I’m so, so, sorry about that, you guys. That’s what I get when trying to offer free shipping to the US in my online shop. I just deleted the US from my ship-to list when building the listings and foolishly thought that would do the trick. And I didn’t even remember to announce it today. A very kind person texted me to tell me what was happening and I had to manually go through every listing and adjust each one – all 12 – and it felt like it was happening at the speed of honey. But it’s fixed now and I hope you’re not too mad at me. I guess we weren’t getting out of April 1 without shenanigans.
Click here to get to my shop and see everything all at once, or the links under each picture below. Also: we are celebrating the 20th Birthday of the Fizz Tab! 20 years. Crazy. Feels more like 6 or 7! I am also celebrating 26 years at the torch! If you want to call it celebrating, since that is making me feel old as eff right now. Anniversary #25 would have been a more noteworthy milestone, but it got away from me, I guess I was a little distracted by some significant changes this time last year. I shall wax nostalgic after you get what you came here for: the beads!
Yes! Happy 20th Birthday, Fizz Tabs! See them grow up and remain the wacky layered fizzy things they were destined to be in the slideshow below.
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2015
today
As for my 26 years on the burner, long story short, and from what I can remember, I got a job in March of 1998 at a dental laboratory making plaster models of people’s teeth, and by mid-April after a few paychecks I had enough money to buy the beginner beadmaking staples. I remember Mom being pretty adamant about me investing in it, because knowing me, I was probably pretty nervous and overwhelmed at the thought of putting that many eggs in one unknown basket. I think I already had Cindy Jenkins’ Making Glass Beads for several months beforehand and had read it cover to cover. The biggest stroke of luck was the local stained glass shop (The Gingham Lady) that carried bead making supplies – otherwise it may not have ever happened. I bought a Hot Head, a canister of MAPP, mandrels, bead release, glass and of course a book of silver foil. I left with all the colors I could afford and a bounty of advice and encouragement.
some of my very first beads, 1998
My first few beads were pretty meh, but I enjoyed the process so much that I kept learning, experimenting, and encountering certain frustrations (my first bead release was absolute trash).
my first foil and bubble beads, 1998
I’ve focused exclusively on my first year of beadmaking to avoid prattling on endlessly today… so I will leave you to look at the new stuff! I hope you find something you like! The weather is a little iffy today, large hail is quite possible, so I will now excuse myself to watch the live televised cloud opera conducted by my favorite meteorologist David Payne (aka tornadopayne), who has been known to say things like “Hold onto Grandma, it’s comin’!” Oh, and hopefully, pack up some beads for the post office! I found another USPS location close by that stays unlocked after hours, which is a huge relief to this incorrigible night owl, so those packages will be on their way sooner rather than later! Thanks for looking in! xoxo Sarah
What???: The April No-Fool’s Shop Update When: Monday April 1st, 4PM Central Time Where: in my online shop How: by the threads of my fuzzy sweater
Come see us all dolled up on Monday!
I apologize for the lack of better forewarning. Honestly, it was a choice amongst the day after Easter, or the day of the solar eclipse that people have been planning for literally for months, or the day income taxes are due. The Monday after Easter inspired the most confidence. I do hope you can attend.
There will be many, many beads, a few more than seen here. The descriptions may be a bit shorter and more to the point than usual, only because I’ve had the usual distractions, plus the springtime stomach bug slowed me down quite a bit.
I had better get back on it, thanks for reading! I hope you can make it!
That is everything! Weather is pretty crappy today, so I’m going to hole up and eat something warm and fluffy and pack the beads for mailing. Tomorrow should be better, and better enough for me to get myself to the post office, and your beads should be home with you by the end of the week. Thanks for having a look. I sure do appreciate you!
Hey everybody! First things first: I’m planning to add new beads to my shop on Monday January 22nd 2024 at 4PM Central Time. It looks like earlier in the day is preferable to late evening for mostly everyone, and since I can’t manage to do anything worthwhile before noon, late afternoon seems like a reasonable compromise for all of us.
see us at the shop update on Monday!
Welp, the holidays came and went, we’re a couple of weeks into the new year now, and I’m finally slinking in to say something, as per usual. Since we last chatted, I got the flu, worked extra hours at the store, became enthralled with Squishmallows (albeit briefly, and at a discounted rate of course), survived below freezing temperatures (made easier with a pile of cats, a boyfriend and Paramount Plus) and I had my first experience working in a mid-level luxury department store during the holidays. There is a difference between shoppers and Christmas shoppers, and this made a believer out of me. But it wasn’t as bad as I had expected.
my collection of squishmallows
As for the beads, I’ve wanted to make more. Even when the weather was nice, I was either too busy with other things or too tired physically or mentally. I guess this is middle age + working in retail. I suppose I’m still adjusting to interacting with so many people every day in a somewhat unpredictable working environment. Most days I just want to go home, eat too much dinner and be still and quiet and binge-watch a series. This month’s show is Yellowjackets: set in 1996, a high school soccer team boards a private jet only to crash in the Canadian wilderness and they aren’t rescued for more than a year. It’s pretty macabre, definitely not for everyone, but some may enjoy the nostalgic music, Christina Ricci and Juliette Lewis, and a very brief and entertaining bit starring one of my favorites, John Cameron Mitchell (of Joe vs Carole fame). Not that I’ve ever been particularly enamored with Christina Ricci or Juliette Lewis, but I love them in this. But for those who prefer their entertainment to be light and full of LOLs, let’s not forget Ghosts, a highly adorable and clever series on CBS (adapted for the US from a UK series, also titled Ghosts) about a young woman and her husband who inherit a very large house from a family member only to discover it is overrun with a random variety of naughty ghosts. Sprinkles and I were thoroughly charmed, much to our own amazement, and we cannot wait for season 3 to start.
Well, enough chit-chat, I gotta get on the photo editing and writing and other boring life stuff so that I can get my fanny to my own shop update! See you guys real soon! Thanks for checking in.
It’s 4PM CT and here they are, and here I am all bright-eyed and bushytailed. Lookit me go! Click here to get right to my shop and see everything all at once, or the link below each item.
And that’s everything! I hope you like! It sure looks like I was in the mood for purple. I’m looking forward to packing up at least a couple of things while watching the NEW Frasier this evening!! Can you believe they brought him back!? It’s one of my all-time favorite shows, and I’m pleased as punch about it. I’m also looking forward to the premiere of Elsbeth (Elsbeth Tascioni, one of my tippy-top favorite characters from The Good Wife universe, played by Carrie Preston) but it appears I’ll have to wait a while on that one, they keep putting it off. If you haven’t watched The Good Wife (2009-2016), I highly recommend it, especially if you need a pick-me-up. As incredibly clever, captivating and empowering as The Good Wife is, the direct/immediate spin-off, The Good Fight (2017-2022), is even better, even in Juliana Margulies’ absence. It’s a bit more spicy and politically charged, probably because it’s streaming rather than on network primetime broadcast, but highly intelligent and entertaining, bringing an equally star-studded cast. If you do decide to watch, I hope you enjoy it!
Anyway, I’ll try not to be a stranger… it’s more pleasant bead making weather around these parts now, so it shouldn’t be too long! Thanks for having a look!
IN BRIEF: the shop update is still on, but, earlier than my previously quoted 7PM Central* is probably better, so: WHEN: Monday, October 16th 2023 at 4PM Central Time WHAT: my first shop update since June, and I do apologize for any inconvenience that might result from my decision to change the time to earlier in the day WHERE: my online shop (zbeads.bigcartel.com) WHO: ALL BEADS THIS TIME! Smooches, Toggles, a variety of Tabs, AND, something special: all sets in this update will come with coordinating spacers!!! HOW: oh how I’d love to see you there, yuk-yuk
yes, these guys, plus a few stragglers not pictured
*Duh me, I forgot to note the shop update was 7pm Central Time on Monday October 16, 2023 when I announced the other day. And the more I’ve thought about it, the more inclined I am to do all of this a bit earlier, more like 4PM, mainly so those of you on Eastern time wouldn’t be so close to bedtime, and I’d have a few more hours to pack up beads and get them on their way on Tuesday. Mom and I have fancy plans on Tuesday, and I can get most everything that gets claimed Monday night and Tuesday morning to the PO before we do our stuff in the afternoon. I’m still so stuck in my nightowl ways, hence the evening schedule I keep mindlessly reaching for. But also, I’m still operating in 15 years ago mode, as if this isn’t a time in history when nearly everyone who buys anything online very likely has a device in their pocket that is capable of being used to place an order for almost anything they want, anywhere, anytime. Even if they’re at work and not exactly supposed to be doing that sort of thing, making it all the more delicious to sneakily steal away and nab some silly glass beads from this goofball. I’ll catch up eventually, perhaps when I stop being so nose-to-grindstone and nostalgic for simpler times.
anyway, it’s nice to know cats are predictable in all settings
Thanks for reading, I hope to see you again Monday!!!
first things first: a sizeable z-beads shop update will happen, most likely next Monday, October 16, at 7pm, unless something weird happens. If you subscribe to my blog, you’ll get an email notification when they’re ready for you. It’s gonna be a real banger, here’s a quick peek:
Come meet all of us on Monday!
I know it’s been a few months, but woe is me. Every year I’m already wilted by mid July, but by the end of August I’m a slimy wad of stems by the garbage. I havent made it all the way into the garbage yet because my people have faith I’ll be revived once mid September comes around. This summer has been particularly bad and lasted longer than usual, and you’ve probably heard it’s been the hottest one on record, ever, for everyone. So here we are, early October, and it’s marginally better, and after literal months of forced time off, I’ve been able to spend several days on the burner over the last few weeks.
busy beads = messy bench
One little adjustment I’ve made recently is what time of day I’ve been working. I’ve always been a staunch night owl, forever insisting that working at night is better (and I still do). I normally found it preferable to use the earlier half of the day for physical labor and errands and then start on the beads around 10pm, generally due to the cooler temperature at night. But these days, I must rise a bit earlier due to my job, and my days off are often spent cleaning up my various messes because I’m too tired and harried to clean them up on my workdays. By 2am, when I’d normally be in the bead room, I’m tired and getting ready for bed.
LollyMonster necklace
But I’m noticing during the warmer months, it’s actually cooler in the bead room during the afternoon, and on the occasions this summer when I’ve been able to get any torch work done, it had to be earlier in the day for whatever scheduling reason. And I realized I had better mental and physical energy to get everything prepared and done. The only drawback is, and always has been, the daytime noise: phone calls, uninvited randos knocking on my door, and blue jays screaming at naughty stray cats just outside the window.
squirrels, opossums and birds are mysteriously absent in this story
Meanwhile, I’ve done a little bit of insignificant creative this and that, but I suppose I’ve had time to think about stuff I might not have normally had the brain space to ponder, because it was normally being used strictly for bead work. Not working at the torch – wanting to but not being able to thanks to the excessive heat we’ve all been experiencing – has been frustrating, but I try to see the best in things, including forced time off.
oddly, this fortune slipped itself into my switchblade and caused a temporary malfunction
Off and on I’ve wondered why I feel so quiet on this blog these last several years… why I can’t seem to recapture the fanciful ramblings many of you have enjoyed reading in the past. I recall a couple of entertaining years-old posts, one expressing my disappointment in pb&j poptarts, another, my alarm at a cryptic message that popped up while I was using Adobe photoshop. I also recall those instances being while I rarely left the house, and maybe had conversations with one or two people on average, and those people were strictly immediate family. I came by that honestly, I guess. I liked to work, and I worked from home, so there you go. I’ve never been much of a party animal or a people person – I’ve always been happier at home, doing piddly creative things. I’ve never relied much on an active social life to feel fulfilled.
party animal Nelson
And I’m inclined to think that’s it: I’m in a position where I’m socializing more over the last several years, as introverted as I may be, and let’s be honest, bored with my own thoughts and perspectives by now and I assume you probably are too. This job has been exactly what I needed to jerk me out of a somewhat complicated rut I’ve been in for who knows how long, really. I had so many worries at first, but I’ve adjusted surprisingly well. It could be because I’m approaching it with a mindset that perhaps only middle-age can bring… a healthy devil-may-care attitude that certain things just don’t matter. The occasional awkward silence, the raunchy joke that makes you blush a little too rose, the mild screw-up that everyone is likely to forget about by tomorrow. I’m not sure I could have dealt with it as well in my 20s or 30s.
being around these funny earrings has made me start wearing them
So, that’s what’s happening over here. You’ll hear from me again if an update is necessary, and definitely when the beads are ready. I look forward to seeing you there! Thanks for reading!
That’s everything. I hope you find something you like! Mom insists that tassels are IN right now! She stays on top of that stuff better than I do, so I’m inclined to believe her. I’m the one who will show up wearing pearls and a bandana. Meanwhile, I’ll be hopefully readying myself for a trip to the post office to mail these things far and wide. Thanks for having a look, see you again next time!
Haha, yeah, right, made you look. As if that will ever happen.
First/foremost: Apologies for the short notice – I’m planning to add new beads and things to my shop on Monday June 26th at 7pm Central Time. I’ll post here again when everything is ready for your perusal, and if you’re subscribed to this blog you’ll be the first to know what’s happening and when for this shop update, and all future ones. That is, if you are someone who still uses email.
I wanted to update my shop much sooner, but I can only blame getting a week behind (because let’s face it, it’s more like 4 weeks altogether) on this little doodad. In case you can’t readily identify it, that is a relay. In my life, this thing causes the heating elements in my annealer to switch off and on to maintain a constant temperature, and it is directed to do what it does by a microprocessor. I honestly can’t imagine how this technically, actually works; it might as well be magic. I do know for sure the beads must be annealed, and I must have an annealer to do that, and that’s not magic so much as it is a fact. By most accounts, relays in annealers generally only last a couple of years. This one? 17. Years, that is. I have been expecting this day to come for about the last 15 years, yet it was still something of a surprise when it did. All my annealer told me that night – the one night when I really needed to work and finish an order – was “tCl”. After I turned it on, it clicked like always, then a few minutes passed with no increase in temperature, then another click, then the tCl error message. According to the microprocessor manual, it could be anything: the elements had finally died, the thermocouple was either dead or had a coating of corrosion on it, or the relay had finally bit it. Odd thing was, the last program ran without issue or error – the processor will always give a cryptic message if there was any problem at all and no such thing happened, hence my surprise. I reckon it was such a loyal little relay that it did its very last job thoroughly and without complaint.
I bought this annealer in 2006 and bought all three of these major parts a few years later, expecting to replace them much, much sooner and under more intense pressure. My annealer, the Paragon EZ Beader, is blue, looks a lot like the Bluebird, and was only around for a short while before they released the Bluebird. The EZ Beader is smaller, cost a few hundred less, and uses half the electricity. Most standard annealers use 15 amps, mine uses 7, which was probably the most attractive thing about it at the time of purchase, and still is, if we’re being honest.
So after two more tCl (thermocouple lag) messages, onto the internet I went to figure out how to troubleshoot. The worst case scenario was the elements had died – rumor has it that the elements in these types of annealers are actually encased in fiberboard, which, if they are encased this certain way, will necessitate replacing the entire fiberboard+element apparatus and could cost hundreds of dollars. I know for sure this is the case for the Paragon Bluebird, and this part costs around $900. (I know, right?) Once I discovered the situation with the Bluebird and the $900 replacement part, I began to absolutely panic and was fairly confused by why Paragon would have sold me a free flowing element if it were of no use to me and I determined that perhaps they were just selling me a part to turn a quick buck. Who knows, really. I still don’t, and I won’t until that element needs to be replaced. Needless to say, I’m dreading that eventuality.
The conclusion I ultimately reached was that I needed to be, or to know, an electrician, before I completely lost my cool. I called Paragon, and they weren’t much help since they don’t make my model any more and it quit being made so long ago. I wracked my brain. I had a vague recollection of seeing a volt or ohm meter in my hallway drawer at some point in the last two decades, but I didn’t bother to look for it because cautiously plugging stuff into a wall and rewiring a lamp is as far as I’ll go with electricity. Mom suggested a family friend, who I called, and he showed up a few days later at 10am (gads, that’s early) and proceeded to disassemble one of my most important tools. The feeling wasn’t too different than leaving an of-age kitten at the vet to have their, errr, um, social skills adjusted. Mind you, I already had to do very minor surgery on it practically right out of the box in 2006 – it had been shipped out with a faulty microprocessor that needed to be replaced, and that was fairly simple. Oh, and I had to replace a fuse that literally saved its little blue life when my electricity freaked out on the cable guy that one time (he was unharmed, thank goodness), but replacing the fuse took about two brain cells to accomplish.
So now this thing is open, the things that need to be tested are exposed and the tinkering expert used his instruments to reveal the truth. The elements: functional. The relay: dead. The relief washed over me with the grace of a 10lb sack of potatoes. Frank the engineer quickly and skillfully replaced the relay, and we did a test run. The relay clicked, the temperature increased, the microprocessor executed my commands as usual, and the remainder of the relief set in. The new relay is a bit more quiet than the last one, and knock on wood, it has carried me through at least 3 bead related workdays without issue.
a tiny glimpse at what will be available
Which brings me to my next point – there will be beads! Not as many as I was hoping for (there never are) but really nifty purse charms will abound. This new job is kicking my feet’s butt for the majority of each week, but I work near the most perfectly extravagant models (see above) for these purse charms and had fun photographing them. Off the clock on a slow day, of course. So I’m going to be off my feet for a few days, putting these listings together, and as usual, I hope I can make it in time. I hope you can make it too! Thanks for checking in!
the z-beads blog 