Friday, 30 November 2012

Challenge of Colo(u)r Blog Hop

Greetings, colour lovers! Today is the day - Erin's annual Challenge of Colo(u)r Hop. {Yes, I am in the UK, hence the (u)!} Thanks so much to both Erin and Brandi (who put together and selected the colour palettes for us) for organising this wonderful event. I have taken part in all of Erin's challenges to date, I believe, but I believe that the colour challenges are my favourite. I am passionate about colour. I adore it, and I would say it is possibly my greatest inspiration, on a daily basis. 

Lake View 

Here is the other palette which I was sent. Seeing both of these together; if you are a frequenter of my blog, you might have suspected that I would leap for Bolivian Deforestation. Indeed, it is the one which appeals to me more. But somehow, I selected Lake Disappointment instead. A combination of wanting to push myself out of my comfort zone, and also knowing that I had the perfect burnt umber and tawny brown beads in my new shop {The Curious Bead Shop, if you are in fact curious! And I ship worldwide ;-)}, along with the sweetest birdie from my friend Bo. Along with some elements from Lesley, and some 7ply waxed linen cord, also from TCBS (which I am loving working with by the way, it's just that bit more substantial than the usual 4ply, which you may be able to tell from the knots in this piece, but maintains that lovely fluid quality which I adore about linen cord),  I came up with this bracelet. 

Now, I know this design is one you've seen before from me, but (confession time) I only completed this bracelet this morning! And I have been experimenting more and more with my Gardenia bracelets recently - playing with colour in fact - and it seemed fitting that this unusual {to me} colour palette be used as part of my colour experiments. Available in my jewellery shop now. 





Erin Prais-Hintz} Our gracious
Brandi Hussey } hosts!
  Rebecca Anderson <-------- nbsp="nbsp">
Kris Auderer  
Chrizette Bayman
Lori Bowring Michaud  
 Courtney Breul 
Lynsey Brooks 
Stephanie Buss 
Iveth Caruso 
Shannon Chomanczuk
Lisa Cone
Cece Cormier
Lori Dorrington
Dawn Doucette
Jeannie Dukic
Kim Dworak
Beth Emery
Janice Everett
Pam Farren
Donetta Farrington
Gloria Ferrer

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Thursday, 22 November 2012

Roll Up! To The Curious Bead Shop...

Roll up, Roll up! Wilkommen, Bienvenue and Welcome to my newest venture....The Curious Bead Shop! 


For some time now, I have had a little image in my head, of a tiny, old-fashioned shop. One that has a bell on the door when someone enters, and lots of dark wood, and painted white floorboards. Where I have a seat by the window, and that window looks out onto a windswept bay, all the colours of the sea and sand appearing outside my window, changing throughout the year. One where I can sell beautiful handmade beads and components, czech glass in rich, saturated colours, and beautiful cords and ribbons in all hues of the rainbow. 

Well, today - 22nd November 2012 - I took one step towards this image. I don't know if this image will ever come true quite how I envisage it now, perhaps it will always remain a virtual space....but I am excited to announce that The Curious Bead Shop has now opened. I have plans for handmade findings and enamelled components (look out early 2013!) to add to my very select bead selection. And I am excited that I am one of the first Uk sellers to be stocking waxed linen cord - one of the first sellers in Europe I believe! (Another UK shop soon to be selling waxed linen cord, and a slightly different selection to me is long-time favourite bead shop of mine, Smitten Beads. Please do take a minute to check out Claire's bead emporium! She has quite the eye for style and colour...) I am not only stocking 4ply waxed linen cord, but also 2ply and soon to come, 7ply. 

So why not take a peek? I will be adding more goodies all weekend, and up until Monday morning, you can take advantage of my opening discount coupon - ROLLUP10 for 10% off all purchases. (And if I add some beads or cord that you just can't resist after you've made a purchase, no worries - I will refund your postage with any further purchases over the weekend.) 


Waxed Linen Cord 4ply


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Wednesday, 21 November 2012

Guest Giveaway post with Claire of Something to do....{Beads}...




Let me introduce my friend Claire - some of you may know her, her beads and her fabulous jewellery. She has a unique and eclectic sense of style and taste, and makes the most awesome polymer clay beads.....owls, anyone?
Thanks for having me, Rebecca!  Claire, from Something to do…, here. It’s all wonderfully simple. You may well know this but just in case you don’t, Artisan Whimsy is holding a huge and marvellous cyber market this weekend.  There will be giveaways and lots of discounts on lots of super components and a wide range of handmade jewellery. As part of this extravaganza, you can win £15 to spend at either of my Etsy shops - on either handmade jewellery, with something to do with your hands, or handmade beads, with something to do beads.  

All you need to do is comment on this very fine blog.  The winner will be selected randomly on 1st December.   I’m also offering discounts on a number of pieces in my shops during this period.  So please head here to have a peek:

www.somethingtodo.etsy.com
www.somethingtodobeads.etsy.com



To search the whole selection of discounted pieces available on Etsy, simply search for AWHOLIDAY on Etsy!  And while you’re about it, do hop along to my facebook page.

Thanking you all, right now! – and thanks again to my fabulous host!
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Sunday, 18 November 2012

Brit Pack Beaders Reveal


Welcome back to the Brit Pack Beaders Design Team Reveal!

from l to r: Lesley, me, Claire, Jo and Bo. 



A quick recap:

This time around, it was my turn to select our inspiration piece. I hunted around for a bit, but I eventually chose a piece by one of my very favourite artists - Margaret MacDonald. You may know Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Scottish architect, designer and artist, and one of the Glasgow Four, of whom Margaret MacDonald was also a part. MacDonald and Mackintosh were also married, and whilst you can very much see their mutual influence, each has a style of their own. I find MacDonald's use of colour and form simply mesmerising, and I hope that if you like the work I have selected, you will be inspired to seek out more of her art. 

Here is the piece I selected, The Red Rose and the White Rose:


(c) The Hunterian, University of Glasgow 2012


Here are the materials we were sent (minus my clasp which I forgot to snap!)
A gorgeous selection of goodies, I am sure you will agree! 
And without further ado, here are my creations:





Sweet Dreams, featuring Bo's focal, Claire's beads, my clasp. Lesley's ribbon, and a poppy pin from Jo. (OK, I cheated a little. We were sent some poppy charms, but the pin was better for the purpose I had in mind!).


And some earrings, using pearls from Claire, silver drops from Jo and handmade ear wires from me. I have these on right now....

Look out for our next challenge, coming soon! And do check out everyone else's creations today.




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Monday, 12 November 2012

Hang on!

I am very bad, and am late with my Artisan Whimsy reveal.....Please bear with me whilst I get my life in gear and take a hop around these wonderful people whilst I get organised!


The HostsLesley Watt Gossiping Goddess
Rebecca Anderson Songbeads
Pippa Chandler Pip's Jewellery
Teresa Hulley Bo Hulley Beads
Natalie McKenna Grubbi
Jo Tinley Daisychain Designs

Dorset
Ginger Bishop Lilmummylikes
Cece Cormier The Beading Yogini
Therese Frank Therese’s Treasures
Cilla Watkins Tell Your Girlfriends

Edinburgh
Therese Frank Therese’s Treasures
Kashmira Patel Sadafulee
Caroline Dewison Blueberribeads
Leigh Thow Jewellrleigh

Bath

Isle of Wight
Duane Clark Bizzy Bead
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson Sharyl's Jewelry
Leigh Thow Jewellrleigh
Jean Wright Just Beadey
D Lynne Bowland Islandgirl’s Insights

Liverpool
Shalini Austin   Jewellery by Shalini
Doris Stumpf Glaszwerg
Lennis C Windbent

Southampton
Sherri Stokey Knot Just Macramé
Sherry Baun
Leigh Thow Jewellrleigh
Kathy Lindemer Bay Moon Design

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Sunday, 11 November 2012

Thank you!

Wow! You guys are awesome. Thanks to my wee weekend sale in aid of the thoroughly horrendous 2 weeks we've had dealing with our bitumen-enveloped floorboards (kind of like tar....), I'm now approaching my 100th sale on etsy - only 2 more to go. Amazing! 

I can't quite believe I've almost hit this target. I had hoped to reach it by Christmas, but it looks like I may just possibly reach it before then. Tomorrow I'll be posting out most of my SANDINGNIGHTMARE sales out to the lucky recipients. But it feels like this potential milestone should be celebrated! So here's what I'll be doing. Whomsoever makes the 100th purchase from my etsy shop will be rewarded with a one-time only coupon code for 50% off one further purchased item from my shop. 
100 reached! Thank you so much!

 So, if you are planning stocking up on holiday gifts, now is the PERFECT time to start :-) And of course, my current coupon code (did I mention it?!) on etsy is still running until the end of today. I will suspend it at around 8am, GMT, so that my North American friends have a chance to use it until the end of the 11th. And you don't have to wait for someone to make the 99th purchase - you could pick up just two pairs of earrings, and snatch the 99th AND 100th spot! 

Thanks so much. It really means such a lot to me to have your support! 

 ***Update: WOW. My 100th sale came literally SECONDS after I posted this blog! Ridiculously chuffed everyone :-) So I am extending this offer to lucky number 101! On your marks.....;-)***

 ***Update on the update - 101 was reached about 2 minutes after I posted here! Wow again! Overwhelmed, humbled and incredibly chuffed. Thanks so much to you all :-)***


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Friday, 9 November 2012

Flash Sale!


Flash Sale!! 

So, I promised NO MORE SALES until 2013. But due to home improvement nightmares, I've decided a little sale is in order over this weekend. Who doesn't love a sale, after all? And with Christmas just around the corner, I'd love to think of more Songbeads sitting under those trees, or wherever you put your holiday gifts.....

Use Coupon Code SANDINGNIGHTMARE for 20% off my Etsy store, through Sunday. Go on, you know you want to!

Some lovelies currently available...





 Home Sweet Home



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