great time looking at all of everyone's goodies. We had a good turnout, too, which was great. This is a fun bunch of beaders! We decided that next meeting we would do a project featuring denim and blues plus I'll show the group how to get started in peyote stitch. It should be a fun time.

Meanwhile, been making beads ~ having lotsa fun making lotsa goodies for the next show in Memphis, in just two weeks. I've been listing quite a lot on ebay and Just Beads and I just uploaded the mother lode right here on my site! Seven whole pages of GREAT beads ~ all on sale!!! Woo~hoo! You'll just HAVE to take a look now, won't you? ;)

Hi all! Well, our vacation is over, as my hubby returns to work today. Pfffttt! And on Father's Day no less! Sheesh! I wound up taking 93 photos of our camping trip up to the Buffalo River. If you'd like to see them, just click on this link as I have a slide show set up on Shutterfly.

I also finally have all the photos up on another slide show of all the graduation proceedings from a few weeks ago. See Bill Clinton shaking Rachel's hand! LOL!

I've returned to "work" too, although I hardly call it that. I've been making beads again, and I've got several new items up on ebay, Just Beads, and here on the site in the What's New category. Lotsa new goodies! Hope you enjoy looking! :)

I'm gearing up for another show next weekend. I will be at the Arkansas Bead Market, June 23 - 24 at the Ft. Smith Convention Center in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. This was a GREAT show last year and I'm expecting it to be even better this year. I will be sharing a booth with my good friend and talented artist, Vickie Warburton. It should be LOTS of fun. Hope to see you there!

Hi all! I just listed four new 3-in-1's on Just Beads ~ take a look! They're all yummy, if I say so myself! I also have some new things in What's New, some nice bead strands I put up a couple days ago... I still have things I want to put up on the site, but I'm not sure I'll have time between now and tomorrow when we leave for a camping trip up on the Buffalo River. We love it up there! We will leave tomorrow sometime, and be back Thursday evening. No doubt I will be offline for that long and I will suffer from withdrawal big time. What am I gonna do??? Go swimming! Go hiking! Roast hotdogs and marshmallows! All that fun camping stuff! :) The best part is just being with my family ~ my wonderful three daughters and fantastic hubby! Anyway, toodle~loo!

Hi all! Just a quick note to let you know that I just added LOTS of new goodies to the What's New department: Eighteen new dichro glass pendants; four new bracelets, one anklet and one set of beads! Whoo! Took me ALL morning long to get them all loaded onto the site. Now you can go crazy buying it all! LOL!

Tomorrow morning I leave VERY early for Joplin, Missouri for the Boomtown Days arts and crafts festival. Should be a GREAT event ~ if you're in the area, stop by my booth! Oh, and be sure to see my friend Laurie, she'll be there, too! :)

Hi all! Yesterday was my daughter Rachel's high school graduation from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, held at the convention center in Hot Springs. Former President Clinton was the guest speaker for the commencement exercises.

Let me start by saying, what a crazy day yesterday!!!!

We planned to have everyone in the family meet at the King's Restaurant on the south side of Hot Springs, for lunch, before the ceremony. As we arrived into Hot Springs from the north, we found ourselves stuck in a dead stop in traffic. Cops were everywhere and we weren't moving even so much as an inch.

Rachel was already at the convention center, having gone to her graduation practice. We were going to pick her up and take her to lunch with us. It was clear we weren't going to make it to the restaurant.

We called Rachel and had her start walked towards us, as we were less than 2 miles away, while we inched the van over into another lane that would lead us to the school parking lot. Meanwhile, we wondered what was going on... An accident? Former President Clinton's motorcade? What could be causing all this backup in traffic?

Rachel called us to tell us it was a PARADE!!!

Can you believe that? She said there were horses and Shriners in go-karts and all that. What stinkin' timing!

Because of the mountains, there are no side streets, we were flat out stuck, and it was obvious we were going to be for some time. Masses of humanity were everywhere. There was no getting through.

So, we parked the van in the school parking lot and went on foot to meet up with Rachel. We ducked into a restaurant to grab a bite to eat. Unfortunately, service was SOOOO slow, we didn't get our food until 12:15. Rachel had 15 minutes to eat before she had to go back out on foot and walk back to the convention center.

Rachel's friend Ian went with her. Finally, by that time, the parade had ended and traffic started to clear. Tim hoofed it back to the van and picked us up, and we went on to the convention center.

The ceremony was great. Former President Clinton delivered a very moving address, as did the Student Government President and the Class Representative. Each graduating student was announced with the high school they came from (before they were recruited to ASMSA), the college that they were going to attend, and what they were going to major in. There were 88 students in Rachel's graduating class.

I tried to take a video of Rachel getting her diploma, but the camera pooped just as I started to film it. I started it back up in time to record the words "Grapic Design" (her college major) and film her shaking Dean Hugo's hand, Bill Clinton's hand, and whoever that last dude was, and then off the stage.

We have lot of pictures from after the ceremony and I'll be compiling an album of the videos, and photos from Ginny's graduation and Rachel's two graduations (Rachel walked with her "home" school's class Friday night) in the next few days, and putting them on on the net. Not sure yet if I'll use Shutterfly or Photobucket. I think Photobucket since they can take video files. I'll have to get Rachel to help me with that! Once that's done, I'll get links put up, for those of you who might be interested in seeing it.

Anyway, once we got home, Rachel, her friend Ian, Chelsea and her friend Renae, all went out to the movies. Now, everybody is crashed in various locations throughout the house and with everybody's stuff strewn everywhere this place looks like a frat house.

Cleaning and organizing will come later! Today, I think I will just relax, make some jewelry for and visit with my dear friend Lois, who came to see Rachel graduate. She leaves tomorrow.

I expect Tuesday to return to normal, and will do everything in my power to get back to the torch. I will have just three days before packing up for the next show, Boomtown Days in Joplin, Missouri, next weekend. Life sure is fun! Never a dull moment! :)

Hi all! I'm just back from a bead show in Oklahoma City and it was quite an experience. It was really interesting when a transformer blew right outside the building Saturday morning. Four hours passed before the power finally came back on.

By then, many of the shoppers had left, finding it very difficult to shop for beads in the dark. But, I was surprised how many people actually stuck around. There are some dedicated beaders out there!

Sunday was Mother's Day, and I presume most of who might've come was probably out with their families. Still, I had a good time, and the highlight of my weekend was meeting the very talented Sarah Moran of Z-beads. I love her work. Her style is so cool and funky and always very colorful. Sarah was a delight to meet and I was almost embarrassed to show her my beads, but she had nothing but encouraging words to say. She also gave me a few tips on working with boro. Thank you, Sarah!

Sales-wise, it wasn't the best weekend, but I am trying to stay positive and keep a good outlook. There's always another show around the corner. I'd like to do one the 1st weekend of June, so I'm looking around.

Next weekend my 5 year old graduates preschool, and then the following weekend, my 18 year old graduates high school! Whew!

Thanks to a little good encouragement from my friends Laurie and Vickie, I thought I would try my hand at some sculptural floral beads. Boy, do they open up the realm of possibilities! I've been having a lot of fun. Plus, it's always fun to make floral bicone beads, so I have a few of those, as well.

Meanwhile, life here in the Ozarks has been pretty busy. Ginny turns five years old tomorrow! See her picture at right. Her preschool graduation will be May 19th, and then Rachel will have her high school graduations May 25 - 26. Yes, that's not a typo. "Graduation" is pluralized. Rachel will walk at her "home school" graduation May 25th, and then have the "real" graduation ceremony in Hot Springs, the next day, on the 26th. Plus I have another bead show sneaking up on me in a week, but I do feel well prepared, so that's something...

We think it's finally time to replace my van. It is ten years old, with over 180K miles on it, and repairs on it are coming all too frequently now. I think we've had one or two major repairs a month since the first of the year, and last year alone amounted to close to $3,000 worth in repairs. We had a pulley replaced on it yesterday, and today, we had the speedometer sensor replaced. It's just getting so expensive now. We're going to start car hunting on Monday. Ugh. I am actually not looking forward to that. What a long, drawn out process that is. I would rather sit in my studio and makes beads!

At least the weather is finally turning nice! Woo~hoo! I just flat out love it! :)

Next show: Oklahoma Bead Market in Oklahoma City, May 12 & 13, at the fairgrounds! Come see me!

Hi all! I have some good news and some bad news. I'll start with the bad news because any news is better if it doesn't end with a bummer. After some heavy contemplation and lots of thinking, I have decided to cancel, or maybe just postpone, the 2nd Annual Ozark Mountain Bead Retreat. I really hated to do this, but there just weren't enough people signed up and I decided to cut my losses and try again some other time.

When I first queried potential attendees about the retreat, they seemed very gung ho and really seemed interested in attending this event, in spite of the hefty price tag. Well, once I started collecting money most of them decided they really couldn't afford it afterall. I would have been able to offer a greatly reduced price if I could have just rented the ranch's lodge, but when they found out we would have torches running, they didn't want us on the hardwood floors with the torches. I can totally understand that, but that meant I would also have to rent the large 4,000 square foot building because it had concrete floors. The cost to rent this building would have run me and additional two grand if I rented it for the whole weekend, so I was trying to divy that fee up among the attendees and it just wasn't going to work. It simply raised the price of coming to the retreat too high.

It is really too late to try to find another location, so I have postponed the retreat for now. I will try to find another venue and then try to schedule the retreat at a time that would be most beneficial to the attendees. If you were one of those planning to come to this event, I am really very sorry.

OK, so on to the good news! I have just returned from another successful show in Memphis, at the Intergalactic Bead and Jewelry Show. If you missed this event, here are a couple pictures of my booth to show you what you missed! :)

I love the way my booth has evolved over the years! It was great to see so many familiar faces as all my regular customers came to visit me. It was a special treat to see Margaret W., my "fish lady". She has been collecting my lampwork fishies now for, what, three years? She loves her little "school" of fish and every time she comes, she brings her collection with her, and she selects a few more to add to her collection. She is planning to make a necklace with them all someday, and I cannot wait to see it when it is finished! Margaret is so sweet! She just tickles me, the way she SO happily and proudly shows all her fishies to anyone that happens to stop by my booth. She admitted to me that she collects just my fish and no one else's, and it was all because of their little red lips. She loves them! I love that she loves them so much! Margaret, you really made my day! :)

I also had a great time visiting with my good friend Chris! She lets me stay at her house with her and her awesome critters, Bella, Camile, Lenox, Puck and Simone, three dogs and two cats. I think Simone is my favorite. She is so sweet, the way she sits up on her hind end like a rabbit and looks at me. Camile, one of the dogs, is just a total sweetheart, and Lenox just wants to PLAY! They are all so adorable and lovable and I thoroughly enjoy visiting with all of them.

Chris also helps me work my booth, which is a godsend, let me tell you. I really appreciate having her there to help me. She is such a great friend! I am so lucky! :) Now, we're talking about going to Bead and Button together in 2008.

I already cannot wait until the next show in Memphis, which will be in July, and then there will be another one in October. After that, Beadfest is coming to Memphis in November, and I'm thinking about doing that one, too!

Anyway, I have a lot of paperwork to do today, plus update this site with LOTSA new goodies, so be sure to check them out! :)

Hi all! Happy Easter to all who celebrate ~ and Happy Passover too! My hubby and I have a "mixed faith" marriage. I am Jewish and he is Christian, although neither of us are very religious in the sense that we go to synagogue or church or anything, we are both spiritual people.

We celebrate all of the traditional holidays, both Jewish and Christian. Today I'll be fixing up a big ham dinner for Easter, and last Monday night, the first night of Passover I made a traditional Passover Seder dinner, with matzah, matzah ball soup, baked chicken, steamed green beans and my daughter, Chelsea, made the dessert - a honey cake. This year was different though, because I even made my own homemade matzah! I'd never done that before.

We live in an area with few to no Jews, so the stores around here don't sell any Passover supplies. What a contrast to when I lived in South Florida and I would find an entire aisle devoted to Passover goods in my favorite Publix grocery store.

Last year I just happened to be in Memphis for a show just before Passover, and I was fortunate to have found the "mother lode" of Passover supplies in a Memphis grocery store. Two whole aisles plus both sides of a center aisle devoted to this holiday ~ I was very impressed. Turns out the store was located right near a Jewish community center, which explained the vast selection. This year my mother had offered to send me some Passover goods from Tampa, but she fell in the shower a couple of weeks ago and has been pretty much in bed recovering ever since.

That's when she suggested I "google" a recipe for Passover matzah, and I thought it was a good idea. Sure enough ~ there was one! The matzah tasted more like pie crust (which wasn't a bad thing) than matzah, so we enjoyed it. And, when I told my Jewish aunt that I had made matzah, she said she was "really impressed." I don't think I've started a new tradition, however, I really missed having the traditional box of matzah in the house this year... So next year, I'll find some way to get some shipped to me.

Our weather has been really crazy so far this month. Most of March was warm, and then here comes April with very cold temps and even SNOW the other night! We had already started our garden and everything out there bit the dust, even though we tried to keep everything from freezing. We will have to start over, as soon the weather gets warm again. I think starting tomorrow, it will start to warm up again.

Bead-wise, I tried ebay again, and my first set that I sold there, the Tropical Punch set, attracted a lot of attention and sold for $118.00. I thought, WOW, and tried again with another spectacular set, Plasma, but it didn't get even one bid. I don't know why. Guess I was the only one that thought it was spectacular. LOL. I had shown the set at my local beading group meeting, and Angela, one of the ladies there said they were much prettier in person, and I had suggested to her that she post a comment like that on the auction page, but she probably just forgot.

Then, the person who bought the Tropical Punch set decided she didn't want them after all, and has decided to return them... sigh!

OK, so ebay isn't going so well for me after all, so I think I'll give it a few weeks before trying again. Besides, I've got another show to get ready for in Memphis, which is next weekend. Planning to come to the Intergalactic Bead & Jewelry Show? Stop by and say hi! :)

Hi all! I have new goodies, new goodies, new goodies!!! And, I have to tell you, I am REALLY excited about this set right here:

I called these "Tropical Punch" and I listed them on ebay. It's been just too long since I've been on ebay, I thought it was time to dust off my account there.

This set took weeks to complete, and I'm finally happy with the collection. I made them to match this really pretty gift bag I have. Doncha just love 'em? I know I do! :)

I do have several other goodies I just listed tonight, too, all on Just Beads. Here are some sneak peeks:

Hi all! Well, it's starting to look like spring here! I snapped this picture yesterday of my little baby peach tree, all full of blossoms already! Isn't she pretty? I love the color!

I've been so spring-inspired lately and it has been showing in my work. I have a lot of spring sets newly listed on Just Beads and I just now finished putting some exciting new beads in the What's New department. Have fun looking!

Thursday, I get to go play with a glass buddy of mine, Anita, in Ft. Smith. We will have fun. We are thinking of gathering some local lampworkers together to see if we can get a big name teacher to come to us for a class. I sure hope we get the ball rolling on this!

Hi all! I'm pretty dog gone tired, but wanted to post a quick message. I did the Tangled Thread and Needlework show yesterday and had a great time (next one's in April). I got to hang with glass buddies Vickie Warburton and Anita Messer. We did some demos and generally had fun. Plus, I made enough money to send off to some of the various upcoming shows I plan to do this year, for booth rent. I don't get to see a penny of it... and so it goes! LOL!

I know a lot of you people out there are thinking all of us lampworkers are getting rich selling all our pretty beads for big money. Just not true! Well, maybe a few, like Kim Nealy (and boy is her work AMAZING, and soooo worth every penny!) It's amazing how many people take up lampworking only to discover the sad truth and move on to something else. Well, not me. I don't do it for the money (what money???), I do it for the pure joy of melting glass and seeing what amazing things can be done with this incredibly amazing art form.

Hi all! Just a quick note to say that I've just put up several new items on Just Beads and in my What's New department! Take a look at some of my favorites! :)

Hi all! I just wanted to remind everyone that our 2nd Annual Ozark Mountain Bead Retreat is just around the corner! If you have not registered yet, you may want to do take a few moments to do so, now. The registration form can be found here, for your convenience. I forgot to mention that I do accept credit cards and paypal, so if you'd like to pay for your registration that way, please let me know and I will either send you a paypal invoice or call you for your credit card information. I am trying to make the process as easy as possible for everyone.

Classes are expected to fill up quickly. The registration fee will include a $20 late fee if registering after April 15, so please don't delay! :) This is going to be a terrific, memorable, fun-filled event!

Hi all! Happy Valentine's Day! I hope all is well with you... You may have noticed a decrease of lovely beadies from me, and well, I have a good excuse. Actually, two good excuses. First, I had to get my taxes done, and then, *boom* as soon as they were, almost everyone in my family got sick. Today is the first day in almost a week that I'm actually feeling normal again, but lil' Ginny is still not up to par. Poor kid. She has missed school all week. I don't think she'll be ready to go back until Friday or Monday...

I do have two sets to go up on Just Beads that I made just before I got sick, and have not had enough energy to take them out to the shop to take pictures. Besides, it's cold out there. Anyway, I expect to get the photos taken tomorrow, so I bet I get 'em up by tomorrow night... We shall see...

Meanwhile, I have some exciting news! My 18 year old daughter, Rachel, called me last night to tell me that former President Bill Clinton will be her guest speaker at her graduation! Rachel is a senior at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts in Hot Springs, (ASMSA) Arkansas. It is a college-prep school that recruits high school kids from all over the state. ASMSA's program is just two years, 11th and 12th grades.

President Clinton grew up in Hot Springs, and ASMSA is sort of his "baby", but this is the first time the school has been able to get President Clinton to come address the graduates. We are all very, very excited! It is exciting enough that Rachel is going to be graduating from this prestigious school, but THIS is the icing on the cake!

Hi all! Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while... No, I have not dropped off the face of the earth. I have been doing my taxes! Need I say more? UGH!!!!

Oh, I just thought of something neat... Chris had some fan pulls in her house that I loved. I decided to make some for mine! I discovered that my 1/8" mandrels work perfectly for this ~ the beads just slip right on over the ball chain. I love this!

Hi all! I'm back from Memphis! Woo! What a weekend! SOOOO glad to be home! I got home late Sunday night, and I've been one tuckered momma ever since!

First of all ~ the van broke down on the way to Memphis. There I am, 45 minutes east of Little Rock, in the middle of nowhere when I noticed black smoke billowing out behind me. I immediately checked the temperature gauge and saw that it was rising quickly. I pulled over to the side of the road and called my road side service.

They towed the van back to Little Rock to a Pep Boys auto service shop. I was told it would probably be Saturday sometime before they could even look at it, and it was guessed that it was the water pump that went out.

So, I had Enterprise come get me, and I went about renting a vehicle. All that they could offer me was a cargo van. Ugh! I had no other choice and signed their forms. Then, they tell me the van is not even there and that they would take me over to the airport to pick it up.

We finally get there, and the van is brand spanking new, with 14 miles on it, and NO gas in the tank. The first thing I had to do was put some gas in it, and I pumped 35 dollars worth into it. Driving it, I already hated it, and was dreading taking it to Memphis, but we do what we gotta do, ya know?

The van had no cruise control and no CD player, not even a cassette player and the pedals are obviously made for people with big feet and my foot was up off the floor and my leg was cramping up. So I started to think I'm gonna need a block of wood or something just so I can drive the thing to Memphis.

I finally get back to Pep Boys to transfer all my show stuff from my broken down van into the cargo van. They tell me my van is down in bay #10 and I drive down there. The mechanic comes out and tells me,
"Ummm... I think I'm gonna be done with this in about an hour."

I said, "You're kidding me!" and he said he really thought it would be done. I asked him, "Don't you still have to do the compression test to make sure I didn't blow the head gasket when it overheated?" And he said yes, but he thought it would be OK.

I decided to drive the cargo van back over to Enterprise, calling them to tell them I was on my way. Then, I called Tim, and he said, "You don't think you're putting the cart before the horse, do you?" Meaning that if I return the vehicle and find that the van really isn't fixed, I'll be SOL, with no transportation to Memphis.
So, I decided to wait at Enterprise until the mechanic called me to tell me that the van was, indeed, running just fine.

Once I received that call, I went ahead and returned the van. They charged me $88 between the rental and the insurance for the day, but I got them to take the $35 off for the gas I put in.

Enterprise then drove me back to Pep Boys where my van was waiting for me outside. The last time I was this happy to see it was the day I bought it. After putting another $475 charge on my credit card for the repair, I was finally on my way.

By the time I finally passed the spot where I had originally broken down, six hours had passed. The van behaved perfectly the rest of the way, and all the way home Sunday night.

The show went well, and I'm happy with the number of sales. My friend, Chris, and I had a great time at the show, I saw all my old favorite customers and I did a little shopping, too. Not much. I only spent $105 and trust me when I tell you, that was exercising a great deal of self-control. I couldda went hogwild, easy.

Anyway, it's great to be home ~ and I'm already looking forward to Memphis in April. Chris and I got to talking, though, and we're thinking of Tucson, next year, instead of the Memphis show in January. Finally going to Tucson would be really awesome! :)

Hi all! Just a quickie to let you know I just put up even more new goodies! It's the mother-lode, LOL!

In about twelve hours, I will be leaving for Memphis, and I am so psyched I can hardly stand it! :) I am really excited about the new look of my booth and even more excited about all the goodies I will be offering up for sale. Not just mine, either, as my good friend and talented artist, Mary Foster, came by today to drop off all her goodies that I will selling out of my booth for her. She is amazing with her dichro fuse work, it just blows me away. If you were to see it, you would be blown away, too. Maybe I'll get a chance to snag a few pictures before her goodies fly out of the booth. I would love for you to see how magical Mary makes the dichro looks. I am not kidding, she makes it sing!

Well, nitey nite! Hope to see you in Memphis! If you received a postcard from me, be sure to bring it for a couple bucks off your admission! :)

Hi all! More New goodies up! :) Just six days until the Intergalactic Bead and Jewelry Show in Memphis! Woo~hoo! I am so excited, I can hardly stand it! Oh, and thanks to Vicki B. for being such a great customer ~ you've really stuck by me, and I can't thank you enough! Enjoy your goodies :)

Hi all! I'm in "get-ready-for-Memphis" mode and so there are five new bead sets up now in my What's New department. If you were to ask me which set was my favorite, that would be a hard question to answer, so don't ask, OK? LOL...

I like to try and get everything I make for a show up on the site but sometimes that is next to impossible but I'm really giving it an effort this time. I decided not to list the sets on Just Beads because it's just too close to time... The show is two weeks from today.

I am excited about the show, though. I have updated my booth by adding some gridwalls that will add height, space, and appeal to my booth, which is the only way to expand my booth space without spending more money on table rental. It reminds me of when I lived in Ft. Lauderdale. Everywhere there was new construction, they would just make buildings taller than the ones that stood there previously. That is because the city is landlocked by the Everglades to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, West Palm Beach to the north and Miami to the south. There is very little land left available to do much of anything. So up! UP is the way to go! :) Gotta love progress, I guess.... :)

Anyway, if you're anywhere near Memphis the weekend of January 27-28, you should stop by the Intergalactic Bead and Jewelry Show at the Agricenter. It promises to be a GREAT show, as I know it gets better and better every year. The one word I hear most often coming out of visitors' mouths is, "overwhelming" and it truly is. There are just SOOOO many pretty beads to look at! Not just mine, either, Susan Barnes is always there with her magnificent creations and there is so many other great and beautiful things. I always try to buy my sterling silver at the show which is typically less expensive than on the internet and I don't have to pay shipping.

I'm just really excited ~ can you tell? I love these shows, and doing them is a so much fun. Makes it seem like the 4+ hour drive to get there is a just a walk in the park. Oh, and this time, I get to stay with my beady-friend Chris! I can't wait! We are gonna have so much fun talking beads the whole weekend... Doesn't that sound like pure heaven? It does to me! :)

I wanted to share with you one more thing before I go... I sometimes wonder if anybody ever really looks at my site and then *poof* suddenly I'll get an email like this, right out of the blue:

Hi Debby, THANK YOU!!!! Thank you for your three in one bead tutorial! I just started lampworking in November and the last few days have been practising making evil eye beads. I wanted them to have black caps on both ends and I've been getting SO frustrated trying to get them even and sitting nicely. Caterwompus explains things very nicely, they would all blob in together or not be even or have jaggy holes and I was starting to get discouraged. I just read your tutorial and thought, OK, I can do that! And I fired the torch back up. Left off the evil eye just in case that was jinxing me, and I just made a bead with beautiful caps on it! Well I think I did! It's cooling and I can't wait to take it out and see how it worked out. All I can say for now is that it looks just about perfect compared to what I was ending up with and I like the fact that the tapers are there. So once again, thanks for your valuable tutorial, you've made a newbie very happy :o))))) Louise (just in case you can't tell --- I'm bouncing with glee!)

Hi all! I hope your new year has started off well! So far so good around here! :)

Thought you'd like to see the latest goodies I've been working on. I really like this series...

I've made a few more sets like this and hope to be putting them up here soon. Hope you like them!

Hi all! Well, it's official, my oldest child is now (legally) an adult. Rachel turned 18 yesterday. She is old enough to vote, enter the military, and buy cigarettes. Fortunately, she has no interest in joining the military or buying cigarettes, so she told me that while she was in Florida, she was going to buy a Florida lottery ticket. I suggested she buy eighteen of them. It would be extremely awesome if she won.

I am really proud of how Rachel has turned out. She is definitely her own person, and it shows. She has unique taste in clothes and is not afraid to express herself. She has good morals and strong opinions and really seems to have direction in her life.

Rachel has recently been accepted at Hendrix College in Conway, AR, which is a very prestigious school in the south. Without even applying, Rachel has also been offered scholarships at Hendrix that will pay for at least half the tuition.

It has been eighteen wonderful years watching this young lady grow up, and every step along the way, she has made her momma very proud. Sure, we've had a few "issues", but we have always managed to work them out, and I just couldn't be more delighted with how she has turned out and who she has become. Rachel is definitely one of the brightest rays of sunshine in my life.

In other news, I decided to take advantage of a reduced fee listing day yesterday and put something up on ebay. What the heck. It's a floral set I've held onto for a long time, but I'm willing to let it go...

I have also just added three new focals to my What's New section, the caramel twist bead is my favorite...

Well, that's about it for today ~ it's time for me to go get cozy with my torch and make some more pretties. I hope to have a good day ~ and I hope you do, too!

Hi all! Just a quickie here as I had a really nice day today. A fellow "WCer" (member of Wet Canvas online) Carey, visited my home today, with her 9 year old daughter, Hailey. It was a short but sweet visit and I felt like we really connected. The time just flew by as we talked (mostly beads) and I even got to meet Carey's delightful mom, too. Carey and Hailey's visit was certainly a highlight in my chaotic week and I just want to say how much I appreciate them coming to visit and brightening my day. Little Ginny has done nothing but talk about Hailey the rest of the day. She can't wait to see Hailey again!

Carey and I exchanged gift beads and I am so thrilled with my new little treasures. I want to take pix of them and show because they are so pretty. I'll have to do that the next time I go out to the shop to take pictures. Meanwhile, I am adding Carey's website to my favorite links because Carey is definitely one of my new favorite people!

Thanks, Carey, for spending some time with me today ~ it was a pleasure meeting you and I enjoyed our visit very much!

Hi all! Well, it's almost Christmas! Are you ready? I guess I am, more or less, and if not, I'll just wing it...

If you look in the What's New category, it'll appear as though fusing has taken over my life! Not so, my dear friends, I could never abandon my first real love ~ lampworking. I made a two new lampwork sets just the other day, and sadly one set was all cracked (incompatible glass ~ grrrr!) and here's the other set, currently listed on Just Beads.

I made another set yesterday, but they're waiting to be de-mandreled and cleaned... I have had a lot of fun learning to fuse, and thanks to my friend Mary for giving me tips along the way... I realize that glass can be just as quirky in the kiln as it can in the flame. Glass just never fails to surprise me, sometimes in good ways, some times in not-so-good ways. I've figured out how to add my own glass bails, using short dipped mandrels and pre-making the glass "spacer bails" using lampworking techniques and then gently assembling it all together on a kiln shelf before firing. I had a few pendants get too close to each other, so they fused together, but I managed to get them apart without damaging the pieces. Here's one of them, which happens to be my favorite, it reminds me of a peacock feather:

Anyhoo, Rachel and Chelsea are visiting their dad and and family in Georgia, for Christmas. I miss them terribly, but they'll be home on the 1st. My van was in the shop all last week, but we finally got it back yesterday. We had the transmission rebuilt, and that was a whopper of a bill: $1177! And they wanted to be paid in CASH! Nice of them to let us know! I hope the van runs for a while now, as I have a busy show season coming up. Who knows, though, as the van is nine years old, with almost 180,000 miles on it. I just can't afford a car payment until Ginny's out of pre-school, or I would trade it in. I gotta keep this baby running!

I have a WC friend, Carey, coming to visit tomorrow, with her daughter, Hailey. I am really looking forward to that. She is from Maryland and is visiting her folks just east of here. We're gonna play with beads, which should be a lot of fun.

For Christmas, we'll be going to my in-laws in Alma, for the day. That will be really nice. I love our family get togethers. That's what makes Christmas special for me: Just being with family, and my hubby and I have a great family! :)

Hi all! Another week flies by... I've been playing with borosilicate glass, which is a whole different way of working with glass. I love the properties of boro, though, so I'm having fun. I'm finally getting some good color, although I am still melting right through some of my stainless steel mandrels ~ boy that flame is HOT! LOL!

You can see some of my boro work available in the What's New department, there are some new sets and a few bracelets, too. I'm looking forward to playing some more with this mesmerizing glass.

I have a small Holiday Shopping Expo this Sunday in Clarksville, so if you're in the area, it's right across the street from the fairgrounds on Oakland. Liz, the lady who's running the show has done a great job getting the word out through advertising in the paper and on the radio. I bet we get a good crowd.

Lastly, I wanted to mention that I have all the teachers lined up for the 2nd Annual Ozark Mountain Bead Retreat. I am honored and delighted to have Tracey Shultz, Sherry Rowbotham, and Vickie Warburton joining me in teaching classes at this fantastic event. We still have to select the projects to teach, so that will be forthcoming in the next month or so.

It's snowing!!! It's snowing!!! It's snowing!!!! Yippee! Our first snow of the season... Yay!!!

Hi all! Well, I've been busy updating my site today, adding several new bead sets and focals to the What's New department. Also, I finally got my 2nd Annual Ozark Mountain Bead Retreat web page built! Click on the logo below:

I have a lot of interest already and there is limited availability, so if you think you'd like to sign up, let me know. I am very excited to be able to bring this event to fruition. Although I had the first retreat here at my home this past summer, I've always wanted to "do it right" and have a retreat at a beautiful location like the Mulberry River Mountain Ranch. Everything is coming together, but there is a lot of work to be done. Already I've compared it to planning a wedding. Ahhh, but it's a labor of love, I'll tell you that. I can't wait!

We were supposed to get some snow today, but all we've gotten today so far is rain. Boo hoo. My kids and I were looking forward to seeing some snow. It may snow tonight, so who knows. We'll keep our fingers crossed!

Hi all! I have a couple new things I'm excited to tell you about. First, I wanted to tell you that I have just begun to do some fusing. I made my first fused pieces yesterday and although simple, they came out great!

Other big news is that I am planning the 2nd Annual Ozark Mountain Bead Retreat, June 8 & 9, 2007 at the Mulberry River Mountain Ranch. I'll be adding an info page about that soon, but in the meantime, you can just email me with questions.

I hope you are enjoying this fall season as much as I am! We had a glorious showing of fall color this year, but it's just past peaking now, so it's slowly heading towards winter. No matter, I love winter, too! :)

I've done some small, yet wonderful, shows lately, and I have another one this Sunday, and then that will be the last of my shows for this year, until the next Intergalactic Bead Show in Memphis at the end of January.

With this (much needed) break from doing shows, I plan to hunker down and get some serious beads made. LOL! I spent the better part of today making some new beads, that I hope to get up online in the next few days, but we'll see. I look forward to just playing with glass for a while. I just bought a tank of oxygen which I plan to use when I'm working with Boro or some other cool stuff that could use the extra "oompf" you get with a tank of oxygen versus the two oxygen concentrators that usually run my Lynx torch.

Other than that, life is pretty normal around here. The girls are all doing well in school and Tim is plugging along nicely at his job, too. Life gets pretty hectic for me but at least I have my family to keep me sane. I would be lost without them!

Hi all! New stuff today! I just listed a whole bunch of new items in the What's New section ~ three large organic lentils and tabs; a really cool hexagon shaped set; and 13 new pair sets.

I decided that my dear sweet little webby needed the listings more than JustBeads or ebay, so here they are, and on sale, to boot! :) Nuttin' wrong with that!

The arts and crafts show at Applegate went really well, and I am definitely signing up to do next year's at Mulberry. I was very grateful to my friend Tracey's friend Peggy for letting me stay at her house. Thanks, Peggy!

This weekend is the next Tangled Thread Needlework and Bead Festival, Saturday, from 9 to 5. This time there will be three lampworkers there exhibiting: My friends Laurie Haakenson and Vicki Warburton will there along with me. Laurie and I will even be doing lampworking demos in the morning and afternoon. We are so excited! Come check it out!

Hi all! Well, I've got big news. Big news for around here, anyway. The Autumn Arts and Crafts festival at the Mulberry River Mountain Ranch has been more or less cancelled, so I will be at the Ole Applegate Place Farm Autumn Arts and Crafts Festival instead. The festival is this Wednesday, October 18 to Sunday, October 22.

The Ole Applegate Place Farm festival has been growing while the property it's held on has not. For the last few years or so, they have expanded the festival to include the local Clarion Hotel and this year was the first year they were going to add the Mulberry River Mountain Ranch as a third location to their festival.

But, at the last minute they decided not to include the location at Mulberry River Mountain Ranch and so fortunately, they were kind enough to offer me space at the Ole Applegate Place Farm location.

Also, fortunately for me, a sweet friend of mine, Tracey, asked some of her NW Arkansas friends if anyone could put me up while I'm up in Bentonville for the festival. So, at least I have a place to stay, too. I am very grateful to Tracey and her friends for their wonderful kindness and generosity.

Anyway, beginning in 2007, the festival at Ole Applegate Place Farm will be moving to the Mulberry River Mountain Ranch, so I will be showing at that festival from then on.

I'm just glad I was able to get everything worked out for this year! If you happen to visit Applegate, please stop by my booth! :)

Hi all! Wow, I'm starting to look consistent here, writing exactly one week apart... Well, don't let me fool ya... you know it'll probably be weeks again before I get back on here ~ you know how things go!

This past weekend, I was in Ft. Smith, doing the Arkansas Bead Market bead show, and it was a roaring success! For a semi-small show there were some wonderful vendors there with a ton or variety of goodies. I did very well, but I really just enjoyed myself. So many familiar faces came to the show, it was almost as if I'd had the event in my very own backyard. I loved it! I made a lot of great connections and even have a new student coming for a lampworking class this upcoming Saturday! How about that!

Anyway, before I rattle on any further and bore you to tears, I did want to mention that I just listed some more Christmas themed beads here on the site, and also four gorgeous bead sets on Just Beads. Have fun looking, and once again, I thank you!!!

Hi all! Yay, it's October! My favorite month! My favorite for a lot of reasons, but not the least of which because it's my anniversary! Tim and I will celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary on Friday, the 13th! And yep, you guessed it, I'm not the superstitious type. LOL!

Can't believe it's been 5 years ~ wow! Most of it has been absolutely spectacular, I can honestly say I never imagined married life could be this good. I am one lucky gal!

Well, I've got another exciting event this weekend, the Arkansas Bead Market, at the Ft. Smith Convention Center in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. I expect to see all you local folks there! A bead show in Arkansas?!!! This surely cannot be missed! I'm looking forward to this show and I hope it's a good one. This will be my first time there.

After that, I'll have a five day arts and crafts show October 18 - 22, but at least it doesn't fall on my anniversary! Yay!

Hi all! Well, it's the middle of the week already and I had planned to write something here after my incredible class this weekend! Oh well! Admittedly, I've been more anxious to make beads than I have been to post something here. Sorry bout that!

Anyway, the Kim Fields class was excellent! I learned so much and the class was so intense, I could hardly sleep for three days, my mind was just going over and over all the techniques we were learning.

I really enjoyed torching with a group of people and everybody was so nice and fun to be with. Kim ROCKS! We had a nice surprise, too, as Cindy Jenkins was in our class, too! Not one, but TWO "celebrities!" :)

Here I am, hamming it up with the famous Cindy, author of Making Glass Beads and Beads of Glass, two of my favorite lampworking books.

Of course, we learned a lot, but my new skills will have to be refined a bit before I'll make anything really good with them. I feel like a "newbie" again. SIGH!

Since I've been home, I've just been trying to get caught up on things, and make beads, and in the middle of everything, just found out there is space for me at the Arkansas Bead Market show in Ft. Smith October 7 - 8. Kewl! I'm looking forward to doing that show.

Meanwhile, I'm gearing up for a trunk show at Enchanted Gifts in Farmington, Arkansas, this Friday. If you're in the area ~ stop on by! It'll be fun!

Hi all! I hope you are well and enjoying your day... What's your weather like ~ ours is just perfect! :)

I just listed several new items in the What's New category: A new bicone design, a floral tab focal and three more Christmas beads. All pretty! All on sale! Woo~hoo! :)

Last night I also listed several new items on Just Beads. A few days ago, I focused a whole afternoon on mastering Olympia Rain. That stuff is so elusive, it drives me crazy! I made eleven beads "zizzering" the Olympia Rain onto a base of transparent cobalt. Each one came out different, but not one I liked until I got to the eighth bead. Then, I finally nailed it. Then, I made six more, and they came out just like the eighth one. Boy, that stuff is hard to work with, but once you get it, you get it!

Unfortunately, the same techniques do not work for Kronos, so I'm going to have to start all over again when I attempt to master that glass. And, now I hear there's a new glass called Gaia out there! I just can't keep up! Pffffttt.... I thought Gaia was a website that my kids like to go to? Sigh!!!

Tomorrow, I leave early for St. Louis to take a weekend class with Kim Fields, and I'm so excited about that I can hardly sit still! But, before I go, I wanted to post this message I just got from a customer, it's such a sweet testimonial, I just have to share:

Hi Debby,

I received all your beautiful beads. Wow! Each one of them is truly a piece of art--the details and colors are wonderful. I love them all and look forward to using them in special pieces of jewelry. I have to admit I have two favorites. The peppermint flower bead is delightful and makes me smile. The magnolia bead reminds me of my first summer in Virginia and seeing the beauty of magnolia trees in person. When I brought one of the big beautiful white flowers into the house, the smell lasted for a long time and was such a pleasure to come home to.

Thank you, too, for the extra beads. I have a box of onesies and use them often to spice things up.

Cecille

Hi all! It's been a busy week! Lotsa new, exciting goodies available both here and on Just Beads! Many of them drool~worthy! :)

Hi all! Well, the last 10 days just pretty much just went by in a blur! The Prairie Grove fair and the Subiaco Art Fair both went pretty well. Actually, in a broken down comparison, I did better at the one day Subiaco show than I did on any one of the days at the Prairie Grove show, even though it was a lot smaller of an event. Funny how things go sometimes.

Anyway, this week it's time to catch up on some custom orders, so that is I'm focusing on. I also have a new set of pillow beads in the works featuring opal yellow, emerald green and gold, and I'm pleased with how they're coming along. At Prairie Grove, the lady across from me was selling handmade soaps and she wore this beautiful top featuring those colors, so that's where I got the inspiration for that color scheme from...

All else here is hunky dory, although the van was in the shop today for a new ignition switch... That was a bummer! The van has over 165,000 miles on it, and it is time to seriously think about what to do with it. We're thinking of replacing the engine in it, or getting a new vehicle but since I still love the van, we're leaning toward the new engine, but we have to work out a few things first... Sigh!

Rachel will probably come home this weekend from ASMSA. Turns out there is some big biker rally in Hot Springs this weekend, and the school doesn't want to be responsible for the kids during that event, so the students either have to go home for the weekend, or stay in the building the whole time. They won't let any of the students check out to stroll around downtown. If I was a biker chick, I'd be offended at the way the school is handling this, but I'm not a biker chick, so I really don't care. I hope Rachel can get a ride home. I haven't seen her in about a month now... I miss my "baby"!

Nothing much else going on, and so I will close with a thought for all those people who lost their families on September 11, five years ago today. May their good memories remain in our hearts forever and may their great loss never be forgotten...

I'm leaving shortly for Prairie Grove, Arkansas, for the Prairie Grove Clothesline Fair that's happening this weekend. The weather promises to be good, so it should be a good show! I'm really excited about going ~ and the plus is I'll get to hang with my friend Laurie of Sassy Glass Beads, and her Mom. We're going to have fun! :)

So, if you happen to come by the fair this weekend, stop by and see me ~ I'll be in one of the two big tents!

Hi all! I'm relieved to see that Tropical Storm Debby fizzled out to nothing. I didn't relish the idea of a storm named after me causing any damage or hurting anybody!

Hi all! Well, I'm finally famous... Tropical Storm Debby is out in the Atlantic. It is so cool to have a storm named after me, and they even got the spelling right! Kewl!

Hi all! Sorry I was all a bummer before ~ no one likes to read bad news, right? Anyway, it's taking me a while to bounce back, but I do have a couple cool new 3in1's up on ebay, so take a peek-sie, OK?

I've got another floral lentil set in the works that I really, REALLY like, and I'm having a hard time deciding if I want to part with them or not... Maybe I'll just flip a coin. Sigh!

Well, folks, the Tigger saga is over. She passed away during the night. There will be no more tests done afterall.

I picked her body up from the vet and brought her home. She will be buried with the "group" out in the yard. I never imagined I would have a pet cemetery going on out in the yard, but this has just been my luck in recent years. Tigger makes the 8th pet I've lost since I moved here to Arkansas in 2001. That is not a good track record. I think I'll avoid adding any new pets to the family for a while.... Sigh!

Hi all! Rachel is all settled into ASMSA and she started school today. Rachel called to say she is loving it already!

Everything else is pretty much normal around here except for one thing. My kitty Tigger is sick again and I took her to the vet today. She'll be staying there until she gets back on her feet, if she gets back on her feet. She has lost so much weight and we have run test after test and so far - nothing! The next thing to test for is a pancreatic problem or intestinal problem, so that will be done tomorrow. Meanwhile, the vet says she is doing OK... I miss my Tigger baby! She usually hangs out with me in my "office"...

Other than that, I've been busy working, making more beads, making more jewelry, just to keep up with ebay and these shows I'm doing... I'm also still working on my latest tutorial, but I am about 90% done with that. I'll be glad when that one is finished! :)

Hi all! Boy, this summer is quickly coming to an end... Rachel is leaving Saturday for ASMSA and we will miss her! Boo~hoo! I know she is excited about starting her senior year at school and Chelsea is looking forward to having their room to herself again, but gosh! I'm gonna miss my "baby"...

Chelsea will start her sophomore year at Lamar HS and Ginny is starting preschool, on August 21. It's been quite a few years since I had the house to myself, so I know I'll enjoy that, but I'll miss having little Ginny around to "help me" with the beads. She really wants to start school though, so I know she will really enjoy it.

I've been working on a few beads, as seen here on ebay, and I've also been working on another tutorial that is taking a lot longer to do than I expected. For one, this will hopefully be published in a certain magazine and all the photos need to be high resolution, so I've had to remake the project and retake all the shots due to the fact that I initially took the photos for web reproduction. I don't know why I did that, I should have known better ~ especially coming from a background in graphic art. Talk about a "duh" moment. Anyway, I'm sure all the work will be worth it, though, because I want to article to be perfect. :)

So, other than that, life is pretty normal around here, and just yesterday I heard from a high school friend that I lost contact with over 16 years ago! It was so exciting and such a treat to read her email. It is so cool that we found each other again.

Hi all! The Altus Grape Festival went well, although it was HOT! The festival was a lot larger this year than last year, but the heat really affected everyone. I think we had 100 degree temps on Saturday, and Rachel and I were there from 7 a.m. til 10 p.m. What a long day!

The show was fun and I talked to a lot of fantastic people. I just love doing shows and I'm looking forward to the next one.

In the meantime, I have some catching up to do and getting some custom orders done, but I anticipate being back up on ebay soon. I have another tutorial to write up so that'll keep me busy also.

Rachel will be going back to ASMSA on the 12th ~ I can't believe this summer is almost over already! Chelsea and Ginny will start school on the 21st. Life will be really different, then, the house will get awfully quiet! I'll just get to work! (Yay!) :)

Hi all! Whew! Talking about living la vida loca! The bead show in Memphis went very well, and my friend Clara, my daughter Chelsea, and I had a great time!

After we returned from Memphis, Clara stayed with me until last Tuesday, then on Wednesday, my dear friend and "adopted sister", Lois, came to visit us for a week... So, we've been having a good time, going swimming at the lake, and going to visit Mt. Magazine State Park and just hanging around. Meanwhile, I have to keep "sneaking in" time to work, as I have another show this coming weekend, on Friday and Saturday. It's been a struggle to juggle all of this, let me tell you!

So, thought I'd drop a line here just to let all you nice folks that I'm still alive and kicking and things will be pretty much back to normal next week. Then, I have another tutorial to write up! More details about that later! ;)

Hi all! In 45 minutes my little troupe will be on the road again! My jewelry designing friend, Clara, and my 15 year old daughter, Chelsea, will be accompanying me to Memphis for the next Intergalactic Bead Show this weekend!

It takes 4 to 5 hours to get there, and we can't wait! I am especially tickled that Chelsea has agreed to come with us. Many folks that stop by our booth often ask about the young and talented lampworker known only as Chelsea. She will be there so now you can finally meet her in person! :)

If I mailed you a postcard, be sure to bring it with you for a discount on your admission into the show! I am looking forward to seeing all the familiar faces of my regular customers along with the new ones that will be stopping by. This is gonna be a GREAT show, so don't miss it! See ya soon!

Hi all! Just a quickie to let you know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth or anything... I've been working very hard lately getting all my ducks in a row for my next show in Memphis July 15 - 16. I am greatly looking forward to the show and seeing some familiar faces again!

I'll have lots of new goodies with me this time, plus my friend and fellow jewelry designer,Clara, will have her own table at the show with me ~ be sure to come check it out! :)

Just listed more goodies in "What's New"! You might be wondering why I am "loading up" the site all of a sudden... Well, I'm getting ready for my next big bead show in Memphis (in just under 3 weeks) and I figured "why not" and put some of the goodies I'll be taking with me to Memphis! In the meantime, you can take advantage of the sale prices ~ which are only good on website purchases.... So.... if you see something you like, and you think you might want to see it in person and you don't mind paying full price, that's fine, just come to the show! See you there! :)

Hi all! Just wanted to mention I just added three new beadsets, five new froggie beads, two new focals, plus another cute fish by Chelsea to my "What's New" page!

Rachel and Chelsea take off tomorrow for Atlanta! They'll be gone for two weeks. Rachel will spend one week at the Savannah College of Art and Design for a summer program, while Chelsea visits her grandparents. Then, their dad will pick Rachel up from Savannah and join Chelsea at his parents house for the second week. I sure will miss them! But, I know they will have a great time!

Hi all! The 3-in-1 Bead tutorial is done! Check it out! Let me know what you think. Try it out, and let me know if there are any directions that are not clear enough or if you have any problems with the images or anything. Feedback, good or bad, would be greatly appreciated! Email me!

Hi all! Yesterday I taught a lampworking class with just one student, named Carol who lives in Russellville. We had such a great time. Carol is a really cool lady, I felt really comfortable with her right from the git go ~ almost as if we'd been life-long friends... Anyway, Carol sent me the sweetest email I've gotten in a long time, and I just have to share:

Debby,
I learned so much yesterday!! I have not yet been able to go upstairs and practice my new skills but i will soon. My mom was at the house when i got home yesterday. I think i will see if she wants to watch me practice. I learned so much from you. I can't wait to get the shop built. Thanks for all the tool information. It will come in handy. I'm ordering the bobcat torch first. I will probably order it today. I will be talking to you lots if that's ok. You said you'd come to my house when we get ready to design my bead room. Would that still be okay? Hey, how did my beads turn out. I can't wait to see them. Talk to you later! You're a GREAT teacher.

Thanks again,
Carol

I think I might have to start a "testimonials" page, if I keep getting emails like this one! :)

On another note ~ I've had quite a few requests for my 3-in-1 bead tutorial and I just want you all to know I'm working on it. I should have it up here on my site within a week or so. Thanks, guys! I'm so glad you like my beads!

Hi all! Well, the 1st Annual Woods Mountain Bead Retreat was a roaring success! We've had requests already to do another one before Christmas, so I'll have to schedule one, maybe around the end of October, or the first of November. I have a big show to do in October, and I want to make sure that's "out of the way" before Fall bead retreat... Anyway, here's a photo of one of the projects one of the students made. I thought this set came out especially nice:

I've got several new goodies up for auction and also up on my What's New page. These are large "3-in-1" focals, averaging about 18 mm. in width and about 27 mm. long. I usually don't do really large beads, so these are a stretch for me, but I am sure enjoying making them! Anyway, here's a picture of one of them, so you can see how special these really are:

I plan on making a bunch of these for my next big show in Memphis (in a month) and I even constructed a special display just for them. As soon as I can, I'll take pictures of the display and show it here. I am so proud of how it's all coming out!

I haven't been this excited about my lampwork in a really long time. Gosh, maybe not ever this excited, actually! :)

Today is the day! It's our 1st Annual Woods Mountain Bead Retreat! We are very excited about this weekend. I'll be sure to take some pictures of all the fun and festivities!

Hi all! I want to remind everyone about our 1st Annual Woods Mountain Bead Retreat coming up this weekend. All kinds of fun activities are planned, including a lampworking demo by me, both days. If you're in the area, stop on by, it's open to the public! You can email me for directions.

Last night I listed four new floral focals on ebay that feature my new exciting design. If you haven't seen them, you should probably take a look. I posted a sampling on WC and now a few people have asked me to make a tutorial on them, which I do plan to do, maybe next week, after the bead retreat. I'm pretty happy with the new direction my florals have been going in! :)

I just added six new beads to the What's New section ~ great stuff! Be sure to check it out before you go...

I wanted to share something with you of a personal nature. My daughter Rachel just got a summer job at Wendy's and she's been working a lot. What's funny is that my very first job, back in 1980, was also at Wendy's, (just different stores in two different states, of course). A lot of things have changed in 26 years, especially the uniforms, but here ya go... some photos ~ first of Rachel in her snazzy red uniform ~ then me, taken 26 years ago, in my very different uniform, standing next to my then-boyfriend. The BF's face has been blotted out to protect his identity. He was pretty cute, though!

My beading buddy is BACK! Chelsea, now 15, has been so busy with school all year, but now that it's summer, she has taken her place by side at her torch. Yay!

Even though it's been almost a year since she torched, her first beads of the summer are already up on the What's New page, and it seems as though she hasn't missed a lick. She's amazing! My favorite is her Miss Ladybug ~ talk about CUTE!!!

Anyway ~ remember all What's New items are 20% off! I'll have more new items to add in the next few days, if all goes well...

Hi all! I taught a beading class today at Forrester-Davis in Clarksville, which is a place where handicapped "clients" can go for activities and jobs and all sorts of neat things. It is a VERY cool place!

Anyway, I taught two classes and all of the students were amazing! I was so tickled with how well they did and the projects they created. It was a very rewarding experience for me, and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Other than that, I have been a busy bee creating cool beads to play with and enjoy. Lotsa fun bright and happy shapes and colors!

I also listed three new floral designs tonight, making their debut on ebay. I am really pleased with this new direction my florals have taken, but don't worry, I will still continue to make the old tried and true classic floral beads. I've just been having some fun is all.

Rachel is home for the summer and Chelsea's last day of school is tomorrow. We have a lot of fun things planned. Rachel has been accepted to attend a week-long workshop at Savannah College of Art and Design and we just gotta A) come up with the $$$ for tuition and B) figure out a way to get her there. She just got a summer job at Wendy's and will need to clear it with them, too. The girls also want to go visit their dad in Florida for a week, too, so we have a lot to figure out... I'm sure it'll work out one way or another! :)

Our 1st Annual Woods Mountain Bead Retreat is next on my agenda, which will be June 10 - 11, and should be a LOT of fun! I am greatly looking forward to it. I have a little info about that here, but if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to drop me a line. I'll be doing a lampworking demo among other cool things.

Hi all! I guess I should really title the above "Chat of the Week", huh? Sigh! Time just flies by, doesn't it?

I just added a beautiful new bracelet and two new pairs of earrings to the "What's New" department. Don't forget, everything in "What's New" is on sale ~ 20 percent off!

Well, it's almost the end of the school year. Rachel leaves ASMSA on Thursday and gets to come home for the summer! I am so excited! I can't wait! I have really missed her. It is so hard to believe that she will be a senior next year! Amazing!

This weekend I have a small show to attend, the Oark Heritage Day Festival, as part of a group showing by Artwaves, my art guild. It should be fun. I'm dragging the kids with me this time, as there are many different activities that they can do. It'll be fun for all of us. I'll try to get some pictures. Hope to see some of you there! :)

Hi all! I decided to try something new and different and exciting. Everything in the "What's New" category is now on sale at 20% off regular prices. Now, isn't that new and different and exciting?

Today, I added four new floral focal beads, a new bead set in a new design, three new pairs of earrings and a new bracelet. Plus, there are still a whole bunch of new hollow beads also on sale. Go now, and check them all out! :)

On another note, it's my love of my life's birthday today. He turns 44!Wow, are we ever getting old! LOL!

And, Ginny is still doing just fine! Thanks for all the well-wishes, everyone! Ginny enjoyed a great birthday on Friday! Lotsa cake and great presents!

Hi all! Whew! What a crazy week so far! It seems our little Ginny got really sick, and we wound up taking her to the hospital Monday morning. She was admitted, given IVs and kept overnight.

I spent the night with her in the hospital room and during the night Ginny's IV machine kept sounding off, apparently due to blocked flow. The nurses kept coming in, repositioning Ginny's hand and resetting the machine, and as soon as they'd leave, the machine would sound off again. This went on until about 1 a.m. Finally, as one of the nurses is leaving the room, she flippantly says "well, we might just have to relocate the IV", and I put my foot down. Remembering that it took them about twenty minutes to find a vein the first time, I told them that we will NOT be putting Ginny through that ordeal again. She said she'd have to call the doctor, and I looked at her and told her, "So, call the doctor!"

The nurse came back saying the doctor said we could just remove it, which I agreed to. At least that meant we'd finally get some sleep. I knew though, that it also meant they would have to draw blood in the morning rather than taking it through the existing IV. Oh well. I had to weigh one scenario against the other, and it made more sense to me to take the IV out and let us get some sleep.

Ginny's room was located just behind the nurses station. All through the night, it sounded as if all those nurses were having a party. They were laughing and talking loudly, all night long. I got up at one point just to go see if they WERE having a party, but I didn't see any cake or icecream or presents or anything. I didn't see anything other than a group of about ten nurses all standing around having the time of their lives. They didn't even noticed me standing there, so I just went back to bed.

Each time one of them came in to check up on Ginny, they'd leave leaving the door open. There I am all comfortable in my bed, but now I can't sleep because of all the cackling going on at the nurses station. I could ring the nurses bell, but then the intercom would come on and that could wake up Ginny. I could only get up out of bed and go close the door, which I wound up doing several times during the night.

I was astounded that those nurses have no consideration for the patients who are there trying to sleep!

After breakfast, two nurses came in to draw some blood. As they were looking over Ginny's arm for a place to stick her, I mentioned that "yesterday was quite an ordeal for her as the nurses had to go digging for a vein" and I wanted to make sure that these nurses knew what they were doing. One of them said, "Yeah, we know. We were there." Whoops! I hadn't even recognized them, which is no big surprise because I was too busy at the time trying to console a hysterical child while looking through extremely watery eyes...

But, this time they nailed it on the first prick and the whole thing was over with pretty quick. Thank God.

The bloodwork came back normal, and when the doctor came in to tell us the good news, she said we could go home. YAY!!! The doctor said Ginny had had a virus, and because she hadn't eaten much in the last few days, it just really knocked her down.

Ginny never eats much. She is the pickiest eater I have ever known.

We are delighted she is home and is OK! Ginny celebrates her fourth birthday on Friday! :) Yay! Here's a recent picture of her:

Hi all! Yesterday was the Tangled Thread Needlework and Bead Festival at the Mulberry River Mountain Ranch, and it was GREAT! I was a vendor there, and yes, I did very well, but I was so excited to see my friends Laurie, another lampworker, selling her stuff at the show, and our friend Mary came along and hung out with us most of the day.

We were really busy most of the day, but I did get a few photos taken. If you click on the photo below, you'll get taken to my Shutterfly album with all the show pictures in it.

I took the "scenic" way home, and man, was it ever. Hwy. 215 runs along side the Mulberry River and there were a few places to pull over so I stopped at one, and took this picture. There were so many beautiful spots along the way, it was a good reminder of why I came to Arkansas in the first place. Arkansas is such a beautiful state, but shhhh, don't tell anybody. We Arkansans like to keep it a secret.

Anyway, I think this route is a little shorter and quicker than taking the interstate, so I'll probably go that way from now on, whenever I have to trek over that way.

The next Tangled Thread festival will be in November, but I have also applied to get into the Mulberry River Mountain Ranch Autumn Arts & Crafts Festival, which is a five day event in October. If I get in, I'll be trekking back and forth along Hwy. 215 for five days! Yummy! :)

Hi all! Yesterday was Chelsea's 15th birthday! Wow! I can't believe she's 15 already! :) Happy birthday, honey!

I just posted a whole new batch of TEN hollow beads on the What's New page. Check them out! :)

The weather is already getting hot, making me think that somehow I moved back to Florida. Ack! This is what I escaped! I can't believe we are already running our AC and it's only April. Time to go swimming down at the lake...

I've been working in our new garden, getting it prepped, and have been enjoying it! I can't wait til we start planting stuff!

"I figure you are extremely busy so I haven't written. I've been thinking about you and checking in on your website on occasion to see what is new with you so you won't have to tell it twice when you write to me. I've noticed that you haven't written anything in a long time, April 2nd. I'm beginning to wonder about you rather than just think about you now. Is everything OK? ~Mary"

I had not realized it had been so long since I've posted something here! Hope no one else has been worried...

The bead show in Memphis went just OK. I made enough to make it worth my while, but I made about half what I usually do out there. Saturday was just a crummy day. The weather was really poor and the people just did not come out and those that did, didn't buy all that much. Perhaps they were concerned about the weather. I know I was. I think I heard there had been several tornado watches in the area most of the day.

Sunday was about a typical day for me, so that helped a lot. The weather was much better, too!

Of course, the important thing was that I just had fun! My friend Chris came and helped me out this time, and with her eyes on the table, I am happy to report I had NO thefts this time. YAY! Chris has agreed to work with me (and my friend Clara) for the next show in Memphis in July. I really enjoyed working with Chris and I look forward to working with her again.

I taught my very first lampworking class yesterday. My students Tammy and Brenda, both members from Artwaves, the local art guild, and I had a great time. They each made about 19 beads. We went over a ton of material and they were greatly excited about their progress, as was I, and I wouldn't be surprised if they decide they'd like to pursue lampworking. Here's a picture of my studious students, and some of their beads!

As if life isn't busy enough for me, Tim and I finally started our garden out back. We haven't planted anything yet, the soil is not ready yet. We inherited a tiller from Tim's folks, so that's all that's been done. Tim says it needs to be tilled a few more times yet, and he said something about adding "this" and "that" to the soil before we can plant.

I know nothing about it! :) But I am willing to learn.

Now I'm just gearing up for my next show, the next Tangled Thread Needlework and Bead Festival over at the Mulberry River Mountain Ranch next Saturday. I hope we get as good a turn-out as we did for the last one. It was a rockin' show!

I haven't listed anything "new" on ebay in a few days, but I do have some old jewelry (still new, just sitting around for too long) that I have listed half price.

Hi all! WOW! I just listed a whole bunch of new goodies! Lotsa cool fishies, great sets and pairs! Have fun looking! Thanks!

Hi all! My last beading class was last night, the third in a series of three sessions and I am just so excited and so proud of my students, I just have to show you their creations! I made this collage of photos to show these off.

Can you believe these were all made by beginners??? Didn't they do an amazing job??? The picture is clickable for a really large version. I didn't want to scale it down all that much because you lose so much detail. If you're not on dial-up, you might want to click on it and look at it, because wow are these necklaces ever gorgeous!

I thoroughly enjoyed teaching this class. When I first showed them what they were going to be making, they all gave me that "deer in the headlight" look and I admit to feeling a bit apprehensive at first that they would be able to do it. But, I kept telling them (as well as myself) that they could do it, and they did! :)

Many of the students told me they really enjoyed the class, which warms a teacher's heart like nothing else. So many of them enjoyed it so much that they even signed up to attend my "Woods Mountain Bead Retreat" in June. I absolutely positively can't wait for that ~ talk about the ultimate in a fun time!

But, for now, I have to focus on getting ready for the next bead show in Memphis, which is in... ack! TEN days!!!!

Hi all! I have 16 days until my next bead show in Memphis, and instead of furiously making beads out in my shop like I should be, I've been spending much of this week updating this website. You wouldn't believe how many beads I had "laying around" waiting to get in the spotlight and shown, so that's what I've been doing. There are probably about 50 new focal beads and several sets here you haven't seen, so if you have the time and something refreshing to drink, you just want to browse around for awhile. Not everything is in the What's New though, you might just want to check out each of the categories. There was just too much to bother with duplicating everything into the What's New pages. Hope you understand...

Not having all of my work shown here is not the only reason I haven't been making many beads this week... A big part of the reason is because my DH decided it was time to get my workshop in a presentable condition, and that's because I will teach my very first lampworking class on April 15! When my DH realized I was serious about teaching, he finally said it was time to "finish the shop". I laughed because the shop has been waiting to be finished now for almost three years!

So, he cut the power (and this translates to no beadmaking) and started wiring for another outlet for my brand new window AC unit ~ that I finally bought today! Today of all days, when it was, like 28 degrees here and snowing most of the day! But, there were all the AC units in the world, all lined up and waiting for me in Wal-mart, and I snatched one up because last summer when I was sweating buckets and dying in the shop from the extreme heat, I went to buy one and *gasp* they were all gone!

This year, I was bound and determined to get a jump on buying one of those suckers, even if it meant buying one in a blazing snowstorm.

OK, it wasn't a snowstorm. We just had a few measly flakes is all, and by mid-day the dusting we had, had melted completely.

My loving DH also finished putting up the drywall, and now the drywall that's been up for almost three years now is all yellowed and aged next to the brand new white ones. We talked about painting, and since my wonderful DH didn't feel like doing it the professional way (you know, covering up the seams and nails with whatever that goo is that drywall people use), I decided to just leave them bare. I'm of the mindset that if you're not going to do something right, don't bother. I'll just have to live with the yellowed drywall next to the white drywall. I'll just cover them up with my old X-Files posters... Yeah, that'll do it! LOL!

Don't think for one second I am not grateful for all the work my DH has done, because I am the luckiest woman in the world to have found such a perfect mate, and he worked his butt off the past two days doing this for me, his only two days off from work all week.

And he did it in freezing cold temperatures to boot. What can I say? I've got a great guy! The shop looks great and very spacious now, too, as we bagged up all the "what are we gonna do with this" crap that was piling up to the ceiling in one corner and hauled it away to the Salvation Army.

They love me there. They know me! They don't know my name, but the look of recognition is there, as they say, "Hey! How ya doin'?" I have donated a lot of stuff. Recently I donated a perfectly working baby swing, a playpen and even a crib, as well as a ton of good clothes and other miscellaneous items. Plus I buy stuff there from time to time. I'm not above that. I even bought a fifty dollar kiln there once. That was almost three years ago, too, and even though my DH wired an outlet just for that, the very same day I bought it, I've only fired it up once, just to see if it got hot. It did, and I turned it off. Someday I'll figure out what to do do with that thing. It's huge. For now, my sweet little Glass Hive kiln rocks... But, I do look forward to playing with the big one if I ever get into doing things larger than beads. Will I ever? I love beads, they're my thing.

I doubt it. But, if I ever do... I've got the kiln for it, and the space in the shop now, to use it.

Hi all! Just a quickie ~ our Tigger seems to have fully recovered from her illness, whatever it was. She's been off the IVs now since Friday and she seems to be doing just fine. Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes. I really do believe in the power of prayer and I do believe your prayers helped ~ a LOT.

I taught a jewelry class tonight, the first in a series of three sessions. I think the class went very well ~ the group is a very lovely group of great women. I was amazed at how quickly some of them got the hang of the project, which started out using the ladder stitch. It was all a lot of fun, and I am looking forward to next week's class.

Anyhoo ~ I'm pretty tired, so I think I'll just go to bed. I did manage to upload one listing to ebay tonight, so that's something, huh! :)

Hi all! Tigger is still not feeling well, so keep those prayers coming, OK? She was responding well to the IV, so yesterday the vet took the IV out to see if she would eat or drink. She didn't, so they put the IV back in today. My poor baby has to stay another night at the vet. I SOOO hope to get good news tomorrow. I miss my Tig-Tig so much!!

In the meantime, I am just trying to keep busy... I listed three new items up on ebay tonight, all things I am really excited about... I also just listed several new items here on the site. Go ahead, have a look! I've really been having a fun time at the torch lately and I've been loving what I've been coming up with.

The kids and I had a great time in Hot Springs Friday night... I treated the kids to a fancy dancy steak dinner at the Porterhouse, although admittedly the restaurant must have been having an off night. We've had much better and much less expensive meals at Lonestar... Oh well, we went gallery hopping which was fun fun fun and then finished the evening off with a horse-drawn carriage ride down the strip. The air was cool and crisp, but we were nice and comfy under the blankets that were provided. Our driver was charming and witty and Stormy, the horse, was delightful. It was all so enchanting! I would've had pictures but my camera's batteries were dead, so we'll just have the memories... We'll have to do it again sometime!

Hi all! Just a quickie as I just put a few new things up and I'm getting ready to head down to Hot Springs. Rachel, Chelsea, Ginny and I are going to attend the Gallery Walk there and then we'll spend the night with Rachel at the school before heading back home tomorrow. It should be fun.

I've got a wee sick kitty right now. Her name is Tigger and she is "my baby", my favorite cat. She loves to hang out on my shoulder like a parrot.

Tigger is not feeling well, so we took her to the vet this morning. She is dehydrated and the vet is going to do some bloodwork and give her some fluids by IV. Since I will not be back from Hot Springs before they close tomorrow, Tigger will stay the weekend at the vet's. I will really miss my "Tig-Tig"!

Hi all! I'm writing this Tuesday morning, but I have no idea when I'll be able to upload this, as our phone lines have been down since 7:30 p.m. last night. I called the phone company and eventually they'll send somebody out. No telling when, as our roads are still not clear from the snow and ice we had this weekend.

We had only about an inch of snow and ice, but it was packed down hard, so it was ideal for sledding! Chelsea and I fashioned a sled out of a piece of cardboard and some rope and took little Ginny around the yard and up and down the road. She had a blast!

Then, Chelsea took two small pieces of cardboard and duct taped them to her shoes! She was slipping and sliding all over the place. It was hilarious! Nothing like a little Ozark ingenuity!

The only bummer about all this snow/ice was that my hubby had to stay in a motel in town to make sure he'd make it to work this weekend. I sure did miss my sweetie! The sun came out yesterday and warmed things up a bit, so we had quite a bit melt off. Maybe by tomorrow it'll be all gone. Boo~hoo!

While Chelsea was standing outside waiting for the bus this morning, a teacher from the elementary school stopped by to tell her that the buses weren't running up here in the mountains. She told Chelsea that if I wanted to take her to school, that would be fine, but if not, she would be excused.

Yeah, right, you think I'm gonna risk life and limb trying to get off this mountain in my 2 wheel drive van when even the buses won't come up here? Chelsea's staying home.

Well, I've got a bunch of new stuff up now. Having no internet means having more time to work on my website, so I've been keeping busy!

Well, I'll be (insert expletive here)! Here I am, all excited to be going to this reception in Little Rock tomorrow night, and then I check the weather: It's supposed to snow! ACK!!!!

Except for one snow in early December, it hasn't snowed all winter long. In fact, our winter here in northern Arkansas has been very mild, almost to the point where it felt like I was living back in Florida again! I love snow, but gosh, this isn't fair!!! I wanna go to the reception!!!

Hi all! Now that life is settling back down again after the bead show last weekend, I am starting to get back into "the groove" of just making beads and having fun... I just finished updating the website with a new purple set of zizzer lentils and several focal beads. (You can see them all in What's New).

I also just listed a bunch of stuff on ebay, lotsa goodies for you to see! There are three spring or summer bead sets along with several florals and some of my new hollow beads.

Regarding life outside of beads here, my printer is STILL in the shop and I've been working on my taxes. I'm about 99% done with it! I like to get everything ready for the tax preparer, so that we're never longer than 15 minutes in her office. You'd think they give us a discount for being so prepared! I make her job too easy!

Hi all! The Intergalactic Bead Show in Memphis went great! I had a great time! Sold lots of goodies. I met and made a lot of new friends and learned a few lessons, too. I sure missed my friend and partner Clara, who couldn't be with me this time. It is always best to have a second pair of eyes, so that things like this strand below doesn't turn up missing! I am just heartsick that these were stolen!!! So, if you just happen to see them somewhere, like on ebay, let me know...

I also learned, the hard way, NOT to use the help of those fellows that offer to help unload or load up your vehicle before or after a show.

I thought these guys were with the show, trying to help people since they wanted us out of the building by 7 p.m.

This one man, Ray, asked me if I would like some assistance loading up. I knew I had plenty of time, and was in no rush, but thought about it, and thinking of my back and the drive home, decided to take him up on his offer.

So, he starts piling totes on my hand truck and I marveled at his ability to wield so much weight. And, he walked really fast, and I could hardly keep up with him. He rushed back to the table to get another load together and by the time I got back there, he had already piled on the next load on my handtruck. He had taken one of the jewelry (bead) cases and laid it on it's side to pile more stuff on top of it. I told him I didn't want that laying on it's side like that, and he uprighted it and rearranged everything. I was starting to protest that he had too much on the handtruck when he tilted the handtruck back, and everything crashed to the floor. I had my jewelry in a large container and it all went flying. My cooler crashed to the floor also he gathered that all up while I put all the jewelry back in the container. As I was putting the jewelry back in the container, I noticed several pieces were broken. I mentioned this him, and his response was, "Oh, that's nothing, somebody over there just dumped 5,000 beads and probably broke most of them too." I looked up him, stunned, and said, "and were they hand-made, too?"

He didn't even offer an apology, nothing!!!

We finally get everything to the van, and he's loading it all up for me. I had my two earring racks inside a tall suitcase with a handle on it. Perfect for the racks, so that the racks can stand up. Without asking me, the jerk lays the case down on it's side. I said loudly, "NO! That has to stay standing up!" I then told him, "Thank you, but you can go help somebody else. I can take it from here".

The man just stood there! When I realized he wasn't leaving, I turned around and he actually had the gall to tell me that I should tip him!

I told him, "First of all, no one told me I had to tip you guys. Second of all, you probably broke $50 worth of jewelry or MORE because of your impatience!"

I was MAD!!!

But, I'm not letting those incidences affect my overall outlook on doing shows. I really, REALLY enjoy doing the shows, they are so much fun. The highlight to me is getting to meet so many fantastic bead people! I just love bead people! :)

Hi all! Well, time for a quick "toodle~loo" before I go... I leave for Memphis first thing in the morning. In case you don't know, I am going to be showing at the Intergalactic Bead Show this weekend. I sure hope to see you there!

And, also, I would like to wish my mom a Happy Birthday. Her birthday is Sunday. I really miss you, Mom, and I hope you have a very special great day! :)

Hi all! Once again, I have been busy as a bee loading up the site ~ this time adding 5 new pages of floral focal beads! And rather than spending oodles of time duplicating them into my What's New section, I just thought I'd give you a direct link to all the goodies! Have fun looking ~ there are lots of pretty treasures hiding in there!

Today I have to go to Hot Springs to pick up my daughter Rachel from school. She has an "extended weekend" this weekend, so it'll be nice having her home. I haven't seen her since winter break! I'm sure she'll have a massive pile of laundry to do!!!

Hi all! Just popped in here to let you know I just added 4 pages of new hollow beads! Some of them are downright awesome, if I dare say so myself! Check them out!

Hi all! Whoo~hoo! I just finished adding 26 new items to the site! Look here to see them all! There are lots of floral focals, bead sets, and earrings to see!

A tale of woe... Back in December my printer stopped working. Well, it would work, but not work well. The printouts were horrible! I took it into a repair shop some 1.5 hours drive away, and there is sat for three weeks while they "soaked the print head" in some kind of solution. In the long run, they determined that the print head needed replacing afterall, so I had them do that. I picked up the printer yesterday, and they assured me that after I replaced two of the ink cartridges, it would print out much better. I was suspicious, because with the Epson Stylus CX5400, usually the printouts will NOT deterioriate as the printer runs low on ink. This printer is designed to print perfectly right up until it is time to change the cartridges. However, I took them at their word, and took it home. After replacing two of the cartridges, it still prints horribly! Needless to say I am pretty unhappy. They're supposed to call me on Monday to see what we can do about this. Meanwhile, I've been needing to print out several things for my upcoming show, not to mention invoices for customers, so I went ahead and got an el cheapo printer from Wal-mart today. I simply cannot be without a printer any longer.

Funny that the el cheapo printer cost only $29.67, and the ink cartridges are about $20 apiece. So, that means that the printer is worth less than ten bucks? What is this world coming to?!!

Hi all! I'm really starting to gear up for my next show, which is the Intergalactic Bead Show in Memphis, January 28 - 29. I have a lot of things ready to go, and I'm really excited about the show. I just had the van checked up for the trip, and after over $735 in repairs, it's ready to go! LOL! I sure hope to see you there!

I also just changed how my spacers page is laid out. The page was really getting bogged down with so many images on it, so I've now made it so that there are separate pages based on color. I'm also adding a line of dichroic and specialty spacers, so you can find those there, too.

Of course, any comments or suggestions you may have, feel free to email me at starlight_designs@hotmail.com. I really appreciate your feedback.

Ooops! Forgot to mention: I have a new "Hollows" page up, with so many new items on it, I didn't have the where-with-all to add all of it also to my What's New pages... So.... Go see the "Hollows"! They're fun!!! :)

Hi all! I just wanted to pop in here and let you know that my hubby's hernia surgery went very well yesterday. Thanks to all who wrote with well wishes, we really appreciate it.

Tim is recovering well, but he's to take it easy for a while. He goes back for a checkup next Wednesday.

Meanwhile, I'm continuing to add lots of new stuff here and on ebay, so have fun looking! :)

Hi all! I hope this holiday season has been good to you! :) Things were pretty quiet around here without Rachel and Chelsea here, but we had a nice Christmas nonetheless.

I've tried to make hollow beads on and off since I started lampworking over two years ago. I would try to make one, fail miserably, and not try again for six months.

Well, the other day, after several months, I thought I would try again, and BAM I was suddenly making hollows, SUCCESSFULLY!!!

I can't tell you what's made the difference except just the time spent in between practicing all of my collective skills. It was like my hands just KNEW what to do this time, and they did it, much to my surprise! LOL!

Anyway, here's my first batch. I think I'm gonna make a necklace out of these, they are SOOO my colors!!!

Aside from that, I have just been gearing up for my next bead show, the Intergalactic Bead Show in Memphis, January 28 - 29. I am trying to build up my stock again, and so I've been adding stuff to this website like crazy. Just take a peek in the What's New section, and you'll see what I mean!

As this year comes to a close, I want to wish you a happy and wonderful New Year! If you're like me, you're thinking, "Thank God this year is finally over!" I know 2005 was very difficult for a lot of people, and I hope and pray that 2006 will more than make up for everything that you may have suffered throughout this past year. May God bless you and your family!

Hi all! Well, it sure has been a busy month ~ and going by very quickly! Why does time seem to speed up just before the holidays?

Rachel and Chelsea left today for Florida, to spend their winter break with their dad and family. I am sure they will have a good time, but we sure will miss them! Boo~hoo!

I've been keeping busy as usual, making beads whenever I can... I have another show coming up next month, so I really want to have a lot of beautiful beads to display! :) Meanwhile, my wonderful hubby has just been diagnosed with a hernia and will be needing surgery soon. He meets with the surgeon tomorrow. I know he's worried that he'll be out of work for several weeks and we'll have to stretch our budget, but I am hoping my next few months bead and jewelry sales will help offset the pinch.

I just added two new bead sets, another floral bead and several new focals to the site, so feel free to take a peek. I also have some stunning florals up on ebay with another killer Raku bead set, so you might want to look at those, too. Maybe, just maybe, you'll find the perfect item for your next project! :)

Before I go, I just want to wish everyone a safe and happy Holiday season! Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukkah and Happy Kawanza to those of you who celebrate. Our wishes for you are to have a wonderful and blessed 2006!

Hi all! I'm in my third and final week of substituting as the art teacher at Chelsea's high school, and I have one more day left to go. I think I am going to survive! I see a light at the end of the tunnel!

Actually, it's been fun! And today was my very first "snow day" ever. Since I grew up in Tampa, we never had snow days, and the one day it actually did snow in Tampa on January 19, 1977, we had to go to school anyway. So, it was fun getting to play hooky today and I just went out to the studio and just played at the torch. Since this was an "unplanned" torching day, I felt like it was ok NOT to focus on producing and getting to just play with the glass and see what kinds of things I can come up with. I know several things are duds, but that's fine with me, because that's what experimenting is all about. I can't wait to see what the kiln fairy left for me in the morning!

I did take time out to enjoy the snow and play with the family. Here's a picture of Ginny, standing in front of my studio. (That cool bin is where my propane tanks are stored, they fit perfectly!)

We turned the house upside down looking for the other lavender mitten, so we had to improvise with a couple of large gloves on her right hand. Looks funny, but she didn't care. She was just happy to be out in the snow.

Here's another picture taken out past the back yard, toward the bluff. It was overcast most of the morning, and then the sun came out in the afternoon. The temp didn't rise very much, so we still have much of the snow on the ground, and tonight it's supposed to drop down to a mere EIGHT degrees. Brrrrrr!!!!

I just listed five new florals on ebay, many of them featuring a dichro core, which I am really getting into lately. They're all so yummy. Take a gander at these babies. I also have an incredible lentil set up that I am very proud of. You might want to take a look at those, also.

Hi all! I JUST got word that I am officially a member of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers. Yay! See? I already put in the little ISGB member graphic on my home page (to the right, and look down, hehehe....)

It's been a very busy week this week, playing art teacher at Lamar HS. It's been great. The kids are fun, I really like them. I love their projects, too, they're looking really good! I have another week to go before my friend Peggy, the art teacher, returns from Japan. She has been keeping up a blog on the internet for the kids and me to read and keep up on what she's been doing. She's been having a great time.

I hope to torch this weekend, though, so WOO~HOO on that! I have some new ideas I want to play with.

A friend and good customer of mine, Robin, has helped me to finally figure out a way to see just what items here have "add to cart" buttons that aren't working correctly. So, I've been methodically fixing them all one by one. All of the ones in the What's New and Lampwork Bead Sets categories are now fixed. Many of the items in the Lampwork Focal category are fixed also, but I'm not finished with that category yet. It's amazing just how many weren't working! Gosh!

When you click on the "add to cart" button, you should get a shopping cart page. If the page that comes up is a sign in page for Paypal, the button is not fixed yet. It'll take me some time, so please be patient. If the button does not work, please just email me to let me know you would like to purchase the item(s).

Hi all! Gosh, I can't believe it's been over a week since I posted anything here. I guess with my subbing job at school and with Thanksgiving, I've kept busy... Now that I'm in my second week of subbing I can honestly say things are going well, and I'm actually enjoying it. Some of the students are highly entertaining, it's been fun.

Thanksgiving here was great, very traditional, with just the five of us all together sharing the holiday and the abundance of good food. Yes, we are very fortunate and we have much to be thankful for!

Last night, I was going to list some new stuff on ebay and also here on the site and as I was editing bead photos, I literally crashed and burned, dozing off at the computer from fatigue. I guess since I've been fighting a cold for a few days, it just all suddenly caught up with me, and I stumbled off to bed shortly after 8 p.m. What's funny is that because I was congested, I found it difficult to breathe and since I am also a light sleeper, I would start to snore, wake myself up, and then go back to sleep to start the cycle over again. This went on all night long. All things considered, I am not doing too badly tonight, but I will probably not be staying up as late as I usually do.

So, tonight I listed what I intended to list last night, both here on the site and on ebay. Be sure to check everything out ~ some great new goodies!

There are also several new florals up on JustBeads in case you missed those before! Lots to see and drool over!

Hi all! I'm STILL adding new stuff to the site, check out the What's New section to see all the new stuff - lotsa great bead sets these last few days!

I'm trying to "load up" the site as I plan to be advertising soon and what is the point of advertising something if I don't have anything to sell. Meanwhile, until the ad(s) come out, you can sneak in and pick up a goody or two once in a while. It's all good!

I'm gearing up for playing art teacher for three weeks starting tomorrow! Little Ginny will get her first taste of day care, which is going to be at a little place on the school premises. I love the way the Lamar schools are set up. They have the high school, middle school, and the elementary school all on the same property, including a little day care facility. Technically, a kid could wind up going through the entire interconnected school system all eighteen years of their young life. I'm from Florida, where kids go to a different school at a different location for almost every year of their schooling, so this is a very cool concept to me! I love it!

Anyway, Ginny will only go to the daycare a grand total of 5 days since she'll only go on days that Tim works. He works four days a week, two days on the weekends, so she won't need to go all week for all three weeks that I'm subbing. It'll just be enough to give her a taste of it, and I have a feeling she is going to LOVE it! She really misses out on being with other kids, so this will be a real treat for her.

Hi all! I'm still adding new stuff to the What's New section, and yesterday I added several more froggy beads. They're really cute. They are hard to make, well, the toes and fingers are hard to make, the rest of it is getting easier as I keep making them.

I've got a new job! Well, it's only temporary, which is no doubt a good thing. You see, a friend of mine, Peggy, asked me to sub for her as the art teacher at Lamar HS (where Chelsea goes) for three weeks while she goes to Japan! Peggy is such a sweet person, this is a great opportunity for her. I just want her to go and enjoy herself and not worry about her classes here at home. I hope I do a good job!

I start Monday, and this will probably damper my lampworking somewhat but I just got a huge order of glass and goodies in, so I'll probably be burning the midnight oil there for a while. I just can't stay away from melting glass!

Hi all! I'm excited to report that I have new stuff up on ebay! An awesome bead squeeze set and several pretty florals - all with BINs! Lookie lookie! :)

Hi all! Now that my last show of the year is over with, I've decided to add a whole bunch of new beads and jewelry to the site. I admit, I haven't been so good with that lately. There wasn't anything new in the What's New category for quite some time. Well, I've been making up for that! Check it out! So far, I've got five full new pages of "What's New" items, and I'm just getting started!

Today, I added a whole bunch of beads by Chelsea to her own category. All of them focals, it took up 7 pages to get them all posted. I decided NOT to duplicate them into the What's New category, since almost every one of her beads on her pages are new anyway. For a quick look-see, here ya go!

Keep checking back ~ I plan to keep adding new stuff here daily until I get everything posted. I do have a lot of stuff right now, so whether you're looking for jewelry or beads, you're sure to find something to spark your interest!

Hi all! Just a quickie to post this link to my Autumn slide show! We're having a beautiful showing of fall color this year! I'm lovin' it!

Hi all! I'm back from my arts & crafts show! My booth was in a pole barn with a dirt floor. The aisleways were paved with concrete. Although I was under cover, I was at the mercy of the wind, which was quite blustery, especially yesterday afternoon. It was nice and warm though! I think the highs were in the high 70s! Isn't that awesome?

There was a guy two booths down from me painting and selling spray painted paintings to the sounds of a VERY loud sound system playing nothing but techno jiggy bop music (no vocals, and the same music all day long). He was demonstrating his work, and there were clouds of spray paint and fumes everywhere, chasing potential customers away from not only my booth but everyone else around us, too. Many of the vendors complained to the promoter and they only said that if the guy comes back next year, they'll put him elsewhere, away from other vendors. But, they didn't do anything about him for THIS show, and they could have, easily. One of the vendors next to him, who was selling matted color photographs decided he had had enough and packed it up and left early.

The artist was wearing a respirator and was using box fans on either side of him to blow the fumes away from him and toward the other vendors. How considerate, huh?! What gall!!!! My throat was sore Friday night from breathing all of the fumes all day.

Someone must have gotten onto him, as yesterday wasn't nearly as bad. He kept the music down low and he spaced out his demos throughout the day to let the fumes dissipate. Toward the end of the show, though, he kicked it up a notch, and was painting one after another after another. The show ended at 5:00 and yet, at 5:45 when we left, he was STILL painting furiously away in front of a small crowd of people. The guy is clearly all about production. He could whip out a painting in about ten minutes, and sold them for 20 bucks a pop. The spectators were all taken in by the whole thing and he sold a blue million of those paintings. I don't know... the paintings were kinda cool and all, but I really have no respect for the man as an artist.

As yesterday wore on, the wind really picked up, and since the barn floor was all dirt and sawdust, the wind kicked up a lot of dirt onto EVERYTHING. I am going to have to wash and clean everything. At about 3:00 a gust of wind blew a bunch of dirt into my face, and I had a grain of sand in my left eye for about an hour and a half. It was very hard to conduct business. A fellow vendor lent me some Visine and that helped a little, but I just had to wait until the sand came out. As customers would come up to my booth, I had to explain that I was not winking at them, that I just had dirt in my eye.

I am pretty beat today, and didn't get much sleep last night as Ginny must be coming down with a cold or something. She was very restless and kept me up a lot. I was going to make beads today, but I'll probably just crash and burn later on. LOL!

Oh, and before I go, I just want to thank my friend Mary, who came by and visited for a while, and touted me up to my customers, no doubt increasing my sales for the day. I really appreciate that, Mary, you really are a special lady, and I really value your friendship! You're a doll!

HUGS!!! ~Debby

Hi all! Just popped in to mention that I'm off to do a show this weekend, the 35th Annual Arkansas Valley Arts & Crafts Show in Russellville, Arkansas.

The show runs from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, November 4 through Saturday, November 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., held at the Pope County Fairgrounds.

This is a juried show with over 100 vendors, so it promises to be a great show for all who attend. If you can make it to the show, be sure to stop by and say HI! I'll be in booth #101.

Hi all! OMG, what a day!!! What a totally spectacular day! Today, my bead~friend Robin and I met for the first time and went to the Bead Renaissance Show in Tulsa together. Robin had never been to a bead show before and I had warned her that she was about to embark on a journey like no other. I told her "going to a bead show is better than going to Disney World." And it is, it so is...

At first we were a little disappointed. The show appeared small at first glance, but gosh, we spent about four hours there, so it couldn't have been that small, huh?! Appearances can definitely be deceiving! By the time we got to the third booth, we were in heaven. I kept saying, "Oh boy, I'm in trouble." That seemed to become my phrase of the day, because as we visited one booth after another, I kept finding more goodies to spend money on.

We had a fantastic time, stopping only long enough to get a bite at the snack bar before resuming our hunt for more delicious goodies. I was very impressed with the quality of many of the items I saw, and was astonished by the sheer variety of beads that was offered. Many of the dealers were very nice and offered discounts to both of us.

So, it was worth the three hour drive there and the three hour drive back, although admittedly, I am one tired puppy... I just have to show you my goodies, though, because Robin showed hers on her site, see? (Scroll to the end to the October 29 entry to read Robin's account).

One of the super specials of the day is the two-holed strand of genuine aquamarine, shown above, center. It's a graduated strand and faceted on the top, tapering to the edge, and the ends are angled for a nice curve, ideal for a necklace. I won't be telling how much I spent on that, because it was a LOT, but I love it... It'll make a killer necklace, though! YUMMMM... And here's a close up of the other super special treat of the day: A spectacular boro bead by Bokamo Designs:

I am very honored to have been selected to receive a Fellowship Artist Award and grant from the Arkansas Arts Council. I had applied in May, and was notified in August that I was a winner. There were five other recipients, one for film and video, three for literary arts, and two for visual arts/traditional crafts, (which I was one of those). I was asked not to tell anyone until after the ceremony, and do you have any idea how hard it is to have to sit on such great news like this for so long?!

The award ceremony was held in Little Rock, Arkansas on Tuesday, at the Peabody Statehouse Convention Center, and Governor Huckabee was there. It was a pretty big shindig. I guesstimate that there were about 200 people there. For lunch there was salad, chicken with some kind of white creamy sauce on a bed of mashed potatoes, asparagus on the side, and dessert. My daughters Rachel and Chelsea accompanied me to this event, and we were all very impressed with the meal ~ and the butter! The butter on the bread plates was in the shape of ducks!

Governor Huckabee gave an incredible speech on the importance of educating our children on the arts. It was well written and moving. They presented a beautiful power point display of each recipient and their work. It was really incredible to be honored along with five other very talented artists from all over the state of Arkansas!

I was called up to the stage and even was given a moment to say something. I thought my voice would crack but I did OK! I simply thanked the arts council and expressed my gratitude that I was chosen and that I was grateful that they acknowledged lampworking as an art form. It was really an honor to be recognized for my work like that. It's an experience I will never forget!

Pictures were taken and I was told they would be sending me some, so I'll post them here when they get here.

Hi all! Today I took the kids to the War Eagle Arts & Crafts Festival in north western Arkansas. This is reportedly the largest arts and crafts festival in the state, and for four years now I've wanted to go and I finally did! I would love to show there, but apparently there is a several year waiting list, so I guess I'll just have to wait for my turn.

Anyway, it was a beautifully perfect day, and we saw many wonderful and beautiful things. We were particularly taken with an artist by the name of Vincent Fleming that paints fantasy paintings in oils. I let the girls each pick out a favorite reproduction to take home and enjoy. Mr. Fleming's work is incredible, very vibrant and beautiful colors, with delicate faeries, unicorns, dragons, castles against beautiful landscapes. His website is at www.flemingart.com, The works shown there do not do the originals justice at all, but you'll have an idea at least.

There was also live music being played by a group called Andean Nation which reminds me of native American flute music, but different. They use a lot of different types of Andean flutes along with steel string guitars. The music is very beautiful and moving. I did not hesitate in purchasing their Contrasts album. They have a website also, at www.andeannation.com. Their rendition of Scarborough Faire and My Heart Will Go On are hauntingly incredible. If you have a few moments, check them out!

Hi all! I just wanted to share a cute little story with you. Yesterday, my hubby Tim and our 3 year old daughter, Ginny, were watching TV together. A commercial came on for Ford F-150s and they kept repeating that "Toyota is just another toy" in the commercial.

As soon as the commercial was over, Ginny ran over to the bookcase and was excitedly telling her daddy, "I want my Toyota! I want my Toyota!" pointing to an area where she thought her "Toyota" would be. Tim looked at me and I looked at him and we were both perplexed. So, he moved a large box out of the way, and sure enough there was something way back in the corner of the bookcase, just where Ginny had pointed. Wanna see what it was?

Oops! I forgot! I finally got my "V-bead" necklace done that I have now named Vasha. I think it came out great, and I'm thinking of submitting it to one of the bead magazines. Do you think I should? Maybe if I sent it with a tutorial, I'll have better chances of getting published.

Hi all! I just now finished listing six brand new pretty floral beads on JustBeads. They have a Buy It Now price on them, and they might disappear, so check them out now! :)

Well, I almost got everything done I needed to do today... I did just list my fourth series of leafy pillow beads on ebay, plus three new florals. I have five new florals going up on JustBeads, but it'll probably be tomorrow. Right now, I feel my eyelids getting real heavy...

The guild meeting went really well tonight, and I have a few new projects to work on as a result. It's all good! :)

Hi everybody! Just a fly-by as I tell you a couple things... First, I am happy to announce that I have been accepted into the Arkansas Valley Arts & Crafts Fair in Russellville, Arkansas, Nov. 4 - 5.

Second, I have some great new beads to list ~ hoping as soon as tonight! There's more leafy pillows and a lot of gorgeous new florals, so be on the lookout!

I have a guild meeting tonight, so I don't know if I'll get to list them tonight or not. Keeping my fingers crossed! :) If not, it'll be tomorrow evening, for sure!

Oh, and P.S., I've started to archive my chats now. You can find the one about Sunny here.

Well, hey there! Gosh, ten days since I last wrote? You guys probably thought I fell off the face of the earth... Well, not really. I've just been busy lately with quite a few custom orders, plus I'm making jewelry for a show I hope to be in, in November. It's a juried show, so I don't know yet if I've been accepted. Hope they don't wait until the last minute to let me know!

I've also been trying to adopt the new techniques I learned from Sage and Beau, but gosh, it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks! I find I'm so resistant to change! LOL! My friend Laurie, who went with me, said the same thing. I can't wait to show you something I've been working on that I learned from Sage, but it's just not ready yet... ;)

ANYWAY, I'm happy to report that I have some brand new goodies up on eBay AND JustBeads! Yaaaayyyyy!!!! I hope that makes you as happy as it does me...

I've heard through the grapevine (Wet Canvas or Lampwork Etc., can't remember which) that people don't like to shop on JustBeads because they think that beadmakers put their seconds up on there, and put their best stuff up on eBay. Well, you don't believe that, do you? I can honestly say I've never done that. What I do list on JustBeads is usually just florals, though, because my sets have not done well there in the past, but trust me, the florals there are just as killer as my florals on eBay, if not more so. And, a few people know this already and since they know I also list them with a Buy It Now, my florals never seem to hang around JustBeads for long.

So why am I telling you this? Well, sure, I'm promoting my stuff on JustBeads, but I am also promoting the site. JustBeads is a great site! The owners of the site and super duper nice and you can always find really beautiful items there without all the heavy bidding wars. So, if you haven't checked it out in a while, give JustBeads another go at it! You might be pleasantly surprised!

My Autumn Harvest series (leafy pillow beads) are receiving a lot of attention on eBay these days. Kim Neely (bluffroadglass) even wrote me saying "These beads are ROCKIN'! Kudos to you...really beautiful work!" I was so touched!!! She really made my day!

So, I decided to offer up another round of 'em, only this time on etched clear glass, and wow, are they ever pretty! I'm really loving this series. Thanks go out to Kim Fields for her leaf tutorial in the October 2005 issue of Lapidary Journal! It's a great tutorial, the leaves are so much fun to make!

OK, what else is going on... Well, it still seems strange that Sunny passed away like that, but we are managing OK. Sassy even seems to be a bit relieved, as Sunny often tormented her. She has such a sweet disposition, so it's nice to see her "coming out of her shell" more. The other two prefer to play with each other rather than mess with Sassy a whole lot, which suits her just fine.

Other than that, life is pretty normal here... My mother got me hooked on the Gilmore Girls so Chelsea and I have been madly devouring season one and now season two on DVD. It's been fun! I keep thinking I want to do a set of "Stars Hollow" beads, but I've yet to come up with the concept to go with it... Give me time, I will... ;)

Well, I'll leave the previous post below up a little longer, even though it makes the page really long, but I'm still getting emails from people with their condolences, so I'm just not ready to ditch the post yet...

The strangest thing happened today....

Well, actually, it kind of started the other night. My first night, sleeping in the dorm at Tom and Sage's workshop. The night in itself was strange, as it brought back memories, in a way... Laurie and I slept with the windows open, as it was a bit warm in the dorm room, and we both slept in beds under the two open windows in the room. The nightlife in the deep woods was alive with the sounds of crickets, frogs, and even coyotes, all singing their music in some strange symphony. It reminded me of when, for two years, I lived in a cabin in the woods prior to taking up residence here on Woods Mountain in Ozone, Arkansas. In the summer, we always slept with the windows open since we didn't have air conditioning, and I had gotten used to the melodious sounds of the forest nightlife. Since I've lived in a house with air conditioning now for two and a half years, I've kinda missed those sounds to sleep by.

And so I slept, on and off, awakened a few times by the call of a cow or a bull, I couldn't tell which. It sounded far off, but deep in the hollow, sound carries quite well. I just rolled over again, and eventually fell back asleep.

I dreamed that my cat, Sunny, had gotten sick. It was a strange, distorted dream, actually. I dreamed that he had gotten hook worms (which to my understanding is impossible for a cat) but I had discovered this in my dream and was trying to get him to a vet, but kept running into obstacles before getting him there. When I woke up, I thought it was weird, but I chalked up the whole hook worm thing to when Cookie and Buster (our puppies) died of hookworms this past May. I figured it was my mind just playing with me again, since I was away from home and my family.

The workshop was fun and went well, and I really didn't give the dream much more thought.

However, when I got home last night, one of the first things I did, was to seek out Sunny in the girls' room and visit with him a minute, making sure to tell him I loved him and petted him. He seemed absolutely, perfectly fine.

Today, hustling and bustling about, trying to do probably WAY too many things at once, I was trying to keep Ginny out of Rachel's school project that was on the kitchen table. When I saw that my efforts were not going to work, I picked up the project and carried it into the girls' room, to put it up on the bunkbed. There was Sunny, laying there, next to Chelsea, who was reading a book, like so many times before.

Once again, I stopped long enough to talk to him, kiss him and pay him some attention. Again he seemed fine, but got annoyed with my expressions of attention as he often does. Nothing out of the ordinary. He even swatted at me. Still nothing unusual for him, in fact, very characteristic. I decided not to let him leave the room on a sour note and gently scooped him up and softly kissed him repeatedly on the face, trying to make up to him, and Chelsea was scratching his belly softly. He only got more annoyed, which is STILL very characteristic of Sunny. So, giving up, I just gently set him down on the floor to let him go and he began to leave the room.

This is when things got strange.

I was still in the room, talking to Chelsea, when all of a sudden we heard a loud, elongated distorted meow. I thought it was Fidget, as sometimes he does that when confronted by another cat, but when I looked it was Sunny, laying by the bedroom door, which was open. He did it again, louder. And again, louder. I called for the girls, knowing something was terribly wrong.

Then he stopped breathing. We repeated called out his name. Nothing, no response. I stroked him, trying to rouse him. He let out one lone muffled breath and that was it.

He was gone. He had gone totally limp.

All of sudden all of the things on my to-do list came to a screeching halt. The girls, Ginny, and I all huddled together and cried. Then, since Tim was at work, I had a job to do. I went outside to where Eddie and Buster are buried and dug another hole, adding to the growing pet cemetery that seems to be expanding on our property. It took me a while, but I got the job done, and I buried Sunny.

It's been a totally tough day, especially for Rachel, since he was her cat. It was good that she was home from school when this happened. I would have hated to have to ever call her at school with news of her cat dying. In fact, I wouldn't have called her. I would have driven the 200 miles to school to tell her in person.

What a devastatingly low thing for me, especially just after my exciting workshop with Sage Holland and her son Beau. It is still so hard to believe all this happened. When a pet, or a person, dies so suddenly right in front of your eyes, it is such a tremendous shock.

So I guess my dream was more prophetic than not. I sometimes dream about my pets or loved ones that something has happened, and sometimes the dream comes true and sometimes it doesn't. I never know when to dismiss the dream or when to take it seriously. Even if I had taken the dream about Sunny seriously, I doubt if I could have acted quick enough. It all happened just so, SO fast.

Sunny was just barely ten years old. Although I do not have any medical training, it seems to me he just had a heart attack. I feel terrible for having kept pushing my affections onto Sunny when he obviously didn't want it. I'll always wonder if I'm to blame for his death.

We always figured Sassy would go before Sunny, since she is now 12 and has suffered a life time of sinus problems. It just goes to show you, you just never know...

I have decided to take down my Pet Corner page from my website. When the deceased pets start outnumbering the ones still alive (now 4 to 3) it starts to get too depressing to leave up. I don't need to have such grim downers on my otherwise perfectly happy and pleasant website. It has been just one year and 8 days since Eddie died, so it's been a rough year for us and losing pets...

Give me a few days, and I hope to come back to tell you how much fun and how much I learned from Sage and Beau. They are fantastic teachers, and exceptionally warm and endearing people!