Eeek I am sooooo sorry!

I have been really poor at blogging lately and simply this is due to the fact that I have not got a huge amount to share with you. What with my new job and all that I simply have not got any beads made and there is only so much you guys wanna hear about my life eh ;o)

Life is good still I am very happy and settled. I would like more bead time but that will fall into place and I am not gonna get stressed about it cos that ruins my mojo when I do get into the shed! My 2 girls are fine. Imogen is 13 in June and Savannah is 5 in June...doesn't time fly! Both ages bring with them a different set of challenges but we seem to be doing good right now they are both doing well at school and not getting into any difficulties that I am aware of.

Tony is fine the talk of redundancies that was being banded around 3 or 4 weeks ago seems to have gone quiet so we are keeping our fingers crossed that all has settled and now the weather is improving work will start to come back in. All in all things are plodding along!

I am loving my new job very much. I swore I would not go back to shifts and weekend working but actually it is not to bad at all! I seem to get a little more time to myself like if I am on a late shift then I have the morning to myself. Not really enough time to get into the shed but enough to do a bit of housework and keep on top of things, I get into my shed in the evenings still for a few hours a week. Working with patients again is so brilliant I have a real sense of achievement after each shift. The people I work with are fab and have made me feel really welcome.

I am hoping for some shed time tomorrow evening so hopefully more bead pictures will be on their way soon. I have made some rose murrini which I am playing with still so I hope to have some bead sets with roses on them to show you soon. I am waiting for my silver core stuff to arrive and then I will be making my Belita beads again to see as per my last blog so I am still beavering away just not as high profile as usual!!

I hope you are all well stay with me guys things will pick up again soon and I will have eye candy for you to drool over LOL

TTFN xx

What do you like to read in people's blogs?

I am intrigued by the ratings system that I have at the bottom of my blog page. Kinda useful to see how many people are reading my blog. A couple of weeks ago I was up to something like 168 in the ratings now I have slumped to 360 odd and I am curious. Is it because the last couple of my blog posts have not been interesting? Is it simply one of those things? Is everyone on holiday? Do the titles of my blog posts not inspire you to read them?

I am really keen to know what you guys like to read. Obviously this is a blog by me and I use it to showcase my glass work and I realise that my personal stuff has not been to exciting of late what with my depression etc but do you like some info on me or just want me to keep it business like.

I like to include some personal stuff number one because it affects my beading and jewellery work and also with 2 children I have an endless source of anecdotes to share with you.

I am not reading to much into the downturn just curious is all, all the while I can type I will post and if it interests you then I am more than happy to welcome you to my little world.

And on that note I have had very little beading time this week, Thursday was just to darned hot and there were those little thunder bugs crawling everywhere and irritating me which is not good with hot glass in your hand! Thursday evening there was a huge thunderstorm. Yesterday I spent the morning with Savannah at her mini sports day at nursery. This was her last day there as she starts school in September. Yesterday evening I was just to sleepy.

Tonight my fab hubby is taking me out for a meal for our anniversary. I am so looking forward to this we have not been out together for I think almost a year, in fact I think the last time we went out was our anniversary last year! We are going to the resturant where we had our first date and then onto our local pub which has fab local bands playing. Savannah is going to her auntie for the night and Imogen is with her dad so we can roll in as late as we like. It is a bit naughty as we are completely skint but spending a bit of quality time together is so important so what the heck....

Anyway I best be off, don't forget I am interested in your thoughts and thank you for reading my musings.

TTFN xx

150 posts....

This is my 150th post on my blog, not bad, not bad at all. I am really enjoying my little blog and reading back through them all there is a varied mixed of topics! Some quite lighthearted, some quite sad, lots and lots of jewellery and glass which is good and a nice little insight into my life!

So what about today, well today is Wednesday whcih means it is my day off yay! sadly I have so much to do that beading time is looking a little unlikely! As strict as I am about my time off I have got some lesson prep that must be done today, then the housework, then get Savannah to her nursery this afternoon then I may get some torch time if I have been strict about this morning. So there is an incentive if I ever needed one.

Been quiet on the bead front cos work has picked up a bit and this will carry on for the next 4 weeks but once I get into the flow I should be back a bit more! I have arranged a jewellery party for 3rd April so I gotta get on with some stuff otherwise I will not be selling anything!

And on that note I will bid ye farewell for now! Have a lovely Wednesday
TTFN x

Did you miss me?

I hope so!!! ;-) Anyhoo I am back from my little jaunt to Chester. It was a conference for work and the first conference I have been on for 5 years!!! I like going to conferences as they always make me enthusiastic for my job which is lacking seriously of late. It is a brill opportunity to update knowledge and network. Sadly networking was limited as there were only some 60 or 70 delegates which is just the smallest number I have ever heard of. Still I managed to pick up some props for teaching and updated my knowledge a bit. There were a couple of very interesting speakers who presented work I am going to follow up on as it was quite interesting and relevant to lots of my teaching. I did not go alone Paula was with me and we joked a bit about what I would blog about our trip. We did get a little lost (well not really lost more side tracked) not sure if that was my fault as the map reader or the AA instructions but we were at one point heading for Peterborough rather than Chester!!! Anyway we got to the hotel had a fab dinner and then crashed! The conference was Friday and Saturday but we managed to get a little shopping time in on Friday afternoon! I bought my raclett cheese so Tony and I can have a raclet (sp?) sometime soon. Paula was quite worried about the smell but the cheese was very well behaved!!!
We left the conference early as Paula's sister was rushed to hospital with appendicitus and it was a 5 hour journey. It was not an emergency to get home but we wanted to be on our way in case of any problems!
I have posted a couple of pictures of Chester!!! I have now just found out that I was very close to one of my friends off Frit Happens which I am completely gutted about I could have met up!!! I know where she lives roughly but my geography is so crap I did not realise that it was near to where I was going! :-(

The picture I have posted today is my first attempt at an idea that has been poottling around my brain for a little over a year now! It is an Art Clay pendant with one of my handmade glass beads floating in the middle! There are a few things that need refining but I am very pleased with it! Please excuse the cruddy picture it is taken with my mobile but hopefully you get the idea!!!
Right gotta go, hubby home and we have a trip to Asda to keep us amused!!!

TTFN x

Sleeping beauties (not)...

It occured to me that seeing a box of bits and pieces may not be enough information so I have added a couple of photos to give an idea of what can be made from the little boxes of goodies I will supply at my childrens parties! I am so excited by this idea and a couple of others I am having that I cannot bloody well sleep properly!

Sleeping has become quite a problem in my house at the mo. Imogen is full of cold so she is not sleeping well and colds bring her the usual problem of nosebleeds! Savannah still gets up at 6am despite us buying one of those clocks that you can set what time the child gets up with. Hers is Sleeping beauty, she wears a blue dress when Savannah has to be asleep and a pink dress when she can get up. All Savannah does is moan that the "blue lady" is still showing! Tony just does not sleep well, he was up at 4 this morning watching TV and same yesterday! He blames the bed, says the mattress is uncomfortable but as we have a superking size bed I don't think buying a new mattress is an option at the mo, would cost too much!!! And as for me, my little head has gone into overdrive with ideas for my business. I am actually having to rein them in a bit cos I only have so much time for the business and as much as I would like to take the leap of faith and jack in the day job I have too many responsibilities. So I am back to my usual dilemma. How to promote Aurorabeadz but meet the committments Tony and I have! Right now I guess it has to be maintain the status quo don't change nothing...but I can dream can't I?

This is likely to be my last post before Christmas so I just want to say to all my readers old and new:
My Family and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and propserous 2009.

TTFNx

My first blog award

I have got my first award. Elaine from Chatelaine Jewellery has nominated me and I am chuffed! Nice to know my ramblings are read!!! Thank you Elaine. Now the rules are that I must show the award on my website, link to the person who nominated me and nominate other blogs for the award. So....of to think about who to nominate!

Other news....my fingerprint jewellery has really taken off I have 3 orders sitting here with me to finish today and another one to make. I have run out of bloomin clay so I need to get on and order some! I still have not managed to play with my Koil Kutter I have bought some copper wire so I will get to it! only 2 more days at work and then I am off for 2 weeks so I will have a play then! Watch this space for my chain maille jewellery.
My spacer beads are doing very well as well! Despite the fact that I thought making job lots of small round beads would be boring I am finding that it is really good practice. I am really getting the hang of making sets of beads similar sizes and getting really good puckers as well so I am glad I started this.
I have another idea in my head for the new year which I am thinking through so if it goes ahead watch this space and I will give you details soon!
I got my tax return back yesterday and I made £11 profit last tax year (I had only been in business for 3 or 4 weeks) and I have got a bloody bill for £40 odd quid! Ok its not a lot but I pay my tax in the day job and only made £11 profit so WTH is that bill about!!!!!! Makes you wonder why you go legit and above board!!!!
Right gotta go errands to run and jewellery to make!
TTFNx

A bit later.....Right I have thought this through and nominate the following for the award.
1. Melanie Moertel I have just discovered this blog and the beads on here are simply to die for I love them simply scrummy!
2. Sarah Downton I love how Sarah writes in her blog and she imtroduced me to this fantastic world of glass and for that I love her!

Please go see their work you won't be disappointed.

There are loads of people whose work I adore and their blogs are shown on the right of my blog! Dont' foget to have a look at their work and musings as well!!! I am always scouting around and finding more so keep checking back.

TTFNx

Bad at this already!!!

I knew I would be bad at keeping a blog I kinda forget I got it but I am trying to make a concerted effort to keep it going.
So anyways where are we. It is Tuesday morning and I am supposed to be at work but my eldest daughter has spent half the night being ill and I had a very dodgy day yesterday so I am at home for a little while but gotta go to work shortly. Fortunately I am doing my linking stuff today so the hospital is only a 10 minute walk up the road and my neighbours are home so she will not be abandoned. Working full time and having kids is quite challenging to say the least and made harder by the fact that it is nearly always me who has to take time off when one of the kids is ill cos my OH loses money if he has a day off to be at home! Still hey ho thats life eh!!
I haven't made it into the studio for about a week now because of various things so the bead making has ground to a halt. Hoping I can tonight cos I am getting withdrawal again, saying that once I get up there I keep finding myself at a loss of what to make. I am taking part in a few challenges on the Frit Happens forum which help me to focus but I am lacking imagination and skill. I bought some dichroic glass and used it for the first time the other week and successfully got some dichroic and lots of scum!! aaargh!!!! what am I doing wrong! I really need to book in some more tuition with Sarah but money is a bit tight again (isn't it always though!) so that has got to wait.
I have got a party booked for 25th April for a friend of mine so I really gotta get on with making some beads and getting some jewellery together for that. I will take orders but I also want a decent amount of stock that I can sell.
The website is up and running there are some challenges I can't really discuss at the moment but one thing I really need to focus on is advertising. I need to get people onto my site and get some orders coming in, I need to build up some money so I can buy more stock and make more stuff to sell etc etc!

Anyway I suppose I had better go! things to do people to see and all that malarky. See you soon