Garden Green

Necklaces, we meet again....or should I say *necklace* singular. It's a start! If you remember from this post, I said/resolved "As for February, it's time to create a few more necklaces!". Well, here we go, here's my first. Oh dear! Actually, that's not true, but a couple have gone to local friends/customers before photographing. I think that's half the problem with them for me - so much to fit in on the full shot, not having a spot where I can pose a mannequin - the conservatory is great for light but filled with - shudder - house plants and various other bits and bobs which are not necessarily great background props - close ups focussing on the pendant area not giving a proper 'feel' of the piece as a whole....you get the gist. 

Garden Green is nice and chunky, and so it's a little easier to squeeze it all in to one shot without feeling like the eye doesn't know where to rest. Lovely vibrant green chrysoprase, one of my favourite gemstones, has a slightly waxy feel to it somehow, and I've paired it with some delicious vintage German pressed glass. Vintage German glass is similar to but distinctly different from it's Czech neighbour - somehow, the pressings are just a little less sharp, but it gives them a little more heft, and they are definitely bolder too. I've had these twisted rounds for a couple of years now, and they seemed happy to be paired up with the chunky chrysoprase, and a similarly visually weighty ceramic house from Elukka. Pretty pleased with this jolly piece! What do you think? 

Happy Post

Hello all! Here are some of the gorgeous handmade lovelies that have arrived or will be arriving with me soon. Don't you just love a good post day?

How sweet is this little guy? I love his sparkly turquoise ploominess. He's from Elukka.

Scorched Earth spiky droppers, in the most fantastic swirly red glaze. My Scorched Earth earrings have definitely been one of my best sellers this craft fair season. Got a few more on the way but I don't think they will be here in time for my last show, unfortunately. Ah well, all the more for my etsy shop!

Claire Lockwood has been making ceramic beads for a wee while now, and I have amassed a miniature collection (there are never enough ceramic bead artists in the world for me - I always have room for another in my collection - Bo Hulley, Kylie Parry, ChelleV2, Mary Harding, not to mention the ladies featured in this post....I could go on, and on and on....). These beautiful bead caps will be joining my others soon....

...as will these beautiful rustic roses. I have a thing about roses - in real life too. I always have - my Grandma had some absolutely beautiful old-fashioned roses in her garden, and bead roses always remind me just a little of them. Check out Claire's etsy shop - she had a huge update recently!

I hope you've enjoyed seeing the little treasures I've been acquiring recently! 

Song-ing followed by Bead-ing

Dear oh dear - here I am again, feeling like it's been far too long since I last blogged. It is an all-too-familiar feeling it seems! I always have plans for blog posts, but time runs away and I lose track of everything.....sounds like the rest of my life too! This time, I have a slight excuse - I have been preparing for and performing in a concert over in Glasgow, in the beautiful University Chapel, which was this past weekend.

Now, it wasn't a huge concert and my part in it was fairly minor. But, it was the first time I had sung in a long time - and I don't just mean in a concert, I mean not along with the radio, not in the shower; practically not a single note has passed my lips since I moved to Belfast. I seemed to lose my voice along with the move back in September. I have felt somehow silenced for the past 7 months - as if I had my throat stopped up. But a friend asked a couple of weeks ago if I was free for a concert he was fixing, he was in a pinch for my voice-type, and so I decided that a fairly low-key event would be something I could do. 

Of course, my stamina was at a literal all-time low, and the prospect of singing in public after so long was daunting enough in itself - coupled with my usual nerves! But I practiced, and I went and I sang, and god-damn it if I didn't do ok after only a minor psychological melt-down the morning of the performance. It felt like a real achievement for me at this time, and (dare I say it) I was proud of myself for taking even a small step out of my void of silence. 

So that has taken my mind slightly away from blogging and suchlike. The Curious Bead Shop has to continue, as do custom jewellery orders, so the things that fall by the wayside, albeit it temporarily, are often social media-based. I know, I should really figure out an automated system....but I haven't yet. One day....

Anyway, I arrived back in Belfast yesterday and spent the day packing up the weekend's orders. I then gave myself the evening off (that's allowed, right?) and did what my brain likes to zone out to - made some bracelets. Here are the spoils of my mental unwind ~ 

I'm pretty pleased with them. I can't tell you just how happy I am to have more of these gorgeous flower beads back in my life. Just in time for summer fair preparation. I have a few new colours on the way too and I am very excited to get my hands on them. I'm writing this up on my phone, on the bus (why am I incapable of organising my time?!) so I will add full links later, but for now, the art beads come from ~ 

www.swoondimples.etsy.com

www.elukka.etsy.com

www.secondsurf.com

www.magdalenaruiz.etsy.com

and the flower beads are of course available at www.thecuriousbeadshop.etsy.com. 

Tomorrow...

So, I'm here in Surrey (just outside London), sitting in my pyjamas in a wee single bed at a lovely, sweet b and b called Lilac Cottage. Why am I here? Well, tomorrow is The Big Bead Show at Sandown, and part of the show is the British Bead Awards. And....I'm a finalist! I've known for about a month now but have had to keep it all under wraps whilst the final judging was taking place. But, it's all done now - all that's left is the award ceremony tomorrow morning.

The best thing about these awards is that all of the finalist pieces form an exhibition which lasts for the day of the show. I was lucky enough to be a finalist last year as well and it was such a privilege to be part of the exhibition; to have my jewellery alongside so many other beautiful items. Whatever the outcome, tomorrow will be an exciting day for all the finalists, I'm sure.

Here are two pieces I have made tonight - warm, autumnal tones, ready for a craft show I'm doing back in Manchester on Sunday. Pretty raku houses from elukka.etsy.com.


***update 15.10.11 - 3rd place in seed bead category!! So chuffed :-) ***

Happy Birthday Catriona!

Today has been a lovely day - my wee sister's 21st birthday! We stayed up late last night drinking fizz to toast the new day, and new year for her, in. Then this morning we headed off to a local fave, Indigo Yard up in Edinburgh 'new town'. (It's not very new. It's just not as old as the 'old town' where the castle is :-)). We spent the afternoon watching White Collar (an absolute favourite of us both) and beading. (Me beading, not Trina. She is NOT crafty!) Followed by an evening in The Living Room on George Street for a gorgeous set menu and some delicious, dry rose wine. Yum!

Made a bunch of earrings, as you can see...

...a bracelet...

...a sweet locket pendant...

...and a necklace. I think this is my favourite.

Look how pretty the beads I used are! Key from mamacita beadworks. House bead from a Finnish bead artist, I'm posting from my phone and can't remember the name off the top of my head, but I will update tomorrow when I'm back at home with my computer. She's amazing! I love the pretty beads I bought from her.

***Update: The artist I bought that lovely house bead from is Elukka. Here's her blog, and this is the set that I bought from her. They are even more lovely in real life!***

Hope you are all having a lovely week :-)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone