No new bead at the moment I'm afraid. I'm trying to make up as much stock as I can ready for the Somerset Arts Weeks open studio in  September. Here are some new style pendants that I'm especially happy with.

I'm off on holiday soon. So there probably won't be any new beads for a few weeks. A friend is looking after the house/cats/chickens and probably the website too so any orders should be dispatched as normal.

Sorry there haven't been any blog updates or new beads for a few weeks. I got to the first of the two speech days and then went straight down to Cornwall as it looked like the new baby was about to put in an appearance. Needless to say by the time I arrived everything had calmed down again. The new arrival kept us waiting for another two and a half days and in the meantime my daughter and I had a lovely time looking after big brother,Toby. The baby is another little boy, we are still waiting for a decision on the name, hopefully not too long now...

I've been trying to catch up a bit this week so I have just added four new sets and a focal bead to the site. Here is one of them.

Well my daughters break up from school for the summer this week. I've been trying to finish off orders for jewellery for teachers presents, jewellery for the Ginger Fig gallery in Taunton, this weeks bead order etc etc. The I have junior school speech day tomorrow and senior school on Friday, plus concert and a private view I have promised to go to tomorrow night. Actually there is I chance that I won't get to any of those events. My sister is expecting a baby any day now so I will be off to Cornwall to look after my nephew Toby while she is at the hospital having his little brother or sister.

I did have a bit of fun this morning making some earrings inspired by Stephanie Sersich's book, Designing jewellery with glass beads. If you haven't seen her work take a look at her site. http://www.sssbeads.com/index.html

Here are pictures of a couple of pairs of my earrings. 

Hope to be back with new beads soon.

It's been a busy time. Mostly making beads and jewellery but I did have Saturday afternoon off to go to a birthday party for two of my friends husbands which made a nice change. I made each of them a keyring with a goddess on, needless to say I didn't find time to photograph them. I will try and take a photo of some of the jewellery I've been working on before it goes off for sale.

I've just got a couple of hearts with spacers left to add to the site today. I will try and get some more done in the next few days.

It was my youngest daughters 11th birthday yesterday. Unfortunately for her it was also the first day of year 6 exams at school! With a June birthday I guess there is always going to be a good chance of exams falling on the same day.

Both girls play the oboe, and it was also their teachers birthday (not to mention Johnny Depp's birthday, my youngest likes to point that out to her older sister !). I made her a lovely bracelet, like the 50th birthday present but in autumn colours. Unfortunately I didn't get round to taking a photo. I am going to do another similar, so next time maybe...

It all getting really busy. In fact I am now teaching my friend to make up some of the jewellery. She fancies a change from office work and I am struggling to get time to do everything so hopefully it will work out well.

I was emailed by a lady who bought some earrings from me a few months ago. She is an image consultant and does Colour Me Beautiful. She would like to stock some of my jewellery at her studio so I am going to spend the next few days making up some samples of different styles to show her. Then I am going to visit her to discuss the colour groups that she uses. Its quite exciting.

I've got a new set of hearts to add to the site today. I will try and get a set or some focals done today, as well as some of my Hearts and Crosses order and some beads for the jewellery I need to get done.

I've made up a bracelet and pendant for a commission. They are a 50th birthday present for someone. I'm pleased with them, especially the bracelet. Lovely bright, summery colours.

I have also made up this bracelet as a birthday present for a friend of mine. Hope she likes it!

Well I have managed to get the hang of batch annealing. I wrecked the first load of beads by putting them in the vermiculite to cool too quickly. The beads all ended up lopsided, not a lot of use.

I've finished this weeks order for Hearts and Crosses. Here are some I did a few weeks ago.

Now I have lots of commissions to work on, all jewellery for birthdays this weekend or early next week!

I've been meaning to start a blog for ages but have never got round to it. I thought a new website might be the time to start. I'm not sure when the site will go on line yet, I'm waiting for the domain to switch over to Mr Site, so this could all be out of date before anyone gets the chance to read it anyway!

I've had a rather stressful week in beadmaking terms, my kiln has died and I'm not sure quite when I will be able to get hold of a new one. I was beginning to find the old kiln, an SC2, a bit small anyway so it should all work out for the best in the end. Luckily I have a fusing kiln which I can use for batch annealing in the mean time. I just need to get used to popping the hot beads into vermiculite to cool slowly without squishing them out of shape. I've got 90 beads of last weeks order for Hearts and Crosses to get done asap so I need to get the hang of it quickly!