Fusing Bonanza

I have been having a fabulous week trying out my new kiln.  I have been fusing glass pendants, some are still a bit pointy but as my new grinder arrived yesterday I hope to smooth some of them out, here is a pic of the first and second goes...

First fusing

Second fusing

On the second fusing I was starting to get a little more creative!  In anticipation of having pretty pendants I have opened up an Ebay shop Laneys beads and art glass , and have even ordered some pretty bails to attach..well 'tis nearly that Christmas time and they would make fabulous presents...the girlie has already put her order in for her friends! 

Talking of Christmas, its not a day I particularly enjoy, there is always far too much to eat, nothing on the telly and I always end up feeling so bored but not really able to go and do something creative, for some reason it just doesn't feel right on Christmas Day.  I no longer go to church, and the only thing I really enjoy is walking the dogs.  On Christmas Day the air is different...don't ask me why, I have no idea, its just different.  My kids are too old now to be excited, they have guessed Santa is really me...they figured out the handwritting!...and last year we actually had to wait for them to get up, we don't even get the Christmas tears...unless its me missing out on the last purple Quality Street chocolate.  This year hubby and I have decided to go to the beach with the dogs.  We never have 'lunch' until late, so a nice walk on the beach - it is a car trip away - with D dog eating as many shells as he can possibly handle - and perhaps a cold paddle, for them, in the sea, perhaps Christmas Day will feel a bit more special this year.  Either way, I am willing to give it a go, a modern day Christmas, now that sounds like a plan!

Back to present day, I am planning to slump some bottles this weekend in my kiln, I have drank the cider, or Perry as it was pear 'cider', and now have a beautiful emerald green bottle, its going to be a good 'slumping' day :O)

Laney x

Remember me??

I am so pants at keeping up with a blog.  But, I am trying again.  I have been updating my Etsy shop and adding some beads to Ebay.  I am going to try and have a bit of push to sell off some stock, I am wanting to start the new year with fresh beads for the numerous fairs I have already committed too.  New Year, New Start and all that.  So check out my shop if you have a moment Izzybeads on Etsy or grab a cuppa and have a look see through my listings on ebay Ebay listing - Angels.

Thanks for looking.  I will be back soon with a bit more than a blatant advertising blog!!  

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

New Camera....

Izabel

Ducks playing

Wild Orchids (I think) at the River Wye

St Michaels Church, Breinton.  The building dates back to the 16th Century, but has been modernized throughout the years and has many influences from Norman to Victorian, the gate 'house' remains the oldest part of the building.

Available in my Etsy shop

Available in my Ebay

I have been having alot of practise with my new camera, all the animals had a little photo shoot, and some beads.  Hubby has been super kind and ordered me a macro lens for it, so the pictures should be even clearer when that gets here.  I am off to Windsor Castle tomorrow, meeting my lovely friend for our holiday road trip, so my new camera will be getting more practise :O) 

Charity Auction

Some of us over on Bead Buddies have donated beadie pieces of jewellery to raise money for DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal, through a charity auction on Ebay, organized by Sandie, who has put in loads of work taking pictures and listing the items.  Take a look here and maybe have a little bid. 

Bluebells

This afternoons project!

 I have had some pieces of jewellery in The Qube Gallery in Oswestry for a month or so and they would like to make me permanent...how fab is that?  I have been busy with bead fairs and beady related things, so I am giving myself the afternoon off torching and going to make some jewellery for the gallery and the weekly markets that I have been accepted to do, starting September...all go here in Beady Hereford!  I also have some beads for sale in The Pedlars Tray in Hereford, if you are in the area, go and check them out, they have a huge display of dolls house furniture for sale too....am thinking of creating lots of little pieces for dolls house collectables, my daughter keeps asking me too for hers.  What do you think? I already have a sculpted chook...well I would have wouldn't I? :O)

Don't forget to check out the auctions here.

Laney x

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!