Phoenix Collar

Well, with my bonus from work, I invested in some "kit", including some of the delica palette boxes from Spellbound Beads. I'd had an idea for this necklace jotted down in my notebook for a while, and I'd made the lampwork bead a while back too. I wrapped the bead in copper wire and finally decidede to use it!
I designed the whole necklace from start to finish, and I made a note of how I did it, as I have another focal in lovely meditteranean colours that I want to use in a similar necklace!

By the end of day 2, this is how it was shaping up:

You can just about see the original idea scribbled on the page!

And after three days solid, here is the finished article:

I'm rather pleased with how it turned out, and I already know how I'm going to evolve the design with other added "elements". Watch this space!

A Lava-ly time!

I have been making quite a few beads lately, and have re-visited an old friend in the lava beads. I enjoy making them, there is no need for them to all be the same size or pattern, they are just organic pebbles really! The first neclace here is the second one I made actually. I made the clasp from heavy gaugue copper wire which has been hammered and wrapped (and prompted a custom order for sterling ones, yay!). There are some swarovski bicones and some snakeskin jasper beads in here too, and the spacers between the round beads are new for me as well, round flat peyote stitch. The necklace is a whopping 85cm from clasp to clasp, plus the pendant is an extra 7cm.

This one I made with a 2 hole bead, made with my button mandrel. That clasp is mine too!

Finally here are the earrings I made for Mum for Mother's day. Thank goodness she liked them!

The Devil Wears Denim!

I had a go at St Petersburg chain stitch, single and double, and this was the result! It was an experiment really, I wanted to make something that looked like it had almost been zipped together, and I felt the stitch might achieve this look. Not quite, but I am still pleased with the result. It's given me some ideas too, which can only be a good thing, don't you think? ;-)

The fab focal was a birthday pressie from my Frit Happens friend Shahlaa.

I've been at those Sparkles again!

I made some more Sparkle pendants from Lynn Davy's tutorial, these are destined to be turned into jewellery once I can afford to buy some stuff to make it with!

Frit Happens Forum Team Spotlight - Jo Bailey

This weeks Forum spotlight is Jo Bailey.
www.jobaileydesigns.co.uk

Jo makes beautiful Jewellery as well as being an embroiderer and seamstress! Take a look at her site, I dare you not to be tempted!

Beadweaving!

I can't torch at the moment, for ventilation and pain in the a** gas reasons. I'm going to have to go onto bulk fuel sometime in the new year, buyt until then, what's a creative gal to do?

Well, I have resolved to learn beadweaving and wirework, so that I can make more jewellery from my own beads! And I have found that I rather enjoy beadweaving, It's quite therapeutic really :-) I recently made these following a tutorial from Lynn Davey (currently available in this listing) The sparkly crystals are Swarovski!

Then there was a challenge on Frit happens, so I learned Tubular Peyote stitch and made a Cellini Spiral tube bead, which then demanded to be turned into an icicle!

What fun!

Etsy Treasury!

Well, I was one of the lucky ones and managed to bag a Treasury on Etsy. I filled it with lovely rainbows to cheer you up in these dull grey days. You can see it here, please sign into Etsy and click on the pictures, they really will cheer you up!!

Click HERE to see it.

Thanks for looking!

For Sale on Etsy - more listings added today!

I have just listed a couple more beadies, I hope you like them!

For Sale on Etsy!

These are the beads I currently have for sale on Etsy, hope you like them!

Slacking...

Well, I have been slacking lately, haven't I? So very rude of me! I have started writing "The Trials and Tribulations of a Newbie Lampworker" for the Frit Happens Forum Team blog, and it reminded me that I have neglected my own blog something chronic! So, what have I been up to lately? I have made a good few beads, of course. Some eye candy coming up any minute. I have also had my first two Etsy sales, about which I am amazed! My first sale was to a lady called Jean, and she sent me this picture of what she made with it....I'm sooo chuffed :-) Thank you Jean!


This is the other bead that sold last week:

The next post will show you the other beads I currently have for sale on Etsy, wish me luck!