Lampworking Class Video

Yesterday was a fun day at Dancing Beads. From 11:00am until a little after 5:00 there was a lampworking class. Throughout the day (and between customers), I'd pop in with my little video camera to film beads having their birthday.



The first scene is Persis demonstrating pulling stringer. Stringer are thin rods of glass used for applying surface decoration to a bead. In the next scene, Kori is busy forming her first bead. The last scene is Kori hard at work making her last and largest bead. She chose really bright colors, and after applying red dots, she went for an organic look by dragging vivid blue, and green stringers onto the surface of her bead. As you can see in the still shot of Kori's handful of beads, the big one is now two cabochons. A huge air bubble in the center of the bead caused it to sheer in half.

After class, I talked to Kori about her experience. She had this to say:: "I had a lot of fun! Persis was a wonderful teacher. She's calm, and really patient. I liked that. I'm so glad I took this class. Now, I have a real appreciation for lampworking, and what it takes."

Persis was equally pleased with her student. Kori did a great job, asked terrific questions, and quickly grasped the techniques. I was impressed by the size and shape of her beads.

This was the only beginning lampwork class scheduled for the Spring Session. Persis will be offering another class for our Summer Session. We limit seating for this class to no more than two students. It's a day filled with personal attention, creativity, and wonder.

Just ask Kori!

... and if you're interested, the music I used is "Sunday" by Nick Drake from his Bryter Later album which came out in 1970.

The 3/50 Project

There's a grass roots movement making its way across the country. It's the brainchild of Cinda Baxter, a retail consultant and speaker. Based on events in early 2009, she wrote a post to her blog on March 11, 2009 that went viral.

The rest, as they say, is history.

The premise of the project is very simple. Choose three small businesses in your town that you don't want to lose. Then commit to spend $50.00 per month amongst them. Yes, you can choose more than three.

There's a reason for shopping with your local brick and mortar, and it has to do with your dollar. According to the Civic Economics stats for 2008 for every $100.00 spent in independently owned businesses, $68.00 returns to the local economy through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures.

Spend the same amount at a national chain, and only $43.00 stays in the community.

Spend that same amount online, and nothing comes home. Yep, that would be $.00. Zip. Zilch. Nada dime.

Cinda goes on to explain that "if half the employed US population spent $50.00 each month in independently owned businesses, their purchases would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue. Imagine the positive impact if 3/4 of the employed population did that."

I'm picking three!

Care to join me?

For more information visit:: the350project.net

Funny Later

It's been snowing off and on today. Sitting in the sunroom has been fun as there are windows on two sides of the room. With the space heater blasting away, it's quite snug and pleasant at the big round table.

Watching the snow reminded me of an misadventure I had many years ago that involved snow, and a premonition.

In 1998, I attended the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show for the very first time with my new friend Persis. While there we enjoyed the warm weather of southwest Arizona as only a couple of winter weary Pacific Northwesterners could. While the staff of the motel were huddled in their office with heaters on high, we basked pool side.

Upon returning to Oregon, I also returned to a pretty gnarly snow storm. Driving down from Portland was quite an adventure. By morning the valley floor was blanketed with several inches of snow.

I'm not fond of driving in snow, so I made the decision to walk to the shop.

Bundled up in all the snow-ish gear I could find I started off. Just as I reached a major intersection I saw a solid wall of water coming towards me in my mind's eye. My first thought was "that would suck."

In retrospect, I realize that was the time I could have made a change in my course. Instead, I shook off the premonition and kept walking.

Twenty yards later, my premonition became a reality!

Hurtling towards me was a large, white SUV. At the wheel was a woman on her cellphone with two kids in the back. She was driving far too fast for the road conditions, and when her vehicle was about to pass me, she hit a huge puddle.

I was drenched! I recall standing there for a moment while the water, slush, and road grime dripped down my face. What to do? I was half way to the shop. I thought about turning around to go home and change. Instead, I decided to continue to the shop. There was a dress store in the same building, so I knew I'd find something to wear.

When I began walking, I was furious! I was convinced the woman had hit the puddle on purpose. She was the recipient of lots of scorn in those early moments. As I walked along (growing colder by the minute) I began reliving what had happened, and it was pretty comical. Then I realized that if what had happened was going to be funny later, it was probably pretty funny right then.

I started chuckling, and then found myself laughing out loud. Drivers whizzing past must have thought I was daft, but I didn't care.

The gals at the dress shop helped me clean up when I arrived. My hair and make-up were toast, but I was warm, and dry... and I had a story to share for the rest of the day!

Beader's Funny

Sue and her three best beading friends were excited to attend a weekend workshop with a national instructor.  They couldn’t wait to get away!  Ahhhhhhh, beads with a side of spa treatments!

As the trip approached, Sue's husband got petulant. He didn’t want her to go. He told her they couldn’t really afford it, blah, blah, buzz killer.  Two days before the group was to leave Sue told her friends she would not be joining them.

Fast forward two days……

The three friends make it to the hotel and are surprised to see Sue sitting at the hotel bar drinking a glass of wine.

Sue explains the turn of events:

"I was at home and my husband came up behind me, puts his hands over my eyes, and says 'Guess who?'" I pulled his hands off to find him standing there in his birthday suit! He took my hand and led me to our bedroom. The room was scented with perfume, he had two dozen candles burning, and rose petals all over the floor! The little devil even had handcuffs and ropes on the pillow! He told me to tie and cuff him to the bed, so I did.

Then he said, "Now, you can do whatever you want."

So here I am."

From:: The Crafty Retailer