They think its back

Last year Tilley had a massive Tumor that needed her to have her spline out as that is where it was attached. She has been ill again and today we found out they think it is back. So it is a case of more tests and an endless pocket of cash ( CC ).

One thing I am certain of is that if there is an hint of pain , I will not be putting her through it just for our families benefit . I love my baby and sometimes that might mean letting them go . So fingers crossed its not as bad as they fear.

I have started

This is Multi Glass which when struck brings out all the wonderful colours .

These are some of the selection of green I got so that I could work with each glass and note down any problems or what I liked and did not like using.

I have started with the log of all glass colours

We have

CIM Dirty Martini 

                                                               CIM Peacock Green

CIM Soylent

Effetre Pea Green

                                      

I feel this is going to be a never-ending task. One I hope I will enjoy lots and lots. Plus an excuse to buy glass.

Many on glass forums I have found like to make lists and catalogue their glass even to the degree that it is all in order in their workshops. However there are those who don't. Wonder which group you are in . You are already can guess what group I am going to be in !!

More of the same, but people keep wanting them

Yes that's right I make some up for myself they sell and then I get more requests for them. So whilst people are asking for them I am gonna make them. They do take a while as all the beads are handmade , no mass produced here !

 This is my attempt at just being freestyle. I was making a heart but I liked the way this glass was melting and the shape it was forming into. So I popped it into the kiln. Not to every one's fancy , but hey why not try something different . I did .

This heart below then took me an hour to make , please does this time reduce when making hearts? Do we get any quicker !!!! Purple Silver Blacky type glass I think. It had no label ! Bad Me .

As the husband would say " Black Hearted B "  

Le Tardis is on its way

So I have finally ordered the shed I will be moving my lampworking and jewellery stuff into . After Xmas of course !!!

I am moving out of the box room. Although it is nice and warm I am easily distracted and I do not really have enough space . I cannot believe I said that but also the cats are giving me a heart attack every time they decide they want to jump up when the torch is on. I mean WHY WHY do they do it. DO they want burnt fur I mean honestly really their timing is just pants . Then they just look at me from the other side of the torch glowing with their smiles , yes you heard right they are smiling because it is not enough that they have central heating back, the want it hotter by sitting just far enough away from the tip of a burning torch.

So they are the reasons why I want to create my very own space !!!!! Not a boring space no I am not doing that oh no . I am gonna go full hog and decorate " Le Tardis "" . Watch this space !!!! You might however be waiting a while I need the hubby to do it all .

New for me

I took a chance on these Ivory and Gun Metal spots. I have made the beads bigger as well and they turned out. A mega plus for me as I am in the spare room at the moment with only other houses and concrete to look at. .

As I like the glass multi colour the other day and how it turned out. I must have used it right for once and not heated the snot out of it . I saw the colour effects really show in these beads below. These babys will make some good xmas presents. 

Clear frit came today so I shall have some fun with that soon as well as Pastel Green Copper Red & Green Rosato . I need some Autumn or Winter colours to play with now.

A bug up my arse

I have not posted a thing for a while , however I have been rather busy. Whilst moving back to SUNNY OLD MANCHESTER for a number of reasons . I am determined to change a few things so we have not just come back to the same old routine and install some things that has changed us for the better since living in the Shetland Islands.

Week one - We unpacked the whole house in a week. Plus changed a few rooms regarding furniture and what these rooms will be used for. Also we had family stay the weekend ( yeah ).

Week two - Office has been sorted and I am now going through all paperwork and making folders that I understand again. Something that has not been done in a long while and needed a good old tackle. A bit like an overgrown garden that's what I needed to do with the office. Plus that has had a good old change as well.

On a personal note I am up early, showered and have MAKE UP on most days. So I no longer smell or have that dragged through a hedge backwards look anymore. Positives moves in these two weeks although some habits are alot harder to break. I have seen a pair of shoes that are screaming at me . They however have not got my size ! ( Bugger ) . I was very good to cover my ears whilst these shoes were screaming at me , I can still hear them now.

As for bead making I had a session last night and a new Le Tardis is shortly on the horizon . Also a jewellery party in Oxford and more planned for next year. So busy busy busy.

I'm Home

Just a quickie , WE ARE HOME . But I have no broadband yet .

Been Delayed

Yesterday's weather has put us behind by a days travel. Both Northlinks are in Aberdeen and nothing is in Lerwick so we are delayed until Wednesday evening which is the longer ferry . Am I happy uhhhh no not really but the friend is showing signs of labour , however I expect it will not pop out before we go.

Nearly There

So we had our turn at cards night & leaving do in one go on the 2nd oct before Hubby had to go away again. If we had enough room we would have invited alot more people that we wanted to but there is only so many we could get round the card table. These are the oldies without these people around the table I do not think I would have managed these past few months. They have looked after me & Jack in ways that I will never be able to repay whilst the husband has been back on mainland England . I can never say Thank You enough especially to the Marshalls those months where I did not even want to get out of bed let alone feed myself . Dr Marshall & Mrs Marshall saw me at my very worst and continued to give me their support . Made sure that my son and myself were ok everyday . I love them loads. 

So below is card night !

Pregnant Lady , adopted dog & husband

A very good night had by all.

So the loft got emptied today. And there was me thinking I nearly had everything packed ready, well nearly everything. I have packed up my glass ( a tear in my eye ). I am beginning to feel upset, not so much at leaving this house that has never become my home but the friends we have made and the one friend who is due her baby today , it is showing no signs of coming out either so I am gonna miss the birth. Plus the fact I am leaving them behind as well. Not long now though so better carry on packing !!

Good as Gone

No , not us yet. The Bracelet and earrings I made yesterday have gone already. I made the beads after not having chance to get to the torch for ages I made sure I had a chance to play with the new colours before I packed it all up ready for M Day. After managing to make them up within an hour they were gone by someone popping in for a cuppa and seeing them on the side. 

So trans grey & fossil glass colours used. A very nice autumn combo ready to be put together again.

This set was made a while ago and has been collecting dust as I have not had chance to take pics before now. 

Fossil , ivory together and trans grey that I made yesterday.

A week tom is M Day . Am I ready to go ummmmm no !!! Still loads to do but you never know I might get there just in time.

I am so Proud

I am so proud of my husband . Below his picture made the front cover of this . Need I say anymore .

Mica Powder & Cool Glass

The postie had the cheek to put a note in the mail " Sorry I missed You " and I was in. Bloody cheek could not be bothered to open the gate more like and check.

Anyway caught him thank god and got this glass

Cool Kiwi

Blueberry Marble

Fossil Dark

Strawberry Shake

Laguna Blue

This is what I made with some of those colours .

I also had a play with 2 of the Mica Powder colours.

Below is orange glass different shades & mica powder glitter copper red

Then I made some Blueberry Marble with Pearl Glitter

And the white glass with Pearly Glitter Mica Powder.

I was a kiddie in a toyshop playing with these little delights yesterday

Autumn Leaves

I wanted to make something to cheer myself up , so with yesterdays oranges in mind I made a simple bracelet as I find that goes with most things you wear. And this is what I put together with the beads.

Autumn Leaves Bracelet.

These remind me of the colours that leaves turn as they are dying . Beautiful shades of browns, reds, golden , and orange. Yes I did make something today to cheer myself up.

A Productive Day

After my thoughts and decision on what Lampwork road I am going to following I made this lot. It is still a bit tame but I had no plan of what I was making I just went with the flow and decided on colours with every bead I was making. Whatever I fancied having a go at. This is what came out of the kiln. I did see some of the shades of Orange I used have either come out pinkie or red !!!!!! So you really never know what colours you will get from one day to the next.

I still like my polkas though. I wonder if I will ever get past that stage of liking spots.

I have come to a decision

After a lady known as Tan put a post on the beading forum ' When is a bead not a good bead '. It got me thinking what I think is a perfect bead and really what road I want to take with my lampwork journey.

Many and most of us as newbie Lampwork Artists want to make that perfect bead to get to the standard of those that have been making these beads for years. The ones we bought before we started this journey , the ones we still have in our beading draws. The artists we only wish we were when they put their beads on display as they have such detail , such precision . They are round, square, uniform , they are in sets , they are in all Perfect. But to the artist that made them, are they ??? And now that I have started making my own beads, do I want and will I make that Perfect bead.

So since this post was put on the forum I have been thinking alot about what I want to achieve at this stage and I think I have come to a decision. Yes I want in the future be at the standard that I can make a set of beads that have that much detail it is not messy and it is uniform at every stage , to have that perfect lentil shape , to do a round ball bead , to have a heart that looks like a heart.

However I have decided I am going to enjoy making whatever I can. These past 2 days I have mainly been making focals free form on the mandrel, which means I have not been using a press. If I have, I have left chill marks from the press because I liked the texture. As long as my beads have no sharp edges I have gone with the flow and just enjoyed the process. Not everything I have made I have liked the outcome but sometimes I have been surprised at what has come out of the kiln. I am a messy artist I enjoy making a bead that has a bumpy side , that has different dimension's , that is not uniform . I get bored making sets that are the same. I want to show its rawness , its flare. It may not be every ones 'cup of tea' . But surely if it was wouldn't it be boring ?

Got the shakes

Cuba PartyThis is either Heat Wave or Hot Salsa , one of the two .

Green Salsa
Cool Salsa
Autumn Berries

So even though I have the shakes & extreme gut ache I made these over the weekend

Earrings made from beads

Minktasic Earrings made on stirling silver ear wires and swarovski crystals .

Polka Me Black Earrings made on stirling silver ear wires and swarvoski crystals.

Baby baby blue earrings made on stirling silver ear wires and swarovski crystals.

Autumn Days Earrings made on stirling silver ear wires and swarovski crystals.

New Colours to Play with

Nice for a wedding . If I had one to go to that is. I made these from Pearl Beige Reichenbach

I found I actually thought they were very feminine and liked them alot.

Below is CIM Mink made with silver & ivory stringer around the middle. A nice Autumn colour considering the drop in the temperature again.

This is the Pearl Beige again with Kaz's Kiwi Frit blend. I was surprised at how the frit turned out the next day because I tend to over heat frit and was worried that I had done the same yet again. However not on this occasion.
Below are two types of glass , but on seeing the finished product I cannot see the difference. The colours used here were CIM Grape Ape & CIM Poi . Can you see the difference ?

However I like the warm feeling it shows and glows !!!!

A few hours in

Some new colours arrived this week but I have not had the time to play properly , social life is getting in the way . Not that I mind. So I played with a colour called Mink and made these beads smaller so that as earrings they are nice and light. I have done plain and will be doing some with silver and ivory around the middle this week sometime, that is of course if I do not forget.

That Touch Of Mink Earrings

These are Unique Sepia and Kiwi Green Frit colours that made these Earrings

Kiwi Sepia Earrings
These are a transparent colour green that I had left lying around so I made them up to these

Pale Grass Earrings

Emerald Light Earrings

These beads are made up with transparent blue and light baby blue polkas . I have made this into a bracelet for those days when I am feeling blue.

They Won

It was tournament day today with my son in the footy team again. They were on home turf so it really counted that they play well today. And the rain stayed away , it was 5 degrees and very windy . The day started at 10am and finished at 3.30pm but the lads held it together and WON !!!!!! They went and ruddy won !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its the start of silly season

Yes it is the time of year where we start think about Xmas , the nearer it gets the more we panic, the more we go silly. NO THIS YEAR I say , yeah right, we shall see !

So present no 1.

Present no2

Maybe thinking about it I should wright a list of who is having what. Hmmmmmm that might take the fun out of making the beads.