Art After the 9 to 5

Lime Drop Necklace, originally uploaded by juiceglass.

A new necklace from me up on Etsy.
I have only made one other of these that I sold on my pre-sale list, so this is the first one to see public eyes. I really like the simplicity and am still so happy I can finally #$@#$% etch Bullseye glass. I would like to type more, but my cat, who recognizes a moment for attention when she sees it, is sitting her butt right in front of my keyboard. Poor kitty. Baby takes away all the love sometimes. I had better fill her up with petting and hugs. More later, I get studio time today!

I have been working on this one for a while, both in my head, on paper, and in the studio. I am hoping to make it a staple line of my work. The combos I can do are endless, and folks can buy as many or as few as they want to stack up their wrist, requesting color combinations and numbers of beads. This one is up on Etsy, the very first one. I am working on one for myself, which I will post when it is complete.

Each one has no mass produced components at all, every piece is made by me. I make the beads, anneal them, line them with sterling silver, and fabricate the bangle from .999 fine silver, shaping, hammering, and texturizing it into the rustic look it displays.

And this is phase on of this design, I have something else planned for it that will just keep on customizing it like mad! =)

Fall Pumpkin Rustic Bead Bangle.

juiceglass - Coast Tropica Alternate View, originally uploaded by juiceglass.

Testing Flickr for the most part, but here’s a recent bead I sent out to a new home! I just love making this type so much….I need to make some more soon, I am almost out of them!

Right now it is raining outside, something that is very strange for Oregon. Usually it doesn’t rain all summer long. I love it. It’s a treat. And I think part of why is because it is warm out. Usually the rain is combined with cold. I was walking to and fro from my studio tonight and just luxuriating in it, the wind in the trees, the sounds of the water on the leaves and dripping down into the rainbarrels, and being out there in a t-shirt and just feeling great.

I was walking to and fro as I was finishing up something entirely new. I am very excited about it! It is dark out, so no photos, so I won’t tell you any more until tomorrow, but I am really jazzed about this new piece. It’s infinitely expandable and changable and customizable for anyone who wants certain colors. Whee!

With that, I am off to bed, as I am a tad sick with a cold. I’ll read my current book (Master and Commander) and hopefully doze off soon…but of course, Derek will wake me like he always does.

So part of this Etsy Team I am on, we have a special item each week that we promote. I’m starting out easy, using a bracelet of mine. For this week only, it’s available with free shipping, and at a sale price.

It is my Falling Water charm bracelet. It is half of the jewelry duo that won first prize at the Glass Gallery at the Convention Center this past May. The necklace already sold, but the bracelet is just as pretty, and way more affordable! It has lampwork beads made by me, and thai hill silver, jade discs and Swarovski crystals. I’m tempted to keep it to myself since it helped win that award…but the challenge is to try to win again next year, so I need a clean slate for the challenge!
Other Team members have terrific items as well, just do a search on BAO TEAM in the Etsy search window to find them. I wish I had time to list them all this week, but it’s hectic. Derek had a cold, now I have it, his 1st birthday is Thursday, and there is so much to do to get the house ready for the small party we are throwing.

We just got out of a heat wave here, 3 days in the 100’s. Our home does not have AC, which is fine 99% of the time. It was a little tough at night here when the attic fan was still going at 3 am, that means it was quite warm inside. I haven’t torched as a result, I love my glass, but I’m not THAT insane to sit in front of fire on a 100+ day. Today it is going to be in the 90’s, which is an improvement….

The weather reminds of a bead I made recently, one of my Yin Yang beads. The temps match the coastal theme of the tropics, but sadly, no sea breeze was here to cool things off!

Etsy.

Despite today being warm still, I hope to get a little torch time. I need to make a Bead of Courage for someone, and maybe one more Yin Yang. I etched a bunch of lentils to make some more simple lentil necklaces, maybe I will finish fabricating those tonight. And I ordered some fine silver, since silver prices are in the toilet (yay!) compared to usual. Well, in the toilet for those holding the commodity stocks, not those buying. Maybe I should own some silver stock so that I am happy when it is down AND up.

I scored my first etsy treasury this morning, it was fun putting it together.

I saw a piece that reminded me of a lizard, so then I decided to go lizard themed!
These Lizards Don’t Drain
Good times!

I am getting better at etching my Bullseye glass. It is so wonderful to finally be able to etch! Bullseye is a lot stiffer than the Italian glasses a lot of lampworkers use, so I can’t just drop it in some etching solution. In the end, I think that is a good thing, etch solution is not the nicest stuff on the planet and I would hate to etch me, or pour it down the drain, or just plain use it. Having a good recipe for tumbing my glass is just so wonderful. I have been experimenting with different times and colors of glass, and will use a lot of them in these wire wrapped lentils I am making as necklaces at the moment.

It is very hot today and tomorrow, and my babysitter can’t make it tomorrow (dr. appointment for foot hurt in a soccer game) so no studio time. Still, since it is to get maybe to 100 tomorrow, not working with glass is fine for a day off.

I had to get more propane this week and it was pretty funny. The local place I go has these new 24/7 unmanned propane stations, you put in your old one and get a new one. I swiped my card and a little door opened on one of the storage bays to take my old tank. Then it said to close it, so I did, but it didn’t register. I banged on it awhile (all of this with Derek attached to my front in a Moby wrap) and then finally had to call a supervisor. While they went for help, I took the receipt out from the last person who used it…and magically, the door below my old tank silently opened, with a fresh, full tank for me to take.

Strange!

Derek is asleep right now. It’s always a struggle for me to decide what to do in those moments. It used to be easy: SLEEP. I’d nap when he did, I was so tired from nights up with him and long days learning to be a Mom. I still have long days as he grows, and long nights sometimes, but I try to get other things done now, while he naps. Sometimes he has one nap, sometimes two. Today it is 1 hour 15 minutes so far. But it is early, so I worry he will want a nap late, late in the afternoon, and throw off his sleeping schedule tonight. But beyond that, what do I do now? I could:
Clean the house, which needs it.
Put some items on Etsy.
Pack up some orders to go.
Do some media contact work.
Design some new items.
Make Jewelry.
Empty the dishwasher.
Have a cup of tea and just BREATHE.
Weed the garden.
Work on a client’s website.
Organize materials.
Pay some bills.
Do Laundry.

It’s pretty dizzying and I often go in a panic to get as much done as I can. Today, I ended up so far: listing an item, doing a little promo for it, packing up an order, sending a few emails, thinking about a possible article, and writing this entry.

Someday, I will have a lot of time again to get everything done. But not before Derek stops napping altogether. I have no idea how I will get things done when that happens, other than a babysitter.

I like his naps. I get lots done, and I miss him. I am eager to see his happy face when he wakes up…but only if I can sneak in that illusory relaxing cup of tea would my world be perfect!

Today’s Etsy listing:

I’m joining a new street team that I have been invited to at Etsy. I still have some work to do on my end to get this going for juiceglass, so I might as well start!

Bead Art Originals:
“The Bead Art Originals (BAO) street team has been created to promote the art of its invited members. BAO includes both creators of art beads and creators of beadwoven art. The team’s focus is on the business and artistic growth of its members through on and off-Etsy promotion of the team, its activities, and individual members’ achievements.”

Nice!

So, more about it later, once I get the t’s crossed, and i’s dotted.