Having An Amazing Week

So this week started off great with finding out Monday morning that I had won the Cookson Gold #FreebieFriday giveaway. As part of the competition I had chosen a barrel polisher and it arrived on Tuesday afternoon. You can see my post about that here.

After I posted a blog post thanking Cookson Gold on Tuesday I was told something else was on its way as a surprise so today my neighbor came in with a package she had taken in while I was out. I was so happy to find a bag of mixed metal and shape shot for the barrel polisher with a lovely note saying "I'd hate for you to have to wait to buy some, so here is some to get you started."  So thank you very much Steph, it has been a long road trying to build my workshop and this helps me move along so much.

Also this week I received my copy of Jessica Rose's book Bead and Wire Fashion Jewellery thank I had pre-ordered way back in the summer. I have really enjoyed playing around with the tutorials in the book so keep an eye out in the next few days for a post all about the book. 

And last but not least, Yesterday I went to the shop and picked up a copy of the October issue of Beads and Beyond Magazine to see my pieces I made for the designer challenge. You can see my post with a larger photos here. 

Designer Challenge in Beads And Beyond Magazine

I took part in the bead soup challenge for Beads and Beyond Magazine again (October 2014 issue). I love doing these challenges. I always get new things I have never worked with before and it is a great personal challenge to try and use these pieces. It also offers me a look into the items carried in shops I may never have known about or had the chance to shop in yet. 

This months challenge pack was put together by Beadsisters. Beadsisters have a huge range of rings for making chainmaille so I was really happy to find out the pack was coming from them. The pack had some great jump rings and pearls in it in beautiful colours. I made some pieces that are quite different for my style but I love how they turned out. I made three in total. 

I think my favourite piece is the necklace. Its simple and stunning at the same time. The colours of the beads that Beadsisters picked out work so well together with the colours of all the findings. Don't forget to pick up the October issue of Beads and Beyond Magazine (click here to buy online) and see what the other designers made using the same pack. 

I'm Back...

I've been quite busy lately and haven't had a lot of time to share on here so I'm back and have a few things to share in the next little while. As is always the case there are certain things I can't share until certain times but this week Beads an Beyond Magazine shared a little sneak peek inside their next issue and my bracelet was part of the collage. I took part in the October issue Designer Challenge using a beautiful pack sent from Beadsisters (they put together an amazing pack so thank you for giving me such beautiful materials to work with). I submitted three pieces bu I can only show you one just yet. 

So here is my bracelet using Czech Glass Pearls, Glass beads and Seed Beads on Memory Wire. I love the way the piece was displayed and photographed (I need to take notes here I'm not the best photographer). I can't wait to share my other two pieces so check back during the week for my post. 

You can order the October issue of Beads And Beyond Magazine here.

Getting Out Of The Creative Slump

I have been in a creative slump lately. I have plenty of ideas, that's not the problem. Its trying to get one of those ideas into a piece that has been my issue. But today I decided enough was enough and I grabbed my pile of Beads and Beyond Magazines for some inspiration. I have found in the past that following directions to a piece can get me past my slump and get some lovely pieces made. And today it worked. I came across the Saharan Sands project by Dawn Fuge in the June 2014 issue and knew I had to try it out. 

I substituted the pyrite in Dawns instructions for mixed gemstones I had in my stash. I managed to squeeze in so many gemstones into this little pendant.  

I used: 

Rose Quartz chips, 

Rhodochrosite chips, 

Freshwater Pearls, 

Labradorite chips, 

Moon Stone, 

Rhodonite, 

Jade, 

Sodalite, 

Larimar, 

Carnelian 

& Opal 

I love how the piece has turned out and if you have been visiting my blog for a while you know I love working with copper so I'm a very happy little jewellery maker today. Now to decide what to make next. 

Weekend Reading

My sister bought me a subscription to Bead-It Today Magazine for Christmas. Long story short there was a bit of a hiccup with the first issue or two but they lovely Joanna has been great and sorted everything out so quickly for me. Hey these things happen but its how a company handles problems that make them a success and I couldn't have asked for more from them. We have all experienced bad customer service somewhere in the past but I wanted to point out how great it was handled by them and say thank you. So I'm just happy that this morning I got this lovely little present in the post. I think this is my weekend reading sorted. 

Belfast Creative Craft Show

I won a few tickets to the Belfast Creative Craft Show a while ago from Beads and Beyond Magazine and today was finally the day to go. I had been once before about a year and a half ago. Belfast is about a 2 hour drive from where I live so we had a very early start today but it was all worth it. I have loads of photos to show off of everything I bought so I'm going to post them under the shop names which are linked to their websites. I have no idea what I'm going to use half of this for but I've grown my stash a bit and might have to stop myself ordering anything for a while.

Abacus Beads

Beads 4 Crafts

The Southampton Bead Shop

The Bead Wholesaler

The Lucky Magpie

Totally Beads

Oh Lovely Things Came Today

I ordered some things from Beads Unlimited last week using the £25 voucher I received from Beads and Beyond Magazine when they printed my picture last month, and today they arrived. 

I'm so happy with everything and always love the quality of Beads Unlimited products. My favourites have to be the ceramic owl beads. I have no idea how I'm going to use them yet but when I saw them I had to add them to my basket. The teapot clasps are fun looking and the toggle bar is a spoon. I did get some basics, glass beads and glass pearls but also got some new things I hadn't ever tried working with before like the large wooden heart pendants. I have a bit of an idea for those already so hopefully you will be seeing pictures of them again soon. 

I think I'm going to have a bit of fun playing with all of this today.

My Pendant in Beads and Beyond Magazine

I recently sent a picture of my copper flower pendant into Beads and Beyond Magazine. It was inspired by a tutorial in the magazine a few months ago by Joanne Tinley. I loved how it had turned out and wanted to share it and they printed it. 

I also won a £25 voucher for Beads Unlimited so I can't wait to go on a little shopping spree soon. Look out for my post when I have have decided what I want to get. 

Beads & Beyond Giveaway

Beads and Beyond Magazine are having a giveaway to celebrate when they hit 2000 likes on facebook. They will give away 5 design packs each containing a co-ordinated selection of beads and components to five fans for a mini design challenge and all you have to do is lke their facebook page to be in with a chance of winning. Click here. 

Im going to the Belfast Creative Crafts Show

I recently entered a giveaway on the Beads and Beyond Magazine's facebook page to win tickets to the Belfast Creative Craft Show and I won them. They arrived yesterday morning and I was really happy to find out I had been given three tickets.

Belfast is about an hour and a halfs drive from Dublin and I've only ever been there once before which was for the craft show as well. I'm really looking forward to it now. Roll on April.

Thank you Beads & Beyond Magazine.

Last Weeks Haul

Last week I received my order from Funky Laser and haven't had time to get the post up. I ordered another Diving Swallow and a Butterfly as well this time. I also filled my order with chains in black, antique copper and chunky silver plated. And I got some lovely little wing shaped charms which I think Im going to use mainly in earrings.






I also got some plastic colourful beads to put in the box for my little cousins to make some more bracelets and necklaces soon.




I also received a copy of Beads & Beyond magazine last week. It was the September issue which featured my Designer Challenge page. Im still so happy with how it all turned out and was shown in the photographs. Hopefully my instructions are helpful for anyone trying to create the pieces that where shown.

Designer Challenge in Beads & Beyond Magazine

Beads & Beyond magazine (that I love and get every month!) was asking a while back for applications to take part in a Designer Challenge that they run in every issue. This is normally only open to their regular designers so when I saw that they where opening it to readers I jumped at the chance and applied. I was asked why I wanted to take part and had to submit a few pictures of my work and a few weeks later I received an email telling me that I was successful.

I was sent a package containing different types of beads from Jilly Beads which is a great bead shop based in Morecambe in the UK. They have a huge range of products at great prices and they picked some lovely things to send me for the challenge. I love the beads that I was sent. There was such a variety of different types of beads in the package.

I had to make three different pieces and write up the instructions. I love the pieces I made and cant wait to wear them.

Today I went and picked up my copy of Septembers issue of Beads & Beyond Magazine and I was so happy when I saw he pieces photographed so well. (I'm not a great photographer so its lovely to see my pieces photographed so well). The other three designers Claire Holbrook, Sue Rennie and Claire Wolfe's pieces are stunning and show just how different four people can work with the same package of beads.

So don't forget to pick up Septembers issue of Beads & Beyond Magazine (my pieces are page 66) and see the challenge pieces for yourself.

I'm In Another Magazine!

I picked up the June 2013 issue of Make Jewellery Magazine today and flipping through the pages I see my tassel bracelet I made a while back. I had completely forgotten about sending it in to them so it was a great surprise to see it printed! 

I made the bracelet inspired by the Star Style tutorial in issue 48 of Make Jewellery and I love it so much I had to share my results with them. And I think they liked it too given the lovely comment they gave me "Such a stunning make, we like the contrast of the delicate bead cones and the chunky chain".