Lampwork Heart Beads and a Wonderful Boyfriend and Clients

Blogs, Lampwork, Beads, Glass, Dichroic, Jewelry, Life: "Thank y'all from coming buy to visit and purchase from me last weekend. It was great to see you. I have been so busy with orders that I have not had time to keep my wonderful blog fans up to date on my life. I promise I will be better when my life calms down. This rush is absolutely wonderful.
I have made some wonderful hearts for a client and I would like to share them with you. They can be found on their own page - a page for lampwork heart beads. Enjoy!
I've seen some wonderful clients this week and have been putting their orders together. "

Bead Sales and Pain

Blogs, Lampwork, Beads, Glass, Dichroic, Jewelry, Life: "I'm sorry that I have been absent from communicating with y'all; but it has just been so busy; and the fibromyalgia has been acting up badly now for almost a week. Pain. Pain. I don't suffer too quietly.
I want to thank all of you who came by to visit and buy from me at the sale in Los Angeles. It was great to see you. Thank you for your support.
Now I have been frantically getting ready for another sale this weekend. Ohhhh, am I aching. I'm leaving tomorrow and will be returning Monday, so if you don't hear from me for a few days you'll know why and when I return I have some orders to fill. The beads just keep rolling out."

Borosilicate Glass Beads and Jewelry

Blogs, Lampwork, Beads, Glass, Dichroic, Jewelry, Life: "Communicated with four different clients to collaborate on some beads and pendants for their designs. It is quite exciting to work with people with such wonderfully diverse ideas for their jewelry and accessories. Thank you all for helping to support me as an artist. I really appreciate it.
I made a kiln full of beads for a client today and experimented with a couple of new ideas using borosilicate glass. It's surely busy now with people getting ready for Christmas - and the rush is on. Hmmmmmm, do I like that.
After spending a very busy day yesterday on my business, I had an exciting evening also with my S.O. We went shopping at Costco - such excitement and then went to Porky's to eat and listen to some music. Some of it were quite similar to Jimmy Hendrix (that is surely some great music)."

Art at River Park and the Bead Society of Los Angeles

Blogs, Lampwork, Beads, Glass, Dichroic, Jewelry, Life: "I want to give a big thanks to all of my friends/clients who came out to visit with me and buy at the sale. It was also great to meet a lot of new people.
I am now getting more beads made for the sale in Culver City Sunday at the Veteran's Auditorium for the Bead Society of Los Angeles.
A great client came by on Sunday with her son. It was great to visit with them."

Glass Talk Radio, Dale Smelzer and Sales

Blogs, Lampwork, Beads, Glass, Dichroic, Jewelry, Life: "Just working away getting ready for the sale tomorrow at River Park. I also have a few custom orders to have ready this week. Busy. Busy. Busy.a
Got an interesting phone call yesterday from Dale Smelzer of Glass Talk Radio - the internet glass interview show that I have co-hosted a few times. Lot of interesting happenings are going on his way. Can't wait to see how they pan out."

San Joaquin Clay and Glass Association and the Bead Society of Los Angeles

Blogs, Lampwork, Beads, Glass, Dichroic, Jewelry, Life: "Had an extremely busy two days. I've made beads and jewelry both days along with keeping correspondence up to date.
Tonight I went to the monthly meeting of the San Joaquin Clay and Glass Association. We are having a sale at the Lutheran Redeemer Church on November 19th in Fresno. We put labels on the postcards. We also discussed such issues as having a central cashier instead of us each handling our own sales - very poor idea.
Next weekend I have a sale in Culver City at the Veteran's Auditorium. I still haven't a room reservation. I went on Priceline Monday night; but I did not get the price I wanted. I'll try again late Thursday evening. If I have to get the price much higher I might as well buy the room from the company website. Then, I can have the option of changing the room if I need to without penalty. "

Christmas Sales and Time

Blogs, Lampwork, Beads, Glass, Dichroic, Jewelry, Life: "The busy time of year has definitely arrived. I have been so busy with custom orders that I have not had time to write. Please let me apologize dear readers.
I did go however help at a fundraiser for A. L. S. on Saturday; so what kinds of wonderful things have your full lives been up to? Are you making lots of beautiful jewelry to have ready for those holiday sales and home parties? What are your favorite colors this season? Mine are all of the wonderful metallics; but I still love pinks and greens; and then again there are all of those beautiful two-color and more combinations."

Beads, Weddings, and "My Fair Lady"

Blogs, Lampwork, Beads, Glass, Dichroic, Jewelry, Life: "Yesterday was more bead making, a client coming over and then another wedding. This one was out in Reedley. The place was gorgeous. It was on a huge ranch that fronted on the river - very classy and what a lot of fun. I have gone to more weddings in the last three months than I have my entire life.
Today I went to Roger Rocka Theatre to see 'My Fair Lady' for the umpteenths time. I had been dreading it since I have seen it so many times; but the production was great. There was some really great talent in it - some incredible singing. I would have enjoyed it even more if my fibromyalgia hadn't been so bad that I could hardly stand to sit still. Oh, well, life goes on."

Busy-ness and Business

Blogs, Lampwork, Beads, Glass, Dichroic, Jewelry, Life: "I have spent this week making beads, jewelry, eyeglass holders and badge holders. Oh, the wonderful things that a girl gets to do. I just keep coming up with new color combos and other ideas.
I can't think of much to say tonight. I guess I am about all talked out."

Wonderful Times

Blogs, Lampwork, Beads, Glass, Dichroic, Jewelry, Life: "Returned from Santa Barbara yesterday evening. I had a great time. In addition to an absolutely beautiful wedding and a reception I saw all sorts of wonderful arts and crafts and listened to great blues at the James Joyce Club and had a good dinner at Brophy's at the harbor.
Now it is back to making beads. I need to get out those orders."

The Busy Life of a Lampwork Artist

Blogs, Lampwork, Beads, Glass, Dichroic, Jewelry, Life: "I got the orders out; the beads made; the sale done.
It was wonderful yesterday seeing many old friends and meeting many great new people. My S.O. was an absolutely phenomenal help. It makes it so much easier having someone there with you. Fantastic. Fantastic.
Thanks to all of you who stopped by to visit and/or buy. It was great seeing y'all and getting to chat in person. Please forgive me if I wasn't able to talk to you as much as you would like but at times it was just soooooo busy. Take great care of yourself and I look forward to talking in the future. Just give me a call or an email if you like.
I spent the day doing lots and lots of paper work. Bank deposits, postcards, business cards, more signs for the booth, and figuring out how much of what needs to be added to inventory for the next sale. Tomorrow it is back to lampwork bead making."

Newy Fagan, Corning Museum of Glass, and Glass Talk Radio

Blogs, Lampwork, Beads, Glass, Dichroic, Jewelry, Life: "Well, the woman at Corning Museum of Glass was a no show for the interview, but Dale of Glass Talk Radio and I did interview the fusing artist Newy Fagan. I always have loved her horses. Now she is doing frogs also. I can't wait to see some work with them in it.
I made lots and lots of beads today -- came up with some wonderful new color combos. I'm very excited about seeing them tomorrow as they come out of the kiln.
I need to be making some jewelry for an order also."

Life in the Not So Fast Lane

Blogs, Lampwork, Beads, Glass, Dichroic, Jewelry, Life: "September 20, 2005 Another day has started in the Cederquist residence. The dogs have been greeted and fed; Mom and I have had a short talk and the 'boyfriend' has called and I have tried walking a few times. I have actually succeeded but a crab looks far more graceful than I do. Whatever it is that makes me so stiff I do wish it would go away; but it persists after many moons.
Well, back to the world of beads."

A Great Day was Had by All

Blogs, Lampwork, Beads, Glass, Dichroic, Jewelry, Life: "More beads today. I did some of my tried and true combos interspersed with lots of new ideas. I'll get to see tomorrow morning. Can't hardly wait.
Will be interviewing a glass artist and a person from Corning Museum on Wednesday. I'm not sure yet when it will air. I will find out then.
Yesterday I made a great pair of eyeglass holders with some of my clay beads on it for a client. I had never used them for that before -- just earrings, necklaces and bracelets. It turned out great even if I say so myself. You can see them on my eyeglass holders page."

Lampwork Bead Work Day

Worked a long day today making beads and still have more to do. Just taking a break -- a girl needs to sit down every now and then.

I made an awesome eyeglass holder last night. It was the first one that I have made using my pit fired clay beads. I have made many using colored stones and many using my lampwork beads. This was a first and the creation process was totally enjoyable. It was something totally new for me.

Lampwork Bead Creating

Just working away for the last week creating beads for some new jewelry and for the fall and holiday sales. I am working with some fabulous new color schemes. Please come on by my website www.vickicederquist.com to see. You'll love it.

I've really been enjoying my new Tempura-pedic bed. I especially love all of the wonderful positions that it will go into.

Travelling the Beading Life

Ah. The search for the perfect stones, crystals and findings to go with my lampwork beads. I'm off for a glorious weekend. Tomorrow I go to a gem show in San Mateo and then on to Santa Cruz. I'll spend Saturday at the Capitola Art and Wine Festival. It'll be a lot of fun. I've been really looking forward to it.

I've been redoing my studio this week when I haven't been making beads. Just keeps a girl busy. I even got a little landscaping down around the studio -- and the emphasis is on the little; but every bit counts. Right? Right!

Fibromyalgia, Tempur-pedic Beds and Dichroic Glass

Received my Tempur-pedic Bed on Wednesday. I'm in Love. It's so comfortable. I bought one of those that the bed adjusts to many different positions. I love it best as a sofa cum chaise lounge. It even vibrates. I hope it helps the fibromyalgia. I've had it really bad for four days now. Today it started to let up.

I worked really hard on an order that I have a few more days to go on. I've come up with some great new ideas for some beads for her to use in her fall and holiday lines. They look really great -- a whole new concept.

Lampwork, Dichroic, Beads and B. F.'s Family Gatherings

I've been working very hard getting beads out for two jewelry designers the last few days. Some old ideas and some new ideas are being mixed together, in addition to some of the tried and true. Today I went a couple of hours longer than planned as new design ideas kept popping in my head. Fun! Fun! Fun! I love it when the day goes like that. I can't wait to get up in the morning and see the results. There are always surprises awaiting when you try new ideas; sometimes even the tried-and-trues can give you a jolt; some ingredient in the mix causes an unexpected reaction.

I have never been to a wedding shower in all of my mucho decades; but I finally gave in and went to one yesterday. It was in the family of my boyfriend of almost four months' relatives. It was at a Mexican restaurant in Kingsburg named Salazar's. I actually had fun. I was surprised. I usually don't do well at big gatherings. I am quite a recluse. I think of three people and start getting claustrophic. Hmmmm, I guess people can change.

More Glass Talk Radio and the Toledo Museum of Art and Dichroic Glass

Yesterday Dale Smeltzer of Glass Talk Radio and I interviewed Terry Beamsley and Leonard Marty of the Toledo Museum of Art. They are putting in a new Glass Pavilion that will open mid-2006. In addition to exhibiting over 5,000 pieces of glass art in this new facility there will be classes in lampworking, furnace work, cold work and casting. There is also a huge upcoming show of the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany. This show will air September 27th.

Today Dale and I interviewed Marilyn Catlow from Florida on her art of fusing. She does some wonderful wall hangings. She has been in business 30 years and sells at art festivals and in galleries. This show will broadcast October 6th.

I just went out to the studio and saw a nice big box had been delivered by UPS -- just love these boxes from the Men in Brown. A great sheet of dichroic glass had arrived -- one made to my specifications. I can't wait to begin experimenting with it tomorrow although I won't have too much time as I need to get out an order to a client so I will be working all tomorrow, Sunday and part of Monday on it.

Wondrous day. Need to stop chatting and get back to work.

A Full Life

What a day! More orders to fill and more studio to clean and organize! If organization doesn't occur, work grinds to a halt. Too many projects out and no clean table tops to start new ones on can lead to confusion. My creative juices just don't flow too well without a lot of space around me. I need space to fill with my ideas being made manifest.


The cold/hot work room is done. Now upstairs to the room for jewelry creation and computer work.

Vicki Cederquist and Glass Talk Radio

Today I had a wonderful new experience. I was asked by Dale Smeltzer of Glass Talk Radio if I would co-host some programs with him. I was delighted. The first person we interviewed today was Maureen James of Profitable Glass Quarterly. It will be broadcast September 6th. The second person today was Josh Simpson. He talked about his astronaut wife Cady Coleman and his Infinity Project along with his planets and megaplanets. Some very very interesting discusssions. It will be broadcast October 4th. These will be at 11 a.m.; but if you miss listening to them then they will after be archived.

Beautiful Lampwork Lathe Work

Today while out running business errands I stopped by to visit a friend Darrel Glover and his wife Joanie to see their new Toyota Sienna and his new Litton lathe. While visiting I was treated to the most beautiful sight, the new goblets and vases he is making. They were absolutely gorgeous. The way the light played through the glass is a delight.

Tomorrow I will see if I can photograph the effect and post them here to share with you.

Dental Hygienists, Beds and Beads

Had a really exciting day. I went to the dental hygienist, bought an adjust Tempur-pedic bed and did a lot of computer stuff for my business.

Oh, well. Back to bead making tomorrow.

Brain Dead in California

I remembered the President's name. It's Craig Easter. There was about 12 of us there for the get together. I hadn't seen some of them for some months. One's house had burned; another glass blower had had a baby; and my friend Janet Ontko had bought a brand new Wedgewood Blue Ford 150 pick up.

It was great getting out and talking with friends. I spend way too much time alone in the studio; but I love it.

Janet and I talked about the sales we had been doing and about our upcoming sale the first weekend in December that we will be doing in her studio in Fresno. This will be the third year that I'll do this holiday sale with her. It is always so much fun. If you want to preview her work, it can be seen at www.janetontko.com. Mine can be seen at www.vickicederquist.com.

Until later.

Lampworking with Dichro

Couldn't wait to get out to the kiln this morning to see the results from yesterday's endeavors. HMMM! Good; so the next step was to go to the torch with the glass to see how it was all going to perform in the flame. Yes. Yes. Yes. It worked. Now I am all excited to see what it all looks like when I get to take it out of the kiln in the morrow.

After I worked with some Bullseye and then later with some Effetre to make some other beads. I love the various effects that can be achieved using different glasses.

Then, upstairs to make some earring cards for the earrings that I made the other day; and then on to the computer.

Now, I'm going to Fresno to visit with friends from the San Joaquin Clay and Glass Association --the past president Janet Ontko and the current president (Oh, I am getting old I just forgot his name and I have only known him for five years.).

Dichroic Glass -- Beads and Fusing and Lampwork Jewelry

Got three of the four new sheets of glass today that I ordered from Coatings by Sandberg. Oooh, how I love that stuff. I've already got about thirty or more others in my collection to design with. I love having a big pallette to work with. That way I can experiment, test and move glass around until I get the results that I want.

As soon as UPS delivered the glass I cut it into strips and designs and put it in the Paragon 24 to fuse. I can't wait to wake up in the morning to see the results of the various experiments.

I also worked on some lampwork jewelry today. I've been fulfilling some custom orders. You can see a picture at www.vickicederquist.com/blog.htm. of the necklace that I made for a gallery owner.

Made some cute dichroic earrings today. Love them!

School Friends, Beads and Jewelry

Spent yesterday with some friends from school days and I do mean elementary, junior and high school. What a day. What a trip down memory lane.

I'm sorry friends that I have not been regular with posting this week, but have been in much pain from my fibromyalgia and haven't always been able to do as much as I would like; but I did create some beautiful new beads and jewelry for custom orders.

I look forward to being able to communicate more with y'all this week.

Take care until then.

Lampwork Beads and Life

I'm back. What adventures have been going on in my life!

All of that time in Southern CA. Great!!! What fun! What beautiful weather!! I saw the Festival of the Arts, the Pageant of the Masters and the Sawdust Festival in Laguna Beach and the King Tut at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. What wonderful inspiration.

I have been back since Thursday making beads, working with clients and changing parts of my website. Yay! Yay!

Sawdust Festival and Pageant of the Masters

I'm in Laguna Beach and I saw the Pageant of the Masters last night. It was absolutely marvelous and today I went to the Sawdust Festival and saw the works of many many artists of this area. Great!

Went to the beach and put my feet in the cold water and smelled the salty breeze and then on to a wonderful lunch.

Day's End

The sale and visit with friends and clients is over for the day. Great wine, cheese, conversation and beads were had by all. New designs were seen and new ideas were discussed for even more styles -- excitement, excitement. Energy flowed.

Now is the time to rest for tomorrow I see the doctor about my fibromyalgia and then on to beautiful Laguna Beach for arts, crafts, sand and good times.

Beads and Life in Los Angeles

Arrived in Los Angeles area yesterday to spend some time working, seeing the doctor for my fibromyalgia, and sightseeing.

Started out by shopping and book hunting on the 3rd Street Promenade. Looking for a book on RSS feeds--how to get started. Didn't find a good one. Then, out on the pier for a Mexican seafood dinner and a drink. Had a good Latin Lover --kahlua, tequila, coffee and whipped cream. Hmmmm, delicious.

Then, home to the room to set up for the sale.

Taxes Done

Taxes are done. They went out Tuesday. The Board of Equalization is paid for another year.

Continuing with the beads to go south to Los Angeles for business on Saturday. Picked up an ice chest last night so that I can keep treats cool in the room for the buyers when they come to the sale on Sunday.

Got up this morning with wonderful visions of beads floating in my head to discover that a pigeon had fried himself on the power line -- ergo, no power for five hours while PG&E put in two new transformers.

Saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory last night. What a great movie. Very entertaining. Beautiful eye candy!

Hooray for Lampwork Beads and Jewelry

Been working a lot the last few days on computing the sales tax info for the Board of Equalization here in California. Lots and lots of paperwork in this business.

I also have been creating some jewelry using my glass beads for a sale for a charity event -- the Harvest Ball here in Fresno. It is a fundraiser for the Children's Hospital. Maybe I will see some of my readers there. I surely hope so. It is for a wonderful cause.

I've especially made some beads just for a neckpiece for the auction at the event. If you want to see my beads they can be viewed at my website www.vickicederquist.com/lampwork_beads.htm.

Went to see The Wedding Crashers this last Friday. I didn't know if I would like it or not; but at another's pushing me I went. I loved it!!!

Dichroic Beads Rock!

Ahhhh! I love working with that dichroic glass. It is so fantastic the way it changes color in the light. I just need to be so careful to not use too much heat and burn off the colors. These are made with metallic oxides in a vacuum deposition process.

Lampworking Heaven

Had another great day making beads. I love it. The interplay of color, watching the glass change colors and shape in the torch's flame. It's wonderful. After more than eight years of creating glass beads I still find it mesmerizing.

Lampwork Beads Made Easy

Made beads all day yesterday. Boy! Some beauties came out of the kiln this morning.

When I show my clients up here next week and my clients in Los Angeles area the end of the month they're going to be ecstatic. Some great new designs are going to come out of this.

Washed one of the three dogs this morning. Now to go to work on cleaning the beads and printing the postcards and labels to send to Los Angeles.

Hope y'all are having a good day.

Today's Events

Trying to learn about blogs and rss feeds. What a world to be exposed to --- and all the while keeping up on my creation of lampwork beads for my clients. Designing for each one's specific needs is very exhilarating.

It's very exciting now too with all of the Google Page Ranks and Back Link updates occuring.

Blog Learnings

I'm still trying to figure out how to make these things work and getting them published.

Can I get this to my website that I did with FrontPage and is hosted on Yahoo? Ahh, so many questions.

Vicki

The Start

Well..............I've been going to do this for about a year and now I'm finally doing it.

I kept saying to friends that I didn't have anything to say, but they seemed to think that that had never stopped me before. So, here it goes.

Please join in at any time. I am open to all suggestions.

Vicki