I decided to reactivate my Blog today... it's been quite a while since I closed it down. You know, some people can really make things hard.  The last time I had the blog up and guest book activated, I got so much spam it was unbelievable.  So, I'm keeping the guestbook closed.  If you feel like making a comment, or have a question... please use the contact form on the left.  Thanks for not sending any spam though!

I have to apologize for the lack of maintenance I've done with the site.  The last few years I've been battling back problems and the pain associated with it.  Pain becomes the ruler and decides what can and cannot be done...  anyone with chronic pain will tell you the same thing. Fortunately, I've been feeling better of late and decided to get back into life!

My beads are now being sold almost exclusively through my Ebay store.  I've added TOHO seed beads.  If you're a bead weaver, you'll LOVE these beads.  They make the hole a little bigger so it can accommodate several passes through the same bead. Also, they're sold by weight... so bigger hole = more beads per gram!  

Another new addition... Purse Bling!  If you are short for time and just want a little gift already made up... these are perfect.  They are a small collection of my lampwork beads strung together and made into a little dangle to be attached to a purse handle. They could also be used as a fancy zipper pull.  Whatever the use... they'll be appreciated by whoever receives them.

Are you curious yet?  If you are, here's the link to my Ebay store:

http://stores.ebay.com/Livonia-Glass-Beads-and-More 

Go take a look!

I got a new torch recently.  It's a Lynx and I love it!  What's so special about it you ask?  Well, it has an extra oxygen knob that allows me to get a pinpoint flame.  This is perfect for doing stringerwork and when using reduction glass.  It's wonderful!  It also has a little bit more power than my other torch which reduces the time it takes to get the glass hot and molten.  It's just what I needed.

I have two kilns.  One is my beadworking kiln and I use the other to fuse glass.  Well, earlier this year my beadworking kiln stopped working.  I had beads to make and needed it bad!  I called Paragon to order the new controller, but they were out of stock on it and didn't know when it would be in.  Oh my!  What a situation.  Well... I decided to strip the controller from my fusing kiln and install it into my beading one.  It worked for a little while, then it too when on the fritz.  Now I had two kilns that didn't work.  Big bummer.  I was out of work for almost two weeks.  Thankfully I had extra beads around so I could keep something up on Ebay.

When the parts finally came in, the kiln still didn't work.  Turns out I needed a new relay as well.  So, I took the relay from the fusing kiln and used it in the beading kiln until the new parts came.  It's a good thing I ordered an extra one, because the old relay went out as well.  Anyway... now after quite a few weeks of tension and worry... all is well.  I'm thinking I should order a couple of those relays just to have one on hand.

So what does one do when one is out of work?  Look at new kilns!  I got the idea that I should sell my larger kiln that I use for fusing and get another beading one as a backup.  Then maybe I could get a smaller fusing kiln... used perhaps.  Well... that idea never left my brain and I occasionally look online to see what kind of a deal I can get.  Lo and behold, Paragon has redesigned their Bluebird beading kiln!  Oh my... I was nearly drooling over it yesterday.  They must have talked to a lot of beadmakers... because it has updates that I wish my kiln had.  They even thought of a few things I would have never imagined.  So you guys... please... go buy lots of my beads so I can afford to get one!  

Well, that's all for today.  I'm not going to say I'll update this daily, or even weekly. Just whenever there's something to say.  Thanks for looking and Happy beading.