Back to Beading

For those who don’t know (I moan about it often enough!), I am a slave to back pain, and have been for the last twenty years. It’s been especially bad the last few weeks, so I haven’t been able to get much done in the shed 😦 So without access to hammers and blowtorches, I’ve been playing with beads and made these bracelets. Something I can do on a tray on my lapped while propped up by lots of cushions!

These ended up being a bit weather related – I’m lucky to have a big picture window which gives me a wonderful view up the Rhondda Valley, and we often just sit and watch the weather roll in.  By weather, I usually mean rain, this is Wales after all!  I had recently acquired some lovely hand made glass beads, so decided to make these pretty bracelets…

Droplets of glass hang from this pretty silver plated chain which measures 18cm (7") plus an extender chain. The beads have a grungy monochrome colour scheme, off-whites and cloudy greys contrast with distressed blacks and metallics highlighted by bright flashes of shiny silver. Thunder and lightening for your wrist, perhaps?

Just £12 with free postage, you can buy it here:  Grungy Monochrome Beaded Bracelet

Sunshine on a rainy day gives you a rainbow 🙂 Just in case the weather doesn't oblige, why not wear your own personal flash of brilliant colour? Lovingly handcrafted in a purple shed in the heart of the Rhondda Valley, each individual glass bead hangs from a high-quality silver plated chain which measures 7 1/2" (19cm) plus an extender chain.

Just £12 with free postage, you can buy it here: Rainbow Beaded Glass & Silver Bracelet

I was lucky enough to find some very pretty lace when I was out and about with Liz in the week, so I thought I’d share that with you too!  Some will be incorporated into a couple of Steampunk projects we have on the go, so do come back and see just what we do with it!

Quite an impressive array of vintage lace!

Hoping for it NOT to be Grim Up North.

Well, I’m heading north for a few days to see my mum. One of the aunties very kindly gave us a voucher for a pampering, makeover and photoshoot day, so we’ve finally plucked up the courage to go.  It’s not that I’m scared of cameras, I just never know how to arrange my face! So I’ve chosen my five outfits (with the help of the very marvellous Liz), picked as many Spiny Sharkly Things to go with them as I can, and added a significant proportion of my shoe collection.  Watch this space!

The very marvellous Liz, taking a break from cackling.

Spooning

My lovely friend Liz has been having a bit of a clear out, and came across a couple of EPNS mustard spoons that were sadly lacking their handles 😦  I had been on a half day Murano glass workshop in Llantrisant at the beginning of the year, and had a couple of beads going begging – the red one handily had a hole that didn’t go all the way through, and I’d been a bit stumped as to what to do with it! The purple bead had a full complement of holes, so a white CZ sits sparkling at the end of that one.  I just hope she likes them as much as I do!

Diadem Envy

I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2 today with my lovely friend Liz, and as always I paid great attention to the props, clothes and shinies! I would love to be able to make something like this, the Diadem of Ravenclaw…  Perfect attire for the school run, don’t you think?