Missing in action

Hey everyone, just popping my head around the door to see what's going on. I've been so exhausted this week, work has been very busy, and I'm really just trying to chill out this weekend.

Here's a peep at my new project - quite excited about this one so stay tuned! The netted lariat is also coming on a few inches at a time.

Right guys, sorry for keeping it short and sweet but even though it's not even 5pm, I'm struggling to keep my eyes open and really need to get started on dinner!

Reincarnating the dragon

Hey everyone, I've had a busy beading weekend this week! Makes a change I know. It all started at the beading class on Saturday morning, when we did a new variation on a twisted chain - I immediately knew I wanted it to finish my dragon bracelet and make her into a necklace. It took a bit of trial and error to get it to fasten as I wanted it to, but I'm so pleased with it.

I had originally attached jump rings and a lobster clasp but it showed a little too much - now there's just a jump ring with a beaded toggle clasp and it all goes a lot better. Here's what it looks like together, this is before I put the toggle clasp on though sorry!

I've also been productive and managed to do a temporary repair of one of my sister's necklaces, will have to re-do it when I have some gunmetal/antique bronze wire for a better match.

Have any of you heard about the Little Book of Crafters (LBOC)? It's run by Mimi down in Cornwall, UK and she doesn't charge anything for it. All you need to do is head over to her facebook page for the details. All you have to do is send a few business cards and even a few small samples if you fancy it, and they get put into little packs that are handed out at the craft events that Mimi attends! She's a seriously lovely lady I think. If you want to take part, you need to get your cards/samples posted out to her by April 15th. Have fun!

Progress is slow

Oh man have the last two weeks been rotten. Amongst being spoken to like crap at work (not by my colleagues I would like to point out!) and being shouted at by people who think it's their 'right' to an engineer being on their doorstep within 30 seconds of them phoning a fault through, I'm just feeling a bit stressed out, a bit overwhelmed, and wishing I could have a couple of days off.

Just as well it's the weekend after tomorrow hey!

I've just made the decision also to cancel my contract with BT, having had a few problems and a few charges recently on my bill for stupid things, when the contract renewal letter came through my letterbox this week I decided that enough was enough. Just got to wait for confirmation from Virgin now as to when we can get it installed... And having said that, and looking around my lounge - when we are going to have to have a huge clean up so that the engineer doesn't think we live in a total dump! Just keep telling me that this time next year I will hopefully be looking to get a house of my very own, please.

Enough with the negatives, lovely people, sorry to bring you all down with that rubbish - it's nice to have a place to vent a bit though. Good news on the lariat, I am about a third of the way through now, so at some point over the weekend when it's a little longer I'll post an update - may even start embellishing the end then do some more of the chain afterwards, we shall see.

Is it sad that I got a little excited that I now have 34 followers on Twitter? Lol - not even sure why people follow me at the moment, I don't really have much interesting stuff to say (but then why do you guys follow me on here either??) :) It's just nice to be a part of something really.

Ooh I am a bit gutted though, I've just had my MOO cards printed and now I'm cancelling my BT contract the e-mail address will be wrong after the next couple of months :( sad times. Eek, I've blabbed on a wee bit much this evening, will let you all get on with important things whilst I procrastinate over doing some housework... Have you had a look at my 'library' page yet? I'm trying to get a bit more on here to make it a bit more interesting - do you think a gallery page would be good, or too much?

Back to beading

Well, it's probably just as well we had a couple of weeks away from the bead shop as I'm right back in there buying more beads following our Saturday morning sesh today! Having just bought Beaded Allure, I thought I should stock up a little on some size 15 seed beads so have got myself 3 new tubes - hopefully they'll keep me occupied for a while!

In the meantime, one of my Christmas stocking fillers that didn't get here in time has showed up - it's a mix of 100 4mm Swarovski bicones - BIG GRINS! I was so chuffed when Jim gave them to me, they're so pretty I'm sure I'll just stare at them for a while. I just wish I could do all of my work in Swaro's, if only I had the money to.

I don't know if any of you have Twitter - I've had it for a while but didn't really 'get' it to start with. Recently, I've been spending a bit more time on there, sharing my 'tweets' and starting to find crafty/beady type folk to follow - if you are on there, do come and find me, I'm @littletreats

So who wants to see what we made this morning at our Saturday morning session? Admittedly, unlike my friend Sandra, I didn't finish it in the two hours we were there because myself and two of my other friends were too busy not concentrating, talking, and just generally messing around. If you're interested to know though, it can be done in around 1 hour 45 minutes, possibly quicker once you get going! I have a few ideas for future renditions of this piece, but if you're after the pattern it's in The Beaders Handbook 2! Russian Eyelets is the name of the pattern. I can highly recommend the magazine/book, though it does have a few bead crochet patterns which are unlikely to ever be looked at by me!

Sorry for the dark bits, I keep playing with my new scanner and am using it to scan anything and everything! I'll master the perfect jewellery scan some day...

A good start, and presents!

Woohoo, Beaded Allure and Diane Fitzgerald's Shaped Beadwork arrived today - well, yesterday but I wasn't here so had to collect them this morning. I love my collection of books, there's just so much pretty to look at.

As promised, I have started the netted chain for my lariat, here is my progress so far (slow going... darn size 11's!) The small end piece will be embellished though I haven't decided how yet - I'm sure it will come to me once I spend a few more hours finishing the chain though. What do you think to the colours? I really quite like how it's turned out so far.

I think I'm going to go through my blog roll this evening and weedle out those of you who don't post any more... Sad times I know but it's hard enough to keep up with you all as it is!

Whew, I just closed the tab and hadn't saved this but with some magical clicks managed to reopen it! Woohoo for technology nowadays... Well I think that about sums up for today, still can't show you my secret santa makes, will stop boring you with this update and just post the pictures when I can!

Off to browse new books for pretty things to make **once I have finished this lariat**...***hopefully***

Santa's coming out

Secret Santa that is. We're finally doing the reveal on Bead Buddies, and here's what I received:

A little treasure trove of goodies - I hope you're all a little bit jealous :)

I really really want to post pictures of what I made but seeing as the buddy I made for hasn't yet posted any or guessed at who made them, I can't! Fingers crossed I will be able to soon though. I'm finding it really hard to guess at who made mine, I'm rubbish at this kind of thing.

Well, intending with all good will to stick to my resolution of finishing my UFBO's, I have started a netted chain to make my beaded pendant (picture to follow) into a lariat necklace. Only problem is that I have elected to do it in size 11's and it's taking a wee while to build up - who'd have known? Ah well, as long as I have enough beads it will be worth it - sneak peek tomorrow if you're lucky.

How are your resolutions going in the early days of 2011?

craft&design Selected Awards - Sabine Little

A friend on Bead Buddies has been selected to take part in these awards, and I just wanted to share her work with you in the hope you might see how fabulous she is and hop over to vote for her :)

Copied from the competition profile:
"Sabine Little is a professional glass bead maker and lampwork artist, working from her studio north of Sheffield. Her designs are regularly featured in a number of magazines, and she is sought after as a tutor and writer. 

She is best known for her 'Alcazar' range of exchangeable jewellery, with rings and pendants where the tops unscrew and can be mixed and matched, allowing each person the flexibility to find a ring that fits and choose tops to suit. This also creates an affordable model for galleries and shops, where the ability to provide all styles in all sizes requires less stock.

She is inspired by words, lyrics and names, and the ideas, images and emotions these invoke."

(I was going to try and write my own piece until I realised I really do babble too much - perhaps something to look at in the new year...)

That's not all this lady can do though, head over to her website to see some of the beautiful jewellery, beads and find out more. What I would like to leave you with is a truly stunning piece of glass work - I can only imagine how long it must have taken to make this glass rose!

If you have a moment, please do pop across and vote here for Sabine!

My name is Laura

And I am a bead addict. I am also starting to pique an interest in doing some silver work, and to that end have been browsing Folksy randomly - just look at what I found!

"Laura" Necklace by AR Dreams

"Kenya" Ring by AR Dreams

Aren't they beautiful? I was taken by them as soon as I saw them, if only I could afford some new Sterling silver jewellery!

Also, I have been looking at ways of packaging items... Preparing for if I reach that moment this year that I really really feel ready to start selling properly, I am a bit of a control freak like that! I found a fab tutorial on making your very own personalised mailer bags that look a bit like this:

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=264781.0

I am in a very excitable mood tonight, lets hope the new year continues in this manner.

Happy new year!

Happy new year everyone, I hope 2011 brings you everything you want. I just wanted to post you all a new year wish whilst playing on my stepdad's iPad! It is truly awesome :) it has certainly been an eventful year but mostly a good one and I am hoping that 2011 will be good. New job for my husband, hopefully a new home soon, and some very good new friends that have been made.

Have a fabulous rest of the night and I'll see you on the other side!

Happy crafting
X

Closing 2010

I am closing 2010 on a good and positive note, and starting as I mean to go on, and by that I mean this bracelet which was a UFBO until 2 days ago! I originally started this piece out intending to make it into a necklace, but as they are leftover beads from another bracelet I just wasn't going to have enough so have made it into another bracelet instead. Boy does Cellini Spiral take time to build up! All in all though, I'm really quite pleased, and can't wait to get my other UFBO's out.

In other news, I hope you have been following the fabulous Margie and Me competition hosted by Marcie and La Bella Joya - if not, CLICK HERE NOW and view the beautiful pieces that have been submitted, there are still a couple more days of voting. I've put my vote in, but it was very hard!

I have also treated myself to a couple of books having had a flick through them after my friend got them for Christmas - I've been watching them, umming and ahh-ing for a few months now! Can't wait :)

Christmas Cheer!

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you have all had a fantastic and festive day - I've had a great time, and seen plenty of family, it's been lovely catching up. As I may have mentioned, my beloved hubby made me a stocking of beautiful beady goodness. Just in case you'd like a bit of an eyeful, here follow the full stash :)

I also got a lovely surprise in getting Laura McCabe's Embellished Beadweaving book from my sister! The paper was off this little beauty faster than you can say THANK YOU SO MUCH! Now I just need to find more time in the day to be able to do more beading... Any tips would be greatly appreciated. 

So how did you celebrate your Christmas Day?

Christmas Eve, Eve!

We had our Secret Santa at work today. I got THE BEST present - a fantastic-ly awesome woolly bear hat and a box of Quality Street. Love my secret santa - honestly though, still not sure who it is, but I will be wearing this hat until my head just boils over :)

All Christmas wrapping is now finished, I had a last minute dash to Paperchase (swit-swoo!) to get a couple of boxes for the last bits, but now it's all done, and tomorrow we can bring on the festive cheer because Christmas starts on Christmas eve for me and DH.

Tomorrow we are off to see DH's mum and family, Saturday is my family and Sunday is DH's dad/auntie's etc - Woop for busy family holidays. Just hope everyone's as happy with their gifts as I am with my secret santa :D On another note, it also means only 2 days 'til I get to open my beady secret santa gift - EXCITED! All will be revealed on Christmas Day don't you worry :)

Just noticed I'm very 'on' the smiley faces tonight. To be honest, I'm quite looking forward to Christmas this year and it's brilliant. I'm afraid due to all of the excitement recently I've not made any new beady type things, but my friend did like the beaded ornament that I sneakily attached to her secret santa gift... It's our little secret! Ooh AND I got to use one of my new MOO business cards for it's intended purpose of being an earring card, it looks fab, even though I say so myself - will post a pic when it's been opened and you can let me know what you think (professionally speaking...)

Hope you're all having fun getting ready for Christmas!

Christmas Wishes

View from the flat earlier this evening...

Well, it's nearly that time! I will be trying to get around all of my blogs that I follow but that seems to be far more than anticipated so if I don't make it to you, please accept my apologies and I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas.

I'm just about set now, with the arrival of my sister's present I'm just waiting for one thing in the post and keeping my fingers crossed... Especially since the snow has made such a comeback today. It was alright this morning, I went to my bead class and though the temperature was -6 it wasn't so bad - I sit at my parents for a few hours, and when I go out, the snow has covered my car and caused me to have to drive at 5mph for over half the journey because there's no traffic on the roads and my car just slips and slides... Add to that, several of the rear wheel drive cars coming past almost at right angles, and it wasn't my favourite journey ever!

Aanyway, here's what I made today - pretty little tree decorations to go on my small tree at home!

And finally, I made a little Christmas bauble for my niece, who we call Little Pig. Photos aren't brilliant, but it's quite cute :)

Well, I'm off to try and warm up! Fingers crossed the snow will be disappearing again soon...

Christmas Countdown!

Can you believe it is less than 2 weeks to Christmas? I don't know where the time has gone at all! I've managed to get my Secret Santa all packed up and now ready to go, hopefully it will arrive safe and sound. Had a bit of a faux pas with a finding and a last minute borrow from a friend - what a nightmare! Will tell you more when all is revealed after Christmas :) I'm quite excited to share as it's a first for me, having to use supplied materials.

I also invested in a pretty flower cutting stamp thing which I'm now obsessed with and have put into my Secret Santa, oh what fun and joy such simple things bring me...

So have you done all of your Christmas shopping? I think I'm almost there now, and have even written most of my Christmas cards... All that's left is to get them delivered to the recipients now ;) that's the bit I normally fail on. I just hope that my postie gets all of my mail delivered in time as there's more snow forecast, and the last bout meant no post for over 3 days! I would hate to think what the post system must be like out of town if it was that bad in the town centre...

I'm afraid as I've been finishing off my SS pieces, I don't have anything new to show you, so I will leave you with this!

Christmas Decoration Swap

The fabulous Tania Grey has made some Christmas decoration goodies in the kiln, so put them up for swap for beady baubles - now who am I to turn down such a lovely swap :) Here's my swap I'll be posting out this weekend (if the postie's ever get it to it's destination that is!)

I had to abandon my car at work last night and have my office manager give me a lift home, my supervisor picking me up this morning - wish me luck getting the little car home tonight for the weekend!

Happy crafting
x

Festival festivities

Aha, so it was announced this week the headline act for Download 2011 at Donington Park and WE ARE GOING! System of a Down are reforming and headlining, and I will not miss it for the world. For those who don't know, Download is a rock festival held here in the UK over 5 days with 3 days of music. Can't wait, just can't believe how much the ticket prices have been inflated this year - Download festival planners know we just can't resist a hook and line as tempting as System of a Down... The sinker just got sunk (and this is before any other bands are confirmed!)

Aaanyway, as I can't show you my Secret Santa piece/s, which be coming on rather well now after my little glitch, I thought I would share my first Christmas bauble! I did go out last night and purchase some gold and silver baubles so I can make some more of these pretties so watch this space, they're so lovely to do. Christmas tree presents I think - that personal touch for a not-so-wealthy Christmas that we will be having this year.

Are you planning on making your own decorations? What have you got planned?

Happy crafting!
x

Branding!

I feel like I've been a busy bee this week! I've made more progress with my Secret Santa, finished a Christmas Bauble, and now want to make more, and got plenty of housework and paperwork done. Also, you will notice everything gradually being re-branded - I finally got off my butt and made myself a simple but quite pretty (I think) logo. What do you think?

I'm having real problems at the moment with ribbon ends, and have had to resort to using a different technique for my SS - I guess some things we are just not meant for, and ribbons are not my thing.

I've also indulged the last two weeks in two of my favourite magazines, Bead & Button and Beadwork. There are some absolutely beautiful patterns in there this month, and there just aren't enough hours in the day. What's your favourite magazine?

Two items listed in my Folksy shop now, hopefully more before long - any comments would be appreciated.

Happy crafting
x

Folksy Festivities

I had the pleasure of meeting plainprimitives at a craft fair my mother in law was selling at on Saturday. I've been teetering on the edge of starting a Folksy shop for a matter of months now, and wasn't sure whether to take the plunge or not. On the promise that the tax side is not so hard, I finally took that plunge yesterday, and have listed my first item today. I'm all excited, I know it's not that much so far but I'm hoping to have a few more items to list very soon.

Also, I have taken new photographs of a chunk of my jewellery as you can see - courtesy of my mother's lovely hunk of quartz. My knees were so unbelievably stiff after an hour of shooting these pictures, but it was so worth it.

Secret Santa is coming on - Jim's out at darts tomorrow night so I hope to get a bit further with that too.

Thought I'd just share Saturday's project with you too :)

Happy crafting
x

Secret Santa

Woo, work's starting to pick up a bit now the weather's getting cold - good old heating maintenance... It's nice to get home and chill out of an evening and get down to some beading.

I got so excited this week - the arrival of my Secret Santa package for our Bead Buddies challenge turned up, and I was sooo nervous at the thought of what might be in the selection but I needn't have feared! Lovely colours and the beads are right up my street, so I have made a start. Just got to decide where I'm taking the started item... Wish I could give you guys the details but as it's Secret Santa, I can't do that until my Buddy has received and opened it! Something to look forward to ;) hopefully you'll love it - and hopefully my Buddy will too.

On another note, I took the plunge this evening and have opened a shop of Folksy - don't get too impressed just yet, I haven't listed anything, but now I have a reason to get my butt into gear and get over to my parents in daylight tomorrow to get some acceptable standard of photographs so I can get down to listing. Fingers crossed Little Treats will be up and running tomorrow evening - watch this space.

If you wouldn't mind spreading the word a bit - please 'like' my facebook fan page HERE - I'd greatly appreciate it.

Happy crafting
x

Update

Bloggers! Does anyone else have ideas to post on the blog during the day/night, but by the time you come to the screen, ready to type away, you just don't know where to begin? I've suffered this alot recently, not only with blogging but my beading, which is not good at all!

I am underway with my cuff, just chasing inspiration now - I've just got Microsoft Office this week though, and discovered MS OneNote - for the win! I'll have a designated inspiration gathering space for any project I start now. For my first cuff, I'm going for a gunmetal/black/turquoise colour scheme with the snowflake obsidian cabochons. Watch this space.

I sat and photographed my jewellery before I went out to see some old friends last night. They seemed to come out OK, but having reviewed them on screen I'm a bit gutted. It looks like daylight is my only option - only problem is, we don't have a great supply here in our flat. This is going to have to be a mission to complete at dad's when the weather's not too grim - if only my sister had just got her butt in gear, I wouldn't have to be doing it in the first place! I've also decided that I'm still not happy with my website, but I just can't afford hosting with MrSite or anything like that, as little as it may be. I think in all seriousness, I'm in no position to have an online business yet, I've nowhere near enough stock (or time). Perhaps one day.

Over at Bead Buddies we are having a Secret Santa! Everyone taking part gets a mystery goody bag and we have to use only what is in the bag to make a gift for our partner. Of course we can add a clasp where necessary. I've never done anything like this before, so I'm nervous but excited. Partners are to be drawn later this week when the bags are sent out. I hope there are seedies in mine!

I've made a decision that between now and Christmas I am going to try and finish (or pick apart) all of my UFBO's (unfinished beady objects), so that I can make a fresh start in 2011. I came across one such piece whilst taking my photographs. Having put it on the bust, I actually like it asymmetrical and think I may take off the green beads and replace them with a couple of lengths of chain - what do you think? Obviously the bottom needs finishing too.

Blimey - from no inspiration to a long blog entry - thanks for the venting space blogosphere, and if you're still reading, thank you! I would love feedback from you guys on my website and that necklace.

Happy crafting
x

Christmas plannings

Well, I have just treated my DH to the new Bond game on the Wii - the limited edition one, with the golden controller. Yes, he's a big kid :)

He's promised me another beady goody bag for my stocking this year in return :D Much excitement - just got to figure out a few essentials and drop some hints now... If you're reading this Jim - stay tuned!

Our car is fixed. She starts better, she stops better, and best of all - there's a working clutch. Hoorah.

I have decided to put my beaded flower onto a length of brass/gold chain, but am still not quite happy with it, I think it needs something underneath it and I'm not sure how low it should hang either - time to experiment a little.

Onwards and upwards - happy crafting!
x

BEAD GIVEAWAY FOR U.S READERS!

Lorelei's Blog: Sisterhood of the Traveling Beads Giveaway!: "Last week, I was the lucky recipient of the Sisterhood of the Traveling bead box- (Originated by the talented Heather Powers of Humblebeads-..."

Midnight Monday

Midnight - Disassembly-Boy on deviantART

Because - can you believe it - it was dark when I left work today. DARK! Pitch black. And I wasn't very happy about it. Apparently today is one of the most depressing days of the year, and I would be quite prepared to believe it. How rubbish is it when you get up in the dark to go to work and then when you leave to go home... It's dark!?

I have had a peek and tried to find some brighter takes on 'Midnight' - just to cheer myself up a bit!

Midnight Garden Pendant - Lottie of London

Midnight Garden cards - made by lolly

Pink Owl Necklace - Ich Bin

How cute is the little pink owl? I love it :P Suddenly, I feel much happier. I had a slight glitch in the starting of my embroidered cuff this evening - I thought I would make sure the cabochon had stuck properly, and possibly pulled it a bit too much... Right off in fact (oops!) Lessons learned, I definitely need some sort of sanding paper to rough it up for future pieces, and also, just let it be and bead a tight bezel to keep it there?? Numpty that I am. The learning curve has begun.

Happy crafting x