When the dog bites, when the bee stings....

....When I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things and then I ....Put them all together in a bracelet...and I don't feel so bad!

I have been feeling a bit run down of late (still waiting for the pregnancy glow to kick in) but it's amazing what a little bit of making time can do. 'A few of my favorite things' seemed like a good title for this one. Beautiful silver heart clasp by Daisy Chain Extra, wonderful clear glass lampwork nuggets with fab silver trails and shimmer beads by the lovely Laura Sparling with a few Faceted moonstone nuggets thrown in for extra sparkle and a subtle flash of blue. 

Something thrown together (I really should work on the projects I have half done rather then starting new ones but hey ho) Lampwork galaxy bead again by Laura Sparling teamed up with a cluster of lovely flashy labradorites.

And my most favorite, this one has been half done for ages I wanted to hand make a chain for it but every thing I tried it on was always a bit too much so I decided to go with a simple snake chain instead. Beautiful Titanium coated druzy from Designer Cabochons simply bezel set. This was my third ever attempt of bezel setting and I'm hoping that the next attempt will be a bit more imaginative!

Have a fantastic day

xxx

Flap Your Wings

Today I am joining in with Tania of Grace Designs blog hop, Flap Your Wings In memory of Judy Glende an amazing artist and much treasured member of the beading community, while I did not know Judy I feel strongly for all those that battle with cancer and there friends and family who offer much needed love and support.

I ended up making a piece that is typically me, after setting out not to do so, but I really like it! 

The stunning lampwork bead is by Becky at Chameleon Designs and really is so beautiful, it has two black outlined butterflies (one either side) high lighted with with little flickers of gold, it has been partially etched so that the butterflies act as windows and you can see through them to the centre of the bead which contains iridescent glitter, every single sterling silver ring has been hand cut by myself and then weaved into a barrel chainmaille pattern and it has been finished off with a lovely silver daisy clasp made by the fantastic Joanne of Daisy Chain Extra.

I have decided to hold a draw this bracelet with the proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Support. While I was working in care I had to visit their hospital in London with one of my residents and was very impressed with the great work they do.

Everyone who donates on my Just Giving page before 5th May 2012 will be entered into a draw to win my Flap your wings bracelet. If I raise over my target I will also make a second prize!

Thanks for taking the time to read and I hope you all have a wonderful day

xxx

Inspiration

I love Art Bead Scene blog and how they use beautiful art as inspiration in there monthly challenge, This is the pic for Aprils challenge -

Boreas by John William Waterhouse, 1903

Now using a piece of art for inspiration seems completely alien to me, the way I normally stumble across my designs, is that I start with something I find beautiful and then see where it leads me as if the pieces I work on make them selves, but I do like a challenge, and I really loved the colors, any way this is what I came up with....

I used the circles in the dress as inspiration for the links in the chain and tried to pick beads in colors to match.

The lampwork beads are by Laura Sparling, the ceramic beads are by Gaea and the beautiful clasp is by Daisy Chain Extra, It's not my normal style but I really like it, I might have to try doing this again. 

Another recent make....

The lime green glass head pins are from Havana Beads and I used daisy head pins from daisy chain extra to make the ear wires.

Have a great day

xxx

Have a wonderful Easter

I hope you all have a great easter and thought I would share a few pics of what we have been up to. Yesterday we visited Clairmont Gardens for an easter egg hunt.

The weather was beautiful (suprising considering how missrable the last few days have been) and the views were fantastic!

What was even more suprising was that the kids were complete angels, with two pre-teens and a three year old that rarely happens!

Mess maker fell in love with all the beautiful pink flowers (we ended up taking half of these dead ones home with us).

The girl loved all the 'old style' toys and hats they found in this cute thached hut they stumbled across.

The boy spent 40 minuites running up and down the grass ampitheatre (time very well spent as 1 hour after we got home he was sound asleep) while the girls had there faces painted....

A blue tiger and a pink butterfly

A rare occasion where I'm caught on camara, I'm always normally the one taking the photos! Notice the vastly expanding waist line? Nothing to do with easter eggs, I'm almost 24 weeks preganant, expecting a baby boy in earily August!

Have a fantastic Easter 

xxx