Heat affects the journey

It's been an unusually hot early summer here in the south, the average temp. here is 80 this time of year and we have had above 90 for fifteen days now.  My torch is in the basement which stays fairly cool at 75F but I have to open windows to create a draft for ventilation and in comes the heat.  I can only torch in the mornings and I'm a slow starter.  I get up early, like 6am every morning but never get around to being ready to torch until at least 9am.  All this to say that it's just been hot.  Brutally hot.  It slows my brain and hands and the creative juices just don't flow. 
I haven't torched in five days, which is a record for me.  We aren't even into the hottest part of the summer yet so I'm afraid of what the next two months will be like.  I find myself doing smaller beads in sets, the bigger ones take a lot more time up close to the torch and it's just too hot for that. 

So, if you are seeing more sets from me right now, that's why.  Just too hot to make the big focal beads that I like to play with.  I made the set above on the 4th of July.  LOL, It never occurred to me to make some a month before the holiday to sell.  What a noob.  

If you don't hear from me for awhile it's because I'm sleeping away the heat of the day.  The air conditioner in our house is undersized.  Don't even get me started on that subject, suffice to say that when it gets over 90 outside it's 80 in the house.  We have a stand alone air conditioner in the house (loud, loud, loud) that helps to keep it at 80 but at that temp. all we can do is sit under the ceiling fans on high and stay still.  Sleeping seems to work well...LOL 

Hope it's cooler where you are.  If not, I feel for you.
Stay Cool...

Etsy Bloggers, my first deadline was missed

I joined the Etsy Bloggers team hoping that I would blog more.  Well, as you can see that didn't happen.  Now I know what writers feel like when they get writers block.  I can't think of a thing to say, which is not normal for me...LOL  The first subject was suppose to be a milestone or accomplishment that we recently had.  I couldn't think of a thing.  The other subject was my goals...LOL  Seriously when I retired the major goal of my life was hit and I went on vacation mode. 
I did recently hit 500 sales in my Etsy shop, considering that at the first of the year when I retired I had had 50 sales I would say that was a major milestone for me.  I guess my next goal will be to hit 1,000 beads sold by the end of the year.  Hopefully I can make it. 

I've been retired for roughly six months now and I am beginning to see sales patterns in my shop.  Hopefully I will be able to adapt to that and be prepared for the peaks and work hard in the valleys to get ready for the peaks.
So my goal will be to blog at least once a week.  Clearly once a day is way to much for me to manage.  I hope someone is listening.

Finding my bead style - the journey

I've been making lampwork beads now for about three years.  As of yet I haven't found a bead that is ME.  Something that when jewelry makers see beads, know that I made them.  There are lots of lampworkers out there that I can identify by their beads.  They have a specific look or style.   My style can best be described as simply organic.  I love the stone look and am finding that my customers seem to like them too.  The do take a few more steps to create but the look is certainly unique if not generic. 

I tend to sit down at the torch with little idea of what I'm going to make.  I just start grabbing glass rods and start with a base and go from there.  This doesn't lend itself to finding a style.  I'm not sure if I absolutely have to have a style but so many lampworkers do have them that I kind of feel like I haven't grow if I don't.

If you get a chance, take a look at my Etsy shop and tell me if you see a style emerging.  I would really appreciate any feedback you can give me.    Until then I shall keep doing what I do and enjoying every minute of the journey.

Roses and rain

I love roses, my favorite are the Chrysler, Peace, Double Delight and Tropicana. I have one of each of these bushes, all except for the Double Delight. I lost that bush last year. I've found that roses don't do as well in the south. The humidity is just too much for them and the leave get yellow and have mildew dots on them. The roses are fine but the bushes look horrible.

We had a bit of rain last night and I brought these two roses in the house so I could enjoy them and noticed how beautiful the remains of the rain were on the petals.

You can't fake the look of rain drops on roses. Hey, isn't there a song with that line in it..."My Favorite Things". Anyway, just had to share the photos with you. I really do love the look and wish I could freeze it forever.

The Tropicana rose has such a wonderful scent, it has a soft sweet scent that just can't be replicated in perfume.

Hope you all have a great day. We are expecting more rain. Hopefully I will have a few more roses tomorrow to bring in and enjoy.

Journey of a custom order

I'm really excited to get down to the torch today, I got a custom order yesterday and can't wait to get started. I enjoy just letting the bead get made as I sit there and pull colors and create designs but getting custom order is just as much fun. For one, I don't have to try and come up with something new or make more of the same.
I can hone my craft on something I've made before. It's a chance to practice and make something that I've made before and do it better. Usually the custom orders I get are for some beads to go with a focal that I've made or make one like something they have seen in my shop only in a different color. Making beads to go with a focal can be fun and great practice. Recreating something that I've already done in a different color can be just as much fun, I get to try and make it just a tad bit better.

Hope you all have a great day, as for me, I'll be melting glass and focusing on making a recreation better.
tootles,