American Trade Bead – Harold Williams Cooney

Weekend shift where little gets done, Virginias get a start

Over the weekend I of course get less done than I wanted to or needed to.

From the kiln on Friday, below. The vessel repair went just fine.

I work with the good folks at Kinkos to product a prototype of the display placards for Bead and Button and I’m pleasantly surprised. I think they will work and they won’t cost that much money to make.

I make two protopypes of ball beads for the two Virginia groups. One larger, perhaps too large, that I will be making and one smaller, perhaps too small, that Konnie will be making.

Half day, empty pockets

Oh, half day here at the studio and that’s not a bad thing; though I should and probably will work straight through to Monday.

First session

Konnie opens in the office. I charge her with double checking the status of our food program auctions. Things have gotten very confusing. Some people have paid, some have not. Some things are shipped, some things have not. Honestly, though I’m the only one with this opinion, something is amiss.

I start another food program auction and a regular we-need-money-auction on Facebook and start on the day’s checklist. I empty the kiln and load it with the beads I cut yesterday for annealing and with the broken sculptural vessel for repair (hopefully).

Below, yesterday’s kiln.

And indeed there is an issue in the office with the shipping of things sold. I have, for example, physically in my position a necklace that has been paid for, I have the payment receipt and attached to that receipt is tracking information for a package that I sent that contains what I don’t know.

I head to the office and do my book work and just about start crying at the truth. I’m in some serious shit. Funds are now tighter than they have been in years, and I’m embarrassed to say this. I was going it calculate how many days of life I have but got scared and just left the computer for the shop to work. Total cash on hand now less than half of what’s normally budgeted for a month. Two months ago, this shop had almost six times more available funds. Basically, in two months I went from having a three month window of life to less than two weeks.

I have only my mind to blame.

Money math is funny. I can know in my heart I’m in deep shit and no, it won’t feel good, but its not a bag of rocks on the heart. But if I see the truth in pencil. If I see numbers red on a computer. If I press calculator buttons equivalent to the same thoughts I found palatable mentally and the fucking thing displays that ‘NEG’ in the top right, I just about die.

I’m scared. This place is code red. By Monday Ill need some serious answers. I know what happened, I need to know what I’m gonna do now.

Konnie reports having made eight beads. Three to close her work in Washington, she believes that she may have ten sets which would be great. She moves into North Dakota and gets three beads done there, squats.

I’m having her limit her work in ND. First off the work is very difficult to make and secondly very difficult to turn a buck on. I ask her to work to fill the display tray for bead and button but tell her that we won’t try and send any of the work to etsy for sale there. Squats are a new shape for the group and I’m hopefull that when cut, yet will look pretty good.

I get one disk bead in the kiln and repair the vessel top.

Second session

Konnie reports seventeen beads in the kiln, using china colors and making squats. She has sets of just about everything in the kiln, or will quickly next week anyway.

I get two more disk beads in the kiln and the start of another. And I’m hopeful. I need to work solidly till bead and button, I need to spend nothing and have no problems, I need a good plan and I need to stick to it. All of which I’m reasonably sure can happen.

I give Konnie her check, take her to the bank and then run some errands. Konnie and her family will take my car for the remainder of the day, fishing and groceries, while I try and get some beads into the kiln.

Post sessions

Konnie’s Nevada beads from the bead mill. I say this all the time and Konnie doesn’t like it, but see are some of the nicest beads the lady has ever made. Be happy to take my keeper.

I make a pull of cane for our Virginia and West Virginai experiments. The stuff is hard to make in that I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing, I’m just making it all up as I go.

Washington takes to the lap, more WA on the bench

Is a beautiful morning here in Colorado; cool, clear and smelling of summer.

First session

Konnie and I talk about how to make progress on preparation for the upcoming Bead and Button Show. We decide to start the promotional, price, packing procedures this morning.

The studio has has evolved to have two offices basically. There is the office office in the house and then there is the computer on my glass bench where I do much of my paperwork. Konnie heads to the office office and lists new items to Etsy, I produce a promotional email and get that out.

I end one afoot program auction and start another, I end one midday auction and start another. Konnie does what she can to ship out what’s paid for.

By about eight thirty I’ve gotten a lot of Internet sales and promotion work out of the way and, though many of the tasks printed there have already been completed, I start on a the normal checklist.

From the kiln, in the tray there Konnie’s Nevada marble beads finished from milling and ready for tumbling and finishing.

Konnie reports having listing six new items to Etsy, having packed two orders from Etsy (thank goodness), she says she photographed, priced, inventoried and packed six states from the booth to Bead and Button.

Tickity tock.

I keep on working the check list and there’s lots there. Including in the below photo, vessel collaboration a with an old friend of mine. These things have gone forgotten for years and years, both of us have far advanced out skills past these items. They need to be finished, dived between the two of us and them have plans made for destination; in my case permanent collection and possible sale.

By end of session I have all of the above blasted, cleaned and in the toaster. Unfortunately, I broke a wing of one of the birds on the white piece and this will be very difficult to fix.

I get all of one of my WA disk bead rough cut and I can already see where improvements are needed, like color, set up and my whole issue with material parking is bullshit. A non issue, I make the project less successful by trying to forward center the mass.

Konnie reports having packed three more; one midday auction, one etsy and one food program necklace. Photographed, priced and packed seven or eight states.

Third session

Konnie reports six beads in the kiln at end of session.

I get all of my cold work done, all of the WA beads cut to finial polish. I get Konnie’s help cleaning them and getting them into the toaster for drying prior to tomorrow’s reannealing. I also got her to oil up the vessels I blasted this morning, less the one I broke, that one will stay dry and oil free entering the kiln in the morning for a hopeful fix.

I also get the core of another prep for more WA started. I have made this project too much and am hoping I can take what I’ve learned and revise things and make a few more disk beads that I actually like.

Vessels including one broken and one Frankenstein to be Burenstiened.

And toaster with WA disk beads, there will be some possibly considerable color change in this during annealing.

Forth session

Konnie reports having made eight beads, she says that she is on her last piece of prep, about two beads of glass left. Something needs to be done for her tomorrow so that she can keep busy, making more prep would require more time than she will have on Friday, pushing glass making into next week.

I make two different prep pulls, one I don’t really like. I get one bead made and in the kiln by end of session. Still in the WA group, this bead in the kiln was set up much smarter, not perfectly but better. Expect the ones I make tomorrow to be the best so far.

Great day in the studio and I’m happy to be able to say this. Konnie says it was a good day too, though she says she wishes her beads were milling faster.

Some uptick, Washington Trade Beads

Second day back from the edge.

First session

From the kiln, disk bead and marble beads from Washington.

I work the checklist and there’s a lot there. I put up a food program auction and promote it with a story about seeing Jesus, lol, which I’m a little concerned about being poorly received. But whatever. I but up a bead for auction for the studio and hope it will make this palace some money as it needs it badly. I work to update the blog without spilling blood and personal pain everywhere as there’s no point.

At end of session Konnie reports having packed one necklace auction, listing a bunch of items to Etsy, photoing six items and a groups shot, editing them all and readying them for listing in the morning to Etsy. She starts again on the filing of paperwork and seems to have a system in place for herself, which I like to see. She has three years of folders going and is one at a time plunking them into the appropriate file folder.

Second session

Konnie stays in the office, completing all of the photos need for our new dismay placards. She also packed two orders that came in from today’s listings. Thank goodness for them.

I make two canes for what I hope are improved WA disk beads, unfortunately I exploded the first cane I made by letting cool while looking for additional colors, which a rookie move for sure. I work with Konnie a little on the placards but that’s about it.

Making progress in the office is a nightmare, always is. Everything takes forever.

Third session

I get two disk beads in the kiln and for sure these things take some time. Hour plush for assembly and shaping, still prep and cutting yet.

Konnie reports having made all the cane she will need for a couple of days, two pieces of prep and one bead.

Forth session

I get another two in the kiln, I think and a little jib from remain straggler prep, I’ll make it into something in the morning. Difficulty parking glass where it needs to be, not that I’m exactly sure where that is, but I’ll be finding out pretty soon.

Konnie reports eleven beads, she thinks, in the kiln. She has nothing else to say.

Today was a good day in the shop. I’m happy to have some glass coming out. I’m happy to have a positive attitude and I’m happy to have Konnie on her station making good glass.

Back in action, Washington Trade Beads

Tuesday is here and all hands hoping for fresh starts.

First session

The only thing from the kiln are these small grouping of dichro rings, they are my go to item when I don’t fell well about things. This isn’t a lot of work, far less than the buyer would like to receive but with any luck he will be happy.

Konnie and I open the morning talking about the state of things which range between dire and normal, I suppose.

One of the things I need to learn with Konnie and probably the rest of the world is to say less. Like far less words, thoughts, ideas, comments, questions because no one gives a shit and in the end it only causes my problems and pain. And them too.

None the less, I manage to take up thirty minutes.

I start on the shop computer updating and advancing the ATB food program auctions. I’ve come to this place in my mind were this idea is very important to me and with things the way they have been, this program is more to me than my normal glass work which I’m having trouble giving a shit about. Anyhow, I get this check written and sent out to Houston Food Bank.

I’ve got problems with my Bead and Button plans. And I need to tick them off one at a time. For example, I don’t have enough money to print and distribute promotional material, I’ve been using business card and the system has worked well, money well spent but to do the project again is another thousand dollars and I don’t have it. Not even close.

Also, my stupid bag with my stupid display gear is consistently like five pounds overweight and I need to fix that issue, it’s costing me a lot of money and stress.

Below are mock ups of a solution to cover both issues. Rather than business cards in a metal business card holder for each state I’ll have laminated full color signage at the back of the trays. Some discussion is had over which direction to run the trays and what height the signage should be. Should be easy ish and cheap. And not look that bad.

At end of session, Konnie reports having packed and shipped the rings to Jah Loves Creation. She ships one food program necklace, photographs new work heading to the permanent collection, photographing new items heading to etsy, photographing new midday auction items and getting the editing started though the PC and into Etsy. Good work.

I do the whole food program thing including the check. I set out a new schedule hoping I can make it positively to Bead and Button. I talk with a customer for a bit about what’s the issues here at the shop.

Second session

I work the checklist, things are not exactly in shambles but, dude there is a lot left undone in this place. Paper and communications abound. I enter a bead into the ISGB circles exhibit thing, I not think my bead is what they are looking for and normally I stay away from these things but I just liked the idea of supporting them with the application fee, which is kind of odd but whatever. I post customer photos to the website and try and solve some spamming issues there.

Konnie reports having edited all photos and trying to ship one food program auction for wich we have incomplete information. I get her started on sorting some of the vast amounts of paperwork I have around here, my accounting is a total wreck and I have got to get my shit in gear or I’m in trouble.

So the shop sport of forensic accounting begins today. First goal, get all the paperwork I have sorted by date.

Third session

I pick up Konnie after lunch bread and we start making glass, thank goodness.

The next couple of days will be well invested in paperwork because I haven’t done what I’m to be doing on the normal. And so I’m stoked to finally be back behind the bench.

I make two and a half disk beads for study group Washington. Konnie, also working in that group is making marble beads. She has the mill running and is sounding great, the lady runs the machine better than I do for sure, which pleases me greatly, she says I overload the machine which sounds exactly like something I would do.

She reports lampworking six beads.

Forth session

I depart the shop at a little after seven for a little beer and Jesus meeting in town. Lol. Odd but true.

Before going, I have a total of four disk beads in the kiln. Some issues panning the top edges and moving glass to correct place in front, important for cutting and so I’m interested to see if these beads look any good.

Konnie finishes four Washington marble beads finishing out her old prep. She makes two new large pieces of prep, one china green, silver strike 5, and shamrock. The other china pink, silver strike 5, and peacock chameleon. Pulled out the green prep and cut it down into pieces before the end of the session.

She cleaned up and shut down the shop. Thank you Konnie, I’m very lucky to have you in this shop.

Two weeks of grim explode, nightmare

There are no notes that exist for today.

Basically, Konnie showed up for her first day back at work from having been in Utah and I showed up from having been mind fucking myself and we have a huge altercation.

She departs the shop a few minutes after having arrived and the anger continues via phone and text for many hours. Very ugly.

Towards the evening we seem to come to something of a peace.

I thought briefly of putting together an explanation of what’s happened here over the last two weeks or however long it’s been but there is no positive point in that. Things here are not well. I’m pissed off. Konnie is pissed off. Konnie is pissed off that I’m pissed off and same for the other way around. A giant cluster fuck.

Konnie, she has the world on her shoulders and her back never buckles. She’s taking shit from all sides right now I think, it pains me to disturb this lady’s life. What a nightmare of a day

Attempt to move on fails, shop still closed

Trying to pick the pieces up and move forward.

First session

I get into the office and shop when I am supposed to be there, I try and avoid any further noticing of error. There are a lot of problems around this placed caused by me and my slackness, some of them very serious. One step at a time back to track is the only way things can get on.

I start with the ATB food program. Done by about 8:30

There are no more notes for this period. Things are not good. I do believe today I physically could stand to be in the shop, place made me sick and I left.