Assuming you'd rather read a bead related ad than unrelated spam I'll post an ad. HiloBeads just got a new order of freshwater pearls and fire polished crystals. The pearls are $2.-/strand, fire polished crystals $5.-/strand with discounts on multiples. Shipping is unlikely to exceed $4.95 + insurance if any. There are new pictures on the pearls and on the crystals web page now (with some thanks to Jerri).
I also have some Big Island mgambo seeds now, drilled only. They are lighter in color and bigger (this is a one-off, when they're gone they're gone until my own trees are bearing)
Swarovski crystals are on order to beat the annual price increase, there will be some new colors and some cube beads. Also, I have some Chinese gemstone strands, a lot of which I haven't been able to identify yet, a lot of them dyed, those are also $2.- each, including some aragonite ($3.-), marble agate ($5.-) and something I'd vaguely identify as yellow turqoise (probably dyed howlite, $3.-), and about 30" chip strands of blackstone, snowflake obsidian, white howlite, unakite, leopard skin jasper and picture jasper ($2.-). - No pictures so far -.
Update on HiloBeads: I have renewed the domain for 3 years. I have some regular local customers now, most of them local beaded jewelry makers. There's still no store front but I hope to have a more regular place to sell at the East Hawaii Cultural Center. I'm a member of the East Hawaii Cultural Center and recently have become a member of the newly formed craft/ craft fair committee. We hope to establish a monthly Hawaiian craft fair to go along with the _really local_ farmers market on the Aloha Sundays. For all my local customers: I'll have all the beads there, but not necessarily on display if is this going to work (and hopefully some plants, and while I still have them for this season, lilikoi).
Update on me: I haven't made a bead (lampwork) since October, but as Kalera said, you develop some muscle memory and as I was putting together my "creation station" and put my arms on if my fingers started moving as If I had a mandrel in one hand and a glass rod in the other. The reason I haven't put it to use yet is a spider bite that still has me on antibiotics (which some of you know) for over a week now, and it's slowly starting to go away so that I may not have to spend about 12 hours/day on my back/sleeping anymore. And I hope to get a kiln sometime soon too.
Aloha, Maren HiloBeads: Beads - Beading Supplies - Hand-made Jewelry