New stock

I have finally managed to get some new stock onto my website there are 3 new bead sets well actually 2 new beads set and one focal bead! I am quite pleased with these. Been a bit slack lately with getting stuff into the shop but hopefully things will settle a bit now! Work is very busy in my other job at the moment. I have 5 weeks of 18 hours a week teaching and 1 day for admin, lesson prep and keeping up with my students in practice. Working part time is quite challenging for my poor time management skills but I am getting there.

I have had an email from the "One year on" people and judging is on 13th March with announcements from 1st April. To say I am now nervous is an understatement. I still think I have just given them something to have a laff at but that is just my lack of confidence. I have had some lovely comments and people have been really encouraging. I will have to wait and see I guess.

I am hoping that Spring may finally have sprung. The weather yesterday was positively gorgeous 16 degrees in Medway where I was teaching it was lovely.

Right I have a 3 year old to feed it is getting close to lunch so I best be off. I hope you all have a lovely weekend and I will see you very soon
TTFN x

A work in progress

....and this is the work in progress. I have chosen a 1mm waxed cotton cord in a purple with silver plated spacer beads. It will hopefully have an interchangeable system on it so beads can be mixed and matched according to outfit. Watch this space!!!

TTFN xx

Macrame necklace

This is my absolute favourite piece of jewellery. Why do I love it? A couple of reasons really. 1) I made it!!! It is macrame a very simple knot but very classy looking. 2) It is a piece that is interchangeable. I have the "Quick switch" posts so I can change my bead hanging from the necklace to match my outfit! I adore choker style beads and as it is black pretty much anything goes with it!

It has been in my mind for some time now to make this avaiable for sale but the "quick switch" system works out fairly expensive as it is sterling silver. I have just found a different system though that may reduce the cost and make this more appealing so I am now planning world domination with macrame chokers!!!!

Sunday again...

...the weekend goes so fast doesn't it. You blink and it is sunday evening again and I gotta go work tomorrow (boo!!!). Flippin school is doing my nut in this week had a week off and then this week the kids have a half day tuesday and thursday off. Wot the blazes am I supposed to do with Imogen!!! I have not even had notification from the school just a message from Imogen!!!!!

Anyway I had a fab day yesterday at Jolene's for her glassy play day. I think it went well certainly from a visitors perspective it went really well. I demo'd a bead and so did Keiara. Jo demo'd how she makes her twisties and shards. I thought about buying the blowpipe to make my own shards but knowing me I would suck instead of blow and swallow mouthfuls of molten glass (Ouch!!!)

I bought some shards from Jo so will play with them over the next week. I was going up the studio tonight but I still have a headache that is coming and going when it is bad it bloody hurts so I think a quiet evening is in order. Not only that I have 3 early starts and 3 full days teaching this week so I need to pace myself!

I will post pictures of Jo's play day and of my beads with shards later this week but for now I am gonna love you and leave you.
Happy sunday evening and here's to a good week..

TTFN x

Video of pulling stringer an pictures of Imogen!

As promised I have uploaded the photos of Imogen making beads yesterday! The beads she made are waiting to be cleaned which I will do tonight! I am having a bite of lunch so thought I would post the pictures for you all!!!
Imogen also did a video of me pulling stringer which I will load up on this page somewhere. It is not the way everyone pulls stringer but it is the way I do it. I have only just bought my first pack of premade stringer, up till now I always pulled my own! Once I have loaded it I will edit this post to let you know where it is!!!

Edit: You Tube video of me "Pulling Stringer"

Hope you are all having a good Friday, the weekend is tomorrow yay....

TTFN x

Thats the way the cookie crumbles...

...typical I get a day off and I can get on the torch and I make the most pants beads going. I mean I know I am no master but seriously there is a limit and today I reached it. First off I sanded, fired and finished off some Art Clay things that I have made for a commission. I then took Imogen with me up the shed to show her how to make beads cos she has been bugging me for ages. Now we don't always have the best relationship in the world I can be a bit hard on her and a bit impatient, long boring story but I was worried I might not have the patience to teach her but it seemed to go well. Bless her she really struggled with turning the mandrel all the time and co-ordinating winding glass on, she made 4 or 5 beads with major input from me but the last bead she made she shaped herself. I think she will have another go but I also think she was a bit sad not to have made good beads first go!!! She was also quite nervous of the flame and shocky glass so all in all not bad first go.
She decided to go off after making these few beads and left me to my own devices. So there I am with loads of glass and absolutely no ideas!!! God I am crap at this!!!! It is something lots of people go through cos I have been watching one thread in Frit Happens talking about exactly this. It has been quite a while since I felt this despondant so I guess it was due but it has made me really angry. I have been so good for the last 4 weeks, my mood swings have settled and the anger I was having problems with has settled as well so when I have a day like this I get quite upset cos it feels like a setback. I know it is not we all have good and bad days and this is definitely a bad one!!!
Tomorrow is a new day so hopefully it will be a better day! I will have pictures tomorrow as well so something to look forward to for you guys!!!

TTFNx

This is me!

In case you had not noticed but being the geek that I am I have started Twittering (follow the link on the right hand side of the blog!) Anyway the space for the picture is quite small so I thought I would take another shot of me with my camera phone that I can use on Twitter I am not in the least photogenic and hate my picture being taken but this is the least awful shot of me!!! So... hello this is me! How are you this Tuesday lunchtime? What are you doing? let the world know with Twitter!!!

TTFN x

Yippee I have won....

Becci of Fired Silver ran a prize draw if you joined her mailing list and she pulled my name out of the hat as one of the 2 winners. Do you have any idea how long it has been since I won something. Actually I can't remember when! I have had good things happen obviously but to win something is quite nice! Becci has been in touch and my prize will be with me after half term. I am quite excited!!!

Sunday evening

Here I am watching Mission Impossible 3, well it is on the box at any rate. What is there to blog about? Well actually not a lot. I was planning an evening on the torch tonight but I have let my mojo go for a little walk and feel completely disinclined to bead. So I thought I would make some jewellery but again I feel completely disinclined, so I am surfing the web, watching Tom Cruise over the top of my laptop and feeling a bit bleurgh!!!!! I know I should kick myself up the ass and do something but I think maybe today was meant to be a complete veg out day, I am still in my PJ's for crying out loud :-)

Plans for the week: The kids are on half term and guess what my teaching load takes off and I have 3 early starts. Typical the one week I could do with having things a bit calmer and I am up at 6am 3 days on the trot. Still I suppose I should not moan, it is my job after all. Day off this week is Thursday and I was hoping to get loads of torch time in as Savannah is at the childmdinder still but Imogen will be at home with me so that now looks unlikely! And Kirsty was gonna pop over bless her she hasn't made beads since before Christmas.

The play day to Jolene's is still on for Saturday, another early start but I am looking forward to it. Keiara is joining me for the trip there and back and she is apparently baking some cup cakes mmm....scrummy!!!

Right that is enough boring banality for you all to suffer tonight he he he. Normal service will be resumed shortly when I return with more goodies later this week. Ooohhh nearly forgot to tell you I have been commissioned to make my first sets of cufflinks (yes 2 sets!!!) getting the fingerprints this week so I will post piccies of them as I go.

Have a good week guys and I will see you soon!
TTFNx

Way back when...

Sometime last summer I got into making silver core beads and I approached "Swag" jewellers to see if they would like to sell them. they have had 3 of my beads since October but sadly today they returned them and have said that they are not following up the possibility of selling my beads at this moment. This is a bit sad in that I was really hoping to sell them but possibly a blessing as well as I am not sure I could move into mass production of silver core beads with my "proper" job committments. Still worth a go and does not mean I can't do it in the future. I am still planning to re launch my Belita Bead collection and have a couple of ideas in mind so watch this space!!!

TTFN x

Happy Valentines Day

I know I am a day early but Happy Valentines day to you all. I want to cheer my blog up a bit after yesterdays terrible events and bring you all some love.
What are your plans for Valentines? Tony and I are having a quiet evening at home not least cos Valentines is so commercial now and resturants charge so much for a meal. We are going to have a lovely meal at home and watch a DVD. No computer, no jewellery, no camera stuff, no woodwork magazines just me and my hubby. Quiet and relaxing. Imogen is with her dad for the weekend so just Savannah at home.

Other news: I am one of the featured artists in this months Beads and Beyond magazine. p46 I believe so I am quite chuffed about that! I have submitted my entry for New Designers "One Year On". Judging is mid to end of March so I guess I will know what happens there come April. I have had a few busy days with Art clay and jewellery orders and I have ordered some Bullseye glass which hopefully will arrive today so I can play tonight or Sunday. I must shout Kirsty again as she has not had any torch time since December and I know she is getting withdrawal symptoms ;-)
And finally I am looking forward to 21st Feb and my play day at Jolene's from Frit Happens. Keiara is coming with me as well so it should be a fab day. I will post pictures.
Right gotta go, work to be done no more procrastinating...

TTFNx

Human nature not really at it's best!

We have had a very unfortunate incident in my street today. Sometime around 8am a fire engine arrived at the house opposite mine, out jumped the lovely men in uniform and in they went to do their job. Got a bit exciting for a while cos they had breathing apparatus on then suddenly the whole thing turned horrible! One of the elderly gentlemen who lived in the property was carried into the street in a state of major undress and was obviously in a very bad way! Both my girls were watching from the window as this apparently small incident took a turn for the worse. I pulled them both away from the window so they did not have to see the gentleman anymore but they already had seen enough!

What I am about to tell you somewhat shames me and I am not sure by what compulsion I did this but I continued to watch. I watched this poor elderly man lay on the cold damp pavement obviously in pain and the firemen unable to do much except give oxygen. I am not sure how long exactly but by my reckoning it was at least 20 minutes before an ambulance arrived and I watched...
I gave the firecrew a blanket and pillow that was it the extent of my assistance and I watched!

I have thought about this a lot this afternoon, I am a nurse so the incident itself did not distress me but I am completely bothered by what I term as my voyeurism. Obviously it is not voyeurism in the true sense of the word cos I got no pleasure whatsoever from watching this man but I watched. Whilst I was thinking about it I remembered watching the 9/11 thing on TV and at one point becoming aware of people who had made the decision to jump from the burning building rather than burn to death. I remember feeling angry that the media filmed and showed it but I watched it... What does this say about me as a person? What does it say about us as a human race? You see a car crash on the motorway and very often the delays and tailbacks are due to what my mum calls "pogging". People slowing down trying to get a good look! I like to think I am a good and nice person but right now I feel shitty! No other word for it plain shitty!!!

Douglas passed away at lunchtime. bless him and god rest his soul...

Yay encasing

Just emptied the kiln and I am so completely chuffed to announce that I can encase!!!! YAY!!!!!!!
This is again bullseye glass, many of the air bubbles were intentional some weren't but I can live with them and PPP will help. I am in love with Bullseye and therefore I have ordered some!!! Oops;-)
I will clean the beads in the morning and take decent pictures but I go to bed a happy woman!

TTFNx

Today's goodies for your delectation!

The kiln is ramping down as I write this so there is more to come! But here are a few for you to have a jaspers at! The one on the left is exactly the same set of beads as the middle picture but look at the 3rd bead in from each side! I have no idea what colour this is cos it comes from a sample box of Bullseye glass and is unlabelled. It may well be neo-lavender but it is definitely a colourshifting glass. I have mentioned these before but this is the most spectacular response to different light I have seen! The first picture is under the lights for taking pictures. The middle picture is under my halogen room lights! Sadly it was dark when these were taken so I couldn't see what effect sunlight would have!!!

The 3rd picture is of a comission I have been asked to make! The beads are my own and I have used them to embellish a byzantine chain maille bracelet. I hope it is liked!!!

Other news: I have not seen it yet but I am reliably informed that my beads are indeed showcased in this months edition of Beads and Beyond! It comes out tomorrow so it will be Friday before my local WH Smiths has it on the shelves so I gotta wait a bit longer to see em but needless to say I am quite excited!!!

TTFNx

Folksy!!

It's back I have just listed stuff on my Folksy shop! I need to think this through a bit more as there is repetition between Folksy and my website but that is ok! I am using it lets see how it goes!!!

TTFNx

Rainy days and mondays...and competition musings!!!

Urgh!!! Rainy days and Mondays sure do get me down! (Carpenters song 1971!!) When I got up this morning the sky was a vivid red and just absolutely beautiful I did manage to get a picture and will post it later but within minutes of getting up it had gone, replaced with black clouds and now the rain is falling. Weather forecast is for heavy rain for the next couple of days! Bleurgh!!!!

I am working from home today got more essays to mark and as you can see I am procrastinating again! I just wish I could do beads and jewellery all day long!

I am having a crazy thought and don't know if I want to share it or not! Mostly because I don't think I am anywhere near good enough BUT you don't know if you don't try! I found a website called newdesigners.com
This website is the launchpad for "One year On" which is and "exciting and exclusive oportunity for designers in their first year of business". I am thinking about applying! Am I a designer? Am I anywhere near good enough? Are you all just falling over now laughing at how completely up myself this makes me look! I don 't even have any qualifications in jewellery design or silversmithing or anything remotely jewellery related!! Or are you shouting at me for being so bloody negative? I only have 1 week to make up my mind the closing date is 16th February 2009. Oh blimey do I do it! This is my only window of opportunity as my business is coming up to it's one year anniversary! I just don't know! This may be the thing that I can use to launch me seriously into the business whereas at the moment I just fit this in around my other "proper" committments. I want to be able to spend more time developing ideas I have and to getting "out there" am I anywhere near good enough?

Mmm...have to go and mark essays but I will return to this later!

TTFNx

Where the magic happens!

I have had an afternoon clearing out my studio (shed!!!) and reorganising a bit. My original storage until that my glass was in was still ok but I wanted to organise my glass a bit more so a trip to IKEA and a complete bargain later and my glass has a new home!!! Looks a bit sad again now but I have loads of room again! I am up there later tonight to make a couple of orders so it won't look that clean this time tomorrow!!!

TTFNx

Der....I completely forgot to tell you that I have just listed 2 new sets of beads on my website They are the 2 sets the kiln fairies left me yesterday. The Winterseas have been etched and the "Pink Lady" set well I have left them alone but I am completely in love with that colour! I think a pink thing may be in the offing again!

TTFNx

Look what the kiln fairies left me!

Here is a quick photo of what I found in my kiln this morning!!! I have to say big thank you to Keiara for showing me the heart thing and how to make nuggets!!! I am totally loving this shape it is so organic. The green coloured set are going to be etched and are called "Winter seas" They are made from an antique clear base with Beady Sam "Deep Seas" frit melted in. Just what the sea looks like at the moment!!!
The pink set are made from Reicenbach "Pink Lady" and this glass is just stunning. It is a striking glass which means you can get some colour change by letting the bead cool and then flashing it bakc through the flame. I did this on a couple and not on the rest and in the light you can see the difference. There is a purple / violet hue to the unstruck beads! Still a completely stunning colour!

I have to go but I will be back to add links to all those people that I have mentioned shortly, gotta do the school run.

TTFNx

Bloomin bugs....

...Imogen had a couple of days off at the beginning of this week with a cold (!) Guess what.....yup she shared her bugs! Great. I am snotty, achey, tired, headachey etc etc etc. BUT I took the mickey out of her for taking time off school with a cold so I can't be sick! Bless her she did have a temperature and looked a bit grim!

So what's new here then. There are still goodies available in my Bargain Basement so go take a look. I have also added my Valentine pendant called "Be Mine"
This will make a fantastic valentines pressie for all the lady's so show your other halves go on you now you wanna....... I am only going to make 5 of these and 2 have sold already!!! 3 left.

I had a fab day with Keiara yesterday. Not many beads made cos we did so much chatting but we had fun and it is definitely going to become a regular thing (I hope!!!) I have just had a thought, maybe we could use these meets to set ourselves challenges and help each other develop our skills. Mind you Keiara's beads are just TDF and I am not sure what I can teach her ;-)

Final little nugget before I get back to work...I have just booked my stall for The Big Bead Show
Make a date in your diary for 17th October 2009 and I will see you there.

Barking mad sale

The cold weather has addled my brain (is addled even a word!!!)...anyway as I was saying the cold weather has affected my brain and I have had a tidy up. If you go to my website Aurorabeadz and take a look in the bargain basement you will find umpteen goodies at completely ridiculous prices. I need to make some space you guys reap the benefits. Honest it is a mad sale so get in now before it is too late.

Oh BTW it is not just jewellery but there are some bags of beads as well ready and waiting for you to make some jewellery with so there is something for everyone!!! I hope that you like my sale and find a bargain to brighten your day.

TTFNx

KEBO Jewellery

....I am so totally made up and I had to share this with you! Whilst pootling around this morning I came across some of my beads that have been made into gorgeous jewellery. This is the second time I have found my beads made into something and it still stuns me! KEBO Jewellery has made beautiful earrings, necklace and bracelet from one of my bead sets. If you scroll down to 10th November post there they are. Thank you Kelly you have made them into beautiful pieces and made my day. Please can I put them into my gallery in my website?

Ta dah!

Well here it is at last. I have enjoyed making this. It looks a simple pendant and really I guess it is but I have learned loads. I still don't know why it kept breaking but it is perfectly fine. I have tumbled it for 2 hours and it has a lovely finish and I am just bloody proud of it. I wonder if that is ok ....yes it is I have worked hard on this I only hope others like it as well. It will be available for sale shortly once my hubby has taken a decent picture of it and who knows I may make them order but only a limited number. What do you think?

TTFNx

Closer view of the two bracelets

Two bracelets

Valentines pendant part 2

All fired ready for finishing. There have been some problems with this, nothing insurmountable and one of the most fab things about Art Clay is that if it breaks it can so easily be repaired! This is the second attempt at this pendant that is haunting my dreams, both of them have broken where the hole is. Now I am not sure why, maybe I was a little heavyhanded although I have learned very quickly how to be gentle with the Art Clay in it's dry unfired form. It may be that this point is particularly weak or something I just have not thought about BUT...I have made the hole I have repaired it, I have fired it and it is intact and fine and ready for tumbling and finishing. I will add the photo of it finished tonight I hope and it will be up in my shop for sale tomorrow or Wednesday. If it comes out the way I envisage it then I will try to make a couple more for Valentines.
With regards to the snow it has all gone, it is raining now with some snow mixed in just to tease me! Imogen has come home from school feeling unwell, bless her she has a cold and has lost her voice, bit of a temp etc. and she can't even go and paly in the snow. I did not bother trying to travel to work today cos the weather was supposed to deteriorate during the day but it just as well I did not go in cos the heating has broken down!! So I am marking essays from home.....again......

Enough procrastinating must get back to work.

TTFN and take care in this weather xx

Snow

Whoo hoo it is snowing. We don't get much significant snowfall in Margate any more, even my Windows Vista weather gadget is confused it says it is sunny but most assuredly it is not!! The picture above was taken about an hour after the snow started and it is still falling. I am quite excited although I am fed up with being cold I adore the snow!!! This looks promising although I don't want it to hang around to long I am off to Keiara's again on Wednesday. Right I have some Art Clay to sand down and fire one of the pieces is the Valentines gift I started a few days ago but had to chuck (not literally) cos it was to thin!! So part 2 of the pendant will be up tonight. I am also having a photography session with my hubby so the flower headpins I made the other day will be up for sale on my website! Very limited quantity at the mo but if they sell well who knows!!!

Later....New stock has been added to my shop!!! Happy shopping xx

TTFNx