XinaCat's BlogPage

2008-04-03T16:18:00.000-07:00

At last - I'm checking in! There is so much to catch up on.

XinaCat
is going strong. This is the place to buy optical quality prisms or suncatchers and decorative tiles from all over the world. I keep hearing I have been crazy about prisms since I could walk. Now all these years later, I have thousands of these glorious crystals, and here they are.

There's more.
I now teach digital photography at Saddleback Valley Unified School District, adult education, since 2005. This is another passion of mine, photography. Students post work to this photography site: smugmug.com - check out this gallery to see some amazing work we're doing.

To take a look at my personal work, take a look here:

What else is new? I am an illustrator for the County of Orange. I will be launching a gallery of the work we have been doing soon.

I am managing to fit in my studies at CSULB. I can't say I'm bored.
Thanks for reading.

-Laura Hoffman

2006-11-10T15:48:00.000-08:00

What a day...we're live! Today I launched my baby, XinaCat.com after 3 months of hard work. Here it is: XinaCat.com
So many e-mails came in, wondering if I had my own site - not on eBay or Overstock - and now as of November 10, 2006 - we do!

There's a secure shopping cart that works smoothly. We take PayPal, of course. You can also pay by check, Visa/MasterCard, money order - it's your choice. Credit card numbers are never stored at our site, so shoppers are safe with us.

There will be a few little bugs to kill, but I'll keep working on the site to make shopping with me a good experience. This is a first, and so I had to share this momentous day with the world.

-Laura of XinaCat >^..^<

2005-06-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

2004-05-15T16:25:00.000-07:00

Questions? Comments? Do you like this blog? E-mail XinaCat
Click on "Email" under "Contact," under
the silly photo taken of my now-famous cat, Xina and me.
Spam will be sent automatically to my junk "never-read" dump-file.

2004-05-14T23:18:00.000-07:00

The effects of a light show on an otherwise normal person....

I tried to submit this photo for this Blog's profile...so here it is in my blog instead. Taken 5-2-04 by Ted Hoffman.

2004-05-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

What’s the Difference Between “AB” (Aurora Borealis) and Clear Prisms?

The difference is obvious, just take a look at the same exact cut prism, one photo is of the CLEAR prism with no “AB” coating, then compare to the same cut with the “AB” coating applied. This coating, which is also known as “Aurore Boreale,” (German for Aurora Borealis) is borrowed from the very cool natural phenomenon that happens in the sky from northern latitudes. Being a southern Californian, I have yet to personally witness this undoubtedly wonderful Aurora Borealis colorful thrill, so the closest I can come—will be in the shimmery iridescence of my “AB” coated prisms. Below, are some photos that will best explain the difference, a picture is worth a thousand words, so they say:

CLEAR Sphere Prism, NO AB (Aurora Borealis) Coating

Same cut - Sphere Prism with AB (Aurora Borealis) Coating

CLEAR Swarovski Octagon Prism – NO AB Coating

Same Swarovski Octagon Shape – With AB Coating.

More later on this fascinating AB coating….opinions, how it’s done—and why choose AB?

2004-05-06T18:56:00.002-07:00

The Care & Feeding of Your Crystal Prisms…Part II

So how do you keep your prisms nice and clean so you’ll keep getting those brilliant rainbows? It’s so easy – and you don’t even have to take your strung prisms down from your window. It also costs almost nothing.

(1) Go to your store and buy a gallon of windshield washer fluid for about $1.00. This will last you about 5 years or so, or you can use the rest for your…windshield. Get some distilled water while you’re at the store and a nice spray bottle unless you have a new & unused spray bottle around the house.
(2) Rinse out your spray bottle with some distilled water, NO TAP, that water coming out of your faucet contains minerals, which will leave splotches all over your prisms.
(3) Mix your distilled water and windshield washer fluid 1:1. That means, fill your spray bottle half full with windshield washer fluid and top it off with distilled water. This will now be called…XinaCat Prism Spray.
(4) Put a towel under all your prisms to catch spillage.
(5) SPRAY AWAY!! Spray until the dust comes streaming off. Then keep spraying.
(6) Walk away. If you followed these directions, you will have no water spots and you never had to fondle and possible wreck your lovely prisms.

So why does this work? Windshield washer fluid has a great drying agent in it so your prisms will get sparkly in no time. The stuff is good enough to get bug splatter and smog off your windshield, so it will do a fine job on your dusty prisms.

If you do have splotches left on your prisms, that means you had residue in your sprayer and crud in your mixture. All you have to do, is wet a soft cloth (like your favorite soft worn out T-shirt) with your new XinaCat Prism Spray…and gently massage the affected prism. You will have shine and rainbow brilliance like never before!

Keep looking at my blog to see how to care for XinaCat jewelry. It involves…guess what…windshield washer fluid..and a soft cloth. Put away your rubbing alcohol and especially your jewelry cleaner. Don’t use it on any crystals. That’s a hint.

“I’m all CLEAN!!!!”

2004-05-04T17:02:00.003-07:00

The Care & Feeding of Your Crystal Prisms…Part 1

To keep your fabulous sparkly prisms fabulous and sparkly, it’s a good idea to remove the layer of dust that inevitably settles from season to season. It’s an even better idea to keep the window clean so you get pure, unfettered sunlight streaming in to light up these faceted beauties so you can get the very best rainbow blasts possible.

What NOT to do, plus this is a real hassle:

(1) Don’t even think about putting your crystals in the dishwasher, it’s amazing how many people do this and wonder why their crystals turn into scratched and dented echoes of their former selves.
(2) Don’t ever use paper towels or Kleenex or toilet tissue on your prisms. These are paper products made up of tiny wood fibers that will scratch and dull your prisms over time.
(3) Don’t ever use solvents such as rubbing alcohol or worse, Benzine. Any fused coatings on the AB coated prisms will be destroyed. Also, that stuff reeks.
(4) Don’t be tempted to soak your prisms in sudsy water, then expect to drip, dry and massage clean without breaking at least one of your prisms; most likely your slippery prism will behave like a bar of soap and slip and slide itself to an early death by shattering on your hard counter or to tiny pieces all over your tile floor.

What is the best way to clean your prisms? Keep checking – I have the best advice I have ever found, but look for this wonderful advice in "Part II of the Care & Feeding of Your Prisms!" in this XinaCat blog. I am still testing this method out, but I will be reporting my XinaCat-approved prism cleaning solution shortly!

In the meantime, you can buy one of those really expensive Swarovski cleaning kits for $40.00….or you can save yourself the $40 and have it to get 2 or 3 prisms from XinaCat and still have really clean prisms….

2004-05-02T22:43:00.003-07:00

You Need THESE Prisms to Get Your Own Light Show...

Click Here to Get XinaCat Prisms

2004-05-02T22:32:00.000-07:00

Here is a photograph of me photographing Skye, the cat.
Today, the livingroom filled up with rainbows from my enormous collection of prisms
hanging in the windows.

Makes me happy...the cats agree with me.

So even if I'm having a crummy day...
seeing my space lit up like this brings me up.
Some people write me, these light shows ease their pain
and keep them sane - and can lift the blackest of moods...
I can see why.

2004-05-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Really undignified Photos of my Cats, Skye & Moe....

2004-04-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

Shameless Photo Gallery of the XinaCat Cats Begins....

Please indulge me, I'm going to post photographs I've taken of my various cats.
Here is my aggressively friendly Blue Point Siamese longhair, also known as a "Balinese" cat,
"Skye" (born 3/1998) who is such a ham, much like her human - me, Laura Hoffman. She
must have learned by example.

Making a BLOG is the utmost of hamminess. But people
are "hitting" my page, so I feel the need to contribute. Look for more photographs - probably
random. I'll use this blog thingie as my personal photo gallery. Even if it's just for us rabid
cat-lovers. I'll have plenty of photos of my prisms too - and the resultant light shows, just wait.
I have just gotten started....

2004-04-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

WHAT I SAY TO PEOPLE WHO ASK,
"SHOULD I SELL MY STUFF ON EBAY?"

There's so much to say about the experience of selling on eBay. I get
to work at home because of the fact I sell my goodies on eBay. What
helps is having something people want--and having really great
photography and well written descriptive copy. And being prepared to
work your butt off...service is everything, eBay people expect their goods
yesterday.

It took a while to get my pricing to where it needs to be and get into
the rhythm of fulfilling the orders. It turns your home business into
a cluttered fulfillment house, laden with piles of boxes and packing materials. Not to
mention dealing with the 1000's of e-mails weekly, a seller would have to be ready
to deal with tons of correspondence...and endless questions, some of
them amazingly weird...and even more amazingly silly.

Still, it's a way to match buyers with your goodies, such as original
work. You have to ask, would anyone want this thingie I'm selling?
Start out small--see if people like what you have; that's how I started out.
I hit the market when Austrian crystal jewelry was a big deal.
But now it's not such a big deal anymore, so I
had to branch out with cat-related items for the many cat-people out
there (xinacat!). It's a very dynamic environment and never boring.
But it is a lot of work.

That's just scratching the surface.

I'd say, try it--there's nothing to lose but a little time. I do well
on eBay and I'm grateful there is such a high profile venue for my
stuff and have met so many great people plus loyal buyers. I love it
that I'm home and not on the scary roads. My stress level is way low.
And I love my work.

There are variables, every seller will discover his or her own place on eBay.
eBay is not cheap, either - but that's the necessary overhead of doing
business. And you get to WORK AT HOME.

Here's the way to my eBay store: XinaCat
Who IS XinaCat? About XinaCat

Traffic on the stairs...or Skye being a speed-bump

2004-04-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

At XinaCat, I get asked the same questions over and over. I know, I need a FAQ. But how tedious...! No one really reads those, do they?

ARE MY CRYSTALS REALLY GENUINE SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS?

So here is the question of the day: "Are your crystals really genuine Swarovski crystals? Do I get a pretty box and certificate...?" --even though I only have to pay $10 for a really beautiful heart crystal??

Here it is: Most of what I have is made by Strass Swarovski components. These crystals - heart shaped, spear shaped, cat's eyes (marquis shaped), et al come to me with no Swarovski trappings such as certificates nor boxes. You're paying less than $20!! However - USUALLY - there is a tiny laser etched logo (of Strass Swarovski) of a receding rainbow which marks the crystal as authentic. This little tiny etching is next to the drilled hole which allows me to attach the crystal to hardware so you can wear these beauties as earrings or pendants--or hang as prism suncatchers in the sun.

I have had people complain, "What's that flaw? How could you...?" That's no flaw - that mark is the laser etching that marks the crystal as the real deal, not some crummy knockoff.

To make it interesting, Strass Swarovski doesn't ALWAYS mark their crystals with the etching. Why that is, I have no idea. My importers don't even know. An example of this, would be my 28mm ruby red bordeaux heart crystals. Still, these crystals are the real thing.

I'll post answers regularly as I need to.

2004-04-30T00:30:00.000-07:00

Oh wow, I have a BLOG! What's a blog? Random brain-droppings? For all to see? Who would care to read someone's blog? Maybe I'll find out....really soon.

I may make notes about what I do...why I do it. I have a website on eBay. Called XinaCat or also known as http://www.xinacat.com. I love it because it means I get to deal with stuff I love....and stay at home doing it.

My commute is really easy, it's just down a flight of stairs. The only traffic I have to deal with may be a couple of lazy Siamese cats on the stairs, got to step around them, because they're not going to move. Then I turn on my Mac and away I go. I'm at work...sending out prisms and Austrian crystal jewelry - I make mostly myself all over the world...now I also send cat decor items to fellow cat lovers - it's that XinaCat connection.

And talk to 1000's of people who do XinaCat that I only get to meet for a minute.

But they're there, my people. Because of the Internet. I once worked for a commercial photography studio where we took pictures of other people's stuff...now I get to shoot my own stuff - and even better - make my own hours. Life isn't so bad.

Here's the way to my eBay store: XinaCat
Who IS XinaCat? About XinaCat

So this is me, with one of my Siamese cats, Skye. I'm finding out if I know how to post photos....!!

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