Wishing for sunshine

 

I am wishing the Winter away, especially this rain, more expected today what a gloomy forecast, the fields can't take anymore rain and the drains are bubbling and gurgling at full capacity.  I always find I am drawn to bright reds and yellows and oranges when the winter starts closing in on me.

 

 

Check out the flip flops on this dragon....hehehe...

If you go down to the beach today....wear your thermals its bitter here on the UK beaches this time of year...you might find Doris Dragon in her yellow polka dot bikini with her shades on her very own sand dune complete with molluscs, seaweed, and star fish.

 

 

61 days and 16 hours until Spring...whose counting?

 



Following my muse.

I have been practising my seed beads and trying to improve my skills.  I am really rubbish at following a pattern, although I have some fabulous ones by Lynn Davy a wonderful, talented lady and friend from the Craft Pimp forum, but I never seem to follow them exactly, always going off on a tangent and following my muse.  Lynn tells me this is normal and I should go with it!

My blue dragon, is my own lampwork bead (what else!) and I have used some beautiful blues, once again inspired by a lovely blue piece that Lynn did and showed on the forum, and spiral roped and looped around the dragon, it took a bit of jigging to get him to orientate the right way.

My blue dragon with spiral beaded rope.

I have worn him all week and he is so comfortable now he hangs properly!

Finally, I can reveal what I sent my bead soup blog party partner (what a mouthful!) thankfully Lizzie says she loves them and I am so excited to see what she does with them, here they are....

Bead Soup for Lizzie

Just a little different from her usual style of elegance and femininity then!

Sunday Feb 17th is Poole Bead Fair, and if you click on this Poole Bead Fair money off link you can print off the flyer to get the discount on the door.  Be nice to see you there!

Have a great Valentines Day, I am now off to see my little brother get married!

Laney x

My bead soup blog partner has been announced....

I have my bead soup blog party partner, her name is Lizzie and this is her blog The need to bead

I have my bead soup all ready to send out tomorrow, so excited!  Read all about the bead soup blog party here  So much organization goes into this, I have followed the blog for a year or so now and have this year taken the plunge and jumped right in.  Will post pics of my soup when Lizzie has received them, and when mine arrive from her.  Lizzie's style is so beautiful and elegant and in such a contrast to mine, so I may need a fair bit of helpful hints to create something more grown up!

Its lashing it down here, a little puppy is missing around the fields, I have been out and about with Iz and Defi looking, and as yet no news, she is only 12 months old and a lovely little black spaniel pup, hopefully she will be found soon. 

Threats of snow are forecast, again, for the UK starting this evening, am hoping that we will miss it!  But for those all trying to keep warm and snug...

Laney x

More Mandalas, Dragons and Undines.

I am really getting into these Mandala style beads.  They take an age to make, each one a complex study of dot after dot after dot, to build.  They are taking at least an hour, and my new Undine one took even longer than that, not only did my arm ache but my bum did too, all that sitting still!!  Was worth it though.  What do you think?

 

 

Dragon Mandala

Undine Mandala

Undine Mandala

Its a biggy!

Undine's are water nymphs and come from mythology, they are water elementals.  Some versions portray them as having legs, like fairies of the water, some versions portray them as tiny mermaids.  I think my mermaid undine suits my glass.

Laney x

Count Drag-Ula and the Beadathon......

Count Drag-Ula available in Izzybeads Etsy shop

Now you know the truth...Count Dracula is really Count Drag-Ula, the world famous dragon vampire, seen here with his pet bat...Batty, together they stalk the skies, causing mischief and putting fear in the hearts of every...ok until mum says 'time to go to bed' then they take off the fake vampire teeth, put Batty under the duvet and get mum to read a bedtime story...they rather like the story of Pete's Dragon.


I wont be blogging for the next few days, its Beadathon time!!  The weekend is nearly here and the 24hour marathon, bead making for charity is due to start 7pm tomorrow night...thats 24 hours of lampworking!! 

All this glass bead making is to raise money and awareness for Beads of Courage, supporting children and teens with cancer.  Please support us, even if you just tune in and watch for 10 mins, we are screening live HERE its all for a good cause.  If you want to donate please follow this BEADATHON LINK to take you to the right page.

Have a great weekend
Laney x




 

For the love of sculpture

Woburn Abbey Gardens

 

 

I love sculpture, in all mediums and I think that is quite plain to see in my glass.  I don't do girlie, but I do do dramatic!  In my teens I was quite keen on colour, mostly clashing colours lime green with pink, purple with orange...I didn't know then that my 'clashing' colours are really 'contrasting' colour, or opposites on the colour wheel.  In painting, to get that blue or purple to sing, add a dash of orange somewhere in the painting, it will bring out the bluey purples, or add green to a red painting and watch the colours pop, I love contrasting or complimentary colours. 

When I started to draw, that was just what I wanted to do, just draw.  I wasn't interested in colour, I loved form and wanted to be able to recreate a 3D image in 2D form in graphite.  Colour came later when I was encouraged to use coloured pencils as a medium, but even then I tended to use coloured pencils with graphite or an ink pen, later using the ink to sketch with, which is my prefered way of sketching, ink and wash, and back to the simplicity of just line and form.   

Trunk Tied, Elephant sculpture focal bead


Colour still plays a part in my sculpture work, and I still love contrasting colours, like in this gorgeous baby dragon, lilac with deep green and pale blue.  I think this gorgeous dragon is very well going to go to the gallery (more on that news another time!)

Its been a busy, and wet day, here at Chez Izzybeads, I have been soaked twice, once on the dog walk and once on the trip to the post office, I have been in the studio though and made some more sculptural beads and even a trip to the vets for Iz's yearly boosters.  Both dogs go to the vets, their boosters are 6 months apart, so they both go, both times and both get weighed. Its a good way to keep a check on them.  Being big dogs and being Golden Retrievers, they have to watch their weight so they don't put too much stress on their back legs in older age.  The vet was thrilled with our Iz, perfect teeth, perfect eyes, perfect ears and perfect weight...PERFECT :O) she is a healthy 33.8kg and at 6 years old that is brilliant news.  Defi got weighed too, he has gained 4kgs and is now 31.5kg, which is about right for his age of just 2.  He should get to about 35-37kg when fully grown I reckon.

The perfect duo...Defi and Iz


Laney x