Thanks!

Thanks for all your kind words about my sister. She's really doing well, coming out of hospital today but the doctors have told her she can't travel back until next week. So although they have had to make the decision to cancel the ceilidh (kay-lee!) for this Saturday, they've decided to make it a postponement rather than a cancellation. And she'll definitely be back for my wedding! So not perfect but things seem to be working out. She has been extremely well looked after in Dresden which my Mum and I are so grateful for. So far as the singing goes, as I'm a singer I have loads of friends who're also professional singers coming along to the big day, and I've asked my friend Richard to sing instead of Trina. I'm pleased to have a tenor singing rather than another soprano as it'll be a totally different sound, even within the same song. So, like I said, everything seems to be working out! 8 days to go and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm getting my hair cut and dyed today and then (you'll be pleased to know!) I'm going to go dress shopping. 

And then onto the jewellery...I'm imagining I'll get something lovely somewhere along the blue to green spectrum so I thought I'd share a couple of green pieces of jewellery I've made recently. 

This necklace just arrived in the post yesterday, back from Beads and Beyond and goes with the earrings from this post. It features lampwork beads by Clare Scott, ribbon from Sowzere and semi-precious stones from one of my favourite shops, Precious Sparkle Beads.  

The bracelet features a Green Girl Studios pewter clasp and a few super sweet lampwork beads by Mika of Pinocean. The Amethyst and Aquamarine stones are again from Precious Sparkle Beads and the bead caps (I love these!) are from Palmer Metals. They are so pretty, I use them all the time. 

Hope you like my new-ish pieces! Have a great weekend. 

Green Girl Studios Giveaway

You guessed it, it's another of Andrew's giveaways. And this one is a GOOD one...if you don't know Andrew Thornton you may not have heard of his family's business, Green Girl Studios (although if you ever read Beadwork, Stringing, Beads or any other fantastic Interweave mag, you will have!). They make absolutely stunning hand carved and cast beads, buttons and other findings. They are STUNNING. I have blogged about Cynthia's work and my love of it before and I have since then purchased a few clasps and beads from them and am hoarding them away, taking them out occasionally to look and smile at. Leave a comment before TOMORROW to be in with a chance of winning!

Locks, Keys and Keypers...

Over the last couple of months I have been a bit naughty and ordered a few little packages from America. I know lots of beaders will frown upon me for this but I just love the stuff you can get over in the States! It's not to say that we don't have lots of fantastic suppliers and artists here in the UK because we absolutely do, but there are also some pretty awesome ones over the pond and sometimes I just can't resist dipping my toe in! I am particularly into the wonderful work of Green Girl Studios at the moment...gorgeous.

Anyway, I am 'home home' at the moment - by that I mean the home in which I latterly grew up and where my Mum still lives, here in lovely Edinburgh. How I adore it here! I brought the bits and bobs I have been collecting recently and tonight piled them all together on my bed in my teenage room. And look what I discovered! I have strange obsession with keys and locks.

Now, I had noticed that keys are de rigeur amongst jewellery artists at the moment, but I hadn't quite realised how attracted I was to such things at the moment! I think their rise in popularity has something to do with the 'steampunk' movement in jewellery but personally this is not a style which particularly appeals to me per se. I think keys, locks, lockets and secrets are things that I have been drawn to from a young age and I don't think I'm alone on this one! I have been remembering back today to the 80s, back when I was just a wee young thing (honest!) and thinking of a toy that I used to covet - Keypers. Does anyone else remember these??


My friend Stephanie had an orange snail and I just LOVED it. My parents were not into 'trendy' or 'faddy' toys so I knew I would probably never have one but they really were such fun toys, with their keys and secret compartments! It must be the same appeal as lockable diaries, something else which I loved when I was a teenager in the 90s. So now I have to see what I will do with my small cache of locks and keys! And perhaps now that I'm all grown up, search out a Keyper all of my very own...