AND THE WINNER IS......

blushing posies!
Originally uploaded by aurorabeadz

.......... Rebecca Emery who left me a comment on my Facebook link to the blog! Rebecca I will contact you and make your bracelet!

I had 27 people in the draw so thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a comment and thank you for my birthday wishes a few of you left for the upcoming 2nd birthday of Aurorabeadz!

Other news: the beads on the right are available now to buy in my bead shop on my website here and I am hoping for some more bead time tomorrow night! So there will be more soon.

TTFN xx

Snowman Pendant Prize Draw

snowman
Originally uploaded by aurorabeadz

I am not one for whimsical beads but each year around this time I do like to make themed beads. Last year some of you may remember my absolutely hysterically cute but sad angels!! and I have always made snowmen. This year I decided to make the heads only and really concentrate on getting them right! and here is my first one out of the kiln. I am totally lovin him and there are angels too!! More pictures of them later!

Anyway I am quite chuffed with this little guy so I thought you might like a chance to win him! All you have to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post and I will put your name into the draw. I will pick a winner on Sunday evening. (Necklace not included only the pendant is up for grabs!!!)

TTFN xx

Feeling bleurgh...

I think a dreaded cold may be on it's way!!! I am feeling a bit under the weather and I have the hugest blister on my lip. A leetle run down I fink.....

Anyway I am having a quiet indoors day today, bit of housework to do and I am waiting for a package to arrive. So time to get you all up to speed on my life.

I have some lovely photos of the Big Bead show to show you

This first one is me and Keiara behine our stand before the show opened. I look completely gormless he he. Aren't those stands fab? Keiara's husband made them and they were absolutely perfect I can tell you

This second one is a shot of one of the times our stand looked quite busy.

Keaira and I had a fab day and I have booked again for next year I will give you more details once dates are set etc! I am going to hopefully do more shows tho again watch this space and I will let you know!

Other news: I took one of my jewellery ideas down to the Ingoldsby Gallery in Margate on Sunday to show them as they have asked me to put together a range of jewellery that will be exclusive to them. It went down well so I am now busy making these pieces to have on show for the beginning of November. I am also doing a 3 day Christmas Market in Margate Old Town in December which I am quite excited about.

Savannah's primary school is having a Christmas fair on 28th November and I am having a fingerprint stand there so I busy getting the pre order letters ready to send out to all the mum's and dad's and I am hopeful that this will be well received. I am also donating a prize to the school prize draw but I am not quite sure what that will be yet!

All in all things are looking very good, I just hope this darned cold does not develop.

Anyway must dash, ooh one quick reminder I loaded up loads of new beads onto my website and my Etsy shop last night so please take a look!

TTFN 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

I have been soldering!!!

and made these...

The 2 top ones are fresh from the safety pickle. The bottom left is ready to hammer I have filed it down to remove where the solder join is and the bottom right is hammered!!!

What have I used my first ever soldered ring for?

Here you go...what do you think!

Personally I love it and I think a necklace of this ilk shall be the prize for my August prize draw. All you have to do is become a fan of Aurorabeadz on Facebook and on the evening of 31st August I will use a random number selector to pick a winner. You wil have a choice of pink blue or green as the theme for your prize! You can find a link to my fan page on facebook to the right of my blog page!

TTFN xx

OMG I have been soooo bad :o(

So we are going camping next weekend, have not been since I was a kid and have lots of memories of Devon and the New Forest and other places we went but it is all over shadowed with eating frosties with powdered milk bleurgh........

Anyhoo times they have a changed and we now can get electric hook up yay!!! So off we are going next weekend with some friends. They go quite a lot and have been trying to persuade us for years. So I think I have blogged already that we did a practise run with our tent, bought it 5 years ago and never used it. So we pitched it, quite quick and all seemed fine except I don't like it. There is nothing wrong with it at all I just don't like it! Fussy cow that I am eh! So we bought a new one today. I mean how out of order is that. I am about to lose my wage from the old day job and the beads are taking time (which I knew) to earn me enough to draw some kind of wage so we are supposed to be being careful and we spend money on a tent! Doh!!!

But it is a nice tent and that makes all the difference. I can quite happily rationalise it to myself and therefore no-one else can fault my rationale I am after all correct in my appraisal and we needed to buy a new tent!!!! Can you hear me trying to convince myself? Anyway done is done and we have a new tent. So...does anyone want to buy a 6 berth tent, pitched once 2 weeks ago for half an hour, other than that it has never been used. Bought it for £150 will take £80 for it.

The winner of my July prize draw was Melissa of oneearedpig
Watch this space for the August prize draw to be announced next week.

TTFN xx

Finally a picture of the prize for this months draw!

Hoorah Finally I have got my act together! The picture above is this months prize for my monthly prize draw! I know you have all been waiting with baited breathe for so long and I honestly hope it does not disappoint. Classic black and white complimented with sterling silver findings makes these a lovely set to wear for special occasions as well as everyday!

All you have to do is go to my Etsy page here register (it is free see my post from a couple of days ago!) and favourite my shop. All those people listed in my favourites on the 31st July 2009 will be entered into the draw.

Next month there will be a diferent task for you to do to be in with a chance of a prize and every 6 months or so I will do a big draw to include everyone on all my mailing lists etc! In the words of a famous weekly prize draw "you gotta be in it to win it" not millions I am afraid but a little something to show my appreciation for you all.

Other news: I have uploaded new stock today in both my Etsy shop (see link above) and my website here

The moody blues set that you can see and the Rolling stones ones are definitely sets that you will see more of in other colours! I am still struggling to find a signature bead and think that maybe that will come in its own good time meanwhile I enjoy swinging between the precision of dots and lines and the freedom granted by organic beads and the Moody blues set are a particular favourite at the moment

TTFN xx

One door closes and another opens

I have decided to listen to the "signs" I have been given and am going to focus on making my beads my main job! Big decision but one I am very happy with.

So you will be very happy to hear that this will no longer be a general blog with a heavy emphasis on glass beads but mainly about glass beads. No more maudlin depressing stuff this is a new beginning for me and the chance to really develop my love for the glass beads I make and to develop my skills continually.

I will chat about my inspiration for my work and preview my beads and jewellery here for you to drool over and then every Wednesday I will update my website and my Etsy shop with my glassy delights I have made during the previous week.

I am also going to run a monthly prize draw and will announce the prize for this month on Monday (and show you a picture). All you have to do is favourite my Etsy shop to be in with a chance to win. The link to favourite an Etsy shop is found on the right hand side of the page I think you may have to join but it is free and no obligation. Etsy is an awesome collection of loads of different handmade things and I can guarantee you will spend absolutely ages on there browsing around the amazing stuff on there.

Hope to see you over at Etsy. Come back regularly for more gossip about glass and eye candy for you to drool over.
TTFNx

And the winner is ....

C. Skinner

I have emailed you hope to hear from you soon.
Thank you to everyone who joined my mailing list I have had a fantastic response. I am making a few changes to the way I do things so I will be sending out a newsletter in the next couple of days so keep your eyes peeled. If you don't get one then you are not on my amiling list so quick go join!!

I am thinking of a montlhy prize draw watch this space!!!

Thanks again to you all
TTFNxxx

Prize Draw

I have decided to have another prize draw so in order to win the pendant that you can see above (necklace NOT included!) all you have to do it go to my website and join my mailing list. Everyone who is already on there will automatically be entered but there are a lot of emails that do not seem to work so it is good to get updated emails and to get new people to join.

This prize draw will run till Friday 12th June midday and I will do the draw using a random number generator that afternoon and notify the winner on this blog!

I hope you like the prize!!

TTFNx

Yes I am procrastinating....

...first day back at work and 4 essays to mark so I thought I would get them done and out of the way tonight but can I??? Can I heck.....;-/
I am procrastinating!

I had a lovely surprise this morning. Becci from Fired Silver has sent me my prize from her mailing list prize draw a little while ago and it is just beautiful. I have not had a chance to take piccy yet as it is round my neck as we speak but I absolutely love it. Thank you Becci you are a fantastic person!

I also thought I would share with you some of the jewellery I have made since getting home from the Flame Off. I love macrame (in case you had not noticed) and some years ago I bought a necklace that was adjustable and could not work out how the fastener work. Now I have!!! I bought a couple of books on knots and macrame over the weekend and made the necklaces above. The first 2 are plain wooden beads I have had knocking around for some time and the 3rd necklace is made with my own handmade glass beads and silver. I have kept the 3rd one for myself but the other 2 will be available for sale on my website and Etsy tomorrow!

Right best be off got essays to mark!!! Day off tomorrow and Savannah is at thte childminder so I get to play on my torch hopefully!!! Yay!!

TTFN xx

And the winner is.....

*Victoria Smith*

Congrats Victoria please can you let me know your address so I can post your prize to you. If you follow a link to my website you can use the contact form to send me your addy!

Thank you so much to all of you for your messages and for reading my blog I hope that you will continue to pop in from time to time to peruse my musings!!!

TTFNx

Prize Draw

Right enough of the maudlin, you are all obviously getting bored cos I am dropping down the ratings somewhat so I want to get this blog back on track. Enough whinging and moaning.

Aurorabeadz celebrated it's first birthday 2 weeks ago and I did say I was going to do something to celebrate and so now I will. I am not the worlds most original person so it is a plain and simple prize draw. All you have to do is leave me a little comment at the end of this post saying me please and I will enter your names into the hat. I will pull the name of one lucky winner from the hat on Tuesday 7th April and hopefully you should get your prize in time for Easter. I am waiting for the sun to come out and I will take a picture and post it a bit later today.

Don't forget to join my mailing list as well on my website. I promise not to fill your inbox with loads of emails I send 1 or 2 a month updating you on various things!

Right be back later with promised picture - picture now added!!
Have a lovely Saturday
TTFN xx