O Tannenbaum

A quiet combination of artisan beads, larimar and wood - each element reflecting the next.

Glossy,  smooth yet rustic wooden nuggets echo the branches of the regal fir tree of the clasp, and the darkness of the wood is picked up in the organic larimar slices, which also reflect the cool blue-turquoise tones of the button.

Linked together with the grounding quality of the forest olive green  - the tiny seed beads springing from the handwoven round, running through and closing the clasp and connecting the beads themselves. 

Available in my Etsy shop now. 

And the light poured through - the story of a bracelet

A couple of weeks ago, I snagged a few bundles of lampwork glass in a sale. Who can resist a good sale? (Not me.) One of the bundles was the set pictured below Rachel aka Puffafish had created a beautiful and unusual set of beads, with raku frit (tiny pieces of crushed glass) on a black background, encased in a thick layer of crystal clear glass. The raku reacts with the heat and beautiful colours are brought out to create unique and sightly unpredictable (in a good way!) results. The set immediately leapt out at me - I'm not usually drawn to black for some reason, but these were just incredible - a combination of the colours set against the dark backdrop, and the way light moves through clear encased beads, made this set extra special. 

Rachel had entitled this set 'Fireflies' and you can see why - the flickering lights captured within perfectly mimic those tiny creatures (determined to see them in the flesh some day!). But they immediately reminded me of another beautiful form of light - the light that falls through stained glass windows, and specifically of a trip I made to Paris a few years ago, and an afternoon spent sat in L'eglise Saint Eustache. 

Can you see what I mean - light falling on the stony ground, dispersed and softened by centuries-old stained glass windows? 

I am lucky enough to have visited Paris a few times (although it has been far too long) and L'eglise Saint Eustache is one of my favourite places to visit. Built on as epic a scale as its more famous neighbour, Notre Dame, but not nearly as touristy - or quite frankly, as fancy - it has a quietness and a reflective, peaceful quality that I've always found incredibly moving. I'm not religious, but the solitude and peace one can find in a religious building is a remarkable thing. Last time I was there, I was by myself in the city, and I sat, taking it all in. I (discreetly!) took a bunch of pictures with my phone, and played around with instagram afterwards, trying to draw out the qualities I'd found within this huge, ancient building whilst sitting there alone. 

It's this last photo here that Rachel's beads reminded me of - I still remember sitting by myself, looking at the lights on the ground, and thinking how amazing they were, and how lucky I was to be there at that moment to take in the solemn yet playful beauty of it all.

And it's that combination of the solemn and the playful that I wanted to capture within this bracelet. I knew I wanted to use several of these beads in one piece for impact, and the same day the lampwork glass arrived, I also had a small delivery from Vintaj Brass - a small company who create nickel-free brass components for jewellers, and who are known for the beautiful, naturally developed warm bronze-brown patina which they develop on their pieces. A new component to me were these decorative bell caps - the perfect component to pair with my stained glass light beads:

Playful handwoven glass {song}beads in matte coral, and some pressed glass rounds in hyacinth and turquoise completed the band, offsetting the black backdrop of the lampwork and bringing out the glimmering raku flickers. I added a simple beaded extender and a heavy sterling silver clasp, which I oxidised to tone with the patinated brass bells. 

You can pick up And the light poured through over in my etsy shop now. 

Forest Walk

I'm not quite sure how I find myself year - here, at the end of September. Surely it was only just the beginning of June a couple of days ago? Or at least, that's how it feels. You've heard it all before - I've certainly written it before - but there's truth and importance to be taken from this sensation. Sometimes time seems to pass so quickly, I feel like I'm not quite present in the moment - what happened to June, to July? I know August was a craft fair....but it's good to take a moment to be here, in this crystalline droplet of time. To breathe. To BE. (You can take this also as a warning to myself, because once we get into October, we're galloping towards November and craft fair season, leading up to Christmas...Oy.)

I've been feeling a real urge to submerge myself in the creative process right now. To dive in, headfirst; to shut off from the click-click, beep-bleep and blink of electronica and social media and general everyday distraction. But somehow, I haven't been able too. It's terribly frustrating when your  heart and soul knows what it needs, but your head cannot give you the space. And of course, there are so many jobs and tasks that need to be done before you can even allow yourself to *think* about turning to making. Messages to be answered, orders to be packed, bunnies to be hung out with. Maybe it's the time of year - having been in full-time education until 24, and then spent the following 8 years teaching in schools, it's hard to throw off that 'new school year' feeling. It's a feeling that I like, actually - turning over a new leaf, a real sense of something new. Being open to possibility and change. . Or even just the possibility of the possibility of change. The chance to try new things; new techniques and media. It's exciting! And therefore doubly frustrating that I haven't quite synced my body with this feeling. Not least because I burned my hand badly enough to have to go to hospital last week, and have been hampered with the use of only one hand this week. Thankfully, my right hand was the sole functioning one (I am VERY right-handed, despite always having a secret desire to be a leftie. Is that just me?), and so things haven't been quite as difficult as they could have been. But I'm glad that, as of last night, my left hand really is feeling very useable. 

One thing I did manage a few days ago was this bracelet. Simple stringing, and plier-use aided by a glove protecting my sore hand, was manageable at least. I received some beautiful bonus beads (the best kind!) from the lovely Sally of Soul Silver with my most recent order from her (the red ones in the bracelet below). I was immediately struck my their rich, glowing quality - the depth and luminosity of their colours. They draw you in. Goodness, I do love colour! Their richness and depth also spoke to me of the season. I reached for other beads - a toning handwoven glass round from myself, a selection of Czech glass in equally rich tones, and a beautiful, speckled ceramic round from Bo Hulley - and combined these with contrasting brass and bronze. Originally, this bracelet was charm-free, but I felt it needed *something* and the Fallen Angel Brass feathers were just the ticket. 

Just look at how glowing Sally's lampwork beads are here. Even more so in real life. I've also used a magnetic clasp, from The Bead Shop Scotland. I've always been a little suspicious of magnetic clasps, not trusting them to stand up to what they should. But I bought a few of these due to the recommendations I read, and their uncommon prettiness (you can see there are several different designs and sizes on their site) and boy, am I pleased that I did. I was able to satisfy more than one customer during the West End Fair by switching clasp on a bracelet they liked but struggling to fasten themselves. And really, they are so lovely that I have decided to use one from the outset here. Super-strong too. 

I love designing bracelets - I love their linear qualities. I love to take the eye on a walk along them, to have interest all around - and so 'Forest Walk' seemed an apt title for this piece, given the association with the seasons which Sally's beads invoke for me. Also, a nod to a recent walk we took here in the Lothians. 

You can find Forest Walk for sale here. 

Tropical!

I don't often reach for these colours - fuchsia and juicy orange - but every so often they arrive on my worktable in the form of a pair of earrings or a bracelet of such. Aren't they juicy? Don't they speak of sunshine, orange groves and exotic flora and fauna? Toned down just a little with the addition of rustic golden-brown brass, I really love this palette. One to reach for a little more often, perhaps...

Love Light

I spoke on Friday about my new year's resolution to take better care of myself - not (hopefully) in a guilt-inducing manner, but in a gentle, kind and above all holistic manner. I think this thought was on my mind when I created this bracelet. 

I've said this before, but I am an absolutely terrible hoarder. I'm not quite ready for 'The Hoarder Next Door' yet (thank goodness - please somebody shoot me before they come knocking at my studio door) but I have the most ridiculous stash of beads. I know I'm not alone with this, and that does make me feel a little better, but really, it's time that some most of my beads saw the light of day, and fulfilled their beady destiny. The two art beads featured here are 'only' 2014 acquirements (I have beads going back....WAY back...and back....and back......) but still, they are both beads that have been preying on my mind for some reason. Kylie Parry's beautiful blue firefly in particular - Kylie does previews over on Facebook for her very, very limited edition bead collections, and I spotted it there and knew it had to be mine...You have to have fingers of fire to snag any of her beautiful handmade ceramics, so I was extremely lucky to pick this one up, exactly the one I was after. It's been to cafes on working dates with me, to and from craft fairs, it's been down to England with me for Christmas, and then finally, it's found its home with Something to do's heart. Something about the word 'here' - I loved the idea of this glowing firefly being drawn to the heart, and the quietness and stillness of that word. 

Here. 

Still. 

Be. 

Can't you feel the quiet flutter of her wings? 

Putting Kylie's firefly with Claire's heart put me in mind of one of my favourite Abba songs. (Yes, I love Abba. No apologies.) This bracelet has a much quieter feel than the song, but the title and some of its joyful spirit are definitely there. Love light. Drawn to the light of 'here'. 

You can find this sweet piece here. 

PS As an aside, when I first got to know this song, it connected very definitely with a specific person at that point in my life, not that they knew. Not someone I'm in touch with much anymore, but isn't it funny how songs retain those connections years on? Like a particular scent or taste, songs take you right back to where you were when they first resonated with you. And no, I'm not telling you who ;-)

Shell Gatherer

A few days ago, I posted about my love and affinity with the sea. Last year, we visited California and I fell in love with the Pacific coast there and the stunning state beaches....

San Clemente, California

Being from the UK, we are close enough to Europe that I have also holidayed there often throughout the years, and have always loved visiting Mediterranean beaches there - I'm not one to 'work on my tan' being only a few shades warmer than the traditional Scottish blue, but I love the sun, I love swimming in the sea and I adore being on holiday and soaking up foreign culture. 

Found on Pinterest

However, being from Scotland, and currently living in Northern Ireland,  I am also fond of a steelier and rather more wind-lashed beach as well. In the UK and Ireland, you are never very far away from the sea, no matter how inland you are. I am lucky to have grown up in Edinburgh, not far from the sea at all, and holidayed often in and around Scotland when I was growing up. 

Beach shots from the eerily beautiful Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

As a child, we holidayed in the Highlands and Islands, but also took day trips to pretty places close by Edinburgh, often to the seaside. 

And one of my favourite activities on these trips? Collecting shells! Not big, shiny perfect shells - these rarely turn up for people to stumble upon, and they're often some wee creature's home before they are polished up and put for sale in tourist spots. 

More like these:

Found on Pinterest

Old, weathered, broken and tumbled by sea and sand. I had a huge bag. My hoarding tendencies were present, even then...

So when Claire Lockwood of Something to do with your hands used delightfully chippy and rustic blush 'rose' shell beads in a recent project for Beads and Beyond magazine, I knew I had to track some of them for myself. 

Nestled

So far, I've made a couple of bracelets with these pretty beads. The first has flown away already, but there is a second bracelet is available in the shop. 

I imagined my handwoven {song}beads being colourful pearls, nestling between the shell roses. 

Available on etsy

Me and the sea; Whitby, North Yorkshire

  

a new humblebead bracelet

last week i got a wonderful package in the post from heather powers of humblebeads - one of my very favourite bead artists. amongst other things, it contained six - yes, SIX! - of heather's beautiful new house beads. i had been lusting after them for a while and went a little crazy when i placed my order.....good crazy though, clearly ;-) here are the beads i bought; two of each:

willow house bead

tree house bead

bird house bead

and here's what i came up with with one of my precious house beads. a plethora of art beads - alongside the humblebead, a sweet porcelain button from hodgepodge arts and two enamelled flowers from a custom order from gardanne beads. i am slightly obsessed with those enamelled flowers; you'll see them popping up all over the place in my work at the moment....

i had a photo session on this a few days ago but i didn't get enough shots that i was happy with to list quite yet - watch this etsy shaped space - if you'd like this though, it's £32 (about $48) so just leave me a comment and it's yours :-)pyrite, czech glass, amethyst, antique brass and copper, and waxed linen cord. 

Some new jewellery...

Today has been a really lovely Saturday; for once neither myself nor Helen have had any work on and no hen-do or similar to set off to! A miracle, quite frankly. We've caught up with some of our friends who we've not seen for a woefully long time (months....we're bad friends!) and then went down to one of our local pubs which has lovely old weather-beaten benches - perfect for snapping jewellery in the summer - and took some pictures. Some new pieces - like this sweet bracelet featuring Gaea Cannaday clay, Humblebeads and some beautiful gemstones from PreciousSparkleBeads in beautiful Perth - deep purple amethyst and some highly unusual (and gorgeous!) Cape Amethyst smooth rondelles. 

Purplicious

I also made another few bracelets using some Floridity owls which I have been hoarding - some of my favourites and I'm pretty sad that Barbara doesn't make them anymore :-) Here's one of them - similar to one I sold round about Christmas. I used one in a necklace recently and I've used another in a cool bracelet I haven't decided whether to keep or sell yet.....I will share it here later on in the week. 

Wee Hootie (the II!)

And of course, the day wouldn't be complete without a turquoise bracelet....

Turquoise Knots

Look at that delicious turquoise faceted round! I brought a strand back from Barcelona two years ago (two years! And I started this blog just after I got back from there. Can't believe it has been two whole years!). Love the mixture of gemstones and Czech beads I've used together here, perfectly complimented (I think!) by the Vintaj brass components. 

How's your weekend going? Sunshine with you? Fun plans? I hope so! x x x

New in my Folksy shop today...

Woodland Pool Bracelet