Indy Jules

Blog Closing

2010-08-06T13:25:00.002-04:00

Hello Friends!

Jewelry by Jules, Indy Jules, Julie Miller, it's all getting to be too much to keep up with so I am merging everything into Julie Miller Glass. The transition will begin over the next couple of months. Beginning with my new blog which can be found here.

I have my new Etsy store in place and will begin listing there September 13th. If you would like to go ahead and favorite my new shop, thank you! It's JulieMillerGlass.

I debated this move and I know a few people will get lost in the transition even though all old links will be up or forwarding for awhile but I think now is as good a time as any and I look forward to the clean slate it brings.

Thank you for your patience and understanding!

Bead & Button 2010

2010-05-31T16:38:00.005-04:00

The show is about a week away now and I think this picture of my studio best conveys the chaos and panic that sets in about this time. I think I have enough, I think I thought of everything and put it on the "big" list but everything is either half done or half packed; I need to start finishing something! Half of my new light bar arrived last week and has been primed and painted. The other half was supposed to be here Saturday and, well, it wasn't.

I did finally get my example jewelry finished just today. I like to have some examples of things that can be done with my beads just to give some idea and inspiration or a good laugh for real jewelry artists. The picture of the hollow ribbon necklaces is not the best but my photo cube and lights are buried somewhere and I didn't take the time to do a proper excavation. I'm pleased with how they turned out.

I'm looking forward to the show and seeing everyone again. Donna Mehnert of Blackberry Beads will be next to me in booth 3 so I think it's going to be a blast. She's a fun gal and her work is beautiful.

I have 4 days of solid torching in front of me before I pack it in, up, and take it on the road so I hope to get yet a few more pretties made.

To all who are attending, I will be at booth 2. Please don't forget to print your admission discount coupon here. $2 off is $2 more to spend on beadie goodness!

Friendship & Etching

2010-04-30T11:48:00.005-04:00

My friend Lisa called this morning. We spent the better part of last night working on the ISLAGA postcard together, well, she did most of it because she works in a land of Photoshop that I don't visit. I offered opinions and helped keep track of changes but mostly I learned alot.

Anyway, I told Lisa I was going to update my blog and she started giggling. She knows I have trouble keeping up with my blog that writer's block keeps me from posting more often but telling her and having her giggle at me made me resolve to do it. Well, that and she said she was going to check up on me later so if I don't want to hear about it, I better do it.

Lisa was just finishing cleaning her house. Neither of us enjoys housework but we both really enjoy a good cleaning purge or at least the result of it and we both get to a point where we obsess about getting it done and relishing the reward. It's liberating in a strange way and I think we both feel a "slate cleaning" sensation that gives us a lift that carries over into our torch time. We can confess and discuss this weirdness because we both know it but telling someone else about it doesn't always translate.

What I mean to say here is that a friend is a powerful force in our lives. We teach each other what we know when we know something, motivate or bait one another out of our comfort zones, and share satisfaction in weird stuff that most anyone else doesn't appreciate. So, I value having Lisa as my friend and hope that I am a good friend to her.

Oh yeah, I etched some stuff yesterday. Mostly vessels and weessels but a few bead sets as well. Getting out the chemicals, gloves, and working with the solution is something of a project so I tend to just keep a box of stuff I want to etch and then do an afternoon of it. A few of the above pictured will be posted on Etsy but mostly I am trying to build up inventory for Bead & Button coming up June 10th.

And the Winner is....

2010-02-16T16:02:00.002-05:00

Stephanie of Lulu's Cottage! Congratulations Stephanie!
Please visit her blog and see what an amazing studio she has!

Thank you to all who participated and I am thankful for the new friends I have made because of this event!!

One World One Heart

2010-01-29T11:14:00.011-05:00

I just heard about this amazing event from my bead buddy Lisa Atchison. One World One Heart is a global event to unite bloggers everywhere. To find out more or to participate, please visit the One World One Heart Website.

This stop on the magic carpet ride is the beach!

I will be giving away one of my favorite items; a beach ball necklace. This handmade glass globe is filled with tiny sea shells, driftwood and coral to remind you of a beautiful day at the seaside. It's capped with sterling silver and has a fine sterling bail. The size of the globe is about 23mm and the length of the necklace is 18 inches.

This beautiful necklace will be given (and shipped freely) to one lucky winner on February 15th. Here's how to enter:

1. You must have an active blog

2. You must leave a comment below to be eligible and you need to include contact info so I can contact you if you win.

Please visit my bead buddies who are also participating; Samma Parcels at Samma's Studio Lockdown and Lisa Atchison of Touch of Glass Designs.

January Special

2010-01-04T17:42:00.003-05:00

Hi!

Wow do I ever stink at blogging! So, to make sure I at least post once a month, I will be having monthly specials for Etsy shoppers. For January and this frigid cold weather, I was going to offer your city's temperature as a percent off but that would just be rewarding those lucky stinkers that live in warmer climates so I will go with something easier; free shipping. In order to qualify you must put "free shipping" in the in the notes to the buyer. I will then refund your shipping fees and send your package on its merry way.

The photo above is of the back yard from last Spring. Before the new herb garden was planted around the fountain. I had an "after" picture but I can't find it. Hopefully this will remind you of what green really looks like and help tide you over until we see it again.

After the Show...I will

2009-08-31T16:41:00.004-04:00

Well, I made it back from Bead Fest in Philadelphia! We rolled in at about 6 in the morning on Monday which is way too early for me but being nearly shot at a Waffle House in Ohio gave me the adrenaline I needed for that last push in to town.

I had a good time and a good show; thanks to all who stopped by to say hello including Julie Ryan. My email address is jewelrybyjules0@aol.com and if the zero after jules is left off then the email goes to Julie Ryan. This sweet lady has been forwarding my emails for over a year now and I thank her tremendously for this kindness.

I’m good at remembering to pack the camera but not so good at taking pictures mostly because I’m afraid I will be caught in front of the camera and be digitally reminded of how I really need to get my butt on a treadmill. Anyway, no pictures of the show; sorry!

I started making a list of stuff to be done “after the show” but since I had Bead and Button in May with only a little torch time in between, I opted to keep adding to the list until after Bead Fest here in August. That was maybe just a little too long.

One of the big items on the list was a clean out and reorganization of the studio. It’s been unnavigable since April but I had my excuse. No excuses now so that’s some of what I did this week. I didn’t take any “before” pictures but hey, if you don’t know what a mess looks like… The big part was the closet. It became one of those where you throw something in and close the door really fast. Everything had to come out. The left side has all of the mismatched storage drawers stacked up on either side with a board running across. This gives me a little workspace to package things up for shipping and, bonus, all of my shipping supplies are in one place now. The other side of the closet has my EZ up and light bar in the corner with a shelving unit to hold bins full of my show display stuff.

All of this new space gave me a chance to clean out my work bench area and even give the right half to Ann (my mom). As you can see, she is gearing up to do some serious jewelry type stuff including making jumprings.

Lastly, I hooked up my new torch, a Mega Minor. This is a small upgrade from my Minor but…well…it’s red and that’s cool! I need to tighten up the front screw so it sits upright without the film canister to prop it but it works and is ready to go.

I have a class with a bunch of lampwork buddies at Boca Loca Beads this Sunday so I’m looking forward to getting back to work next week creating some new goodies.

List and Notebook Obsessed

2009-08-03T16:58:00.004-04:00

Where's my note book? No, my other notebook. No, my other, other notebook.

Hi, my name is Julie and I am obsessed with lists and my notebooks.
There's a little memo pad I carry with me for grocery lists or items from the store. In a pinch, I might use it for ideas that should go in the other notebooks and I staple them in to the correct notebook later.
My glass notebook never leaves the house. I would die if anyone ever saw how badly I draw. Worse, that I draw so badly I have to add arrows and explanitory post-its to my drawings so I know what the heck I was drawing in the first place.
Another notebook is for the list of appointments and things I need to do each day of the week. I HAVE embraced technology in that most of this is on my Outlook calender but not everything. A foot in each system and brains in none.
The last notebook is Big Red. He keeps my check list, lists of inventory I want for a show, what sold well at which show and ideas for the next year. He helps me budget my time for deadlines although not as well as I would hope and he keeps track of the signs I will need to make for my table.
The back page of a notebook is very important. This I reserve for stuff I will need through out the life of the notebook. Lists of movies to look for in the discount bins. Mere proximity to any place where movies or CDs are sold automatically erases the mental list of such and I have just finally accepted this about myself. The back cardboard is a really good place to keep phone numbers. I know I can program them into my phone and I have done that before but I think it's just like texting...I'm never going to "get it."
I can't even bring myself to get rid of my old notebooks. Lucky thing too since I had to reconfigure the router the other day and my list of steps was in my old lavender notebook from 2 years ago.
I think I'm a part of the last generation to remember life before computers or atleast home computers. There were those big ones in large rooms administered to by really smart looking scientists and the computer the Superfriends used each week to figure out who kidnapped Aquaman (why did they bother...he talks to fish and that's his super power?!?!). I guess I just thought by now I would be using a computer for everything and it seems like the more they do, the more attached I am to my notebooks.

Bead & Button

2009-04-06T16:37:00.007-04:00

I've been "getting ready" for Bead & Button for months but now is crunch time. Yep, like Sunday night 9pm with a book report due the next day, I'm a torchin' fool. The countdown on their website says 54 days until the show and my bounty of inventory is feeling a little light. I know I'm short on vessels and weessels and I have no buttons for this year. I've had a plan that was supposed to put me right by the end of April so I could enjoy the chaos that is the month of May in my family. In addition to Mother's Day, there is Mom's birthday and my Niece's birthday. We are also Memorial Day traditionalists which means visiting the family graves around Terre Haute and decorating them with flowers. Virtually every weekend has something big all over it and I will have to be careful not to slack off on my "work" days. That's a big temptation when you work for yourself. Afterall, if you slack off, you can fire yourself but eventually you will just re-hire yourself when you do get out of bed or up from your nap. On the other hand, with no health insurance, a nap might count as an alternative therapy.

I will be at the Bead and Button Bead Bazaar in booth #2 and for those who are interested in a sneak peek, the pictures above show some of what I will have. I look forward to seeing you there!!

Indiana Art Fair

2009-02-22T19:25:00.000-05:00

Photo property of Valerie Jean Schafer

Hello! I just returned from my two day show at the Indiana State Museum. No, no pictures from the show the one above is from their website (no credit given or I'd give it here) but it's a lovely photo of a lovely building.

I have to admit I was a bit curious about how sales would be this year given the state of things right now. Suprise, I did a little bit better than last year; go figure! I tried to say it to every customer and I will say it again here, Thank you for supporting artists!! Whether it's me or another Indiana artist or one of the many talented people on Etsy, thank you for helping us keep the lights on, the supplies in hand, and the cats in kibble!

I was in good company this year. I was next to some ISLAGA buddies Fran Carrico and Jen Cameron. It's always nice to do a show with friends and I think the three of us represent a pretty broad spectrum of the lampwork range.

There were some very talented artists around us and I would like to give a shout out to them now: Andy Chen (nature photography), Teri Barnett (paintings) and Valerie Jean Schafer (bronze sculpture). Please click on their names to visit these very talented and nice folks.

I hope Valerie won't mind if I "borrow" an image from her site but I love cats and cats on art work is the best.

Chain Maille II - The Sequel

2009-01-19T13:22:00.011-05:00

Hello and Happy New Year!!

I have been reflecting on everything I've done in the past year and what I want to focus on this year. I realize it's the middle of January but I'm a little slow that way.

One of the things I dabbled with last year was chain maille embellishment for my vessel necks. I liked how they turned out and wanted to do more. I have no education in chain maille and have done very few maille projects so frankly doing these collars is like a puzzle, a very frustrating puzzle where you can't use a hammer to make certain pieces fit no matter how much of a good idea it seems. Of course, completing one is immensly satisfying. The latest one, the sky blue featured above, came together as an accident. This was not the pattern I intended but the chain flipped over on itself and like a happy accident I decided to go with it.

I will be doing more of these in the future especially since I bought myself a belated Christmas present; a Pepe jumpring maker. I received it and put it together and see that now I AM going to have to break down and buy a flex shaft to cut the rings correctly. I was resisting this idea because I'm stubborn that way and overly attached to my Dremel Stylus.

The sky blue vessel above is available on Etsy and I will be making more especially for Bead and Button in June this year. Until then, below are the two I made last year.

Thanks for stopping by!

Caps are Back!

2009-01-06T13:01:00.007-05:00

Awhile back, I made caps with wire daubers and fitted each to the vessel to ensure a proper fit both at the vessel opening and within the body. I took these to a show and more than a few ended up being switched out by customers. The result was that some had daubers that were too long for the vessel body and left the cork unable to fit securely. They were popular and I have been trying to find a way to offer them again but to ensure a correct fit. As a result, I will be offering these as a part of the ala cart process in which customers choose a vessel and then a cap and or neck cord. This will allow me to double check the fit of each cap to the selected vessel and ensure that there is a good, secure fit.

I have a few up on Etsy now and will be adding more this week. I'm still not happy with the photos but I think the close ups are necessary to show the detail.

I also have some new chain maille offerings to post soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Viking Knit

2008-12-16T18:27:00.003-05:00

Last week I had the opportunity to take a viking knit class from my friend Robin Koza of Posh Elements. Given that I am not very coordinated and sometimes have difficulty tying my shoes, Robin made it very easy. I didn't prepare for the class very well, I used beads from my orphan box (slate gray and copper green do kinda go together) but I was pleased with the results. I rarely make anything in a class worth keeping much less wearing but the pace of the class was perfect for me to take my time and make something I would be proud to wear.

Robin teaches a variety of classes and I have inside information about a new business she will be launching soon so keep an eye out for more cool stuff from her!

Ken Bailey - Photographer/Darkroom Wizard

2008-12-10T12:28:00.002-05:00

"Arbor Dream" Photo by Ken Bailey

I did a last minute show this past weekend and, well, I had a lot of time to talk with the other artists and admire their work. Ken Bailey is an amazing photographer but only half of his gift is photographing images. I think is real talent is the photomontages he creates in is darkroom. Surreal is, I suppose, the term for his work and he has a lovely website gallery that I highly recommend veiwing. The images seem to draw in the viewer. As you look at his work, you can't help but picture yourself in the image or following the trails to their magical conclusion. Sometimes that conclusion is made by the viewer. I guess that is what I admire most about his work, the viewer isn't made to feel like a bystander but a part of the fairy tale.

I think another reason I admire Ken's work is because I took a black and white photography/darkroom techniques class in high school. I loved it and dreamed of being a photographer someday. Darkroom technique seems to be a dying art as more and more photos are outsourced to developing companies or manipulated with Photoshop. I know I'm guilty of the latter. Anyway, it was a dream for me and I think the passion I feel for glass was stronger and won out.

Please visit Ken's website and if you have a chance to see his work in person, please do so.

NEW - Marquis Hollows

2008-10-19T19:10:00.004-04:00

If you haven't guessed by now, I love hollows and transparent glass. I love the way the light catches the glass and makes the colors come alive. I have a hard time decorating them because I feel like any stringer doodlings would be almost an abomination. So, I play with shape and I am really loving this shape. Keep in mind that the beads in the above photo are the first test batch. I played with shaping with little concern about size or consistency which I focus on for sets an pairs. This shape allows even more surfaces for the light to reflect and refract making them sparkle like diamonds.

Sets will be up on Etsy this week as well as some etched weessels. Custom orders welcome as always.

Thanks!!

In Praise of Mom

2008-10-14T15:55:00.006-04:00

No, don't panic, it's not Mother's Day. I owe a few words of praise and thanks to my own mom so I'm saying it now before I forget and because Hallmark just doesn't make a card to cover it all.

Without her, I wouldn't be here but I also wouldn't be "here." My mom has offered opinions and suggestions whenever I needed them and sometimes when I didn't know I did. She has been there at every show to tote and lug stuff, package up orders, and to keep watch during restroom breaks. We have had adventures in interstate driving and walked a mile together to buy C clamps. She sacrificed a skirt for the perfect fabric to make a display for me and has taken her carpentry skills to new heights to create the perfect light bar.

Recently, she has even taken up jewelry making to accent my work and, I hope to have a little fun too. She has learned to make woven bracelets which incorporate my hollow button toggles as well as my new weessels (wee vessels) and lampwork disks. She's also started branching out with beautiful leather wrap bracelets.

Giving her a little spotlight here is the least I can do to thank her for all that she does.

Thanks Mom!!!

Glass...Pretty, Pretty Glass

2008-09-29T11:51:00.003-04:00

I’ve been making and posting hollows which has led to some custom orders which has led to more hollows but I have been doing other things as well. Some though have sold before I could post them and I am grateful for that these days. I have been kinda hogging one new item though. It’s a metal glass I came across maybe last year. Like anything new, I made some test pieces to see the potential. I quickly valued this glass as having the potential to make ugly, sludgy beads. I shelved it and forgot about it. I decided to play with it again and, I have no idea what changed but WOW. The colors on these disks and spacers cannot be more rich or amazing! There’s deep purple, steel to navy blue and a whole range of browns from caramel to coffee. The wee-ssels (tiny vessels) I made have already been abducted for a special project but the rest are going up for sale today.

Enjoy!

Subject to Change

2008-09-01T21:08:00.005-04:00

I've been playing with hollows and embellishing them so I added some metallic shards to an amethyst one. I love metallic glass so I added some metallic rivet-looking dots for a steampunk industrial look. I liked the effect so much that I made a matching vessel. I'm pretty pleased with how both turned out so there will probably be more in the series coming soon.

I didn't plan on any shows for the rest of the year but I've been asked to do a pre-holiday trunk show by some of my regular customers. I'm planning on the 15th of November right now and it will include all of the regular trappings of my trunk show: a variety of goodies for you and all of your gift-giving needs at every budget level from stocking stuffers to budget gift exchanges and more high end items for the most important person on your list - YOU! I will be including some new wire wrapped and gemstone jewelry as well so get your lists ready. I will be posting invitations but if you need directions, let me know.

Here and There

2008-08-17T21:05:00.003-04:00

I have a wholesale account which varies my workload from not busy at all to working consecutive 12 hour days to fill their orders. This spike usually occurs in the Fall. There is little planning or predicting so sometimes I just seem to fall off of the face of the earth.

The trunk show at Bead Angels should not be called a show at all. There were four of us who set up inside the store and we ate, talked, laughed, and exchanged ideas for a couple of days. In addition to all of this fun, I had some really good sales. One of the hit items was the new disk beads I featured in my last blog.

Prior to this show, I spent my free-torch time playing with some basic lampwork techniques. Disks, hollows, hollow hearts, bubble beads, etc. This was a nice way to get back to basics and vary my offerings. Several of these items will be going up on Etsy this week and next.

I just received my issue of Step by Step Wire and bookmarked several really cool ideas that I think I can adapt to my vessels. I am also stocking up on jumprings (and bourbon) for another phase of chain maille vessel necks.

I don't have any shows planned for the rest of the year but I will have regular Etsy listings and will post new stuff as it hatches.

Stay tuned...

I Wandered Off

2008-07-13T19:47:00.003-04:00

Nice start, one post and I wandered off. I have a good excuse though, really. I am gearing up for a new show at Bead Angels in Broadripple Indiana on August 1st and 2nd. I thought I would play with some bead-type designs for a change. These "bullseye discs" as well as hollows will be among my offerings.

I do some contract wholesale work as well and that tends to gear up for me in the second half of the year so that has started to ramp up.

I have a good range of offerings up on Etsy right now and I will be continuing to add.

2008-06-27T12:22:00.002-04:00

Hello and thanks for looking in!

I returned from Bead and Button earlier this month and promptly fell ill and had a bunch of custom orders to fill so I am only now getting this blog going which was one of the things on the list known as "Things I will do when I get back from B&B." That list starts in about March and grows to frightening proportions. This year it almost rivals the list of "Things I promised after Hell freezes over." Yep, I am a rabid list maker.

I have another list of items to try from my sketch book. Some new ideas on hollows have already met their watery end in the dunk bucket but I do have other ideas. I plan on getting some new chain maille vessels together and I will bring back new and improved sterling fancy stoppers. These will be a universal fit so the Etsy customer can choose their own. I like to keep that aspect in the process. Customer input to help make a piece that is truly the customers.