Risa Beads

Changes are Happening!!!!!

2009-11-17T13:54:00.000-08:00

The first week of December I'll be heading to Chicago for The One of A Kind Show and Sale. It is being held at the Merchandise Mart. The show hours are:

Thursday, December 3, Noon-9pm
Friday, December 4, 11am-9pm
Saturday, December 5, 10am-7pm
Sunday, December 6, 10-5pm

If you would like a free 4 day pass for you and a guest, contact me at Larissa@risabeads.com for details!

This is a long show, but this time I am going to have help from my husband, Robbie so it will be much easier. Thanks to my parents for coming down to take care of our sons so we can go together!

So the big news is.... Risa Beads is changing to Larissa Spafford Designs! It's something I've been working on for almost a year now and am so relieved and happy that I'm almost on the other side of this change.

In honor of the change I'm going to be having a sale at the Chicago and Port Townsend shows and in my new etsy shop, LarissaSpafford.etsy.com. Everything will be 25% off! The sale starts as I transfer my items over to the new store in the next few weeks. Everything will be in there by December 1st and the sale will be officially on. I'll post more details about the change as they become more solid, in the next few weeks. Until then, if you would like to purchase anything in my Risabeads.etsy store, I will honor the sale. Just make a note to seller at checkout and I will refund the difference immediately.

There are a couple other things I'm really excited about also. The first is that snowboarding season is almost here! Mt. Bachelor, our local mountain is planning to open this Friday. Robbie and I are planning on going. It's Friday so the kids will be in school. Hope they don't hate us too much for having fun while they are at school! That leads to the second thing I'm really excited about. The kids have all next week off of school! So you can guess what we'll be up to.

We are going to be having a traditional Thanksgiving. Traditional for us anyway. If the weather co operates we we'll go up to the mountain in the morning and come home and make dinner to share with Robbie's dad.

Have a great Thanksgiving!!!!

2009-11-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of my new booth display once it was all set up. Much better!

My Biggest Blunder

2009-10-31T11:27:00.000-07:00

I'm really good at planning out how to make something work out, and then at the last minute doing one thing that causes the whole thing to almost fall apart, like making 90 pmc endcaps ALL with the hole too small, then having to make them all bigger. Lucky for me I'm pretty good at getting over it, moving on and it all working out in the end, and hopefully learning from it. This week I think I made my biggest blunder yet!
I purchased a new display that comes apart for transporting to shows. Three weeks ago I made sure to order it in time, so if I decided that the best way to get it to the show was by shipping I would have enough time. I double checked that got it on the UPS truck on Friday it would get there Wednesday.
Well last Tuesday evening, my boxes arrived just as promised (Thanks Julia!), so early Wednesday I got to work putting this thing together. I read the instructions, and was SO patient and determined to do it right all by myself, since Robbie won't be there to help in Santa Monica. It took a while but I got it all put together and my family didn't mind having our living room taken over too much.
On Thursday, I put the display shelves in and figured out how I was going to lay everything out, and what display things I needed to bring with me to the show. Everything was going really good, until it got to the hanging earring display I was going to rig up between two vertical bars. To make a long story short, after trying several different things that didn't work so well, a trip to the hardware store and a few moments where I could have cried, I ended up finishing around 10:20 at night, using my original idea of how to do it. I can't even remember why I didn't just go with that one in the first place now!
The next morning I double checked to make sure my earring display worked and only had to change one wire and it was done! Yay! After two long days of figuring out my display, I was anxious to get this thing packed up in a suitcase to fly or, shipped in the mail and out of our living room.
So we packed everything up, decided that shipping it was the best way to go and got to the UPS store. Despite being really tired and stressed, when I walked into the store I knew that I needed my boxes to arrive in Santa Monica ON Wednesday. Then I'm convinced my brain must have shut off and stopped functioning almost completely! When the girl behind the counter said that it that my boxes would get there by 7pm on Wednesday, I thought that that was too late because I needed to set up the show on at 3, and if they didn't get there till 7 pm that would be way too late. So unless I wanted to pay $86 for the small package, and who knows how much for the larger one, I was going to need to fly with them. So we went and bought two of suitcases big enough to fit all my display stuff and my clothes, felt much better and went to the Halloween parade at Kai's school. Everything was working out, I thought.
Then we packed the display stuff into the suitcases. We got the first one to weigh 42 lbs, so I still had 8lbs for clothes and a few other things that needed to go in. Things were looking good. Then I packed the second one and it weighed 60 lbs. without some important things I wanted to bring! I really wanted to be able to not have to pay the $50 for overweight baggage, and be able to lift the thing off the baggage carousel. At this point, at 7:00 on Friday evening I gave up, cleaned up the living room and made dinner. After dinner after I had relaxed and had a glass of wine, and was watching a movie with my family when I suddenly realized that I wasn't getting to Santa Monica until THURSDAY, so those packages getting there by 7 on Wednesday would have been just fine!!!! I told my husband and he thought it was REALLY funny. I guess it is really. I just haven't laughed yet.
So now I'm going to haul everything into the laundry room, where I don't have to see it, and can forget about it for at least the rest of today, maybe even tomorrow. I've learned that working too long, being tired and stressed totally affects my ability to think clearly and make good decisions. I just hope I remember this next time!
It's Halloween and the sun is shining. My sister and her boyfriend and my adorable nieces are coming over and we are having a party! I wasn't planning on dressing up but I've changed my mind and I'm dressing up as a witch. Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!

2009-10-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

My next show will be The Contemporary Craft Market in Santa Monica, CA. It is November 6-8 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. This will be my first time participating in this show and also my first time flying to a show. I'm really excited to be participating in this show and to be going to California.I'm especially excited about seeing the Pacific Ocean. I'm going to be super busy setting up, being at, and taking down the show, but if I only get to do one fun thing in Santa Monica, it's going to be going to the beach! I was born in Newport Beach and spent the first 11 years of my life pretty much in the ocean or at the beach. My sister and I loved to body surf, boogie board swim and just play and get pummeled by the ocean all day. I think it was way easier for my mom to take us to the beach to be entertained all day, then to deal with us being bored and cooped up at home. Thanks mom! Even though we moved away when I was 11 I still get really excited and feel at peace at the same time when I'm at the ocean and around palm trees.

I have some postcards that are good for two free admissions to the show. If you would like one, or even two send me an e mail at Larissa@risabeads.com and I will put them in the mail for you!

2009-10-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

Well here's what I pulled out of the kiln this morning. New colors are so refreshing! I already have more ideas I want to try.

Yay for new glass!!!!

2009-09-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

On my way home from the show in Portland I stopped at Bullseye Glass. I had never been there before and discovered it's pretty much glass heaven!

11 years ago, when I first started lampworking, Bullseye was the first glass I used. That was before they began making round rods, and all that was available for lampworkers was cut up sheets of glass in long skinny strips. I loved all the colors, but eventually switched to Moretti because they made round rods which are way easier to turn.

I had to restrain myself and only buy a few, ok maybe 20 colors and today gave myself a play day. Yay! I really just wanted to play with the colors, so I did. I can hardly wait to see my beads when I get them out of the kiln in the morning.

It was really interesting and fun working with a different glass. I kept thinking it felt silky and smooth to work with. It takes a little more heat to melt it, so I had more time and it kept it's shape easier. Usually when I make round discs and flowers, around the hole wants to melt and I have to be super careful to keep the hole nice. This glass wasn't doing that and it was kind of nice.

Tomorrow I'll post pictures of my beads here. But be warned, they could be really ugly! I never know what I'm going to get when I open the kiln, but that is half the fun! Sometimes I make something that I am sure is just fabulously beautiful and when it comes out it's really not so pretty. I'll just have to wait and see......

Portland Here I Come!

2009-09-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

Next week I'll be heading to Portland for Bead Fest Portland at the Oregon Convention Center. Here are the show hours:

Thursday Sept. 24, 5-9
Friday Sept. 25, 10-7
Saturday Sept. 26, 10-6
Friday Sept. 27, 11-5

I'll be at an Artisan Table in space #16. Hope to see you there!

I've come up with a new color combination for a Lovely Bloom Bead. I'm calling it Marina. I just love the vibrant blue, and how the lighter blue radiates out from the center.

PMC

2009-07-31T14:54:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos of what Precious Metal Clay Silver looks like in various stages. If you don't already know what PMC is, I will tell you! PMC is made from silver particles and a binder. You work it like clay and then fire it in a kiln at 1650 degrees F for two hours. All the binder burns out and you are left with pure silver! During the process the peices shrink a little. It is pretty amazing and a super fun material to work with. These ones were carefully rolled out thin, then rolled on a rubber spiral texture template. Then they were cut into circles using various shapes of circle cutters, similar to very small cookie cutters. The holes were made with straws. Finally the edges were cleaned up a little and they are ready to be fired. After they were fired they are slightly domed and polished. Then they are blackened in a stinky liver of sulfer bath, rinsed and polished again to highlight the spiral texture. From there they are connected to the end of a bead with a silver tube rivet.

Silver Precious Metal Clay before firing:
After firing in a kiln at 1650 degrees F for 2 hours:
After doming:
After tumbling to remove the white residue:
After being blackened in liver of sulfer:
After polishing:
After being connected to handmade glass beads with a tube rivet:

My Next Show

2009-07-20T18:40:00.001-07:00

I will be participating in the American Craft Council Show at Fort Mason in San Francisco. I am in booth #1030. If you are in the area come and see some of the finest American crafts!

Perspectives Exhibit

2009-07-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

I am happy to have this bead included in The International Society of Glass Beadmakers juried exhibition, Perspectives. It runs June 5 to September at the Raddison Hotel in Corning New York, and was on display during the Glass Art Society Conference. I'm honored to have my bead included in this group of such beautiful beads, by talented artists! You can see the rest of the selected beads here.

Ooooppps!

2009-06-09T10:13:00.001-07:00

I spent hours making beautiful large round, partly hollow beads. I'm expecting some blue chalcedony in the mail and I was so happy I had finished these beads and would be able to work on the necklace when my stones arrived. Then, I noticed my kiln controller was malfunctioning and the kiln was actually WAY hotter that it was supposed to be. I opened the door to find my beautiful beads in puddles! It's so sad, but I'm just grateful I caught it before we left the house. I have to admit they are kinda cool looking. So now, I'm off to test the kiln, and make sure it's working right and then I'm going to make the exact same beads I made yesterday!

Show Schedule

2009-06-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

Looks like I am going to be a busy girl! Here is my Show Schedule:

June 13, 20,27, Central Oregon Saturday Market, Bend,OR

June 26, Northwest Crossing Hullabaloo, Bend, OR

June 27, Central Oregon Saturday Market, Bend,OR

July 10,11,&12, Puget Sound Bead Festival, Tacoma, WA

July 16,23,30 and August 6 (Thursday Evenings) Munch & Music, Bend, OR

July 18 &25, August 1 & 8, Central Oregon Saturday Market, Bend, OR

August 14,15&16, American Craft Council Show, San Francisco, CA

September 5 &6, Central Oregon Saturday Market, Bend, OR

September 24-27, Bead Fest, Portland, OR

November 6-9, Contemporary Crafts Market, Santa Monica, CA

December 3,4,5 &6 One of a Kind Show and Sale, Chicago, IL

December 12, Holiday Sale for Procrastinators with Taste, Port Townsend, WA
I didn't think I'd be doing any more Washington shows this year but I changed my mind! This has been one of my favorite shows for several years now. It's at the Port Townsend Masonic Hall. See you soon Port Townsend!

2010 Shows:

February 23-28, American Craft Council Wholesale-Retail Show, Baltimore, MD

March 13&14 2010, Contemporary Crafts Market, San Francisco, CA

June 11-13 2010, Contemporary Crafts Market, Santa Monica,CA

July 9-11 2010, Puget Sound Bead Festival, Tacoma, WA

Risa Beads has moved!

2009-05-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

April 2 we moved in to our new home in Bend, Oregon! We really like it here.

Tomorrow the Farmer's market starts in Port Townsend and for the first time in 7 years I won't be there, so I thought I would put a little update in here, in case people are looking for me and wondering what the heck. I'm really going to miss all the wonderful people at the market and the awesome vibrant atmosphere . Who knows, maybe I'll get a chance to visit this summer and enjoy the market as a non-vendor!

If you are in PT and still want to purchase my beads and jewelry you still can! Online in my Etsy store you can see my current inventory. There is a link on the right of my blog. You can make purchases there through pay pal or call me. I would love to hear from you! I can accept a credit card over the phone. My cell # is (360)643-1259. Also, getting my work into a store in PT is in the works....

Once I get more settled and get my studio up and running I'm even going to be teaching again. It could be a little while though.

I've been accepted to the Saturday Market here in Bend! Yay! It starts Memorial Day Weekend. I'm super excited and am busy getting ready. The picture above is the flags I just finished making to decorate my booth.

Good luck in PT with the bridge closure!!!!!!!

RAGS Wearable Art Sale and Jurried Gallery

2009-03-01T15:04:00.000-08:00

March 12-15th I will be participating, for my second time, in the RAGS Wearable Art Sale and Juried Gallery. It is taking place in the beautiful Mercedes-Benz of Tacoma at 4001 E. 20th, Fife, Washington. Hope to see you there!

All About Art Benefit

2009-02-11T15:46:00.000-08:00

Here is a necklace and a pair of earrings from my Serenity collection that I have donated to the auction. It is a great cause!

2009-01-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!! Robbie took this picture with my new camera he gave me for Christmas. It is snow and waterproof. It can go underwater for up to an hour. I'm super excited to take lots of pictures in the snow, and can't wait to go back to Hawaii and test it out while snorkeling! This Photo was taken after hiking a little ways at Steven's Pass. It's looking out over the foggy Cascades.

New Wine Bottle Toppers

2008-12-11T10:15:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of my newest creations. It is so much fun to have a larger surface to decorate! I used stainless steel bottoms so they are very durable. This summer I gave these as wedding presents and I also gave them away to my entire family. People love them and I love making them!

Last Show of 2008 Already!

2008-12-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

Wow, this year has really zoomed by. It seems like I just started a new season at the market and now it's time for my last show of 2008. I am having a customer appreciation sale from now until the end of December. 10% off EVERYTHING! Happy Holidays and Thank you so much for supporting me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bead Abundance

2008-11-11T15:23:00.000-08:00

I have been super busy making many beads and a lot of jewelry to get ready for The Best of the Northwest this weekend. Right now Robbie is riveting beads for me. I even have some wine bottle stoppers, which are a completely new thing for me. They are really fun to make because I have so much more surface area to work on. So if you are in Seattle this weekend stop by and say hi! The show is at the Seattle Center Exhibition Center Friday-Sunday. I'm booth K-1.

Beautiful Fall Sunrise

2008-10-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

I went out to retrieve my beads from the kiln this morning and this was the veiw from my studio. So pretty, and slightly eerie. It deffinately feels like fall!

All Clean!!!!!

2008-10-10T17:31:00.000-07:00

I spent most of today cleaning my studio. I'm getting ready to be part of the artist studio tour that is happening this weekend. I love it when my studio is all nice and clean!

What a week!

2008-09-22T14:53:00.001-07:00

Robbie has had some time off work since August, after injuring himself on his bike and having surgery. So for his last week off we made a last minute trip to Bend, Oregon. It is such a beautiful place, we can't wait to go back! We had so much fun.

We got back late Friday, and the next morning at six Robbie and the boys left for the Redline cup in Everett. It's a huge race with people from all over the west. Jasper won 1st place in his age group and Kai won 2nd in his! I am a very happy mom to some very happy boys!

Ok, now the kids are really back to school and I'm back to melting glass!!!!!

Back to School

2008-09-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day ever that both Jasper and Kai were in school for a full day. It hasn't really sunk in yet, how much time I am going to have to make my beads and jewelry!

Today was also a day a dream came true! 9 & 1/2 years ago Robbie and I both started out making beads. We always talked about how great it would be when we had two torches set up and could melt glass at the same time. Well today was the day!

Uptown Street Fair

2008-08-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

This Saturday is the Uptown Street Fair! It's all day and will be alot of fun. There's a parade, yummy food, the farmers market and an arts and crafts fair! I'll be part of the crafts fair, which will be where the farmers market usually is. I made 23 pairs of earrings this week and have a few new adorable mini purple flower pendants too.

And I finally have a new computer! Yay!

Puget Sound Bead Festival

2008-07-06T16:40:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Hawaii was wonderful. It really is paradise! We went snorkling, body surfing, and even tried surfing. We went swimming in the warm ocean and warm waterfall pools too. We ate lots of yummy fruit, bannana bread and fish tacos. It was soooooo relaxing. I feel refreshed and am full of new bead and jewelry ideas.

I made a last minute descison to have a booth at the Puget Sound Bead Festival. I've got some new beads inspired by Hawaii! The bead festival is the largest bead show on the west coast so if you love beads it's a great place!

Hawaii here I come!!!!

2008-06-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo!!!!!! I am SOOOOOOO excited. Thursday Robbie and I are going to Hawaii to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary! I can hardly wait!

Turns out, my computer is done for! The mother board was broken so I need a whole new computer. Luckily my hard drive was saveable so I didn't loose any of my pictures or other important stuff, thankfully. Hopefully I'll have a new one soon after I get home, then I'll post some pictures of Hawaii. I really want to see a sea turtle while I'm snorkleing.

Bead and Button

2008-06-04T15:56:00.000-07:00

My freind Andrea took some of my beads with her to the Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It runs until this Sunday. If you are in the area and love all things involving beads, GO!!! Someday I'll get to go too. My beads go more places than I do!!!!!!!

I really wanted to post a picture, but my computer is at the computer dr. I'm crossing my fingers that it's fixable, in the meantime I'm kinda enjoying life without a computer!

First Blog

2008-05-26T18:04:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my first blog ever! Here are two clips of my sweet boys doing one of the things they do best! The first one is Kai doing a 180. He's only 5 and has been skiing for 2 seasons. He's a natural on skis. We got him some little twin tips. He goes faster backwards than I go forwards! Going forwards there is no way I can catch him. Luckily I ride with people who can! He's really sweet when it's just us two. We play follow the leader, he's the leader and he waits for me.
The second one is Jasper doing jumps. He's 10 and has been boarding for four seasons now and is quite the little ripper. His favorite thing to do is follow his dad in the powder through the trees. He stays right on his tail and amazes me with his abilities. Of course, I can't really keep up with them either. I can try though! And they wait. Thanks guys!