AirWynn Glass Designs

This Is It - Studio Clean-Up SALE

2011-01-08T01:13:00.000-05:00

Well, the time has come for me to sell some of my lampwork tools and supplies, beads and other beady things...

Please see my website.
www.airwynnglass.com/studiosale.html

Cheers.

Some surprising news (unfortunately).

2010-02-23T20:33:00.000-05:00

I was planning on just skipping over the fact that I haven't posted in a month and a half, on my next post... but instead I shall address the obvious... I've been completely immersed in other things non-beady lately, entirely absorbed in my upcoming move (in less than 3 weeks! eeek!) We're sooo excited but so overwhelmed with all that there is to do when buying a first home!

I spent a long time away from the torch and concentrated on other things, and only recently was able to get back on it a bit... in desperate need of creating stock for the upcoming Canadian Bead Oasis show March 12 - 14 in Toronto.

I am also sad to say that this may be my last show for quite some time.... as I've mentioned, other aspects of my life are going to be getting in my way with no studio in my new home for the time being as well as time-frame issues that will come up regarding time away from my "real" job. :( I HOPE that I will be able to continue at least a few shows a year, perhaps only one Oasis per year instead of the two, one TBS show instead of two, etc... who knows, we'll have to wait and see I guess. BUT let's hope I'm wrong.

I will still try my best to do custom orders, however the completion time frame will have to be extended on most orders as it's not going to be as easy as walking downstairs to my studio now.

Sorry to leave you with what some of you may see as shocking news, but I just want to be honest.

Wish me luck! Hope to see you all soon! Come on out to the Oasis (details on my website) for your last chance to buy some of my beads in person (until further notice hopefully).

Take care.
Erin

Return to Routine

2010-01-04T11:22:00.000-05:00

Well the holidays are over now and it's back to the 'ol grind I guess. I'm hoping 2010 will bring me some new routines as well... new routines I've been postponing for quite some time but now realize, it's definitely time for some changes. I'm not going to necessarily call them "new years resolutions" but instead "positive permanent changes". I'm spending the day taking down the Christmas tree and putting away all of the decorations... a task that always seems to take longer than anticipated. But first, I'm going to enjoy a nice hot bowl of wonton soup, hoping it makes my sore throat feel better. I've been struggling with a bad cough/cold for the last week or so and I'm hoping to feel better real soon.

Cheers to new beginnings for 2010!

Be back soon.

Lovin' the Lights

2009-12-11T18:35:00.004-05:00

After a few electrical glitches and a wasted strand of lights, we're up and running with our Christmas lights outside (and a fuse hasn't blown yet!) Living in a 75+ year old home, the electrical panel and fuse box isn't the greatest. For years, every time we used the hair dryer in the bathroom, the Christmas lights would blow! I think we solved that little issue by hooking the lights up to our pool pump outlet!

Mail out time!

2009-12-03T23:15:00.002-05:00

Just thought I'd chime in here to display a little 'ol teaser for the holiday greeting I'm sending out! I have them all packaged up and ready to go in the mail tomorrow. So for those of you on my snail-mail list, look out for it in your mailboxes in the next week or so.

I'm anxious for Christmas early this year (only 22 days left!) and I'm going to head out shopping again tomorrow... always trying to find the perfect gifts for everyone!

Nothing else new these days... I have a few custom orders I have to make in the next week and then I think I'm going to take a break from the torch for a little while before the holidays, and start fresh in the new year prepping for the March Oasis show!

Be back soon though, no worries.

Holiday Gift!

2009-11-17T11:56:00.004-05:00

Today, I'm starting to put together special little gift packages for all of my customers! Email me if you want to be added to my mailing list to receive this holiday gift!

Nothing else too terribly new and exciting going on here. Just making beads for the beadFX Lampworker's Trunk Show on November 28th! (See my website for details).

Hope the weather isn't too chilly where you are... although do I dare mention that there is only 38 days until Christmas?! I guess I better start my shopping!

Bye for now, be back soon.

To the Capital

2009-11-06T08:36:00.003-05:00

I'm just packing up, getting ready to head off to the country's capital for the Ottawa Glass Bead Artist's Show! There's an astounding amount of talent that will be there so if you're in the area, you won't want to miss it! It's amazing that we all use the same medium, the same tools, etc and all of our work is so unique and entirely different from one another! It's all in the imagination of the artist!

Hope to see you there! It's free admission too! :)

What do you do with the beads you buy?

2009-11-02T16:37:00.002-05:00

Happy November!
Please take a second to vote in the poll on the right-hand side of the screen. Please feel free to post comments here as well, explaining your reasoning (or defending your habit of buying hundreds of beads and doing nothing with them!) I know we ALL do that, we have projects in mind and we never seem to get to them! :)

Live From The Show

2009-10-31T21:41:00.004-04:00

Brought to you by my indigent camera feature on my blackberry, LIVE from the Toronto Bead Society Show on Halloween!

P.S. I'm quite annoyed that I didn't manage to get a photo of myself with the other "witch" lampworkers. Aw well, there's always next year. BUT, I did get quite a few compliments on my partial costume! :)

Thanks to all who came out for Day #1! Back again tomorrow!

I've been featured!

2009-10-30T09:35:00.005-04:00

Just wanted to pop in here for a few minutes to let you all know that I've been featured on the OGBA (Ottawa Glass Bead Artists) blog in preparation for the 2nd annual OGBA Show and Sale coming up next weekend! Click here to read the feature.

You will also see my work included on the OGBA Show postcard advertisement, which will be available for you at this weekend's Toronto Bead Society Show. If you can't attend the TBS show this weekend, but you'd like a postcard with all of the OGBA Show info, please just email me your mailing address and I'd be happy to send you one.

Well, I better get back to packing up for this weekend's show. It's in the CNIB Building on Bayview in Toronto this year. The show runs tomorrow October 31st 10 - 5 (you can shop for beads all day and still have enough time to get the kids ready for trick-or-treating after the show) and Sunday 11 - 5. Hope you all can make it!

Be back soon.

Stuffed!

2009-10-12T13:06:00.011-04:00

Two turkey dinners, two nights in a row... left over turkey sandwiches and still looking forward to homemade turkey soup ~ but I'm stuffed! It was a great family gathering of 39 people, although we were still missing a good bunch of people that couldn't make it from out of town or had other dinner commitments.

42 pounds of turkey, 36 pounds of mashed potatoes (and I'm not sure who peeled and cut them all up but one of the aunts deserves a ribbon!) 8 homemade pies; apple crumble and pumpkin of course, homemade carrot cake with whipped cream AND vanilla ice cream! Sheesh...
lots to be thankful for!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends! Back to business tomorrow, after a long lazy-dazy day today (because we all know that turkey makes you tired?) Click here... A Myth apparently?

Either way, it's definitely worth it! Yummmm!

Be back soon with more beady-type news.

Handmade Halloween Hits!

2009-10-09T20:07:00.005-04:00

Just thought I'd share some of my favourite handmade
Halloween finds on Etsy!

Be back soon.

Ah Crap!

2009-10-04T16:48:00.005-04:00

Just did a number on my diamond bit bead cleaner! Lucky I didn't lose a finger or an eyeball when the poor little bead went flying! Good news: the bead survived!

On a more cheerful note, a sneak peek at the Colour Contest bead ... nice colour palette Mary!

Another Success

2009-10-04T14:20:00.004-04:00

Another show done... and it was another success! Thanks to all of you that came out to the show (even though it was pouring rain pretty much all day!) As expected, there were a lot of new faces and new contacts as well as familiar customers that attend all the bead shows in the Toronto area!

It was a nice venue with more than enough volunteers that did a wonderful job making sure the vendors' tummies were full of food and Tim Horton's coffee! :) They were all wonderful! I also donated one of my "Fairy Pod Pendants" to the silent auction, where the proceeds went to the Grand River Gallery. Congrats to the winner... if you're out there reading this! :)

I now have a couple of custom orders to make, so I'll get started on those first thing tomorrow! ...as well as Mary's bead, as winner of the Colour Contest! (see previous posts!)

Back at the torch tomorrow, right now I have to put all my show stuff away, until the end of the month for the Toronto Bead Society show!

Enjoy this crisp autumn air (if the rain holds up!)

Be back soon!

All Done

2009-10-01T20:18:00.005-04:00

Now these babies are all cleaned and priced...
and ready for a home! :)
All packed up for the weekend too!
See you all at the show!

...And the WINNER is?

2009-09-29T20:19:00.010-04:00

Thanks to those of you that commented here on my blog and on facebook... the overwhelming consensus is that this season's hottest colour is PURPLE with accents of teal and gray! Sounds really nice!

However, the winner of the Colour Contest is.....

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MARY MEREDITH of Georgetown, ON. and her fave colours are a mix of carnelian orange, pale turquoise and accents of bronze/brown ... perfect for autumn! Congrats Mary! Please email me your address and I will send you your bead! (I'll make it this weekend and post pics early next week so you all can see what I came up with!)

Furthermore, I cleaned about half of the beads I made yesterday... the others will have to wait until tomorrow! But these babies are strung and ready for their price tags!

I'll be busy the next few days with last minute stuff to do for my show this weekend in Guelph! If you're in the area, I hope you'll come check it out! Click here for more info on the show!

Be back next week!

To clean or not to clean?

2009-09-28T21:22:00.004-04:00

Of course I have to clean them! All 204 of them! I'll get started on that tomorrow, right now my wrist is so sore from some of them being stubborn while taking them off the mandrels! Sheesh...

Made lots of spacer beads in purples, teals and some gray too! Apparently this season's hottest shades!

Be back again tomorrow with the winner of the Colour Contest! Keep the comments coming people!
(See previous post).

Ciao.

Colour Contest!

2009-09-27T13:34:00.004-04:00

Ok, so I'm trying to broaden my colour palette while working on new beads in the studio today and I am struggling with what this season's hottest colours are! Some years the teals, blues and greens are my best sellers, other times it's yellows and golds, and sometimes it's classic black and white!

Let's play a little game, shall we?
Comment on this blog post or on my facebook fan page of what your current favourite colour is (what colours you'd like in a bead right now!) ... and on Tuesday September 29th I will gather all of the people's names/comments and one lucky winner will be randomly drawn to win a free lampwork bead (handmade by myself of course!) in their particular favourite colour(s)!

Spark my colour creativity! ;)

Good luck to all!

Grand River = Grand Beads

2009-09-23T16:10:00.014-04:00

Just wanted to chime here for a few minutes to spread the word about my next show coming up (really soon actually!)...

I'll be selling at the Grand River Bead Society Show and Sale on October 3rd, in Guelph, Ontario. Check out my show page on my website for more info here, or my facebook fan page! It's my first time doing this particular show (but it's no new show, that's for sure) so I'm excited about it! I'm anxious to meet even more fun beady people out in that way of the province! (But I still love my Toronto bead pals too!)

Furthermore, that little birdie I mentioned in my last post flew back around here and told me that the next Lampworker's Trunk Show at beadFX will be November 28th, 10-5. I have a few more shows in the meantime to prep for, so I should get my butt back in the studio (after dinner!) hee hee

Talk soon.

A Fresh Start... Again!

2009-09-22T12:42:00.136-04:00

Thanks to all who came out to the Canadian Bead Oasis Show on the weekend! Always nice to see many of the same faces with new inspirations, and to meet new people and inspire!
As usual, coming home from a three day show (four days including set up time) always takes a toll on me, poops me out! It doesn't end after tear-down either... my studio always looks as if it was hit by a hurricane after a show. The mess from last minute projects before the show and then the boxes of "stuff" everywhere from the show, leaving a mere pathway from the door to the torch.

Well, I spent literally ALL day yesterday, not only cleaning... but actually organizing too! I'm proud of myself, a studio clean-up was a long time coming and it's completely done and ready for me to start fresh again, (with the exception of a good vacuum job, I'll get to that later today!)

Notice the time on the clock?
It was indeed a full day and night of cleaning!

Cleaned and re-dipped a good amount of mandrels...
ready to start at the torch again!

Ready to experiment with some new glass colours!

Do you think maybe I put too many books on the shelf?
It appears to be struggling :)

...still have to do a few "book work" things from the show (and I wanna get in that episode of Survivor on my DVR before Thursday night comes around again and I get behind!)

Be back soon.
Thanks for chiming in.

Ciao.

P.S. A little birdie told me that there is another beadFX Lampwork Trunk show in the planning, so look out for news about that coming up!

Upcoming Show

2009-09-11T16:14:00.004-04:00

It's been a really busy summer for me, and it has now come to an end... and I get to look forward to an even busier fall! Take a look at my show line up for the season on my website.

I've been busy in the studio creating new beads for the upcoming Bead Oasis show in Toronto next weekend! Also, I'll be displaying (and selling!) some beautiful glass art pieces hand painted by my good friend Emma Genovese, also from Burlington.

Check out her website: http://missemmadesigns.webs.com/

Hope to see all of you there!
:)

New (2nd) Etsy Shop!

2009-08-07T02:01:00.006-04:00

Check out my NEW Etsy Shop ... here you'll find my photograpy art prints! I'll continue to list new items!

Etsy
Buy Handmade
airwynnimages

Some of my favourite things

2009-08-06T19:21:00.002-04:00

Just thought I'd share... perhaps some of these things will spark your fancy as well? :)

Etsy
Buy Handmade
airwynnglass

I'm baaacck!!

2009-08-04T16:23:00.011-04:00

I'm back from the cottage, relaxed and full of new ideas. I was inspired by a magnificent sunrise that I woke up for at 5:30am one morning! The colours fading into each other, the mottled appearance, the rolling orange-coloured fog along the surface of the lake... it was gorgeous! I think I just might make it a tradition of mine to get up that early at least once while up there on Manitoulin Island!

I'll be back with some new beads on Etsy in the next few weeks.
Thanks for stopping by.

~Erin

Vacation Note

2009-07-23T17:31:00.002-04:00

Hi all,
I just wanted to let you all know that I'll be away on vacation for one week, leaving tomorrow afternoon and returning on Sunday August 2nd. I'm going up to Manitoulin Island to the cottage! Cell phone reception is "iffy" where I am and internet access is a "no-go"! So of course, I won't have access to my email while I'm away so any inquires or purchase requests from the first-come-first-serve sale here on my blog will be answered as soon as I get back! If you see that one of the beads on my blog are not yet SOLD then still feel free to email me letting me know that you want it and the first email that came in will get it! You'll just have to be patient and wait to find out if you were the first to email, until I get back! Sorry, but I hope you find the beads are worth the wait! My favourite is the Starry Night focal, which took me a few weeks to decide if I wanted to let it go or not, hee hee!

All custom orders have been shipped today, so look for them in the mail in the next couple of days! All Etsy orders placed while I'm away will be made and shipped the first week when I return.

I best get back to laundry and packing, etc...
Wish me good weather please!! :)
Be back soon.

Getting Through This

2009-07-20T09:20:00.014-04:00

Once again, I find myself apologizing for my long silence on here. It's been a whirlwind last few weeks for me actually. Some of you may know, but on June 30th, I lost my beloved dog Kita. He was nearly 14 years old, which is outright unusual for a pure bred German Shepherd. Losing a loving companion is never easy, but this hit me particularly hard as it was mine and my family's decision to let him go ... he was in too much pain and we feared that his quality of life was no longer acceptable. I keep telling myself that we did the right thing, and that it was a decision made out of love and loyalty, but feelings of guilt and remorse still keep coming back to me. I think it will take a long time before those feelings subside. But I don't really want to talk about it anymore right now...

Needless to say I haven't been in the studio much lately. I've also been preoccupied and a wee-bit overwhelmed with all this paperwork and legal stuff with buying our house! Although, I'm thinking it's almost over and to the point where we can sit back and watch our house being built... 8 months before we move in, yay! (sheesh that's a long time to wait!)

BUT, as promised eons ago, here are a few first-come-first-serve beads for you! As last time, be the first to send me an email at erin@airwynnglass.com letting me know which one you want by including the assigned code in the subject box. If you want, you can email me directly from my contact page on my website www.airwynnglass.com. I can send you a PayPal invoice or I also accept Visa and Mastercard. You can include your card info (in two separate emails for your own security!) or I can call you for your card info if you prefer.

First up, a "Starry Night" sort of Van Gogh inspired bead, with beautiful swirls of blue, teal and purple! Measures 51mm long, 14mm thick. Price = $32.00 Code: focal05

No. 2 is a cute little round pendant, classic black and white polka-dot design, complete with a silver bail loop, ready to hang on a chain and go! Approx. 20mm round. Price: $25.00 Code: focal06

Next, a whimsical trio I like to call "Thai Martini", a very muted lilac purple striped with a pale mint green. Rounds measure 16mm. Price: $27.00 Code: set07
SOLD - Thank you.

A beautiful pink and almond coloured flat tab focal bead with swirls of bright blue/teal dichroic sparkle! I call this "Painted Desert", or should I say "dessert"!? Yum! Measures approx. 50mm tall by 31mm wide and 14mm thick. Price: $45.00 Code: focal08
SOLD - Thank you.

and last up today... a striking barrel-shaped focal bead with olive green, antiqued ivory and hints of royal purple dichro! Measures 61mm tall by 15mm wide. Price: $34.00 Code: focal09
SOLD - Thank you.

Before I go, I also just wanted to let you all know that I just listed some new items in my Etsy shop. They are beautiful hand-dyed silk chiffon ribbons that would make a perfect quick and easy necklace by slipping a pendant on it and tying a cute bow! Check 'em out.

I'm off to make beads in the studio now... I gotta start thinking about Fall stock for all my shows too! Yikes!

Talk to you all later (hopefully sooner rather than later).
Ciao.

Oops!

2009-06-27T10:27:00.002-04:00

Has it really been nearly TWO months since I last came on here? Oops! Sorry guys. Things have been so unbelievably hectic for me... my fiance and I are in the process of buying our first home! Between appointments with the home builder, the banks, the lawyer, our agent (my ever-so-helpful aunt!) things have just seemed to come together so quickly, yet the paperwork has not come to an end yet! As exciting as it all is.... I WILL be glad when all this stuff is over and then we sit back and watch our home being built! I AM super excited to go to the decor centre and pick out all of our options like hardwood floors, tile, cabinetry, carpet, etc!

With all this, I still have a few custom orders I need to get out... and THEN I will be listing more beads for sale on my blog here! Sheesh... taking photos of beads, pricing, and listing them takes more time than I thought. How long have I been doing this again? You'd think I would know by now, but I always underestimate time.

Speaking of underestimating time... I should get down to the studio to get started on some stuff before my day gets away from me!

Be back soon!

Up for Grabs!

2009-05-09T22:41:00.013-04:00

As some of you may know, beadFX is running a "first-come-first-serve" style sale of handmade lampwork beads (mine of which are included) and I personally love the idea, so.... I'll offer some of my beads up for grabs on my own blog!

Below is a list of some of my personal favourites (am I allowed to say that of my own work? yeah!) If you want it, be the first to send me an email at erin@airwynnglass.com letting me know which one you want by including the assigned code in the subject box. If you want, you can email me directly from my contact page on my website www.airwynnglass.com. I can send you a PayPal invoice or I also accept Visa and Mastercard. You can include your card info (in two separate emails for your own security!) or I can call you for your card info if you prefer.

Enjoy!

First up, a really cool dichroic focal bead with loads of sparkle and depth! Measures 35mm round, 14mm thick. Price = $36.00 Code: focal01 SOLD - Thank you.

#2 - A long, smooth tapered barrel shape focal with a whimsical pattern in a really neat "reactive" glass that brings out lime green, celadon with hints of ivory. The pattern reminds me of abstract dancers, or maybe even the Disney character "Flubber" :) Bead measures 66mm long, 13mm thick in the centre. Price = $32.00 Code: focal02

#3 - A soft and feminine floral focal bead with raised purple and coral-coloured flowers, complete with wispy whirling vines on the base of the bead. Measures 43mm along the hole, 15mm wide. Price = $32.00 Code: focal03 SOLD - Thank you.

#4 - A bright and bold floral focal, chartreuse yellow/lime and dark teal. Complete with authentic cubic zirconias hiding in a couple of the flowers! Measures 51mm along the hole, 15mm thick. Price = $32.00 Code: focal04
SOLD - Thank you.

#5 - A sunny set of three spherical beads, shaped completely by hand. I call these ones "Fiesta" :) Measure 16mm round. Set of 3. Price = $27.00 Code: set05

#6 - A set of two spherical beads, shaped completely by hand. An antiqued ivory/caramel base with flashy ribbons of metallic silver/teal. A perfect combo of ancient and modern! Measure 16mm round. Set of 2. Price = $18.00 Code: set06

That's all for now, more later! I'll mark each item with "SOLD" as soon as possible after receiving the email.

Please note that shipping is extra, depending upon your location.

Nice n' Swamped

2009-05-03T23:02:00.003-04:00

The weekend has come to an end, and I have to say I'm relieved. It was a great weekend in so many ways, but in so many other ways... it was super-charge swamped! As many of you know, I was at the Toronto Bead Society Spring Fair which was great as always! Thank you to all who came out to the show and a special shout out to all of you sportin' my stickers! (Email me for details if you didn't have a sticker, and you're curious on how to get 10% off of my beads at select shows in the future!)

Bonus #1: My younger sister came home from her first year of university in Ottawa! It was a hard thing to get used to her gone for 8 months as we're peculiarly close for sisters six years apart so we're told! I missed her a lot and I'm glad she's home! Bonus #2: She helped me at the show yesterday and we got a chance to chat and catch-up a bit too!

I'm nearly done all of my post-show tasks; re-organization, email catch-up, etc. Thank you to those that placed a custom order at the show. I will be emailing you all shortly regarding a completion date for your orders! They are always greatly appreciated!

I have my consultation appointment for scheduling my surgery tomorrow, so wish me luck! I AM lucky that I've been feeling well for the last month! Let's hope it continues!

Signing off for now (I'm exhausted!)
Thanks for stopping by!

It's Raining Art

2009-04-15T19:48:00.004-04:00

I just realized that I haven't blogged in ten days (too busy tweeting on twitter I guess) so I thought I'd share this really cool thing I came across today. It's a fellow blogger and it's called Crooked Brains. If you love interesting and unusual forms of art, then you'll find yourself looking through this photo-intense blog for hours upon hours!
Check out one of the latest posts on the blog.... art with umbrellas. A simple object, yet stunning outcome. More pics on http://www.crookedbrains.net/

As for me, I'm still working on some custom orders, hoping to get them all completed by the end of this weekend. I'll be browsing Queen St. in Toronto on Friday afternoon. It's supposed to be a gorgeous day and I'm looking forward to exploring all of the artsy-fartsy shops and all of the great bead stores (that I don't even think I could count on both hands the number of them there are on Queen alone!) It should be a nice day! Ciao.

Majestic Jewel

2009-04-04T17:45:00.002-04:00

Just thought I'd chime in here for a minute to let you all know that I listed new beads in my Etsy shop http://www.airwynnglass.etsy.com

Hope you'll check 'em out!

Be a follower!

2009-04-04T11:55:00.006-04:00

Not in the sense that you may think I mean ... be a leader and FOLLOW my blog on facebook!

http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/airwynn_glass_designs/

Hope you're having a beauteous blustery day!

Lazy Dayzee

2009-04-03T15:54:00.006-04:00

It's poured rain here for the last two days. The sun seems to have completely disappeared. The sky is fully furnished with gloomy clouds that have a hand in the gloomy mood I'm feeling today.

I've been working on a mish-mash of things over the last couple of days and I can't seem to decide to stick to one particular thing. Make beads in a complete and utter disaster? Clean studio before I make beads? Work on graphic design projects? Stare into space? hmmm... the latter sounds decent.
One of those days I guess...

I will however, share with you the outcome of last weekend's beadFX Beadaholic get-together! We had yummy pizza (and yummy healthy stuff like fruits and veggies too!) Thanks to Jen for all of that! It was a lot of fun! But one of the highlights of the night was our "collaborative beadmaking". One person would sit at the torch and begin making a bead, then pass it along to another to add to it, and pass it to another person and so on... The beads came out rather "unique" I will call them, but the good news is that they are available for sale in beadFX with 100% of the proceeds being donated to a Breast Cancer Awareness charity! (However, they may all be sold as I write this!)

Somehow, my posts are always much wordier than I originally expect ... not that it's a bad thing I suppose. But it brings me to a thought: How many of you are on Twitter? I've had a couple of people ask me about it and even a couple officially "follow" me on Twitter, even though I have never posted. I have to be honest, I signed up for Twitter with a specific group in mind that I was interested in "following" and only ever read other "tweets" as I think they are called? The benefit to Twitter is (going back to my original point about my posts always being much longer than anticipated) is that you can post or "blog" brief little notes here and there. Tweets are short and sweet. I've posted a poll on the right-hand side of my blog here in regards to Twitter'ing ... please let me know what YOU think! (Post a comment too!)

awww well... I think I'll go back to my "staring into space" idea I had earlier. Cheers.

I'm on facebook!

2009-03-24T21:58:00.005-04:00

Just a quick post and run... I wanted to let you all know that I now have a new AirWynn Glass Designs Fan Page on Facebook! I encourage you all to join as a way to get updates on my shows and other events, photos of my new work, the ability to purchase my work online, free bead giveaways from time to time and a whole lot more! You can become a fan by searching AirWynn Glass Designs on Facebook or via my website home page!

Thanks!

After the Show

2009-03-23T21:21:00.001-04:00

Hello all,
I'm back from the Oasis show and it was great! I was feeling well all weekend thank goodness. I wanted to thank those of you that came out the visit the show! Thank you for all the get-well wishes you've sent via email as well as those of you that stopped by my booth to chat, I greatly appreciate it!

For anyone who didn't get a chance to come to the show, or didn't get a chance to snag a certain bead that you might have had your eye on... I've listed some new beads available for sale in my Etsy shop! www.airwynnglass.etsy.com

On a slightly different subject... I also had quite a few questions at the show regarding the "Graphic Design" brochure I had available on my table. Many of you asked if I had a set price for logo design. The answer: No, I do not have a set price for designing an image or logo as all logo designs vary of course. I will work with you individually to discuss what you would like and I will provide you with a customized quote. I design logos, websites, brochures, posters, business cards, etc. If any of you would like me to mail you a brochure/flyer along with my business card, please just send me an email with your mailing address and I'd be more than happy to mail you information!

After every bead show, I seem to come home with a mind full of creative ideas and designs that I'm anxious to try at the torch! I'll be busy in the studio until my next show on May 2nd (Toronto Bead Society Spring Bead Fair information can be found on my website). Until then, enjoy the beginnings of Spring weather and let's all hope the snow is gone for good!

Take care everyone.

Unexpected Outcome :(

2009-03-11T21:24:00.003-04:00

I know I said I'd be back after my show in the next couple of weeks, but I thought I'd let you guys know the outcome of my doctor's visit today. It was quite unexpected. As I said in my last post last night, I was walking in there thinking I had an ulcer, and that "no big deal" it can be healed by cutting out all acidic and spicy foods and taking medication. WRONG! I walked out of there with the news that I will have to go through surgery to have my gall bladder removed! For those of you who know me at all, you know that I'm a huge wimp when it comes to any phrase that includes the words "blood", "surgery", "needles", etc. Needless to say I'm pretty nervous about the whole thing. Anyone had their gall bladder removed?!?! Please let me know I have nothing to be worried about! :( Apparently I have a gall stone and a polyp (xtra tissue in the gall bladder) as well as an over-production of acid and bile (lovely eh?). The acid reflux is what was causing the extreme pain in my abdomen and causing me to be sick to my stomach. Hopefully the ultrasound on my heart will find out the separate issue that perhaps caused me to faint and the dizziness. Lastly, my blood pressure is a little closer to normal today. It was 170/102 last week, this week it's 142/82. I go back to my family physician in one month's time to check that out again.

Sheesh... I guess I can't complain now. At least I know what's wrong with me and as nervous as I am about the surgery (I guess I just don't like the thought of being cut open) I know that my pain will stop once I'm all better! :)

Wish me luck. Now it's just waiting for the surgeon to call me. Goodbye tomato pasta sauce. Goodbye orange juice. Goodbye yummy buffet dinners.

Under the Weather

2009-03-10T20:30:00.003-04:00

First off, let me apologize for the long silence on here... I don't want to bore you with my story about feeling like garbage for the last month (so feel free to skip ahead to the next paragraph!) ... but for those of you that are interested, I have been very sick for the last month with excruciating stomach pains, being sick to my stomach, dizziness and periods of extreme weakness. Also, for the second time in my life, I fainted last week which really wiped me for the rest of the day thereafter. I've been in and out of the doctor's office, the hospital for numerous check-ups and tests (including an Upper G.I. series test which wasn't as horrible as my mind had imagined). I've had an ultrasound on my abdomen and will be going in for an echocardiogram (ultrasound on my heart) in the week or two ... still waiting for the hospital to call me! My first thought was that I had developed an ulcer, but realized over an extended period of time that the foods that I thought would aggravate it, did not ... and foods that I thought would be a-ok, made me feel like I wanted to crawl up in a ball and cry throughout the night and following day. Let's just say I'm really anxious to find out the issue so that I can correct it with diet and/or medication. I go in for another doctor's appointment tomorrow evening to find out all the test results and do a second check on my blood pressure (which was outrageously high at my last appointment, especially for my age!) That really worries me ... as I don't think my heart issue and my stomach issue have anything to do with one another. :( Due to the fact that I've felt like garbage for the last month, I haven't been able to be in the studio as often as I would of liked! This really worries me, as many of you know the Canadian Bead Oasis Show is coming up next weekend ... and I'm always looking to have more show stock than what I have on-hand. I'm hoping to feel well enough everyday leading up to the show to at least get a couple of hours in each day at the torch.

So, onward... back to business.
I've put aside my cowardly thoughts on transferring my website files from my old PC to my new MAC computer! I was really nervous about doing it because with the nature of all of my website files being "live" to the world wide web, destroying the local path to all those files could have resulted in that annoying "Page cannot be displayed" message. Needless to say, it did go well and all my website files are safe and sound on my MAC!

I've uploaded the 6th gallery page as promised over a month ago (sorry about that!) and I WILL be sending out an email newsletter SOON! As for the additions to the gallery, all will be available for sale at the Oasis show March 20-22 in Toronto, ON - so if you're in the area please stop by and check out all the beady things the show offers (and of course, you'll have to stop by my booth and introduce yourself!)

Well, this seems to have dragged on a bit longer than originally anticipated. I must get back to my laundry and finish some other small tasks before hitting the sack early with my book. Thanks for chiming in everyone. I'll be back after my show! Hope to see you all there!

New Work in the Works!

2009-01-26T18:50:00.003-05:00

Hi all! I just wanted to chime in here for a quick update... I wanted to let you all know that I just uploaded the last of the first (hope that makes sense) gallery page (I had only partially updated the photos on page 1). I've been really busy at the torch these last couple of weeks, working on some new techniques and new (or just different) styles than what you've seen from me in the past. I'm excited to debut them on a sixth gallery page soon enough, but none will be offered for sale on Etsy, eBay or otherwise until after the Canadian Bead Oasis Show in late March. If you're planning on coming to the show, take a peak at my new gallery pages in the next coming weeks, take a visual note of the beads you like and hurry into the show first thing on Friday morning to snag the ones you want ... many of my new beads will not be able to be closely reproduced due to some new reactive colours of glass I've been working with! You'll see what I mean when you take a look at my site! They have wonderful variations, changing colour hues, oilslick shimmer and dichroic sparkle! I will not be taking any custom orders from now until after the show, so hopefully you can make it out to see the beads in person!

I'm excited to announce that I am now a "MAC-User", well sort of. I'm getting the hang of it, slow but sure. I am amazed at how different a Mac is from a PC ... but I have to say even in the last three days I have come to the realization that I love it a whole lot more (also because I have a designer-brain and it seems more convenient design and graphic-wise!) But as I said, I'm still trying to get the hang of it, so if any of you out there reading this have any useful hints, tips or tricks for me, please leave a comment to share!

I better get back to my beads (they've been asking me to take photos of them for the last few days) so I shall take photos of them! Photographing beads is always a time consuming thing to do ... and that is why my next (6th) gallery page will be up in a week or two! I'll be sending out a long-overdue newsletter to my email list in the next couple of weeks as well so if you don't want to miss that, sign up for my emailing list on the home page of my website www.airwynnglass.com and make sure to keep an eye out for something from me!

A New Beginning

2009-01-16T11:32:00.006-05:00

Even though I'm 16 days late, it's a new year and I'm making some changes, both creatively and personally. First off, you will now see that the primary location for my blog entries is right here on blogspot. A few months ago, I posted a poll for all of my site visitors asking where they preferred to read my blog; here on blogspot or continue to post directly on my website. Well, many of you said that you preferred a more interactive blog with the ability to "heart" and subscribe to your favourite entries, comment on what's been said, visit blog-related links and so on... So here it is, the new and improved location for all of my blog updates! Hope you like it!

Bear with me folks... the gallery update on my website is in sight, it's taken me a little longer than originally expected to take photos of all the beads, and post them. I promise it will be updated soon! As for the new beads on Etsy, I've decided that I don't want to reveal any new series of beads online until after the Canadian Bead Oasis show at the end of March. If you're in the Toronto area, be sure to come visit me for first dibs on my new styles! After the show, I'll take a few days to load new beads on Etsy, available for everyone!

Just a tidbit of news to share: One of my vessel pendant beads was featured in the current issue of Flow Magazine; the 4th Annual Women In Glass issue! You'll find me on page 10, along with many other talented gals from all parts of the world! Look for me in the next issue (Spring 2009) also!

Well I think I'll wrap up today's post, save some chat for the next coming days. Feel free to comment on my posts as you wish, even if it's just to say "hey" ... just because you can! hahaha

Thanks everyone for chiming in, talk soon.

It's Over Now | Back to Business

2008-12-29T14:41:00.002-05:00

I feel like I can breathe again ... the Christmas holiday season has always been my favourite (with Halloween being a close second) but it is indeed a stressful time of year no matter how hard you try to make it easy-going. Realizing that it's been nearly a whole month since I last posted, I'm trying to think back to what kept me so darn busy. It did however, seem that I was out shopping almost every night even though I had thought I was successful in completing my Christmas shopping early. I had several issues with the gifts I had for a few people I had bought for early, which led to numerous trips to the same stores, countless phone calls to every Home Hardware in the province and an exchange or two due to shotty manufacturing of an expensive item! Anyway, it's all over now and everything turned out very nicely! The highlight for me was watching my parents open the gift I gave to them! I had been wanting to give them this gift for the last three years or so but it just never seemed to work out. I dug out the old video camera from the basement (which has been broken for about 11 years with a half-used tape stuck inside) and I got all of the home videos transferred to DVD's! It was so great to watch old family vacations and birthday parties, forgetting we ever looked the way we did back then! Needless to say the out-of-date video camera is no longer, in order for the tape that was in there to be removed without getting damaged, but it's the memories that were on those tapes that are important! I got some pretty nice gifts as well! I got a Hydroponic Herb Garden in which I was eager to plant the pods on Christmas Day and already I'm seeing sprouts come up! It holds seven "gourmet" herbs including Italian Basil, Purple Basil, Parsley, Thyme, Cilantro, Dill and Chives. It's really neat to see them sprout up without even being in dirt! My sister got me a lovely Lennox Disney Tinkerbell to add to my collection! She sits upon a minty green coloured thread spool and she has beautiful pearlescent wings! She's wearing a crystal necklace too! Keeping with my Disney-themed collection, I got a dish set that displays original black and white sketch images of Mickey Mouse in different positions using different expressions, with artist's notes and such from 1937. It's so unique, yet it doesn't scream out loud DISNEY, it has a more subtle, mature feel to it. Jay, my fiance, got me a beautiful handmade piece that I fell in love with three years ago! It's a hand-carved, hand-blasted and hand-painted piece of glass with a wooden base. It's a beautiful flowing mermaid painted in a Monet-sorta-style using my favourite colours; teal green that fades to celadon, fades to mint green... it's stunning! It has a light behind it so it gives off a nice soft light! He also got me a really nice tri-pod for our new camera! Not only will it make it easier to take photos of my beads, it will help in taking photos outside and in the dark, with a steady surface! Both Jay and I are excited to take up photography as a hobby, snapping interesting scenes while out for a walk or simply taking more photos at home of family and friends!

Perhaps it's because of all the holiday candy and chocolates, turkey dinners and desserts, along with quick fast-food meals while shopping in the malls all month long ... I've been feeling rather "sluggish" lately with very little energy and some days if I had of allowed myself, I would of stayed in bed 'til 1pm! Even with my late nights, going to bed at 2 or 3am, sleeping in past 10:30am bothers me, leaving me with a feeling that I wasted my entire day merely because I didn't get an early start at my day. I don't know. So beginning January 2nd (after one last New Years Day turkey dinner!) Jay and I have decided to do a 30-day detox! It may end up being a 21 day detox, or it may even end up being a 14-day detox, but gawsh'darn it I am going to try my best at it! I'm not setting myself up for failure by thinking I won't succeed, I'm just being realistic ... detox systems are hard to stick to! I'm really looking forward to the fresh, energetic feeling I'm hoping I'll get from it!

Back to business: I want to thank all of you for all of the Christmas custom orders, it is greatly appreciated! Those orders that were not Christmas gifts and for those of you that said it was ok to wait until January, I will be working on your beads again starting tomorrow and hopefully have them all shipped out by the end of the weekend. Thanks for your patience! Also, I'm still working on creating new images for my gallery pages and Etsy so stay tuned for that too!

I hope you all had a fabulous holiday season, no matter what and how you chose to celebrate it! I'll be back in the new year with the last FREE Bead Giveaway for voting for my site! Good luck everyone and thanks for chiming in!

'Tis the season to be cheery!

2008-12-02T01:03:00.003-05:00

Happy December! I love this time of year... to me, December means it is officially the "Christmas Holiday Season"! I'm even anxious to wrap some of the gifts I've bought already! (and it doesn't help that I seem to have this uncontrollable urge to buy Christmas wrapping paper every time I see it for fear I won't ever see that same design again!) Unlike other years, I didn't just wander around the malls aimlessly with no ideas for anyone. This year, I've been successful in buying something for at least one person every time I've been out shopping, and it feels nice to know that I won't have to trek through ridiculously irritable crowds in a mall that feels more like a sauna, feeling hopeless as I run out of shopping days before Christmas Eve! Aside from shopping, I've also been working on some new things in my studio! My first attempt at this new technique didn't quite work out the way I wanted it to, but I'll try again tomorrow!

Since it's December, it also means that it's time for another bead giveaway for all the voters out there! Congratulations to Loretta V. of Tampa Florida this month! Check out the home page to see what she's won! Thanks again to everyone that votes! Starting January 1st, I will no longer be having a Voting Giveaway Contest. I am finding that the two sites in which you vote on are experiencing technical difficulty more and more each month. It is becoming harder for me to track the votes, therefore the ranking of my site seems to go up and down drastically each and every day. By all means, you may still vote for my site if you wish ;) ... but just please know that December will be the last month for a free bead giveaway. I will be announcing the winner in early January (most likely not Januray 1st, as I will be busy with family on New Years Day). Thank you again to all those that have voted for my site day after day, I truly appreciate it! I'm sure I will have some other kind of free bead contest in the near future, I just have to think of something! haha

Well, I should get to bed so I can have an early start at the torch tomorrow! Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season (I'll be back in a week or two I'm sure but I just wanted to spread some holiday cheer tonight). Thanks for stopping by ...and remember to keep a watch out for some new beads in the gallery and on Etsy soon!

Back to normal.

2008-11-20T17:47:00.000-05:00

Well I'm back from my shows and I'm ready to head back into the studio full-force this weekend, getting busy creating some new beads and working on some new designs and a little something else that's new for me as well! I'm still in the experimenting mode, so it'll be a little while before I can debut this new upcoming line of work. The Ottawa show was fantastic and a huge success! Congrats to Grace for organizing such a great show! I am positive that it will be expanding for next year, so look forward to that!

I hope to list some new things in my Etsy shop in the next little while as well. As for site maintenance, I'll be adding new eye-candy to my gallery! Now that things are getting back to normal, I'll be able to start taking custom orders again after this weekend as well. Those of you that are thinking of Christmas presents, you may want to get your orders in soon to ensure delivery before the holiday mayhem begins!

Nothing much else to share tonight. I'll be back again soon, hopefully with those gallery additions as promised! :)

Unbelievable!

2008-11-13T22:05:00.001-05:00

Needless to say, my weekend was absolutely amazing!!! Sunday was indeed a dream come true. In fact, I'm going through post-concert depression right now! hahaha It will be a day that I will never forget!

Thanks to my mom and Jay for working my booth for me on the Sunday at the TBS. The show was great. Thanks to all those that came out to visit! The winner of the $25.00 gift certificate is Carol W. of Toronto. Congrats Carol, I'll be emailing you. I'll be pretty busy this week, preparing for my Ottawa show this weekend! If you're in the area, you should check it out!

Gotta cut this short tonight ... lots to do! I'll be back after the Ottawa show. After this weekend, I'm not scheduled for another show until March, so hopefully I'll be able to be present a little more often on here, adding to the gallery and adding more beads on Etsy and whatnot.

Take care.

Slipped Away

2008-11-02T21:12:00.002-05:00

Oh my, how the month of October slipped away from me! I apologize for the long silence on here ... I have been really busy! I'm sure those of you who read my blog on a fairly regular basis are anxiously awaiting the ridiculously amazing news that I was hoping I'd be able to share! Well.... I am ecstatic to announce that on November 9th (ok people, don't think I'm silly here...) my dream of meeting my most favourite band of all time is finally after nearly fifteen years, coming true! I will be meeting The Backstreet Boys in Hamilton a week today! As a matter of fact, at this time exactly one week from now, I will be enjoying my second row centre stage concert tickets (still goo-gaa over meeting them backstage at the soundcheck a mere four hours prior I'm sure!) My sister and I have been waiting for this day for a long time and it's finally coming true! The Backstreet Boys are the type of band that people either love or hate, so think of me what you will, but just know that I am sooooo happy!

I will be leaving the Toronto Bead Society show early on Sunday, so if you need to speak with me regarding any custom orders or special requests, the best day to do it is Saturday (I'll be there all day Saturday). I'll be there for a couple of hours Sunday morning but then I'm off to Hamilton! My fiancé Jay and my mom will be holdin' down the fort for me (love you guys! hee hee).

So, wow, the October winner already? Congratulations to Brianne G. of North York, ON! (see the home page for a photo of what you've won!) Thanks again to all those that vote every day all month long! Good luck for the November draw! Well, I better get down to the studio before the night fades away on me (apparently as the entire month of October did). I'll be pretty busy over the next few weeks with preparation for my shows and custom orders that I need to finish. I'll be back to being able to take new custom orders beginning November 24th. Thanks everyone!

Take care, thanks for stopping by.

Pinch me!

2008-10-01T17:10:00.012-04:00

Woo hoo! Im'm soooe hpaapy rghit nwo taht I cnat evnen tyepe todya!!!! ... see post below. I've found out that I'm one step closer to having my dream come true! Next Tuesday will be the end all and be all of whether or not it will happen for sure! Keep your fingers crossed for me PLEASE!!! But, needless to say, I'm in a great mood!!!! In fact, I'm in such a great mood today that I've decided to give away free beads to three lucky people this month instead of one! To celebrate the beautiful October harvest, each of you have won a set of three "autumn gourd" beads! ...So, uh, I guess I should announce the three lucky ladies!

Congratulations to: Brandi L. of Scarborough, ON.
Janie W. of Orlando FL.
and Lucie R. of Sherbooke, QB!

Thanks again everyone for voting all month long and good luck for the October draw! Gotta run... I have to package up some orders and get to the post office. I'll be back again soon! Thanks for stopping by!

Unsuspecting Sunday Afternoon

2008-09-28T13:06:00.005-04:00

I found out that tomorrow is the day I find out if my dreams can come true! I'm feeling rather anxious, excited and edgy all at the same time. It is something that I have wanted and dreamed about for many years and to have it feel so close yet so far, so soon ... it's all I can think about right now! It may seem silly to some, but for those that have ever had a similar dream finally become attainable...

"I've been walking around inside a haze, between the lines of reason ...feels like I'm barely breathing."

Some of you may know what I'm talking about, some of you may not. Either way, root for it to happen for me! hee hee

On the beady side of things; I've listed a few new beads on Etsy (including some really cute itty-bitty bones!) So I hope you'll check em' out! I'm almost done adding another full page of gallery photos on my website so check back soon for that update! Lastly, if you live in the Toronto area and are familiar with beadFX, you can expect to see a whole bunch of new beads in the store in the next week! I mailed off a big ol' box o' new beads today so beadFX should receive it and have them out on display by the end of the week. Some of the beads are the last of what I have left in a particular design so you won't be able to find them available for sale at my shows in the near future. Bonus: beadFX is having a great sale on almost everything in the store up until October 5th, so hurry in!

I don't have much else to blab about today. I DO have a couple loads of laundry to do though. I guess I should get on that. :( I'll be back again in a day or two... hopefully so ecstatic and delirious I've lost all control and my ability to type!

Piccadilly Pods & Dirty Martini's

2008-09-25T19:02:00.015-04:00

Just a quick note to let you all know that I just listed some new beads on Etsy! They're fun and funky and I hope you'll check 'em out! They're the first of I don't know how many, but I do know that I'll be listing more items in my shop when I have a bit more time.., right now I'm on my way out to dinner. Over the next little while while I ponder over how to recreate my blog on it's own site right here, I'll be posting updates on both this blog and the one on my website.

I'm liking this blogspot this so far. I've been playing around with some of the features... adding gadgets and photos and links, oh my! I just wish I could somehow transfer over all my past blog entires from my website and archive them all here accordingly (anyone? Bueller? anyone?) Post a comment if you please?!

I'm starving so I gotta run... so consider this your fair warning: awesome beads coming soon to an Etsy shop near you!

Ciao for now.

I can't decide...

2008-09-24T20:09:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone,
I've been noticing that a lot of people have this really cool "blogspot" thing going on these days. I'm thinking about starting to post my blogging babble here instead of directly on my website. Don't worry, I will still have the "blog" section on my site, but it will link here. What do you think?

The cool things about having a blogspot:
1. People can post comments directly pertaining to each post.
2. The entries are archived in such a way that you can easily go back to read older posts.
3. People can subscribe to my blog directly.

The uncool things about having a blogspot:
1. I dunno, perhaps you guys can comment and let me know! Do you like it here? Do you prefer it be directly on my site as before?

I can't decide...