Beads By Laura

'Springtime'

2012-02-21T11:52:00.000Z

It's a-coming; pretty flowers here and there, bright sunshine, and longer daylight hours. So I made these crocus-inspired 'Springtime' beads to celebrate.

They will be for sale on my website at 8.30pm (UK time) this evening.

Come Melt With Me

2012-02-11T12:19:00.001Z

I’m going to be doing some one-to-one tuition during March and April. Tuition will take place in my shed which is in Cambridge.

I’m setting aside Wednesdays and Thursdays for this.

If you’re an absolute beginner I am offering a four hour session from 11.30am to 3.30pm. During this time we will cover the basics of beadmaking and we’ll pull stringer, make round beads and then use stringer and frit to decorate them. All materials, tea, coffee and biscuits (essential beadmaking equipment) are included in the tuition fee and obviously you will get to keep all the beads we make. The price for this four hour session is £100.00.

If you’ve done a spot of beadmaking before and you’d like to brush up on skills like stringer application, shaping and encasing then I am offering tuition at a rate of £25.00 per hour. It is entirely up to you how many hours you’d like but I’d suggest no more than five as there’s only so much beadmaking your brain can do before it gets tired. Just send me an email outlining what you’re interested in learning and for how long and we’ll arrange some times on a Wednesday or Thursday.

If you’d like to book some tuition with me please send me an email. I will require a fifty percent deposit (non-refundable) at the time of booking with the remainder payable on the day of your tuition. For deposits I will accept PayPal, bank transfer or cheque.

Wishing you a happy Saturday!

'Purple Haze'

2012-02-10T21:21:00.000Z

These purple lovelies are for sale right now. They're in the usual place.

Some stuff what I have done

2012-02-03T14:29:00.000Z

As I said in my last post, I haven't been doing a lot. But even so I have recorded these non-events using the medium of iPhone photography. Please allow me to bore you with some of those images now ...

I've been doing quite a lot of staring out of windows.

I've become addicted to chai tea latte.

I am still obsessed with red.

I have developed an alarmingly keen interest in post boxes.

I keep making kitsch-but-yum pineapple upside down cakes.

I've been listening to and letching on Matt Berry. (*purr-grunt*)

I've been trying to make beadmaking a tad more glam.

I've been eating sweet peanuts. (Remember those?)

I had a go at blowing glass on a tiny scale.

And I've seen some truly awful TV. Here's me watching Cash In The Attic.

So there you have it. I've been making beads in between all that but you've seen those already. I think that just about brings you up to date. Now I just need to stay on top of this blogging malarkey ...

A Letter To You

2012-02-03T13:05:00.000Z

Dear you,

Long time no write.

But for some reason here you are, visiting my blog and looking at my stuff.

I've been as quiet as A Very Quiet Thing, haven't I?

Fear not, my brain is not malfunctioning (well, maybe just a little but then that's nothing new) and nobody has died, which is pretty amazing. No, I have just had nothing to say.

That sounds lame but it's true.

I have had no amusing anecdotes ... unless you count the one where I fainted twice and did a sick when I gave blood for the first time. (You can read about that here if you like, but be warned, this blog has 'language'.)

I have been nowhere special. I had the quietest Chrimbletide on record and I didn't see any of my family.

I have planted no plants.

I have had no brilliant bead ideas.

In fact, I've been a bit of a boring shed-dwelling hermit. But I figured I should stick my head out of my shed door and give you a wave instead of just doing fly-by buy-my-wares posts.

Because that is rude. And I owe you more than that.

So let this be an apology for my silence and I will really try to talk to you more often.

In a minute I will post a long stream of photographs that will illustrate my recent boredom, so that'll be nice for you.

Thanks for dropping by and for sticking with me all this time.

No really, thank you.

Lotslove

Beads

2012-02-01T22:20:00.000Z

I've just put a couple of new sets on the Freshly Baked Beads page.

I'm a bit late tonight because the server was mucking about. Technotrauma!

More 'Scarlet'

2012-01-23T18:59:00.000Z

I reckon a lot of you are as taken with red-with-white-polka-dots as I am so I've made a whole wodge of them. They're over in the usual place.

New polka dots

2012-01-22T20:21:00.001Z

These cheerful 'Clementine' beads plus a couple of other sets will be for sale on my website at 8.30pm (UK time) this evening.

New Beads

2012-01-17T18:30:00.000Z

I've got some more sets of five ready for you. These will be for sale over in the usual place at 8.30pm (UK time) tonight.

Fives

2012-01-13T11:27:00.000Z

I've been making sets of five in lots of different designs and colours. I will be adding them to the website over the next couple of days starting at 8.30 pm (UK time) this evening. Each set of five will be £13.00 including postage anywhere in the known universe.

'Verdant'

2012-01-07T11:00:00.001Z

Could these be any greener?

(I said that in my best Chandler Bing voice.)

These are available here right now as I type.

Happy Saturday!

'Kumquat & Indigo'

2012-01-05T17:57:00.000Z

Like orange? Like bluey-purple? Then you'll like these!

If you do like them and you fancy turning them into wearable wonders of glassy joy then they will be for sale along with a few others at 9.00pm tonight. They'll be in the usual place.

Recipe: Cranberry & Orange Cookies

2011-12-28T12:08:00.000Z

I had an orange and some dried cranberries left over from Christmas cookery stuff and I wanted to turn them into some biscuits but I couldn't find a cranberry and orange biscuit recipe that I liked so I got my Joliver on and I made up my own. I'm really pleased with how they've turned out so I made a note of my recipe and I thought I'd share it with you lot too.

Cranberry & Orange Cookies

Makes about 16-20

Ingredients

110g softened unsalted butter

100g caster sugar (I used golden caster sugar)

50g soft dark brown sugar

150g plain flour

1/2 beaten large free range egg

100g dried cranberries

Zest and juice of one orange

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Method

In a large bowl mix the softened butter and sugars with an electric whisk until creamy and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix in.

Add one teaspoon of grated orange zest and two tablespoons of the orange juice and mix again.

Stir in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. The mixture will be quite thick so you might need to switch from the electric whisk to a wooden spoon at this point.

Add the cranberries and make sure they're mixed in really well and are evenly distributed.

Roll heaped teaspoons of the cookie mix into balls and place onto a baking paper-lined baking tray. I put about six biscuits on one tray. You need to space them well as they do spread.

Bake in the oven at 180°C (160°C for fan ovens) for about twelve to fifteen minutes until the edges are golden. Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool for five minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.

The cookies will crisp up as they cool but they should have a nice soft, chewy centre.

Merry baking!

Dottiness

2011-12-22T20:57:00.000Z

I've just added three more sets of Freshly Baked Beads to the website. There are the pretty blue and pink ones up there ...

... these lime and mandarin ones ...

... and these deep red and blue ones. Polka dotty madness!

'Carnival'

2011-12-22T08:57:00.000Z

I've just put these bright and vibrant lovelies on the Freshly Baked Beads page. Proper jolly beads!

Citrussy

2011-12-20T16:15:00.001Z

I've just added these bright and breezy 'Clementine' and 'Lime' beads to the Freshly Baked Beads page.

'Zing' & 'Starshine'

2011-12-16T15:12:00.001Z

Just like the television schedules, my bead listings go all to cock at Chrimbletide. They're all over the place.

I've just put the zesty 'Zing' beads above and these shimmering 'Starshine' beads ...

... on the Freshly Baked Beads page.

A splash of colour

2011-12-13T18:28:00.000Z

I thought it was about time I made some beads that were actually colourful, as opposed to clear and white. I've made these cheery-looking ones which are available as a mix (above) or in their individual colours as sets of five. Please click here for details of how to buy.

It's been mega-hectic here. I've been working 'double shifts'; starting early in the morning, letting the beads cool whilst I clean and package others and then I go back out the shed and make another kilnful. Yes. Hectic.

I have done nothing - and I mean nothing - Chrimbletide-wise. Nothing at all. This will not end well. I really hope that you are more organised than me and that all your festive preparation is coming along nicely.

Have a good evening!

'Snowpourri'

2011-12-06T18:48:00.001Z

Yep, even more white and clear beads. These ones include some spacers made with a gorgeous transulcent white alabaster glass.

These are £18 per set and are available on this page.

December

2011-12-01T10:11:00.001Z

Oh my sweet Father Chrimble. It's here. December is here.

I'm not even going to remark about the fact that I'm not even going to mention how woefully unready I am for Chrimbletide.

Instead I will just tell you that I've added some more chilly-frosty-brrr beads to the Freshly Baked Beads page. Great for last minute jewellery. Get yours whilst they're ... cold and icy-looking.

Brrrrr

2011-11-24T09:29:00.001Z

I've been spending a lot of time in my shed. In fact, today is day eleven in an unbroken row of shed days. I've been making beads like a mad thing, getting up early to clean them and rushing to the post box or Post Office at the last minute in the evenings. My candle has been flaming at both ends.

Anyway, I've just updated the Freshly Baked Beads page with some winter favourites. There are another five sets of each of the Sugar and Snow beads above ...

... and there are ten strands of these White Shimmer spacers.

All beads are £10.00 per set including worldwide postage, and can be found here.

Blue-tiful

2011-11-23T09:49:00.001Z

These flowery beads are for sale right now (yes, as I type!) along with a few other sets.

They can be found in the usual place.

Winter is on its way

2011-11-21T17:38:00.001Z

It's getting chilly. I spent almost the whole weekend in the shed and yes, my feet can definitely confirm that winter is on its way.

To celebrate this weathery fact I have added some icy-looking beads to the Freshly Baked Beads page. These would be wonderful for wintry creations and Christmassy jewellery.

PhotoGRRRaphs

2011-11-19T09:59:00.001Z

Blimey. These beads have given me a right old headache! They were supposed to be for sale last night but I just couldn't get a decent photograph of them. This is because some of them are red. Red glass in a bit of a pain to photograph so I waited until this morning so I could take advantage of the daylight.

Hmmmm. They still didn't co-operate. I've spent far too long taking bazillions of photographs this morning and these are the best I can do.

These red and burnt orange gems will be for sale at midday today.

Have a great Saturday!

'Festive'

2011-11-16T18:48:00.001Z

I have several strands of these dainty bead pairs for sale at 7.00pm (UK time) tonight. At only 9mm diameter these little lovelies would be great for Christmassy earrings.