Oops!

Got so busy digging through my past, looking for something to annoy and/or embarrass people that I completely forgot to show pics of these beads. All of them will be listed within the next two days on Etsy or eBay. Notice that I've started making some Biagi/Pandora/Troll style beads now. I like them. They're fun.

Specials for Blog Readers:
15% on any beads for sale on Etsy or eBay until July 17,2008. (That's one full week!)

PLEASE READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE DISCOUNT!!!!!

eBay: After auction closes, send email referencing discount 0709 and wait for me to invoice you before you pay for the item

Etsy: Add item to shopping cart but don't pay for it. Send me an email referencing discount 0709 and wait for me to invoice you through PayPal.

Good Luck!

Love this bead!

I've been really busy this week, though you'd never know it based on beads I've posted for sale. Seriously, I've been doing some mad sessions at the torch. I go through spells where nothing is working, nothing is clicking, the well is just dry. Then, I'll start getting ideas and they'll start coming so fast, I can't keep up with them. I'm like a stutterer, my brain gets ahead of my hands. Sometimes, it gets ahead of my skills. I have so many ideas that I just don't have the ability or the time to execute. That gets a little frustrating, but I keep at it. Sadly, I have run out of oxy and have to wait until next week for a delivery. That's o.k., 'cause I think I'm giving myself a raging case of carpal tunnel syndrome. Seriously.

I have a crazy song stuck in my haed right now. You know that Amy Winehouse song, "Rehab"? I saw a commercial for her album on TV a few nights ago and now I keep walking around singing, "Wanna send me to rehab. Oh no, no, no, no, no." Is that the right number of "no's"? I'm not even a fan of hers. Not because of the drug abuse and stuff. It's because she sounds fakey to me. She has a great voice, but she always sounds like she's imitating Billy Holiday. I mean, she's an upper-middle class British girl who's trying to sound like a heroin addicted black former-prostitute from the 1930's (or whenever). I don't get her, but that song is catchy. "Oh no, no, no, noooo!"

So, here's a bead that I'm posting on eBay 2morrow. I am so totally in love with this bead, if it were pie, I'd eat it! I have no idea why. I think it's the colors.

~*HUSH*~

Birthday Month

Well, the day has come and gone. I ended up spending my birthday exactly how I wanted to. I have the best husband in the world when it comes to gift giving. I got just what I wanted for gifts, then we went to the beach for a few hours, then he and I went out for a quiet dinner together. It was lovely.

Now I have to plan my kids birthdays, since they are both this week as well. We just refer to February as the 'Birthday Month'.

However, I did do some work in the last week. Dawn- beads in various red-toned glass with some violet and amethyst thrown in for contrast. They are on eBay right now. These beads didn't photograph very well (sure, blame it on the beads!) but I like them very much in person. They are very earthy and organic.

~*Dawn*~

and Bunny Hop. These beads are part of my Painted Lady series. I just love the fun, lively glass colors in this small set. The beads themselves are a bit smaller than I usually make the Ladies, because I have had a few requests for smaller ones. I thought I'd give it a try. They will be listed on eBay in a couple of days.

~*Bunny Hop*~

I have some additional beads and a couple of small jewelry pieces to share, but I'll do that later. Have a great day!

Yummy!

I never used to think that I had an addictive personality, but now...? Maybe. I have this particular thing that I made for breakfast a couple of weeks ago and I completely must eat it every single day now. Seriously. Every day.
Though I am rarely hungry in the morning, I always eat a little something because morning is when I visit my torch and make my lampwork beads. Can't have shaky hands when you are working in a 1400+ degree torch. Ouch! So I limit my coffee and eat a little something to keep me from getting wobbly.
Anyway, this is such a yummy, healthy breakfast, I must share.

First of all, I must also clarify that I am not a vegetarian. I don't eat red meat and poultry only occasionaly. I do eat seafood fairly regularly, though. However, that said, this is a vegan recipe.

1 whole wheat vegan tortilla - taco size (vegan not necessary, but I prefer)
extra firm tofu
mushrooms of your choice
onion (not scallions, they get too wilty. Need crunch.)
fresh spinach (not frozen. Too bitter.)
low sodium soy sauce

Cut up tofu in small pieces, chop onion, slice mushrooms thin.
Throw in a hot skillet with a few shakes of soy sauce and sear for seconds - just until browned
Loosely chop washed spinach and throw into skillet just for a couple more seconds
Drain juice (this is important or you will end up with soggy tofu and tortilla slop!)
place on tortilla, wrap and eat
Yummy!

It's a really simple breakfast to make and to eat, although you have to like veggies. The main thing is that it's super filling, very healthy and it keeps me going well into the afternoon! It has real staying power.

My favorite afternoon snack is:

1 firm apple (I use Fuji) chopped into smallish chunks
Raisins
plain or vanilla yogurt
walnuts (some people use almonds, but I like the super-nutty walnut flavor)
a shake of cinnamon
*I use all organic ingredients

Mix this whole deal together and then eat it. More yummy!
Also extremely healthy and terribly filling. Lasts long in the tummy and packed with vitamins.

Well, I got an amazingly huge shipment of the most luscious glass last night so I'm going out to the studio to play and maybe come up with some new bead ideas. Yay me!

Have a healthy day.

P.S. Did you see 'LOST' last night? Thoughts? Please share. How about 'SURVIVOR'? Again, please share.

So that's what she's been up to!

I told you I’d be posting something new, didn’t I?
I’ve been wanting to move my blog for a while, but I never seemed to find the time. I finally just decided to go for it. I really wanted something cleaner and fresher. Well, something more like me! Also, I got tons of spam at my old sight. Yuck, spam. Speaking of Yuck, I’d just like to apologize for my old blog. As I cut and pasted and moved stuff over, I was able to see how awful and bo-ring many of my posts were. I can only apologize in arrears for that.
Sorry.
I’d love to know what you think of it, so please chime in with comments. Seriously. I mean, I’m not going to change it, but I am curious.
I’ll be adding links as I go, so if you want to ‘hook-up’, let me know.

Moving on. I’m taking Anna to see Hannah Montana today. Wow, that was alliteratively challenging, even to type. She really wanted to see the concert, but it sold out so fast we got stuck seeing the movie instead. Hannah Montana? Where have I gone wrong? I’ve tried to fill my children’s little minds with a love of music on a broader scale. Eclectic-ly, if you will. (See my playlist). Still, she is only 9 and cannot be expected to show good judgment at all times. It could be worse, I guess. She could like Britney Spears.

Here is what I've been working on. These beads are on eBay now.

~*Dusk*~

Here is a focal bead that I made some time ago and can't decide where to list it. It doesn't show up very well here, but it has some gorgeous colors. It's a little small, though, only 34.5 mm long. Tell me what you think of it.

Any newcomers, you should probably visit my website http://www.mermaidglass.com. You can see lots more lampwork glass beads and beaded jewelry, as well as my glass home decor items. It's a great place to explore some of my past work!

Here is a picture I like. It’s a little birdhouse I made out of leftover glass. Isn’t it cute? Lizards live in it.

Have a great day, all!

To clear up some things...

January 23, 2008
5:39 AM
To clear up some things.....
For some reason, I have been unable to respond to any recent comments made at the Mermaid's Tale. Sorry about that. I just wanted to clear up and respond, so I'll will dedicate this post to that mission:

Lynette - Thanks so much for asking about my dad. He had a clear scan this time and he is doing well. This was the first time in nearly 4 years that he has been relatively well and we are all taking a deep breath. I should have posted that information earlier but, I guess, when you get good news after so much bad news, you almost don't want to believe it. And you don't want to talk about it, draw attention to the fact that somebody must have made a mistake - we couldn't possibly be the ones with the good news.

Rebecca - Please don't think I'm making fun of anything British. Toad in the Hole? Love it! Love tea, love scones, love Prince William. Looove him! I feel a little pervy saying that but, seriously, how beautiful is that kid? And lil Harry is shaping up nicely, too. You should start a blog. I bet it would be liberating for you. I'll come read it.

Julie- Thank you! Now, the reason I don't make more beads is twofold. First, I don't have very much time. I have kids, do volunteer work, go to college and basically run every aspect of my small family/empire.

Second - and this is really the core of the problem - I make a lot more beads than I ever list for sale. I'm a perfectionist and I love to experiment. Not a good combination. It means I end up with a lot of beads that are interesting, but not good enough to sell. The only beads that I list for sale are ones that I am so in love with that I have to talk myself into parting with them. So, if you ever have any of my beads, you should know that they probably sat in this small, aqua-blue fused glass bowl on my dresser for about a month and a half, together with my wedding ring, two seashells and an acorn that my son picked up at the softball fields. I most likely picked them up several times, held them up to the light, showed them to friends and family, bought jewelry components to match them in the hopes I could make myself something beautiful out of them, and then finally admitted to self that self sucks at jewelry design and the beads deserve better. Then I list them for sale. If that information makes you uncomfortable, you should proably avoid my beads alltogether.

That's all I have for today. I'm working on some things but I haven't gotten pictures taken yet. Will be back with new stuff in the next day or so.
Have a great day!

1 comments.
Posted by Rebecca:
Hey, we British actually NEED to have fun poked! Does us good! Very pleased to know that the beads I have from you have sat for a while. Maybe that's why they feel so special. The more I look and handle them the better they get. Perhaps I will look into the whole blogging thing. Put the Toad in the Hole recipe up! lol
January 28, 2008 @ 12:02 PM