June 23, 2008

Tie it up with a bow.

I've been doing a lot of thinking and planning about my jewelry business.
I want to get back to it so so bad. I miss it like crazy.
I have all these beads and gemstones that I bought when I was out and just purchased in the hopes I can get back to making jewelry again soon.
But when I do get the all clear, I also want to pick up some custom boxes to ship them to my customers in.
I've seen some really cute boxes from other people on line, and I want them.
They hand stamp them with their business logo, or just a fun little print, and people really like them.
It makes the whole thing come together in a very neat look, a finished look.
I will get back to it soon I hope.
Just need to get this pinched nerve stuff taken care of, and then I'm going to get busy on some of my plans.
I miss doing it so much, it was calming and soothing, and when I'd complete one and my customers let me know how much they liked it, it was such a good feeling.

April 1, 2008

Money, it's a hit.

Lucky for me when I started my jewelry making biz, I only needed less than $100 in business funding to get started, but other companies need a lot more.
And it has always baffled me why some companies sorta brag about how much venture capital they got.
I don't understand it, maybe they think it will make more people want to invest or sign up with them or something, I don't know.
I just know that reading a press release about a company that got "another $10 million in venture capital start-up funding", doesn't make me feel secure, it makes me feel like they won't make it without always having a back up source of funding.
I mean, I'm glad there are places out there where you can get money to start up your business, but I don't like it when companies brag about how much they got.

And I do hope to get back to my jewelry making soon. I even have new supplies that I just recently bought, and some new design ideas.
I just need to get my shoulder taken care of, and then it's a go.

September 25, 2007

Ok to go. Ok to go.

I'm hoping those are the words I hear on my next appointment with my surgeon, Dr. M next month.
I want so badly for him to give the ok for me to get back to my home based business of jewelry making.
Sooo bad.
I miss it so much, and I have all these awesome ideas.
I still have the shoulder issues, and when working with the wires and threading small beads, and clamps, it puts pressure on my shoulder and causes that flare up.
I know cuz I tried to make a piece and nearly wrecked my shoulder.
*sigh*
I just want to do it again so much. It is relaxing and gives me a creative outlet.
I have so many beads now too. I have slowly been buying items I love and making plans for pieces, I have everything written down, and drawn out.
I just want this so much, and for all this time, he's been saying nope, your shoulder can't take the pressure yet.
It's just not right.
*sad*

January 10, 2007

Public notice.

I am making an official statement regarding this issue.

My offer for a refund has been rescinded. My jewelry website clearly states, no refunds.
It does say lifetime repairs are free.
I attempted to do that with this woman.
I had mail issues which I have taken full responsibility for.
I made good on it and sent the pieces back priority mail with delivery confirmation inside my own home state.
The package was confirmed delivered one month ago.
It took the woman all that time to not contact me, but a friend of mine when she had ample ways to reach me.
I offered to refund her and told her to contact me yesterday.
I told her again today at 1:55pm to contact me ASAP and I would refund the money.
I know she has received those messages.
She has chosen to ignore me and post publicly that I am a shady business woman.

I believe I have treated all my customers fairly in the time that I have been doing business and kept good on my word to make repairs for free. I had one customer mail me the same two bracelets three times because they did not fit her daughters right and I finally got them right. I had not been at jewelry making very long when that happened and so I took that as a learning experience.
I have had repeat customers as well, so I know I am good at what I do.

I have been on medical leave from my business since about one month before surgery, and I am sill on medical leave as it is still not possible for me to sit and make the pieces as I would like to.
I agreed to repair her pieces during this time regardless of how I was feeling.
I believe she simply does not want this resolved.

I am posting this publicly because this affects me and my business.
I am not a shady business woman. I tried repeatedly to resolve this to the customers satisfaction and have been ignored.
There is nothing more I can do.
I am standing by my original policy of no refunds because I know in my heart that I have tried to resolve this to make everyone happy and it simply cannot be done.

When I get the go ahead from my surgeon to resume prolonged sitting activities, hopefully next month when I see him, I plan on getting back to making more jewelry.
I hope that this incident does not turn people away from my business.
I really have tried to make good even by going against my own policy on refunds, which has been in place since I started it.
I feel bad that the situation cannot be resolved, but I know that I tried.

Thank you.

January 9, 2007

I'm taking a nap and there's nothing you can do about it.

I got all ready to go out which to me, means taking a shower and making sure my legs are hairless. Which I can tell you, they were not.
I think I was in there a full thirty minutes. Shaving my legs with all this titanium is still amazingly difficult to do. It's obviously time to write to all the razor makers. Again.

Freaking people piss me off man.
I log in to the forum I mod a section for, and there's a PM (private message) from Jimmy. Jimmy is a great friend of mine, known him for over a year now, good guy.
He's relaying a PM sent to him by this woman whom I would just like out of my life once and for all.
Instead of messaging me, she sent it to him. I'm thinking because the name she sent it to him under was the same name I had known was hers (forum log in user name) since the day it appeared on the forums, and she kept denying it was her in an attempt to fuck with my head.
Lame right? I know!
Anyway, about two months ago now, she returned some bracelets to me to repair. I repaired and attempted to send them back but my neighbor, whom I am still having issues with, somehow got them in her mail box and thought they were gifts. She thanked me profusely even though I kept telling her; "no, I need those, the mail man fucked up here, they belong to someone else."
So, I got them all back and re-mailed them priority USPS with delivery confirmation.
I check the Post Office website, they are confirmed delivered.
Weeks go by, actually, it's been a friking month, she decides to PM Jimmy about a 'business matter' that I need to take care of.
From the fake user name she set up. PM Jimmy who knows nothing about my business matters. Instead of me. A full month after I re-mailed them, priority mail in FLORIDA no less.
Now, I'm all about making things right, I will refund the money for the bracelets to end this nutty stuff that's going on.
This woman knows my email address, she can use the PM function on that forum to send me a message, she can also use the hotbox feature on the forum she mods, to send me a message. But no, she chose to involve a friend of mine in a business matter he knows absolutely nothing about because Jimmy and I, do not freaking discuss my business matters!
She is the reason I stopped using that other forum. I wanted to be there to play and have fun like I used to, but this woman made it freaking miserable for me to be there sending me nasty hotboxes daily, stalking me on the other forums I am part of, using fake names, being a general pain in the ass.
I want her gone out of my life.
I have a policy with my jewelry biz, that I do not do refunds but will do lifetime repairs on any of my work. In this case, I'm willing to do a full refund on three bracelets. Shipping included. Good bye, adios, good fucking riddance!
I have been dealing with her being a major bitch to me for almost 2 years, and now she's involving my friends in things they now nothing about because she's a psycho.
Legally, I don't have to do diddly squat because I have proof they were delivered to her, but because I know she will never fucking shut up, I'm going to refund the money.
I want her gone and done.

December 2, 2006

Slow, then fast.

Most of today dragged by and then all of a sudden, it's 8pm. What the hell?
I promise I will get back to everyone who emailed me today about jewelry and other stuff.
I have been unable to concentrate on any one thing for like the last hour. Like my head keeps getting all scrambled.
Dunno.
Ok, off to start answering emails and getting packages ready to go out etc.
Later days.

December 2, 2006

Getting back in my own swing of things.

I'm exhausted taking care of others and doing for others. That sounds so selfish I know, but it's been a very hectic and stressful 2 weeks for me and I need to take back my time, my space, my life.
So tomorrow, I'm getting my house back in shape, cleaning, organizing and digging out all my xmas stuff.
Practically everyone I know has already put up their xmas decorations, they did them like the day after Thanksgiving.
That's far too soon for me, even tomorrow feels too early, but maybe if I do it, I'll start to get out of this funk I'm in.
I've been battling this flu or whatever it is, since last Sunday afternoon. It comes and goes. Hot and feverish and tired one day, and then fine the next. Today was one of those tired and feverish days. I just didn't feel like doing much of anything at all.

I have two packages to mail out tomorrow, waiting on a package from UPS, and then sending something back out by UPS.
I'm clearing out my inventory on my jewelry site. I posted it elsewhere and a woman bought a bracelet set and another woman bought 3 pairs of earrings.
This is how I'm doing this because I want to clear out all the pieces I've made and haven't sold so I can buy new beads and findings so I can get back into this again. I've been so bored and tired of sitting on my ass, so if there's something on the site that hasn't been marked as sold, email me and offer me a price, I'll say yes. I just want the stuff gone so I can buy more stuff to make more stuff. My hobby money account is at zero so I have to sell the old stuff to fund my jewelry account.
All pieces will be shipped priority mail for $5.00, so buy a lot for cheap and pay one low price.
I need more wire, more beads, more findings and a new pair of cutters.
Help me out, buy my stuff...lol
I really want to get back to this regardless of docs sitting restrictions. I have so many ideas I've been writing down and wanting to do.

I need to be sleeping right now but I can't sleep. I have so much on my mind and that makes it very hard for me to sleep no matter how exhausted I am.
I guess I'm gonna go watch Jimmy Kimmel, add movies to my netflix account and then attempt to sleep at some point. I really feel like going for a walk but it's midnight. Bah.
Later days.

July 7, 2005

Items for sale.

You can view all pieces for sale by clicking one link in the sidebar now.
And as always, I take custom orders.

July 6, 2005

Thank you!

Thank you Christine for the jewelry order!
I ordered all the supplies and they should be here by the weekend and I can get started on it.
It's gonna be awesome!

Want something made?
Want something I already made? Check out Katsbeadedcreations.com for ideas or to purchase something.
Contact me with any ideas you may have and we can work it all out!

Thanks again!

July 5, 2005

New pieces for sale!

There are a few new pieces for sale and many others. Just click around and find something you like!

June 26, 2005

Raffle winner!!

Due to my sisters camera not cooperating, we had to do the draw when we got back which was just now so in the extended entry is the capture and winner!

June 22, 2005

Time is running out!

There are only 3 pairs left in my earring sale!

And the jewelry raffle is still on too but only until the 25th at 9pm! Get those entries in if you want a chance to win! Thanks for all your entries!

June 16, 2005

Only 5 pair left!

There are only 5 pairs left in my earring sale!

And the jewelry raffle is still on too! Thanks for all your entries!

June 15, 2005

Earring sale!

I'm having an earring sale!
Have you wanted something of mine but didn't have the money for a bracelet or necklace? Grab a pair (or two) of earrings at a low price right now!

And the jewelry raffle is still going on until the 25th for just a $1.00 entry ticket!

June 12, 2005

Beading news.

Yesterday in the mail, I got a box full of beads from a friend. I totally appreciate it Jo. That was so awesome. I saw ideas as soon as I looked at them all. Thanks so much!

In other bead news, the ultra fab Jenni bought me a domain as a surprise! Now you can just type in katsbeadedcreations.com into your browser and it redirects to my bead site. How very cool and thank you babe! *mwah*

*pimp pimp pimp* The jewelery raffle is still on and we have a good amount of entries but anyone who enters still stands a good shot and it's only $1! *pimp pimp pimp*

I guess I'll go distract myself for awhile and make some stuff. Nothing going on around here tonight at all.

Later days.

June 10, 2005

There are a few new pieces up.

I made a few new pieces today and scanned and uploaded them.

The jewelry raffle is still on until the 25th at 9pm so you still have plenty of time to enter for your chance to win this gorgeous set.

June 9, 2005

Rah rah rah!

This custom order necklace is made with blue Austrian crystals, blue Czech glass and blue glass with sterling silver bali spacers and sterling silver flower spacers with a sterling silver toggle clasp and sterling silver cheerleader charm.

Jewelry raffle

June 9, 2005

I'm having a good day. How bout you?

The boys have been at each others throats all day long which has been crazy but other than that, I'm doing great. Funny how just one night in my own bed could completely restore my sanity.

I have to sit down tonight and make a necklace for an order and work on another idea I have but that's about it until this weekend when I get wrist measurements for another order.

Oh, Sebastians grades all came in from school. He did great! He is moving on to AOT7!! I knew he could do it. If he keeps this up, he'll be taking the advanced classes in high school too.
He can be a major bugger butt but he's very smart. *proud*

Time to go start dinner, spaghetti (plenty of leftovers for tomorrow cuz man they can eat!) and then get started on that necklace. I have a cool idea for it. If you want to enter the jewelry raffle, it will be open until June 25th at 9:30pm and I will be checking that account to make sure everyone who enters, gets their name in the bucket.

Later days.

June 6, 2005

Making some progress on the mountain of laundry.

Two loads down, two more to go.
Haven't really attempted much else cuz my back is still too sore for everything I want to do so I'm taking it small on all the other stuff and I really can't vac cuz parts of the rug are wet and I don't want to blow up the vac by getting it wet inside.
Been there, done that, no vac for like a month till I could buy a new one.

The boys are off running errands with my sis still but should be home soon. She just sent me a picture from her cell phone and I was like hey, that's not her living room!? Where the hell are they?...lol
Just shopping, checking out some music stores in the area. Keeping them busy is good. She is also bringing wings home from Wings N' Weenies. Yum. Thanks sis..lol

Still waiting on a bead supply order. Got one of my orders but not the other, the one I need to complete an order. Better get here soon, I hate not getting my orders done and shipped in a timely manner plus, without them, I am not sure what to make. I have ideas but don't want to use findings I may need for that particular order.

If you haven't entered yet, you have until Saturday the 25th at 9:30pm to enter the jewelry raffle. Thanks to those of you who have entered and good luck. If this one is a success, I may do it again. I love making jewelery and love getting the word out about my work as well and hey, it's only $1 for a chance to win a really gorgeous bracelet and earring set.
The boys are excited about it to as it was their idea to begin with to do a raffle.
They help me out a lot with it. Sebastian has quite an eye for colors and mark has mad design skills but both can't do the stringing very well so they have planned out a few pieces on paper and on the bead board and asked me to do them.
The summer earrings were Sebastians idea and he chose the beads and Mark designed these cuz he just loved those arrows. We picked up more marcasite the other day cuz he loves those beads, and he is working on a new design for me or so he says between video games...lol
Not bad at all.

Ok, I think the dryer just stopped so I can fold and refill the dryer and start load three.
Later days.

June 5, 2005

Be vewy quiet, the kiddos are still sleeping.

Bobby came and slept over last night and they were all up until about 1am or so playing video games and laughing.
I would just like to sun to come out for about an hour or so today so I can send them outside and do some cleaning. Holy schmolies is this place dirty in just a few days of kids being trapped in here.
Paper with cheat codes all over the tables, shoes, socks, cups, plates, toys, candy wrappers, burger king toy wrappers. Ugh.

Not too much happening this early in the morning. Just surfing around the net trying to catch up with everyone and everything. So many cool things are happening with a lot of you and I've missed it all! Summer vacation has left me with a little less time to blog hop. It seems I'm breaking up arguments or checking for injuries every 5 minutes.
Boys play very rough man.

If you haven't seen it yet, I'm having a jewelry raffle so go check it out and enter!

Later days.

June 4, 2005

Want to win a bracelet and earring set?

Just click this link to see the set and follow the directions to enter for your chance to win. Only one entry per person.

June 4, 2005

Back from the shopping hell.

Man, I hate going to that plaza on Saturdays. Grr.
But I got the beads for one of my orders, my supplies didn't come in today so they should all be here on Monday at the latest now.
Got my tissue paper, an ink pad and everything else I needed.
I'm gonna go rest for a bit then get busy on that one order and get it ready to mail on Monday morning.

Later days.

June 4, 2005

Late to bed, early to rise.

The boys slept over next door last night and are still there but I always get up early just in case they come back early in the morning.
They had so much fun last night playing outside which is good cuz all the rain has kept them inside and I was going a little cross eyed from all the video games.

Have some projects to do today, need to get to Michaels as I never made it there yesterday and I need 2 small things to complete some projects I have and then if my supply orders show up, I can complete my other 2 orders and get those all out on Monday. That would be really great because I want to make something really cool and have a contest of sorts with it.

Last night was kinda crazy around here for me. I wanted to just chill and catch up with people but the phone kept ringing and then when I was heavy into a conversation, the phone battery died. Ugh. That's the second time this week. Time for a new battery but hey, at least this phones batteries are cheaper than the last cordless phone I had. Those were like $20-$30 bucks each. This one I can get from marketplace sellers for about $5 bucks so I'm quite happy about that.

And then there's all kinds of stupid people that I have to deal with cuz some peoples lives are not full enough unless they have some web drama in them.
What is the point of having any type of argument on line?
You don't know these people really at all, you will probably never meet them because they are all talk and no action and would never have the balls to say that shit to your face or by phone.
Me, I say exactly what I think when I think it and to who it's intended for and yeah, I've even had the balls to say it over the phone to one woman whom I had a disagreement with.
But the situation with her was different in the fact that we had the issue, talked about the issue and set aside our differences like adults do. Then when we spoke on the phone, we really talked about it all and realized how stupid both of us had been during all of that and ended up laughing and became friends.
I have zero respect for people who keep bringing up old crap, get themselves involved in things they have no real clue about and think it's so cool to talk all big out of their ass because hey, so and so said I should.
Follower much?
There comes a time when you need to sit back and look at the whole picture and not just your little corner of it and try to look ahead at what will/can happen if you keep that kind of shit up. How do you look forward? Look at the past history of the ones who think what they are doing is cool. Look how long they are dragging an issue out instead of letting it go like adults do. This isn't high school here folks. You should be grown up by now and able to think for yourselves and really look at what has been said in the very recent past and learn from it. You aren't learning. You keep doing the same shit because they claim to be your friends.
At least I'm honest with ya when I say I don't like you. I don't back peddle at all and kiss your ass because I need you for my silly web vendetta.
So write what you want, think it's fun, cool or what have you. I'm not playing any of you gals silly games as much as you'd like to drag me into it. You did that to me once and I learned from it exactly what type of people I was dealing with and moved on.
Move on. Life is far too short to argue over the internet with people you have never even met.

Later days.

May 24, 2005

Dangle dangle.

May 22, 2005

Laundry is done, dishes are almost done.

Turtle brownies are baking, floors are cleaned, bathroom is clean and I also made 5 new pieces today and scanned and uploaded them.
I am having so much fun making new stuff. It is so soothing and relaxing and I get better and better with each new piece. Not that I think my stuff is all that but that I get better at the crimping and styles etc. It just gets easier and easier with each new piece.

The boys are playing video games and driving me bonkers.
I cannot believe tomorrow is the last day of school. They don't have to go Tuesday if they don't ant to and teachers are actually encouraging them to stay home so I will probably just let them sleep in on Tuesday morning.
Mark has his 8th grade graduation ceremony Monday morning at 10am and it lasts about an hour. I'm going but not taking any pictures because it's just 8th grade and all they are going to do is have the principal make a speech and hand out awards and diplomas and then we can take the kids home. It's actually kind of boring....lol

Ok, so I like need a nap after those brownies come out. I'm whooped I tell ya...lol

Later days.

May 21, 2005

Lots of new items.

If you haven't stopped by my jewelry site lately, you haven't seen what I have been up to. Lots of new pieces, sets, earrings, breastfeeding necklaces etc.
Stop by and take a peek.

May 20, 2005

Holy crap it's hot out there.

I went and came right back. Too frigging hot to stay out playing in stores all day. Don't have the money to anyway but I could sit in that guys bead shop all day. I love his stuff. I need to remember he's there more often instead of getting my supplies from on line suppliers so much. The shipping costs alone are killing me at one supplier and the other one I love doesn't have nearly as much as the bigger one with the pricey shipping.

So I have to complete the necklace now and I did grab a small strand of these pretty flower beads for mother daughter sets.

Ok, gotta run. Lots to do today.
Later days.

May 9, 2005

Another new piece.

I made this turquoise and "snake head" bali bead bracelet for Sols' wife. :)

May 8, 2005

New piece.

You can see everything here.

P.S. Miss Kristin, (Stellas Mom) I need you to email me please with the wrist size of Stella and whether or not you need two instead of just the one bracelet. Thanks.

May 1, 2005

How much do I love movie gallery?

Very much!
I went and returned Napoleon and told them that it sucked so they gave me a free rental.
So Sebastian wanted to get some cartoon Star Wars thing and I grabbed Finding Neverland because everyone said it was really good and I don't mind a Kleenex fest. My boys saw it in the theater and said they cried, George cried, everybody cried so yay, let's all cry...lol

I had to go down there anyway because all my scripts were ready. 2 of them weren't supposed to be ready until the 7th but my insurance let them go in today so yay! All my meds a little ahead of schedule! Woot! No waiting, no missing meds for a few days, yes!

So anyway, we are watching Tales from the Darkside on UPN right now and when this goes off, they are gonna watch that Star Wars thing and I have a set to make for Jenni now that she called me with her wrist size.
Good talking to ya, twice...lol
She rocks by the way. Have I told you that? In case I didn't, she does. I'm like seriously gonna owe her a cut of my profits when I start making some. She is working just as hard as I am helping me with everything. I loves ya babe.
Since I started, every penny has been turned right back around and put back into the biz buying more supplies and shipping to customers and what not. I figure anymore beads and I'm gonna need another one of these, 64 Drawer Hardware Storage Cabinet - Gray/Blue.
It rocks. It's so perfect for my beads and findings. I have them rainbow organized for easy finding and stuff. I love it. I just knew it was gonna be good when I saw it listed. Oh, and I added some buy now buttons to certain pieces on my bead pages for easy shopping.
I take paypal and postal money orders only right now so people have options if they want something made. There is still time for mothers day. I can priority ship and I make my stuff really fast. The cut off for mothers day though is definitely the 5th. I can't guarantee delivery after that date.

Ok, I talked long enough...lol
Later days.

May 1, 2005

My scanner semi-cooperated this morning.

I had 4 new pieces to scan and put up before I shipped some of them off to their buyers. (Thanks!)
You can check out my new bead blog and my designs here.
If you had my old bead pages bookmarked, please make sure to update it to the new url.

I have some turquoise I want to mess around with later today. I have an idea that has been eating at me for days now since the supply order came in.

If you want to order anything that is pre-made or a custom order, please use this email address.

I have been having so much fun with the new stones and findings I picked up and have just been jotting down tons of ideas.

April 28, 2005

So we leave earlier next time.

I am one hurting woman today.
I am so frigging stiff I had a hard time using the bathroom...lol
For school orientation, we will leave the house earlier if we are walking again so I'm not as rushed as last night.
It started at 6:30, we left at 6, I figured a half hour is good, the schools not that far.
Yes it is.
Dammit.

So anyway, I have lots of seated stuff I can do today.
I need to finish uploading all my pieces and get their descriptions in, delete the old pages after I do that cuz that's where the descriptions are,redo the links to the bead pages, mod my forums and figure out dinner.

I have been such a bad mod. Honest.
The last 2 days have just been either sucky or hectic and so I like barely posted at all and when I did post on Tuesday, it was a curse filled tirade at the 2 year old games people play.
Yeah. Good going super mod.
You guys know me. You guys know that when pissed off and it takes a lot to get me that pissed off, that I can curse like a sailor with a bad case of crabs and scurvy who's been at sea for 10 years.
These people, oh man, I think I caused a few eyes to bleed...lol
I'd go delete it cuz I can do that but I always stand by what I say in spoken and written word and I think leaving it there may deter anyone else from fucking with me.

So anyway, I'll be around off and on in between getting things done that need to be done.
Now that I think of it, I've been a bad blogger too.
I suck.
Later days.

April 27, 2005

Woo! been busy!

Had a lot to do today.
Had to fill out all of Marks HS paperwork and we are headed there in a little bit to register him for HS.
Can you believe my baby is going to high school?? *sniff*

Making dinner early because of that so we can eat, get dressed and go.
Luckily the HS is in walking distance so this won't be too bad at all.

Jenni, the awesome Jenni, made me a whole brand new beading portfolio today!
I have so much work to do with it, have to resize all the pics and upload them and everything but it's gorgeous and it looks so much more professional doncha think?
I am so excited!
I love it Jenni! You are the bestest evah! *mwah*

Ok, need to finish cooking the dinner, take a shower and get moving.
Will work on all of it later on and try to catch up with everyone.
Later days.

April 22, 2005

I was inspired by my beads...lol

Click for bigger.

This is a gorgeous red hat bracelet measuring exactly 6 inches so it would fit that size wrist or smaller.
It is made from 10mm lepidolite purple squares, 4mm carnelian beads, 3x6 Czech crystal spacers, enameled red hat charms and a sterling silver toggle clasp.

As always, the scanner just doesn't do it's sparkle justice.

April 22, 2005

There is no greater sin than AC.

It is pretty darn hot out there right now.
Just got back from running all my local errands.
It sucked.
Walk from here to the Post Office and back here to rest my knee. Jag, Carrie and Chelsea, all your stuff is on it's way. Sorry I'm later than I said jag, I had a stack of things to go out so I waited until I had a whole bunch to do instead of one this day and that day. Ya know how that is.

Then I walked up to the corner store and the dollar store right across the street for some red hat charms and some other little stuff.
Ya know what pisses me off?
I'll tell you what.
I bought one red hat charm from an on line supplier for $2.50. One itty bitty charm.
At the dollar store cuz I had to get some other stuff while I was there, I saw the exact same charm on some dollar store bracelets. Exactly what I paid $2.50 for. Same size, same design. But the dollar store bracelets have 4 charms per bracelet! The actual bracelets are crap. They are cheap plastic, but the charms are exactly what I bought on line!! Grrr!!
So I bought every single bracelet they had...lol All 9 of them. I now have 36 charms to make really good quality bracelets out of. Well, 37 if you count the one I paid too much for. I have some square purple Lepidolite beads and some round carnelian beads and the red hat charms to make some really nice red hat bracelets. The lady with the store says she has lots of red hat ladies so, give 'em what they want ya know?

I got both my supply orders in, one yesterday and one today, so I can spend the weekend working on stuff to show her and the nursing necklace for a mom on the message board.

I'm attempting to reset the scanner in hopes that that takes care of the yellow lines. I know it must be from when I unhooked everything awhile back to set up the router. It has to be because that is when I started noticing the problems with the yellow lines.

ok, rambled on enough here.
Later days.

April 15, 2005

I need this.

Online Shopping -- Tool Magic -- thebeadfactory.com

I marred the crap out of some wire tonight. Damn. First time I have done that.
Grr.
A whole project.
Gone.

April 15, 2005

The technical stuff.

For those who need to know or are just curious how this all works out.

My welfare (yup, welfare) caseworker has known about jewelery biz, my blog and my ebay user name since last summer when I started on ebay and in the fall when I started making jewelery.

It works like this, if I make more than $300 per month, like say $301.00, it has to be reported and claimed. It actually makes zero affect on my case at all. It does not change any amounts of welfare received which is nothing at all people. If you think I'm living the high life down here collecting welfare, you are like so sorely mistaken.
I end up selling off my possessions to pay bills all the time, that's how little welfare is.

Yesterday after I got off the phone with the store owner, I called the IRS, yes, the IRS! Can you believe it?! Kat's following the law with this whole thing! What a shocker that she's not trying to scam anyone here eh?!
I got my new tax id number, my EIN. I am official.
It's going to take 2-4 weeks to get the paper version so NONE of my stuff can be sold at her store until we have the paper version.

I then got off the phone from IRS and called my caseworker. I told her my good news. She was elated for me. This may be just what I was hoping to do cuz welfare living sucks folks. She was very excited and told me as soon as I receive my first paycheck *squee* to call her and or bring it down so she can copy it.
If it's under $300 again, it has zero affect on my case, again.

This could take off right away or it could take months and months to build up enough revenue to be considered "taken off welfare".

I have always followed the rules people.
I know what I am doing. I would never commit fraud. I mean, how stupid would I be to go announcing this on the internet and not tell my caseworker!! Good grief! One would have to be pretty stupid don't ya think? My name is on here, people know my name, people do business with me, snail mail and all that jazz.
Do ya really think I'd be so stupid to not do all this on the up and up?

You can send nasty emails, you can post "reminder comments" for me to follow the law folks but I am so far ahead of you on this.

I appreciate your citizenly concern, I really do but I am not so stupid to go posting this kind of stuff if it hasn't already been made legal.

There is a new private entry up.

April 14, 2005

I created a set for

JaG.
When I think of her, see her pictures, I think of someone delicate and sexy, thin and beautiful, mysterious and happy so this set is made using blacks and pinks, a couple of colors she said she liked and my vision of the above.

April 14, 2005

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

I just got off the phone with a woman who owns a store in North Port.
Her daughter who is a member of the message board I belong to, gave her my beading pages and she liked what she saw!
She would like to have me do a mix of cheaper end stuff and higher end sterling silver and gold pieces and maybe even mass produce a certain style of bracelet for holidays like my xmas bracelet.

This is totally exciting!
This is what I have been waiting for, the ability to sell in a store front and actually make some decent money!
I could like, call this my job people...lol

I placed an order early this morning for some high end findings and crystals etc and as soon as they arrive, I'm going to get started on making a mixture of both for her to see.

Keep your fingers crossed that she likes them and wants to work with me.
I'll just need to get a tax id number but that is easy and then we, I mean I, could be in business!
Woot!
And another woman on the message board with better describing abilities, (thanks Keri) has offered to re-write my descriptions for me.
How cool is this?!?

So thank you to all of you who bought stuff and asked for special pieces so that I could stretch my imagination to create some really interesting pieces.
This could be it!
I'm so excited.
But not too excited.
I don't want to jinx myself.

April 13, 2005

Good afternoon.

I have been busy all day. Cleaning, dishes, laundry and worked on this necklace for quite awhile.
I like it.

Click for larger.

April 13, 2005

A girl could get used to this.

The boys are off to school, I started my laundry, feeling pretty good again today other than a pain in my neck today.
Slept crooked I think. *shrug* *ouch*
Don't shrug Kat.

Got a funny kind of email.
Some guy emails and asks me to put his url for his credit repair stuff on my site. Gives me all kinds of keywords, urls, etc.
I wrote back and told him it's $40 a month to advertise on my blog.
Let's see if he does...lol
Some foreign name. Heh heh.

Need to get to the library or just renew them again because next Wednesday, the boys have dental appointments out at my dental/docs and the first bus stops downtown anyway.
Why make an extra trip by myself if I don't have to?
Yes, I'm lazy but in pain so there.

Still feeling creative so I'm going to make more pieces today after I get in a shower.
If you need a mothers day gift, let me know. There's still time to make them and get them mailed priority.

Later days.

April 12, 2005

Another bracelet.

Click for larger.

This one is made with pink and white shell pieces and metal accent beads and a pair of sunglasses charm, good for summertime.
I got a creative spurt tonight. :)

April 12, 2005

New bracelet.

Click for larger.

This is a silver diamond shaped bali bead and glass and plastic ebeads.
It is a 3 strand, one clasp bracelet.
Looks very cool in person.

My scanner is messed up. Can't figure out the yellow line thing. Oh well.

To see all my jewelery go here.

April 9, 2005

This is my newest set.

*
Click for bigger.

It is pink quartz, purple glass, green jade quartz and sterling silver accent bead caps with sterling silver ear wires.

I love this set. That is like my biggest problem with making pieces. I love them all so much I hate to offer them up for sale but alas, this set is for sale cuz I need money to pay some upcoming bills.
The bracelet fits a 6" inch wrist or smaller very nicely.

I am asking $25 for the set.
If interested, please email, first come, first get as it is one of a kind.

Remember, mothers day is coming up soon and I would love to help you make something nice for your mom.

*Please excuse the image. My scanner was doing some funky yellow stripes for some reason and making the rest of the image dark.

March 30, 2005

Sebastian is having a little friend stay over tonight

and his mom beads jewelry too so she sent over with him a whole bag of beautiful glass beads!
Woo hoo!
Now if I just had an idea of what to make with them.
*sigh*

February 8, 2005

pppbbbbffft.

My brain is a jumble this morning.
I am so tired and just useless right now.
I am gonna lay back down on the couch after the kids go to school and try to watch medium that I taped last night but I'm sure I'll fall asleep.
So tired.

Pissed the hell off at this store.
I ordered some 9mm split rings on January 20th for Marsha and some other knit stitchers I wanted to make and they are still not here.
I emailed them with my order number on February 3rd and they sent me a tracking number through the USPS. It said they mailed them on February 2nd. Hello? I ordered those thing son January 20th?!?!?
They are still not here either.
I know it was a small order, under $5, but I always make a small first time order to check quality and speed of shipping.
I will never order from them again.
This is beyond ridiculously late shipping now in my opinion.
I would have gotten them from my regular supplier but they didn't have the size I needed. They stopped at 6mm.
I am beyond pissed because I've tried to get these locally and can't, looked all over other websites and no one has that size, this was the only one and they are slow as fucking hell on shipping if I get them at all.
I hate shitty customer service.
So beaders, don't buy from them. That's right, I have a website and I'm not afraid to use it.
Now I have to try and find those rings again somewhere else because this is far too long to make one of my customers wait.
Really, really mad.
Marsha, sorry hun. Will try and find them somewhere else and get them to you ASAP.
Sleep first, then hunt for split rings.

Ok, later days.

January 14, 2005

I almost forgot.

While my net was down, I had two orders to do.
I had to go to my sisters for addresses and shipping info etc so I could finish them but I got them done.
In the extended entry are the orders I did.
One was a mom/daughter bracelet set and the other some stitch markers.
I think they all came out great but the beads on the purple set look better in person as always.

December 28, 2004

Someone I am making some earrings for

asked me if I could make stitch markers.
Sure I said after looking at the examples she sent me, simple enough looking so I made one.
Took me all of 1 minute.
Simple simple simple.
I can't believe that the site she sent me with the examples on actually charges people like $8 for one really large one.
Something like $20 for a set of 12 small ones.
I can't imagine that her supplies cost all that much, the split rings are cheap as hell, beads are pretty darn cheap too if you stick to glass or plastic. Beads of crystal or hand blown are pricey but to use Austrian crystal on a stitch marker? The only thing I can see costing any money is the charms and that's if someone wants a charm on the thing.
So anyway, here is my example of a stitch marker. Shown much larger than actual size of course.
Now, don't ask me how these things are used cuz I am not a knitter. I also don't know sizes of needles so if I made these to sell, I would get one largish size split ring that would fit large needles and smaller.
Thanks for the idea Marsha.

December 12, 2004

Finished all the watches for the order.

Click for larger.
That was fun.
The colors are very simple but that is what was asked for. I like them and they look so good together, I put them all on to try them out and they looked like you could wear them that way all the time..lol
Mailing first thing in the morning.
Later days.

December 10, 2004

To see what I have forseen.

Not much going on here tonight.
Watching Return of the Jedi. I love these movies. I'm such a Star Wars nerd. Love them. Even the silly cgi they added to the Jabba scenes. DVD is so good to these films.

The supplies for Jenni's watch order came today and I did two of them before my back quit after all the cleaning I did in the boys room.
I have all weekend to do the other two.
I also did all five pairs of earrings for Carrie's order. Just waiting on a few small charms to complete her order. If they get here tomorrow in the mail, I will be able to mail out both orders on Monday which will mean they will arrive in plenty of time for Christmas.

Momma cat and baby are doing great! She keeps moving her still though. All over that room. She can't make up her mind it seems.
The kittens eyes are opening and it's big! It's getting nice and healthy and is so cute. Will take an updated picture tomorrow when I have good light.

I guess that's all for now.
Later days.

December 10, 2004

The room is done man.

Just a few small things to put away like blankets. Basically fold them all and place them back on the top bunk for later use.
But I can see the floor, the books and games are straightened and 6 large bags of crap are gone.

Got some more of my bead supplies so I can get busy on those here after I take a little rest break.

Having a good day. Getting a lot done and just hanging out.
Mark's going to teach me how to play Battlefront later.
Cool.

December 8, 2004

Yay!

Ok, sis has the day off and she is going to give us a ride downtown to pay the phone bill and then drop us off at the docs.
When we get back to our side of town, we are going over to help her clean her house cuz she has company coming and she's going to pay us.
Very cool and then she's going to let me use the rug shampooer she's renting on my rugs since my shampooer went to appliance heaven last year.
It died after all those bathroom mishaps with water everywhere and I was using it to suck water out of my carpets for days on end.
It sucked.
What sucks even more is not having that rug shampooer in the house at my disposal all the time. I loved that thing.
Every month I did the rugs and it always looked so nice in here.
I have traffic stains now.
It sucks.
That rentable rug doctor better work good man. I'd hate for it to just move the stains around.

Hopefully, I will get some of the beading supplies in today so I can get cracking on my orders.
Thank you so much to those of you who ordered some.
It helped with xmas for the boys so much and I even was able to get a few small gifts for some extra close special friends.
It's like the least I could do ya know? I wish I could do more and send everyone a gift.
Someday, I will. Someday I'll win the lotto and buy everyone a new car...lol
No, I mean it. I will give back because if it wasn't for so many wonderful people, I can't really say where'd I'd be.
You all mean so much.
Today I am greatful for friends.

Ok, need to make sure I have everything I need including extra pills so that doing the house won't kill me. It's a small house so it shouldn't be too bad.
Later days.

December 7, 2004

I found out long ago it's a long way down the holiday road. Holiday roooaaad.

Yeah I totally love National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and the song ain't half bad either. I actually love all the vacation movies. It's silly humor and family fun.
Holiday Road.
Don't be a dick, always right click.

The kids are off to school. Mark is starting to feel slowly better.
Today is another do stuff around the house day while I wait on supplies to do my orders.
I should do the floors...

Well, not much from here right now.
Later days.

December 6, 2004

Damn you KFC.

I hate prime time food commercials cuz then you get hungry for the stuff they are showing and man that KFC looked good so I called ex-roommate at work and told her boss that she needed to call me before she comes home because we decided we needed chicken in a bad way.
The store she works at makes awesome honey bbq chicken tenders better than KFC so I get my chicken anyway. Nah nah.

I just got another huge order for watches.
Oh my gawd.
I can do it.
I need a clear head though to organize and figure out colors etc and I'm too tired and silly from pain meds tonight to do that so in the morning I will organize and visualize and plan and get cracking on it.
I only have 14 days to make all of Carrie's order and now 5 watches.
I can do it. I will be shipping them out by priority when finished so they will get there in time for xmas.
I'm excited though.
I love making watches.
I learn new ways to twist the wires around and stuff so that they look cool. Smaller disc sized beads don't do well with twisting so I had to make Christines watch (last blue set at the bottom) in a single strand but it had good weight to it so I was confident it would hold up well and not roll around too much on the wrist.
I look forward to getting to make 5 very different watches. I love making jewelry. It's very soothing and therapeutic.

Ok, all for now.
I'm waiting on chicken fingers (I know it's late but I'm hungry and well, I don't care if I'm eating late. You only live once and I can drop weight in a flash if I need to and not that I need to cuz I'm not overweight right now just broken.)
Watching the Di interviews cuz I love gossip and gossip from the grave rocks.

Oh the secrets I could whisper from beyond.
Later days.

December 3, 2004

Long achey day so far.

It's got a bit of a chill in the air here so I'm achy.
Not so bad, the meds do help take the edge off of it.

Mark and I went to the store and got everything we needed. Cold medicines, shampoo, cat food, soap etc, a little bit of food.
We came home and I fell asleep for a bit until now. heh heh.

Going to babysit for my sister tonight, make a little cash. Christmas is coming. I'll babysit until the cows come home to make it a good one or even halfway decent for the boys.
Have a big jewelery order coming up as soon as I get all the colors requested. That will help too.
Speaking of jewelery, my mom sent home with my sis, a few bracelets she found for Christmas with great charms and beads on them but they are on that elastic string. As convenient as elastic bracelets are to slide on and off, the elastic will break after awhile and I hate that so I'm going to transfer the really pretty ones over to wire and lobster claws and then make new stuff with the charms from the other bracelets.
Thanks mom.
Oh yeah mom, ex-roommate ate a whole tub of those cookies herself. She asked if you put something special* in them....lol She chowed the whole tub!

I need to go dig something out of my closet for my sister and then get started making the unfried chicken early because we won't be here to make and eat dinner so we'll eat early before we go to sisters house.

The Baycare Homecare update.
The manager of Baycare was shocked (!) that one of her employees spoke to a total stranger that way and asked how I found out who she worked for. I told her the whole story and said Mr. S---- is none too happy with her service either. You may want to check into that as well as her nasty mouth.
Google that Nurse Donna bitch.
It's one thing to be treated shitty by someone you asked to provide a service for you, it's another entirely to be treated that way by a company that people never even heard of before.
I hate bad customer service to begin with and this just pissed me off. Should you ever need a home health nurse in Florida, be careful of Baycare Homecare.

*My mom would never put anything "special" in anything. It's a joke.

November 27, 2004

Cuz I was bored and torturing Fatty McNotail seemed like a good idea.

I made a cat collar because well, I was bored and because Terry suggested it.
She said up in Canada, hand made cat collars were selling like hot cakes so I made one.
Doesn't fatty look so cute?
She hates me for this...lol
I made it with fishing line and black and red bean beads with a lobster claw clasp and a bell. I wanted it easy for owners to get on and off and it's also just a tad loose so that if she should get caught on anything, she can get out of it.
Poor kitty. It looks looser in the picture than it actually is. She was squirming to get away...lol
Poor Fatty McNotail.

November 26, 2004

I just finished the most beautiful set.

I say that about all my stuff don't I? :)
Christine ordered a watch and necklace for her mom for Christmas and I made it with silver Bali beads and blue glass dime beads and some shiny blue dime beads. It is very pretty.

I never really thought I would enjoy making stuff.
My grandmother tried to teach me to cross stitch numerous times and I hated it.
My mom tried to teach me to knit and crochet and I hated both of those too.
I've never really had a good crafty hobby that I liked. Painting, blah, ceramics, blah, web design I just suck at but this is good. Very fun and I'm amazed at how I can see what I want to do when I just find the right single bead. It's like ah yes, that is the plan for those and these need to go with it and yup, that's the design and I like it.
I just really like doing it.

Her set is in the extended entry and on my beading pages.

November 23, 2004

Title schmitle.

I need to get up and take a shower. I've been a bum for 2 days now. Maybe that's part of my funk eh? Anyway, I need a shower and then I need to walk to the post office and mail out Jennies watch. Sorry babe. Had to wait on that money transfer and it didn't hit the bank until yesterday so no fundage until today. Mailing priority. Thanks so much. I love this one.
Is it wrong that I love everything I've made?...lol
Christine just placed an order for a watch and necklace and I ordered all the materials for it last night. I have a vision for this set. I can see it and the stuffs not even here yet.

I have to clean off my kitchen table for turkey day. Right now it's beading central but I need to pick it all up and move it for t-day dinner. It's pretty easy to move around. I have all my beads in baby food jars. My sister has a baby and I needed storage for my beads so I make her save all the jars...lol Each color/style/finding/ear wire goes in a jar and it makes it so easy to find what I want/need to do a project. Just lay out all the color jars I want and see if they match.
Easy cheesy.

I'm making t-day dinner for me and ex-roommate and the boys this year. My sis is flying to Maine early t-day morning. Someday I'll get back up there and visit again when I have the money to do it.
Making turkey of course, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry saucy stuff (gag), some sort of vegetable. I don't do the green bean casserole. I can't for the life of me figure out why people like that. It's so nasty. Green beans, mushroom soup, and those nasty freeze dried onions. (Vomit)
I refuse to even make it. If people want to eat that shit, they can make it themselves and bring it.
I'll do everything else no problem, heck I'd even make sweet potatoes with marshmallows if I thought the other people here would eat them but I don't like those either but I would make them for others cuz they do smell so good while cooking.
Um, I will have pie, rolls and the usual stuff. It's just the 4 of us so I don't need to go crazy with food but the turkey I got could feed like 10 people so I guess we'll be eating turkey for a few days....lol

Alright, kids have left and I can go take a shower and get moving here.
Have a great day.
Later days.

November 6, 2004

Ok. I feel better now...lol

Last night before I went to babysit, I made a bracelet that I was meaning to do for awhile.
I'm not a member of the Red Hat Society but I know a few ladies who are and one of them expressed interest in a bracelet or something so I finally made it.
It is a very heavy bracelet made using .15 gauge wire double stranded due to the weight.
The beads are all glass of varying shades and sizes.
This bracelet is one of a kind. I couldn't match these beads again if I tried.
I like this one a lot because it has a good weight to it and looks good.

November 1, 2004

While watching the SNL special,

I modified teh Lost bracelet and made a name bracelet and a pair of skull earrings.
The skulls are real bone, buffalo to be exact.
I like it. :)

October 30, 2004

My sis rocks.

So I told my sis about my idea for Lost bracelets and she went out today she went and picked up what I needed.
Cool eh?
I decided not to throw in a skull because not everyone finds them as cool as I do and I wanted to keep it very simple, earthy tones and beads.
The beads are wooden except for the black and white ones which are glass. Those represent something that they found last week with the dead people but we don't know their significance yet.
Check it out.

October 28, 2004

Ack!

I have like this brilliant idea for bracelets to sell.
I have a Live journal. There I said it. I like the communities in it for the geek in me. I am a member of 2, Desperate Housewives and Lost.
Now here's the thing, there is official merchandise for DH but not for Lost and they are CLAMORING for merchandise. So I mentioned that I could do charm bracelets ya know, an airplane, a pineapple, a starfish, a white bead, a black bead (last nights ep.) and a phone ya know, to call for help (tee hee). Anyway, they are all like yeah! Gimme!
I need the stuff though so come on, somebody buy a bracelet or something so I can buy the shit to make just ONE of these Lost bracelets to show them and then when they want one, get them to pay first so I can order all the stuff first....lol
I see major $ka-ching$ with this one. Oh my gawd. Seriously, they want the stuff so bad.
Gah! I like already planned it out. I even have real bone skull beads to represent the dead people on the island.
Man, I'm not gonna be able to sleep now.
Shit.

October 28, 2004

Thank yous.

I just want to thank Terry and Kylie (no blog ) for their orders. I appreciate it very much and they are on the way in the mail today.
I'm selling the amethyst watch and earring set for $50 so if anyone is interested, let me know. Most of my other pieces are up at the tack shop.
I haven't made anymore this week other than what was ordered. Maybe I'll do a few today.

October 19, 2004

I went, I mailed, I returned.

I mailed everything out. There wasn't much of a turnout at my little post office for S.W.A.K. but I mailed them anyway.

Then I came home and made some earrings and a bracelet.
I get to go meet the lady with the gift shop on Saturday and see what kind of stuff she wants. I've just been making whatever I wanted to and if she wants different stuff, then I can make it.
I'm taking orders too if you need Christmas gifts for anyone. There are only 66 days until Christmas. It's coming so fast now.

Ok, well that's all from here for now.
Later days.

October 17, 2004

I made two more pieces.

Two more bracelets.
Just making stuff today and watching movies.
Hope you're having a good day.

October 15, 2004

Someone mentioned teacher gifts.

So I put a bracelet together that could be for a teacher gift or just to wear.