Recommending local area Art Glass and Bead shops

[Rhonnie]

I will be visiting in the Orange County area of Southern California in a few weeks and love to visit Glass and Bead shops.

Can anyone recommend any in that area?

Thanks much,
Rhonnie

[theglasszone]

I CAN! :)

Check out:

"The Mandrel" http://www.themandrel.com/

"Pacific Art Glass" http://pacificartglass.com/

[Rhonnie]

Oh De those look great....can't wait to check them out.
Thank you so much!
Rhonnie

[IdahoBetty]

Brea Bead Works (in Brea, northern OC)! They are a full service bead store with an adjacent studio for lampworking, soldering, fusing, etc.

Very nice people own and work at BBW, they're all just the best!

[Rhonnie]

Thank you, Brea Bead Works is very close to where we will be staying. Can't wait to check it out. Their web site was great!
Rhonnie

[stephaniebee]

If you go to Laguna Beach, there are the Bead Shop and Beadline on Pacific Coast Highway, in the 800 and 900 blocks. There is also a high end bead store in Dana Point called OC Beads. http://www.ocbeadstore.com/

You might want to bop around Laguna Beach regardless, there is the Sawdust Festival going and the galleries are filled with art and art jewelry.

Have fun! FYI we are having major June gloom, foggy mornings that clear up late in the day.

[bousky]

The Art Festivals, in Laguna Beach, should be up and running when you are here. At the Sawdust Festival you can watch glass artists blow vases and bowls. It is quite entertaining.

[Rhonnie]

Thank you ladies,
Laguna Beach is such a cool place. The festival sounds fun!

"FYI we are having major June gloom, foggy mornings that clear up late in the day. "

Boy do I remember foggy mornings....I am a California girl transplanted in the mid west. I was born in Newport Beach and grew up in the Anaheim area. I will be home visiting family. My dad loves the fact that I play in glass, always spent time in his workshop....I am hoping to show him what I do on this visit. And having a studio to take him to would be great.

Thanks for all the great suggestions, my trip is getting closer....
Rhonnie

[bousky]

I moved from the midwest to Newport Beach in 1976. I am now in Huntington.

If I was more organized I'd say bring you dad by to let him play on my torch..... I really need to prepare a guest room and more visitor friendly environment!

[Rhonnie]

Michelle,
Thank you for the thought....maybe the next time around. :) We moved to Nebraska in 83. Hate being so far from my family, but too hard to leave here. Nebraska is all my kids know and now that they have started their families....well can't leave the grandchild.

I only started torching about two years ago so I dug out my old hot head just so I could show my dad and sisters how I melt glass and make some simple beads for them.

It is just not a process you can explain sometimes with out the seeing.

BTW I checked out your Etsy store, you make beautiful encased florals. I have a small sampling at my Etsy store, http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThisandThatStudios

Thanks again for your info,
Rhonnie

[bousky]

Nice work Rhonnie!

Enjoy your So. Cal. visit. I so understand not being able to leave the family. I would like to move, yet my boys have started their own lives. No grandchildren yet. But I certainly want to be there when it happens.

[RavenBraid]

Pacific Art Glass has been TERRIBLE in my experience!

I recently placed an order online. It was 5 minutes after calling them to verify what quantities of what was available. My order arrived missing what they said they had, so I was annoyed to start with for paying the shipping.

None of the glass was labelled or seperated, their invoice system does not use color names or numbers. So I have a mixed bundle of yellows I'll have to work to identify.

The glass was filthy and PAINTED!!! OMG.... I was so disgusted and I couldn't believe it! They slop paint on the ends of the glass to color code it for their pricing system.

When I called there, I spoke to a woman first who was friendly enough, then I got passed to a Raymond who was short, told me to put his name on the return and hung up on me. I had to call back to find out what the guy's name actually was.

Worst glass buying experience EVER, and the condition of the glass I got was worse than anything I ever got from Jodel back in the day.

[bousky]

Yes, I do hate the way they paint the end of their rods. I live local so I bring tape and mark the rods as I take them out of their bins.

Yes, they can be rude and condescending. They have actually improved with the growth of lampworking. They cater more to stained glass people.

I don't go there unless I have to. But it is nice that they are there for those times.

[StacyLynne]

You know, the stuff is true what you are saying about the glass being painted on, the glass dirty, and the shortness of the gentleman that takes the calls. I can say that it is frustrating at times. BUT THIS IS NOT A LAMPWORKING STORE.. They dont cater to the lampworker. Pacific Art glass is a fusing store. A huge warehouse full of glass a working industrial store. They have thousands of customers all over the US and the world. They do things differently. But just because they do does not mean they are a horrible place to go into and shop at. Its a warehouse.. dirty. and full of machinery and such.

We are so spoiled by the suppliers that bend over backwards to make everything right in the lamp working world, And when one thing is not up to our expectations everyone is so quick to beat the crap out of them verbally. What is so annoying to me is we all expect so much out of these vendors to be perfect. To cater to our every whim. And frankly I am tired of listening to everyone bitch and complain they did this or that, didn't ship correctly etc..
And the smaller vendors I feel horrible for them as they have to walk on egg shells to make sure everything is perfect. Cuz if they make one small mistake EVERYONE WILL HEAR ABOUT IT. I think the majority of us lampers... understand that these vendors make mistakes too, behind that phone is a person that is trying to do the best they can under the circumstances they are under at that time.
Pacific Art Glass is a great place for fusing glass, Yes they carry rods for the lamp worker,yes the glass is dirty, yes the place is dusty, do I like it? No.. I would prefer a cleaner place to buy my glass but will I stop buying from them no.

Pacific Art Glass has been TERRIBLE in my experience!

I recently placed an order online. It was 5 minutes after calling them to verify what quantities of what was available. My order arrived missing what they said they had, so I was annoyed to start with for paying the shipping.

None of the glass was labelled or seperated, their invoice system does not use color names or numbers. So I have a mixed bundle of yellows I'll have to work to identify.

The glass was filthy and PAINTED!!! OMG.... I was so disgusted and I couldn't believe it! They slop paint on the ends of the glass to color code it for their pricing system.

When I called there, I spoke to a woman first who was friendly enough, then I got passed to a Raymond who was short, told me to put his name on the return and hung up on me. I had to call back to find out what the guy's name actually was.

Worst glass buying experience EVER, and the condition of the glass I got was worse than anything I ever got from Jodel back in the day.

[cc2]

Rhonnie, I am so jealous...........would stow away in your bag if you'd let me.

[Shrimp]

Wow StacyLynne, That was strong, but very thought provoking. It makes sense as to why the glass would arrive in the condition that it did as RavenBead has described. However, there still remains the rudeness of the customer service rep. That right there is important to me.

[StacyLynne]

He is a mostly one man band most of the time. all by himself, holding down the fort sort of speak. Short and too the point. I guess like me.... :rolleyes:

Wow StacyLynne, That was strong, but very thought provoking. It makes sense as to why the glass would arrive in the condition that it did as RavenBead has described. However, there still remains the rudeness of the customer service rep. That right there is important to me.

[lindag]

I love PAG! It's a new adventure every time I go. John is one of the nicest people I know, sharing and giving and very knowledgeable about glass. Yes it's dusty and dirty but it doesn't matter to me. I'll happily keep shopping there.

[RavenBraid]

I'm glad others have had good experiences, sounds like it COULD be a fun place to rummage garage-sale like in person where you know what you're getting. Not a place to shop online where it's in that condition and colors have to be guessed.

I don't consider myself spoiled because I want my materials mostly clean with at least 1 color label somewhere. A quick rinse in the sink, sure, no problem! Scrubbing off paint before I can use it?! Come on!

When you literally get hung up on (and I hadn't even started getting annoyed or rude yet, that came AFTER the hang up that surprised me) I don't care what the excuse was behind the scenes. Unacceptable if you want to keep customers. Sounds obvious lampwork customers are not what he focuses on, so it will all work itself out. My refund was processed promptly after I paid return shipping, so they're trustworthy if not friendly.

Luckily, there are dozens of other places to shop from afar.