Selling on Facebook. Yes, no, maybe? Okay, I'll give it a try.

I have to say that I've tried selling items from my Facebook fan page and it doesn't work for me. But recently I noticed one of my lampwork friends posting about a private Facebook page for auctioning lampwork beads. I was skeptical, so I messaged her and asked a ton of questions.

When she told me her sales were better then anywhere else online and that she was closing down her selling Etsy and Artfire shops I knew I had to give it a try, and am I glad I did!

My auctions usually run for 24-48 hrs.  And within the first 24 hrs I had already made a sale.  And again the next day.  I have to say I'm pretty happy. I haven't sold everything I've listed, but that's okay!

I love the idea of being able to interact with the buyers, and I'm available to answer questions if needed.  What buyer wouldn't want that?

This group is called Artisan Lampwork Beads For Sale .  This is a closed group, but you can easily join by clicking one button.  They monitor it very strictly to make sure only artisan beads are listed.  And that's really good.  So if you make lampwork or like to buy it head on over there and sign up.  You won't be sorry!

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And It Only Took Me One Year!

I find it funny that I come back to my blog to write this and see that it's been basically one year since I last posted here.  And that the thoughts I had posted were the exact same thing that I came back to post about today!  So here goes....

I've made up my mind.  And it only took a year! I will be discontinuing hand stamped metal.  I won't be giving it up completely.  I'll keep some supplies so I can stamp words of inspiration, but no more custom orders.  But I'm very happy to announce that I'll be going back to lampwork beads!

It's been a really long time since I've been able to sit at the torch, years I think.  I have a lot of catching up to do, and a million tutorials to read through for inspiration.

What changed my mind?  I have a new day job which is going to be super busy with a lot of overtime from October through February.  That in itself will make it impossible for me to keep up with custom orders during the busy holiday season.  So I had to make the decision, and that made it a whole lot easier.  And I have to say, a ton of weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

I've had a blast creating hand stamped jewelry, it's been very successful and a whole lot of fun.  I feel this could have been something I could have quit my day job for.  But as life moves forward and the need for health insurance becomes more and more important I need a stable job where health insurance is offered.  I'm sure many of you can understand that.

I'm not entirely thrilled with this new job.  I'll have to make collections calls at some point each month, which I will dread.  But the people I work with are great and there are plenty of team members so I can now take vacations that are longer then 2-3 days.  Which is something I sorely needed.  After years of working with only a few days off at a time I was ready to go insane!  So that was a trade off, for sure.

But I believe things happen for a reason so I'm thrilled to be back at a craft I love: lampwork.  And we'll see where this new job takes me.  I can always change later on. So stack of colored glass, HERE I COME!!

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A Giveaway From Me...

Sponsored on Aquariann's blog, Art And Tree Chatter.   Aquariann is an amazing artist! Click here to check out her shop.  And to celebrate this great giveaway I'm offering a rare 10% discount with coupon code: FAIRYDEAL. 

And to check out my giveaway, click the pic below.  Thanks Aquariann!

Click me!!!

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Down By The Frog Pond

While wandering around the Internet today I came across the cutest tutorial for little frog beads.  I've made frog beads before, but these were so cute and the price was right so I thought "why not try something different today!"  So I bought the tutorial and went straight to the garage....I mean my state of the art studio.  And now I have some frogs hopping around in my kiln and I'm just dying to see how they turned out!  Check back soon to see for yourself.

Tutorial cover picture.  These are not my beads.

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The 5th Day Of Christmas Specials Count Down

On the 5th day of Christmas Glasstastic Treasures gives to you a great deal on this Penguin Lampwork Bead. Read more here.

 For today only (12/20/10) you can purchase this great bead at 50% off. Use coupon code 5THDAY during check out! Happy shopping!

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Did I Forget to Mention this?

Yep, I did. Sorry about that. But I'm here now to let you know that I have marked down my Halloween lampwork 20%, and the Halloween Jewelry and lined BHBeads are marked down 10%!

That's right. So now is the perfect time to stock up on those ghoulish beads and goodies you've had your eye one for some time now. Click here to go shopping!

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Halloween Ghoulishness And Fall Fun

This is my favorite time of year to make lampwork beads. The colors, the whimsy, and the Halloween fun! I know I say every season is my favorite. And I guess that's true. But Halloween has a little extra special something.

This time of year I can let my freaky morbid side show with my finger beads! Totally gross, yet oh so fun. Now there's a twist on "lady fingers", lol. Or, how about some eyeballs. Every wish you had an extra set of eyes?

I've posted some of my ghoulish goodies below. Along with some great fall themed goodies. Enjoy!
Visit my shop to purchase any of these cool items!

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Ever Wonder How To Core A Lampwork Bead?

I found this great video on how to use the Impress Bead Coring tool to line beads with silver, copper and even brass. I have this liner and it's a lot of fun to use.

Thanks Heather, for the great video. Please see Heather's Blog!

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Beads of Courage....

I just packed off a box of cute little beads to send to Beads of Courage. With a tear in my eye I thanked God that my children and grand children are healthy. And I only hope that at least one of my beads will be treasured by a special child in need of some hope and encouragement.

You can read about Jean Baruch, a nurse has touched the lives of thousands of sick kids with her idea of Beads of Hope.

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SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!!

Save 15% off everything from now until July 31st! Click me. Go ahead, I know you want to!! CLICK ME!!

Okay all my ArtFire friends! Post your CIJ sales here ;)

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Have you lost it?

Do you ever feel that way? Like you've lost it? Lost your mojo, your creativity, your inspiration, your mind??

That's how I feel today. I've been pondering these odd feelings, and I've had them for some time now. And it suddenly occurred to me what I've done wrong-again!!

I get so wrapped up in the marketing aspect of my business that I forget why I started this. I didn't start GlasstasticTreasures because I wanted to learn how to market, I started because I love creating lampwork beads.

I haven't been at my torch in weeks, maybe a month. I can feel my creativity draining. I feel like I no longer have any idea what to make or what to do.

So, I think it's time to put the "business" part of my business on vacation and have some fun. And that means, you guessed it...LAMPWORK BEADS!!!

Time to fire up the torch and let the creating begin! woohoo!!! Feel free to let me know what you'd like to see when I'm done melting glass. I love to hear your ideas, that's the best inspiration I could ask for!

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Nobody ever gives away the good stuff for FREE...

...EXCEPT ME!!

That's right. Check out this awesome handmade key chain with one totally awesome handmade artisan lampwork tree bead :) I picked this great bead which is great for guys and gals, and has a great wow factor. And with the oil spill in the Gulf, we need to celebrate Mother Nature more then ever!

Is there a catch you ask? Well, of course there is. But it's nothing too drastic, I promise. But the more you do, the more chances you'll get ;)

All you need to do is:

1. sign up for my newsletter (it's on the right)
   
2. subscribe to my blog (also on the right)
   
3. blog about my drawing with a link back here
   
4. like my facebook page (let me know if you already like it)
   
5. make a purchase at GlasstasticTreasures during the contest period
6. comment on this blog post with which requirements you did and links to your blog and facebook page (Very important you do this so you get all your chances. This gives you an extra chance too, for a total of 6!)
   

It's as easy as that! I told you it wouldn't be too difficult. Do one & get one chance, do all six & get six chances to win!! The more you do the better your chances.

Here are the rules:

Fulfill one or all the requirements for chances to win. Each completed requirement will give you a number. Six total chances are available. The winner will be randomly selected by the super awesome random drawing site random.org . Contest starts on 6/17/10 and runs until 6/30/10. Comments posted after 6/30/10 will not be added to the drawing, maybe, well, I'm pretty sure. Drawing will be held the first week of July. The winner has one week after they are notified to provide mailing info or an alternate winner will be drawn. Winner will be announced via the newsletter so don't forget to sign up for that!! I might try to look you up on blogger, but if I can't find you or contact you that way, then that's going to be very very difficult!

Subscribers to my newsletters receive special deals offers and goodies. I won't ever send out more then 2 newsletters a month. As a matter of fact, sometimes I don't even send out one a month. There's just too much life interfering with my crafting!

I look forward to meeting all you great people!

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Do you know - What lampworking is?

Do You Know is a new blog series designed to offer information in a fun way.
I am all about fun, after all!

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One question I'm often asked is, "what is lampworking?" I love this question because lampworking has such an old history. It's just amazing.

The term "lampworking" was actually coined because our ancestors once used oil-fueled lamps to melt glass. But our ancestors didn't just make beads, oh no!! Small glass vessels were a common item as well. How cool is that!

Today's lampworking is born from techniques mastered by Venetian glass artists. Previously, artistic beads were a European delicacy, but today people around the world enjoy the art of lampwork bead making. Especially me!

Today's heat source has evolved tremendously since single fueled oil lamps. Above I show a picture of my dual fueled Nortel torch. This torch uses propane and oxygen to produce a small yet hot flame. I'd like to thank my husband for keeping my gas tanks full!!

This information is just a minute bit of all the info that can be found on the World Wide Web. The internet makes it so easy to find out more about our world, including the great endeavor of lampworking.

Go ahead, research something! Learning is fun

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References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lampwork
http://www.theglassmuseum.com/lampwork.html
http://www.artofvenice.com/art/Lampwork1.htm

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Get it free, now at Glasstastic Treasures

If you've been to my ArtFire Studio and browsed my sections you would have noticed a Not-So-Perfect section were you could get some really great beads at some really great prices. Not-so-perfect doesn't mean they're not usable. On the contrary, they are quite usable. And I've had people ask me what was wrong with the items because they thought the beads were fine.

Well, there may have been a nick, or something a little off center or I simply wasn't happy with the end result. And I love to offer my customers good deals, and what could be better then a great price on a bead with a slight flaw?

Well, how about FREE! Yep, that's right. I'm now offering my not-so-perfect beads free with a purchase from my Studio. Each Get-Me-Free item has a coupon code and minimum purchase details in the listing.

So go check it out, and get some goodies for free! And check back often, as I'll be listing more items that you can get for free!

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My, how time flies!

Can you believe it? One year!! I've been with ArtFire for ONE whole year! And what a great year it's been.

You know, I have always said things happen for a reason. Let me elaborate....

Way back when, I needed a job so I could take care of myself. No more being a housewife/mother. Went to school, got a job, hated it. But met some cool people, made some great friends, had a customer talk me into going to college.

At college met some of my best friends every, loved school, loved the research I did. Graduated, got an awesome job. After 6 years hated the new owner, quit, got a crappy job with awesome people and great benefits.

Had a friend at this job talk me into taking lampwork classes, found my new passion, sold stuff on Etsy. Etsy started to irritate me, I moved to ArtFire, LOVE it, met some even more awesome friends (waves to all her great Etsy, AF and Plurk friends) which brings me to my one year anniversary.

That's my life all summed up in a couple paragraphs. And because I am really happy at ArtFire, and really do love all my great friends and customers, I need to do something special!

So stay tuned...more to come :)

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Blue Moon Inspired Challenge for the Fire Divas

In honor of the blue moons this month, The Fire Divas are holding a January Blues Challenge! You can see big pictures of the entries below, then vote for your favorite on the Fire Diva Blog! The voting will be open for one week, and will end on February 7. Please go vote!

Entry #1

Entry #2

Entry #3

Entry #4

Entry #5

Entry #6

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What shinanigans am I up to now?

I'm sitting at the computer reading, drinking coffee. Just relaxing before everyone else gets out of bed. It's my favorite time of day on the weekends. As I looked over at the scattering of supplies I thought, I wonder if any one else wonders what I'm up to?

Well, just in case you were wondering....

LampworkEtc.com is a great forum for lampworkers like me. Member's generosity is amazing there. They are so helpful, and love to share and teach. And Mr. Smiley shared an awesome tutorial on hearts. He started the thread back in 2005, and it's still going strong today!

So the other day I tried my hand at his hearts. He uses boro glass (very hard) and I use soft glass, so I wasn't too keen on the thin glass loop (see bottom left heart), so I tried some thicker loops. Not too keen on those either, too bulky and yucky looking! So someone else shared pics and they made the hearts right off the mandrel. I feel in LOVE! So above is a small sampling of my hearts in progress.

LampworkEtc also has a great promo thread from Amy at Zooziis where she shares her bead presses so we can try them. You get one press for ONE month, and when you are done you pass it on to the first lucky person to reply after you announce it's ready to move on. And I was waiting for The Crystal Chunky Duo! And I got it :) So yesterday morning I was able to squeeze in an hour or so and made a couple of these little beauties. I'm thinking they'll make great key chains, cell/flash drive/purse charms, or even pendants! And as this idea was bouncing around in my head, I realized I was out of bead bars :(

Of course, before I ever order anything I always think long and hard to determine if I really do need the supplies. And quite honestly, I've decided that I do need these. And I really want to tell you why.

I love these Bead Bars and their special components! You can see the huge difference in the bar versus a normal headpin. These bead bars are chunky and super sturdy, and are great for roughly handled items like key chains and purse charms. But are definitely stylish and beautiful on pendants as well. They have really turned out to be my favorite findings for working with lampwork and creating lampwork jewelry and accessories.

However, as you can imagine, they are not cheap! At almost $2.00 vs the $.20 for a plated headpin, you can see why I had to consider this purchase long and hard. And each cap and spacer is equally expensive for a silver plated component. But I think you will agree, they are really beautiful, functional, and in the end, well worth the cost!

Let me know what you think. I love hearing from you :)

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The look of the headpin vs the bead bar.
Headpins are great, you can use them with any findings. And I love using crystals!
The bead bar has a unique look of it's own. It's becoming my favorite.
And well worth the price, in my eyes.
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Here is a closer look at the bead bar and components, compared to the headpin.
The holes in the finding are large, and they are designed specifically for the bead bar.
And this is just a sampling of what is offered.

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BacisCreations Rides The Crazy Train!

Bacis Creations is a monther-daughter team of jewelry designers. And what great items they have too. Take a break and go visit their shop. You may get some Christmas shopping done early! Enjoy :)

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Let the ghoulishness begin!

I'm not sure if you noticed by one of my previous posts, but I love Halloween, and I wanted to show you one of my most popular items. My Ghoulish Halloween Fingers! They're gross, and disgusting with their green skin and red fingernails. And they really need a manicure too.

They'd make a pretty cool pair of earrings, I've had others dangle them from necklaces. Hmm, I think I need to do that myself!

What would you do with your very own pair of ghoulish fingers?

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What can you do with a handful of beads?

Oh, you totally asked the right person!! Do you know that's the same exact thing I said to my friend Sarah when she asked me to take a lampwork class? Cuz really, at the time, what the heck would I do with them?

Well, she bugged me forever! Finally she just brainwashed me into thinking it would be totally cool to do, because next thing I knew I was signing up and handing over all my hard earned cash for a lampwork class at Peachie's!

Well, it was so much fun that I was hooked. Her brainwashing really worked, too. Because I forked over about $120.00 for my very first kit for bead making! Except my kit was way better and Gretchen gave us an awesome deal on a book by Cindy Jenkins, who is totally awesome and REALLY good at lampworking.

Alright, enough blabbering about others, and back to me. So, anyways....I took my little kit home and practiced my little heart out. Then, I ended up with a HUGE pile of beads. And then I was really saying, "now what am I going to do with these things?" I think Sarah's brainwashing was wearing off.

So I brought the beads to work to show off, and my other friend, Rosy, she starts talking about jewelry making and how fun it would be to work with my beads, and she got me all excited about making jewelry and totally brainwashed me into thinking I wanted to do that too!! My god, now that I think about it, what kind of friends are they??

I really do enjoy making my beads, brainwashing or not. And I enjoy being able to offer them to others. Designers buy my beads and make some really cool items. Like my friend Verna who owns Dammas. Hi Verna! I love what she did with Nemo, he's blowing bubbles. He's so cute!!

But what if you wanted to create something of your own? And you just don't know what to do? Oh, have I got something to show you!!

My Etsy shop is chuck full of great items which are sold A la Carte. That means you buy the components separately, and you save $$! How cool is that?

Here is my absolute favorite find. A changeable pendant post. It screws apart, and you can stack beads and large hole findings to create your very own one-of-a-kind pendants. Just this little post and some of your cool beads, which you can buy from me, lol, and you are styling and ready to hit the town! Or the shopping mall, or my shop! Either one is fine, but my shop is best ;)

So, how does this work? Easy, buy the pendant post (hint, hint) and some beads (even bigger hint). Unscrew the top ball of the post, stack on your awesome goodies that I sent you cuz you love my stuff so much (subliminal brainwashing, please stand buy...) and add to your favorite necklace, or you can get the whole shebang all ready to go!

Here are the instructions for great jewelry at an affordable price:

1. Buy
2. Stack
3. Wear

Three easy steps, really great prices. You can't beat that! Oh, and buy (more subliminal brainwashing) the way, for today only you can get this awesome black and white heart for 50% off. So if you are lucky enough to read this blog on 4/18/09, get on over to my shop before it's too late!

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