Website Having Problems...

Debugging over at www.LisaKan.com, my website

Hi all,

Good thing I have this blog up and running because I found out late last night that Yahoo, my website host, recently decided to update their hosting software while I was in Tucson. Whoopee for them but now I can't update the site with new info. So I'm using the blog to keep you informed of the latest news.

As with any software updates, there are bound to be issues in the beginning. Never fear, we'll still stay in touch via this blog! Yeah! For the most part the site is still operational but it just does not look too pretty, due to a partial upload gone wrong. Thanks to the Frontpage extensions that got all jumbled because Yahoo fouled up while they transferred my site to their new web hosting platform. I won't bore you with the gory technical details but I've been up to the wee hours Activating, Deactivating, Re-assigning, and Re-calculating the root web, subwebs and authorship galore, I can't tell you more or I'll have your head spinning too. I used to do this when I was an engineering school, debugging software and programs. That was when I had NO choice since it was part of my engineering curriculum but this didn't have to happen. Oh well.. I must keep my energies up to get the website fixed. I'm determined. VERY determined.

So, be assured that I am working on this in the background with them and hope to have the site back to it's pretty self soon. For instance all my header logos are GONE, the footer copyright and contact links GONE, and then the fonts throughout the site are small and large - simply put, not pretty. At least offline, the site looks like it's old self. Thank goodness I am somewhat proficient in troubleshooting and know enough about programming to tackle fixing this issue. But with such a busy and hectic schedule getting ready for Portland, this is the last thing I want or need to worry about. What can you do? I'll just roll with the punches and tackle each issue as they come.

The next few days will be devoted to paperwork, taxes, booking travel to beadshows, making contacts for new projects, writing proposals, writing articles, beading projects and maybe somewhere in between I'll actually sleep. And you thought a beadmaker just makes beads all day. The paperwork is the least desirable part of operating my shop and the second, cleaning beads! All this happening at once and together, can make a girl spin crazily. But I'm on top of things here, knocking each task down at a time, based on priority.

Chinese New Year Sweets

Chinese New Year Lanterns
(the red color is very predominant in the Chinese and Asian cultures.
It symbolizes a wish for prosperity, fortune and good luck)

I'll be back in the studio this weekend maybe Sunday (as I still have to celebrate Chinese New Year with my family, since I was in Tucson!) and will have some pretties to share with everyone shortly. I hope. There is a growing number of people on the waiting list for Haiku, Luft, Strata and Sandstorm series. If you are interested just send me an email and I'll email out photos of actual beads that will be available soon. How's that for customer service. Thank you for your patience. Your continual support means a world to me.

I'll be adding a vacation bounce back email to let everyone know about the website being semi-functional and to link to the blog. I am however NOT on vacation. This girl does not take much time off, even on Valentine's day!

Email me questions anytime at lisakandesigns@yahoo.com. We'll get over this website hurdle together. Thanks for sticking by me. I won't give up if you don't.

Back from Tucson ... Happy Valentine's

The day for love is here. Happy Valentine's to everyone. Please remember to tell the one you love how special they are to you!


I am definitely still recuperating from my excellent show at the Manning House last week. It's a good form of exhaustion. I will be updating the site and blog with lots of info in the next few days so keep your eyes peeled for the new Luft and Sandstorm series photos as well as an alternate Strata Metallic series that will be offered periodically at select shows. (See update to earlier post for some fabulous photos of the new series!!)

I will also be adding links to the wonderful new beadstores that will be carrying my work at your local bead store (LBS) and on the website (once it is back online). Thank you to them! Thank you also goes to the customers, old and new, who traversed to Tucson and visited me at the Manning House. I had a great time talking to each and every one of you. Perhaps some of you tried to escape my long-winded conversations but I always perk up when speaking about beads/designing. Ooops.

Next week, I move forward to prepare for Bead Expo Portland and will open up the show stock for email orders. Let me know what series you are interested in and I'll email you a photo of what's in stock NEXT week. Right now the selection is low because many bead styles/colors sold out in Tucson. This is a good and bad thing. This means I have to work that much harder and stay focused to bring you new goodies. Not a problem if you don't mind being on a waiting list. I'm always up for challenges and hate to disappoint!

Thank you for sticking in there and being on the waiting list for your special beads. The website is currently having some issues due to Yahoo Webservices updating their entire hosting software (which I found out after returning from Tucson). You can still view the catalog but it's just not pretty, the fonts are all weird, the header with my logo missing, the footer with my copyright and contact gone, and I can not yet update the inventory status. I'm working on fixing all the issues behind the scenes. Just email me and I'll respond ASAP. I'm always an email away.

Bead Romantique Promotional Postcard
handed out during the Tucson show
(click the image for a larger view to get the nitty gritty details)

In the meantime. Yeah! Double Yeah! I'm so excited about the book launch at Bead Expo Portland next month! I'll have alternate samples of the projects in different colorways at my booth and Interweave will have the actual samples from the book at their booth. We are right across from each other. I'll be at my booth (#218) most of the show, since I'm exhibiting solo, but feel free to walk across the aisle for a chat. Signed books will be available at Interweave's booth. And the Girls from Vintaj will be right next to me too! It can't get any better than this!

Woo... I'm spinning with excitement.

Introducing at Tucson 2008...

I'm off to Tucson at 5:30 a.m. Monday. It'll take me two days to just pack and prepare everything! It'll be a long drive but I'm looking forward to seeing all my beadie friends there! That's the fun part of exhibiting at shows. I'll be taking my camera along and will capture some of the fun to share with you.

Two new series for 2008 and an updated metallic Strata look will be introduced in Tucson. Let me tell you a little about them and I will post photos later, just to maintain the mystery a bit longer. (updated 02/15/08 with photos! click the photos to ENLARGE)

LUFT: A Hollow Metallic Bead Series

a. Luft (German for "air") - a hollow bead series that plays with minimal texture for visual appeal and is a special transparent metallic finish that I have been playing with. Hollow beads are ideal for beadwork design because they are light so you can use MANY of them. I hope to have time to design something fabulous with these beads soon. The metallic finish compliments iris, AB, satin and luster beads well. It has been FOUR years since I've made hollow beads and it was fun to be challenged by this old friend. There will be MANY colors available but above shows the first few introduced in Tucson. What magic a poof of air can do to glass!

SANDSTORM: A Metallic Series

b. Sandstorm is based off of the Strata series but has a metallic finish instead. A mix of transparent and opaque glass are used to create a floating sandstorm maelstrom that swirls about with small earthy inclusions. This organic bead compliments iris, AB, satin and luster beads well.

STRATA: A Metallics Series

c. There will also be a limited selection of metallic Strata beads available, made while testing out the Sandstorm series. This will be offered periodically at shows when I experiment with Sandstorm colors.

Some Additional Comments: If you haven't noticed, I don't like signing my work. I find signature canes generally detract from the flow of the design and the bead, itself. Even the titanium pens, which are used by some artists, scratch the bead's surface and are not all that appealing to me. Besides, I want my beads to have a life of their own, to speak for themselves, and find their way into your fabulous jewelry designs. Anyone who follows glass bead artists will know my signature work. One can of course collect glass beads but I want my beads to be utilized, instead of hidden in some display cabinet, where only a few people can appreciate. I work hard to come up with designs that can be easily incorporated into finished jewelry with an affordable price-point in mind. Although my more complicated beads will be pricier, they will not break the bank and will always be a balance of labor and materials that is fair to the artist, ME. So I hope you'll USE the beads you buy from my booth as I'd love to see what you make from them. See you all in Tucson soon at the To Bead True Blue Show at the Manning House Mansion!