I Made it Myself

Tila Talk

2012-02-02T10:06:00.001Z

Last week I took the plunge and bought some Tila beads. Aren't they teeny? I wasn't expecting them to be so delicate. I love them.
Not feeling in the mood to reinvent the wheel I shopped on Etsy for the Zoe Bangle tutorial (something that my fellow fanatics had introduced me to on the OTTBS group on Facebook) and now look:

Three of them and more 3mm bicones in the post so I can make more.
Often when I bead I have an audience in mind; workshop students, magazine readers (a girl can dream), fellow beaders, a friend. But the joy of making these bangles was that I made them for ME.

I Don't Believe It!

2012-01-12T19:41:00.001Z

I knew it had been a while since I last posted here, but 4 months...? FOUR MONTHS! At least I know where that nagging sensation "there's something I've forgotten" came from. Shame on me.
I suspect that it is no coincidence that that September entry was about proper bloggers who post at least once a day. You can guarantee that if I am told I ought to be doing something I will not do it (and vice versa, but that's for another post. Or a different blog).
So. What have I been doing? Beading of course, lots of beading; I have mastered CRAW (Cubic Right Angled Weave), shamballa-style bracelets, tubular Peyote stitch in the form of beaded needle cases and flat spiral stitch. Here are some pictures to prove it:

Caution: The shamballa bracelets are addictive. I used a couple of videos on Youtube to get me going and soon found that a clipboard and masking tape come in very handy

My beaded needle case discovery was somewhat tarnished by the thought that I neither want or need a beaded needle case. I decided to share this discovery with my best friend, who will soon be in receipt of a beaded lighter case, something she neither wants or needs. Such is the depth of our friendship. In the background you can see the earrings I made my mother for Christmas.

And finally: The body of a knitted dormouse. I knitted all the constituant parts over Christmas but he's still not sewn up. I ought to do that this weekend.... Uh oh...!

Fellow members of the OTTBS group on Facebook will already be familiar with many of these pictures. Those fabulous beading ladies have provided invaluable feedback, support and inspiration over the last few months and taken me to beading places I would never have thought to venture on my own. The knitted dormouse I take sole responsibility for.

Happy 2012 and see you all again soon (or May if someone mentions 'ought to').

Something to say

2011-09-07T14:48:00.001+01:00

Did you know that modern marketing gurus recommend a blog post at least once a day if you want to stay healthy search engine-wise? I know it, but I can't bring myself to do it. How many people have an original thought 7 or more times a week? I'm lucky enough if I come up with one a year.

My recent induction into the world of SEO and all things social media confirms my suspicion; that there are blogs worth reading and blogs written to boost a Google page ranking and the latter far outnumber the former. But hooray there are still plenty of informative, entertaining blogs out there; take a look at my blog list if you want proof!

And now that I've got that off my chest here's a picture of my latest work-in-progress.

These two will be suspended from beaded chains in the same vein as my Santa Fe Rivoli pendants, but I also have a cunning plan for a far more ornate necklace involving different sized flowers, bezelled Rivolis, beaded chain and goodness knows what else. So you see, far too busy beading to blog!

Confessions of a Beadaholique

2011-07-27T13:57:00.000+01:00

It's hardly an original title, but then it is not a unique condition. I know there are fellow addicts out there. I was going to say 'sufferers', but then being addicted to beading is hardly an insufferable condition. This is the state of my bead stash:

This is the over-flow from the wooden box

...and this is what I made using only stash beads...

It'll be a while before I make much of a dent in the stockpile with these little fellas...

... but I love making them, so there will be more.

I built it myself

2011-07-13T21:05:00.000+01:00

I never do diy; I abhor diy, yet today I put together a chest of drawers and replaced a shower hose and shower head holder. No picture of the shower; I repaired it, but I didn't clean it. Now I may get a little drunk.

One toe and a thumbnail were hurt in the building of this chest of drawers

Social notworking

2011-07-10T17:54:00.001+01:00

See what I did there...?

Beading-wise it has been a very unproductive month. I'm now the proud possessor of two part time jobs which is a relief for the bank but not so much for my creativity. Yet in spite of ignoring this blog, my Etsy shop and indeed my beads, I have had several approaches via social networks for sales enquiries, being featured in a blog and even a spot of guest blogging.

All of which is a GOOD THING; it is grand to be noticed and clearly social networking is still the the way to go. But and it's a bold, italic but... Facebook et al are also huge time wasters.

In recent days I have signed up to LinkedIn, Google+ and Tumblr in addition to my existing two Twitter accounts, Facebook page and Etsy shop. In between trying to track down connections, circles, followers and fans I've made half a ring. And no, I still don't really know what Google+ is for.

So onwards and upwards; the ideas still keep coming, there is always inspiration around me and if it needs to be beaded it will be beaded!

Stacked coffee cups

Here are two images that have been mooching around my head waiting to be inspiration:

Artichoke photographic print by Liane Doxey available from Prairie Garden on Etsy

And finally here is something I made earlier, now available from Urban Igloo

Luau Rings

Weaving Marvellous

2011-05-25T16:26:00.000+01:00

I'm just back from an inspiring visit to Edinburgh's Dovecot Studios, "one of the world’s leading contemporary tapestry studios and an international centre for tapestry as a modern art form since 1912". But only extant in the oldest public swimming baths in Edinburgh for the last two years (after a rather substantial architectural conversion, obviously).

Staircase as art

What was once the pool is now the weaving floor, housing five or so looms, a display of glorious finished tapestries, shelves of sumptuously coloured cones of yarns and most exciting of all, a man with a tufting gun. Jonathan Cleaver was generous enough to answer questions and fire up the aforementioned gun for a little demonstration.
I defy anyone not to gasp when they first walk into the space, over-arched as it is by the original Victorian glass and metal roof.

The Weaving Floor and Balcony are not often open to the public but the ground floor gallery regularly hosts exhibitions.

I am still bouncing up and down with excitement after meeting everyone and seeing so much creativity in one place... Or it might be the side effect of drinking the best and strongest espresso I have ever consumed on British soil in the Stag Espresso Café at the Dovecot.

Accidental SEO

2011-05-22T18:55:00.000+01:00

Today's erratic weather left me bored enough to take a wander through the data on my website in Google Analytics...
A dramatic spike in visits on April 29th caught my eye and caused much excitement here at Beading Towers. Then I dug a little deeper. The page they were all looking at? Kate's Tiara. Sorry chaps, wrong Kate. Next royal wedding maybe...

Kate's tiara

Rubbish!

2011-05-18T21:51:00.001+01:00

Without question I am rubbish at blogging. I don't do it often enough to be called a blogger and if I'm not careful my blog will be taken away from me. (Ok, so I made that last bit up).
I've been lucky enough to go on an SEO training course recently (more interesting than it sounds) so I understand all too well the importance of engaging with my audience. It's not that I don't want to either because I've already experienced the pleasure of posts getting read and commented on.

I think (and you are welcome to interrupt here) my reticence is based my frustrations with my beading.

I follow a lot of fellow beaders' blogs and you are all wonderful; full of new and original ideas. I know I need to find my own voice, relax about what I think I ought to share, stop over-analysing and just GET ON WITH IT.

Here is me, getting on with it:

Stuff that gets in the way...

2011-05-11T12:43:00.000+01:00

Chandelier by Venini from here

...of beading:

Eating
Housework (yes I do it sometimes)
Going to work
Sleeping
Dying my hair inappropriate colours (oops)
Paperwork
Wasting time on Facebook
Trying to find images to accompany blog posts

Ooopsy

2011-04-22T19:20:00.000+01:00

I've been so grumpy lately I've been ignoring everything, including my blog. Bad blogger!
So I'd forgotten to post this photo of the finished lucite flower necklace, until now. I'm quite pleased with it but it has flaws so I've started another one that will, of course, be perfect.
I relied heavily on Laura McCabe's embellishment techniques to create the effect I was after. It's so nice when someone else has done all the hard work.

Technicalities

2011-04-22T14:12:00.000+01:00

Moleskine notebooks are the bees knees

I've always liked computers; I know that in a fire it would be my MacBook that made it out with me. But the morning I've just spent on Google Analytics has been enough to drive me back to pen and paper.

Flowers for Algernon*

2011-04-10T11:39:00.000+01:00

I've been very low lately (blame the Tories, I always do) and I think it may show in my recent beading projects. Using a monochrome palette I've been churning out Blackberry rings, comforted by the repetition and the lack of need for thought.

I love them and have taken to wearing one most of the time, but en mass they're a bit gloomy aren't they?

So this, dear reader is what I shall be working on next:

*they're not for Algernon, they're for me

I always wanted to be a designer when I grew up...

2011-03-17T11:25:00.003Z

Bead Magazine Issue 29

...I just never knew it would be beads that turned me into one.

No need for further words...

2011-03-14T09:44:00.001Z

A link to the British Red Cross appeal for Japan

Matte Black is Back

2011-03-07T22:52:00.000Z

Many moons ago I worked at the V&A. Much of my job involved exploring the collections; a tremendous privilege and the memories are still a powerful source of inspiration for me.

Cast iron earrings c1815 photo ©V&A

I'm telling you this because one of my on/off obsessions is back 'on'. Matte black seed beads and netting stitch. Why? Because back in the day I fell in love with the strange and wonderful Berlin ironwork jewellery. It's heyday was during the Franco-Prussian War (1813-15) when Prussian women were asked to donate their gold to the state in exchange for this unbelievably delicate cast iron jewellery; inherently worthless, yet mesmerically beautiful.

So once again I am all set to drag myself away from Peyote Stitch, dig out my copy of the "White Russian" Beading book and see what I can come up with...

Unlikely beauty

2011-03-03T19:26:00.000Z

I was in Andulacia for a few days recently and had cause to visit the workshop of the local metalsmith. This was what I saw. I know he thought me slightly bonkers for wanting to photograph it, but he obligingly opened up the doors so there was enough light for my camera phone

Unraveling...

2011-02-27T10:39:00.001Z

I have almost finished this cuff; if I hadn't run out of beads I would have finished it days ago. But now it's lying around incomplete, looking all gorgeous, spring-like and deeply flawed. Even as I was beading it I spotted several mistakes, but talked myself out of going back and correcting them.
Big mistake. Every time I look at it now all I see are the errors. I've tried to ignore them but there they remain, nagging away in the back of my mind.
Am I in danger of over-blowing this minor mishap into a major crisis? Yes, I am.

So, the decision is made: Today I will mostly be unraveling this cuff and starting again. This time I'm going to add in some size 11 beads to highlight the pearls on the outer edges and not make any mistakes.

I can't help myself.

Urchin Crazy

2011-02-08T03:48:00.000Z

I cannot stop making these rings. Thank goodness for that! I was beginning to think the Obsession had waned. Yet one simple brainwave and I am beading before breakfast and into the small hours.... Six so far. Expect more photos.

Housekeeping

2011-01-31T16:33:00.000Z

I cannot abide housework; it is repetitive, boring, time-consuming and worst of all, needs doing again and again. And again. But once in a while the mess gets inside my head and I HAVE to clear up. So I am happy to report that I am sitting in a tidy, relatively dust-free room feeling much calmer.

But behind me lurks a waking nightmare... Of course the tidying of one room simply means transfering the clutter into another room and there it remains. All my beads, boxes, half-made jewellery, tools: Chaos. Guess what I'm doing tomorrow?

I really hope that all this tidying up and organising will fire the spark of inspiration because it's not there at the moment. Though I have been using the time to make some new colourways of old favourites. Here are a few Fireworks rings that I delievered to Concrete Wardrobe earlier today.

Nice architecture...

2011-01-20T11:38:00.002Z

AILLAUD TOWERS, originally uploaded by Pasc_Lem.

...but I wouldn't want to live there.

Aillaud Towers in a Parisian suburb defines the very notion of hell on earth. But oh my, look at those shapes and colours! There's a bracelet in there somewhere. Or a necklace. ....I'll be walking into a few lamp posts over the next few weeks while I ponder the idea. My head hurts already.

Grumpy? Me?

2011-01-19T17:44:00.000Z

I used to have this wonderful little gizmo called a tea egg. Then I had a clear-out. Now I have nothing to make my one cup of loose-leaf herbal tea in. Oh and there's a small teapot somewhere about the place... Probably with the tea egg inside it. Which just goes to prove that tidying up is highly overrated and should be avoided at all costs.

Displacement Activity

2011-01-05T21:37:00.000Z

I've updated my website but I've not yet done any proper beading in 2011. I'm working up to trying the Blooming Bead (a work of genius btw) from Sandfibers but the conditions aren't quite right yet. I don't know what the right conditions are, I just "know" they're not yet in place.

The creative mood is an elusive one, especially when you are as lazy as I am [hence the absence of a picture to accompany this post].

Christmas Post

2010-12-23T12:51:00.001Z

Slowly but surely the Christmas preparations are coming together; almost everything shopped for, nearly every present wrapped, all the cards posted (ok emailed and nothing for the folk whose email addresses I don't have. I'm not THAT organised) and the TV set to record Doctor Who...

So what's next? Apart from eating, drinking, gift giving and receiving and generally making merry. New Year's Resolutions, that's what. Ordinarily I avoid making NYRs but this year for some mysterious reason it's different. Already the list is forming in my head; get back to the gym, sort out my paperwork, tidy/clean the flat, all the usual suspects. But the one I most want to keep is to organise my beads and bead work. I can feel a Delica database coming on. I know, I know... But if my beads are sorted I think my creative brain will be too and right now that's a mess. So I'm giving myself a beading holiday before rolling up my sleeves, cracking my knuckles, getting my act together and setting the ball rolling towards an organised, clear-headed 2011 (and who cares if the flat remains a tip?).

And on that note a very merry Christmas and holiday season to you all and let's get down to some serious happiness in 2011

By the way, if you like the photo in the ecard check out my brother's Facebook page for more views of Scotland in the snow...

A Kit!

2010-12-13T20:26:00.000Z

The Bead Shop Scotland have introduced an exclusive range of beading kits to their shops, actual and online.

One of them is my Shrimp earrings design, renamed (the much more elegant-sounding) Layered Leaf earrings.

Writing out instructions may be a bit too hard to be enjoyable but it's undeniably worth it in the end!