Rose~Colored Glasses

Need Dichroic Sheet Glass?! Man, have I got a deal for YOU!

2011-08-16T22:08:00.000-07:00

Artisan Dichroic's most recent newsletter! Prices on ALL CBS sheet glass has been permanently reduced AND all other sheet glass is temporarily 10% off! AND we just got new ProFusion patterns in today!! Look for them on the site tomorrow! WOOHOO!

Farewell To Summer 20% Off Through Labor Day!

2011-08-05T10:12:00.000-07:00

I know it's still super hot outside and no one wants to think about Fall quite yet...back to school, back to cooler weather...I know, I know.

BUT, Fall also means that we need to get ready for the pre-holiday prep! With the weird economy, SO many people are buying hand-made for the holidays and other occassions. I want you to be ready to cash in on that trend! So.....

I'm slashing prices by TWENTY PERCENT!! Now through Labor Day (that's like a whole MONTH!) you can purchase ANYTHING from our site and get 20% off! I know, right?! Crazy!!!

Well, sanity has never been one of my strong suits, so I invite you to take full advantage of my issues and come shop with us this month.

As always, if you have ANY questions...just shoot me an email and we'll get you taken care of!

Enjoy the rest of your Summer!

Sheri

It's Ted's Birthday! So, Let's Have A Sale!!! Woohoo!!

2010-05-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

It's another "JUST CUZ I FEEL LIKE IT" sale!!! It's Ted's birthday today! So, I'm giving you all a gift, too!! 20% off everything on the site!! Everything!! It's the 1st Annual Happy Ted's Birthday Sale!!

http://www.rosevalleyglass.com/

For those who don't know, Ted Mumford is the other owner of Rose Valley Glass, and my partner in life, as well. He's a wonderful, giving, warm and loving person to all that he meets. We're having a huge celebration for him today, with all of our friends...so, I wanted to make sure that you all didn't feel left out! )

Have a great day, everyone!!

10% off EVERY ORDER until May 27th!!

2010-05-19T13:36:00.000-07:00

Sign up for our May Newsletter and receive a coupon code good for 10% off every purchase until May 27th!!

Don't forget, we now carry 14 different COE 104 murrini styles by Smiltroy!! An amazing lampwork artist from Portugal, Smiltroy has also become a well-known creator of GORGEOUS COE 104 silver glass murrini!! As with all silver glass, the reactions and colors that can be achieved are endless! Combine that with the different designs that Smiltroy has come up with, and you have unique and beautiful additions to your beads!

Smiltroy Galaxy Fingerprints Murrini

Each bag of pre-cut murrini contains 30 pieces!! That's enough to do multiple bead sets! Each order will also come with detailed instructions on how to create various "looks" with the versatile styles that Smiltroy has created for us.

Smiltroy Galaxy Hide N Seek Murrini

Already reasonably priced, use your May Newsletter coupon code to get an additional 10% off these great murrini styles through May 27th!!

Mt. St. Helens 30th Anniversary Sale!!

2010-05-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

Well, 30 years ago today, the ol' lady blew her top! So, in honor of that day (I was 9 and remember watching the mushroom cloud from the hill by our house), we are having a 30% off sale on all of our glass rod until 7pm PST tonight!

We've also got our May Newsletter out right now with a coupon code included, which applies to everything ELSE on the site...so there's a chance for you to get a great deal on whatever you need from RVG today!! If you aren't on the newsletter list, go to the site (http://www.rosevalleyglass.com/) and sign up. I'll make sure you get one before the end of the day.

Travel Post #1 for 2010 ~ Lincoln City, Oregon ~ Supplemental

2010-03-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

I wanted to save the best for last, so I purposely did not mention Fernhill Glass Studio in my original post about our trip to the Oregon Coast. They truly deserve their own post, as they were the highlight of the trip, for me.

The house and studio

Claude

Fernhill Glass Studio is located along Hwy 101, just as you approach Astoria, Oregon from the south. The story of how they came to be at this location is detailed on the website, and is extremely interesting.

As we anticipated arriving in Astoria, one of my favorite coastal destinations, we saw a little sandwich board sign along the road that said simply "Glass Blower" in big red letters, with an arrow pointing towards this lovely old white building. As we pulled into the driveway, we noticed a funny-shaped little studio with the sign "Fernhill Glass". We were welcomed into the studio/hot shop/gallery by Chris, as Claude worked his magic on one of his infamous "tie-dye" vases.

Fernhill Tie-Dye Vase by Claude

We sat down and watched as Claude pushed, pulled and rolled the glass...until this beautiful creation appeared, as if by magic! All the while, Claude and Chris answered our questions and told us their stories. These are two genuinely nice people. It was fun to watch Chris as she anticipated what Claude would need next: an extra hand here, a tool there, etc. She also blows glass during the week there at the Fernhill Studio, while Claude is at his other studio...wait for it...The Gorge Glashaus at McMenamins Edgefield!! This is a very popular venue, and I've heard people talking about how great the glass blowers are who work there...well, turns out that Claude owns it and works there from "noonish - 7pm" during the week. We felt very fortunate to catch him working in his home studio that day.

We began to discuss the glass industry, Rose Valley Glass, etc and found out that Claude used to work at Uroboros in Portland, once upon a time! How interesting and small this world can be, I kept thinking to myself! :)

Claude's Basket Series

After Claude had finished another vase, Chris announced that she had to leave for Meat Bingo! What?! Evidently, it's a local thing. They play bingo on Sunday evenings, but the winners receive meat instead of (or perhaps in addition to?) winning money! What an interesting thing to do, but helpful in this economy, I'm sure. :)

We stayed and talked to Claude for another hour or so, as the late afternoon air began to chill and the light began to change. It was a magical experience that I shall remember for a long time to come. Ted and I had not gotten our customary trinket to commemorate the occassion (our anniversary), so decided to purchase one of Claude's lovely vases in a vibrant, transparent raspberry pink. Gorgeous!

So, to sum up, if you see the sign, stop in and watch Claude (and/or Chris) work some glass magic. You'll learn a lot and meet some wonderful people in the process! I know we'll be stopping by to visit them again very soon.

Travel Post #1 for 2010 ~ Lincoln City, Oregon ~ Part 2

2010-03-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Part 2 of our fabulous journey along the scenic Oregon Coast! Well, a little bit of it, anyway. In Part 1, I described our arrival in Lincoln City on Friday night and then the beginning of our southward wanderings on Saturday. We left off at Ocean Beaches Glass Gallery and hot shop (glass blowing studio), where we met Bob Meyer and gushed over his gorgeous home interior glass designs. Love him!

Just up the road a spell from Bob's place is Heartglass Designs, a little bead shop run by the talented Susan P Hanson. Her sign says simply "Glass Beads", but once you are inside, you know that this is NOT your average bead shop.

See what I mean? Gorgeous!!

Obviously, Susan is not your avearage beadstore owner. She is a major talent...and she has oodles of these gorgeous baubles in numerous cases throughout her shop. You will find individual treasures, like the one pictured here, matching sets, various shapes, sizes and colors AND completed jewelry pieces that will knock your socks off!

I was so enamoured with her lampwork beads that I failed to notice her other products until Ted pointed them out to me. She has a wonderful selection of commercial beads, as well! You will not find the standard plastic, mass-produced, boring beads that are common in other bead shops. Susan has a great eye for unique shapes, colors, materials, and quality products for the jewelry designer. So, if you are a lampworker, jewelry designer, in the market for a new piece of unique jewelry, or just want to gaze at some of the most beautiful beads on the planet, make SURE you stop in and see Susan on your way through Seal Rock, Oregon!

We began to feel the day wearing on and were anxious to return to Lincoln City for dinner, so we headed back towards Newport. Around 4:00pm, as we were passing through South Beach, Oregon (just south of Newport), we saw a sign for The Edge: Art Gallery and Glass Blowing Studio. Of course, we decided to stop in and check it out!

You can watch as an artist creates something wonderful!

The Edge offers classes where you can create something as simple as a glass float ($65) or as complex as a blown glass vase or bowl ($125), in less than an hour! A great way to get some hands-on experience with hot glass for a great price. Plus, you get to take home your beautiful creation and show it off to your friends!

When we arrived at The Edge, it was very quiet and we could tell they were winding down for the day. We did have a chance to look around their gallery/shop and loved what we saw. They have numerous artists working there, and it was obvious that they were all talented and all had very different skill sets. The one thing they all have in common is that they are out-of-the-box artists. Each piece was fun, unique and wonderful! And, if you can't find something that speaks to you in their gallery, they will make you something specific, just for you! Check out the homepage of their website for a link to custom design options!

Of course, the weekend was also full of wonderful food, walks on the beach, and shopping! But, the glass was really the highlight of this trip. For our 1-year anniversary, I really couldn't imagine spending it anywhere else, doing anything else. We are a couple who connected over a torch and maintain a mutual love of glass and all of the creative opportunities that it offers us each day. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for us, as both our relationship and Rose Valley Glass grow and mature.

I love you, babe! Thanks for the perfect weekend! xo

Travel Post #1 for 2010 ~ Lincoln City, Oregon ~ Part 1

2010-03-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

Ted and I love to travel. We hope to go far and wide someday, but for now we stick fairly close to home. This weekend was our 1-year anniversary and we decided to go to Lincoln City, Oregon because that was where we had taken our first trip together last April. :)

Lincoln City is located about 1/3 of the way down the Oregon coast and is a hotbed of hot glass (another reason we chose this location to visit)! For more tourist-type info on Lincoln City, visit this link: http://www.oregoncoast.org/. Notice that the home page features a woman picking a glass float from the sand...this is something that the local glass artists in the area actually do...they "seed" the beach throughout the winter with these glass floats for people to find! How fun is that?!

Our first night in town, we arrived fairly late. So, we found a room, dumped our gear and headed to dinner at the Lighthouse Brewpub, a McMenamin's...so obviously the food was good and highly recommended. Very casual and great for families.

We stayed at a little beach-front motel with hard little beds and not enough pillows, but great television programming and a fantastic view! Such are the trade-offs in life. :)

Saturday morning we were anxious to get out and have some fun! We hit the road early, and headed South down Hwy 101 towards Newport. Along the 60-minute drive, there are countless little towns and turn-offs, all with their own flavor and personality.

For example, if you ever find yourself in Hebo, Oregon and you have to pee, don't expect any of the local businesses (aka, the general store) to offer their facilities willingly. You will be directed to head back the way you came and turn down Hanson Road, "You know, where they park to fish?" until you find the port-o-potty. Now, what they won't tell you is that Hanson Road is not marked, but there IS a tiny sign with a boat on it. So, thankfully we knew that the Hebo fishermen park somewhere near the port-o-potty and found what we were looking for. I think there might have been an easier, and more hospitable, way to help us out. But, this makes for a better story, so there ya go. :)

Somewhere in our travels that day along Hwy 101, we stumbled upon Ocean Beaches Glass Gallery run by Bob and Vicki Meyer, located in beautiful Seal Rock, Oregon. We entered the well-lit gallery with the expectation of ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the gorgeous glass that we saw from the highway...but little did we know that Bob was busy in the studio out back! His gracious and friendly staff person directed us to the viewing area where a small crowd was already gathered. We sat in a balcony-style viewing area where we could look down and see Bob at work. Questions were encouraged and Bob was a joy to watch. When the other group left, Ted and I were alone with Bob while he worked for quite some time. He is easy to talk to and was very informative. We inquired about classes and Bob took some extra time to print off some information for us and to talk with us about Rose Valley Glass for a bit. His artwork is fantastic! If you're looking for some home decor items, in particular, Bob is the guy for you. Lampshades, bowls, vases, even sinks are all gorgeous and very well-priced, also. He offers the stands and wall-fixtures to complement the shades, as well. We highly recommend planning to spend an hour or so watching him work before you pick out your lampshades or sconces! Thanks, Bob!! :)

Bob's Shades

Well, that's it for this edition of Rose Valley Travel Post #1. :) I'll post about more great glass, awesome food and other fun stuff in the next blog. All of this glass-talk has made me anxious to fire up the torch!

Sheri

Check Out My Hot Glass!

2010-03-04T12:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, so technically this is about "warm" glass...but it didn't sound as good to put "warm" in the title. :)

I am currently working my "glass" off creating the new catagories on the website for the sheet glass!

Everything I have is "Furious", which is Bullseye's name for fusible odd-lot glass. Some of it is special run or a result of experimentation in the factory. Some of it just didn't come out "quite" the right color to make it into regular production. The only way to get the best stuff is to hand-pick the sheets right at the factory in their "bullpen". Love that name! lol

So, that's what I do. Then, I cut it up and put offer it up to all of you! Good stuff, Maynard!

Here are a few examples of my favorites that are in stock right now...the selection is ever-changing and supplies are limited. Pics are always of the full sheets, but the largest I can ship is a 12" x 12", so bear that in mind. Enjoy!

The Haps @ Rose Valley Glass

2010-03-03T08:04:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a fun first couple of months on the web! We topped 200 Facebook fans and have shot past 1000 website visits, and we're now looking towards many more future milestones.

To commemorate this milestone, we are putting free goodies in each order through the rest of the week! If you order boro, you'll get a full-color poster with all of Northstar's fab colors (in those little goblin heads we love so much!), if you order COE 90, you'll get a handful of dichro strips to play with, and if you order COE 104, you'll get a Double Helix rod of your choice. Sweet deal, huh? Good times, good times...

After polling my reading audience, the decision was made to bring in 21 of CiM's beautiful colors. The rest will follow shortly. Thanks so much for your input!

In addition, we're also adding Bullseye odd lot and special run sheet glass to our product lines. I'm hearing a lot from "Crossover Artists" about wanting some fun sheet glass to play with in the kiln. By carrying BE, you can now use some of the Bullseye fusible rods WITH that sheet glass as well as using each alone, for their intended purposes. Bullsye is great about marking which rods are good for use in the kiln and which should just be used in the torch.

So, check out some of the new changes on the site! The sheet glass will be added over the next couple of days and it is REALLY cool! If you'd like a sneak preview, you can check it all out on our Etsy site, http://rosevalleyglass.etsy.com/.

Have a great day!

Sheri

Customer Appreciation Give-Away!!!

2010-03-01T18:24:00.000-08:00

Today, Rose Valley Glass topped 200 Facebook fans AND 1000 website visits! That's amazing and all because I have such wonderful and faithful friends and customers.

To thank you all properly, I am offering a FREE Double Helix rod (approx 12") to the next 20 orders! No order minimum or anything like that, just place an order and get a FREE Double Helix rod!

Here are the DH colors that I have to give away:

>Psyche
>Kronos2
>Elektra
>Gaia
>Terra Nova

In your order notes, please list all 5 colors in your order of preference as it is first come, first served and quantities are limited!

I hope that this is a sufficient "Thank You" for your love and support during these first two months of business for Rose Valley. As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments!

Sheri

CIM is now on the site! Whew...what a rush!

2010-02-27T12:11:00.001-08:00

The CIM is now listed on the site! You may place your order now, but remember that it will not ship until the CIM arrives late next week. The orders will be filled in the order they are received. YAY!

SOME OTHER NEW CHANGES ON THE WEBSITE TO NOTE:

> I have lowered the shipping weights on all glass to more accurately reflect actual shipping charges. This will result in fewer shipping refunds and a more accurate total for you upon checkout. As always, if the shipping on your order still comes out too high, I will refund anything over what I actually pay.

> I have disabled the registration requirement. I know what it's like to wonder if you're going to get spammed when you give a new website all of your information. However, registration is available if you'd like the site to keep your shipping information and order history. I will never, ever spam you. I promise.

> The "special run" Bullseye colors are now listed on the site and pictures are coming soon. I'm in the process of making some little quickie beads to show you how awesome these colors are! So, keep checking back to see those.

Okay, that's it for me today...it's been a long and wonderful week! Now, I'm off to enjoy the sunshine and maybe play at the torch later on tonight. Have a great weekend, everyone! xoxo

Sheri

Lowering Prices AND We Now Have Gold Purple For Sale!! Woot!!

2010-02-25T13:07:00.000-08:00

Just got off the phone w/my Bullseye rep and we hit a new price break!! Woohoo! Thank you very much!!! As a reward, I'm lowering my prices! Yep, you heard right. I stick by my pricing formula, so when my costs go down, yours do too! Woot!

So, I will be updating those prices today...and well into the night, I'm sure! However, any orders placed today will get the NEW pricing. So, you'll see a refund on your account after your order goes through and I have a chance to recalculate your total. Patience, darlings, patience....

The OTHER good news is that Bullseye has been OUT of 0334 Gold Purple for over a month and I now have some sitting over there with my name on it! I'll be running over to pick it up this weekend, but you can pre-order it. I'm putting some on the site at the new pricing now. If you have 0334 in your order, I'll ship the entire order on Monday.

FYI, for those of you who have been following along, I'm working on negotiating "best pricing" for the CIM right now...stay tuned. I'm getting it either way, but I'm working really hard to save you some dough, so again with the request for patience!

xoxoxo
Have a lovely, sunshiny day!!

Price Comparison...Just An FYI

2010-02-24T22:17:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting comparison based on pricing that I can currently get on Effetre...this is at the worst price point because I'll be purchasing in low volumes at first. As my pricing on glass gets better, meaning as I can afford to buy larger quantities at a time, YOUR PRICE GETS BETTER, TOO! I have a set mark-up and I stick to that. A good deal for me means a good deal for you.

Anyway, here is what I did. I picked a random color of Effetre and did a price comparison. Just to be clear, I'm definately NOT trying to knock these other two vendors, as they are both great at customer service and have wonderful reputations in the industry. You'll never hear me speak ill of a competitor. We all gotta make a living, right? :)

#220 Periwinkle

Frantz regular price = $13.76/lb (on sale right now for $8.96/lb)

Arrow Springs regular price = $13.76/lb (on sale right now for $8.94/lb)

Rose Valley Glass everyday price = $12.88/lb or $0.92/rod (for a 19.5" rod)

So, as you can see, I can't beat their sale prices. However, my everyday price does beat theirs. Plus, you can purchase a normal-sized rod from me (no cutting fee) for less than a buck and use your remaining $11 or $12 to buy 11 or 12 more colors. I can't do sales. My set mark-up doesn't give me any room for that. If something goes "on sale", it's because I have too much of it and I need to make room for something else. Simple as that.

LOL! I'm not sure if posting that comparison helps or hurts me in your eyes, but there it is! :)

Hope everyone is having a great evening!

Sheri

Lovely Note From A Soon-To-Be Customer

2010-02-24T20:14:00.000-08:00

Got this in my LampworkEtc.com inbox this morning...brought tears to my eyes! I can't wait to help her! This is exactly the type of customer communication that I was talking about in my last post! Tell me what your needs are. I really want to enable you to have all of the tools and glass you need to create your masterpieces, without breaking the bank. Read on....

"What you are doing sounds great. I am a very small individual trying to get started. I crave making beads, I dream beads...lol so I am in it for the long haul. We are a low income family on a fixed income and sometimes I cannot even buy on sale. Knowing you care enough to try and help people makes me want to do business with you. I will help you out when I get things gathered up for another for another purchase.

Working with a person directly means alot to me and if you take the time to deal with me I would so much appreciate it. One on one service is something nearly forgotten. So I am looking forward to getting to know you better.

I hope your business takes off like wildfire and it makes enough for your dreams to succeed."

How Rose Valley Glass Is Going To Help You Spend Less and Make More!

2010-02-23T16:41:00.000-08:00

The idea behind Rose Valley Glass is to offer lots of nifty glass and tools and things at a great price. Sounds cliche, but I actually mean it! I want everything I carry to be worthy of the statements, "Wow! That's so cool!" and (looking at the price) "That's IT?! How can she sell it so cheap?!"

This stems from my frustration at having to place orders from 3 or 4 different retailers, pay shipping and handling on 3 or 4 different boxes, never knowing if I got a decent price on my purchases or not. I don't tend to "shop around" much, I just buy what I like. Often, I pay too much. Add in the multiple shipping charges, and I've paid WAY too much.

That translates to how much I have to charge on my finished products...either I have to charge more for the beads or I have to lower my profit margin to make it affordable to my end customers. That stinks either way you look at it! I want something better for my customers! I want them to be able to spend less money, get more glass, make more beads and make more profits!

So, here is my list of goals for Rose Valley Glass, in no particular order:

Start slow so that we keep our overhead low and manageable; ie. no debt.
Carry a wide variety of glass. In order to accomplish this, we'll need to purchase in smaller quantities at first, back-filling as the orders come in and we have the cash in hand to reorder.
Carry a wide variety of tools and supplies. Same idea as with the glass.
Only charge EXACT shipping. Refund any overages paid and never charge a minimum order fee or a handling fee, etc. No hidden fees.
I want to be in close communication with my customers. What do they want? How much can they afford to pay? Is there something they can't find...or can find, but can't afford? I want them to feel comfortable coming to me and asking me to help them. That's a major goal.

So, with that in mind, I'm ready to purchase some glass. Here is the short list of what I have to choose from and I need to pick ONE:

Northstar Precision 104 Rod
Glass Alchemy Boromax Rod
Creation Is Messy 104 Rod
Effetre/Moretti 104 Rod
Gaffer Glass Coe 96 Rod
Glow Glass Boro Stix

There are countless others, I know...but these are the top 6 on the list for one reason or another. Some because we don't have to spend a fortune to get a sampling on the site, others because I have gotten to know the manufacturers/distributors and the glass is just super cool. :)

So, what do you want? Here's your chance to have a hand in what you can purchase! I promise to keep the prices as low as humanly possible, to ship right away, and to help with any issues or questions that might come up! You have my word.

Sheri

All Work And No Play Makes Sheri Wanna Fire Up The Torch!

2010-02-21T23:14:00.000-08:00

Things have been moving so quickly around here lately that I'm beginning to lose track of time...and laundry...and dishes...etc. I'll get one load done and by the time I have a few minutes to get back to it, there will be two more loads waiting for me to clean!

Between working at the family biz 3 days a week (http://www.artisandichroic.com/), working at MY biz every evening (http://www.rosevalleyglass.com/), raising a busy and inquisitive 5 year old, and attempting to have something resembling a social life...two things alway fall by the wayside: housework and torch time. Those who know me are not surprised to hear that housework always falls to the bottom of my to-do list. I can't imagine that I will be on my deathbed wishing I'd done just one more load of dishes. :) That said, I do keep things at a manageable level...you can sit on the furniture, there are clean dishes in the cupboard and we all have clean clothes, etc. Beyond that, don't expect much. There is life to be lived, housework can wait until I'm bored...or until I can afford to pay someone else to do it. lol

Torch time, however, is something I have come to need on a regular basis or I start to feel it deep down. It's like a yearning...a pull. I am drawn to it. It needs me. It calls to me. I can ignore it for awhile; cover it up with website building, purchasing forms, phone calls to make, game playing with my daughter, drinks out with friends, etc. But, eventually it begins to rise like an early morning fog. I can sense it getting more dense and then it becomes difficult to ignore.

I've been away for quite awhile this time...I've dabbled a couple of times, but my heart wasn't in it. It's been a long while since I've given her some quality time; some undivided attention. I miss the heat on my face, the anticipation, the inspiration that comes from some other dimension. I can feel it pass through me and into the glass as it begins to glow and then flow, as if alive and wanting to take shape. Then, my hands begin to move and I am mezmerized to see a form appear in the glass. When the process is complete, I am renewed and feel alive once again. Why did I stay away so long?!

Yeah, the housework can wait...tomorrow night after the baby goes to bed...mama's gonna get her some torch time! :)

Insanity is but a click away....

2010-02-19T22:53:00.000-08:00

Let me first introduce myself, since I am new to the blogging scene...even though I'm pretty sure there's no one out there "listening" yet. lol

My name is Sheri Spurlock and I am the co-owner and Manager of Rose Valley Glass, LLC. I'll come back to the biz stuff later on down the page. I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, home of rain, green trees, deserts, ocean, mountains...oh, and glass. Glass is everywhere here. There are manufacturers, artists, museums and galleries littering the landscape and all dedicated to glass. At least, all the ones that I frequent are...and they are plentiful. I love it here, if you couldn't already guess that. I love the weather, I love the people, I love the landscape...and you already know I love the glass.

My family has been in the retail glass business, in one form or another, for most of my 39 years. By "family", I mean my mother, Annie Myers. She started with a small stained glass storefront in Milwaukie, OR and it has evolved over the years into an online-only glass fuser's paradise, www. artisandichroic.com (AD for short). I work with her on most days and basically run the shop. She does the books and the bulk of the ordering.

Up until recently, I was content to put my hours in at the AD shop, spend my afternoons hanging out with my daughter, and then spend the evenings in my garage/studio at the torch. Then, something happened. One day while I was lamenting my tiny paycheck and cursing my giant pile of bills, my boyfriend (Ted Mumford, co-owner) asks me why I don't start my own "lampworker's paradise" website as a sister site to Artisan Dichroic. Well...uh...um...I dunno! Okay!

So, with a little cash from here and there, a web host, a new rack in the garage for all of the glass rod, and a whole lotta gumption...Rose Valley Glass, LLC was born on January 8th, 2010!

So far, we have all of the Bullseye rod colors (COE 90) and a few of their frit colors, 18 of the Northstar Glass (COE 33) rod colors, and some clear Simax (COE 33) rods in stock. We also have the basic tools and supplies like bead release and mandrels. Trying to NOT go into debt means buying new products as we make sales, driving to the manufacturers to save on shipping charges, and doing ALL of the website setup ourselves.

Visiting the manufacturers and hand-picking glass is dreamy. Setting up an entire website is not very dreamy at all. It's very time-consuming and, as I found out tonight, changing my mind is bad. I've decided to add the part number to each rod color in the item name to make searching for a specific color easier for my customers. There are almost 150 rod colors. Yeah. Good times!

So, when I say insanity is but a click away...I know what I'm talking about. As I wander off to bed tonight, I am comforted by the good karma coming my way through happier customers who find what they are looking for with relative ease because of the hard work that I have put in, and will continue to put in over the next few days. :)