Florence.

After finishing Raphael the Delica Bead Dragon, I decided that he needed a Girlfriend. A nice pink and purple Girlfriend, and so Florence was born. Made from tiny glass Delica Beads and lots and lots of time and love.

So why Florence you may ask?

Well, as you may know, Raphael was a famous artist, so I did a bit of Googling to find out a little about his life and find him a name for his Pink Dragon girlfriend. Apparently he had a companion called Maria. The name Maria just didn't seem to suit the lady Dragon, she just doesn't look like a Maria to me, so I searched a bit more.

Apparently Raphael travelled to Italy and spent a lot of time in Florence ;) I think that says it all :)

The happy couple.

Raphael

This was a labour of love, and I have loved every minute.

I bought this pattern at a bead fayre way back in October, it is from http://www.amuseink.com/

I never got around to doing it until a challenge was announced on the Bead Buddies Forum (Myth & Magic).

It is a flat Peyote stitch, worked in Delica beads for a wonderfully smooth flat piece of work.

The sparkly gold beads around the edge are 24k Gold Plated, quite expensive, but oh so sparkly. :)

The whole piece measures around 5x7", so you can imagine how many tiny delica beads there are in there !!

Not sure what I am going to do with it yet, I could add a beaded chain to the 'ears' and wear it, or I might just hang it from a mirror and look at it :)

Links

This piece took ages !!

I called it "Links" for reasons that might be obvious :)

I used the colours as they were part of a colour challenge on the Beading Forum Bead Buddies. Lime / Lilac / Black / White / Turquoise.

I chose seed beads deliberately in different sizes to give different thicknesses and texture to the finished piece.

I made a few tubes in Peyote stitch, which I then sewed into rings, then linked them together with other tubes, 'frillies' amd peyote strips.

The whole piece is one continuous chain which just slips over the head, very easy to wear and no clasp.

Springtime Tiara

At the moment, I am teaching Jewellery & Beadwork skills to two Duke Of Edinburgh Award students.

The course, which I devised, is for 12 weeks, and covers most of the more popular jewellery and beading techniques.

This week we made Tiaras :)

While the girls made pretty, almost bridal, pearl and crystal tiaras, I decided to plunge into my huge box of Bead Soup mix and just pull out a single bead to kick of my inspiration.

The result was a fabulous Polymer Clay Daffofil made by the very talented Elise Canning, I then dug out some complimenting beads in the same colourway and set to work :)

Just a bit of fun, hope you like it.

Beaded Butterflies

Crystal Lace Necklace Patterns - Sandra D Halpenny - I have had this book for quite a while now, but not really looked at it. but I wanted to make my Mum 'something different' for Christmas so I dug it out of the bookcase.

Since then I have been addicted to Sandra's designs, especially these butterflies. The finished piece is so eye-catching and unusual.

The first one I made was the blues, I had a bag of mixed Crystals so I picked out different colours for each wing, although the pattern had the same colour crystals. I think using the different colours seems to give it a stained glass look.

Then I made the red one. I have run out of mixed crystals now, so the next one I make will have to be colour co-ordinated :)

BBC Radio Cumbria

I was asked to provide a week of short blogs for Radio Cumbria. Five days with 150 words a day, just simply a snippet into my life.

On Sunday I went to record them in the studio in Carlisle, I have never been in a radio studio before so it was quite exciting, I managed to complete it in a couple of takes too :)

Monday found me curled up on the kitchen floor cringing in embarrassement, don't you just hate the sound of your own voice? I am sure that person who didn't finish the words off properly, and used slang, was not me !!!

In case you are interested and missed the programme, here is the blog I wrote:

Saturday
I promised myself a day of glass play, and for once I got it, which is unusual as I am usually side-tracked by work, friends, teenage children needing a taxi and various other things.
My project today was a stained glass panel, all in blues, with swirls, curves and nuggets. Designed to hang in a window to catch the sunshine for extra sparkle.
I have been glass working for a few years now, fusing, melting, cutting, painting, but Stained Glass is a new style for me, and this was just my 2nd piece.
I start by cutting the glass, then grinding it, adding copper foil to the edges, and soldering it all together. It is time consuming, but very satisfying, I just wish I had more hours in the day, or even more days in the week.

Sunday
For a while I have been planning to take photographs of Talking Tarn for inspiration to use in my glasswork. Ideally I needed the four seasons, so when the snow made an appearance this week I jumped in the car and got myself up there with my camera.
It was splendid, the Tarn was frozen, except for a little patch in the centre that the ducks were taking advantage of, and there was a layer of crisp white snow everywhere. It was difficult to see where the path ended and the iced Tarn began.
The view was monochrome, breathtaking and so so still. It was almost disappointing to turn around and see the coloured covers of the docked sailing boats on the shore.
On leaving the car park the sky exploded into an amazing hue of oranges and red, the sun was setting and the sky was on fire.

Monday
Work - - - always busy on a Monday. When you are self-employed, and your business premises is attached to your home, it takes a lot of self-control not to nip out and catch up on the emails. Instead I torture myself by watching them mount up , I try not allow myself to switch on the computer but I just can’t help checking from my mobile phone.
Technology, a must for an online business like mine, but sometimes I despise being tied to the computer, it is like a ball and chain. It gives me a tiny snippet of information, bait, and then it reels me in. The long walk in the Lakes, the phoning and meeting up with friends, the gardening – it all gets forgotten when the computer calls.
In 2010 I vow to spend less time with the computer and gain some real life back.

Tuesday
Snow, why does it arouse such excitement I wonder. It’s cold, damp, slippy, and you never can tell just what is underneath the big handful you have just scooped up ready to form into a missile. Yes, even at 41 I still get the urge to throw a snowball, although these days I only throw one and remember how long it used to take to thaw out frozen fingers.
I also remember sitting in school with my coat on, shivering. The classroom door would be left open as one teacher supervised three or four classes as the other teachers had not made it in. I can never remember school being closed, or being sent home.
Today I am the proud owner of a large igloo type building in my back garden, built by my 19 yr old son, see? You’re never too old for snow.

Wednesday
Knitting is back in trend, lots of people I know have picked up the knitting needles again, myself included.
How soon you forget though, the sore fingers from pushing the knitting needle through. I believe this is why there are two rows in regular knitting – knit row and a purl row. The knit row hurts your index finger, which you allow to recover while you do the purl row which hurts your thumb. Or perhaps I am doing it wrong.
I decided on a baggy cardi, I started with the back panel, as this is usually the bit I get bored with and leave unfinished to re-discover years later. I have an added push this time though, a friend stated that I would never complete it, she knows me too well, but my competitive nature has taken this as an insult, and so the challenge is set.

Stained Glass Wall Hanging

Following on from my Stained Glass course with Mo Wallis way back in November, I came home and ordered all the equipment and gadgets that I needed to have a go myself.

Until this week it has sat in a box unpacked, but I decided I should really have a go while I can still recall what to do.

A wall hanging, I decided.

I love waves and circles as opposed to straight lines and right angles, so I drew a random pattern on a piece of paper, blobs and rounds, and curves.

To add texture to the piece I decided to fuse some glass to make nuggets, this would make the finished hanging a little more 3D I thought. Then I cut glass, grinded (ground?) the edges and got showered in millions of glass splinters. On trying to pull one out of my hair I managed to cut a chunk of hair out !! A bandana is needed next time I think, or perhaps a baseball cap.

I still need to work hard practising my soldering skills, it's all a little too rough for my liking, but hopefully it will improve with time.

This piece is just slightly smaller than A4, and I think I will gift it to my Godparents, who I am visiting tonight after too many years of not being in touch.

Fused Glass Cufflinks

My first attempt at cufflinks, for the men in my life :)

I might need to work on some more masculine colours, but other than that I am quite pleased with them :) Although one pair does look a little like eyeballs !!!

Maybe I shall try some stripey ones next, or does anyone have any other suggestions?

Stained Glass Course with Mo Wallis

Just had an exciting weekend.


Once a year, myself and my good mate Carol, go off on a Jolly, I mean an educational trip to learn something new about glass :)


This year we decided on Stained Glass, both of us make beads, and fuse, so now it was time to learn another glassy skill.


We found a fabulous stained glass worker called Mo Wallis (check out her website http://www.mowallis-artglass.co.uk/) and booked a two day course with her.


I have to say, it was worth every penny. We did copper foiling stained glass.




So, first I drew a design - I thought it was childish, but Mo said I was a "naive artist" :)



Then came the tricky but of cutting the glass, I am used to cutting glass in straight lines for pendants etc... so this was a little different.

After grinding down all the edges of each piece, it was time to copper foil them, this is a self-adhesive foil which was stuck firmly to each and every piece.

After tacking it together with masking tape, it was time to solder the gaps.

Wow, this was tricky, it took a while to master, and it still looks a little rough in place. You have to do both sides, my reverse side was a bit better than the front, so I have turned it round to display :)

Finally, it was edged in lead, then given a coat of black patina to make the bright shiny solder look more antique.

Taaa Daaaa, the finished piece. I have to say, I was quite chuffed with myself.

Knitting Roll

Following my recent re-awaking of the love of wool, and my constant knitting of wrist warmer gloves, I decided to treat myself to this superbly gorgeous knitting roll from Emma Jones of Meg&Millie.



(photo is Emma's own)

I have been drooling over her designs for some time now, but when this knitting roll came up I simply HAD to have it, well you just do don't you? :)

And now it is here I love it more, thank you Emma, my needles will be nicely tidy and easy to find.

Check out the rest of her lovelies on her Facebook page here... http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/MegandMillie ..... Keep an eye out for the gorgeous bangles too.

Shaggy Gloves

Ok, I will make it a quick blog as these are still Wristwarmer Gloves, but I did them with an ultra shaggy supersoft wool, teamed with the large button of course to finish them off.

These have gone on their travels as gifts., hope they like them :)

A Glut Of Gloves !

Having had no inspiration to bead for a little while, I took to knitting.

I am not a person who can just sit on the sofa, my hands always need to be busy, so I quite like Knitting, you can sit in front of the telly and mindlessly knit (as long as the pattern is simple of course).

These Gloves are incredibly easy to make (the pattern is in my blog somewhere if you want to have a go) and teamed with an extra large button (to help the wearer work out which way they go) they look quite funky too.

A girly night was planned last night, there are 6 of us that are a similar age, and meet up regularly to let our hair down, so I made them all a pair in "their" colours.

I wrapped them all in complimenting tissue paper with black ribbon, and wrote each one a Limerick about themselves which I tied on as a tag. They all seemed to like them lots :)

Result !

Curly Wurly Crochet Scarf - The Pattern

A simple easy to make scarf, but it looks so groovy when finished that everyone will want one.

I made this in a gorgeous fluffy lemon and lime coloured wool.

So, all you need is your yarn  - any weight yarn is ok up to Aran Weight.  (amount depends on length and width of scarf) and a size 4.5mm crochet hook.

If you need to learn how to crochet have a look on You Tube, loads of stuff on there.

• First of all you will need a chain stitch. Make a long chain in simple chain stitch the length of how long you would like your scarf to be.


• Working back along the chain -Treble Crochet into each chain stitch. (PLEASE NOTE: in the USA the UK TC or Treble Crochet stitch is referred to as the DC or DOUBLE CROCHET stitch)


• ***The next row is 2 x Treble Crochet stitches into each of the stitches on the previous row. This increasing is what will make your scarf curl.


• Repeat from *** for each row until your scarf is as wide as you would like it to be. Tie off.

Let me know if you make it, would be interested to see any piccies.

Chunky Wrist Warmers - The Pattern

After a good few lovely comments on my last pair of chunky wristwarmers I was asked how they were made, so here, for you all to enjoy, is the simple, easy pattern so you can make your own.

You will need:

100g Chunky Wool (I like the random colourways, but any is fine)

• 2 Large Complimenting Buttons.
• Size 5.5mm Knitting Needles.


• Large Sewing (Tapestry) Needle.

Using the Thumb method (this makes a tighter, neater edge) cast on 38 Stitches.
1st ROW: *Knit 2, Purl 2, Repeat from * to end.

2nd ROW: **Purl 2, Knit 2, Repeat from ** to end.

Continue these two row until your work measures 7".

Cast off, and leave a length of wool for sewing.

Decide which is your top and bottom, then sew the two edges together from the top, for 1.5". Sew in your wool, and re-attach it at the bottom of your work. Sew the sides together for 3.5" work, which will leave a thumb-hole of 2". Sew in your ends.

Attach the button so it sits on the back of your wrist.

*****If you need to make these wrist-warmers smaller or larger, either add on or remove 4 stitches from the cast-on amount.
Enjoy !
And in true Blue Peter fashion, here are some I made earlier :)

Hanky Bowls

Made a couple of Hanky Bowls last night.

First you fuse the glass to melt down the sharp edges, then you have to find something interesting to slump the glass over, something that will not melt, like Stainless Steel, or Terracotta.

I had two cocktail shakers and a bowl, so put a pink one in and two brown ones, as it happens when they were done the brown ones went together quite nicely, which was a bit weird as only the evening before (whilst these were "cooking") a friend showed me a photo of something very similar - thanks Kellie :)

So they can be used together as an interesting glass petal bowl, or apart as two matching dishes.

I feel the need to go and order more glass now :)