Art Elements Sugar Skull Challenge.

Actually I am seriously disappointed with my result from this fabulous challenge that Jen set for the Art Elements sugar skull component challenge  I had such fabulous ideas when my parcel arrived and I set the sugar skull bead aside in my studio, passing it every day as I went to the torch and musing over it each and every time.  I scoured Pinterest for amazing unique ideas and fantastized about creating this elaborate piece filled with colour.  Then the inevitable happened, the whole house was struck down with the 'man flu' that my son brought home from work and I too spent a few days on the sofa watching day time tv and being thoroughly bored but having no energy to do anything at all.

My daughter loves skulls and my original plan was to design something for her that she would wear, baring in mind that she doesn't do over the top jewellery - you should see her shoes they are seriously wacky.. but her jewellery is very minimal, so with the lack of energy and running out of time I found in my stash of beads a lovely rondelle sparkly collar bead, I wanted a crown but only found a silver plated cone bead but I did find the wire 'lacy' steampunky dangle which was once part of a pair of ear rings that I absolutely loved and kept when they went out of fashion back in the 90's...everything comes back into fashion eventually.. right?  I wired it all together with some red jewellery wire and will be giving it to my daughter on a black leather thong.  It isn't much but it is simple and effective I am just disappointed I didn't do more with Jen's bead :/  

Here is the list of the others that are taking part in the blog hop, bet theirs is better than mine!

Guest Designers
Staci Louise Smith
Karin Grosset Grange
Solange Collin
Art Elements Team
Caroline Dewison
Susan Kennedy
Laney Mead
Claire Fabian
Diana Ptaszynski
Jenny Davies-Reazor
Cathy Spivey Mendola
Lindsay Starr
Niky Sayers
Lesley Watt
Cooky Schock
Jen Cameron

Flower frenzy....

Cocktail ring on Etsy

Having a weekly round up :)  A comment kept being said about cocktail rings with my roses so I had a little play :)  This one is a lovely orange rose with copper wire and coral semi precious stones, its adjustable so will fit any finger...just imagine how fab this will look at a summer do :)







Cocktail ring on Etsy



Coral and teal flowers on eBay

 I am still very much on my flower frenzy, I just can't seem to get enough glass flowers and real ones in my garden. 


The beautiful poppy is from some seeds given to me by a friend last year and they are glorious,  big blousey flowers, my favourites.

The teal and coral flowers are have a lovely beachy feel to them.  I do like contrasting colours.


Coral and teal flowers on eBay



 

Orange mog for Halloween



Poinsettia flower on eBay

 I think I am thinking ahead already with fabulous Halloween cats, inspired completely by the wonderful and most favourite book of mine Slinky Malinky by Lynley Dodd.  I love Slinky Malinky!  The blue bead has found a home but the orange mog is still waiting for his fur-ever home in my Etsy shop.  The Poinsettia flower and buds are my reminded that Christmas isn't too far away, still plenty of long hot summer days to look forward to though...hopefully.

Jupiter Storm roses on eBay

It is most rare for me to use neutral colours, I am drawn to those bright primary colours, but this glass is new to me, Jupiter Storm and its a soft creamy ivory pinky colour, totally gorgeous.

 

So...that's this weeks round up. I do have some Gordy stories to tell but I really must get on and hoover up this house!!  Have a great weekend.

 

Laney x

Little Mog.....

Ok so I didn't post a blog post yesterday, but rules are meant to be broken right? but today I do have something new to show I did manage a couple of hours in my studio shed yesterday and it was lovely to fire up the torch for the first time in a week, fingers crossed I have finished with the virus and although still a bit snotty and my ears still feel like I am underwater, I am up and raring to go, so introducing, Little Mog.

 

 

Little Mog

Whose da mummy?

I know its supposed to be whose da daddy, but hey! its nearly Halloween and lets have some fun!

This is Little Mog and he is desperate to go Trick a Treating, wandering the streets like a grown up Tom Cat, but Little Mog is little, so little that his mum has said no, so Little Mog went to the bathroom in the big house that he lives in, opened up the airing cupboard door and took out a roll of toilet paper, then he rolled and rolled and rolled all the toilet paper around him, hoping to disguise himself and sneak out with his pet spider, Spiddy, Trick or Treat Little Mog....

 

I have my kiln on and my torch is raring to go again today, something about enforced rest and bone idleness to get those muses flowing, I have lots of ideas, I am thinking singing hounds....

 

Laney x



Blogtoberfest

Its October 1st, this year is flying past, not that I want to say the C word but......no long to go!

For the month of October I have signed up to do the Blogtoberfest which is being hosted by Michelle of Shells in the Bush its a personal challenge to blog everyday.  I like blogging I just don't seem to be organized enough to do blog regularly so maybe this will help.  Click on the link to go to Michelle's blog and see who else is taking part, which does bring me to a question...

How many blogs can you read in one day?

I have a few blogs that I like to follow just wish there was more time in the day to read them all, I do try to keep up but seem to end up catching up more than keeping up, maybe I will try and read one every day too, look out coming to a blog near you soon!!

Right I better get on with the day, I spent yesterday in bed with the lurgy virus and the carpets need hovering and I would love some time to turn on the torch and make Halloween beads, I always have plenty of ideas when I am unable to torch I think that's called Sod's Law!

 

Trick or treat

 

History Blog Hop - Pre-Columbian...oh my!

Leah, from Beady Eyed Bunny arranged this blog hop and let me join in, even though its an alien concept to me!  I have never done a blog hop before and have just spent far too much time going through the list below and seeing the beautiful creations already done and up on the blogs - at the right time, as the reveal date was the 13th October and I was...well I ....ok, I was busy and I forgot...sorry Leah x

So, the gist of the blog hop, as I see it, is that you choose, or Leah gives you (as in my case) a time in history, you research the era, you find out about the jewellery that inspired the time and you create a modern piece in that style.

All the pieces I have just looked at have been very elegant and very beautiful, without exception, take a look, some really talented ladies out there.  Mine, on the other hand, is completely me!

I don't do elegant.  I don't do posh.  I do...me.

Leah gave me the time period of Pre-Columbian, and if you look down that list no one else took it up!  Not surprising, I nearly choked when I researched the period.  The Pre-Columbians used anthropomorphic images in their jewellery, they did not have the way of the written word and used images to record their way of life, their religion and culture.

I was stumped.  What do I know about Pre-Columbian that could inspire a piece of jewellery worthy of the blog.  I was looking at it all the wrong way.  What I should have done was think, 'how can I put my twist on Pre-Columbian art?'

One of those Eureka moments happened by accident, on a piece I had already made for a different reason.  I wanted to make a piece that I could wear to the fairs I am doing around this time, this time being October, Autumn, Halloween.  I love the colours of Autumn, the oranges and reds and I love Halloween, all that witching and mogs...ta dah...I had done my piece without thinking about it!

 

 

I used my lampwork beads, what else!, and my anthropomorphic twist on Halloween.  How Pre-Columbian is that?  I am thrilled to bits, I am Pre-Columbian!! 

So Leah...you thought you could give me a hard task eh?  Hopefully next time will be a challenge, heheheh...

Do have a look at the list below and follow the links to their blogs, especially if you really do like grown up and elegant pieces, I can honestly say, no one, had a twist on their time period, quite like mine!!

Ahowin - Art Nouveau www.blog.ahowinjewelry.com
Alicia Marinache – Victorian http://www.allprettythings.ca/
Becca's Place – Renaissance www.godsartistinresidence.blogspot.com
Beti Horvath – Ancient Egypt and Art Deco www.stringingfool.blogspot.com
Cherry Obsidia – Ancient Mecynae Greece www.cherryobsidia.blogspot.com
Cooky – Renaissance www.shepherdessbeads.com/Blog.html
Jamie Shipp – Middle Ages www.celebratinglifewithdamamashipp.blogspot.com/
Jennifer Davies-Reazor – Medieval www.jdaviesreazor.com/blog
Kathleen Douglas – Indus Valley www.washoekat.blogspot.com
Kashmira Patel – Etruscan www.sadafulee.blogspot.com
Lady Grey – Victorian www.beadsteaandsweets.blogspot.com
Laney Mead – Pre-Columbian www.laney-izzybeads.blogspot.co.uk
Leah Curtis – Ancient Roman www.beadyeyedbunny.blogspot.co.uk
LiliKrist - Persia www.lilikrist.com
Melissa – Mesopotamian www.design.kcjewelbox.com
Melissa Trudinger – Art Nouveau www.beadrecipes.wordpress.com
Micheladas Musings – Ancient Romans www.micheladasmusings.blogspot.com
Paula Hisel – Victorian www.simplybeadiful.weebly.com/simply-stated.html
Sandra Wollberg – Art Nouveau www.city-of-brass-stories.blogspot.com
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson – Art Deco www.sharylsjewelry.blogspot.com
Tracy Stillman – Victorian www.tracystillmandesigns.com

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




 

Getting into the holiday spirit!

Its September, already and one of my teenagers has gone back to school today...hooray!  I have been very busy with fairs this summer and been loving each and every one of them.  I have met fabulous people, sold lots of beads and had lots of giggles.  Fairs are hard work, both before, during and even after, when you come home, tired and still have to unload the car, but they are worth it.  I still have plenty of fairs left to do in the run up to Christmas...I know, terrible word in September!...and I have been making lots of holiday beads, I just can't help it, I am feeling all Halloweeny and Christmassy already.  I have also been updating my Etsy shop and my new (improved) plan is to keep it updated and current, I am very bad at sitting down with a cup of tea and planning to do it in a minute..that minute never comes, but its no good prompting on line sales at fairs if you don't put anything in the shop!  So just to re-cap, I do do custom orders, please just ask.  I love making my fun beads and am always open to suggestions on what to do next, please remember though I don't copy designs, but I am willing to put your idea into glass.  I love experiments!  Just a few pics of what I have been putting into the Etsy shop click here 

Laney x

Halloween in July

Well its been a while!  I have been quietly busy making new beads.  I went through the 'bum' stage and back onto the flowers, I always find that this makes the next period of either 'bums' or 'flowers' more detailed, it must be that old adage 'a change is as good as a rest'.   I have been slowly listing some more items in my Etsy shop www.izzybeads.etsy.com as well as doing the bead fairs.   I have a couple of weekends off from the fairs to catch up with stock and orders before the next one in Plymouth on August 7th.  So for now, a few pictures of what I have been upto and what has been listed in my shop.

The pumpkins are not in the Etsy shop yet, but will be, I took advantage of the sunshine today and got a photo!

And one final bit of good news, is that my beads are now available to buy through a lovely shop in Hereford, The Pedlars Tray and my jewellery is now available in The Qube Gallery in Oswestry.  See.  I told you I had been busy!