New Beads

Ground Hog Day

I haven't posted for nearly a month, can't believe that January is almost gone. We are leaving for our trip to Vietnam and Cambodia in 12 days and all the plans are finally coming together. We went to the Tet festival at the Seattle Center today, to get in the mood.

Just a few new things posted on ebay and just beads, the last auctions before we leave.

New Beads

Here are a few more new beads I just finished. They will be on ebay this week.

Happy New Year

I just finished listing some new beads on Ebay after taking the month of December off. I did make quite a few beads in the last month, just didn't list anything. It has been so cold in the garage that I can't stay out there very long. Sadly to say I can't use the space heater since the builder saw fit to wire the entire garage on one circuit and a heater + the kiln keeps blowing the fuse. I have ordered a new vent system that will allow me to close the garage door except for about a foot, which should keep it a little warmer.

Has anyone seen the movie "The Waterhorse"? We went today and it scared the grandkids ages 6 & 4 nearly to death. Their folks had to take them home early. It was a good movie, but definitely not for small children, it was very intense. I remember when we were kids my younger brother was totally traumatized by " Pinochhio".

Raku

I have been having fun with raku again now that it has gotten cold in the garage. Here are some from yesterday.

End of Year Jewelry Sale

I am listing lots of jewerly on ebay starting tonight and adding a few pieces daily for the next two weeks. The gallery that I have been with for 4 years is going out of business this month, so I am reducing my inventory through ebay at huge savings.

Have been having the usual dilema, to make jewelry or make lampwork beads to sell on ebay. Today I decided to spend awhile making beads, and worked with only one selection of colors, black and raku with clear. Can't wait to open the kiln and see what I have.

Here is a photo of a bracelet listed on ebay.

Tropical Madness

Today I put my banana trees to bed for the winter. They are really a blight on the yard, wrapped in silver insulation with black garbage bags over their heads, but hopefully it will save them for further glory next summer.

When I moved to Seattle after gardening in the Rocky Mountains for my whole life I was blown away by the variety and beauty of the plants that would grow and thrive here. Somewhere along the line I got sidetracked by Tropicals which are all the craze. Well they do grow here, but not without a lot of TLC which seems sort of foolish considering the plants that are available and love this climate.

After wasting lots of money on plants that had one season on beauty and bit the dust somewhere around Jan 1, I have only the bananas left that need extra care. I really love how they look in mid summer, and they are listed as hardy to zone 8, but that means they need to come back from the root every year and never get very big.