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Welcome to my wonderful world of handmade lampwork beads and handcrafted jewellery .

I enjoy making handmade beads that are not mass produced and have that original feel and look. As my beads are not mass produced not every bead is the same and can vary ever so slightly . This is why I feel excitement each time I melt glass as each time is like the first time. Any imperfections are stated in my descriptions so buyer please be aware .

Enjoy looking at my beads.
It is our imagination that lets us create these wonderful designs.

Friday 29 January 2010

Its Back


Its back the snow & wind , the schools have been shut and we have had a power cut, I have tried to write this page 4 times and it keeps going wrong, so you have the shortened version , I made this up whilst a power cut.

Beads came today from Red Hot Sal, Chain again I know but focals like these should be simple so you look at the bead not the breast or face I say anyway.
I have called this piece Moomin. I have no clue as to why .

This item is for sale email for details if you like my Moomin.

Thursday 28 January 2010

Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead

As promised I said when these footless tights came I would show you with my red shoes.
Ding Dong The Witch is dead !!!!!

So above is electric blue , god a reminder of the 80's with the shoes & below well I must of decided I didn't want to blend in , that's for sure. Now I know they do not go with the shoes but I did say they remind me of the wicked with having the house land on her and all you saw were her tights and shoes, her shinny red shoes. Now these are Marc Jacobs , I saw the shoe assistant wearing these shoes whilst I was shopping with my mother and I had to have them. I was good I tried them on ( they fitted like slippers ) I walked away saying I will think about it. I even came away from the Trafford Centre thinking about these shoes. I dropped my mother off at home and went back for the shoes. Now I must admit they do look good with black tights.

I shall be wearing these footless tights as a form of thermals so that my bum and belly gets covered and will be warm. However I am impressed with the bright coloured pink and black tights and shall be wearing them under my jeans ohhh laaaa laaa !!!!!

And yes I know I need to fake Tan my feet , well I would but the house is that cold the tan doesn't dry , I mean it , it takes ages if not at least a couple hours. Honest !!!

Wednesday 27 January 2010

Workspace

So I've ordered a table so that I am not packing away each night or moving from room to room & making this teenie tiny house a constant mess. Every day living can do that.

So in the multi function sunroom that is storing all the bulky furniture because our sofas cannot fit through the doors and there is no room as in the lounge we have all the conservatory furniture from our old house in there ( sofa & arm chair , book cases, tv cabinet ) and the list can go on. I have enough lamps as The Husband pointed out to light Blackpool. I agree and if we were staying in this house then I WOULD have a clear out, but the jury is out at the moment , this was supposed to be a holiday home that has turned into our permanent home , so we have 2 houses in one now with all its furniture. Are you still following ??? I am also not sure whether I can stay here in Shetland ( homesick when it hits IT hits Hard and can last for weeks ) I am ok at the moment but it is an awful feeling. So if we stay we either knock done and build, move to another house , a bloody bigger one or move over to the Mainland of Shetland. But I have to settle first as I am at the see saw stage at the moment and not sure which way its gonna go. So my logic thinking is keep all the furniture until we decide then if we move into a bigger house we have all the stuff and won't cost money to get new again. Save that money for beads, bags and shoes ( shhh ) !!!

So back to the little space I have created for myself. I had decided to put myself between the toilet and our office , but The Husband suggested the sunroom and I have took him up on his suggestion however I wish he had mentioned it before because I would have got a bigger table as the space he has suggested is bigger , but no matter the fact I shall have my own creative workspace that I can leave will be a big plus. The drawback now is The Husband & The Son has started building model planes so the kitchen table is back to being a craft table again !!!!! So we will need a bigger house to use as a craftroom for all , now that's an idea all spending time together doing crafts. In a millions years I never thought that's what we would all end up doing and doing it together or in the same room as well , and that makes my heart grow warm thinking about.

Monday 25 January 2010

My Snood



So this is my snood I think that's what the talented Angelia Laurie calls it, she is a friend on the Island that makes these beanies & snoody type things, 4 years she has being doing her course . I have never suited hats having curly hair it always looked awful. When I saw Angelia Laurie with her hat and her curly red hair she convinced me to come and have a try. So I did and I still was not sure but I still bought one as they were that Lushish I had to have one, then after a good few months I put it on to go shopping and was hooked, love it plus I don't have flat hair afterwards I can get away with it and it keeps my head warm . Plus if I am having a bad frizz day I know I can stick this on to go out. We went to the pics to see Sherlock Holmes & I had my first restaurant curry since last August , very nice if not rushed as we had a ferry to catch . The joys of Island living.
Although I did wake up with a banging headache this morning and was wondering because I have not had takeaways or restaurant foods for that long and have detoxed my body from that enjoyment weather it affected my body in that way. I hope not otherwise that will be another pleasure gone. Bloody Hell.

Saturday 23 January 2010

Ooopps I forgot !!!



I have just gone onto Beads & Beyond Mag website to subscribe , Not done that bit yet as my arse is stuck to the chair so cannot get details to pay for subscription but I will get round to it when my lardie arse moves. Anyway whilst i was having alook at the 30 pairs of earrings for Valentine. it hits me oh God its that time of year and I had forgotten all about it. Because we don't do that day I had forgotten that other people actually do. Here's me getting all excited about creating things for spring and summer that I forgot about Valley Day. So I have a pair of Bet Lynch pink earrings that I copied out of a Jewellery Book to see if I could make other peoples designs instead of making up pieces from the old noggin. Now before I here yuk !!!! They were out of a published Jewellery Book not my design. However although I would never wear them I do feel very protective over these earrings and I know they will end up in a loving and caring home. !!!!

So for all you romantics out there above is this heart piece I did about last October I think, The heart is by Josephine Wadman with Swarvoski and is on Stirling Silver Chain, this necklace has ben sold but it was and is a lovely feminine piece to wear.

However The Husband says my heart is like this below:


I made this for myself and wear it all the time so maybe it is true what he says. The heart is by Glittering Prize, Trudi oh Trudi again. I just love my black heart. So that's what I shall be wearing Valley Day in our household.

Summer Days Drifting Away oohhh awhhhh !!!

Summer Days Necklace :

Does the title sound familiar , for those who don't know ( Grease ) . Summer Loving and all that. God I loved that film , I was 3 when it came out and so my mother said all I did was sing those Grease songs. My voice still has not improved.

So I put this focal (Glittering Prize ) on ribbon . I am not to sure so I am gonna be the Ginny pig and try it out, so far for all the 5 Min's I was wearing it, it was very very comfy. I think it will be even more comfy on the neck in the summer with a nice vest top , bangles , wedges & yes you have guessed it the old jeans. what would we do without our jeans, our lifeline to comfort whilst classy.So whilst the weather is still poor & shitty. I got this focal and it has cheered me up so much if I enjoy wearing it I'm gonna keep it. It has made me smile .

Question to all of you who read my bloggy. :

When you make your designs do you have a person , an outfit an occasion in mind. Do you find by the end of making up your piece you tend to want to keep it for yourself ? Or are you one of those who can just put together a piece without even thinking about it . Viola !!!! Its done and looks perfect. Or spend hours thinking, choosing , trying different things then getting frustrated when a number of things work and then you cannot decide what to go with .
What type are you !!!!

Friday 22 January 2010

Wind !!!!! Again !!!!!

Not me personally having wind . No the Wind outside. If I could take a picture of the wind I would, just so you could see the force. I expect like alot of many people up here they had a disturbed nights sleep depending on the position of your house. Our garage roof rattles , as the bedroom is next to the garage we can here that all night long, you know the south west & east wind by the rattle of the garage roof. You also know the direction of the wind by which part of the house is cold. Today its the office, WC ( OMG cold toilet seat ) bathroom , kitchen and sunroom. so its a south west / east wind . Lovely . Before I moved up here I never took notice of the direction of the wind. In Manchester it was a windy day and that was it, your house was either warm or not, your hair either got blown to bits or not. Living up here totally different, direction of the wind depends on whether the rain can get into your house, whether your house is warm or cold, whether your car door blows off or even house door hinges . Whether or not you can get off the island because of the ferry's and the wind direction and force. The list is endless. So I have thought of the poor people on this isle today in this driving rain and wind , out feeding there animals and I do not relish going out in this wind myself to pick up ( bratty ) The Son later. His social life schedule today is finish school 2.15 , Dodgeball 2.30 till 3.15 then today hair cut at 3.30 . 6.30 football til 8pm then onto youth group until 10pm. Parents schedule do tea, clean up then TV where is our social life ?? Non bloody exsistant thats where !!!!

Wednesday 20 January 2010

Its a bit blowy out there !!

Weather Forcast : Bloody Windy & Ruddy Cold, enough wind to blow you over & they forcast stronger by the weekend.

So 2 of The Girls have been clipped, well I scalped them by getting rid of all their feathers and skirt bit underneath. They have had summer cut early. Yes they have doggie coats that I will put on them when we go out but it takes an age to dry and cleaning them everyday can take up to 2 hrs by the time we do shower and blow dry. Bella is last to do , my god she is the worst does not keep still so I will really have to be in the mood to fight and do her. Plus I am in the garage and its freezing in there !!!! Piss pot anny at the moment is running past The Girls trying to get Bella to chase her , fat chance Bella's in her toy basket head stuck in seeing what she can get out and leave for me to pick up later. I will be making some stuff up soon , I have lost some mojo what with all this bleak weather I have become stuck. Plus I want a workspace doing somewhere in this teeny tiny house where I can stop and leave it instead of having to pack it away all the time. Same with the beads I want to put them where I can get them. So gonna speak to the husband about a work space. Wish me luck !!!!

Tuesday 19 January 2010

Space " The Final Frontier "

We started watching the new Star Trek , The Son and I yesterday but The Son got a phone call to go play footy for an hour so I got to be Taxi. Good job we stopped watching I was crying within the first 10 minutes . Don't ask I am pathetic I know it wasn't even that sad. So we continued today after his squash ( busy little bee isn't he ). In the what is called the sunroom because that's where all the sun does go in this house and the part of the house that The Husband fixed from all the leaks . So watching this film with 3 Cocker spaniels and piss pot anny on me . I am only one person yet they certainly made themselves comfy, sod the human , as long as the were comfy eh. Did I enjoy the movie oh yes worth watching again especially if you remember watching Star Trek as a kid and then the spin offs. We are off this Sunday with the other Silly Moo and her husband to watch Sherlock Holmes, better be bloody good to get me off the island if the winds are up ( ferry journey & sickie icky bag please ! )

Also Trudi from Glittering Prize told me about tights with NO FEET today , so I am gonna have a look later not because I am tall but because although thermals are great I need bottoms that cover my belly and arse to keep me warm. I wonder if I can get some bright colour pairs like emerald green or fuchsia pink or some with spots to brighten up this bleak winter. So I have ordered 2 pairs , pink & black stripes and bright blue yes I have give you the right info and no it will not be a classic look. I will look like the dead wicked witch that Dorothy lands her house on in The Wizard of Oz. Ohhh Ohhhh Ohhhh I have the red shoes , when the footless tights come I will take a pic with the red shoes for you all to have a good laugh. Will get The Husband to take the photo or beg him too more like. I will look sassy not stupid , I am convinced of it. If not just look at the red shoes.

Monday 18 January 2010

To Book or not to Book

The book has arrived in today's post, shed loads of mail as the postman told me today no post on Saturday as no Ferry's to our island were running, that means no milk and very little bread was in the shops on Saturday. So Saturday gone we were an island, Fucked basically if you were going somewhere on the mainland or if there was an emergency you would not have got off. The thing is though even as an outsider you knew by the strength of the wind Friday afternoon that all plans you had made if you were either going out Friday or Saturday needed changing there and then. It was either go a day early or not go at all. Battern down the hatches as they say and more weather like that is coming our way again later in the week , JOY oh JOY.

Anyway back to the book , its called for all you know it alls out there. " Making Glass Beads " by Cindy Jenkins. I am on page 20 already and yes I am confused but as a would be learner I am expecting it was like that for all you learners to be confused , daunted and excited all at the same time. I want the torch , I want those safety goggles I want to be that woman from flash dance. UMMM well no not really but somewhere near that.

Sunday 17 January 2010

Winner !!!!

So on New Years day I opened my email and in the spam folder there was an email saying competition winner, well I hope fellow mailers you are like me and anything in the spam folder you trash it and do not open it. So that's what I did. Until this evening I go on Halo beads and see the name Caron Fountain and think that name looks familiar, it looks like the spam email. So I go on her competition page for December and there's my name . Yeah !!!! So a big Thank You to Caron Fountain.

Friday 15 January 2010

Winter Blows

To the right is a massive lentil by Josephine Wadman :

After having seen this lentil I am reluctant for it to be sold, but it must, it must. Again on chain as I am finding myself whilst having made a few necklaces like this for myself that during the Winter and you have on your knitted jumpers on how easy it is just to pop the necklace over your head and instantly a piece of jewellery has changed your outfit. No messing with lobster clasps or extention chain.

This could be worn with a lovely cosy jumper , jeans or trousers with warm comfy , sexy boots ( Kinky Boots ???) bag of course to match lentil .

Weather update for this bonny island, Bloody Cold & VERY I mean VERY windy, they are expecting gales force winds again tonight, I am even leaving the hens in today's otherwise they might blow off its that bad today.


This is the other ( back ) side of the lentil. It has texture and a nice substantial weight to it.

Wednesday 13 January 2010

Winner !!!!






Look what came today , yippee the Focal Bead I won in December from Annelyse Taylor. Do you like ? I do very much and cannot wait to have a go making my own.


Also below I did remember to do myself a glass of wine and lemonade last night instead of hot chocy. Did I enjoy it , No. So back to the hot chocy tonight !!!!! So The Son will be pleased.

Tuesday 12 January 2010

Coastal Retreat

I decided I did not like the other Coast Bracelet , Too much detail. So to show the beads as I wanted as the main feature I decided to put these beads on 2 light weight chains. Nice and simple and I think shows off the beads alot better than before, not so busy .

However I do not like the fact that all I seem to have in the back of my mind is " I need to make something " and " Beads beads beads bloody beads " Addictive is causing my brain to hurt as all my ideas are merging , I then forget what I want to do , its ridiculous it really is.

But I am far happier thinking about beads rather than how homesick I feel at the moment. I had a good day on Saturday I thought its nice I can live here. Then Sunday morning and I wake up to this dread I have in the bottom of my stomach and its like " what am I doing here " " I want to go home " So since Christmas Eve I have had one good day and about 3 sodding weeks of this feeling in the pit of my stomach. I am hoping that as the mornings start getting lighter and the days last longer I can overcome this feeling , I really do because not feeling settled is not much fun, not when other members of your family are doing better than you as it gives a even more pressure that you should fit in and that your just being silly. So tonight I am having a small amount of wine with lemonade as I am a serious lightweight concerning drink instead of the hot chocy tonight. Much to the disgust of The Son as I will not be in routine of hot water bottle then hot chocy duty. Thats of course if I remember to have the wine in the first place.

Monday 11 January 2010

Kaleidoscope & Coast Away

Kaleidoscope Necklace :

Focal bead by Cheeky Cherub. This is a very funky set of beads that bring colour to these winter months and a very different to your normal bumpy focal bead. I have added swarvoski crystals to this design to add some sparkle when the sun shines.

I just love these beads and will do more of these as they are so versatile to wear with either day 0r evening wear.

Coast Lentil Necklace

This is the last of the Coast beads , I love this design , nice and light for the summer to wear around your neck. There is something about ribbon that is so feminine and sexy, something I feel us women struggle with in today's society.
take me I love the 1940's look , the dresses , the tailored suits, the shoes and accessories they wore. But can you get me to wear a dress , no ! I wear jeans I rarely put on anything other than jeans except for special occasions and that is not very often. When I do I feel stupid , I might look nice and secretly when I look in the mirror I think you don't look too bad & you feel sort of sexy but to wear it all the time, my god that's a no no. People say Oh where you off too or you must be going somewhere nice. Maybe its because I am not confident enough within myself self to wear such nice clothes everyday or maybe it is not practical to where that type of clothing anymore. That fashion in the end does dictate what you wear and in what season or year you wear it in.

So anyway back to the Necklace, I could see this being worn with a nice plain dress maybe fifties style with the shirt a bit fuller , with of course mid - high heeled shoes and bag & gloves to match. ( Grace Kelly look ) .But of course that's my own input you would of course choose your own style to wear this piece with.




Saturday 9 January 2010

Ice Rink

Quick update for today nothing to do with beads, its about our Ice Rink yes you heard right we have our very own Ice Rink. Our drive has become an Ice Rink since this morning. We meaning The Son and I left @ 9am this morning to go over to mainland Shetland to do the BIG shop. It look beautiful over on the mainland, untouched snow , clear main road , frozen Lochs . I have been feeling extremely homesick over Christmas and New Year and I still in many ways want to go back to Manchester. But a calm crossing on the ferry so I wasn't Icky Sicky today and beautiful views made my homesickness pass for a while. It was when we got back and going down our long drive / road we started to slip and slide. The car was under control until we got to our small slope that goes down to the house & CLOSED gate that the car developed Ice Skates and would not stop. I'm shouting to The Son " THE GATE , THE GATE " he cannot get out the car to open the gate as the car is still moving towards it next minute , BASH the car hits the gate, the gate opens with the forces then bounces back and hits the damn car again . All the time I'm thinking OMG the car front is damaged. We come to a halt The Son gets out checks the car and gives the thumbs up that the car and gate are still intact. Thank God. So our driveway is only to be used with Ice Skates until further notice.

Friday 8 January 2010

So above Emerald Hearts :

And Daisy Daisy :
I was a busy girl last night , I was like a factory and really enjoyed make these up, even if Piss Pot Anny decided she wanted to sit on my lap playing with the beads, causing myself to have a backache , she did not care, she was warm whilst entertaining herself. Joy . Beads are by Lush Lampwork.

Polka Dottie Earrings Above :
Below Iced Polka Earrings :
These I also made up last night they came from Glittering Prize the beads, lovely and light and not to be for those that do not like big Bet Lynches in your ears.

Above are Talisman Earrings

These beads are from Flying Bead in the Lake District. Slightly bigger beads but not heavy for the earlobes, I just love her designs, these I think are for the grown ups ! So that counts me out then !

So forgot to take camera to the Loch whilst walking The Girls again, 1/4 of the way around I slipped on the arse not on snow but on water that had melted then refroze, you would think my girls would stay with me wouldn't you. NO is the answer to that, they saw where I was barked and ran off in glee. They took their chance and went for it . I gain control over two but you should know by now the other one decided even if I lower my voice give a command , her tail wags even quicker and she pisses off once again. Inside her head she must be thinking , that strict commands being boomed out by that silly looking moo must mean the other two mutts , not me oh no she could not be possibly calling me.

Thursday 7 January 2010

Above Winter Calls Earrings :

The beads were left over from the set I got from Lush Lampwork. The Bracelet I made for myself for Christmas Day ( Photo on Flickr ) was too big using all the beads so on Christmas morning I adjusted it and reused these beads.

These are what I have started to make with the Coast Beads that came from Annelyse. As it was so could up here I decided to get cracking with the Spring / Summer Collections. These are not heavy at all & and show alot of detail when looking in person. I have done both sets on Stirling Silver . Might attempt the Bracelet & Necklace later if my hands do not drop off with the cold or I have a meeting to go to with the school as Shetland Council are planning to change the Education system up here and what they have come up with is non too pleasing , what I would like to call them I cannot it would mean lots of bleeping and ***** .

So this morning I ventured out as The son was back into school today so I took The Girls round the Loch near us. Peaceful & quite is all I can describe the snow was still in force , the Loch was frozen over , so a disobedient dog ( Bella ) does tend to make you heart race when she walks round the edge, she might get cocky and walk further in so that kepted my heart racing. The other two were very good for once I had total control over 3 dogs. Cleaned out the hens, god, they are filling out , they need to start earning there keep by laying some ruddy eggs. But I won't in these Winter conditions, I'd want a ruddy heater put in the hen house with a cosy blanket till Spring. I think that's when they start laying again.

Wednesday 6 January 2010

School Bloody Closed

When I went to bed last night snow was falling I looked at the hen house and thought NO School Tomorrow . At 7.02 am this morning I get a phone call from one of the mums up here to say School is Closed, we have a severe weather system rota up here where a chain of people ring each of the mums to let them know school is closed rather than the head or deputy head or parents ringing the school to check. And today proved that the system works . 10 outta 10 for Whalsay doing that I was really impressed it meant I didn't have to wake The Son and I could go back to bed for another hour.

The Son went out sledging again with friends a parc or two away, he rang 2 hrs later asking if I would put a hot water bottle on for him after his shower to get warm because his feet were like rocks he said. In fact he begged for the hot water bottle and as any nice mother would do it was ready and waiting along with dry clothes when he got out the shower. Snow I think has started again Bella ( Dog ) came in before covered in flakes. We will not find out til tomorrow whether or not school is open until we get that chain call again, I know how fab having such a system and that it works.

I made up this evening 2 earrings that I will post tomorrow as its too cold in the kitchen to set up the display to take the photos.

Tuesday 5 January 2010

One Step Closer


We got another step closer to getting the website up and running, the other Silly Moo and I got together this afternoon to take photo's of left over stock that did not sell before Christmas. The display was a cutting board covered in white napkin or white fishnet cover that was used for the other Silly Moo wedding , holding that up was The Husbands knife block, nice what we have to do to set up displays . I just hope that when she uploads the photos they turn out ok . This is not the first attempt at taking photos our deadline was before Christmas, well that came and went, unforeseen circumstances held us up so getting it done now is pretty much good going for the both of us.

Anyway we are gonna have a play with clay see where that leads us, dirty most likely and I've ordered a book on making beads that I cannot remember the name of but when it comes I shall let you know. I shall be looking at courses on the mainland for Lampwork Beading as well, even just to try to see if we get that beading bug. I really would like to give it a try. So who knows the old safety goggles over glasses look might come into fashion in the Shetlands.

Beads are from Cheeky Cherub Designs. Lush they are Lush , Lush Lush

Sunday 3 January 2010

For The Mother in Law

So the Decs are down & I am trying to clean & sort the house , ready for the New Year ahead. Trying is the word. I keep stopping going out the room, so I am not in the mood toady so will have another go later when The Husband has left to get the ferry to go down South. Speaking of going down South , The Mother in Law mentioned she wanted a pair of earrings , knowing she does not wear them I did not make any for Christmas, but it came up that she would either where Gold, ( Don't Do ) or Silver ( She's in luck ) . But she did not want dangle ones or heavy so as The Husband was leaving I made these up just in case she likes either.

So above are Annelyse Taylor Beads well spacer beads from her Coast Collection , I used theses as they are not heavy for the Old Earlobes. But will she like ? , that is the question.

These Beads are GlitteringPrize.co.uk made by Trudi. Again nice and light for the earlobes. It's very hard trying to make stuff for Mothers & Mother in Laws , as 90 per cent of the time they may or may not like it. It could go either way. And I find as I am getting older I myself are turning out that way also . My nose goes up if I don't like something, as I am now in my Thirties I have found I am getting very fussy , quality not cheap crap we would put up with in our Twenties. And most of all I find myself saying things to The Son that my mother used to say to me as a child . So poor old son is doomed as he gets older when thinking of what I would like, or maybe because he's a son and not a daughter he will not care as much, he will leave it for his wife or girlfriend to panic over every time something has to be chosen for The Old Mother that I will become.

Friday 1 January 2010

Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL !!!

Yeah !!! I must mention a Thank You to Annelyse Taylor as I have won her prize draw & a focal bead it's lush and plush . I was so shocked this morning when I had a look on her website, I went all giddy and showed The Husband , look my name is mentioned , look I've won something , so when its arrives I shall take a pic and put it on for you all to see.