A Couple Of New Sets

With thanks to Yvette of Blue Kiln Beads I have managed to add a widget on my blog to take you straight to my Etsy shop! So I am very pleased with myself!!

And I have added a couple of new sets to my shop, too.

Misty Hills is a set of 6 beads in three shades of green all finished with pixie dust to give a lovely shimmer



Raspberry Shake is also a set of 6 beads but these have a base of pale pink transparent that have been swirled in a pink frit and then etched for that velvet feel



But my favourite set at the moment is Tigers Eye, I just love the colours in this beautiful frit by Jolene of Kitzbitz Art Glass



These were all made a few weeks ago and I still have a few more to list over the coming weeks, too, which may be as well because I don't seem to have any time to get to the torch and make any new sets up! I wish I knew where all my time went!!

Have a great week.

Ta-ra

June
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Beads From Astrid Riedel's Class

I had a great time at Di's a couple of weekends ago when attending the Astrid Riedel class. What a lovely and clever lady she is! The weekend went in a flash, but here are most of the beads I made whilst there - some are still on the mandrels because they are cracked and are not going to come off in one piece, unfortunately!




It was the first time I had tried a crunch press, too, so I now have one of those on order from Maria Louisa! So it's just finding some time to practise. I did have a go after the course, but unfortunately those two cracked, too. Oh well, if at first you don't succeed...... !!

Have a great week!

Ta-ra,

June
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Busy, As Always!

Since last updating I did go to the GBUK AGM and bead fair and had a lovely day catching up with a few people and selling a few beads. I was also lucky to have spend a couple of days at Di East's studio in the company of Astrid Riedel. Her beads are just beautiful and I learned loads - though unfortunately I haven't taken any pictures as yet! Nor have I had much time to practise any of the techniques!

But in the meantime, I have managed to take a few pictures of some beads that I will be listing in my Etsy shop in the next few days.....

Eqyptian Silk



Ink Splat!


Springtime


Thanks for looking!

Have a good week.

Ta-ra,

June
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It's Been A While!

It's been a while since I have updated here but the summer (what summer?!) has whizzed past. The 6 week school holiday flew and we had a lovely relaxing week in France towards the end of it. My 2 DD's have been in a show at the theatre which was great, but manic, and now, I hope, things will settle down a bit for a few weeks!

Although I haven't had much to show lately, I have been quite busy on the bead making front, too. I have a stand at the up and coming GBUK Bead Fair in Ardington on Sat 25th September, so I have been getting together a few sets to take with me. It will be my first Bead Fair, so I am looking forward to it. It will also be the GBUK AGM in the morning and a chance to catch up with friends, old and new, many from the Frit-Happens forum.

I have also been busy trying to create a couple of items for the Beads & Beyond Jewellery Maker Of The Year 2010 Competition - for which I was a runner up in the chainmaille category last year. So fingers crossed..!!

Anyway, I hope to post a few pictures of some of my sets in the near future. Most have been cleaned and batched up now, so it's just waiting for a nice day and some free time (very difficult to achieve both of these at the same time!!)

Ta-ra,

June
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So What Have I Been Doing?

It's been a few weeks since I have updated here, so what have I been up to? !! Well, we spent a lovely week in Normandy during the half-term holiday. The weather could have been better during the first half of the week, but it was lovely to have a break. Since then, it's been the usual round of work and all things to do with DD's school life! I haven't even had that much time at the torch, though I did snatch a couple of hours at the weekend. These bits are still to be kilned, so they will be for another time, but I do have a few pictures of beads created before I went to France.

Firstly this was the necklace worn for one of the days at Flame Off (wow, that was 2 months ago now!!)



This was my first attempt at a flower inspired by Sabine's fab tutorial at Flame Off



Then came various attempts at raised floral beads, so here's a couple of the better ones





And finally I have had a thing for grapevines lately, so here's one of those




I am still enjoying making vessels, so there will probably be more of those in the coming weeks!

Ta-ra,

June
XX

After Posting About Bead Sets....

After posting about bead sets, I have just listed a couple on Etsy tonight, as well as one of my vessels and I have a couple more to add in the next day or two .... however, these were made a good few weeks ago, I just hadn't got around to listing them!!!

Adriatic


Rustic Pine


Annalisa


I did spend a couple of hours at the torch over the weekend and tried a couple of new things out though, unfortunately, a couple of them cracked, but that's how it goes. Hopefully I will get some photos up soon.

In the meantime, hope you have a good week.

Ta-ra,

June
XX

Actually, I'm getting fed up with making bead sets!

Yes, really, I am! My attention span just doesn't want to last the time it takes to make a few little beadies of similar design. I am ok with focals and I have been enjoying making vessels, it's just sets of beads that I am having trouble with! I have still got one or two vessels yet to clean and photo and then I will show you, but that for later.

So in the meantime, I decided to wander over to 'the dark side', otherwise known as borosilicate. A totally different way of working, it seems! After trying a couple of small beads to get the feel, and then having all the bead release crack on me, an off-mandrel pendant it was, so here is my first attempt, which is simply clear dipped in boro frit:



After this I attempted a heart which is also clear but mixed with some rather lovely deep blue which has a lovely sparkle, though that is very difficult to capture with a camera! Still, here it is:


I am rather pleased with these for my first go with boro and I hope to play some more soon.

So what else has been happening? I had a great weekend in Towcester at Flame Off. There are a few pictures on my FlickR. I saw some great demos, met lots of people and spent far too much money. It's probably just as well it is only once a year!!

Anyway, I hope to clean a few beads and post some more pictures here soon.

Ta-ra,

June
XX

So Happy!

I have finally got around to ordering a new laptop and have been setting it up today. Wow, what a difference! The old one was soooo slow, it was impossible to do anything much. So now I'm full steam ahead and it's fab!!

Hopefully I will try and get a few pictures up soon and I also desperately need to update my website, Etsy, FlickR.... the list goes on! Everything seems to have lapsed just lately.

Still, I hope that will change! So to get me in the mood, here's a handflower I made a couple of weeks ago, modelled by my 6 year old. It's a bit big on her (to say the least), but she makes a wonderful model!! I found the pattern on Chainmaille Artisans and just had to make one - I'm not sure why, but you know how it is !!



Now I'm off to catch up with a couple of blogs and then carry on catching up.

Ta-ra,

June
XX

Some New Chainmaille Bracelets

I've finally got some rings cut with my Koil Kutter and have been playing with a couple of new chainmaile weaves.

Firstly came one inspired from a picture on Maille Artisans International that I managed to figure out without a tutorial! It makes quite a chunky bracelet that I decided to make up in black



Then I went onto a Persian variant, Persiantine, completed in dark blue. This has made a slightly more delicate bracelet



And lastly, my favourite (which I am wearing whilst I type!!), Forars Kaede. Similar to the popular Jens Pind, but having made this up into a bracelet I think I prefer this weave of the two



So I have ordered some more wire to practise with ...... you know how it is !!

Ta-ra,

June
XX

Another 3 Weeks Gone? !!

Another 3 weeks have disappeared and I really haven't got much to show for it! This year is just speeding by and looking at my calendar, it will carry on that way - at least, for a short while!

So what have I been doing? Nothing really, but the weekends have been a round of shopping and taking and fetching daughters to various social events. Then, when I have an hour or so, I have snatched it to get to the torch. There's still a few beads to sort, photo and list, but I haven't been making sets as such recently. Instead I've been having a play at these...



Unfortunately this one has a crack inside, but I will still kiln it and keep it for myself!

I've also been playing with jump rings a little bit, but I haven't got any photos as yet. These will follow soon.

This weekend will go pretty much like many of the previous weekends this year, too, and I doubt I'll have any torch time until the following weekend. So roll on Easter so I can have a rest!!

Ta-ra,

June
XX

Ooo, Look What I Found!

Just looking around the web and I came across this Random Colour Scheme Google Gadget! What's more, if you enter a colour in the search box, it will display quite a few colour schemes with that colour in. Cool !! So I thought it would make a nice addition to my blog, I hope you like it! Looking at the Google Gadgets page I see there are literally thousands of them, but that, perhaps, for another day.

What else have I been up to? Well, loads but then again nothing specific, just life, I guess. The weeks have zipped past since Christmas and I really don't know where the time has gone. I have had a couple of evenings at the torch, which has found me just playing about and trying a few new things. I have a couple of sets of my 'Agité' beads kilned and awaiting cleaning, but not much else at the moment. I have also used the Koil Kutter to cut a few more rings to practise with, but nothing photographed.

And that brings us to now, midway through February already with little to show for the time. Never mind, it's good to practise and just try things out without any pressure (well, that's my story)!!

Ta-ra,

June
XX

Sunshine Awards

Just popping in to say that I am a lucky recipient of this Sunshine Award from the lovely Elaine of ChatElaine Jewellery



Elaine is a fellow lampworker and also makes a range of lovely jewellery and I am particularly fond of her Autumn Sunshine Bangle. So thanks very much, Elaine, it was a lovely surprise!!

The rules for accepting the Sunshine award are:

1) Put the logo on your blog or within your post

2) Pass the award onto 12 bloggers

3) Link the nominees within your post ~

4) Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

5) Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.



So my award winners are:

Hazel - All Those Things

Helen G - Glass Beads by Helen G

Angie - Beads by Angie

Becci - Fired Silver

Dawn - Zelda Zog Blog

Helen - LaLa Lampwork

Becky - Chameleon Designs

Monkey - Monkey Chatter

Jennie - Raspberry Rings

Gemma - SilverGem's Blog

Jess - Jessamine Designs

AR Jewellery - A & R Jewellery Daily Ramblings


You will find a great selection of lampwork beads and jewellery as well as lots of chatter among these great blogs - please go check them out !!

So that just leaves me to pop along to these blogs myself and leave them all a little comment to tell them the good news... !!

Ta-ra

June
XX

I've been spending...

Too much money!! Firstly, I decided to finally invest in some..



Lindstrom ultra cutters. My Xuron cutters were ok, but a bit too wide when trying to cut smaller sized rings. So I finally succumbed to getting the best!!

So these were used to cut some rings to make another Persian bracelet which I coupled up with a couple of my beads made with some lovely Val Cox frit



And then came..



A Koil Kutter, and it's fab. Makes cutting those jump rings a breeze! So I had a practise with some copper wire and made a byzantine bracelet. So I'm now set up for chainmaille and I have one or two ideas I want to have a go at, but all in good time!

As for beads, I have only got one set to show at the moment. It's part of my Agité series called 'Just Red'



I hope to get these listed at some point in the next few days.

That brings me to today. Today I spent a couple of hours in the company of a few FHF'ers at Sabines lovely studio. It is always a pleasure to spend time talking glass (amongst other things) and having the good fortune to see a demo or two as well. A great day was had by all and Sabine is not only a pretty good beadmaker and glass sculpturer (just take a look at her website and you will see what I mean), but a great hostess too! Thanks Sabine.

So that brings me up-to-date.

Ta-ra

June
XX

Where has the last week gone? !!

I really don't know where the week has gone, so if you find it, could I have it back please? !! The last week or so has just flown past. I finally ventured out on Saturday having been stuck indoors with all the snow and ice about, which I was very pleased about because I was getting a bit fed up looking at the same four walls. Since then, though, the time has whizzed past! I have just had a couple more hours at the torch, so I used it trying to get to grips with my marble press. I'll let you know how it went once the beads have emerged from the vermiculite and been kilned. I've also got a couple of other bits to photograph, but I just don't seem to have found the time to do it. So, as seems to be be the way with me and photos, you'll have to watch this space for a few more days (sorry)!!

Have a good week.

Ta-ra,

June
XX

At last !!

Finally.... I got a couple of hours at the torch!! It didn't go too badly considering it's been a few weeks now. I hope to get an hour or two tomorrow, too.

I've also just managed to get an Etsy Treasury, but as it was purely pot luck, I didn't get any time for inventive titles, so it's just 'Lovely Beads' to show some of the lovely beads that are available in some of the Frit-Happens members shops. If you want to take a look, you have until Monday (11/1) 11:21pm.

So how's the snow where you are? We've had a bit here in Derbyshire today, but it's not looking good for tomorrow or Monday. My lovely daughters are due back to school on Monday, but I'm not so sure they will be there if the forecast is right..

Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Ta-ra,

June
XX

I Promised Pictures..!!

I finally dug the camera out and took a couple of pictures today to share with you here.

I'll start with my beautiful necklace that I received as a Secret Santa present from a member of the Frit Happens Forum



Next up is the first of my chain maille projects. I saw this Christmas Tree design in Step by Step Wire Jewelry and it just grabbed me, so when I saw that Beadsisters were selling the kit, I just had to have one! I decided to make them into earrings and, of course, I had to wear them on the day!



Whilst ordering the Christmas Tree kit, I couldn't help but order a few more coloured rings to attempt the tutorial by Sarah Austin in January's issue of Beads & Beyond to make a bracelet in Turkish Round Maille, so here are a couple of bracelets, one in bronze and red and the other black and fuschia



And also in the January issue of Beads & Beyond, another lovely tutorial by the very talented George Harper East for some earrings in the Pheasible weave, which I added my own lampwork to



Finally, I received a Beadalon jump ring maker and some Xuron flush cutters for a present, so I have been playing a bit with plated silver and copper. Unfortunately the rings are not cut as flush as they should be, so there are some small gaps (and I have found the smaller the rings, the worse the joins are), but this is only to practise some weaves I hadn't tried.

So this is Full Persian, which I am quite pleased with (well, aside from the rings!)



Anyway, that's about it for the moment, so thanks for looking and enjoy your week.

Ta-ra

June
XX

2010 - Let's hope it's a good one!

Happy New Year to everybody and I hope you have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010!

It's been a quiet start to 2010 so far, but yay, my 'lil Bobcat, Bertie, is now ready and raring to go again.... Just need a bit of time! It feels like it has been absolutely ages since we spent some time together so I am hoping to snatch an hour or two this week (though may well not be until next weekend, tbh).

Still, I've not been completely unproductive over the past two or three weeks. I've been playing at chain maille instead, which I am also enjoying. I made a couple of bracelets for Christmas presents and have since been practising with a couple of different weaves and am quite pleased with how they are going. So when I dust that camera down, I will take a couple of pictures and post them soon.

Anyway, here we are, Sunday 3rd Jan and the day before many of us come back to earth with a bump! As ever, this holiday fortnight has disappeared far too quickly and it's back to work and reality. So I hope you have all had a nice time and we can all move forward into 2010 with renewed vigour!

Ta-ra

June
XX