Becca's Beads

Before Christmas, I bought a gorgeous deep purple and teal green bead set off Rebecca Weddell plus a few extra matching spacers- and this is what I have made from them. The first set of earrings I am keeping for me. They are my kinda colours - hence maybe why I bought the beads in the first place :) I love the layering technique she has used. These beads are even more lovely looked at end on. If you check out her website or flickr you will understand better what I am wittering on about.

I used the gorgeous floral beads in the set to make these earrings "Tansy"

And finally, I used the rest of the set to make this bracelet "peppermint stripe". I added some lovely purple Swarovski crystals for a bit of sparkle, some faceted Czech beads and some Hilltribe lotus beads. It's finished off with a charm made with cute Czech glass flowers. I am really pleased with how this has turned out.

I am not impressed with how much this cost me to make - nothing to do with Beccy's beads I hasten to very quickly add. I had brain melt down before Christmas and paid my credit card bill out of the wrong account and ...... yep went overdrawn. Which I have never done in my whole life, to date that is. It's cost me twenty eight pounds for the priveledge of going overdrawn and thirty pounds for each transaction they paid for me or turned down - guess who used paypal lots that week:) To top it all off the damn bank told be by letter which they sent second class so I didn't get it for nearly a week aaaarrrgghh - they are so damn cheeky. Bet they did it on purpose as they were short of funds for the Christmas party he he;) It will take me a while to recoup the charges (to say the least), but it's a lesson learnt - the hard way!

Becca's Beads

Before Christmas, I bought a gorgeous deep purple and teal green bead set off Rebecca Weddell plus a few extra matching spacers- and this is what I have made from them. The first set of earrings I am keeping for me. They are my kinda colours - hence maybe why I bought the beads in the first place :) I love the layering technique she has used. These beads are even more lovely looked at end on. If you check out her website or flickr you will understand better what I am wittering on about.

I used the gorgeous floral beads in the set to make these earrings "Tansy"

And finally, I used the rest of the set to make this bracelet "peppermint stripe". I added some lovely purple Swarovski crystals for a bit of sparkle, some faceted Czech beads and some Hilltribe lotus beads. It's finished off with a charm made with cute Czech glass flowers. I am really pleased with how this has turned out.

I am not impressed with how much this cost me to make - nothing to do with Beccy's beads I hasten to very quickly add. I had brain melt down before Christmas and paid my credit card bill out of the wrong account and ...... yep went overdrawn. Which I have never done in my whole life, to date that is. It's cost me twenty eight pounds for the priveledge of going overdrawn and thirty pounds for each transaction they paid for me or turned down - guess who used paypal lots that week:) To top it all off the damn bank told be by letter which they sent second class so I didn't get it for nearly a week aaaarrrgghh - they are so damn cheeky. Bet they did it on purpose as they were short of funds for the Christmas party he he;) It will take me a while to recoup the charges (to say the least), but it's a lesson learnt - the hard way!

Scrummy

Well, I just had to have a go at making Laura's cookies - the looked so scrummy. Oh and they are. So much so that there will be no picture to show you my efforts. Hubby came home for lunch and took some back to the office. The others are ready for me to take to my friends this afternoon who has just had baby number two and if I don't leave them in the box.....well they may just get munched:). My mix ended up a bit wet, but a few more oats and we were fine - some mix never even made it into the oven LOL. Lets just say my son enjoyed licking the mixing spoon. I made the second oven batch a lot smaller, they are now just right for my son (and me I won't feel so guilty when I eat two!)

So, instead of a biccie pic, you will have to make do with this:

Ebb and Flow

Lampwork by Rachel Dawes at Earth and Fire Beads. With lovely faceted aventurine rondelles and Hilltribe silver. Hopefully I will get some time later this week to do some more and show you some more. Off to look and not touch the biccies till I am at my friends, they will be even better with a good cuppa.

Scrummy

Well, I just had to have a go at making Laura's cookies - the looked so scrummy. Oh and they are. So much so that there will be no picture to show you my efforts. Hubby came home for lunch and took some back to the office. The others are ready for me to take to my friends this afternoon who has just had baby number two and if I don't leave them in the box.....well they may just get munched:). My mix ended up a bit wet, but a few more oats and we were fine - some mix never even made it into the oven LOL. Lets just say my son enjoyed licking the mixing spoon. I made the second oven batch a lot smaller, they are now just right for my son (and me I won't feel so guilty when I eat two!)

So, instead of a biccie pic, you will have to make do with this:

Ebb and Flow

Lampwork by Rachel Dawes at Earth and Fire Beads. With lovely faceted aventurine rondelles and Hilltribe silver. Hopefully I will get some time later this week to do some more and show you some more. Off to look and not touch the biccies till I am at my friends, they will be even better with a good cuppa.

Some truth in it?

Maybe there is some truth in the old proverbs....it blew a hoolie all night and it's still really windy today. Today looks like it's going to be a damp kinda day with the clouds scudding across the sky - oh to be able to climb back under the duvet with a nice cuppa - I can dream LOL. At least I can do the cuppa bit - off to boil the kettle.......

Some truth in it?

Maybe there is some truth in the old proverbs....it blew a hoolie all night and it's still really windy today. Today looks like it's going to be a damp kinda day with the clouds scudding across the sky - oh to be able to climb back under the duvet with a nice cuppa - I can dream LOL. At least I can do the cuppa bit - off to boil the kettle.......

Red sky in the morning......

Shepherd's warning...well we must be in for some pretty awful weather if this mornings sunrise is anything to go by. The photo was taken at about eight in the morning, the colours were even more intense before that but I was making my boys brekkie in bed. It's become a bit of a weekend institution! Check out the frost on the road as well - it looks like it had snowed over night, but just on the tarmac.

Today we made fairy cakes, my son is enthralled by the idea of baking, so he and I made the cakes and then he decorated them with daddy.

Remind me next time to sweep and mop the floor after making cakes which are going to be decorated with sprinkles not before and not to leave a bowl of sprinkles easily to hand. Obviously I was wrong to assume my BH would not allow our little man open access to the sprinkles. I know I am a bit of a control freak at times, but I would of only let him at them when each cake was iced and ready to decorate - not whilst I was sorting the icing and had my back turned away. Like pine needles from the Christmas tree I think I will be finding coloured sprinkles for weeks, maybe months, to come :)

We did make a dozen, but one didn't make it to the icing production line......cakes are always best fresh.

Red sky in the morning......

Shepherd's warning...well we must be in for some pretty awful weather if this mornings sunrise is anything to go by. The photo was taken at about eight in the morning, the colours were even more intense before that but I was making my boys brekkie in bed. It's become a bit of a weekend institution! Check out the frost on the road as well - it looks like it had snowed over night, but just on the tarmac.

Today we made fairy cakes, my son is enthralled by the idea of baking, so he and I made the cakes and then he decorated them with daddy.

Remind me next time to sweep and mop the floor after making cakes which are going to be decorated with sprinkles not before and not to leave a bowl of sprinkles easily to hand. Obviously I was wrong to assume my BH would not allow our little man open access to the sprinkles. I know I am a bit of a control freak at times, but I would of only let him at them when each cake was iced and ready to decorate - not whilst I was sorting the icing and had my back turned away. Like pine needles from the Christmas tree I think I will be finding coloured sprinkles for weeks, maybe months, to come :)

We did make a dozen, but one didn't make it to the icing production line......cakes are always best fresh.

Belated Christmas pics

Apologies for the lateness but I have finally managed to get my hubbies camera off him in order to download the pics of our Christmas decoration.

Greedily we ended up with two trees - there is a reason - honest. I prefer a thinner rather than full tree as I like to put my decoration deep into the branches. However when we put the first one we bought up in the lounge, it was a bit too short and a bit too big around the bottom (a bit like me LOL). I then popped to my friends saw her HUGE tree and had major tree envy.

So off I went to the garden centre and bought another tree. The first one then went into the conservatory (now little mans playroom). He was so excited about having his own tree, bless him. However I did then have to go and buy decorations for his tree. There is no way my glass breakable decs were going anywhere near his tree!

His tree had some really gorgeous soldier decoration and funky bells and pressies. Our tree was dark red, silver and clear with glass icicles and delicate glass drizzled stars. So not exactly child friendly. The pic was taken after Christmas hence why no pressies underneath.

Then, with the cut off branches, a couple of bunches of roses and a bit of hedgerow plundering I tried my hand at making my own wreath. The roses are loooking a bit frost bitten as this was taken two weeks after making - apologies but I have had the lergy that is going around :)

And finally, I tried my hand at an arrangement for the mantle peice - not bad for a first try? The roses were red when I put them in, but the fire took effect after 10days.

I am really quite pleased with my efforts on the arranging front and may well try again next year. I hope you like them as well.

I've got a few hyacinths coming on nicely in the bay window - will show you them soon, they smell gorgeous.

Belated Christmas pics

Apologies for the lateness but I have finally managed to get my hubbies camera off him in order to download the pics of our Christmas decoration.

Greedily we ended up with two trees - there is a reason - honest. I prefer a thinner rather than full tree as I like to put my decoration deep into the branches. However when we put the first one we bought up in the lounge, it was a bit too short and a bit too big around the bottom (a bit like me LOL). I then popped to my friends saw her HUGE tree and had major tree envy.

So off I went to the garden centre and bought another tree. The first one then went into the conservatory (now little mans playroom). He was so excited about having his own tree, bless him. However I did then have to go and buy decorations for his tree. There is no way my glass breakable decs were going anywhere near his tree!

His tree had some really gorgeous soldier decoration and funky bells and pressies. Our tree was dark red, silver and clear with glass icicles and delicate glass drizzled stars. So not exactly child friendly. The pic was taken after Christmas hence why no pressies underneath.

Then, with the cut off branches, a couple of bunches of roses and a bit of hedgerow plundering I tried my hand at making my own wreath. The roses are loooking a bit frost bitten as this was taken two weeks after making - apologies but I have had the lergy that is going around :)

And finally, I tried my hand at an arrangement for the mantle peice - not bad for a first try? The roses were red when I put them in, but the fire took effect after 10days.

I am really quite pleased with my efforts on the arranging front and may well try again next year. I hope you like them as well.

I've got a few hyacinths coming on nicely in the bay window - will show you them soon, they smell gorgeous.

Back up and running

Just to let you know I have just finished tweaking my website and it is now back up and running after a break over Christmas. I have added some few new items and there are more to put on later in the week, I hope you like what you see.

I am also having a sale along with the rest of the country with up to 50% off selected jewellery.

I did a stock take of my lampwork beads over Christmas and lets just say I need some room :) I am hoping the sale with clear the way for my new stock.

I have more lampwork in my studio than I almost know what to do with, but that isn't stopping me looking at more LOL

Enjoy browsing.

Back up and running

Just to let you know I have just finished tweaking my website and it is now back up and running after a break over Christmas. I have added some few new items and there are more to put on later in the week, I hope you like what you see.

I am also having a sale along with the rest of the country with up to 50% off selected jewellery.

I did a stock take of my lampwork beads over Christmas and lets just say I need some room :) I am hoping the sale with clear the way for my new stock.

I have more lampwork in my studio than I almost know what to do with, but that isn't stopping me looking at more LOL

Enjoy browsing.

Happy Easter

No, I am not going mad - honest (I do wonder though sometimes :) ....but I am positive I smelt hot cross buns being baked in Sainsbugs on New Years eve. There was definately a pungent spice small that tickles the back of the throat.

In keeping with the correct season. Happy New Year and I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas. Heres hoping 2009 brings everyone lots of love and happiness.

Back soon with a pic of my Christmas tree ec. I know it's a bit late, but better late then never!

Happy Easter

No, I am not going mad - honest (I do wonder though sometimes :) ....but I am positive I smelt hot cross buns being baked in Sainsbugs on New Years eve. There was definately a pungent spice small that tickles the back of the throat.

In keeping with the correct season. Happy New Year and I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas. Heres hoping 2009 brings everyone lots of love and happiness.

Back soon with a pic of my Christmas tree ec. I know it's a bit late, but better late then never!