Lyonesse

When I set out for Lyonesse,
A hundred miles away,
The rime was on the spray,
And starlight lit my lonesomeness,
As I set out for Lyonesse,
A hundred miles away.
~Thomas Hardy

Okay so I have had these beads by Rachel Dawes in my stash for ages, but from the day they arrived they were going to be Lyonesse and they were going ot be teamed with amethyst and freshwater pearls.

It sounds strange but somedays the beads just talk to you, they already know what they want to be. So finally I have made them into a bracelet and a pair of earrings. I hope you like them? I certainly do.

They are available now over in my Folksy shop.

Lush Lilacs

Beady Pool has been a little sporadic on the blog posting over the summer. It's surprising how little spare time you can find when you have a four year old under your feet all day. That and the fact we have done alot of visiting over the summer hols. Both sets of family (Cornwall and Essex) and some good friends "up North". With all the visiting and my sister in laws wedding we have been a tad busy to say the least.

However, hopefully things are changing, well for a few weeks anyway. My little man started big school part time earlier this week so I get my couple of hours a day back - yay.

This joy may be short lived as number 2 is now only 12 weeks away from arriving - or 10 weeks if the consultant gets her way and induces me early like I was with my first. In the meantime though, I am going to try to make the most of the next few weeks.

To start with I have been working with some gorgeous lilac and purple beads by the talented Isabelle Anderson.

Heather - available now on Folksy

Misty Moonlight - on Folksy later today/tomorrow.

I hope you like my new pieces.
Keep an eye on my blog over the next few days and I will be unveiling a new themed range - Karenza.

Delphinium

I bought this stunning set of beads from Isabelle Anderson ages ago and made them into this set ages ago too.

However, as of yet I have never listed them on Folksy.

But, by the end of today they will all be uploaded and available to buy. Perfect for a summer wedding....if the sun comes out again that is ;)

And the reason I named these beads Delphinium...check out those gorgeous colours.Picture taken from http://gstuff.co.nz/shop/garden/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=210&zenid=31954b8c5ecf9c62baf1a878e2519e70

April Foolishness

Near the end of March, Red Bird Jewellery posted a thread on the Folksy forum asking if anyone fancied joining her for some April foolishness. Her suggestion? To list an item everyday for the whole of April. Yep that is list 30 items, one per day for each and every day of April Well, as if I don't have enough to so I decided to join in. Stupidly when I signed up I forgot I would be back home in Cornwall for the easter weekend and with limited internet access. So, I have been playing catch up. Here are the gorgeous lovelies I have listed so far.

Seaspray Earrings - Lampwork by Laura Sparling

Seaspray Bracelet - Lampwork by Laura Sparling Cosmos Earrings - Lampwork by Laura Sparling

Smokescreen Bracelet - Smokey quartz latern beads and hilltribe silver

Portholes - lampwork by Caroline Cash

Nautical - lampwork by Caroline Cash

Fern - Green Amethyst and Hilltribe silver

Most are available now in my Beady Pool Folksy Shop, a couple have already gone to new homes.

Wish me luck luck for the next 23 days!

Red Polka Heaven

A while ago, I bought this stunning set of beads from Trudi at Glittering Prize , aren't they lovely?

It is more unusual to get red lampwork beads than other colours. The glass is coloured with metal oxides. Red comes from gold oxide so is expensive and rarer than say copper oxide whoch makes the blues and greens. When I saw this set of beads I fell in love with them.

With the set, I made a bracelet and a pair of earrings and I still have some black spacer beads left for another project.

What do you think of this stunning handmade karen hilltribe heart toggle? Stunning isn't it? I just had to use it with these red beads. I have echoed the red and black of the lampwork with faceted chunky Czech red rondelles and onyx rondelles. A few round hammered hilltribe silver beads and in my mind you have one stunning bracelet.

For the earrings I used the main polka dot lampwork beads and the black spacers along with my favourite at the moment the karen hilltribe daisy spacer. I love that flash of silver between the beads, it is so subtle and yet eye catching.

I hope to get the beauties listed in the Beady Pool Folksy shop later this evening, in the meantime I am going to think of a name for them! Hope you like them x

May

O SPRING has set off her green fuses

Down by the Tamar today,

And careless, like tide-marks, the hedges

Are bursting with almond and may.

Taken from ‘The Seasons in Cornwall’ by Charles Causley

from Collected Poems 1951-1997 published byMacmillan, 1992, ISBN 0333699211.

As a child I was given a book of poems by Charles Causley and this poem was in it. This first verse really sums up spring to me. One moment it's winter and the next the hawthorn (may) is sprouting lush green shoots and creamy white flowers. I didn't remember the poem properly hence why initially these pieces were called blackthorn...I remembered it as blackthorn and may. It was nearly 20years ago now when I first read it, well that's my excuse.So, why call these peices may?

Take a good look at the gorgeous lampwork beads by Rachel Dawes. We have the fantastic vibrant green of the new may leaf shoots, against the dark blacks and browns of the bark with the early flush of flowers emerging into the spring sunshine. As soon as I saw the beads that poem came to mind.

For those who wish to know, blackthorn (my original name for these pieces) is the sloe. Please correct me if I am wrong but the blackthorn flowers first and then gets leaves and the may (hawthorn) produces leaves and then flowers. A lot of the time we see blackthorn flowers and assume it is the may.

May is the common folk name for the hawthorn tree and the name has been used since the middle ages. Spring is coming earlier though each year as now we see may blossom in april instead of may.

The may bracelet and earrings are now available in the Beady Pool folksy shop.

Nasturtium

The other day I shared a picture of some gorgeous polka dot beads that I had bought from Caroline Cash.
With the orangey/red beads in the set I have made Nasturtium, neckalce and matching earrings.

I have matched the beads with some spacers (small lampwork beads in a plain colour) I had in my stash from Alison Davies, karen hilltribe entwined spacers and orange Swarovski crystals. In the centre is a lovely chunky hilltribe flower bead. I have then attached these to fine Sterling Silver chain. The whole necklace is finished with a Silver s-clasp and a handwired lampwork spacer charm.

Close up of the flower bead and the spotty beads.

Oh and the earrings - can you spot the hilltribe daisy spacers in between the polka dot bead and the spacer? I love the effect this gives to earrings which is probably why I reproduce this design in various guises.

Orange is not a colour I would normally use, but I am really pleased with the end result. Nice and sunshiny. Roll on the summer.

I am hoping to get these listed in my Folksy shop later this week - keep an eye open for them.

Old Town

Remember those gorgeous grey toned lampwork beads from Lushlampwork ? Well here is what I made - oh and a pendant which I inadvertently forgot to photograph.
I will post that photo soon.

Old Town Bracelet

I found my love by the gasworks croft
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
Kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town, dirty old town.

Lyrics by Ewan MacColl

Old Town earrings

Both are available now in the Beady Pool Folksy shop.

I would love to know what you think of them, please leave any comments below.

Starry Starry Night

How gorgeous are these lampwork beads?
Deep cores of the most stunning royal purple decorated with a milky way of silver stars and then encased in clear for extra sparkle and depth. They are made by the very talented Izzy Anderson over at Flame and Glass.

I have handwired them using silver wire with silver beads, faceted purple crystals and my favourite Karen Hilltribe silver daisy spacers. The earrings hang from sivler earwires.

The pendant features two lampwork spacers and three more crystals all handwired to silver wire dangling below the main focal bead. An eyecatching pendant with loads of movement. As per normal with Beady Pool pendants it comes on either a 16 or 18 inch silver snake chain.
Both are available to buy from the Beady Pool shop on Folksy.

He Loves me......

New from Beady Pool on Folksy. He loves me in teal green.

He loves me is a czech glass and silver necklace with an assymetrically placed Karen Hilltribe silver flower. I have handwired the beads to the silver chain and then the chain to the s-clasp, as I have a thing about jump rings that can possibly open! It's a bit bug bear of mine so only use them when I have to.

There is a pair of complimenting earrings if you are someone who likes their matching sets.

Available as of today on Folksy, with free first class postage within the UK.

I am in the process of listing some other colour combinations, but if you like the style but would like something a little different just let me know. I can design something just for you.

More sneaky peaks.......

Porthcurnick, bracelet and earrings. Featuring beads by Caroline Cash and named after this beach on the Roseland peninsula.

With Czech glass beads, Swarovski crystals and hilltribe silver.

I just love blues and greens and these gorgeous beads remind me of the sea as the clouds pass over head making it change colour. Turquoise in the bright sun with the clouds creating darker and deeper colours as the skitter overhead in the fresh sea breeze.

New items on my website

I've been busy over the last few days adding some new items to my website. Well the pics and prices are up, I now need a few spare minutes for the wordy bits, hopefully in the next few days :)

Waves against the shore - lampwork by Rachel Dawes

Caramel Twist - Lampwork by Rachel Dawes

Black Poppies - Lampwork by Chameleon Designs

Bali Blues - lampwork by Tinage Tar

Just a little pre-warning for you, my website will be shut from Weds 17th May until the beginning of June. I have two jewellery parties and then all my stock will be at the Henly Arts Trail. So, if anything takes your fancy, buy it before it sells.