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January 22, 2012
I know, I know.....I haven't updated this Journal in months! I am a terrible journalist and a very busy beadmaker these days. I have been creating some new and wonderful Troll Beads for my many customers. Many thanks to special ones like Chuck and Frede who continue to inspire me and encourage me to try new and different techniques. Frede has really pushed me into some creative avenues that I would never have ventured without her. And to all of you this past year who have given me the freedom to explore new directions with these wonderful bracelet beads....I'm and very grateful for your continued support.
The next few photos are beads inspired by Chick and Frede:
 
November 3, 2011
Here is the most recent photo of the Old Earth beads that I am making. The choices are Aqua and Green centers. They are selling for $19.50 each if you want to contact me. I have a waiting list but will let you know how long your order should take to complete. I appreciate your patience! Thanks!
October 31, 2011
I'm sorry that so many of you are having trouble viewing my photos on Facebook. It seems like they keep changing the privacy settings and making it difficult for me to share photos of my newest work. Here are the Old Earth Beads that everyone have been asking about lately. I am presently taking orders for them - particularly the Aqua and Green. The ones with the Dichroic sparkles are my New Old Earth Beads. I have them in lots of colors! I will try to get some up in my Etsy shop.......I am really trying! So many things to do this week!!
July 28, 2011,
I am lovin' my new Dichroic colors:
   
July11, 2011
I know many of you have been checking out my site to see my Troll / Pandora bracelet bead designs and may be disappointed that I have not kept the site updated with my latest work. To be honest, I am spending most of my time making the beads and completing sales trasactions through Etsy these days. There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to keep my website, my facebook pages, my etsy store, maintain my email correspondence, take the photos and still make the beads so please be patient with me. If you have any questions about beads and their availability, just send me a message and I will get back to you as quickly as I can.
Here's a teaser of the newest work coming to Etsy next week.....
 Pink Flamingo Dichroic Bead.......
April 26, 2011
Here is a photo of the Golden Dream Tiger with one of my Troll bracelet bead Tigers. The Troll-style bead measures 15mm in diameter and the Golden Dream Tiger measures 20mm.
April 22, 2011
As many of you know, I am trying to keep up with all the Tiger Troll / Pandora bead orders over the past month or two. If you are currently unable to purchase or find these beads on Etsy, it is because they have sold out. I list a new group each week on Etsy. If you would like to place an order with me outside of Etsy, just email me and let me know what you would like to purchase and I will contact you as quickly as I can. I have added a new page under the "Shop" section that will allow you to view some of the beads I have been making for my Etsy store.Thanks so much!
March 6, 2011
By popular request, I am posting some pictures here of my current Tiger Troll bracelt beads variations so that you can see some of my work. I plan on getting a page created on this website for just the troll-style beads but I have been preparing for a show and there just isn't enough time in the day to do all the things I would like to do. So, here are some photos of my trollbeads:
 
 
I am currently doing a show in Santa Fe, NM and will be back in Portland on Tuesday, March 15th to take orders for the tigers. The beads will be processed in the order that they are recieved. You can send me an email to set aside the number of beads that you wish to purchase. The Tigers with silver linings are $19.50 each. The beads without linings are $10 each. Shipping to the USA is $2.50 and outside the USA is $4.50.
When I get back in town. I will contact you about your order and confirm it so that I can send you a Paypal invoice to complete our transaction. To do this, I will require your email address and the country you will have the beads shipped to. I will let you then how long it will take before your order is completed and ready to mail.
It is my hope that no one will have to wait longer than 5-7 days for their order to be completed but this is dependent on how many orders are ahead of you. Thanks for your patience and have a wonderful week!
I am off to Santa Fe and sunny skies!
January 3, 2011
Happy New Year everyone! It seems like I have been trying to keep up so many sites like Etsy, Ebay, Facebook, my Wordpress Blog and my webpage that all of them have been getting short shrift from me. So many things to do and so little time. Thanks for your patience. I hope you will check out my latest work on Facebook and Etsy if you have been waiting for updates. My Etsy store is under : PerrasBeads.
October 5, 2010
I spent the last few months attending to personal and domestic issues that have been piling up. I guess one would call that a 'hiatus'. Anyway, I took some badly needed time away from the torch, eBay and sales concerns. Now, I am back in the studio trying to make enough inventory for upcoming shows in November. I even started some eBay auctions this month. My eBay auctions are a "test run" only. My friends and peers have mostly given up on eBay with all their selling changes that make it more difficult and costly to sell artisan-created wares. After 3 weeks back on the "bay" I can see that it might not last for me either. It is definitely a challenge. I much prefer Etsy as an environment for artists.
August 8, 2010
I've really spent a lot of time away from my journal. Sorry about that. I spent two month getting ready for the Bead & Button Show in June and then took off a month to spend with the family and just recoup some energy before I head back into the studio. I also took an electroplating class with a friend of mine, Scott Parrish, and hope to create some electroformed focals this summer. Scott is a terrific teacher and I highly recommend him if you have the opportunity to take a class.
I wrapped up a ten year stint for Bead & Button. I've called it quits and feel a flood of relief about the decision. It has become too difficult to fly to the show with all the necessary baggage and too expensive to do it without sucking out all my energy for 3-4 months. I found myself dreading it each year and making less money as the expenses soared and the show got bigger and less enjoyable. Too bad. I will have some fond memories of the years I spent in Milwaukee and the wonderful people I met networking there. Another chapter closing.
March 19, 2010
For those of you who are interested, I have created a Wordpress Blog called: PerrasBeads. It's a beadmaker's blog about the craft and art form from my perspective. You are welcome to check it out if that sounds like something you would be interested in. Click on the WordPress Logo to go to PerrasBeads.
March 18, 2010
Back in production mode but saving at least one day a week in the studio to just play and re-energize my creativity at the torch. As many beadmakers know - all work and no play makes dull beads.
I haven't put up many auctions since 2009 on eBay and there is a reason. EBay has been so listless and the site has really made it hard for sellers to turn a profit these days. You have to spend a great deal of your time putting up the auctions for very little money. Most of the artists I know have turned to Etsy and other artist-only sites. I really enjoy doing Etsy but I hope that the traffic increases. People tell me that it is hard to find artists and search the site. Still, it seems to be the best site online for an artist to sell their craft.. I hope you will become part of the Etsy family and check out the unique, artist-made creations there. Have a wonderful week!
February 15, 2010
Back to work. All the vacations and cruises and family get-togethers are over and done and it is time to get back to some serious studio time! I hope I haven't forgotten how to make beads! To those of you who are keeping track - I'm not currently posting on EBay and have been concentrating my efforts on ETSY. EBay's fees and rules have just about managed to kill all the desire to use it as a marketplace. I may come back but I think I will try to sell through ETSY exclusively for awhile. It just seems so much more artist oriented. I noticed that most of my beadmaker friends have already made the same move......
January 20, 2010
Life is good. Warren and I fly to New Orleans tomorrow and then take a cruise to Central America on Sunday. First time on a cruise for me and I am really looking forward to the experience. Three days in New Orleans sounds like a treat as well. Can't wait to try all the great food and listen to the local music! To my friends on EBAY abd ETSY, I will be back for studio business after February 1st. It has been an extended vacation and recuperative time for the holidays, visiting family and 3 weeks of dealing with the lovely H1N1 virus.
December 13, 2009
Having a great "time off" from the torch lately. Just a winter vacation with family and doing some fun things that make you appreciate life in the Pacific Nortwest. Warren and I went out to Miss Delta last night for some Cajun Po'boys and then walked over to to theMississippi Studios and saw Geoff Muldaur and Jim Kweskin. Awesome!! There was only about 100 people there and the music was unbelievable. The beers on tap were great as well. Tonight, Greg Mortenson is in town for a lecture and Warren has tickets. Sometimes I am so grateful to live in Portland and have so many cultural opportunities.Life is good.
November 27, 2009
Thanksgiving is over and a great relief barely settles in when I realize that Christmas is just around the corner. We didn't get back to the midwest this year to spend the holidays with our newest grandchild, Sawyer, or the rest of our family which was a disappointment but we hope to spend Thanksgiving there next year. I'm avoiding the curse of wandering out on Black Friday, a scary proposition and will be shopping online this year. I hate shopping these days and see little sense in getting out into the crowded department stores.
November 12, 2009
Just getting over a long bout with the flu, followed by a respiratory infection. My husband had to host my booth at the PBS Bazaar because I was not only sick but had laryngitis. Tomorrow we leave for BABE in Oakland, CA and I am on the mend. I must be getting old when I can't seem to recuperate quickly from these bouts of illness every autumn. I need to get in better shape.
Looks like the BEAD FEST in Portland is dead and just needs a proper burial. It was poorly hosted, poorly staffed and poorly attended. Most of the vendors were ready to give the show it's last rites after the first day. No surprise but a damn shame. I really hoped to have a national show in my "back yard" each year. I don't know if you can blame it all on the economy or the plethora of bead shows popping up everywhere with only so many vendors and buyers. I think all these factors will soon squeeze out the beadmakers who are just "getting by" or starting out on their careers. I've had several friends who left the craft and are now back to a "9 to 5" job with regular pay. <<<<sigh>>>>
September 29, 2009
Well, the bead fest is over and now it's time to prepare for the next two shows! Today, I was contacted by one of my customers from the Bead Fest about our transaction for 3 beads at the show. Apparently, I processed her credit card incorrectly and charged her $1.03 instead of $103.00. She wanted to know how she could send me the additional $$ to make it right with me. I was really taken aback. Isn't that amazing!? I know the world is filled with good and honest people but it's nice to be reminded of that now and then!
September 12, 2009
It has been such a great summer. We are awaiting the birth of a new grandchild and life has been good. My daughter and her son have moved in with us recently and it has been an interesting adjustment to have a 7 year old around every day again. I think they say that having children around will keep you young at heart. I could use some youthful elixir these days! LOL
A new beads to look at..............
August 28, 2009
Ah, the age of computers when everything goes so smoothly....NOT. A company bought my hosting company and I haven't been able to get on my site for weeks! It is so frustrating when the biggest probelms seem to just appear out of the ether. @$!!*&%
Well, any way, now that I am back online, I want to encourage those of you who are able, to defintely plan on attending the huge Interweave Bead Expo 2009 show t the Portland Convention center from Septe 24-27th. It should be a great show. I know that the folks at Interweave plan on making this venture into a "west coast Bead and Button" destination show. I am really thrilled about it. Remember, there is no sales tax in Oregon so all those bead purchases will that less painful!! LOL BTW, stop by my booth and say "HI".
August 10, 2009
The weather is back to normal in the Pacific Northwest. It's amazing how spoiled you get for the cooler weather. I am finally able to get back into the studio. Warren and I have been attending the local street fairs, downtown concerts and various festivals around town. There are so many wonderful things to do in Portland.
I've finally had a few months to play with all the Silvered Glass products that I have hoarded over the last year. I am pleased to say that Double Helix is by far the most versatile and beautiful glass that I have found. I am extremely fond of the Triton and Electra. If you haven't tried it yet, bite the bullet and order some!
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July 27, 2009
The last few days have been the hottest days that I can remember in Portland in the last 12 years that we have lived here. Yesterday it hit 103 degrees and tomorrow it is supposed to be 105 degrees. I am one of the lucky ones with air conditioning....except for the glass studio which will be closed until the heat wave passes!
July 5, 2009
In case any of you haven't heard about it....check it out:
It's not that it's just entertaining and quirky but the concept that it's free, online and possibly marks the beginning of an online entertainment concept that bypasses the corporate gatekeepers and disseminates creative and artistic endeavors worldwide freely. Isn't that a great thing? I think so.
July 1, 2009
Had a great weekend. My friend and NW Regional ISGB Director, Leslie Thiel, spent the weekend and we went to an ORBS social meeting. We spent the afternoon at the McMennamins Kennedy School and had 10 friends in ORBS join us. Lots of fun stuff to talk about. Right now, we are trying to figure out how to get the ORBS interested in starting a bead Geocaching group. I think it would be a lot of fun!
June 25, 2009,
I put up a 2009 Bead Gallery on my Face Book page, started some new Etsy sales and have some new auctions on EBay. I know, I know.....I must be on some sort of fabulous new drug to get so much work done! LOL No, just motivated for a change. I am loving Etsy and FaceBook. Who knew!?
Warren and I visited Pok Pok yesterday for lunch. If you love authentic Thai street food and unpretentious restaurants, then this place is for you! It is now on my list of favorites. Hard to top my first choice of Autentica, a fabulous Mexican Restaurant in NE Portland. It is soooo good! Portland is filled with the best places to eat.
June 23, 2009
Well, I finally managed to update my web site!! <<smile>> I have beads up for sale on my"Shop" page and I have tackled some of the other pages as well. I also put up some beads on my Etsy page today!
I apologize to everyone for taking so long in getting this website updated. On a personal note, I am also cleaning and updating my home studio. Will wonders never cease! LOL
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