Bead Table Wednesday

So, I am actually going to post some pics this week! I am meant to be at my drama class right now at college but I've been burning the candle at both ends for weeks now (sadly, both ends of my candle are work and, well...work...) and I have to sing at a masterclass tomorrow and a competition on Monday and I've done no practice and so....here I am blogging. Of course! It's 8pm here in the UK and I think if I'm honest I'm going to blog, do a little more practice and then go to bed. Sounds pretty great to me! What an old lady, seriously. Well, I am thirty in two weeks.....

Anyway, on with my bead table! I thought I would share with you some of the goodies that have come in the post this week. It's Christmas every week in my house ;-)

Some *a*mazing beads from Mindy Moogin....mmmhhhh....she is amazing!! I also got some gorgeous poppy nuggets (think Klimt) but I'm saving them for another post. 

And today came a very exciting package....labelled LeVart....yes, I know many of you know what I'm talking about, MissFickleMedia. How I love getting a fat little packet from her! Loads of links in various patinas, some pastel beads and some beautiful Easter Sunday flowers that she threw in as a thank-you. Thank YOU Shannon! I love them! 

And can you see what else I bought?? Yes, an underwater dish. It's MFM's Water and Wood colours and they are just my fave. Brown and aqua - you just can't beat it. I'm aware that it really doesn't go with my lampwork beads but I was just too excited to shoot some beads on it!

So, what's on your BTW??

The spoils of Edinburgh...

I am spending the weekend in my hometown, Edinburgh, capital of beautiful Scotland. I can't tell you how lovely it is to be back at home and best of all, it's all due to beading! I taught a class at my favourite of all bead shops, The Little Bead Shop (they've got a blog too - check it out!) - we came up yesterday and go back tomorrow but it is lovely to spend just a few days here, soaking up some Scottish goodness with my Mum. We're going out for tapas this evening with my cousins and that is going to be a rare treat - I don't get to see them often enough.

One of the really awesome things about teaching at The Little Bead Shop is seeing what exciting new stock they have in. Gil Baird (the owner, beader extraordinaire and all round super person!) has yet to get her shop on-line fully (keep your fingers crossed for this Easter) and so there are always new and fabulous things to ooh and ah over. And buy, of course! Today, she had in some absolutely gorgeous clay (porcelain I think?) flower beads/buttons from a lady in Livingston who shut up shop in 1940 so these are OLD. I'm sure you'll agree though, they look incredibly contemporary. I couldn't believe it when Gil told me they were pre-war! I bought almost as many as she had in, knowing the opportunity wouldn't come around again.

You cans see from the top picture just how dimensional these flowers are. I can't tell you how excited I am to create something with these! My mind is full of jumbled ideas and I can't wait to sit down and try some out. 

Here's a picture of everything I bought (minus two gorgeous hand dyed silk ribbons - oh yes, it's that type of amazing shop!). You can see a bit of a flower theme going on!

My Mum also surprised me by dishing up a bunch of delights from my Grandma's bits and bobs. She died 11 years ago but we're still gradually sorting through her stuff. She was my Mum's stepmum and sadly, fairly rubbish at that....but she was an awesome Grandma! VERY old-fashioned but that's quite charming in a Grandparent in a way, isn't it? Not in a parent however....I think she would have very happily been a character in  a Jane Austen novel....that gives you some idea!She was a great embroiderer and attended the Royal School of Needlework in her youth, and left behind all sorts of exciting notions, books, beads etc. 

Aren't these just gorgeous? The silver flowers on the left are buttons (possibly sterling?) and the red ones are funny wee pendants or possibly some kind of cuff link....not sure. But they certainly have oodles of potential! They are so beautiful and all the more special for coming from my Grandma's stash. 

An exciting clasp! Sterling. Isn't this totally gorgeous?? 

So all in all, today has been a very good day. I love pieces with a history...especially one so personal to me. I feel very lucky!

Desk Disaster Friday

It took me about 10 seconds flat to turn a totally empty desk into this....

It actually looks remarkably ordered to me (although with not really an inch of spare room or space to work on the desk) but this is really compared to the bead table at my old flat (we moved in September)....it was a proper kitchen table....and every inch was ALWAYS covered. With several layers. So my new style is to keep everything in various pouches and bags, put them all in a big bag, and hoof it around with me! I don't travel light. 

n.b. when I say everything, that's obviously not what I mean....I have two floor to ceiling big Ikea book shelves chock full of beads and beading paraphernalia...

Bead Table Wednesday

My travelling bead tray, very bare, today in college. Starting at top left, chinook rounds, marsha Neal flower pendant, Gaea bead bundle with gorgeous ladybird pendant. Some of my spoils from the Beads of Clay blog hop. Finally, my bird earrings from last night's post - I have switched the vintaj jump rings for MissFickleMedia hammered links in antique copper, real staples for me - the type of thing you think, I really wish I knew how to make that! Or at least I do. One day! But until then, I'm very happy to buy them from MissFM. They just felt like they went with Kylie Parry's beautiful birds a bit better than simple jump rings. What's on your table today?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Back on the earring challenge...

Kylie Parry birds with my favourite spunsugarbeads.etsy.com ear wires and Vintaj rings. What do you think - too simple? Or just right?

(If the photo seems poor quality, click on it and it should appear better in a new window.)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Bead soup hopping....finally finished!

Just a quick post to say that I have finally finished hopping around all of the lovely bead soup blogs!! It has taken me over two weeks, but I got there in the end. There were a few that I couldn't find the post for so if you did post and I haven't commented, I'm really sorry - I did really look on each blog! To celebrate, I am going to have another giveaway....just have to go and hunt out/decide on a prize now....

Happy Monday, folks!

A new necklace

One of my new purchases from last week is a lovely clay bunny pendant from Kylie Parry (who's having a special sale today only - hop over to her blog or facebook page for more details) and I knew I had to keep this one for myself...I have made myself a simple (very simple for me!) necklace combining the pendant with some pretty turquoise beads - a couple of vintage Vaseline glass rondelles, a couple of semi-precious and a tiny blue Czech rondelle. All strung on some pretty cool Vintaj chain...I don't use loads of chain in my designs but I'm thinking perhaps I should include more....hmmm....

Pretty crappy photo I know (tried a new spot I thought would work well for these....it really didn't...) but hopefully you get the idea! I think necklaces are just the hardest to shoot, I just don't know where to hang them....

This one is a little better. I love this wee girl! She's so very sweet. SO nice to have a piece of bunny jewellery that isn't all cutesy etc. The necklace goes with the majority of my wardrobe (mainly on the blue-green spectrum...) and yes, it's another teal and brown piece....what can I say, they just go so well together! 

Hope you're all having a great weekend.

And today has produced...

...this bracelet. Which I'm very pleased with! Very simple and created with the lovely disc bead which Genea sent me the other day along with my super cool headpins, and a jumble of beads from the bottom of my travelling bead bag...but it works I think. Knotted pieces have such a wonderful feel and drape to them. I'm also messing around with new ways of taking pictures and set ups for my jewellery. Quite liking the book....it might be a little 'busy' for some pieces though...any thoughts? Photography is NOT my forte but I keep on chipping away at it. I don't think I'll ever be one of those people who carries a camera everywhere though.

The postie always rings...seven times...

Hi! Firstly, if you're after a spot of bead soup, check it out here.

***10.03.11 Update: Only 20 more blogs to go!!! I've done my 20 for today, I'll visit the last batch tomorrow as I have a touch of bead soup blog blindness now...***

I recently posted about some bits and bobs which had come in the post...all very nice! And most of them have now been put to good use. Now, like many of you (I hope!), I am quite the little bead-shopaholic...a vice which does occasionally get me in trouble with my partner...I thought I had been trying to be good this year but imagine my horror when I got home from college yesterday to be told that my father-in-law (who had come over from Yorkshire for a flying DIY visit) had struggled to open the door because there were seven parcels behind it. Yes, that's right. SEVEN. Slightly extravagant, no?! Thankfully, most of them contained things like two spools of linen cord and nothing else. (Honest!) But there was one delicious parcel from Humblebeads and another equally lovely one from Kylie Parry. I think customs must save them up and then get them sent out to the postie all at once because it does quite often happen that a bunch of parcels I have been waiting for all come at the same time. That's my excuse anyway! 

The Humblebeads parcel was one I had been eagerly anticipating because it contained my January bead of the month! (See what I mean about customs saving them up? January...!) along with a beautiful clasp and a lovely M bead I bought for my Mum (Maggie). And a couple of sweet spacers Heather threw in for me.

 

Please forgive the late afternoon lighting with these pictures...they're not as bad as I was anticipating but still, they could be better.

And here's my selection of Kylie Parry....a new addiction....

Don't you just love her work? I cannot get enough of it at the moment. I love the finishes and the colours she uses, lovely and rustic and romantic...I adore the fact that I have a bunny rabbit bead that is sweet and lovely but not the least bit cutesy....I'm not really a cutesy girl, and bunny images so often are. Not that I'm saying my two house bunnies aren't cute because they definitely are! So this bead in particular makes me very happy. 

And last of yesterday...some gorgeous headpins from Genea, whom I discovered on my (still ongoing!) bead soup party blog hop. Her swap with Mary Harding was one of my favourite combinations on both sides and I just had to snaffle some of Genea's gorgeous lampwork.

And as a little postscript, here are some rather lovely beads which arrived a week or so ago and I didn't get round to photographing until now.

Yes, more birdies....I'm so predictable I know! These beautiful handmade paper clay beads come from Heidi Post. They are very sweet! And lovely colours. She has finished three of them off with a wonderful crackle glaze which gives them a lovely texture. She's got a few more available here - check them out! And do have a read through her lovely blog - she makes some really gorgeous pieces, I'm sure you will agree.

So how are your weeks going? Productive? Too many parcels?! I'd love to hear about what has come through your letter box. 

Are you up for a challenge...?

My friends Stefanie, Nicki and Janna have set us beady bloggers a challenge...go check it out, I'll definitely be joining in the fun! For those of us missing the bead soup fun (I am still making my way round the blogs, have about 50 left to go...) this is the perfect antidote. Blissed out....by your favourite song! I have a completely non-visual mind (odd for someone who makes jewellery, I know) so I will find this quite a challenge....but I am so looking forward to it! I love a challenge. Hope over to any of their blogs and sign up any time between now and the 16th March. Go on! You know you want to...

And the winner is....

And the winner, as selected by random.org is....

Judy of Judith B. Designs!

Congratulations Judy, you have won my wee fishy bag charm! It'll go perfectly with that Lobster Bisque you're brewing up at home right now :-) Send me an email with your address and I'll get wee fishy in the post to you. 

Still supping up the soup...

How's everyone's hopping week been? I must confess, I still have about 80 blogs to go....I'll get there in the end though, I am determined to stop in and say hi to everyone who participated! Lots of awesomeness I have spotted to far and am looking forward to some more. 

Thought I would share with you a little loveliness that came in the post this week. Firstly, some lovely faceted citrine from precioussparklebeads

One of my favourite stones at the moment - I am not really a yellow person but I just love citrine in really delicate shades like this one.

Next up, a favourite of mine - a wee blue birdie from SummersStudioEtc

I adore these....something about the combination of birds, porcelain and this particular shade of blue makes me want to sing...

Next up, another staple favourite but in a new patina...Easter Sunday links from MissFickleMedia...

I can't tell you just how gorgeous this patina is in real life!! 

And last but definitely not least, some beautiful rustic clay beads from HodgePodgeArts

These are a bit of a departure for me - I am usually more a porcelain girl than a rustic earthy clay one, but these are gorgeous - chunky and delicious! I've already used most of them up in a project I can't show you as yet...and really enjoyed the challenge. 

Anyway, I hope you liked my spring themed arrivals! All photos are by the artisans themselves...what can I say, they just take a better picture than me!! Please check out all these wonderful artists' sites if you have the time and drool over their beady goodness.