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Wow nearly December already! Can you believe it?

I've been really busy making beads and wanted to share some some pics of the latest ones.



The above bead is my first try using pysche glass from Double Helix. It didn't turn out too bad if I may say so myself. To me this is a bead that can be used for masculine jewelry.


The beads below are some of the many pandora style beads I've been making, all have 925 sterling silver inserts in them, these will be available in my etsy store.




Again here is a pandora bead that turned out delicious, I gave pixie dust a try and dusted the bead in gold dust and annealed in the flame to adhere the lustre to the bead and voila the bead has a lovely gold shimmer and lustre to it, again this will be available in my etsy store.



Check out the store, I'll be adding lots to it over the next couple of days, including finished jewelry, definitely worth a look for getting some christmas goodies.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/artnglass

Wow I've been away for a bit again have'nt I! Oops!

A quick catch up is we've been on holiday - yay! Our first holiday away in nearly 5 years! We had an absolutely fabulous time in Menorca, relaxing by the pool, swimming in the sea, watching the kids play at the water's edge..................sigh I want to go back there and soon!

Just before we went I was playing at mixing colours, and making beads that have several layers before the stringer decoration, some have four layers which in turn helps you really get into encasing! and also work with uniforming size to end up with similar size beads - not easy!

These are one of the sets I've been making recently with multiple layers and I really like the two different colours together. This will be in etsy shortly, now the hard part is thinking up a name for them!



The following bead I made at the weekend, my first day off torching after nearly four weeks of not making a bead. I had in my head what I wanted to do but this little guy ended up the finished article - I know what it is do you? :-) I strung this yesterday and turned it into a key fob, hope you like :-)



Maybe I'll treat you to some holiday photos soon as well, watch this space!

Floral week................

I have been on a floral kick this week, I seem drawn quite often to raised flowers. Both of these are available in my etsy shop. Click on the pictures to be taken to my etsy.


Red floral


Violet floral

oooh website nearly ready!

Hey wondering where I've been? I've been busy getting my website created. Phew these things take time and some frustration, but I think I am almost ready to go live with it.

For those that haven't seen this before this is my most favourite bead I've created so far............



And the following is along similiar lines, I have etched it but not cored this disc bead.



Hope you like!

Ruby Royals

I love love love this set, I'll be adding it to my etsy store later - Loaded with silver the centre nugget sparkles and shimmers in the light, I left it untouched so it is a tactile bead with a riven surface, teamed with two smaller nuggets to compliment and make a lovely set.

Changes are afoot...........

Times for me are changing again, I have been lucky enough to be able to re-arrange my life and by doing this it should give me more time for my passion - lampwork!!

I am very excited about this and have already purchased some new gadgets that will help my beads look more proffessional. I have invested in a light cube and a riser, so very soon my photography for my beads should really be able to show them off at their best - well I live in hope!

I only have a spattering of beads done lately and can't wait until I get more torch time.

Here's my latest for you.

Wow, time flies - and really truly seems to fly at the moment.

Good news is I have managed to update my etsy shop with a couple more beads, so come take a look at two new pandora style beads.





Enjoy!

Wow where did that week go?

It's been an interesting week and very much high and low moments were in abundance! It was also the last week of the children's Easter holiday and with the weather being so lovely we've been very busy.

I had a marathon bead making day on Thursday but haven't managed to take any photos yet. I also got a few more made yesterday so there is a lot to photograph at the moment and hopefully after work tomorrow I can get to it!

Here's a little birdie I did earlier in the week..........

Hope you had a great week!

Some bead pictures

A free formed pressed bead.

A trio of birds
A toadstool
A birdie
A mouse head.

Thought I would show some beads for today, the above is some of them from my last few torch sessions.

MONDAY BLUES

Well where do I start today...........

I had a really awful trip into the office today and was actually so depressed when I left. The Company I work for is struggling and it is having an effect on my job badly at the moment. They then managed to mess my wages up so I looked at my three children who I have to drag with me when they are on school holidays and really thought to myself is this worth it!

When I got home though, the first thing I did (well actually second, I had a cuppa straight away) was to put the kiln on. I then in between sorting the children out only managed to make three beads but it really helped chill me out. I made my first flower bud bead, a pressed long flat flower bead and a bird sitting on a branch with a cherry blossom tree on the reverse. Can't wait to see what they look like in the morning. Kiln fairies please be nice to me today!

I'll get to photographing tomorrow when hopefully it is a much better day for all.

Sweet Sunday

Well today is Sunday and I didn't get to make any beads, but we did get to go visit our friends in London and spend the day with them, their family and friends, celebrating their 25th wedding Anniversary. The weather for early April was absolutely glorious and as the planes took off from Heathrow and were swooping overhead we had a really great time enjoying the sunshine and a marvelous buffet lunch they laid on for us all, including our first BBQ food for the year!

But before we went this morning, I did manage to pull out of the kiln a little owl, a long squished focal and some spacer beads ooh and I nearly forgot a small bicone that I was practicing murrini placement on. So tomorrow after work I will get cleaning them and then get busy photographing them.

So until then and hoping you had a wonderful Sunday too I'll sign off after a very short and sweet blog, with a very tired goodbye.

Welcome!

Hello and a huge welcome to my blog and my very 1st blog posting!

I thought it about time to get with it and start the hideous task of self promotion and welcome people into my wonderful world of lampworking but phew this blogging lark is not simple to do. For example on this first posting I absolutely cannot seem to get all the fonts to stay the same! Why! This will take some getting used to I think and will be slightly frustrating till it all falls into place!

It has definitely been a scary time for me. I finally took the plunge and opened an etsy store and have actually put two sets for sale in it! For me that is a major milestone. I don't know about you, but if you are like me, you will find self promotion scary and totally unfamiliar territory!

In between going to my main job and looking after my three wonderful children and hubby my favourite thing to do is hide away in my studio and melt glass. I wish there was more hours in the day to indulge my passion for lampworking but have to settle for the odd session here and there and immerse myself in melting glass and creating beads whenever I can.


Here are some of my current beads:and........So again a huge welcome into my world and I hope you enjoy reading my adventures in the wonderful world of lampworking and the odd tale of parenthood and life in general.

Take care for now x