Heart Pendant

Heart Pendant
Originally uploaded by aurorabeadz

This is my latest creation. Again something I had a dream about!!! I envisaged it being a bit more puffy but I had great fun making it and learned loads. I have also done a different finish and used one of my dremel attachments to give it the brushed look!

I am really chuffed with it and would love to hear what you guys think of it!
TTFN xx

Earrings

Earrings
Originally uploaded by aurorabeadz

Here is (or should that be here are!!!) one of the 2 pairs of heart earrings that I have just finished. The hearts are made from art clay silver and I have soldered sterling silver posts onto the back for pierced ears. I am very pleased with these and will be offering them for sale soon.
Watch this space
TTFN xx

Beads and Beyond tutorial

I mentioned a little while back that I thought I had a tutorial in this month's Beads and Beyond....well I do. It is a bumper silver metal clay special and I have a fantastic flower necklace with purple pearls in it. I must hunt a picture out now and put it up here to show you. This is my 4th tutorial and I have also done 2 readers challenges so this year has been fab for getting myself known in that arena. I hope to continue in 2010.

Nightmare before Christmas

NBC lock shock and barrel
Originally uploaded by aurorabeadz

I am still practicing with my polymer plates and making stamps for use in my silver metal clay. A friend was totally impressed with my Jack Skeleton pendants I made a couple of weeks ago and asked me if I could make a set of the characters from NBC. So I did. I have learned quite a lot whilst making the stamps and also about using the stamps and sadly the finished pieces were not quite what she had envisaged (or me for that matter) but it is fine as I learnt a lot, expensive lesson but worthwhile.

2 of the charms have little "splits" in them so I cannot sell them but Imogen has bagged them for herself bless her but Oogie Boogie and Lock Shock and Barrel (shown here) will be on sale later today in my website. Just gotta finish them off with holes and a bit of a polish up!

Hope you have all had a restful weekend and not too damaged by yesterdays strong winds and torrential rain! See you soon
TTFN xx

Jack

Jack
Originally uploaded by aurorabeadz

I have bought a kit thats enables me to make stamps that can be used to make jewellery with art clay silver. So I thought I would practise with images of Jack fromm "Nightmare Before Christmas" and here are the results. I am so very chuffed with them. Imogen is wearing the small one as I made it for her and the larger one is currently being discussed!!! It may have a new home xx

August Prize draw winner

Thank you to everyone who signed up to my Aurorabeadz Facebook fan page I have drawn a winner and that is Connie and I have emailed her. I have a fantastic 154 fans now which is awesome, thank you again.

I am very busy this week with preparing for my interview for the nursing agency on Thursday and my Art and Craft Exhibition from Sat 5th to Wed 9th Sept. I have not had time to get to my torch this week so there won't be any new beads up for sale this week. I am making jewellery tho so keep your eyes open for pictures and at some point in next 2 weeks I will announce my September prize draw!

Gotta go I have some fingerprint pendants in the tumbler which need to be retrieved and finished for a customer.

TTFN xx

What have I been up to?

I am still off sick from work but I am gradually feeling more like Sam again. I am taking my time tho and my GP is being fantastically supportive I want to be ok to return to work and not risk going off sick again very soon after I return . So I find myself in an unusual position. I have guilt for not being at work and worry that people will think I am "swinging the lead" but my head was such a complete mess I owe it to myself, my family and my colleagues to get myself 100% sorted and not just 50 % or 60 %.

Anyway I am throwing myself into my beadmaking and jewellery making and I am finding it all very therapuetic. This afternoon will be a sewing afternoon I have some patterns drawn up for small handbags and I am dying to try them out! I spent yesterday finishing off the tutorial for Beads and Beyond magazine that I have been asked to do! The picture above is a little taster of what I have made but you will have to wait till the August issue to see it in it's full glory! Although I am biased I am totally in love with it I think it is fab and totally wearable!

Don't forget my prize draw see post below for details only 2 days to go.

Right best be off, I am looking after my sisters 5 cats whilst she is away camping so I need to go round her house and feed them!!!

TTFNxx

Actually made some beads today!!!

I actually left the sewing machine alone and made some beads ;o) I only made some beads for an order for a couple of customers I am still strugggling a bit for concentration which is a little bizarre as I can concentrate on making bags!!! I am not worried tho my mojo will come back and I will be back on form with the beads real soon!!!

I stuck to simple beads today, some pink lady from reicenbach hand shaped into nuggets. I have made these before and the lady who bought them has asked me to make some more. I also have a commission from a previous customer who has asked me to make her some jewellery for her aunt birthday. I have a very wide remit with little boundaries but she did give me an idea of what she liked so I am working on a couple of ideas in my head.

I have also been asked to do another tutorial for Beads and Beyond, that is my 3rd one and I am quite chuffed, it is another art clay project but some of my handmade beads will feature as well! I am looking forward to getting down to it next week.

This weekend is going to be somewhat stressful. Some how some time ago I apparently agreed that my 11 year old can have a sleepover for her 12th birthday! Soooo.....This weekend I am going to have 5 12 year olds roaming around! Tony has got some work this weekend so it is up to me to keep em amused!! OMG!!!! I must be mad. Should be ok actually, I have met most of Imogens friends and they are a nice bunch got a few things planned for them as well!!!

Right best be off better cook tea!
TTFN xx

What have I been up to?

I promised I was not going to get to boring or maudlin on you but you just have to understand where I am right now so that some of this post makes some kind of sense.

After years (at least 2 or 3 but in reality a lot more!) I have been dealing with what I describe as a "low grade" depression. Most of the time I am fine there are good days and bad days! I have never had to take time off work for it. I do take meds but no time off. UNTIL.....This week. I give in...I just can't cope right now so here I am at home taking some time out!

My GP has changed my meds and signed me off for 2 weeks, Tony is worried sick about me and I am just chillin trying to get my head back on a bit!!!

Everyone keeps on going on about "me" time so I have taken the opportunity to get into the studio and make beads!!!! Well Wednesday I did not know whether to laugh or cry!!! I turned out a load of rubbish, yesterday I became the spacer bead queen churning out 40 small spacer beads in different colours!!! So I took that as inspiration today and thought I would go back to basics. I make little spacer beads all the time so I thought right make single colour beads but larger, practice getting round beads instead of "donut" shaped ones!!! Then I decided to practice my encasing using my crappy effetre clear rods that are so scummy it is untrue BUT...I can etch them once they are cooked and they will look fab! This afternoon I have churned out somewhere in the region of 50 beads or so and feel ok actually!

Can I make this pay....Can beads and jewellery ever become my main income???

BTW I am featured in this months edition of Beads and Beyond with another art clay tutorial. All in all today is one of my better days for a few weeks!!! Just gotta wait for the kiln to ramp down and see what the kiln fairies leave me!!!

TTFNxx

Silver lentil beads

The finished article and I am quite pleased, not totally uniform but that is one of the things about handmade subtle differences with each one. I will take better pictures later and I think I may sell these what d'ya reckon! Would they be of interest to anyone?

Art clay pictures!

The top picture is what Keiara and I made on Wednesday when she came round! The fingerprint and the flower are mine the rest are Keiara's! The hearts are diddy!!! We did have fun tho honest Keiara's face when she saw what happens to the clay! It is amazing stuff tho!!! I still marvel at it!

The second picture is of my art clay lentils. The bottom ones are sanded down and virtually ready for firing the top ones are rough still! NO casualties yet still got 11 little devils to do something with! I am not sure if I am going to use them or if I am going to sell them! Lets see how they fire and what they are like once I have drilled the other hole in! Oh and tumbled them!

No beading tonight but I am hoping that my parcel from Jolene arrives tomorrow so I can play saturday night! I have joined the Mini Mo club which is run by Jolene and each month I get a selection of murrini, shards and twisties to use in my bead designs and I am really looking forward to that! So more beads to come!!!

Right best be off got lentils to sand and fire final pictures tomorrow!!!
TTFN xx

Unusual use for solitare game

I have reconsituted all of my dried out Art Clay today and earlier it was much to sticky to use, so I have left it wrapped in cling film for the day and just found out that it was at a useable stage.

So what to make...well I have wanted to make some lentil beads for a while so now seemed a good time. What should I rest the shapes on to give them their shape and allow them to dry.....well obviously marbles and my trusty solitaire game. I knew there was a reason not to throw that game out LOL.

More pictures to follow of the next and subsequent stages

Had a "play day" with Keiara today, she has never used Art Clay before so I bought her a mini starter set and some clay and she made some stuff with it. I have got pictures but I need to transfer them from my camera and that probably won't be today cos my kiln is on so I am making beads tonight!!!

Right best be off gotta sort tea out

TTFNxx

Decisions, decisions...

...and I am so crap at making them!!! Keiara coming to visit me tomorrow and we are going to have an Art Clay day! My dilemma is what shall I make and what should Keiara make! I don't think she has used Art Clay before so a simple pendant or charm etc should be fab for her but I am wanting to try to make a ring again. I have bought Keiara a lovely little surprise can't say what cos she might read this before getting here tomorrow but she has gifted me some beautiful beads and now it is my turn to return the favour. I hope she likes what I have got her!!! I will let you know! I am so keen to pursue the Art Clay thing and I really want to work towards getting my level 1 certification but I needs to develop some more skills and I need tuition to do this that is the tricky part cos I can't find anyone who teaches close to me. That said I have made good friends with Becci of Fired Silver and she has very kindly offered to teach me the stuff I need to know. There is also the option of Leigh of Magick Minx who I spoke to at the Flame Off. I just need to save some money and get some time sorted out to do it.

Speaking of time I spent some time today planning out my teaching load for the next year in my "day job". October is looking fairly dismal from a teaching load perspective but actually considering what is happening there at the mo it is manageable which has calmed me down a bit! There is 1 week in October where I am due to teach for 5 days which is going to be challenging cos I only work for 4 days a week LOL!!!

Anyhoo time to go Rice Krispies and warm milk are calling me mmmmmm..........

TTFNx

Just a quickie...

...my commissions went down an absolute treat thankfully and one of them may generate a little something extra will have to wait and see.

I made a whole batch of beadies last night and the kiln fairies were kind. I will clean them up and post piccies later!

Gotta go got work to do in "day job" but will be back later

TTFNxx

More fingerprint jewellery and some earrings

I have had a few commissions lately a couple of which you can see above. With the "left over" clay I made this little pair of leaf earrings. I am still just tinkering and not really trying anything too stressful plain and simple pendant stuff. TBH I am not sure where to go now and I guess this is where classes would be very helpful but that means money which I am sadly lacking right now :-(

The leaf earrings will be up for sale in my Etsy shop shortly and I have added a couple of bead pairs to my website today as well!

Anyway money is not going to stress me out! There is another batch of clay cooling down in my kiln as we speak all of which are orders. I have had 2 requests for my lariat featured in "Making Jewellery" I am not repeating that design anymore, not because I don't like it but because I want it to stay unique. Both of the orders have requested different colour beads so they are individual still, despite being the same design! And I am having a night on the torch tonight as well so there will be more beadies later this week!

I am feeling a bit down about the forum thing at the mo so I think I may step out a bit. I am not really sure what or why but I don't feel like I belong sometimes! I think it is my own paranoia and there is definitely nothing major but maybe I have just let it become a bit to much part of my life and need to take a little step back. I still look in and out but maybe not as often!

TTFN xx

Yay the return of Formula 1 and Jenson Button

I have always liked Jenson seems like a genuine nice guy, not that Lewis isn't cos he is fab as well but there is something about Jenson and I am well chuffed he has won the Australian Grand Prix. He looked so promising a few years back and then it all started to go wrong and 3 weeks ago he did not even know if he had a job! In steps Ross Brawn, what a guy and then to top it all off sponsorship from Richard Branson no less who is no muppet and wow a team to reckon with. Early days I know and Lewis should definitely not be written off but I am so chuffed for Jenson. Is there a possibility of 2 British drivers competeing for a F1 World Championship????

On the jewellery and beads front the kiln is on as we speak firing loads of art clay pieces for various commissions hopefully I will get up the studio tonight to get some beads made. Still got loads of jewellery to make for my party Friday, must get a move on!!!

TTFN xx

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

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

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

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