Half an hour later...

Jane Lock's Paisley Drop(s)

Those of us who subscribe to Beadwork Magazine recently had the latest issue drop through our letter boxes. This issue is a colour special and I was particularly excited to see my Edinburgh beading buddy Jane Lock's beautiful Paisley Drop earrings featured. They are really lovely and if you haven't already got your hands on a copy, I suggest you do! I thought as Russian leaves are something I have never tried, I really should have a go and here is the first one. I love it! So sweet. And don't you just love the colours I've used (if I do say so myself!)? Very 'Last of the Pharaohs'. It took me about 45 mins, in a car driving from Manchester to Sheffield so that probably slowed me down a little. So they are SUPER quick to make! I think once I've made this one's partner, I'll switch around these colours and make a second pair. Great design - thanks Jane!

Where's Columbo???

I can't find my camera! AKA Columbo. (As I think I have mentioned before on here, I have a slight obsession with cheesy tv detective dramas, so my iPod is Quincy, computer Cagney, phone Lacey and camera Columbo...). I made a few new pieces over the last few days and really wanted to share them on here but I've put my camera down somewhere silly and now can't lay my hands on it. Anyone ho knows me will know that this is NOT unlike me......

So instead of new jewellery, you'll have to put up with some more bunny action....Rufus says 'Hi!'!

This afternoon's bead tray...

...beading on the go.

Bunny Love

I WON!!!

There have been so many giveaways recently and I DO love a good giveaway...Malin de Koning (one of my bead soup friends) had one to celebrate her recent birthday and guess what (I'm sure you already have from the title of this post!)? I won! It was a giveaway with a twist however, you had to leave Malin a tip in order to enter and she picked my tip as her favourite. Well Malin, I'm so honoured! I struggled to think of a technique (she is a great beader, not sure I could teach her anything new succinctly in a blog comment) or storage (she has just posted loads of pics of her lovely neat and tidy studio, currently my bead studio is my living room floor...) so I put this down for her...

My tip will be to KEEP LOOKING. Look beyond other 

beading artists; look to decorative/high/folk artists

 and see what they do and how they can inspire your work. 

Look beyond the obvious and you will find 

inspiration everywhere.

I'm so glad Malin felt this to be good advice. It's advice I try to follow myself - the beading community is GREAT, don't get me wrong but sometimes (and I'd include myself in this) we can be a little insular. I loved the recent Toulouse-Lautrec challenge on Art Bead Scene that Malin herself was chosen as a designer of the week for and I thought it was such a fantastic place to find inspiration. Loads of us are inspired by nature which is fantastic of course, but I am really interested in what artists in all mediums have done and are doing. Thanks Malin! I'm so chuffed that I've won your awesome bead soup!

New Beads and Beyond

The new issue of Beads and Beyond is out to subscribers and almost out to the shops (tomorrow I think) and I'm so excited to tell you about my design in this month's issue! I don't have a photo just now but I promise I will put one on here shortly. I really found a lot of inspiration from right here, our diverse beading and jewellery making internet community which is one of my favourite things about this glorified hobby of mine. Two of the main sources came through my friend Eve - lamp work beads from Clare Scott and hand dyed silk ribbon from Sowzere - and I got the idea of how to actually connect up the ribbon into a design from Lorelei. Three of those blogs are down on my blog list on the right hand side of this post and I love to drop in and see what folks are writing about. Isn't the Internet just the best source of inspiration? I love how it connects us all as individuals.