Blogging: Day One!

I am attempting to make a blogging site, so please bare with me! This is difficult, I don't even know what I'm doing! I make lamps and lampshades. Cottage style. I have been making them for about seven or so years now. It all started when I was antique shopping and saw the cutest little antique half doll. I wanted to make a lamp finial out of it, but it cost about $70. A lot for a lamp finial! Since I was taking a class in china painting, and doing plates and such; I noticed that my teacher had a reproduction half doll that she had painted. She told me that one of the other women in another class actually poured them and sold them. Well, I started having her make some for me and I painted them myself. When they were complete, my wonderful husband, Roger machined the metal screw and filled the inside of the half dolls with an epoxy and waa-laa! A reproduction half doll finial for my lamp!
I had been collecting vintage doilies, lace and other textiles for quite some time. So I used some of these things and made a lamp shade for myself. A lot of my friends loved it, and asked me to make them one too! I kept that first shade because I had put a button on it that was from my grandmother's wedding dress. (And also because I had made lots of mistakes in those first lampshades!) My daughter now has that shade in her bedroom!
I looked all over the internet and elsewhere and could not find anyone else who made the same shades and finials that I made. When we moved to Oregon, I had my lamps in an antique mall and sold quite a few of them. But alas, that store closed and what is a girl to do?
I have taught myself how to make the shades from start to finish. I usually use old frames and sometimes buy new ones. I wrap them myself with twill tape. Then the process starts: I line them and put pieces of linens and lace, etc., together and also use fine quality fabrics to make a shade that I think is cute! I finished off the inside as well. Most of the time, when I am finished with a lamp or shade, I like it so much I want to keep it. But Roger says: "You're in the business to SELL them, remember?" Ok, Ok!
Well, I think that's about it. My husband is retired and keeps busy either in our yard or making 1/8 scale train engines and parts. But more about us at a later time!