Bead Trends Magazine - March 2009

I am very excited about this, my very first submission to an American Magazine.

This is 'Netted Flames' a Netting / Ogalala stitch, in rich reds and oranges to look like dancing flames, it also looks good in blues and a touch of white for waves.

Page 68/70

Making Jewellery Magazine May 09

The first issue and it has a piece of mine in :)

I went right back to stringing basics with this design, but used classy componants such as fresh water pearls, swarovski crystal, sterling silver and a slice of agate.

Easy to make, easy to source, but eyecatching :)

Page 58 I believe. :)

Beads & Beyond Project - Issue 19

This is about my 12th magazine submission, but my first since starting to blog, and I can't very well backtrack and mention them all so I will start here :)

A simple set for using up all your old bits and bobs, as long as you have three of each bead so your earrings and pendant match, you can almost use anything and everything.

I did this in glass pearls, various colours and various sizes, the beauty of pieces like this is that they will go with almost anything in your wardrobe.
If you fancy having a go, you can find it in April 2009 Issue 19 of Beads & Beyond.

Pottery Class

I have been attending a pottery class, not my chosen medium, but I bought the class as a gift for my Mum for her birthday, and decided to go along and keep her company.

First I was just rolling out clay and making little pendant pieces, while other class members were making huge bowls, vases and candle holders, I just couldn't bring myself to make bowls !

I did decide to try something a bit bigger than pendants in the end and made a plaque style butterfly, with segments which I have filled with seed beads - no idea what will happen, it is in the kiln now but I have to wait until next Tuesday to see it !!

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Happy Birthday Bead Buddies

Our Beading forum Bead Buddies (www.beadbuddies.co.uk/forum) is 2 years old today !

So tonight, we are going out for a BB meal, and tomorrow we are having a day of fun in BB HQ - The Bead Shed, in Carlisle.

What's on offer? Lampworking, Glass Fusing, Enammelling, Fimo, Beadweaving and whatever else we can think up between now and then.

Also as much tea/coffee as people can drink, as long as they make me a nice strong brew at the same time.

So if your a member and not signed up to come along, nip to the Forum, stick your name down and we will see you there :)

The Vagina Monologues

If you ever get the chance to go and see this show, then do.

http://www.vaginamonologues.co.uk/

I went last night and it was superb! Not what I expected, I kind of expected a 'loose women' style chat on topical issues, but instead it was simply all about Vaginas. (Why did I not work that out? Not just a clever name!)

The cast was Sally Lindsay (Shelly in Coronation Street) Sue Holderness (Marlene in Only Fools) and Tina Gambe (She played a love interest of Martin Platt in Corrie, but I don't remember her)

Sue Holderness was amazing, I laughed until I cried, gasped at the rude words ;) and marvelled at how on the nail it all was.

Of course there were emotional bits, Tina read a Monologue about a woman in Africa being abused by Soldiers, you could have heard a pin drop in the theatre, I did wonder how they would bring the mood back around, but they managed it perfectly.

Brilliant through and through, I am booking again for June, different cast list, same script, but probably delivered differently so should be fun.

Distinct lack of men in the Theatre, I think I counted 3, all of whom were looking suitably embarrassed.

Next time I won't be drinking, I have a lovely throbbing hangover :(

Multi-Strand Seed Bead Necklaces

I don't usually take commisions, but this one sounded interesting. So working from a photograph from an American Show, a bloke asked me to make this cream version for his girlfriend for Valentines Day.

Brick Stitch ends and a beaded bead as a clasp, it has a whopping 30 strands of seed beads, each strand is 0.25mm longer than the previous.

It took around 6-7 hours to complete and it was sad to part with it after working on it for so long, so I thought I would make another in red and black. This time I used red Silver lined and red frosted seed beads, along with shiny black and matt black, with matt black ends. I also made the lengths slightly wider apart with 0.5mm inbetween, meaning this took even longer to make - I guess I should have used a bead spinner, but I like a challenge :)

They feel great on, heavy and swishy, and of course no metal parts to tarnish :)

Playing with Silver Wire

Well, today I have been playing with silver wire, I just love the effect, they look like little cosmic swirls under that layer of clear glass.

I made 5 of the silver beads, but three of them have a golden effect, I seem to remember being told that you could fume the silver by holding them in the flame whilst heating up your clear rod, so I guess that's what I have done.

I decided that I quite liked the gold look, so I used it to make the purple ones. :)

Spotty Dotty Beads

Fresh from the kiln, and inspired by my class at Laura Sparlings, I was chuffed with these.

I think I might do a whole colour range in them.....well you know what they say, practise makes perfect!

I did do some black with black spots, but strangely they look...well...just black !

I don't get a huge amount of time on the torch, so after making the family roast lunch, I delegated the dish-washing duties and legged it down to the shop to fire up the torch, so hopefully tomorrow there will be some more beadies to flash off.

Teresa Laliberte Goddess Bead

You know when you bid on something on eBay...and you half want someone to outbit you as you can't really justify the pennies?
Well. that's what happened here. I have been after a Teresa Laliberte (http://www.lavendercreek.de/) bead for ages, I was always outbid, but after a few glasses of red my limit suddenly upped itself and I found myself the winner.
"Yeeee", I thought, then "uh oh, hubby will kick my butt when he founds out what I have spent". Ahh well, don't tell him, little beads are easily hidden :)
Isn't she just lovely though?

My first Blog - 19th Feb 2009

Hello :)

I have been wondering for a while wether I would have anything interesting enough for people to read, so I could Blog. I still don't know if I have anything interesting, but I will chat away, possibly to myself, and see what happens. :)

A brief introduction - I am Sue, or Sooz, either works, but never Suzie if you don't mind ! Along with my husband Andrew we run a retail and online Bead shop called The Bead Shed. We also teach beading and basic Lampworking, and run an online Bead Forum -www.beadbuddies.co.uk/forum

So...this week has been quite exciting, so what a better place to start a Blog !


I treated myself to a Lampworking Workshop with Laura Sparling (http://www.beadsbylaura.co.uk/) so on Tuesday Andrew and I travelled nearly 300 miles from our home in Carlisle to Oxfordshire.

Stupidly I had double booked with a sales rep, who wanted to show/sell me some beads, so a last minute change had to be made, and on Tuesday evening at 11.00pm at night, we found ourselves in a business meeting, looking at a suitcase of beads in a Holiday Inn hotel room !

I feel an order coming on ;)

Wednesday morning, I trotted off for my class with Laura.....

Apart from the fact that Laura makes gorgeously strong black tea (which believe it or not, many people cannot manage) but she also makes a blooming good bead or two. I really enjoyed myself and am now itching to get to my torch tomorrow - but duty calls, and I have three days worth of orders to plough through before I can light up the lamp.

I have been making beads for a few years now, but I do not get to use the torch very often due to work pressures, and when I do I work way too hot, way too quick and with very little motivation. This class was just the thing to awake my inspiration, and if you are reading this Laura - Thank You :)

So, now I am back home in Carlisle, I do like this little City - clean, friendly, and easy to find your way around. Not hugely looking forward to going to work tomorrow, I had a quick glance at the emails and realised there will not be much time, if any, for making beads tomorrow!