Welcome.......
Pull up a chair and join Monet and me for a hot chai.!!
Stay in touch with both links....just click the logo's.
Jan. 22, 2010:
I haven't been updating this page very well, and when I think I might add a real blog page I wonder why because if you don't update they are boring to check in with. I might set it up and give it a try while keeping this little page and see what option is best. I like the fact that with the blogspot set up, I can interact with comments. I've been posting on Facebook lately. Speaking of FB....I posted that one photo of a bead set is going to be in the new Bead Unique magazine. It isn't the bead set I would have chosen, but when the editor handed those to me and said to send a photo of them for the magazine, who am I to argue? I gave the beads to her to photograph because I can barely get my photos good enough for my website and Ebay. Anyway, I'm snowed in today, so I'm going to try to get my car out of the garage and to the road. I usually park it on the road while it's snowing, but I got caught off guard with the snowfall during the night. Have a great weekend everyone, I'll be home, hopefully watching snow melt..!!!
Vickie
Dec. 10, 2009:
I'm thinking about moving my blog page to either blogspot or wordpress. That will allow comments and some interaction from anyone who happens to read it. It might be fun and will leave the website comments for questions about the product rather than our chats. The link will be here with the facebook and twitter links. I'm going to work on bead orders and some new Ebay sets. When it's dark or cold outside I'll be practicing on my wire work. When I finally get something worth showing, I'll post some pics on the website. Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and try to stay warm.
Hugs,
Vickie
Nov. 10, 2009:
Busy, busy, busy.....I'm getting ready for the BABE show this weekend. My sign got ruined somehow, and I made another one, but it didn't come out the way I wanted.
Soooooo....I've been busy making a sign right up to the last minute...sheeez Vic..!!
And I repainted my tray inserts a new color, and changed my security system yet another way. Since I have to paint the sign in stages. waiting for one area to dry before moving to another part of the sign, I'll be cleaning the jewelry in between paint sessions. Hopefully, I can get to the studio and enjoy my favorite thing to do....melt glass..!!!
Anyway...If you are in the Oakland area this weekend, stop by the Marriott Hotel and check out our show. My booth number is # 415....hope to see you there..!
Hugggggssss.
Vic
Oct. 19, 2009:
Nothing new happening in my glass world. I have a wonderful trunk show this Saturday, Oct. 24th, at Piece of Mind bead store in Sacramento. It's a group event and we always have such a wonderful time. The owner Gretchen, does a fantastic job of advertising and everyone has good sales as well as lots of fun. After that, I have to get on track and prepare for the Oakland BABE show. Another fantastic show, with great buyers. Still keeping product on Ebay, with some amazing deals, click the link on my homepage to check them out. Have a great week.
Vic
Oct. 4, 2009:
Well, it's been a heck of a week, and today was no exception. I was supposed to finish cleaning and checking my pellet stove for the winter. I went up to the local store and noticed that my car is running "funny". So I begin to look on the computer for possible causes, and I'm getting worried that it's a bigger deal than I am up for financially. Hopefully, I'm wrong. Then a bee got in the house, and did a dive bomb right at me and stung me in the eye, which is now swollen, and hurts big time. Soooo...I didn't do the pellet stove, can't work right now, and am in an uncomfortable amount of pain. I'm still working on my wire wrapping, but I think I'll continue the home decor line when I get back on the torch. Hope everyone is having a better weekend than I am at the moment.
Hugs,
Vic
Sept. 24, 2009:
Once again, I haven't kept up with my blog. I'll have to remember to at least put in a quick note, rather than going so long in between posts. I'm getting back on Ebay and preparing for a couple of shows coming up in the next two months. I just got my confirmation papers for the Las Vegas Bead Expo next April and we are all jazzed about that show. Tomorrow is my dad's birthday so I'm taking him to breakfast in the morning and I'm not sure about the rest of the day. This weekend, I'll be at Mic Gillette's concert with Tower of Power in Sacramento, I'm looking foward to that, it's always a lot of fun!! Anyway, nothing earth shattering going on with the glass, except that my studio is nice and clean, and I sure do like the way that feels!! There have been some really good deals of mine on Ebay lately. Keep checking to make sure you don't miss out!!!
Have a great weekend everyone!!!
Hugs,
Vickie
Sept. 3, 2009:
Well, I just got my computer repaired and back up and running. I sure don't like it when that happens, you seem to loose contact with your friends and business activity. It's been a year since my baby girl Matisse died, and I promised myself I would take her memorial page off my homepage at the one year mark. But I'm not ready to let her go, so I created a personal page, where she can rest as long as I need her to. I'll add some more personal photos, and bits of what makes me tick. It's a hidden page with access only from the site map or a link on a testimonial page where that link is from my bio page. I figure that I won't bother business people with personal stuff, but it's there for the ones who might be interested.
Now that my computer is back up I need to get some more product on the website. If you only knew how MUCH I have that I could put up here with enough time to photograph all of it. But first I'll get back on Ebay and then look for a lot of new items right here. I cleaned out my garage and came across some sculptures and my clowns from my store. I'll be listing those items as well, so stay tuned.!!! Take care and have a great week.
Vickie
Aug. 16, 2009:
I'm moving slower these days. I've been going to the chiropractor for a couple of days now, and I KNEW I was in pain, but had no idea the extent of what was wrong. It seems that those heavy bead cases finally caught up with my body, and now we are putting Humpty Dumpty back together again. But with all the pain I've been going through, I did have a bright moment. I was recently honored to have the MIGHTY MICSTER himself, Mic Gillette, of Tower of Power, leave a most treasured message on my answering machine!!! With his magical trumpet he played Happy Birthday to me on my recorder.....!!!! I can't tell you how thrilled I am, and I don't plan on erasing it anytime soon. My cousin Julia is a very lucky lady, do you think there are some more out there like Mic???
Aug. 9, 2009"
Well, I don't "feel" any different this morning. I guess turning another year older doesn't hurt as bad as we think, huh? Today, my sisters are coming up to my dads house and we will all be going out to dinner for my birthday. It's nice to have family, especially at times like this. Yesterday, my stepmom and bead show partner and I went to a very quaint restaurant in Sutter Creek called Susan's Place. It started out fantastic first of all with our waitress Karen. She was friendly and helped us with our selection, and brought us some wine to sample. Well, the wine was delicious, and a local winery in Plymouth, so we ended up ordering a bottle instead of a glass each. That way Mary could take some home to Dad to try. Our lunch was so good, I had rasberry chicken salad and Mary had honey cashew chicken salad.....yum!! Then Karen brought us a special cheesecake desert with a candle on it. Ok, now I'm hoping no one sees the candle burning...but nope, Karen begins singing Happy Birthday. Well I was beet red when folks sang, but it was very nice. After we ate, we went inside to the bar area and met the owner, Susan, and very nice, friendly woman, just like her establishment. Mary and I both had a fantastic lunch at Susan's Place and if you are ever near Sutter Creek, do not miss this opportunity to have a fantastic meal experience what feels like a bit of an upscale wine country restaurant, with an outdoor eating area and not only great, fresh food, but a wonderful atmosphere and staff! It's one of our favorite places in Amador County.
After lunch we walked around the shops and stopped in to visit my friend Nancy who makes jewelry using my beads and sells her jewelry at Country Creek Mercantile in Sutter Creek. A very nice, quaint store with lots of handcrafts as well as Nancy's jewelry.
Well, I hope everyone is having a great weekend, I know I am.
Hugs,
Vickie
July 26, 2009:
Well, I'm taking this time to write here, mostly as an excuse to rest after working out. I'm on a serious health kick after feeling so bad for so many months, and then having lab tests confirm why I've been so tired for so long. Bottom line, when they say stress can kill ya, they aren't kidding. My health issue is a stress thing, and it's no wonder with how this year started out with my dad. Thank goodness he's being a "good boy" and doing great. But keeping him still is almost as bad as a two year old sometimes! It's been so hot, it's tough getting enough done. When it's cool, I need to work, but also want to do much needed yard work. But for now, my glass comes first. I was at a pet store this week, and unexpectedly saw the bird I have wanted since I was 16 years old! She was hand fed and only 4 months old, what a sweetie!!! But way too much out of my budget, unless I sell a ton of beads...hint, hint...haha. Of course nothing will ever replace TC, I still miss her so very much, and someday I will get another bird. But I do have Monet, and she's precious.
Anyway, just a quick update, nothing earth shattering in my glass world right now. I'll be updating the contest when I get some photos taken. Until then, take care.
Vickie
July 18, 2009:
I can't believe I let my blog go for so long! I'm almost all ready to leave for a trunk show today and I don't leave for another hour so this is a perfect time to update. Ebay is beginning to pick up a bit, although I'm still getting most of my bids at the very last minute. I'm sure it's an Ebay bidding thing, but I'm hoping things will pick up enough for me to stay on Ebay. Since this is my sole income, I do need to look at the bottom line. It's so hot right now, I am worried Monet will be uncomfortable all day. I plan to leave a large pan of blocks of ice in her water, and close the house up tight so it will stay cool for her. Speaking of dogs, today is the 8th anniversary of my Augie's death. It haunts me because it was such a tragic, and emotionally devestating death, that I will never forget his loss. Fortunately, I remember more good of loving him, but I'll always have a bad taste in my mouth for Safeway's pharmacy, who gave him a wrong dosage on his prescription bottle, that caused him to go blind and die within a week. I still miss you little Gus, and will always love you and your brother Quilar.
Anyway...I'm still working on the home decor line as well as trying to learn wire wrapping. I rented a video on wire wrapping, and soon I'll be ordering my supplies to begin seeing if it's something I will enjoy. I'm going to get going for now, but thank you to everyone who visits the website, and for my bidders on Ebay, a special thanks. To my website and show customers, I wouldn't have made it without you guys....hugs to you all.!
Vickie
June 26, 2009:
Wow....this has been a week for loss with the deaths of 3 celebrities. But this has been a year that started out tough with the loss of my uncle Joe, my dad's younger brother. Then the glass community lost Laura Rasmussen, who with her husband Bill, were glass icons in this industry for over 60 years! I hope you are doing well, Bill. And then of course, I almost lost my dad in February. It's been an uphill battle, but we got lucky!! I can't tell you how much I admire my dad's ability to do what's needed, and his fighting spirit. He's certainally teaching me the rewards for such discipline. As I've always said, children learn, not by what you tell them, but by your example and what you do. It seems that they will either be exactly how you were, or the total opposite.
Now to glass, which is why I'm here in the first place. I'm putting up lots of beads on Ebay, to try to generate money for a new IPhone for my birthday gift to myself this summer, and to clear out product that sits under the table at the shows, since I take so much.
I am on a TV converter box, and all of a sudden two major channels no longer come in!! Whats up with that one? It's frustrating, but I don't want to go to cable just for 2 standard stations, and my antenna was working just fine a couple of days ago. Guess, when I get time, or sick of one station, I'll deal with it. But it's summer, and it's not like I watch that much tv when I have so much outside work to do.
Anyway, have a great weekend and stay safe.
Vickie
June 8, 2009:
I checked my website this morning, and realized that the update I did on Saturday wasn't on the page. I suppose I did all the writing then somehow forgot to click update...sheeez!
So I'll wish my stepmom and fabulous show helper a wonderful Happy Birthday, Mary.. !!!
May 25, 2009:
It seems that Ebay has consumed my time, and I haven't been updating my website as I should have. I am going to try to work on that in the next week. I'm working on my home decor line and anxiously waiting for the hardware replacements and the photo supplies to begin taking pictures of the samples. I do plan to market that line a bit differently. I still want to learn wire wrapping and the only video I've seen that shows how to wire wrap a bead with a hole in the center, is back ordered....hmm? Anyway, I'm headed to the studio right now to finish packing a wholesale order..."thank you Joann", and then to make something new for Ebay. I've been using my show inventory, but I don't want to get that supply too low since I do plan to do more shows. Have a great week..!!
Vickie
May 11, 2009:
I didn't realize it's been a while since I've updated this blog. I think I was doing it with Facebook or Twitter, but this is MY site, and I need to make sure my customers stay informed here. Right now, my issue is Ebay. It's been tough because I've been spoiled with successful sales at shows at my website prices, and I'm not selling even close to my normal prices. I'm hoping I can hold out long enough to continue with Ebay, and when the new buyers see the beads in person, the way my show people do, Ebay will pick up a bit more for my sales. I'm still working on the home decor line, I finally decided on the hardware applications, so now I can begin making the glass parts. And I'm still waiting on the photography items I have on back order, so that my photos will take on a more professional look for the website, Ebay and now the catalog for my new line. I am also still planning on learning wire wrapping this year. Not sure what tools are needed and what ones offer the most bang for my buck. I think today I need to take some more photos for Ebay. I'm planning on listing Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday for Ebay, and shipping on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. So if payments are made by 2 pm on shipping days, your packages will go out the same day.
I'm still trying to get acquainted with my new cell phone. I didn't go with a smartphone this time, and it's just a whole different experience. But I'm getting better reception up here in the mountains, so that's a big improvement. Well, I hope everyone has a great week, the weather is sure beautiful..!!!
Hugs,
Vickie
The vinyl sign I made for the shows......not too bad, huh???
My baby girl.
