I can't believe it's the end of March

Ugh.... Well I will try again... It only took me 20 minutes to remember my password Well, what has been going on... I forgot to go to Tuscon.. Really.. I was so proud of myself for being really prepared with badges, and hotel... and everything scheduled.. (except we forgot to put it in the datebook)
I keep thinking that it was getting close to the time to go and when I finally sat down to book my flight I realized that I was supposed to leave in 3 days..Well since we didn't write it in the datebook I was booked with classes and my son had 3 performances that I didn't want to miss.. So I didn't go. However I called all the guys I usually see and some new ones... told my story and of course they all sent me stuff... their best most interesting new stuff.... It's like Christmas every time I open a new box.. so be sure to stop in and see all the new lampwork, stone beads, metal findings (in 4 different metals, like copper, brass, bronze and black) Glass beads, new crystal colors, and tons of new clasps, pendants are on their way and of course we got all the new permanent finish seed beads. Lots and lots of new items!

We have added several new classes Golden Nepal, Vivian's slide, Champagne Bubbles, and Kumihimo Fibers. We have also put several kits up on the web site for all the out of town folks. Today we got an order from Thailand and Sweden.

I have been experimenting with the computer pattern program "Beater's Canvas", It is really amazing. You can take any photo and turn it into a pattern, (peyote, brick, loom, right angle weave, etc) and it will give you all of the bead colors..and step by step graphs. Even more fun is picking out small areas of the photo and getting a tile pattern..

I am getting ready to donate my hair.. probably within this week.. time to let it go..

Thank you for coming in, sharing with us and showing us the creative work you've been doing, and for allowing us to serve you. Have a great week! Glenda

New Year New Year!

Hope everyone had a happy holiday season. I was going to go to Chicago but it was too cold and snowy... so instead we spent the time just doing things around town and inventory. The computer system was supposed to make it easier.. I am not convinced of that yet. I believe in one of my last blogs I said my whole life was beads.. well I have since discovered that I am really a taxi driver in disguise. I drive my son to Guys and Dolls rehersal 3x's a week... It's really 2 guys and all the rest dolls.. Erkki is Sky Masterson. The performance is at the JCC on Feb. 5th, 6th, and 8th...they really need to spread the word so lets get some peoplefor the audience. I also recently spend the day at the South Florida fair with Erkki and his 2 friends who created the band NAFF.. and they won (tied) First place at the "battle of the bands" Pretty interesting since he just started playing the drums about 4 months ago.. The performance was great and there is a video of it on his facebook page. He has an interniship with the Palm Beach Opera, so we go there sometimes 2-3 times a week. And he was doing 3 performances for the district thespian competition. One "Dirt" was a large group musical that he was in and directed, it won a superior, and then he was in a pantomine and a small group musical, the pantomine won critics Choice (the best) so they will perform it at the State Competition. So we had rehersals for that a couple times a week.. Then we squeezed in voice lessons, dance lessons, and acting lessons, oh and a gala at the Maltz theater in Jupiter. I really have to say that we had a couple of very hairy weeks. During this time though I was able to get my new class "Golden Nepal" up and running.. and Liisa, my daughter came up with some very atsounding new classes and samples.. The latest "Broque Movement" is really beautiful. I am looking forward to a very fun and creative year and hope you are also. take care, glenda

A Blogging I will go.

In the class I was teaching the other day we were talking about the blogging... I promised that I would write at least every three days.. I was telling everyone that I don't get many comments on my posts.. they said they would if I would write more often.. hummmmm so lets see. We listed a secret sale on the last e-newsletter from beads gone wild. I decided to reward those people who have gone to the website and clicked the picture that says.. e newletter. sign up here, (or something like that).
We will do secret sale that only e-newsletter people know about. I was really thinking it was just going to be for the local customers who come into the store..
Well right after the e-newsletter went out we got about 15 orders for the secret sale and they were all from out of town.. And they couldn't find out how to buy it..
I was joking and said it really is a secret. Anyways.. we will be doing more of those secret sales. For the people who can come in or for the people who want to go to the shopping cart on line. then the on line shoppers will be able to use a special code to take advantage of the sale.. So the moral of this story is go to beadsgonewild.com and sign up for the e-newsletter. Tomorrow is voting day.. make sure your go out and vote. If any of you vote and are out and about wear your I voted sticker in and we will give you a special gift...

I've learned that you can't have everything and do everything at the same time. Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, April 2003

The Holiday Season is upon us!

I have so many great new things to tell you! We have started a new area on the front page of the website for Quotes and Artist of the Week, where we can show off some of our students GREAT work! So if you have been in a class and would love to show off what you've done be sure to bring it in. It doesn't have to be what you made in the class, it can be any of the work you have been inspired to do. We have started our yearly "Count Down to the New Year Sale". Everyone looks forward to this Sale year after year. this is the time as we get ready for inventory we move out all the old to make room for next years new. Everyday we find and put new items on sale!
*** Be super sure that you check the sale table every time you come in.

Liisa and I collaborated on a new kit called with 3 pairs of "Snowflake Earrings" and it is on sale for a limited time...They are really very festive and make great gifts.

We have had so many new people coming in asking about what are the most important classes for them to take to get a grip on beading and we have always suggested, Basic, Tropical (for making drops and dangles, earrings etc) and pearl knotting. So we have made a special starter pack for new beaders. Sign up for the Basic and Tropical and get the Pearl Knotting Class FREE. With those three classes you really will be all set to go.

Some exciting news is that Liisa and I have been accepted to teach at the Bead and Button show in Milwaukee next June. I am very excited about that. It has been something I have wanted to do for quite some time and we finally took the time to enter some designs. Be on the look out too for some of our new work to be featured in the "Step by Step Wire" magazine and "Bead Style" magazine.

Erkki was just in a staged reading at the Jupiter Maltz Theater. It was for the emerging artist series. I was really impressed with his singing. I never really heard him sing on stage before.. I just always heard the "in the car singing". More and more I see him developing his passion. In December he will be in a performance with the Doo Wop group. I believe it is a night of Doo Wop Holiday Music.

So we have been busy with lots of new ideas, new kits, new classes, rehearsals, and school work. Seems like Linkin and Lilly are the only ones who get to lounge around all day. So remember to bring in your work for us to see so we can get you in the gallery and make it a great week. Remember to go out and VOTE! Glenda

How did he do it?

I am talking about my greyhound Linkin. He was home for a bit today and he got into our hurricane supplies, grabbed himself a JAR of spaghetti sauce, carried it on top of my high rise bed, unscrewed the top and ate all the sauce leaving just a little tail tail sign on my comforter. I don't know about that dog.... I guess I am just really glad he didn't drob it off the bed and let it break on my tile floor..
I am really excited about the new kits, classes, and guest teachers that we have for the fall season. Liisa and I made some really fun winter jewelry, and of course all the xmas trees and angles are always a hit and fun to make. I think this year will be a great time for people to make their own meaningful, holiday gifts. It is a great time to take beading and wire class too because we brought back our summer class special, book any 2 classes and the second is 1/2 price. We did it because it was so popular and our northern customers wanted to be able to get in on it. Some of the most popular new classes are the resin class, the new brickstitch earring class, and my new earring class called "golden vines". Maggie Meister was just here teaching over this last weekend. It was a great, great time. She showed "napal chain" which was incorporated into her design and it really intrigued me.. I worked with it and work with it and finally came up with some marvelous earrings that we have decided to call Golden Vines.Thanks Maggie for the inspiration and for coming to teach at Crystal Creations Bead Institute. We have Dallas Lovett, Sherry Serafini, coming this year and early next year we have Cynthia Rutledge, NanC Meinhardt, and Janice Berkilbile. I also have several other new teachers in the works.. If you haven't taken a guest teacher before make this the year that you treat yourself.

Beads Gone Wild

Beads are really going wild at Crystal Creations Bead Institute, Beads Gone Wild.
Liisa has been cranking out some fabulous new classes!.. The Latest is "Crystal Buckle Bracelet". It has the look of a very expensive cat collar. I think I will have to make one for Linkin and Lilly (even though they aren't cats)... All they have had to wear is a bead that Dallas Lovett made for them when he was here last year. We are all excited over the fact that he is coming back to teach this year. Check out his projects either on line or come and see the samples in the shop.. They are marvelous.

Sherry Serafini agreed to do a second purse class.. but that is almost sold out too. If you were hoping to get in on her class call right away.

There are a lot of photos up on facebook of my son and his friends in Stuart Little.
Some are of the show and then quite a few of the kids having fun for the camera.
Someone also put up some footage on youtube of the show. I guess you just go to youtube and type in Stuart Little.

Remember, now is the time to start preparing your holiday gifts. We just ordered in (as much as I could gather) parts to make the xmas tree earrings, and pendants. Consider trying your hand at holiday ornaments. Liisa and I thought it would be fun to make some ping pong ball size. It will go faster..
Oh.... I just had an even better idea....But You'll have to come to the shop and ask me about it. I am so excited I am going to start working on it right now...
Happy Beading from the Bead Goddess

Whether you think you can, or can't you're right. Henry Ford

Stuart Little, Guest Teachers

I think many of you know that Erkki (my son) is in Stuart Little The Musical, up in the Gardens at the Borland Center. They have 3 more performances Friday night at 7:00pm, Sat at 2:00 and 7:00. The kids really did a great job and it is very entertaining. Erkki's love is acting. We went to Miami today for a movie audition.

Things have been really great at the bead shop. We have all the samples in for the guest teachers.. Well, we have Maggie Meister's, Tracy Stanley's and Dallas Lovett's. They are really GREAT, and there are a few seats in each of those classes.
We know what Sherry Serafini will be teaching and the class is full already, so I am going to see what I can do about getting her to extend her visit. Liisa came up with a few new classes. The "Mysterious Moon" and "Victorian Beads" are both really fun!

The other day I started worrying about all the "silver fillings" in my mouth and how I should get them out. I felt one crumble and then freaked out thinking that I might be swallowing some and causing grave damage...
I went to the dentist and 3 hours later all the silver from 3 teeth are gone and caps ready to go on. I am amazed that years of worrying about it got resolved in 3 hours... oh and 1 credit card.

I know school starts Monday so I hope all of you mothers will stop in to see us.... It's time to start making those holiday gifts, and we have plenty of new ideas!
Talk Soon, Glenda

“When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.” Wayne Dyer