Gundula's Glass and other News

Glass by Gundula is having a Sale!!!!

2008-06-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

That's right, through June 30th 2008 you will get 10% off ( and that is in addition to any quantity discounts!!!!) any purchase!!! Just click here.....

Glass by Gundula has a new website!

2008-04-03T07:29:00.000-07:00

Here it is, then, a new website, not yet fully stocked, a few wrinkles to be ironed out, but I'm so happy with it!
And I want to show off some of the pens I made, if you are looking for a unique gift, these would be perfect! My favorite is A, with the amber-purple boro beads, so much nicer in person...
Last weekend I did the Shop Til You Drop show in Bossier City LA, what a friendly show! Too bad it rained both days, that kept attendance down but I will be back for sure.

A Happy 2008 To All from Glass by Gundula

2008-01-01T12:04:00.001-08:00

This is one of my hand-etched dichroic cabochons, I'll probably wire-wrap it later this week.
I've had a very busy show season, it's good to be off for a few months and to play with my torch, I've been making borosilicate beads, a whole new game but so much fun!
Also, I'm just finishing up a big custom order, it's challenging to come up with so many different ideas for cabs.
And it's high time to update my website to add more cabs and beads.

Glass by Gundula now on Etsy!!!

2007-08-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

I've only put a few dichroic cabochon sets up, but here's the link:

http://www.glassbygundula.etsy.com

Looks like it is more for finished jewelry than for components, but I will go ahead with some cabs, beads and bails to see how it goes.

Come visit me there, won't you?

Gundula

My Insomnia Pendant

2007-05-23T12:37:00.001-07:00

This is just a prototype, I'm trying out all these ideas that go through my mind during the ( many ) nights when sleep is elusive....most of these ideas never even make it past the wakeup stage, but this one makes it possible to make a good-sized pendant out of a smallish but special cabochon by adding rows of beads ( or crystals ) within a frame.
This will be my personal one since it's not symmetrical and not perfectly done, but I like it well enough!
Maybe I'll have a few to offer on June 2 and 3 in Stafford at the Bead Market, I would like to see if people like it.
Glassbygundula

You asked for it - Glass by Gundula's new bails!!

2007-04-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

I've had requests for different bail sizes and am now offering the Sterling Silver Style A bail in 4 widths:
the small is 4mm wide for $ 1.50, medium is 6mm ( that is the size that I have offered before ) for $ 2.00, large is 8mm wide for $ 2.50 ( pictured to the left ) and xlarge is 10mm wide for $ 3.00. That should just about cover it!
Here's the direct link

http://www.glassbygundula.com/page5

Of course, let me know if you need a custom bail made just for you....

I delivered the hearts last week, and when I got back home I really missed having hearts everywhere so I'm making more!!!

More Computer Woes for Glass by Gundula!

2007-04-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

My desktop was acting up, turning itself off and on, sometimes it would give me 30 minutes, or maybe just 3 minutes. Well, I have this great maintenance program, so I took it in, of course I was told, it’s a worm and software is not covered.
I havn't decided yet if I'll try to have it removed, maybe have the hard drive swiped clean and start over on it...
So I’ve been limping along on my laptop, going through all the motions: disbelief, anger, bargaining, anger, sadness, anger and finally acceptance - and anger…..
I had to dig out the CD’s to install the printer and the scanner and finally am almost ready to post more cabs and beads to my website. Yeah!
Here’s what I’ve been busy with: making 400 hearts, to be delivered next week, truly a labor of love!
I’ll probably have several dozens extra, just a little too small or too large, that I’ll put on the website, just give me time!

San Antonio TX Bead Market

2007-01-04T17:58:00.000-08:00

I'm looking forward to the San Antonio Bead Market on Feb 24 and 25, 2007 .
There's a link on my website, the room is booked, boarding for the dogs is arranged, and I'm working on the glass and jewelry I'll offer. Lots of new stuff!!!
Hope to see a bunch of you there!

Happy New Year!!!!!!

2007-01-01T07:24:00.000-08:00

I am wishing for a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2007 for all my wonderful friends, customers and myself!
We came to Houston for a few days to catch up with friends and to celebrate the new year, and are about to go back to our cabin.
Some of my resolutions: do more shows, get back on Ebay and maybe Justbeads and Etsy, put more items on my website, make more ready-to-wear jewelry, and post here a little more often....

Just got back from Houston

2006-11-14T06:14:00.000-08:00

We were in Houston for almost a week to do the Houston Bead Society 3-day show, it's a great venue with so many helpful volunteers and this year in a bigger, better facility with adequate parking! Attendance seemed to be down from last year, maybe due to the move, but it was great to see so many familiar faces, both customers and fellow vendors, and to make new friends!
This year it was even easier for me because Glenn was available to help me.
As usual, many of the vendors took the opprtunity to see my glass in person and to purchase on the spot rather than going to the website Glass by Gundula, this year 2 of them actually created some wonderful jewelry pieces right there! How neat is that!

Well, the dogs sure were ready to come back, now they are happily lazing on the porch, life is good!

I will be re-stocking my website all this week, be sure to check it out!

Sure hope Rose will like them!

2006-10-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

I've been too busy fusing and lampworking and re-stocking the Glass by Gundula shelves to do any wire wrapping in a good while, so when Rose asked me to wrap these druzies for her, I agreed and dusted off my pliers. I'll mail them in the morning, hope she likes them! She wanted a lot of curlicues and I like straight up, so we compromised...
The stones are really much nicer in person, the scan can't do them justice!
This weekend I had my hands full with 3 custom orders, so the dogs had to take a backseat, I'll make up for it next week, I promise!

Check out Glass by Gundula! New Fun Stuff!

2006-09-16T19:21:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to add these to my website, and finally got around to it. The ponytail holders are really nice, I make the findings myself so I can center the cab on the elastic.
The bookmarks come in silvertone and brass and 2 styles, I have to calibrate the cabs to fit the pads so I don't always have a lot of them. Around this time of the year I try to stock up, though, wonderful little stocking stuffers!
I'll add more of everything soon, the last few weeks I've been mostly lampworking, just about ready to upgrade to a better ( hotter! ) torch.
Glass is just so fascinating!

Look what Lana Arrington did with my Dichroic Lampwork Beads!

2006-08-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

Lana received a few of my earliest lampwork beads to play with, and the results are just spectacular! I love her very precise wire work, and of course asked her to be part of the gallery on my Glass by Gundula website.
She had ordered cabs from me several times in the last few years, and I knew from her mailing address that she lived only a few blocks away from me in Alief. We happened to meet at a bead show and noticed that we were both wearing Glass by Gundula pendants.
We've become good friends, have done shows together and I often ask for her feedback when I come up with something new and different.
I really like the pendants she created from my beads and can't wait to hear how well they sell for her!

“Opals”

2006-08-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

A customer brought to my attention that I don’t have any “opally” dichroic cabochons on my website.
Well, I was in a fusing mood and here are a few “roughs”, still need to work on them but they will be available soon here: Glass by Gundula

Discounts available from Glass by Gundula

2006-08-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

OK, here’s what I can do:

Orders over $ 100.00 get a 10% discount in addition to the Free Shipping

Orders over $ 250.00 get a 20% discount in addition to the Free Shipping

Orders over $ 400.00 get a 30% discount in addition to the Free Shipping

Sampler Packs are already discounted, the price of $ 0.40 per gram for dichroic cabochons of this quality is way low! Therefore, no discounts on Sampler Packs!

If you are using Paypal to make your payment, I would prefer to send a check for your discount with your order. Or email me, and I can send a Paypal invoice for the reduced amount, if that’s better for you.

I don’t sell “wholesale” at 50% off , discounts depend solely on the order volume.

Here’s a link to the Ordering Info page: Glassbygundula

TaDaaaa! Lampwork Beads have arrived!!!

2006-07-22T17:40:00.000-07:00

Well, finally available on my
www.glassbygundula.com
website, I've worked up the nerve to list some of my beads.
I made it clear that I'm a beginning lampworker, I won't resort to calling my beads "baroque" as one seller does on Ebay, but some of the shapes are not perfect, lots of room for improvement here and of course, my pricing reflects that.

I'm working on a large custom order of cabs right now but hope to soon have the time to actually make some jewelry out of my beads.

All the dogs are fine, I'm ok.

I really like these cabs

2006-07-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

Just listed 10 dichroic cabochons on www.glassbygundula.com, here’s the smallest ( priced at $ 4.00 ) and probably my favorite, solid coppery gold dichroic overlaid with green, gold, blue dichroic, puts me in the mood for the Fall season. And with a humid 95 degrees today, no rain in sight, I am looking forward to the cooler days of October, well, more like November around here….
If you need to work on you Fall line of jewelry, look these over to see what you can do with them! Here’s the page, they're the last ones: http://www.glassbygundula.com/page2.html

It was bound to happen…

2006-07-14T16:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took Daisy to the Vet, her right front paw was a little swollen, she was licking it constantly and would not let me have a good look at it. She had been throwing up the night before, wasn’t eating and not even running after squirrels. She could walk but seemed to be in pain and it didn’t get better after a day.
Well, Dr. Robinson shaved her leg and discovered puncture wounds. He couldn’t really say what got to her, we are thinking a snake but not a venomous one, sure hope Daisy knows and remembers and stays the hell away!
There was inflammation, and she was running a fever, indication an infection, so now she’s on antibiotics for 2 weeks, and anti-inflammatory pain medication, and she’s already much better today, much perkier and alert. As I type, she’s even nibbling on a chicken leg, I think she’ll be fine.
I took some more packages to the Post Office today and chatted a bit with Stephen, the Postmaster.
He told me about a retired glass blower that lives just a few miles from me, I left him some of my business cards and he’ll see if this gentleman would like to talk to me about Hot Glass. That would be so interesting!
Well, got to re-stock the Glass by Gundula cabochon shelves, and get to work on the Fun Stuff!!

we're back home!

2006-07-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

The dogs couldn't be happier, and I'm glad, too!
I've got my notebook for the next trip out of town, and I lampworked some beads today, the sun is out after a brief thunderstorm that cooled things off a bit, life is good.
Yesterday I had lunch with Dorothy and Harry, my friend Joe's Mom and Uncle. Harry had been to town and served up a wonderful deli lunch, complete with Coconut Cream Pie. Everybody got to take leftovers home, and I'll share the rest of the pie with Daisy and Niki tonight. I'll add a sliced banana and top it with Peanutbutter Cup ice cream, yummy! Great way to end a good day, hoping for many more.
In the morning I'll go to the Post Office to mail an order ( thanks, JH! ) and unless it rains, I'll take the dogs to the swimming hole just 5 more miles down the road.

Computer Woes!

2006-07-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

Or rather: Modem Woes!
I'm still here in Houston, but the way things are going for me I'm trying to get out of town ASAP. We had a severe thunderstorm on Saturday and a bolt of lightning fried one of my TV's and, alas, the modem of my computer.
So here I am, taking advantage of the Public Library, my tax dollars at work, and I think later today I'll go shopping for a laptop.
Daisy and Niki are ready to get back, too, it's been too rainy to even go to the dogpark, not that they would mind the mud but I would!
And the lampworking is not going real smooth either, yesterday I was discouraged but then, this morning, I came up with a few color combinations that are working, so I'll play some more!
I should be back at my cabin by Friday, sure hope everything is ok there!

Progress, not Perfection!

2006-06-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

These aren't too bad, they won't go in the "Oops!" box but are not quite ready for prime-time, either. So you're probably looking at 2 bracelet/earrings sets for me, only I don't wear bracelets....Oh, the problems I have!
Off to Houston tomorrow for a week, have to get some fusing done so I can re-stock the Glass by Gundula store shelves!
And, hopefully, I'll soon be able to offer some lampworked dichroic beads, reasonably priced, of course, like all my glass!

Well, I better pick some peaches before it gets dark, they are not much to look at, small and not very attractive, but they are ever so sweet and good-tasting!
This fall I need to devote some time to my fig and peach trees, they need pruning and staking to really produce.

What’s new with the glass?

2006-06-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

My kilns are still in Houston, but I am playing with a torch here and finding out what all can go wrong when trying to lampwork dichroic beads. More for the reject pile!
But some are turning out ok, and I am encouraged. I have the cheap little Hothead/MAPP gas setup, not quite ready to spend mega dollars on propane, oxygen, major torch etc. This is good enough to learn on!
Here’s a scan of some that are almost acceptable:

Wow! Look at what Vampi Choy did with one of my cabs!

2006-06-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

Vampi emailed me this image, she also posted this wonderful necklace on several forums, here's one of them: http://forums.delphiforums.com/wirejewelry/messages/?msg=13744.12

Of course I had to ask her if I could include her in my Gallery!

A little background…

2006-06-22T10:03:00.000-07:00

OK, I jumped right into this blog thing with most readers not having a clue why I’m here. So here’s part of my story:
About 6 or 7 years ago, I discovered Ebay and, with a vengeance, started collection vintage glass beads. Those I made into new jewelry, necklaces, earrings, bracelets. And then I found dichroic pendant beads on Ebay and finally bought one, I still have it, it was from Ernie Phelps and quite expensive. So now I bought these beads, and re-sold them with earrings made from my bead stash. It didn’t take long for me to decide that I wanted more control over the colors and shapes, and 4 years ago I bought my first kiln, a Paragon Quick Fire that I still have and use almost daily. Dichroic glass cabochons were the next logical step, especially after I met a wire jewelry artist who liked my work. And so Glass By Gundula started.
I’ve never taken a class in fusing or wire-wrapping, but I have made extensive use of the information and tutorials that are available on the internet.

And then what happened?

2006-06-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

Well, about 2 years ago I was going through some rough emotional times, and was diagnosed as being bi-polar. The medication made me so lethargic I decided I just as soon be depressed, I was used to that feeling after all. And I rather enjoyed my few manic episodes, at least I got some things done!
I took a good hard look at my life and decided that my job was no longer challenging and fulfilling, and I really did not feel like looking for a new one. I had no particular attachment to Houston, it was mainly a place where the jobs are.
Really the only joy came from my 2 dogs, and they were not all that happy, either. Sure, I took them to the Dog Park often, but on the rare occasions when they were visiting the countryside, they really perked up and exhausted themselves having fun. So I bought 4 wooded acres with a cabin and a shed in East Texas, first as a weekend getaway, but ultimately as a retirement retreat. I crunched the numbers, that’s what I’m good at, and it was doable. It took a leap of faith to hand in my resignation, I dragged my feet for months, waiting for this event or that.
May 4th 2006 was my last day at work.

So what is retired life, far from the Big City, like for you, my friends ask me.

2006-06-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I’m not really retired, have no pension or retirement income, I’m self-employed with enough reserves to be able to spend time trying new things, to have fun with my dogs and to just take a break from the rat race.
That part is easy, the one thing that chaps me is the Health Insurance that costs me about $ 400 per month. I don’t dare go without it, maybe more out of superstition than necessity.
Now the remoteness of my location is something I don’t always have a handle on, I’m 2 miles from the nearest neighbor, 6 miles from a Post Office, 25 miles from any gas station or store, so I try to plan a little better than I used to. I not only make lists but actually take them with me when I go to town, what a concept!
To wean myself slowly from my old ways of shopping, I allow myself 1 or 2 trips to town a week, but I’m trying to keep it to a minimum. Sometimes these trips are my only opportunity to talk to other people in person, another thing I took for granted!
And I’m not yet completely at ease at night, I know it’s much safer here than in Houston, and the dogs alert me to anything ( and I mean really anything! ) out of the ordinary, and I have a phone handy, but I guess it takes time to adjust.
Without internet service this little adventure would not be feasible, it’s slow but it’s one way to stay connected.
After nearly 2 month here, with a few short trips back to Houston, I don’t regret my decision. In time this will become home for me, Daisy and Niki.

Daisy,guarding the front porch, and Niki, enjoying their favorite Big Sandy swimming hole

2006-06-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

a few of my favorite cabs

2006-06-12T11:31:00.000-07:00