Cheltenham and Chums

Last weekend I met up with lovely, lovely chums at Cheltenham Bead Fair. We all congregated around Julie Fountain's Lush Lampwork stall and went off on various forays to buy beads, cabochons, meet other beadery friends and feed and water ourselves.

Here's a link to a photograph of some of us: photo courtesy of Nia

I didn't buy too much... just a few beads and a few cabochons for more rings and pendants. I did buy some fabulous glass beads from Celia on the Jencel stall and couldn't wait to get home and get making:


Yesterday we were selling in one of our offices, and I'm happy to report that all, bar one, of these were sold. Guess what I'll be making more of today?

I also bought some more enamelled ceramic beads - I love them:


In both these sets, I've teamed the beads with Sterling Silver and Troubled Water also features Swarovski Crystals which pick up the oil colours beautifully.

Also this week I have been working on a commission for some pearl and vermeil (sterling silver covered in a layer of 24ct gold) earrings. These were my first pair:

which the customer liked, but wanted rounder pearls and longer chains, so:

which she loved. Another happy customer. :-)

Recently I have been using these stretch bracelets to attach my magatamas to. I'm still making the more traditional chain maille ones, but these are great for anyone buying a gift as they are not so size dependant.


At events, I do alter bracelets to fit, but if the customer is buying for someone else then that can present a sizing problem. Of course, rings are even more tricky... a matter of a fraction of a millimetre can be the difference between fitting and not fitting.

This necklace I made a little while ago, but hadn't photographed it. I bought the shells at Spring Fair. Shells, I hear you ask, what shells? Click on the photo to see it larger and you'll discover the teeny tiny shells. Aren't they lovely... but can you imagine having to make the holes in those?

This weekend, Sarah and I are selling at a two day craft fair in Wells Town Hall. It's a BIG one with over 80 stalls. Should be fun!

What news on the home front?

Martha is to be awarded a prize at the annual school prize giving. We don't know what for, but hey, a prize is a prize. Well done, my lovely girl.

Tom is making a good start on his revision for his A levels this summer. Hopefully over the Easter holidays he'll really get into it and go into the exams feeling confident.

Brian went walking on the south coast last weekend with some of his friends from football... 19 miles, they went!! He was totally wasted when he got home!

After the craft fair at Wells, we are away for a few days... so I'll catch up with you when I return.

Lastly, please send prayers and good thoughts for my mother-in-law who is very poorly.

Have a great long weekend, All.

Much love and hugs,
xx

Mostly maille

I've been doing loads of maille recently - and as I only do it in front of the TV, I must have been watching far too much telly! It's really thanks to the Euro footie and now Wimbledon. Who are you rooting for on Sunday? I'll be shouting for Rafa myself!

This first one is a Y-shaped necklace in antique silver plate and clear AB magatamas - the 'dangle' is double shaggy loop (four bead bearing rings per base ring) and the rest is single (two beady rings per base ring). I really really like this set and think I might have to make one for myself...

The next one is a set that I've made in loads of different colour-ways - here are just two. Silver plated rings with magatamas and toning anodised aluminium rings. The earwires are niobium.

And then onto bracelets... The first one is Byzantine in silver plate and copper. I wan't sure about the combination of metals, but I think it works. I'm currently doing a necklace in the same design.

Then an aluminium and rubber ring bangle. The rubber rings mean that the bracelet is stretchy. These bangles are great fun and always attract attention at parties and shows.

A double shaggy loop bracelet - that is mine, all mine! I so rarely actually make something for myself, but I had to have one of these bracelet and mine is blue, turquoise and clear magatamas. I just love it. And doesn't Perky model it well?

And lastly, just to show that I've not only been mailling - a rose quartz rondelle and hematite bracelet.

On the home front we had Martha's report home tonight and she's got really excellent results and the teachers are all so pleased with her progress. She's gorgeous and a great kid, too.

I hope you all have a good weekend. The forecast for this part of the country is pretty dismal - with a gale warning! And we were hoping to put together our new garden furniture and eat out... ah well, we'll have to wait. If we get it put up, I'll post up a picture... it took us ages to find exactly what we wanted - only for it to be in B&Q all the time!

Love and hugs to all. xx

Cordoba and Crazy Lace...

So we leave Granada and move to Cordoba. This is the Roman bridge - and the river which - because of all the rain - was in flood. It was hurtling through these arches and had masses of debris as well as loads of silt all caught up in it.

Then the mosque - and our reason for stopping in Cordoba. This serene building was built in 784 and added to up to 987. Then it was consecrated as a Christan cathedral in 1236 when the Christians conquored Cordoba - and then in the 16th Century a Catholic Cathedral was built slap bang in the middle of it. The contrast between the Muslim simplicity and the over ornate Christian additions is quite bewildering.
We were lucky enough to have rooms in a hotel just outside the mosque and so this is the view from the window - the outside of the mosque. And you'll see that the weather has improved!!
OK, there will be more of Spain in the next post, but for now, here's some new jewellery:

First up, a crazy lace agate necklace and earrings set. I love these stones - as does my mum! She saw these beads when I bought them and loved them so much, I made her a necklace and earrings for Mother's Day. These are the beads that were left over.

Next up is a set made with Lemon Chrysoprase. Not a stone I'd heard of before I bought these beads at Chepstow bead fair. Since then I've been trying to find something to go with them. The 'lemon' colour varies from almost white to an apple green. In the end, I had to wait for the new Swarovski crystal colour - Mocca - which goes really well with the veining on the beads and simply separate the beads with sterling silver. I think it works well.
These next two bracelets are part of my continuing obsession with chain maille. I find it very relaxing to do and love the results. These are flip-flop weave or shaggy loops - with magatama beads threaded on the outside rings. They look fab on.

This second one sold at a party last night... which I have to tell you about. The party - which we shared with a cookery demonstration (such FABULOUS - but terribly fattening food!) - was to raise funds for an orphanage in India. The hostess of the evening - the very lovely Vereen - lives in THE most beautiful flat I have ever been in. It is part of a converted convent chapel and she has the ornate windows and some of the pillars and archways in her lounge. The bedrooms are on two suspended platforms reached by spiral staircases. It was like something out of Grand Designs. Just wonderful.

Hope you're all having a lovely time in this glorious sunshine. We've been and bought the plants to do our pots this afternoon. I'll post a picture when they're in flower!

"I beg your pardon...

... I never promised you a rose garden."

I've had that song going round and round in my head this afternoon as I made this bracelet:

Here it is modelled by Martha (her wrists don't have the crinkles that mine have! ROFL!)
The beads in the bracelet are green freshwater keshi pearls and the roses are carved rose quartz. I'm really pleased with it.

I bought both lots of beads at the bead sale this morning - and knew straight away exactly what I wanted to make with them. I love it when that happens. I've got loads of ideas for the rest of the stash too:
From the back: faceted red coral, sponge coral, Moonstone Nuggets, Moonstone buttons, Rose Quartz flowers, green freshwater keshi pearls, same in grey, little Labradorite buttons, Aventurine oval cylinders and drops, black Onyx long rectangles, Kyanite buttons and shell nuggets and buttons. There was also some little Amazonite faceted drops, but they missed out on the photograph somehow.

A lovely haul... but the trouble is - and those of you who frequent bead fairs will know the feeling - I could have bought SO much more! There was such gorgeousness on offer. Ah well, next time!

Martha and I really enjoyed Juno last night... and it was lovely to do something for just the two of us.

But then... the wind! And rain! Last night was the worst yet for this storm. And the sea was WILD... and we don't get much wildness in the sea this far up the Bristol channel. Today the promenade was about a foot deep in seaweed. But with all the noise of the wind (the double glazing was creaking - which was quite scary!) we didn't get much sleep... so I think I'll be tucked up straight after Torchwood tonight.

Hope you've all been OK and not suffered any damage.