A head for flowers.

Autumn Fruits

Its something new for me.  Tiaras.  I was asked to enter a competition, open to all mediums.  I wanted to do a finished piece, as opposed to 'just' beads, but didn't want to make a necklace or bracelet, so I took a few days to think about it.  At first I was going to do something 'arty' like stitching the flowers onto a canvas to create a picture, but decided that my sewing skills are not good enough and eventually came up with tiaras, no sewing skills necessary!  This is the one that I am going to enter into the competition, a collection of Poppies, Blueberries, Acorns, Blackberries, Poppy seed heads and sculpted leaves.  My daughter modelled the tiaras for me, but I wasn't allowed to use her face...she had no makeup on!  I did get one with a smile though.....

Autumn Fruits Tiara with a smile!!

 

 

 I made two tiaras.  This is the second one, even though it was the first one I made! 

Blue Roses

 I really enjoyed making these, even if my fingers were sore for days, all that wire wrapping! 

As the sun has been out over the last couple of days, making it actually feel like summer, I have taken a few pictures of my beads for putting on Etsy, the sun really makes a difference.  These are Meadow Cranes Bill.

Click here for link to Izzybeads Etsy shop

The sunshine really makes glass sparkle.

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!

Back on the bums!!

As well as making the glass flowers I have a bit of a passion for the fun and whimsy side of bead making..and life!  I am inspired by so many great whimsy glass bead artists, Maybeads, BeastieBeads, Blue Mountain Magic lampwork beads to name but three.  Of course if you are talking whimsy beads you can't forget Sharon Peters whom must be the goddess of silly sculptural beads. 

 Of course, my girls inspire my chicken beads and my cats and dogs inspire my ...well...cats and dogs beads!! 

Marmalade...and toast!

Claude and the glassy mog!

As well as chooks, cats and dogs I like to make what makes me smile and I refuse to throw away some of my favourite childrens books, the pictures in those bring characters to life.  Why don't adult books (and I am not talking rude ones!) still have those little doodles at the beginning of chapters? 

Ellie the Elephant

Billy Button

Fish ear ring pair

A day at the seaside

 The fish ear ring pair of beads were inspired  from looking at old Venetian bead designs.

And just to round this blog off nicely, some more chooks, this time for big holes to fit the popular bracelets.  You can never have enough chooks!