Do big sets sell on Etsy? I’m still debating on whether to separate or keep this set together-any opinions? Off to try and get some torching in…
*Just added to the Etsy shop!* Going to see how the beads all together do..
Etsy
Just reopened the shop, new beads coming tomorrow..
Back Home
Back from Oak Island and my lovely sister in law took some quick snap shots of me in the studio making some hollow focals. She only had a few minutes since they were about to leave for the airport, but Linda got some great shots. It was sliiightly hot in there, too. I have a bunch on my Flickr page if you want to see more. 
Apologies for taking so long to post pics of the finished space- as you can see, it gets a lot of use.
And my favorite pic from our family vacay:
That’s my son’s lovey, Althea- she is never far from his reach and the poor thing had an up close and personal time w/ sand and ocean. Good thing she’s washable.
Etsy Update for June 14th
The FIFA Cup Games are in the background as my inlaws discuss the different players-and I broke two beads to this set during photographing them..down to seven instead of nine. Hmph, time to make some more beads!
Going up on Etsy tomorrow morning:
And Again..two more sets for Etsy
These look nice together- totally by accident that I put that strand of encased crackled beads together and after setting them next to the hollows noticed how nice they look together..hmm, I can see a new set in the future w/ a mix of matte and encased beads.
These will be going up shortly onGoing up Tomorrow on Etsy
ETA in Etsy shop —> after breakfast, before laundry 🙂
Etsy Update!
Finally getting around to re-opening my shop and putting up new work. These are smaller hollows than what I normally make- so if you like them snag them, because I didn’t make many.
These will be listed shortly:
Work, work, work
Trying to get the time to get all these listed is causing me a headache. About to head out of town for an appt. that will take most of the afternoon. Maybe tomorrow?
Argh, and all of these still need to be etched and photographed..maybe the in-laws won’t notice me slipping off while they admire the little man this next week?
And a closeup of a favorite bead.. still trying to figure out which color of coral it was. Pagoda Ring Class
The Pagoda Ring class at Ornamentea was great and especially nice since it was just me and one other student- which made it possible to pick our instructor’s brain. Ndidi was a great teacher and we learned how to etch, something I’ve been wanting to learn to do for years now and it’s so simple! There are a couple things safety-wise I might change, like the ventilation and wearing an apron, etc.
The leaf disc is Copprclay, not etched. For some reason my Copprclay hasn’t wanted to sinter properly..not sure what the problem is, but planning on opening a new packet and will see if that makes a difference. 
A handy trick using tubing as a riser- got to use a tube jig for the first time and must say it’s pretty handy. Which reminds me that I need to get over my fear of the saw from HF and use it for things like this. 
Got lots of compliments for the texture on this ring, reminds me of tooled leather. Still need to do some finishing touches, like filing and cutting the extra length on my fastener.
A handy trick using tubing as a riser- got to use a tube jig for the first time and must say it’s pretty handy. Which reminds me that I need to get over my fear of the saw from HF and use it for things like this. Got lots of compliments for the texture on this ring, reminds me of tooled leather. Still need to do some finishing touches, like filing and cutting the extra length on my fastener. 
Stayed tuned for etched bead caps and new work soon. Planning on re-opening my Etsy shop sometime this week, just have a whole lotta work to photograph.
Flea Market Find
There was a threat of thunderstorms Sat. when my cousins and I went to the flea market in Raleigh. I was told there were often more furniture vendors outside, when the weather doesn’t look so dicey. Something else was going on besides the flea market and parking was a nightmare but I still managed to spot this sweet thing and was pulled in by its tractor beam. At 18″ deep it will be perfect for hanging our winter coats later this year since the two shelves on the inside are removable. The lock is frozen due to disuse and I’ll need to figure out the best way to clean out all the grime so I can actually use the lock, if I want. My cousin and her family usually make it up to the flea market at least once a month and have found some gorgeous things. 
Still on the lookout for a ‘new’ table and chairs..one that doesn’t creak every time we move while eating. I’m sure I’ll have fun on the hunt w/ my family.
The studio is finished and I’m embarrassed to say it is already a mess since I started using it as soon as everything was in place, lol. If I get it cleaned up a little I’ll post a pic sometime. It’s funny, my contractor was saying how I should have more than enough space for everything- but as I’ve been working, I’ve noticed I could probably use another 6′ of table space! My photo tent doesn’t have a place yet, and I need to figure out where to permanently place my vise and bench clamps. Organizational skills is not my forte.
Aja Vaz 