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Air & Earth Designs FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)
I love hearing from my customers, visitors and fellow beadmakers. The comments I get in email are usually very nice and kind, and I sincerely thank everyone for the feedback! Sometimes questions get repeated a lot, so in the interest of saving time, I have drawn up this FAQ to help answer some of the most common questions. Please check this page before emailing me. Thanks!!
Bead Availability
(catalog, wholesale, auction, ordering information, etc.)
Payments
Shipping
Returns/Refunds
Educational/Lampwork Information
(what is lampwork, what are my beads made of, classes, etc.)
Website Information
(photography, what does air & earth mean, how is my info used, etc.)
Bead Availability:
Q.Where can I order your beads?
A. My beads are available for purchase occasionally via my Etsy shop or, more commonly, right here on the website. When I do have new beads available for sale, I announce it to my mailing list, and post a note in my Bead Forecast section on the home page.
My gallery pages are basically my portfolio - these are beads that have already been sold, and are shown as a representation of my work. They are not for sale.
I am not accepting custom orders at this time, however, I do love to hear your suggestions on color and design, as well as comments on my current work.
Q. Can you email me when you have specials or auctions available? / Do you have a mailing list I can join?
A. Yes! I have a newsletter that serves this purpose. :) That sign up is on the main page. You'll get email when I have a new auction or new specials up on the site.
Q. Do you have a printed catalog of beads?
A. Unfortunately, I don't have a printed catalog - my beads sell very quickly, and I don't have inventory long enough to warrant a catalog.
Q. Do you sell wholesale?
A. I'm sorry, but at this time I do not offer wholesale pricing.
Q. Do you sell at bead shows?
A. I am just starting to do shows - please see my main page for announcements of shows when they come up! If there is nothing on the main page about shows, you can assume there are none scheduled.
Q. Is your work in bead stores/galleries?
A. I don't personally go and sell work to offline stores or galleries, but I have had store owners and gallery owners purchase beads I have had on auction or on the website, so you might see a few things here and there at some point. :) But I have no idea where! If you're a store or gallery owner and have my beads in your store/gallery, feel free to let me know so I can put up a link!
Payments:
Q. What payments will you accept?
A. For now, I am accepting PayPal payments. This has recently changed (as of Jan 2009) - I have closed my merchant account and may be setting up a new one in the future. I will update this information when I begin accepting credit cards again. Please feel free to email me if you have a payment preference and would like me to consider offering it.
Shipping:
Q. How soon will I get my beads? What's your shipping policy?
A. Domestic shipping is by USPS first class mail. International shipping is by International First Class Mail. If you'd like to pay via PayPal, are a US customer, and would like insurance, email me your order and I will send an invoice. My PayPal isn't set up to add insurance automatically, so please email me. I insure my packages using Stamps.com, which does not have any visible "insurance slip" on the package. It's electronic, so if anything happens with your insured package, please do let me know.
Items will be shipped within 1-2 business days of receiving payment. Shipments usually take 3-4 days in the US, 1-2 weeks internationally. For international shipping, please do allow 4-6 weeks. Please make sure the address you provide is correct and complete.
Please note that anyone making an international purchase is responsible for their own duty fees or any other fees imposed by their home country when receiving packages. I will not mark "gift" on customs forms, nor will I mis-represent the value of the items purchased. (It seems silly to put this here, but I have been asked for this many times - I cannot do this because there are hefty fees involved if I get caught).
Returns/Refunds:
Q. What is your return policy?
A. I want to make sure that you are completely happy with your bead purchase!
For returns/refunds in the same condition the items were sent: If for any reason you are not satisfied with any item purchased here at Air & Earth Designs, you may return it for a refund. I ask that you please obtain a refund authorization by emailing me within 10 days of receipt of the item. Refunds do not include shipping costs. I do reserve the right to impose a 10% restocking fee on returns. This is usually not necessary, but will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
For replacement of broken beads up to 6 months after you purchase them: If a lampwork bead should break during the first 6 months, you may return it for a replacement. Please email me and let me know if this happens. Breakage is rare, but does sometimes happen. Please do take reasonable care when using these beads - they are glass.
Educational/Lampwork Information:
Q. What are lampwork beads?
A. Lampwork is a term used to describe glass beads made by melting glass with a torch and wrapping it around a metal rod. The term "lampwork" was used many, many years ago when people used to blow air through oil lamps to melt the glass. More information as well as a glossary of terms can be found on my tutorial site Coloraddiction.com.
Many people who are new to beading sometimes confuse artisan-made lampwork with imported mass-produced lampwork from India, China, Turkey and the like. It's also easy to confuse artisan made lampwork with Czech or Venetian made lampwork, which are sometimes higher quality than mass-produced lampwork. Artisan made lampwork is almost always more expensive, but almost always higher quality, and it's often kiln-annealed so it won't break as easily.
Annealing is the process of slowly cooling beads in a temperature controlled kiln (oven) so that the glass molecules have a chance to slow down. This reduces stress in the glass, so that it becomes more stable and less breakable. Many sellers of mass-produced lampwork claim their beads are annealed. This is a misnomer - mass-produced lampwork, and even Czech lampwork are cooled in fiber blankets, sand, vermiculite or even nothing at all. This cools beads way too quickly, and does not reduce the stress in the glass - therefore the beads are far more breakable. To be annealed, glass must be placed in a kiln and cooled over a period of several hours (how long depends on the type of glass).
When buying lampwork, make sure you understand where it is coming from and what went into making it. Be careful you're not buying Chinese imported beads from people claiming to have made the beads themselves. There is a place for all beads - some of the mass-produced beads are very pretty these days, and cost effective for jewelry designers. However, artist made lampwork is usually of the highest quality - it's much less breakable, and beads are often very unique and made with more precision and care. Lampwork prices tend to vary so much, it's really hard to tell what's worth your money and what isn't. It's best to do your homework before buying any glass beads to make sure you are getting the quality you desire. Here are some links if you would like to find out more information:
Lampwork on Wikipedia
International Society of Glass Beadmakers
Q. What kind of glass/materials do you use to make your beads? Where do you get your supplies?
A. I use Italian, German, Chinese and American soft glass. Some of the brand names I currently use are Effetre (formerly Moretti), Vetrofond, Double Helix, Precision, Kugler, CIM, Reichenbach and Lauscha. I do not use borosilicate for the time being. On occasion I will use frits (crushed glass) and pixie dust (mica-based sparkle). At the moment, I am not using any metals, but that may change when I am set up for it. My beads are made with a oxygen/propane mix torch called a Minor Burner, and then placed in a kiln to be annealed for lasting durability and long wear. I get most of my glass and supplies from a couple of merchants here in Washington.
Q. How would I go about getting into lampwork beadmaking?
A. This is a loaded question, which I get asked a lot. It has no simple answer. First, you need to determine how involved you want to be in lampwork beadmaking, and what you want to get out of it. If you wish to make beads for yourself and maybe to give away as gifts, I would suggest finding a local bead store that teaches beginning lampworking and go from there. Look for a place that teaches on a HotHead torch or equivalent, because those torches are less expensive and more portable. Make sure the classes you attend explain safety and equipment issues as well as the basics of preparing for and making beads.
If your hope is to get into making beads as a business, my suggestion would be to read as much as you can on it first, and get to know the art and craft before trying it out. My website Coloraddiction has many links to books, forums, suppliers, tutorials and more that can help you get information on lampworking. Selling your own handmade artwork requires a lot of time, effort and hard work. It can also be very expensive, and should not be gotten into lightly. However, it can be incredibly fulfilling and rewarding if you have the talent and are willing to put in the effort.
Q. How do I....? /What color did you use...? /etc.
A. Unfortunately, I don't have time to give step by step instructions or lists of colors via email or phone to everyone who asks. I wish I did, but the sheer number of requests for information just do not allow that. Please understand that I took classes, did a lot of research and experimented a lot to gather the knowledge I needed to make beads. My suggestion for anyone who emails me these questions is to go online and read the messege boards that beadmakers often frequent, and also do a search for tutorials. If you don't find the answer to your question online, I would recommend trying somethings out on the torch yourself and see if you can figure it out on your own. After all - that's half the fun of making beads!
Q. Do you teach lampworking?
A. At the moment, I am not teaching offline. I do recommend checking out Coloraddiction, Kimberly Affleck or Frantz Art Glass for classes.
Website Information:
Q. You take such great pictures! What's your secret?
A. First off - I thank everyone for the compliments on my pictures. I work hard on them, and the comments are so nice! I get questions about my camera equipment/lighting/photo editing software all the time. The short and simple answer is this - know your camera, know your subject, study a little about close-up photography and do some Google searches on jewelry photography. Everyone has a different system, and what works for me may not work for you (and vice versa). I currently use a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7, no tripod, incandescent lighting, white paper or felt for a background, and Paint Shop Pro 10 for photo editing. I do everything I can to make my beads look exactly like they do in real life, but of course, computer monitors differ, so colors/brightness may be slightly different on different screens.
Q. How is my personal information used?
A. Any information collected by Air and Earth Designs is only used for processing your orders and answering questions and feedback. Your information will not be given, sold, or rented to any third party for any other purpose than processing your orders. Your email address will not be added to any list, unless you request it.
Q. I've made jewelry (or anything) out of beads I bought from you - can I be in the Jewelry Designer's Gallery?
A. Yes! I would love it if you emailed me a picture or two of the item you made. I will include it in my next update. Pictures will be resized and cropped to fit the page, and I can include a link to the piece if it is up for sale.
Q. Why the name "Air & Earth"? Why not something with "fire" or "glass" in the title?
A. Well, "fire" and "glass" are taken up by a lot of other beadmakers, but that's not why I picked Air & Earth Designs for my name. That came from before I was making beads. A friend and I started a jewelry designing business awhile back. Her zodiac sign was Gemini - an Air sign. Mine is Virgo - an Earth sign. So that's how we chose our name. When we went our separate ways several years ago, I kept the name - and now it's recognizable, so I haven't changed it even though I have changed what I do. I still make and sell jewelry on occasion, but my main focus is lampwork beadmaking.
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