Curious Update and Inspiration Kits

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you are all having a lovely day. Here in Manchester, we actually have some sunshine! I am beginning to feel that Spring really is just around the corner, and I'm hoping - after an incredibly busy week in the Songbead/Curious household, to get out and about and enjoy it whilst it lasts. (Because here in Manchester, you just know it won't.....!) 

Last Tuesday was probably my most exciting post day ever. Beautiful czech glass beads arrived in multitudes from a new supplier. My biggest shop update yet! And boy, has it kept me busy this week.....I am so chuffed and grateful with how my fledgling business is going. I don't really know what expectations I had when I started Curious last November - more an aim to bring unusual Czech glass to the UK market - the type of glass that I could often only find for sale in America. And it seems I am not alone in my love of designer Czech glass! 

Here's a snapshot of some of the lovelies that hit my shop this week.

Top row (left to right):

Sea Seeds

Peaches and Cream

Catherine

Middle row (left to right):

Lavender Windows

Garnet

Serenity

Bottom row (from left to right):

Turning

Ocean Jungle

Steely Dan

I'm still far from the stage of being able to simply stock everything that I would like to. Maybe one day,  but I don't have this in mind to become a full-time job. In a way this seems good to me - I have no ambitions to become a one-stop bead shop; rather, a place to go to for an excellent choice of select items. I only want to stock supplies that I am truly passionate about and would use in my own work. Hence my current stock of beads and cord.....I keep saying it, but I really do have plans to roll out my own line of copper findings very soon! And I'm in talks with an artist about custom items for Curious....all very exciting. 

This week, with such a great influx of new stock, I decided to create some 'Curious Inspiration Kits'. Select packs based on colour schemes. They have flown out of the shop! I'm incredibly pleased that they have been so popular, and I will definitely be making them a regular feature. For now, I am down to the last 1 or 2 of most of them, so if you'd like to snaffle one up, I'd advise you move quickly as they were only listed on Friday!  Here's a peek at the different kits.

Meadow Sweet

Sublime

Peacock Blue

Jungle Drums

Lavender Patch

Retro

Bollywood (only one currently available of this one!)

I'm already planning some more for the end of next week. It was great fun coming up with themes and names for them all! 2 of them contain Liberty's of London silk bias binding ribbon from my own personal stash, a gorgeous material that I've been hoarding for some time. I thought it was about time I shared the love! I'd love to hear what colours of themes you'd like to see turned into kits....

Challenge of Music - Bach's Prelude in G for solo 'cello

Welcome to Erin's annual Challenge of Music blog hop! I think I am right in saying I have taken part in every one of Erin's challenges, and I've loved them all. 

The Music Challenge is particularly apt for me as I am a sometime musician. I teach singing, cello and piano, and occasionally sing professionally, although due to a number of vocal health issues I've had over the past year or so, I don't do so much of that anymore. And whilst I've been mainly a singer of recent years, I grew up playing the cello (even have a postgrad diploma in it!) and the piano, so am a lover of instrumental music. (Side note: You generally can't call a piece of music a song unless it is sung.....pet peeve of mine, please humour me!!) I love orchestral music, chamber music but one of my best and first loves are solo 'cello works, in particular the solo 'cello suites by J.S. Bach. 

When I was married back in 2010, my dear and lovely friend Roz (a professional 'cellist) played the first movement of the first 'cello suite as we walked into the garden to be married. It was something I had known I'd wanted if I were to get married, for some time.....Often when people are married, they simply walk in to an instrumental extract. Not for me! Well, not the whole suite, but we had the whole of the first movement. You simply can't cut music as exquisite as Bach's short - it would be a crime! Like beginning a Shakespeare play and then cutting straight to the last page.....

When I first began thinking about Erin's challenge, I knew that I would like to use Bach as my starting point. To me, Bach is to music what Shakespeare is to the English language. If I only had to listen to one composer for the rest of my life, it would be Bach. Hopefully I won't ever find myself faced with that dilemma of course! 

I made a couple of pieces listening to and thinking about Bach's 'cello suites. I had one all planned out to reveal today....but alas and alack, the photos simple have NOT worked. Trust me! Rather than show you a pretty piece of jewellery in a very bad light, I thought I would share one of the others I made, and in fact the first one I came to. I feel bad as I've shared it before as it wasn't my planned reveal, but hopefully some of you will not have and it won't matter too much. Piece number 2 will follow at a later date, I promise!

I'm not one for sketching; I'm not one for trying to create a literal meaning from a piece of music. Bach's instrumental music is wonderful to me, because despite, or perhaps because of, being highly emotive on an individual level, it is pure music. It is aural architecture. It is the lines and forms and curves and swoops of life and nature and our surroundings. This necklace is not a literal transformation of the Prelude, but inspired by it. Thank you for the trigger, Erin!

Here are the other hoppers:

Erin Prais-HintzAlenka ObidAli McCarthyAlicia MarinacheAmy SeverinoAmy GrassCarolyn LawsonCece CormierCynthia Riggs Ema Kilroy (bowed out)
Emanda Johnson Emma ToddErin KennyEvelyn ShelbyEvie and Beth McCord Gerd AnderssonHolly Westfall Jennifer Justman Jenny Davies-Reazor Jess GreenJudy Campbell Karla MorganKay Thomerson (bowed out)
Kristina JohanssonLola SurwilloLynn White (bowed out)
Malin de KoningMallory HoffmanMary K McGrawMelissa Meman (bowed out)
Melissa Trudinger Michelle EscanoMichelle BourbonniereMichelle Heim (bowed out)
Michelle Mach Molly AlexanderMolly Schaller (bowed out)
Monique UrquhartNiky SayersPam FarrenRebecca Anderson Sally RussickSharon Palac (bowed out)
Sharon DriscollSusan KennedyTari KahrsTracy Stillman (bowed out)
Veralynne Malone

Challenge of Music - delayed!

Please bear with me - I have had a photographic problem - the post will follow as soon as I am able......!

Just stopping by with some new jewellery....

Another flying visit to share some new work with you, most of it sold, which I appreciate wholeheartedly. Favorit and Meadow Sweet will be heading to Etsy shortly. 

Favorit

 Ocean Fire

 Burgeoning

Tidal Circles

Meadow Sweet

{horribly awkward to photograph and show its true prettiness, hence the wee collage here!}

See you all soon. Hopefully I will have more to say and the time to say it next post!

Coming my way...

I placed a couple of orders this weekend. I'm trying extra hard to shop 'local' (the UK) at the moment, since both US postal prices went up, AND our customs charges threshold was lowered. Now, buying from outside Europe, you are only allowed to spend a total of 15 measly ££s, including postage.....ouch. Not a lot you will get for that money! So, whilst I'm sure I'll still splash out on the odd BIG splurge (to soak up the evil customs handling charge you understand ;-)), I'm looking closer to home for my handmade beads for the moment. 

I've got my staple UK makers who I shop with often - Bo Hulley, Joanne Tinley and Lesley Watt to name just a few - but this has given me an excuse to search a little harder for my art beads. Here are some of the lovelies coming my way.

Supernova Bronzy Tips from Scorched Earth on Etsy

(thanks Claire Lockwood for the tip)

Arrow Droppers from Scorched Earth on Etsy

Rustic Turquoise Birds from Beady Eyed Bunny

Rustic Rabbit from Beady Eyed Bunny 

(of course, I simply couldn't resist this one, could I?!)

and a couple of other things from the Uk that have arrived these past few weeks:

Bo Hulley

Soul Silver

Pips Jewellery

What's hitting/has hit your door mat recently? 

New work

...in the shop....

Quietude

Brave

what the weatherman says

A Spot of Tea

Dawn Flight

Mod

Tropical Tones

Two Little Birds

Out to Sea

Happiness

Present for Me :-)

....sometimes they're the best kind, aren't they? 

I recently made a few purchases from my friend and fellow-designer, Heidi Post of Ex Post Facto Jewelry. At least one of my three items of beautiful jewellery that arrived is a gift for my sister, and another piece I am toying with giving away....but the third, I have been eying up for a good while and it is staying with ME ;-)

Pretty sweet, eh? :-)