The latest jewelry trend is the Pandora or Troll bracelets.  They are 4mm chains that you can put different beads on.  For a lampwork artist to make these it requires a bead hole of 5mm so I had to order some special supplies.  Now I'm addicted to making these beads and I can't seem to keep them in my Etsy store.

A picture that Wally took while on his boat.  This is one scary big rattlesnake.

Just been doing a lot of bead making lately and keeping on top of mail orders for stamps.  The Sacramento show is this weekend and both Wally and I will be there for it.  Other than that I finished the taxes which is always a huge deal.  I've worked on a few more new images but I'm not really sure when I'll get them released.  I really wanted to have a nice amount this time before doing a release but I'll probably do with whatever I have ready by the end of this month.  The RSC one year anniversary is this month also so we'll be having a big virtual convention at the end of the month.

This is a picture of Charlie hunting! 

I've put some Sea Pod pendants up in my Etsy store.  I may have a few more in a week or so.

I spend so much time on Etsy now that I thought I'd feature a cool shop every so often.  This is SuZanna Anna and she calls these Match Blox.  Check out her Etsy store, she has all kinds of these and I think they are super cool!  Once my glass studio is really done I'd like to put some of these on the side wall.

Spring is really trying to take a hold over here but I just know we're getting faked out as usual and we'll get another cold spell.  I'm ready for some warm weather to stick around.

Been getting Wally ready for the Portland show and while he's gone I "get" to do taxes.  Oh what fun.

Just trying to pack up and get everything ready for the IN show this weekend. 

 I made this bead over a month ago and decided to actually keep it for myself.  I finally wire wrapped it today and it's so nice to be able to wear one of my beads!  I may do a few more in the future and put them up on my Etsy site.  That way those people that have no jewelry making skills can buy one all ready to wear on a necklace. 

Just got the current issue of RSM and Beeswax is nicely featured in Brigitta's faux postage tutorial.  Brigitta and I have been waiting a long time for it to get published and it was well worth the wait!  You can see the full tutorial with downloadable templates here.  Also, don't miss Brigitta's website.

I have a few new images but I need to work on quite a few more before I do a release.  I have to admit that it's been so nice here that it's made me a bit lazy.  At least the kind of lazy that you don't want to sit in a dark room behind a computer.  The Lantern Fairies on the right is one of the handful I've done.

Well the Grapevine show went rather well except for some comical moments due to the new credit card machine and also when the ink cartridge of my adding machine got jammed inside the thing.  Boy I'm out of "show" practice.  I got to meet three RSC folks and also three other bead artists from the lampwork forum I'm on.  It's always nice to finally meet people in real life after getting to know them on line.  I'm finally all caught up with orders and I actually got some bead making in too...which was really another order.

I leave tomorrow morning for the Grapevine, TX show.  I thought I'd show my first eBay auction in a few months.  This bead goes up Saturday night.  It's probably my favorite of the "Sea Series" beads I've made.  I've been holding onto it for a couple of months because I just love looking at it.

The storms here yesterday were pretty crazy.  The winds were the worst I've ever been in.  We survived with no damage but the neighbor's had some trees fall on their house.  These are pictures of the other lot next to us.  There's no house on this property, just some sheds and this barn.  It fell like a house of cards and the only thing holding it up now are the vehicles inside.  Of course you can tell it really wasn't the best built structure!

Remember that big box of gifts I got from some of the RSC members?  I've been trying to open a couple things a day but yesterday got skipped...power went out and our schedule got messed up.  Today Wally and Trevor decided to open a few. 

Here's a present I made.  A serving set with lampwork beads at the handle.  Today it's another long day.  We are off to my brother's house in the bay area which will be a total of at least 5 hours on the road today.  

We made Christmas gifts this year and below are pictures of the bird houses that Wally made.  He even stamped one with Beeswax stamps and colored it in!  Of course while I was taking pictures the 'dorables had to get involved too.

I got a package today from some of the stampers at RSC.  I'm just so touched that they took time out of their lives, got together and put a special gift together for me.  Stampers are just the best!

About a week ago I saw a red fox in our backyard at noon!  He was actually on our side porch.  Yesterday Wally got a picture of one in our yard.  They usually only come around at night so they must be extra hungry.  They are really striking looking with the bright orange and the big bushy tail.

I have a new bead addiction and it's making these "Sea Things".  They are just too much fun.  It's interesting to see how they are involving each time I make one too.  Each is layers of glass just to get the background to have that flowing seaweed look.  Then all the layered dots...well these take about an hour and a half each to make. 

I'm not the type of person that makes a New Year's resolution but I am going to try and update this blog a little more often than I have been.  Now that I'm in my new studio it's hard to get out of it and do other things.  I've been making lots of beads so I've opened up an Etsy store.  I'm still learning all the Etsy lingo and how things work over there but I have to say that I'm really impressed with everything.  It's a pretty cool set up.

Wally has the small windows framed in the studio.  I've torched in there three times now and it's very different than the garage.  I can actually see!  I can see the bead I'm working on which makes it much easier for accuracy and speed.  The problem is that there is so much light it makes it hard to see the flame.  It's just something that will take some time to get used to.  I noticed yesterday that I had already gotten better with the change.

I've been pressing rubber off and on over the last couple of months for the first show next year.  I did get into Grapevine so trying to get a jump on restocking has paid off.  I had let my booth get pretty bare over the last few shows so there is a lot to do. 

Whooohoooo!  Moving day today!  I'm moving my set up into the new studio and here's Wally hooking my torch up for me.  Since he's not done yet I can't move all my stuff in though.  He still needs to build me a glass storage unit so until then I'm only allowed to bring in the glass that I'm using that day so I "don't make a big mess".  Hmmm....do I have THAT much glass....yes!

I'm still not moved into my new studio yet.  The weather has been so nice here that I've just stayed in the garage to give Wally some space to do more work.  The latest he's done is hang my three lights, which you can only see two in the picture.  We got them from a local glass blower.  He's also built very artistic shelves for the five speakers too.

I almost stepped on this big guy because he was right in the middle of the sidewalk.  I went to get the camera and when I came back Wally and I had to hunt him down.  These guys move fast!  He even posed for me for the picture.

 "Look at the camera!"  

Tile is all down and the ventilation system is in.  Now Wally is working on my workbench.  It won't be much longer now!

I'll be putting together a page of just the studio pictures from start to finish.  This has now been just over a year long project.

I'm going to get the new images up this weekend sometime.  I won't send out a newsletter until Tuesday though.  I still have some catching up to do with orders.

I'm sending a few plates of new images to the engraver tonight.  There are only 11 images but why wait until next year to release them?  I'll show you one that's great for Christmas cards.  This snowflake block can be stamped like shown or stamped vertical.  You can also stamp it a couple times and turn the stamp to make it look different.

I'll have the new images up some time next week!

Wally has already painted the inside and is laying tile down this weekend.  Now it really feels like it's my studio.

It's been awhile since I did a studio update.  Wally has gotten all the electrical done, the sheet rock is up and the mudding done.  He also finished the siding on all four walls.  Today his brother came over and did texturing on the walls inside.  The next steps are painting, tiling and putting in my workbench and cabinets.  I'm hoping to be moved in by the time it gets too cold to torch in the garage. 

Rubber stamp artist and author MaryJo McGraw has a blog now!  She shares stamping techniques, her travels and life and will even answer your artistic questions.

MaryJo's Blog 

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