HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE...

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. Ours was relatively quiet. Got some cool presents and spoiled my husband rotten to congratulate him on 5 months NO SMOKING. We bought him a new HDTV so yesterday the whole day was spent in his new room watching the games. Unfortunately I started smoking again, but will give another attempt soon. Here are a couple of new pics. This is my daughter and her friend going to their tolo dance. My daughter and her friend up 4 x 4'ing in the mountains and a picture of Rufus with a hat I tried to crochet that probably would not even fit a dolls head.. :) Oh well, still learning.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Only a few more days to go...I have convinced my 16 year old to help me make dinner for the first time ever..she gets so $#!%#$ in the kitchen...LOL..should be interesting. Just the 3 of us for Thanksgiving this year...but we will still enjoy our turkey dinner.

It has now been about 6 weeks of no smoking (well a couple of cheats now and then) but I wonder if and when the craving ever goes away. I so admire those people who can be social smokers..you know the ones..they only have one once in a while, like at the bar when they have a drink...I know I can't do that though as I just want one more, and one more etc. My hubby will be 4 months of no smoking Nov 25th. I still can't believe it.

I have some really cool new beads up on etsy...I am having so much fun playing with my double helix glass and silver foil. My customers seem to like them too as I have sold quite a few sets and also have lots of custom orders still to do.

Not much else fit to print...so have a great week and enjoy your THANKSGIVING DAY...have fun and eat lots!!!

Only 3 weeks to Thanksgiving YIKES

.......I am so behind this year...I have to have my international Christmas parcels sent out by Nov 4th to get there on time...I have not even shopped yet...my beads are coming out in spurts, but at least Halloween is over...here is a picture of me and my butler getting ready to give out the Candy. We had 184 kids this year so that is down about 60 from when we moved into this neighborhood in 2002. But of course a lot of the kids are now big teens who go to parties instead of trick or treating now...but it was fun...had to meet a few of them at the end of the walk as they were a bit too scared to come up to the door...but they were always happy to see me as long as I had their goodie bags and their glo-sticks....

Also I finally got the updated BLOG link to my Wonderful Bead Club called the BEAD HIVE...there is such a great amount of talent here....check out all the stores where you will find beautiful artisan jewelery and beads.

Hope you all have a great day...I am out at the torch trying to get caught up, so hopefully I will have a bunch of listings for the rest of the week. Don't forget to check out my etsy stores for lots of great gift ideas. There is rufusandroxy and rufusandroxy2.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN.........

Well each year my display seems to grow...yesterday in the mail I got my CAST bones from human bones...how morbid is that..I bought them from eBay from a university medical student who uses the casts they make to study... So now my graveyards have some pretend rib bones and some jaw bones and even a pelvic bone...LOL...I know gross. Anyway here are some of the pictures of my yard and tomorrow I will post some of the motion activated ones in video format.




Hope you all have a great day and I have to go and carve pumpkins now, even though my hands are sore from yesterday stuffing 200 goodie bags for the kids that do dare to come up my drive...last year a few times I had to walk down to the sidewalk because the little ones were too freaked out.



Enjoy.
Amanda

2 Weeks today

wow this chantix really does help a lot...but some days are definitely worse than others, today would be an 'others' day...no motivation, just want to sit on my hands and do nothing except concentrate on not going outside for a smoke. Today would be the kind of day where I say..oh well I did it for 2 weeks I can have just one...SIGH...if only it worked like that.

Anyway finally got my etsy mini added back on my blog and a new Pledge to buy handmade this year. Also my ETSY GLASS ARTIST street team has a great new page for Christmas Gift Giving....you can just click on the link.

I bought some advertising on a great site called WICKEDLYCHIC...how cool a name is that...great articles and items from artists around the world...check out my ad...I am so proud.. :)

So have a great day and a fun weekend....thanks again to my mom for listening to me bitch about my life for 2 hours again on the phone...what would we do without our moms...:) HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM...have a good time at the KEG tonight.

Thats all for now,
Amanda

Yahhhhh Day 3 of No smoking has passed!!

So the EGA sale was a success...thanks to all of you who stopped by...but my big news is I am heading into day 4 of NO SMOKING...figured since my hubby did so well and is now going on 3 months I should give it a try.

I am using CHANTIX...it helps stop the part of your brain that craves the nicotine, it definitely takes the edge off big time but I still find myself REALLY wanting one...my friend Laura told me to start pigging out on microwave popcorn.

Anyway wish me luck

And here is a super cute pic of the 'roxy' cat...you can do just about anything to this cat and she just lays there...since I am not smoking I am pretty ansy so am back to making scarves...this is some leftover wool my hubby put all over her...LOL...too cute.

Thats all for now.

Amanda

EGA birthday sale!

Don't forget to check out EGA's first birthday sale for 20% off from the following stores at Etsy Glass

So is everybody ready for Halloween! I can't wait to decorate! It's my favorite part of the holiday!

Check out the halloween cell phone charms

Have an awesome day!!

Pumpkin Earrings on ABS blog page...YAHHH

How cool is this...a picture of mine on the ABS website/blog. You should check them out...great articles and of course wonderful jewelry designers and bead-makers.

Thanks ART SCENE BEADS.

(PS mine are the pumpkin earrings).

I have been busy stocking up on some new Halloween decorations..I just love Halloween...I go nuts with my decorations and costume...it is just too fun to watch the kids creeping up to the house, not knowing what is going to jump out at them next.

So I bought this crawling ZOMBIE this year from ebay...you can see the YOUTUBE vid of it.

Too cool...also got a severed head, cast skeleton bones and a new skeleton in a coffin...I will post pics when it is all finished.

Almost hit 2000 sales on MY ETSY....3 more to go...I am so excited..I had hoped to get there by Sept end...but thats okay...now would still be good.

Have a great day all.
Amanda

The New Website

Well the website is working great, I have made a few sales from there. Only from my already customers though...I forget that once you get on the web you are now among millions of other websites also hoping for sales. I joined google adwords with a monthly budget...my ad has fun about 3000 times, but I only pay for clicks on my website and I have had about 15. For the money I think it is a great idea to get some exposure.

My daughters little etsy store is back up and slowly but surely running again. She is called BREEZYSSCRAPNSTUFF. She makes paper cards, tags etc and I have a few of my photo cards and my hand doodled cards and posters in the store. If you have a chance check it out!!

The VW from hell is still running..we just have to get the window fixed so it actually rolls up. We got a really cute bag from a wonderful person who recently just opened an etsy store. She is AMY from ZOOZIIS glass tools, but she also does a lot of sewing and you can get these wonderful catchall bags from her store. They will be awesome for stocking stuffers. She made Breezy one in hot pink and fur!!!

Lots of fun, I can't believe how fast etsy is growing. When I joined in Jan of this year there were approx 21000 registered sellers. Now there are over 78000..YIKES...major competetion..but I love it. They have done some wonderful work on the search categories, they are finally really fast...perfect timing.

Anyway, have a great day all...enjoy checking out the links.

Amanda

I have my very own website

Its done...Design By George did a fabulous job of my website it I do say so myself. I had my first sale from it today and it was so exciting, it is The Craftier Side, check it out!!.

So if you need a website..give George and his wife (Erzsébet) a chance...they do wonderful work, are so easy to work with and reasonably priced. You can also check out Erzsébet at her etsy store

Anyway not much else to talk about today, we are expecting record temps for September throughout the week so I am getting my torch time in really early, and really late in the day.

Now I am just hiding in my Air Conditioned house.

Amanda

Another Gorgeous Day in Puyallup

Hi there, hope everyone is well.

Update: The dealer for my daughters VW cut us a check for most of the repairs we had to pay for, I am very grateful to him even though this has been 3 months coming. At this point the car is running well....but yesterday she got a flat...LOL...seems as my dad says this car is bewitched.

My husband is now coming up on 2 months of non-smoking...I am starting to feel so guilty that I still do, I guess it is my turn next.

I actually joined a social network the other day...it is called facebook, anyway you should check it out, too fun. I found some people I went to school with 27 years ago that I have not talked to or heard from since middle school...also found some of my daughters friends we used to know in Kamloops..anyway I thought I would be too old to join this, but it really is a blast. You should check it out.

I also have an auction ending on eBay tonight and a couple in the next 2 days. My website is almost ready to go live, as soon as it is I will post a link.

So far this September we are having the most glorious INDIAN SUMMER..warm, sunny and so pleasant...I love this time of year...the leaves are changing the air is crisp...LOVE IT.

Anyway have a great day. and happy blogging.

2 MORE DAYS

Wow...summer is almost over...it went by so fast. With my daughter being 16 and driving this summer it was the first time we did not go away.

2 more days and she is back at school...hoping this year will go much better than last year...she tells me she was just testing the new found freedom of high school.

Update...my husband is going into his 6th week of being a non-smoker..how cool is that.

DO THE PUYALLUP...ever heard that on your television commercials..well..it starts here this week...we get over 1,000,000 visitors to our little city over the period of 2 weeks. My daughter is performing there this year...and if you are around the Washington State area you should check it out...lots of fun. Great entertainment, great food, rides etc....

That is all for now.

HAPPY LABOR DAY
Amanda

OMG She is driving the VW from Hell

Well....the VW from hell is finally home again, my daughter has driven it for 2 days and the most amazing thing has happened....NO WARNING LIGHTS have come on yet....maybe, just maybe it is finally fixed. We are now fighting with the dealership to try and get some of the 4000.00 back we have had to spend on repairs..above and beyond the initial cost. Also originally the dealer did 3800.00 in repairs and it still would not run.

So right now she is thrilled.

Another update is that it is now 5 weeks today since my husband quit smoking. I am still amazed and so proud of him. I did not think he could do it, and there have been days when I just wanted to stick one in his face because of his attitude..but overall he has been amazing...so CONGRATS to Dave!!!!

Fabulous sunny day here...I have been off the torch for a few days. Kind of overdid it after my surgery so I am trying to behave but I am sooooooooo bored. Pretty sad when your whole life revolves around your job..but I love to melt glass and don't know what to do with myself when I am not.

I have reduced a number of items in my etsy store for summer clearance..so if you have a chance you can check them out here.

Have a great day.
Amanda

Long Time No See

Wow there are so many things now to update and try and keep up with I tend to forget about my blog, I joined another wonderful street team on etsy called BEAD UNIQUE..you can search for members items by using BEADU...I have also joined a couple of social networks...WE Love Etsy and Indiepublic, along with my EGA forums and my new etsy store it is getting really tought to remember to update everything.


My parents stopped by to say hi a couple of weeks ago, they were here to send the dogs back to my sisters in Texas on the "RED EYE"...my mom and dad had been looking after them while my sister was working overseas, but the time came to send them home...here they are visiting with me before they headed for the airport...cute or what....and yes I mean the dogs!!!



Their names are Barkley and Dougal and during their visit my cats cowered under a bed...after having been chased out from under the couches by the dogs...too funny!!!



Grey grizzly day here today, spent about 5 hours at the torch this morning and then spent my afternoon making cell phone charms....check it out.








Now Lets see...ummmmmmmmmm update on my daughters VW bug...it is still at the repair shop..we are now up to about 7000.00 in repairs on top of the initial cost and we are in talks with the dealership to try and get that money back...my preference would be to never see that piece of !#@#%@ again...but that probably is not going to happen...so we have owned it since July 8th and it has been driven by my daughter one day...and had about 10 trips to the repair shop and been towed twice...can you say LEMON!!!


And that is all that is fit to print..I will try really hard to get back here a little more often.

Have a wonderful week.
amanda

EGA NEWS LETTER, SIGN UP FOR GREAT PRIZES

Sign up for the EGA newsletter and enter the monthly PRIZE drawing:
etsyglass.com/ega_newsletter.php

THE VW BUG FROM HELL

Well the good news is it is DAY 8 for my husband in the NO smoking department..we are so proud of him.

The BAD news is the update on the bug....this is definitely a lesson in buying a USED VEHICLE...just because it looks and sounds good does not mean it is.

So here is what has been done to it in the 3 1/2 weeks since we bought it (my daughter has had it 1 night).
New electronic thingy for opening gas tank,
New electronic thingy for opening trunk
New ABS MODULE
New CATALYTIC CONVERTER
Bolts on Tranny were falling off...they had to take the engine apart to fix this
New Compressor for Air Conditioner

So then we get it back...on the way home my husband notices the AIRBAG light is on....we discuss it..don't have the heart to tell Breezy she can't drive it so let her take it for 1 night...my hubby takes the day off...and rather than take it back to the dealer AGAIN...we decide to take it directly toe the VW place, knowing full well this will be our dime.

They say..

The Harness for the driver side AIR BAG is broken...needs replacing 95.00 to tell us this and another 350.00 to fix it...then they say the soundpin or something under the car is also broken and hanging down...another 234.50 to fix this.....CRAP!!!!!!

So today at 5:30 she should get the BUG FROM HELL....back and it is almost going to be brand new..

SO WORD OF WARNING....when buying a used car (even for 8000.00) take it to your favorite mechanic and pay him to tell you EVERYTHING that is wrong with it before you sign the papers.

Have a good day.
Amanda

Big News for my Hubby

Well this is day 2 for my husband who is quitting smoking...he has been a smoker for 40 yeqrs...so 2 days without any is a BIG deal...my daughter and I are so proud of him. So fingers crossed.

My daughters car is still not back yet..they have replaced the ABS MODULE, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, THE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR, THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE TRANSMISSION DOWN...THE GAS TANK NOW OPENS, THE TRUNK NOW OPENS....WOW we took it out for a test drive and it ran wonderfully, there was a couple of little things we wanted fixed but these have all happened while it has been at the dealers service department...the most amazing part if the dealership has paid for everything. I am thrilled, pissed off and amazed all at the same time. I mean it was a used car and besides the little things we wanted fixed they certainly did not have to honor these services.

Hopefully she will get it back this weekend...meanwhile she got her license on Monday, has had my car everyday and already cost me a tank and a half of gas...hopefully the novelty will wear off before I am too broke. I normally might fill up my car once a month.

Anyway enough ramblin'. Car show and ARTs and Craft fair this weekend...so I will definitely take my camera and get some pics to make this blog a little more interesting...okay a LOT more interesting.

Good Night
Amanda

The New Addition

Well we did it...we got my daughter her first car...unfortunately she only had it for a day before we had to take it to the service department to fix some agreed upon issues. We told the salesman the gas tank needed to open..LOL..the trunk needed to open and we wanted to know why the ABS light was on....well good thing, because after they checked they realized the ABS module needed replacing..now this is an 1100.00 part....but because we said the sale was incumbent upon this being fixed we don't have to pay a dime. So the SLUG BUG should be back at the end of the week and she does her drive test on Monday...scary for me, exciting for her!!!

This is her new baby.

nt



The weather here is finally being reasonable...I can get back in the studio and WORK..yah...I had a 3 day garage sale on the weekend and on Saturday I stood out there all day in 98 degree heat...not fun...but that is over with and I can concentrate on my beads. I will have some new listings up on eBay tonight and will post the link later.

Have a great week and talk to you soon
Amanda

Another Weekend.

Well I will be in "WORRY" mode all weekend. My daughter is going on her first road trip with friends to Spokane...there are a whole bunch of them...she is really excited, I am really panicked...so hard to let go.

I have been busy trying to build up some new inventory for my website which should be up and running in the next month or so. I am also going to start selling on eBay again this September so I am making big sets for there.

My moms pond in her ruins is pretty much done...so enjoy the updated pictures.

EGA SUMMER SOLSTICE SALE...BOGO 1/2 OFF

Phew...almost missed this one...starting JUNE 16th until JUNE 23rd EGA ( Etsy Glass Artists) is having a SUMMER SOLSTICE sale...please see the participating stores here...and don't miss it...you will get some fabulous glass work for GREAT prices.



Summer Solstice EGA sale

Thanks to Sandra for the feature

Well I was thrilled to be featured by a wonderfully talented jewelry designer who I have enjoyed getting to know over the past couple of months...she is a true pleasure to chat to. So thanks so much Sandra for the work you put into the feature and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.MY FIRST FEATURE


Spent a couple of hours at MEEKER DAYS yesterday...gave out some business cards for my EGA street team and my etsy and told everyone how great etsy is...still amazes me when you go out in public how few people know of it...since it is my life and I feel like I have been there forever...LOL

My moms pond is coming along with the help of a local called Kevin...it is going to looks so great.







Have a great day.
Amanda

My moms obsession

I am from Kamloops, B.C, Canada and my mom and dad had a fabulous house on the river with a pool etc...my mom is one of the most amazing gardeners I have ever seen and had a yard there that people would ask if they could come and look around..so they sold that house a year or so ago and moved to "THE ROCK"...not that one...but GABRIOLA ISLAND...now I still have not seen the house or yard...but 7 months ago all there was, was lot of rock, weeds etc and a small patch of garden around the house...THIS IS WHAT MY MOM has made, with the help of the "ROCK GUY" to move and assemble all these monster rocks in her chosen design, it is not finished but it is so gorgeous...I can't wait to get up there and check it out for real!!! Anyway hope you are all having a great day and drop me a comment if you have time

Inspirations from San Francisco

Hi there, yesterday I really was not into making beads so I thought I would have a PLAY day at the torch which I do so rarely, I was trying to create some sealife type beads. I had lots of fun with them and have listed them on etsy today, one I was especially pleased with has nothing to do with sealife but it turned out to be a Native American inspired bear claw bead. Dance recital weekend for my daughter..rehearsal today, and show tomorrow night and then twice more next weekend and we are done dance for the year. Another glorious day in Puyallup with the highs expected around the high 80's again...glad we put the air conditioning in a couple of years ago. Thats all for now and have a great day.

HOME FROM SAN FRANCISCO

So my first visit to SF was fairly successful, but cold...even when the sun was shining that wind is wicked. We got to tour wine country (on our own in a really sporty mitsubishi eclipse) and did the cable cars, fishermans wharf, haight ashbury and stopped in at Golden Gate park. I loved HAIGHT ASHBURY...what a cool place that was...I always knew I should have been an adult during the hippy revolution. Such wonderful colors...we did have a bit of a problem with my teenage daughter while we were away but that story is for another day.

Here are a few pics of my trip and I am hoping the weather in Seattle will cool down a bit soon so I can get back into the studio in comfort.

Amy Keith Collage

So I am having a NON-CREATIVE couple of days....it drives me nuts when I go into these funks...but I am hoping the weekend in San Francisco will get my creative juices flowing again. In the meantime, check out this fabulous collage that AMY KEITH made with a piece from each of the ETSY GLASS ARTISTS members...I want this big enough for my wall..how cool would that be. You can check out her blog by using my ETSY GLASS ARTISTS ring surf or clicking on it in my FAVORITE BLOGS section.

So have a great day, I am listing again on etsy tomorrow and then off for 5 days YAHHHH.

1st and 3rd place

Well the last competition of the year is over...they placed 3rd in one category and 1st in the other one...now just 5 recitals and dance is over until August yah.

How sad that we have had another shooting in the US..I just don't know what the answer is but it really seems to be at epidemic levels. It makes me so sad to think that there is no-where we can really feel safe...after all the school shootings, whenever I see police near my daughters high school it always makes my heart beat a little bit faster and that glimpse of fear is not far behind.

So my thoughts go out to those in Moscow, Idaho today and one day maybe guns will just be unavailable anywhere, we can only dream.

Have a good one and be grateful for today.

Breezy getting ready for competition

>



Here is a couple of pics of the process that we go through every month or so for competition. Breezy and her girlfriend Brit take about an hour each to do the required make-up for shows...June 2- 9th the girls have to do this 5 times for 5 different year end shows..though that is not competition so it does not have to be quite so exact. Enjoy.

Good Luck Breezy

I was just playing around in photo-bucket and found my daughters video of her competitive G-Force Dance routine...now this is back in January when they just completed it...and since then they have performed it another 30 or 40 times in class and competitions (4) so they are much better...they have won numerous awards and after this weekend may get to go to Nationals...anyway I hope this will work.

Amanda

May 19th

Hope you are all having a great start to your weekend. I posted some new beads on etsy this morning..I was especially pleased with these, they are sold now but I think I will definitely make this design again. So I went bathing suit shopping yesterday for my trip to San Francisco...is there anything quite so depressing...sigh...so I bought a granny suit to cover anything and then a tiny bikini for when no one is looking...LOL...and a really BIG cover up...anyway have a great day.

MAY 18th

Woo Hoo....I am so excited...I booked a last minute weekend getaway for me and my husband next weekend. We don't even usually get to go out for dinner...so my 16 year old is going to stay with friends. We have someone looking after the house and we are off to a 4 star hotel for 3 days!!!

How cool is that....I have never been there, so I am going to try and pack in Fishermans Wharf, alcatraz, pensicola beaches...and just RELAX...I have told hubby he can't bring the laptop either so we are just going to chill...I am going to hit the tanning beds this week and I can't wait.

So have a great day, I will be listing again on etsy tomorrow...todays listings all sold...sorry about that...

Amanda

PS everyone always asks what my rufusandroxy user name is so here they are...the 2 cats