Some of what I make...

Just a few of the things I make! All of the beads are handmade by me! Go lookie at my website and my folksy page, links on the right!!!

OMG Earache really hurts!!!

I have, for the first time ever, got a really painful left ear! It started yesterday afternoon whilst I was teaching and literally took my breath away. It feels like a stabbing pain every couple of minutes! It kept me up all night, 2am I was taking paracetamol for the pain. Just got home from the Doc's and he says it is not an infection, he had a right good look! Thinks that it is likely that I have got congestion from a cold (when??) and it has blocked my ears and throat which is why it hurts to swallow as well.
Now being a nurse I know all this, ears nose and throat are all connected, I knew it was not an infection really cos I have had no symptoms and this is probably where the problem lies. My speciality is cancer and I always go for worst case scenario so obviously in the absence of infective symptoms I have gone for a diagnosis of brain tumour! Now I feel a complete prat and a wimp cos I have taken the day off sick and really should I have done.
There is no denying I am in acute pain and every 2 minutes or so I get a massive stabbing pain which honestly could make me cry (I am a wimp as well!) but really a day off sick??? Actually yes! I have had this blasted headache for 8 or 9 days now and with that and the earache I feel quite justified in taking a day off, I am feeling proper cruddy!
Good news... Savannah is better having spent 2 days with spectacular temps of above 40C. Like I said the other day the amount of bugs going around is untrue!!!
What else can I share with you all...Only a week to go to my jewellery party and I spent last night making more stuff. I have just finished my first Jens Pind bracelet and am well chuffed with it! Blasted weave can be quite troublesome but once I got into it it seemed to go ok! I will pop some pictures up later on my website so you can see what I have been making so go take a look: Aurorabeadz
Mmm...what else! You know what I am in so much bloody pain I can't think so I am gonna sign off for now! I think a nap may be in order then some pictures!
TTFNx

Yay..it's Wednesday and it's my day off.....

I am lovin' Wednesdays. Even though it has not panned out quite the way I wanted it to I love my day off! it breaks the week up beautifully and I get a day to chill. And today it is even better...Savannah is poorly (not that that is why today is good!!!) and I have not had to take a day off work to be with her! I know it is not the best way to spend your day off but we are sitting in the living room watchin "Happy Feet", she is cuddly and life is good!

Other news....The deed is done, my entry for the "Beads and Beyond" Competition has been submitted. Juts gotta wait now and see what happens. There has been a bit of discussion on Frit Happens about entering and general concencus is that if we want to raise the profile of the UK lampworking community then as many as possible had to enter! I think a goodly number from FH have entered which is awesome. I can't wait to see everyone's entry cos we have kept them secret from each other. I don't think there will be to many surprises when my entry is seen it is an evolution of what I have been doing a lot of lately! That said I am very happy with what I have made and that is what counts. I was going to sell them once the competition was finished but I think I am going to keep them for myself!

If you have not visited my website lately then go take a lookie. I have had over 3000 visitors and to celebrate I am having a prize draw. All the info is on my website!

I am adding some new spacer beads to the Spacer bead shop today as well and I have a couple of ideas about this which I am sitting on for a little while but think it will be quite cool! Not to revolutionary but quite useful for my customers!

Speaking of customers...the website is doing ok at the moment, despite the "Credit Crunch" or at least I am able to keep myself in glass which is what I initially set out to do!

Right "Happy Feet" is calling me...I love that film!!!

TTFNx

Thank crunchie it's Friday

I think that there are a few bugs wandering around at the moment. I have had a headache for 4 days now and am generally feeling below par, not a nice feeling really, but so many people I know are complaining of sub clinical stuff like not ill but not quite right either.
So...what's new then. I have made my beads for the Beads and Beyond Competition, many thanks to my bead comp buddy for helping me decide. Tony is going to take picture tonight and I can send it off. Closing date is 1st Dec so I got some time. I am thinking of something for the PMC competition now!!!
My spacer bead shop is doing quite well. I had some feedback from the Big Bead Show which led to me starting this up and it has been recieved very well, so fingers crossed it will continue.
I have got a shop on Folksy as well as my own website now. My folksy shop can be found at: Folksy Lets see how it goes!
Finally I am having a jewellery party on 5th December so I am busy making jewellery at the moment for that, fingers crossed it goes well. Money is not good for most people at the moment, many of the big stores are doing a pre Christmas sale, I wonder if that is worthwhile doing for me to boost Christmas sales! Mmmm....
TTFNx

Later....I have had over 3000 hits on my website so to celebrate I am having a prize draw to win a beady goodie! All you have to do is visit my website and join my mailing list and your name will go forward to the draw. I promise not to bug you with loads of emails. I will be posting a picture of the prize on my website over the weekend!

This weeks commission

This is this weeks commission for my friend. I am really pleased with the way that these fingerprint pendants are turning out. I have done quite a few now and hoping to do more once the newspaper article comes out!
I managed to get some beading in today and hopefully I have the set that I will submit for the competition in Beads and Beyond.
Gotta go got company see ya soon.
TTFNx

Jens pind chain maille

I love chain maille and tonight have finally managed to get my head around the jens pind weave! This is a gorgeous weave and I think will rapidly replace byzantine as my favourite. That said they are the only 2 weaves I do at the moment!!!

Last night went well, my friend joined me to have a go on the torch. She did 5 beads and they were cool, the last 2 were fab, lovely puckers and everything so I think she may be back to have another go! She bought some of her jewellery with her and I am trying to persuade her to bring some to my party on 5th Dec.

I was supposed to be playing on the torch tonight to make my set of beads for the Beads and Beyond competition (which has published my letter this month!!!) but the jens pind got me and now I have run out of jump rings and can't make any more!!! Poo!!! Now it is too late to fire up the kiln, so it will have to be tomorrow night now!

Oh and the hotel is booked for the "Flame Off" in April just waiting for the tickets now!!!

Right ho time to go...

TTFNx

Saturday night and everything is alright...

I am going up my studio (shed!) in a while and I can't wait. I have an order to fill for my spacer beads which are doing really quite well. I have to say thank you to Sarah for the idea and for being a fab customer...Thank you...I also have a friend coming round tonight who makes her own jewellery but wants to have a go at glass bead making and I am really looking forward to showing her around the torch. I am going to persuade her to bring some of her stuff to my jewellery party on 5th Dec and sell it! Hopefully she is going to bring some stuff with her tonight so I can have a gander.
So...off I go to the torch. I might be back tonight if not I will return tomorrow and let you know how the evening pans out.
TTFNx

New collection of silver.

I just got these out of my kiln. Will be making them into pieces of jewellery. Watch this space.

I am lovin art clay and PMC!!!

TTFNx

My daughter loves our cat.

She wants to make sure Bella is warm! Cute or wot!

Played with my Bullseye glass last night and I quite like it! Not huge difference from Effetre in my honest opinion. Little longer to heat up a bit stiffer but otherwise just the same. Bizarre ain't it how you build something up in your mind and then it's not what you thought! I only used greens and white last night but managed to get some encasing done and actually some of the beads are not to shabby! Bullseye clear is loverly!!!

Right best be off I got work to do, people to see!!!

TTFNx

Bracelet and earrings set.

Just finished these. Made with my own beads and sterling silver. Will be on website later this week.

TTFNx

Charlie Boorman

Been out and about today and Charlie Boorman was signing books in Waterstones so I got a picture. He is quite delish but even better if Ewan MacGregor had have been with him!!!!LOL!!!

I have bought some bullseye glass today to try out. It is different from the glass I usually use so I gotta do a bit of research on it but I am quite excited by it! Lets see what I get from it!

TTFNx

Matching earrings and pendant

When these are dried and finished these will be a christmas present for my mum from my dad! I have spent ages looking at flowers and cutters etc to make flowers with the Art Clay. My mum's fav flower is dahlia so I have kinda based the jewellery on dahlia but it is more of a generic flower rather than any specific flower. I think I chickened out of doing anything to complex as I am still relatively new to Art Clay and PMC. I hope she likes them. It was quite fiddly but not to hard to make. I think I will fire it before I finish it as I don't want to break it.

Other news...I have approached my local newspaper to run an article on me and they seem interested. The photographer was supposed to come round today but he did not get here! Not sure why will email them on monday!

I am having a jewellery party on the 5th December so I am busy busy making jewellery. I was going up my shed tonight but the call of PMC was to much, so the beads can be tomorrows treat, mind you I have got a fireworks party tomorrow night so we shall have to see.

Final piece of news I am so proud of my eldest daughter, she has just started senior school and due to a variety of factors they were not streamed when the term started. The school has taken its time to get to know the kids and today they were streamed. Imogen has made it into the top stream. I really pushed her to do her 11+ and in hindsight I was wrong, she is doing so well at Technology College and grammar school may have been to much for her. You know what though I don't think I tell her enough how proud I am of her so Mimi when you read this you rock baby...and I love you very much!

Right enough slush and mush!!! best be off

TTFNx

Byzantine weave and beads

I just made this! It is Byzantine weave chain maille with my beads. I will get a better picture tomorrow and pop it up for sale on my website!

A very productive day

Overall today has been very productive. I have been at the day job for the most part but I have had one of those days where I feel like I have really managed to get stuff done! Perhpas because I was working from home I am not sure usually working from home can be quite challenging you have to be so disciplined!!!

On the bead and jewellery front I have loaded loads of stuff for sale onto my website go take a look http://www.aurorabeadz.co.uk/ there are new bead sets and new pieces of jewellery ready for the buying!!! With Christmas on the horizon having a unique gift such as a piece of jewellery that is handmade can be so special. I really must try to get into men's jewellery!

I emailed the local paper a couple of days ago as well to see if they would be interested in doing an article about me and guess what...they are! The photographer is coming tomorrow and again some more advertising for me! Things are looking good. I am feeling very well, much better than I have been of late and business wise the slack period of October seems to be fading! Onwards and upwards as they say!!!

Right young child to bath so best be off now.
TTFNx

My daft youngest daughter.

This is my youngest daughter who thought it extremely funny to get into the Tesco bag for life!!! I actually picked her up and carried her around she thought it was hysterical!!! Then my 11 year old wanted a go.....!

Good evening this evening. I managed to chill and play with glass without any pressure of got to make something! Don't get me wrong I have really enjoyed prepping for the big bead show but there is something to be said about just being able to let the creative juices flow! Saying that little creation occured mostly practice. I am trying to perfect my encasing technique. I made about 6 or 7 encased beads and 1 maybe 2 is what I would call vaguely acceptable! It's all about practise and I am just plodding along and practising!

I have managed to get some stock up on my website this evening as well so go on over and take a lookie!

TTFNx

Rainbows and pots of gold!

So much to catch up on! The pictures I have posted are of the really vivid rainbow that we had for about an hour on Friday evening I have never seen such a clear and bright rainbow the picture does not really do it any justice! This picture is of the rainbow out to sea off Margate and the one below is over tha airport at Manston! it was truly gorgeous people were pulling over in their cars grabbing camera phones and taking pictures it was that beautiful. I love rainbows! That sounds quite lame but there is something about them that always makes me feel really good! Nature is truly beautiful.

Other news: I did it!!! I went to the Big Bead show and sold some of my stuff!!! I had a fantastic day I met so many people from the forums that I belong to and I am really sorry I am completely crap with names but you all know who you are. It was really nice to meet you all! And it was lovely to make new friends as well. I also met lots of "old" friends and again it was really nice to catch up.

Overall I think yesterday was very successful. So much so that I have left the form requesting a stand next year! Yes there is a substantial outlay but the networking and advertising I managed to do yesterday can only be good! I hope I get a better position next year I felt a bit out on a limb but....saying that when I went for a walk about there were a few areas that were "scary" very busy with lots of jostling! At least I had some space around my stall so that people did not feel crowded. I have a couple of pictures but they need to be downloaded from my camera so I will post them later!

Final piece of news after deciding to stop making jewellery I have changed my mind! My beads are still my focus but I have decided to do the jewellery party thing still! Same decision as before, not to many just 3 or 4 per year but I have a group of customers who I have built up over the last year that I am not tapping into and after working so hard to get them I should be concentrating on keeping them so I am. I am changing my "tact" a little and I hope they approve. Sounds very enigmatic but all will become clear!

I am very tired today so it is a quiet day for me! pottering about the internet etc! Time for a cuppa!!!

TTFNx

Rainbows