#149 is my celestial bowl!  Honored to be included in Flow Magazine’s 7th annual Gallery of Women in Glass.  Winter 2011 issue.

A Facebook business page is a great marketing tool & I think every artist benefits from having one.  Last week my friends asked me to lead them through the steps of setting up their Facebook Business page, a blog and an online shop.  We had a (mostly) fun day and you can help their pages grow via their links at the end of this post.

Technically challenged, I had a long learning curve when I began my on-line adventure.  A couple good friends (you know who you are Kathleen Krucoff and Toni Johnson) held my hand and helped me better understand some of the technicalities and I want to pay that forward by helping you.  Starting with a Facebook business page.

If you haven’t already, go to Steider Studios on Facebook and click the ‘like’ button.  Yes, that was just my way of getting a ‘plug’ in, hehehe.   Seriously, from my page (or any business page) at the top right, click on ‘Create a Page’.

Then, click on Artist, Band or Public Figure … unless you prefer any of the other choices.

That box will open and you’ll choose a category (artist) then type in your business name.  I’ve been told this name cannot be changed…you can always cancel the page & start another one, but you’ll lose your ‘community of followers’.  Yet, lately I notice people are changing their business names…I’d still title my page with care.  You want your ‘brand’ on your web page, blog, FB, Linked In, Twitter and everywhere else you network to be the same.  Don’t forget to check the “I agree to Facebook Pages Terms” if you’ve read & agree.

The next screen that opens is your new business page.  You may want to bookmark it so you don’t lose it.  You’ll see your title/business name at the top, a ‘like’ button for all your followers to click on and a set of directions.

This next part is easy, just follow the prompts.

Upload a picture.  Click ‘upload an image’.  Click choose file.  Select a jpg image from your computer.  If you haven’t done this before, simply place a small jpg image on your computer desktop and you can easily upload it without having to search your files for the one you want. This first photo is your ‘avatar’ or profile photo.  It’ll remain static on your page like a logo in the top left corner until you decide to edit or change it.  It can be you or your work, a graphic image or anything you want.

Click on “Suggest to friends”.  A box will pop up with all your friends (assuming you already have a personal FB page).  Click on those folks that you’d like to send an invitation to, or select just a couple friends to see how it works.  Then click “send Recommendations”  You can come back to this step later to send more invitations & you can click cancel if you don’t want to do this right now.

If you’d like you can ‘Tell your friends” by importing contacts from your mailing lists or e-mail list.  Click the link to see what it looks like & either follow the prompts or click cancel.  You can always go back and import later.

Post status updates:  just like your personal FB page upload a photo, share a link or video, or just say what you’re working on today.  I always try to add a photo or link when I ‘post my status’ because a visual image will draw people in more than text.  Don’t forget to click on ‘share’ when your satisfied with your message or photo to post it.

Set up your mobile phone:  I haven’t done this, so can’t be of help with this one.

…………….

Now go up to the top under your title and click ‘edit info’.  Following the prompts, type in any of the info that you want to share publicly.  If you don’t want your address public, don’t type it in.

Chances are you already have a bio and general info about yourself, so you can simply copy & paste it into the boxes.  Don’t worry about filling everything in, do what you can for now & go back later to fine tune.  Make sure you add your website & blog if you have one; on-line shop or any other links you want a visitor to easily find.

Click “Save changes” before you leave the page.  You’ll see a yellow bar across the top that says “information updated”.  On the top right click on “view page”.

Now you’ll see your page again.  You can click on “get started” to go back to steps 1 – 4.

Click on “info” to see your bio, websites, etc.

If you click “Wall”, you’ll see your wall with all your posts.

Above your status bar you’ll see 5 empty boxes.  One has a plus sign with a photo symbol.  Click this to add photos of your work.  Follow the prompt, “select photos”.  Another box appears “Create your album while you wait”.  Again, follow the prompts.  Name the album, fill in the location if you’d like, then click “create album”.

The next prompt allows you to enter captions (description of the work & your name), and choose the album cover.  You can also “publish now” without captioning, but it’s a good idea to at least include your name on each of your photos.  I try to remember to include info that a potential customer might want to know about each piece.

When you’re ready to go back to your page, click on your business name & you’ll be taken back to your wall.

On the top right you can now use your personal page or your business page via the little arrow next to your name to comment or like other pages.  You can purchase an ad if you’d like.  You can view insights (stats on those interacting with your business page) or invite friends.

Go back to  ‘edit page’ again & on the left you’ll see a menu of options.  Settings, permissions, etc.  Check the boxes that apply to how you want your business page to work.  I want others to be able to comment and post photos & interact with me, so those are all checked; if you don’t want anyone else to post on your wall don’t check them.  You can always go back and edit if you change your mind.  You’ll notice you can also change your profile picture from this menu.  There’s more, but this is a simple introduction to get you started.

It took me 2 hours to set up a new page including a simple bio with 6 photos, plus taking notes for these directions…you can spend as much or as little time as you like.  The advantage to having a FB business page is letting the world know what you as an artist are doing.  Viral marketing.  If we each like one another’s pages we’ll all have xxx new community members.  If you haven’t already, go ahead and like my page now: Steider Studios on Facebook (yep, another shameless plug).  You are welcome to post a link to your page on my wall so I can reciprocate; and some of my followers will see your post and like you too!

When I began, I humbly asked a few of my friends if they would like my page.  Then I asked them if they would mind “sharing” my page with their friends to help me grow.  Today when I post a new photo on my business page wall I have several friends who automatically share my new photos with their friends because they have taken ownership in helping me grow my business.  I love it when people share something I’ve posted!  In addition to that, as each of your friends like your page, their friends will see that they’ve liked it & may like it too.

After you have 25 “likes” or a community of followers (formerly called fans), you can eliminate the long string of numbers after your business name.  I’ll tell you how to do that in the near future.  In the meantime, I hope you’ll get a Facebook business page set up, get your photos posted along with any other relevant information and get comfortable with it….then come to my page share your link (paste the url into a post on my wall) so that we can like your page!

You might be wondering what to post.  If you’re shy, keep it simple until you have a feel for it.  Post a photo of your work & tell us about your process.  Post a photo of work in progress and tell us your successes or failures (yes, failures are good to post because most of us like to respond with helpful ideas).  Tell us about your sunset tonight, or an exciting adventure that inspired you to create something, or…well, you get the idea.  Of course, if you’re the gregarious sort, you’ll have no trouble thinking of interesting conversation starters!

My neighborhood is the Columbia River Gorge located in the Pacific Northwest

I try to post something of interest once a day but if I’m busy in the studio, at least a couple times per week.  I like to engage those who follow my page by asking questions and promoting their business pages.  I like to share photos of  my neighborhood because it’s so darn beautiful.  I promote Arts in Education, Youth Arts, Schools, and other art-related causes I believe in without being spammy.  Nobody wants to know what you eat for breakfast every morning unless you’re listing recipes or eating something really unusual.  They absolutely want to know about your projects, past & current; when & where your gallery openings are; when & where your next shows/sales are; and your process.  They want to see & share in your joy, your successes, and even your failures.  I hope this helps you & I’m happy to answer any questions that I can.  I always reciprocate, so if you like my page:  Steider Studios on Facebook, I promise to like you back!

Don’t forget, let me know when your page is ready & I’ll be one of the first to like it AND share it with my friends!  I look forward to helping you grow your business and I hope you’ll like my friends’ pages too!

Kathy-Watne-Enamels        Morning-Sun-Studio     

Carolyn-Crystal-Glass-Beadmaker        Terri-Johanson-Art-Glass

Edit:    If your friends like your business page, you don’t want to spam them with duplicate content.  Unless it’s cartwheel-turning exciting, I post on my personal page OR my business page, but not both.  People who follow my blogs via networked blogs will see duplicate posts, but I try to curtail everything else.

When people ask “what inspires you?” I want to show them photos I’ve taken near my home in the Columbia River Gorge.    The Pacific Northwest is full of spectacular landscapes and abundant wildlife, but this area defines rugged awe-inspiring beauty.

Today I was awake, dressed and in town before sunrise, sitting in a parking lot along the Columbia River waiting for friends.   I was graced with pink skies as the sun woke up, framing Mt. Hood with a splendor that took my breath away.

What were we doing so early,  you ask?  Heading to the Klickitat River where eagles can be counted in the dozens on some days, we were hoping for a lively show this morning.

Last week I counted 16 in the same spot and watched in amazement as they soared overhead, singing to one another.  This morning there were only six, but we were thrilled to spot them in surrounding trees.

Did I mention it was 20 degrees?  We were cold, so stayed less than an hour before our fingers were too numb to push our shutter buttons.

Back in our semi-warm car, we drove to the head of the Klickitat River where it flows into the Columbia.

We counted five young eagles, but no white headed birds.  Four were sitting on a slag and the fifth was soaring over the sandbar.

Our next stop was Doug’s Beach, where I’ve seen eagles perched on tree tops next to the Columbia River.

We saw three bald eagles flying against the canyons, but my camera would not reach that far, so I shot photos of us instead.

We crossed the Columbia and traveled west to Meyer Park, another great eagle watching spot, but there were none to be seen on the Oregon side of the river this morning.

If you look close, you can see ice surrounding the inlet.

Our last stop of the day was the Hood River Marina where a flock of geese congregated on the expanse of lawn between the museum and DMV.  No eagles, but big birds nonetheless.

My friends tell me I need to upgrade my point & shoot to a DSLR.  They’re right, but if I don’t get back to the studio I won’t have anything to trade for the $$$ I need for that upgrade!

Take flight.  Get inspired.  Be creative.  Chase eagles.

Bringing in a New Year with a new Gallery Show, I thought some of you might be interested in just how a gallery show goes up.  Columbia Arts is a community, non profit gallery, run by volunteer committees.  The Show Committee sets a show, selects a curator and sometimes works with the curator to choose participating artists.  The January show, Trash 2 Art was installed today.  Before the doors can open to the public for an artist’s reception there’s a huge renovation:

…starting with moving portable walls into place.  Volunteers have already applied fresh paint.  Curator Kathy Watne and her crew of volunteers set the stage for how our work will be displayed, taking into consideration the huge storefront windows.

After the walls are moved into place, the pedestals are brought out.

Since the walls are on wheels, they must be stabilized before any work can be hung.  The work is placed in an order that flows, usually by artist, by color or theme.  Sometimes it’s as simple as first to arrive selects their spot.

The work gets unpacked and tentatively set up as artists arrive.  Dave Sherburne’s work always catches my eye.

Sarah Burr Arnold creates gorgeous jewelry.  Here it awaits installment into the show.

Also waiting to be installed is one of Kathy Watne’s fabulous enamels.

My glass bowl looks too flat just sitting on this pedestal.  Tomorrow I’ll deliver a stand for it so you can see color and light filtering through.

Back to the installation….Sarah and Kathy attach tags while Caroline, the gallery director checks inventory sheets and prepares show labels in the background.  Artists submit written information about their work in advance to avoid dealing with these details at the last minute.

I can’t help myself, my eyes are constantly distracted by the wonderful artwork being delivered.  More coming in each hour.  This wonderful piece was created by Tracy Klas.

Mixed media panels by Kris Joy, known for her blown glass.  I LOVE her new work!

The artwork goes up, packaging taken away and within just a few hours the show is almost ready.  Tomorrow I’ll return with that stand; other artists may also return for additional tweaking.  Once the work is installed, it’s easier to see what might need adjusting.   Kathy will be there attaching show tags, aiming lights and fine tuning those devilish details.

One last photo, a piece by Kerry Lucia to whet your appetite for this fun and playful show, generously sponsored by Hood River Garbage!  Trash 2 Art features work made from objects otherwise destined for the trash or recycling.

Many friends are planning to join us at the opening, I hope you will too!  Friday January 6th from 6 to 8pm.  Columbia Arts at 215 Cascade in Hood River OR.  If you can’t make the opening reception, Trash 2 Art runs through January 29th.

Participating artists:  Sarah Burr Arnold • Marbe Cook • Peggy Dills Kelter • Tracy Klas • Dawn Elle • J. Neils Harvey • Terri Johanson • Kris Joy • Suzanne Keolker • Kerry Lucia • Kelly Phipps • David Sherburne • Linda Steider • Kathy Watne • MaCrae Wylde

Show curator: Kathy Watne

December has been a whirlwind month with holiday happenings, sales and keeping my galleries stocked.  It’s been a wonderful month for me, and looks like it’ll end with a flourish.

I’m honored & excited to be included in the Flow Magazine’s 7th Annual Gallery of Women in Glass!!! My bowl is surrounded by such amazing inspiring glasswork, I feel humbled to have my work next to such talented artists.   TheFlowMagazine (on Facebook – go like them!)   The Flow Magazine.com  Go buy the magazine & check it out!!

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Not to mention our annual Baking Day with my grandchildren who are unbelievably more fun with each passing year.

Our idea this year was a 3D sleigh with reindeer.  My practice project turned out great, but we decided to have the kids decorate the cookies before ‘gluing’ it together with frosting.  We didn’t take into consideration how much frosting and candies would be used on each cookie.  Or that the weight would be different on each side.  So, they didn’t stand up perfectly, but they were very tasty to eat!

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In just a few days I’ll be delivering work for Columbia Art Gallery’s ’Trash 2 Art” show.  All the artists are working with recycled or reclaimed materials.  The opening is First Friday in January and runs through January 30th.  I plan to write a more detailed post about this event.

From my heart and little cabin in the woods, I wish you a safe and healthy…wonderful and joyful…spectacular and prosperous…2012.

The last month has been devoted to a new series of bracelets.  I can’t tell you how many squares of glass I’ve cut, but I photographed my process to show you.

I like the rhythmic sound of my glass cutter zipping a long score line down a fresh sheet of colorful Bullseye glass.  One inch at a time.  Zip, zip, zip, the motion, the sound, the rhythmic scoring and snapping off each strip of glass is Zen like.

Those strips become squares and are built into fun, beautiful bracelets.  I keep a sketch pad on my workbench to document all the new ideas that flow into my head as I methodically score and break.  After all the glass is cut I slice a million strips of fiber paper.  Yes, a million.

I confess I don’t enjoy the process of ‘building the guts’ of my bracelets, cutting tiny strips of fiber paper to hold channels open and placing them precisely on the blanks.  If I have good (loud) music playing in the background I get them all built in spite of the tedium.

The design work is divine.  I love the design part….whether I’ve preplanned with sketches or just start moving bits of scrap glass around into pleasing shapes styles colors etc.  And who can’t resist a little dichro!

I made ladybug murrini for the bracelets going to the Yard, Garden and Patio Show in February.  Then I bought some of Andy Nichols’ cane but it was too large to go through my tile nippers.  The arrow points to my own murrini, the perfect size.  When I whined on my Facebook Page, Cynthia Morgan recommended a big nipper from HD, using a hammer to close the jaws.  Thanks Cynthia, that did the trick!

In the midst of my mess, an old friend asks “where’s the cobalt?”…so I stop my process & go back to cutting squares.  Of course, I can’t just make one.  By now, you know that about me!

Fresh from the kiln, forty two bracelets, after a second firing for textured, three-dimensional designs are now ready to clean up and string.

A tedious and dreary job, cleaning the spent fiber paper out of the channels.  Even worse is cold-working all the spurs left behind in most of the channels.

Once they’re cleaned and dried, all my beautiful new bracelets are lined up and ready to string.

To make it interesting, I clean up about a dozen at a time, choosing my favorites at the moment.

Have you been counting?  Between 7 and 8 dozen fresh new bracelets will be ever so slowly added to my online shops.

Three dozen bracelets remain in various stages of completion.  Some are waiting for more design components to be added & re-fired; some need to be cleaned and cold-worked; and some just need to be strung.

Edit:  Photo above and below added post publication for documentation purposes.  One last batch waiting for additional design elements may not be finished until after the holidays.

Some earlier work with squares, this bargello bowl, was donated to The Dalles Art Center for their annual auction earlier this month and I was thrilled the gallery director won the high bid.

The early part of December I’ll have a trunk show at J D Smith Jewelers in The Dalles.  We haven’t firmed the date yet, so if you’d like to join us let me know so I can send you a note!

Wishing you all a peaceful Thanksgiving filled with love, family and great food!

11.11.11.  Full Moon.  Veteran’s Day.  Fabulous Sunrise.  Any one of these could be the reason my heart is bursting with gratitude, creativity and joy.  It’s a powerful feeling.

This photo of the full moon setting on this special day was taken about 5am.  For some reason I clamored out of bed early and managed to see it through half-open eyes.  Three minutes later I was fully awake and using my point & shoot to capture it.

I want to share it with you.  As well as the ensuing sunrise.  Clouds rolling in from Portland over the Columbia River greeted me as light slowly took over darkness.

One last shot to share, the moonrise last night.  My neighbor’s deck light was on and the light from the moon over this lit stand of conifers was mesmerizing.  To make it more magical, the coyotes were howling from all directions.

I’ve worked for almost a month now on some new bracelets.  Many dozens of new bracelets.  Colorful, lively, FUN, new bracelets.  I’ve documented my progress, and will update you soon on these cool new bracelets.  Until then, have a phenomenal and fortuitous day, my friends.

With mixed feelings I watched a live video stream today of the deconstruction of Condit Dam, eliminating the beautiful Northwestern Lake that has existed for 100 years on the White Salmon River.

The final decision to remove the dam after a 20 year debate seemed to be finally made because it was more economical than installing fish ladders.

I think the conservationists overstated the numbers of returning salmon; yet it’ll be interesting to see what happens. I do hope their optimism will bear out & the salmon population doubles.

I will miss Northwestern Lake, where many picnics and rafting trips down the White Salmon River were enjoyed.  The lake was shallow enough for kids to swim safely, surrounded by beautiful forest and a serene park and picnic area.

I have friends who live near the lake who may now have to drill deeper wells for their water.  Personally, as the lake was lowered all summer during construction phase of the breach, I felt a sense of loss for this beautiful lake that I’ve enjoyed for 25 yrs.

Yet, in a way, I’m excited to watch the White Salmon River go back to it’s natural state.  I look forward to what new discoveries lie waiting along the river’s shore.

This series of photos are a comparison of this summer and last summer along the banks of Northwestern Lake.

Today at noon 700 lbs of dynamite blew a hole at the base of Condit dam, setting free 2.4 million cubic yards of trapped sediment, thus ending the life of Northwestern Lake:

……and I’m not ready!  Not ready to say goodbye to Summer; not ready to put away my garden; not ready to gear up for holiday shows; not ready for classes; and really not ready for cold, dark or dreary.  But alas, fall arrives every year before I’m ready, and I manage to hustle through it.  So, here we go….

Holiday shows I’m participating in are the annual Soroptimist’s Artisan Shopping Extravaganza.  This year it’s on November 27th from 10am until 4pm inside The Gorge Room at the Best Western Hood River Inn.  I’ll have wall pocket vases, jewelry, miniature bowls, and more.  Hope you’ll come say hello & see my new work!

I wouldn’t miss the ‘Small Works’ annual holiday show at Columbia Art Gallery in Hood River.  The show runs December 2 – 29 with an opening reception on Friday December 2nd from 6 to 8pm.  Small works of art that make wonderful gifts is what you’ll find at this temptational show (yes, a made up word and I like it!).

In light of Steve Jobs passing, I must pay homage to those who inspired and mentored me.  Years ago I tracked down my high school art teacher to thank him for his role in my creative path.  If given an opportunity, don’t miss taking a class from these glass greats:

• Avery Anderson
• Judith Bohm-Parr
• Linda Ethier
• Newy Fagan
• Richard LaLonde
• Roger Thomas

If you have’t already, take a moment to tell someone inspirational in your life how they helped you grow, enabled you, lit that creative spark or otherwise made a difference in your journey.

I haven’t said it in awhile & want you to know I’m humbled you read my words.  Especially knowing I can say it so much better visually.  In glass.  In color.  Playfully and joyfully.