Listello Tiles beadtsuds bracelet makes it onto the cover of Dec/January 2014 Beadwork Magazine!

This is my Listello Tiles project using the new Czech Beadstuds. I am absolutely delighted and rather shocked to discover this week, that it has made it onto the cover of the Dec/Jan 2014 issue of Beadwork Magazine. It has given me such a boost and now I want to get my work in print even more! :)

Chameleon Causeway - 1st Place in the Crystals Category of 2013 British Bead Awards!

OK so I am a little slow in updating my blog, but boy has there been lots going on behind the scenes. On the 19th October my husband drove us down to Sandown Racetrack where the Big Bead Show and 2013 Bead Awards ceremony took place. For those of you who follow my beadwork I can proudly announce that my "Chameleon Causeway" bracelet won 1st Prize in the Crystals Category of the British Bead Awards 2013!Despite the name it is actually an international contest with hundreds of applicants for each category. I am delighted with the result and now have a lovely crystal trophy taking pride of place above my fireplace! Here are a few pictures from the day and the piece itself!

The inspiration behind the piece came from bezelling the gorgeous 8mm vintage Vitrail Swarovski Crystals that change from deep intense fuchsia through golden yellow to rich shades of green. This is where the 'Chameleon' part of the name came from . Also the latest trend for all things geometric was an inspiration to me and for that I thank Jean Power and Kate McKinnon for showing me how to build a triangular shape in their geometric books/classes. As I began to create test components I began to wonder what would happen if the triangular columns were to rise at different heights to each other. This reminded me of the natural wonder that is the 'Giants Causeway' in Ireland. This is not somewhere I have ever visited myself, but the photos I have seen are truly amazing and I really wanted to include this kind of 3D structure in my piece.

The start of something new for Miss New + Lots and lots of WIP's!

I'm in my final week of the summer holiday and it's been a busy one. We started the first week cruising around the Mediterranean which was lovely, relaxing, funny at times and very experimental in terms of beading. I took some of the new czech beads and half made a CRAW rope and some pleasing pyramid components. They are both still to be finalised (hence the WIPs comment...work in progress.) Since then I have also completed a Rulla bezel, and a American Indian style necklace that incorporates yet more new czech bead shapes, and includes raw, herringbone, peyote, netting stitch, albion stitch and picot stitches! Wow, that was a challenge I can tell you! I am still in the process of getting my bead room/conservatory sorted and tidy...but it's getting there bead by bead! My other big news is that my daughter is starting reception class at Primary School next week. This officially marks the start of her education so it's quite a big deal. We have been playing beads and doing fun things all holiday. I'm going to miss her loads when she is at school full time.

Pyramids popping up in Australia!

Ok, I know I've been gone a long while and I'm sorry....but I have got good news to share! Today I got an email from Joomag, the publishers of Digital Beading Magazine (in Australia). Issue 4 of their magazine has been released today and I have a project in there! It's called Mankaure's Bangle as it is inspired by the famous pyramids in Egypt. As soon as I purchased my first pack of Czech beadstuds (the pyramid beads circling the outside of the bangle,)I know I had to do something special with them. I hope that you like them as much as I enjoyed making them. Here are some images of two of the 3 colourways I created.

Crystal Links makes the cover of Bead Magazine issues 47!

Some excellent news to share...my crystal links project (based on the award winning cosmic chain in 2012 Bead Awards), has now been published in issue 47 of Bead Magazine and what's more it dominates the front cover too! Wow! What a great thrill it is to see it in print. I loved producing this project so much that I went on to make a second bracelet piece in the amethyst colourway with a beautiful czech glass dragonfly button as the focal/fastener. Here's a few pictures of the crystal links necklace. Hope you like them. X

Beads everywhere, UFO's and bridal headwear!

Well it's been quite a busy time lately. My beadstash has been in desperate need of a sort out as storage was becoming unmanageable since my lumbar fustion in 2011. It was getting to a point where I was having to move every stackable box until I could get to the item I needed - not good when I need to limit all bending, lifting and twisting to avoid further damage to my spine. Luckily my darling hubby has built me a set of kitchen style storage cupboards in the conservatory so that I can better organise my vast collection of glorious beads and related paraphernalia! However, I am quickly finding that as I box and rehome the beads that I need to store items in a different way altogether. So instead of it being a simple job it has in fact become a mammoth task and everything is in utter chaos...ooops! Last weekends Beadworkers guild seems such a long time ago, and I made a promise to myself that I would make a concerted effort to tackle my ever growing clan of UFO's (unfinished objects.) So I have continued to work at the "Morgan le Fay" necklace by Melanie de Miguel, and I am determined I will get it completed sooner rather than later. Watch this space! It is also at this time of year that I often get apprached by brides wanting me to make accessories/tiaras for their upcoming weddings. I currently have the wonderful task of creating something glitzy and fabulous for the midwife who helped deliver my daughter 4 years ago. I admit I have not yet tackled the assembly of this yet as my teaching career is also at it's busiest time of the year in the run up to gcse exam season. Phew...it's a busy old life! On top of all this I have heard some good news about a piece of my beadwork today, but I can't quite share that with you yet. I shall reveal all when I can. Bead on everyone! X

Bit of Beading Banter!

I have recently discovered how lovely it is to chat, and bead with fellow like-minded beaders and visited my first GBBS Great British Bead Show at the weekend. This is organised by the Beadworkers Guild and it was absolutely brilliant! I had so many compliments on my beaded efforts it was very nice indeed and was even asked by Liz Thornton if I would design a project for the journal...wow, just wow! Everywhere you looked the beauty and talent was outstanding. More important than all of that though was the heart warming feeling of being part of something really special...a group of caring, sharing people who are equally as bonkers over beads and their endless possibilities for creative exploration. Cheers ladies you know who you are!

GBUK Prize winnings have arrived!

Well I had a very lovely suprise from my post-lady this morning in the form of some glass bead goodies, a bead box and a voucher for London Bead Co! These are my prizes for comming runner up in the GBUK lampwork jewellery contest - Final Frontier with my "Meet my Martians" necklace. The lovely blue lamp beads are by Marlene Minhas of Glassygear, the purple heart bead and matching round beads are ceramic by Caroline Dewison of blueberribeads, the toadstool with dragon lampwork focal bead is by Laney Mead of Izzy Beads and the £25 voucher is for London Bead company. I cant wait to do something with them!

How lucky....the Martians have landed!!

Well I had some lovely news yesterday and that is that my entry into the 2013 GBUK lampwork and seed bead jewellery contest, piece entitled "Meet my Martians", came runner up! The theme we were given was either nursery rhymes or the Final Frontier.....As much as I loved the nursery rhymes idea I really was at a loss for ideas that I would want to work with so I think you can probably guess which theme I eventually went for!!! Theme decided, I then chose to work with two gorgeous large Mandala lampwork Wheels made expertly by Lampwork artist Jennie Lamb. (Here is a link to her ETSY store "Raspberry Rings") I also fell in love with a cute spaceship lampwork bead by Lesley Nixon of "Mad Cat Glass" , and I knew I simply had to do something with this in my design too. My first idea was that I was going to recreate the rings of saturn with the mandala rings...but when they arrived they were so nice I decided that half of the beauty of these wheels whould be lost if they were suspended sideways and this was not the best way to do them justice. So after much experimentation and head scratching I decided to make a peyote bead woven core for each wheel and use one as a pendant and the other as a focal toggle that would feature at the front of the design. As well as a wide variety of Miyuki Bead sizes in an array of mouthwatering colours, I also decided to incorporate the latest Rizo beads into my piece which I purchased from Stitch n Craft. (Lynn, I promised I would let you know what I did with all those Rizo's so hopefully now you can see just why I needed so many colours!!! That's my excuse anyway!) I hope to post more photos and links to my piece and the 2013 flame off soon.

Czech bead addiction!

Well, I am continuing to experiment with lots of new Czech bead shapes...pyramid bead studs, Rizo's and piggy lentils. I've also given in to the temptation of Rulla beads which I simply had to get in several picasso finishes so I can't wait to have a play with those. I'm over the moon to announce that one of my pyramid designs has even been accepted into one of the Worlds leading Bead Magazines "Beadwork", as a project to be featured later this year. Very exciting times indeed! I'm also in the process of stocking my bead stash in a more orderly fashion as my lovely husband has built me a lovely range of cupboards in our conservatory.

Well it's that time of year where in my other life (as a part time teacher of textiles and food technology,) that things get quite full on hectic crazy madness whilst Year 11 GCSE students complete their coursework. So my beading time has been way reduced lately as when I haven't been all consumed with school related matters, I have either been too tired or too busy to do anything else. However I have had a recent delivery of wonderful czech beadstud beads which I simply had to have a play with as soon as they arrived from Prague and I love them already. So far there are only a few colours available and my favourites are jet sliperit, green lumi and hematite. I can't wait for gold and silver versions to come out too!

A few local additions to inspire and entertain!

I went on a visit to Birmingham today to grab a coffee and catch up with a lady whom has become a close friend of mine since developing Cauda Equina Syndrome. After a few hours of setting the world to rights and drinking very yummy gingerbread latte's we parted company and I went on my merry way to funky mo beads in Kings Heath. This is a bead shop that does not sell online so I try to make the most of my visit when I get chance. As you can see from the photograph I have added to my stash (considerably) but they are all unusual one-off purchases that I know will keep me amused for many hours to come!

Learning all the time

Wow - I'm back! 3 Weeks of what I can only describe as flu/chest infection hell....and even now my voice hasn't fully returned. Attached is a picture of a project I've been working on between feeling ill for some time...it's a sneaky peak at a spin off project based on my award winning 'Cosmic Chain' which came 2nd place in the Bead Awards Crystals Category 2012. Here's the original (in white)to remind you what it looks like! I'm also about to extend my skills by going on a photoshop course to help brush up my presentation skills....you@re never too old to learn as they say! :)

Worcestershire Beaders class with Jean Power

Today has been a bit of a treat as I attended a Jean Power workshop at Worcestershire Beaders. The class was called "All Angles" and focussed on increases and decreases in Jean's favourite stitch - Peyote. This was great fun, and worth the effort going to. (Normally I have been a solo beader so it was great to chat with other like-minded bead obsessed ladies! It was also great to meet Aster Sadler in person finally, after having chatted with her regularly on OTTBS (Operation tackle that bead stash - a facebook beaders group). It was very inspiring to see all of Jean's wonderful creations laid out in one place, and each of the ladies at the class were wearing one of their bead creations with pride. During the morning we all set about producing a 14mm rivoli flower and were then shown Jean's lovely Ric Rac bangles and Ric Rac flowers. Most people opted to make the flower as this was quicker to produce. I decided to leap in head first and go for it with a Ric Rac bangle. Needless to say it has not been completed in the time we had left, but I managed to get the first 2 rows of a 20+ row bracelet done! Patience is needed to complete this obviously! I put my own spin on things by going for a montana and burnt orange combination, and substituted drop beads for the new Rizo beads. Photos will follow when I have completed the bangle. Thanks have to go to my dear husband who gave me a lift to and from the venue in Droitwich a(3/4 of an hour drive away from where we live.) I am lucky to have a partner whom is so supportive of my crazy bead obsession, and even more so since my spinal surgeries in the last 2 years, as I simply cannot tolerate a drive longer than half an hour these days. I am now left exhausted, sore, but happy after my lovely day out with Worcestershire Beaders.

A whole lot of Rizo going on!

This week I have been playing with the new Rizo beads that were an idea of well respected Sabine Lippert. It is great seeing how they can be used in a few of my previous jewellery pieces and I look forward to designing lots of new ideas with them to. I think it is really encouraging that companies such as czech preciosa, miyuka and toho are willing to listen to their beaders needs by making beads to fit in with our requests.

After having a lovely chat over a coffee with Jean Power last year, and discussing how she likes to ensure that she fully explores all avenues and new possibilities with each piece and subsequent spin off designs (or happy accidents as I like to refer to them!) It has got me thinking that maybe I should not go from one extreme idea to another, but work with a particular style/stitch/bead to see how many possibilities it presents. Either way, it is great to chat with other like minded craft people and discover their outlook on life and beading. In other news....today I had a lovely message from another bead chum (I have not yet met in person) telling me how excited they are to have collected together the beads and kit to make my 'Helter Skelter Bangle' currently on sale in issue 44 of Bead Magazine. (Shown below in the left hand bottom cluster of boxes...the grean and pink cellini spiral bracelets.) That makes me so happy to know that people enjoy my ideas enough to want to have a go for themselves, how awesome is that?!

New technology eeek!

Ok so I admit it...2 years as a blogger member and only now I am getting to grips with how to use it. I agree it is bad. But with thanks to a bit of external help I am being brought up to speed with all things technological and computer-esque. To ensure the good bad balance will be restored I will be attending a beading workshop led by the very awesome and talented Jean Power next weekend. (This is a new thing for me as until now I have been mostly a self taught beader.) I can only hope that the snow that is currently causing chaos in the UK, will have melted by then.

RAW discoveries and learning to walk

The last month or so I have made the plunge and commited myself to getting to grips with the complex beading stitch RAW (Right Angle Weave). As with so many other of my pieces of beadweaving, I always have big ideas before I have fully mastered every angle of the stitch, increasing, decreasing etc. This doesn't deter me in the slightest as I like a challenge, but I have to say that as I have created a whopping 30+ prototypes for my current idea, I cant help but think that perhaps maybe I should have learnt to walk before I can run! Ah well, I am learning lots from my many sampler pieces of bead weaving, and in my journey to RAW enlightenment I have actually discovered a few 'happy accidents' yet again which I am sure will lead me onto other projects (and no doubt UFO's - unfinished objects!) In addition to this, my obsession with czech spikes continues and I am enjoying seeing lots of new colourways and spike sizes appearing in the shops. I have had an order of czech gumdrops and the new Rizo beads arrive this week and I can't wait to have a play with those. But for now I must get back to the RAW mission....one day I will get there. I just hope it doesn't take another 30+ samples before I get this stitch to do what I want it to do!