Hollybird Beads

BTW - What's on my Bead Mat....22nd Feb 2012

2012-02-22T14:52:00.000Z

Why is it that lately whenever Bead Table Wednesday comes around, it is always a grey, rainy day i.e. rubbish for trying to take photos of beadwork! Today is no exception, however, I took the opportunity to play about with some of the fun effects my image software has to offer and so what initially looked like really rather bad pictures are now looking quite fun and colourful.

A wide shot of the bead mat I've been working off of this week - lots of gunmetal grey & metallic purple seed beads, plus purple glass pearls.

So in this corner of the bead mat is another of my teeny tiny beadwoven charms awaiting the last thread end to be woven in. This one has been beaded around a tiny Swarovski rivoli stone in (colour = crystal) and embellished with galvanised silver delicas and seed beads. I've had the email to say my Sterling Silver findings are on their way, so the charms should be making an appearance online very soon.

In the other corner, I started working on another necklace like the one in my last blog post which I created for the OTTBS February colour challenge. I decided I wanted to keep the original for myself, but I really like the design so I'm now making this gunmetal and metallic purple version for the shop. I'm thinking of doing one in bright metallic silver too.

I've also added several new pairs of very glamourous, sparkly 'Halo' earrings to my Folksy shop in the last few days; one pair in classic jet black, the other, bright summery turquoise.

Hope you've enjoyed this week's bead table Wednesday - fingers crossed for better photograph taking weather next week though, eh?

Nicole

xoxo

Operation Tackle That Bead Stash - February Challenge Piece

2012-02-20T10:00:00.000Z

I recently joined the Operation Tackle That Bead Stash (or OTTBS for short) group over on Facebook; a very active group of like minded jewellery makers sharing their creations, beady purchases & general chitter chatter. Each month there is a colour challenge run on their blog, with the aim of getting people to use up some of their 'stash' - because all beaders have a LOT of beads!

This month's challenge is to create something in blue and green - with a bonus entry into the challenge prize draw if you also incorporate 'rounds' into your design.

For my piece I decided I wanted to combine two of my favourite motifs - my peyote ring 'Halo' and my newer 'Starflower.' I picked out seed beads in teal and metallic blue (normally I'd have picked crystal beads to go with the teal, but as I was sticking to the challenge colours I opted for the blue and I love how this changes the whole feel of the piece). I added in glass pearls in bright teal green and deep petrol blue as my accent beads.

My 'Starflower' motif ended up looking quite different because I had decided I wanted it to link to a halo on either side and have a chain tassle - from the thread tension it is now a distinctly triangular shape...one of those 'happy accidents' that gives you new ideas you hadn't even thought about. When I finished it I thought it looked like a little embellished shield.

Here's a few pictures of the finished necklace - ordinarily I'd have used bright silver findings, but the darker feel of the beadwork had me reaching for my gunmetal coloured findings instead. This piece is going to be mine to keep - I very rarely keep anything for myself these days so I thought it was about time I had a new piece for my own. I definitely think I'll be making a few to go in my online shops though.

One thing this necklace design doesn't have though is a name. At first I thought it might need a 'warrior queen' esqe name, since the central motif reminded me of a shield. Having photographed the piece however, it also reminds me of a bird spreading its wings in flight. Any suggestions?

If you'd like to know more about the OTTBS group and this month's challenge, their blog can be found here.

Nicole

xoxo

BTW - What's On My Bead Mat, 15th Feb 2012

2012-02-15T13:05:00.000Z

I really must make the effort to blog more than just bead table Wednesdays! I always say I will plan ahead and schedule posts, but this rarely happens...too much on my plate at the moment, beady and otherwise.

Apologies for the rubbish photos today - it's horribly grey and dreary here in Cambridge today so the natural light was pretty much non-existent...not the best thing when you want to take pictures of something sparkly!

I came about the idea of making beadwoven charms for charm bracelets (which seem to be very popular at the moment) after a friend suggested a charm bracelet as a leaving present for another friend who is off on an exciting new job adventure for 6 months, and that everyone could get a charm to put on it to remind her of us. Well, I thought I would best remind her of me if I made a charm myself, so I rooted around in the sparkly section of my bead boxes and found a gorgeous tanzanite purple Swarovski rivoli. Size was a key factor as I'd looked online at some of the other charms my friends were planning on buying and realised my finished piece couldn't be any bigger than 2cm! Fortunately the tiny rivoli I had proved to be just the right size and I was really pleased with the finished result - and, since have several more rivolis in this size that I bought for a different idea that didn't work out, I have decided to make some to try selling in my online shops. Today's bead table Wednesday photo shows last night's first attempt at making another - this time with a rivoli in a beautiful 'montana' blue.

I've added a little more embellishment around the crystal itself on this latest version and I'm trying to decide which I prefer. Here's a quick snapshot I took of the first one before it went off to join the other charms on the bracelet.

Once I've thought about which style I like best, all I need to wait for is the Sterling Silver clasps and jump rings I've got on order so they can be attached to a charm bracelet, and they will be available online. The rivolis used come in all sorts of colours, so they could be completely customisable if you wanted to give one as a gift - perhaps a birthstone colour for a birthday present?

Hope you enjoyed this week's bead table Wednesday - I am still working on the necklace I showed last week but I haven't got much further with it so I decided to show you these new charms this week instead!

Nicole

xoxo

BTW - What's On My Bead Mat, 8th Feb 2012

2012-02-08T15:56:00.000Z

It's bead table Wednesday again, and I am so glad that I took some time over the weekend to clear all the random beads, thread clippings, headpin ends and other stuff that was on my big bead mat before I started work on the new necklace design in today's photo.

After years of never really using it as a stitch, I've suddenly become addited to right angle weave - I've made several crystal embellished bracelets using this stitch in the last couple of weeks, not to mention the flowers I showed you last week. I decided I wanted to bead a bib/collar style necklace using right angle weave, and this week's btw photo shows you what I've got so far.

At the bottom right is what I've just finished and what I intend to be the front of the necklace - that's about 200 glass pearls in RAW, a bottom layer of rounds in a mid-grey colour and embellished with some lovely dusky lavender blue hearts that I've had for ages. I love the feel of this piece of beadwork, it's so supple and slinky in your hands.

You might be able to spy a couple of my 'Halo' motifs nearby - these are hopefully going to be what links the front piece to the neck rope/chain...I made one using my favourite metallic pewter grey seed beads but I decided that the ring needed to be a bit darker to match the pearls, hence you see several bags of different shades of grey seedies on my board. Last night I decided the silver-lined black diamond ones looked to be the best match so started another 'Halo' using them.

Now I just need to bead a second one and then decide on what form the back part of the necklace is going to take, I have a few ideas but I might have to try a few and see what works best. Hopefully it'll be finished by next week's btw!

Nicole

xoxo

BTW - What's On My Bead Mat, 1st Feb 2012

2012-02-01T14:18:00.000Z

I took the pieces I've been working on off of my actual bead mat in order to get them to photograph a little better today (thankfully the weather, although extremely cold, is sunny today so I was able to get a not too bad photograph this week using my proper camera).

In the top left hand corner is a bangle which I started and finished last night using this tutorial by the lovely Debbie van Tonder. Her bangle design is called 'Zoe' and uses Miyuki tila beads, of which I had some left over to use and since lots of people on a Facebook group I am a member of had been posting pictures of their versions of this bracelet, I decided I wanted a go. Alas, I should have checked the measurements beforehand because it is sadly about half an inch too big for me (i.e. the bangle practically slides off my hand when my hand is down by my side) - it was so quick to do that I know it won't take me long to undo it and take a few tilas out of the base, but I didn't have the heart to do it last night!

The other thing I've been working on are more of my new floral motif design. I'm still trying to work out what kinds of finished jewellery pieces I want to incorporate these flowers into so I've made a few in different colours to play around with. My favourite is the silver one - the matt silver fire-polished crystals in it are so lovely.

That's it for this week!

Nicole

xoxo

BTW - What's On My Bead Mat, 25th Jan 2012

2012-01-25T14:22:00.000Z

It's Wednesday again, and therefore that time of the week for me to show you a snapshot of what I'm working on at the moment. Here's what my bead mat looks like today.

As you can see, the floral motif that I was working on last week is finished and I'm really pleased with it. A friend has asked me if it would work as a necklace, so I'm going to have a go at making it a pendant and seeing if it hangs alright...it's a fairly big beadwork flower and the crystals give it a reasonable weight too. I have plans to make more of these and hopefully write a tutorial on it for other beaders to have a go too.

The WIP I have on the go is another right angle weave (RAW) bracelet in the same style as this silver and purple 'Rita' bracelet I made recently.

As you can see, I've started this new version off in glass pearls that are a lovely teal/seafoam green colour and some transparent teal seed beads. I've almost finished the base and then will be embellishing it with some matching teal and turquoise fire-polished crystals. Hopefully I'll have finished it by the time BTW comes around again.

What's on your bead table today?

Nicole

xoxo

BTW - what's on my beading mat today

2012-01-19T16:20:00.000Z

Excuse the poor quality photo...it was taken on my camera phone and in not so brilliant lighting. I'm going to try and join in on 'Bead Table Wednesday' every week if possible (i.e. if I remember to take photos!) So here is my first glimpse at what was sitting on my beading mat as of yesterday.

In the bottom left is my first 'Bead Masters 2012' project, Rachel Nelson-Smith's 'Groove' earrings from her Bead Riffs book. This is very different from the way I usually bead, so it's been a challenge even though the project is a small one. There'll be proper pictures for the blog once I've finished them - this one just needs a little bit more embellishment added so I've not far to go.

In the top right is an idea I've been playing around with this week. It's getting there towards a design I am happy with, but I have a feeling I might need some 3mm firepolished crystals instead of the 4mm ones I've been using. We'll see once I've finished a whole motif - I might change my mind once it's complete.

So that's what's on my bead table this week - what's on yours?

Nicole

xoxo

New Beads...and My Aims for 2012

2012-01-16T10:53:00.000Z

I hope the start of 2012 has been a good one for you all. I must admit I'm still trying to get back into the swing of 'normal' life (or as normal as things get around here!) after being away for 3 weeks over Christmas and New Year.

I spent quite a bit of time this weekend trying to sort out my bead boxes - having taken beads to play with whilst away and having been busy with custom orders at the end of last year, my beads are in quite a muddle so I am keen to get them back into some logical order. Tidying has reminded me of beads that I've got in my stash that I'd forgotten I had, so I think that's some positive to be said for having a clear up!

I've received a few packets of bead post this week (the best kind of post IMHO) so I thought I'd share with you what I've bough lately and what I might like to create with these beads.

I'd run out of a few key colours of seed beads over Christmas, so I re-stocked these, plus I always like to try out some new colours (you can't always tell online whether you are going to like or love a colour as different monitors/cameras etc don't always show shades as they actually appear). Here's the selection of seed beads I plumped for - there's a fair bit of white/crystal, but there are also some unusal bronze-lined sapphire ab beads which are a lovely muted opalescent kind of colour and even some dark metallic red beads (I don't ususally 'do' red!).

I also bought some new accent beads - a selection of different glass shapes from a new bead supplier I hadn't used before. I'm really pleased with what I bought (especially the violet glass flowers) so will definitely go back to them again.

And of course I couldn't buy new beads without treating myself to some Swarovski sparkle including this whopping 27mm rivoli - such a gorgeous blue/purple colour...

...and, inspired by a stunning emerald necklace that was in the recent auction of Elizabeth Taylor's jewellery collection, some emerald coloured crystal cabochons - I am a bit in love with these, so expect to see them in an ultra glam sparkly necklace sometime in the future!

I don't like doing 'New Years Resolutions' as such (I always used to say mine was to stop biting my nails...which I did do eventually I might add, but not really as a New Years Resolution in the end) but I have a few things jewellery-wise that I hope to achieve in the next year that I want to write here.

1.) Develop my metal working skills - I hope to take a course at Holts Academy once my current studies are finished with the aim of making a career change of direction in to jewellery making full time

2.) Self-publish at least one beadweaving tutorial of my own design - I've already started on this one over Christmas so hopefully this one won't take me too long to achieve.

3.) Make some more 'bridal' pieces - I made bridal jewellery for a close friend last year and I'd love to do more bridal work. I want to make up some 'sample' ideas for bridal jewellery that I could have on my website to show people the sorts of thing I could do

4.) Make at least one 'big showpiece design' - this might well end up having something to do with those lovely emerald cabs I pictured above, but having completed two 'big' necklaces last year, I'd like to create at least one big piece this year...not necessarily as a competition entry, but something to challenge me

5.) Continue to come up with new designs and push myself out of my comfort zone - I've just started designing something in RAW which is a stitch I never use. It's not that I don't like it, my brain just until now refuses to 'think' in RAW - but the other night a flash of an idea popped into my head and I've been playing around with it the past few days and think it has potential.

6.) Learn from the 'masters' - I've got lots of books now by various beadweaving heroines of mine, but have never actually made any of the projects in them, just used them for inspiration and to drool over. I want to start actually doing some projects from these books to see how these beadweavers really think about beading and hopefully push myself in terms of what I design and how I use the different stitches

I think that's it for the moment...or at least that's a lot to be going on with for a year so far! Have you made any beady resolutions or set yourself any goals for this year? I'd love to hear what you've set your sights on - perhaps we can hold each other's hands/bug each other so we try and stick to our plans!?

TTFN

Nicole

xoxo

Bye Bye 2011...Hello 2012 - a review

2012-01-02T13:45:00.000Z

I hope everyone has been enjoying a break over the Christmas and New Year holidays. I spent a much needed 2 weeks back in Essex with my family over Christmas, before getting the train up to Scotland to stay with my boyfriend and his family for another week over New Year. Soon it'll be time to get on the train once more and return to Cambridge (and start really cracking on with writing up my PhD thesis!).

I've seen quite a few review posts on other crafters' blogs and I think it's a great idea to look back over what has happened creatively and the things that you have made in the past year as sometimes it's easy to forget how far you've come in 12 months. Here's my review of Hollybird Beads' 2011...

January

In January it seems I was in to bracelets with lots of fringing and embellishment. I created two pieces, 'Amethyst Dawn' and 'Twilight' which showcased this technique, dripping with faceted glass, Swarovski crystals, pearls and semi-precious gemstones. 'Amethyst Dawn' has since found a new home, but 'Twilight' is still available on Folksy.

Twilight

Amethyst Dawn

February

Love was clearly in the air in February, when I created this dusky lilac bracelet embellished with tiny glass heart beads and finished with a beautiful lampwork glass heart focal bead created by lampwork artist Julie Fountain of Lush Lampwork.

My Heart's Desire bracelet

March

This was the month in which I fulfilled a beady ambition of mine by taking a trip down to the wonderful Stitchncraft bead shop in Dorset (how I wish I lived nearer so I could visit all the time!) to take a beadweaving masterclass with one of my beady heroines Laura McCabe (who is as lovely as she is talented). Here's a photo of what I finished during the class - a fully-functioning locket complete with Swarovski crystal rivoli lid.

April

In April I was asked to do some commissioned work to create bracelets for a friend to give as a gift to her bridesmaids on her wedding day. We settled on my 'Ice Queen' design, which I love with it's frosty silver/white and purple colour scheme. Each one is slightly different as I embellish at random.

May

The month of May saw the emergence of the first incarnation of my popular 'Halo' necklaces. I wanted to create some beadwoven jewellery that was both statement, but not too over the top to cater for those who prefer a more simple style of jewellery. I've made lots of these necklaces in all sorts of colours but I still love them as much as I did when I first started beading them. Here's the one which I kept for myself!

June

In June I was still beading lots of 'Halo' necklaces, but I also created this design, which I named 'Azul' after the gorgeous aquamarine bead colours I used. This design has in recent months lead to a custom order in which I created a full set of jewellery to match this necklace. The original has since found a new home and I had a lovely email to let me know how happy the person who placed a custom order was with my work - it's always so nice to hear that people like what I have made.

July

In July I was busy beading a competition entry piece to meet the entry deadline - so busy in fact that I even ended up taking my beading on the train on my daily commute in order to get it finished on time! This took up most of my beading time in July, but I did also start work on this bracelet 'Serafina' using some beautiful metallic pewter-grey seed beads. This piece has found a new home, but I will definitely be making another in 2012 - I think I want to use my rose-gold seed beads for that one!

Serafina bracelet

August

August was an exciting month for me when I found out my 'Flora Metallica' necklace had been selected as a finalist in the London Jewellery School's annual student jewellery competition. After the final judging, Flora was awarded 2nd place, which won me a gift voucher towards a class at the jewellery school (I chose to do beginner's wax carving and had a fantastic time). I am very proud of this necklace as it was my first 'big' piece of beadwork - taking over 20 hrs to design, test and make. The original has a permanent home with me (sentimental value!) but I would always be happy to create another (or a similar one in another colourway) as a custom order.

Flora Metallica necklace

September

September saw the second incarnation of my 'Halo' necklace, with the addition of some dangling tassels of chain for extra movement. This design has also been very popular and sold out at the end of 2011 - fortunately I have already started beading more of them in new colours for 2012!

'Halo' in the 'Metallica' colourway

October

October was another exciting month for Hollybird Beads as I found out that my 'Flora Argenta' necklace had been selected as a finalist for the British Bead Awards in the 'Crystals' category. Although in the final judging I didn't come away with a prize, I still got to see my necklace on display at Bead magazine's 'Big Bead Show' at Sandown racecourse. I will have to start thinking soon about my entry for 2012s competition!

November

Novemeber was an extremely busy month - I had a stall booked at a craft fair, the Made-It Market, for the 26th of November, so every bit of spare time I had was spend beading furiously in order to build up stock. I created several new designs during this month, including my favourite, the 'Pearl Starflower' series. The fair was a great success - I sold lots of my work and got to hear customers and browsers alike compliment me on my designs in person. I've already booked to do the same craft fair again next year as it was so well organised.

December

The last month of 2011 was spent mostly working on custom orders - bridesmaid jewellery, Christmas gifts etc. I hope that all those who received a piece of Hollybird Beads jewellery as a gift this Christmas are happy with what they received and perhaps they will become new customers in 2012. I've been starting to re-stock my shops and hope to have lots of new designs in the next 12 months. I've also started work on creating a tutorial for one of my designs which I hope to release in the not too distant future.

I hope you've enjoyed my review of the Hollybird Beads year and wish you a wonderful 2012!

Nicole

xoxo

Made-It Market Cambridge and Other Christmassy Things...

2011-12-13T14:19:00.000Z

It has been rather hectic at Hollybird Beads HQ in the past few weeks so once again, the poor old blog has gotten neglected!

Early on Saturday 27th November, myself and my parents set off to walk from our flat into the centre of Cambridge carrying bags of display stands, tissue paper, paper bags, float and of course, a whole selection of my handmade jewellery. I'd booked a stall at the Made-It Market being held at the Cambridge Guildhall and had spent weeks furiously beading away in every spare moment to make my stand look as full as possible.

We arrived to find the hall already filling up with lots of other crafters setting up their stands and I hastened to do the same, hoping I could manage to lay out everything as I'd practised. My parents departed to explore the city and check out the exhibitions that were on at the Fitzwilliam Museum, leaving me and my boyfriend to man the stall. I'd brought beads and thread with me so I sat merrily beadweaving away, whilst people came and browsed. I was pleased to see that the fair was very well attended, with a steady flow of customers from the word go.

I'd only done one craft fair previously (and a very small one at that) so I didn't really have much to compare it to in terms of my expectations of sales - I just hoped I took enough to cover my stall fee at the very least. I was thrilled then to do far far better than that, and also to receive lots of lovely compliments about my jewellery from shoppers and have a chat with some other fellow crafters.

A friend came along with her mum and took this photograph of me behind my stall - I apologise for my slightly mad looking smile! - this was taken after the fair had been open a few hours so you can see there are already some gaps where I had sold some pieces.

It was a great day, although I was absolutely exhausted by the end of it (and promptly started coming down with a cold that evening!).

In the past few weeks I've been busy beading custom orders that have been placed recently. These have included an adaptation of a design that someone saw through my Facebook page and a commission to create some matching jewellery sets for bridesmaids which has had me beading in some beautiful shades of silver and aquamarine.

I've almost finished other peoples' orders, so next on my beading list is making Christmas gifts to give my own family and friends. I shan't mention what I'm making yet, just incase any of the intended recipients stumble across my blog, but I'll show you pictures after they have been given (and hopefully well received!)

There are still lots of lovely sparkly things in my shop if you are still shopping for Christmas gifts - I've added a few suggestions at the bottom of this post just to give you an idea. I'll be staying open over the holiday period too...so if you've come into a few pennies over Christmas you can treat yourself to a piece of handmade Hollybird Beads jewellery.

Just one of several flower rings I have left - these would make great stocking fillers at just £5. I have silver ring bases too so I can custom make you one in your colour choice if you'd like!

A sparkling silver and purple 'Nova' pendant. This piece has a wonderful 'ruffled' texture.

My favourite new design - the 'Pearl Starflower' bracelet...this black and silver version is just so classically elegant.

I've also made the 'Starflower' motifs into pendants - another great stocking filler, available in several colours in my shop, just £7.

Hope all your Xmas preparations are going smoothly - I am looking forward to a very festive day this Friday when I'll have my work Christmas lunch and then I'm off to the Olympia Horse Show for the evening which always feels very Christmassy!

Nicole

xoxo

Folksy Friday...favourites!

2011-11-11T10:00:00.000Z

Haven't done a Folksy Friday for a couple of weeks and my 'favourited items' section on Folksy has been filling up with lots of lovely things that have caught my eye.

1.) Narwhal brooch by I am Kritch - having only seen an internet based cartoon about narwhals, my boyfriend thought they were a made up animal until I showed him evidence otherwise! I love this cute little brooch that would be fab to pin on a nice wrap around scarf.

2.) Silver Kisses necklace by Natalia Lovat - I love the fluidy of this silver necklace...and it looks so wonderfully tactile too I want to reach out to the screen and touch it.

3.) Daisy Storm clutch bag by Beledien - a cute grey bag with a nice floral print...and I like that it has a wrist stap you can attach (if clutch bags didn't have these I would lose them!)

4.) Christmas Tree Present Bag by Ritzy Swish - beautifully made and I love the personal story behind this little gift bag. It's so nice to have things to keep in the family, particular when they relate to Christmas. My brother and I have had the same woollen stockings for as long as I can remember!

5.) Sheep Earrings by Maggie Jones enamels - I can't look at these wonderful earrings without grinning! The beautiful enamelling work, plus the fun dangly legs made these earrings gorgeous and whimsical.

6.) Sequin Flower Bunny by Oddly Enough - how cute is this little fella? I love the colour and texture created by knitting with jersey, and the sweet little sequin neck bow is just too adorable!

Hope you like my picks for this week

Nicole

xoxo

It's That Time Of Year...

2011-11-08T13:42:00.000Z

Yes folks. It's been my birthday...it's been Halloween...it's been Bonfire Night....and yup, you guessed it, shops everywhere are in full swing Christmas mode (I went into my local John Lewis the other week and they had all their decorations up...mince pies have been on sale in Tescos for even longer [although I am ok with this as I LOVE mince pies].

So what's in store for Hollybird Beads this Christmas? Well, firstly, I shall be attending my first big craft fair. I did a small one when I lived in London that was in a library, but it really was small (and there were several stalls where, shall we say, there hadn't been much crafting done by the stallholder *cough*bought-in-children's-toys/bought-in-jewellery*cough* but I digress).

The fair that I am signed up to do is the Made-It Market, which is being held at the Cambridge Guildhall on Saturday 26th November. The organisers of this event have been fab to work with so far, sending out regular emails packed with helpful info as well as postcards to give out to help advertise the fair. I'm really looking forward to the big day itself, and fingers crossed, it will be successful for me sales wise! So if you are in the area or fancy a trip to a beautiful city for a change of scenery and some Christmas shopping, it would be great to see you there :)

This has meant that I have been spending every spare moment elbow deep in seed beads, glass pearls and crystals in order to build up stock to fill my table with. I'm really nervous about it looking empty, so I really have been beading my fingers off, and there are several new designs that will be available to buy on the day, as well as the rest of my range. Here's a few photos of some of the jewellery I'll be taking with me to the market. I also have a photo album on my Facebook Page, to which I'll be adding more photos in the next few weeks to whet your appetite. After the fair, any pieces not sold will be going into my online shops.

'Ice Queen' bracelet - seed beads, Czech fire-polished rounds, pressed glass flowers & Swarovski crystals

'Pearl Starflower' pendant necklace - seed beads and glass pearls.

'Flower Rings' - seed beads, glass pearls and Czech fire-polished crystals.

Custom orders are also starting to build up (plus I have Christmas presents to make for my own family/friends!) so if you are thinking of ordering a customised gift for a loved one, please contact me to discuss your requirements.

That's all for now folks

Nicole

xoxo

The Big Bead Show, October 2011 Report

2011-10-20T16:23:00.000+01:00

Bringing the blog back from a short spell of silence to give you a report of one of the best events of any bead lover's calendar...the Big Bead Show!

This October was my third visit to Sandown racecourse for the show and it was an extra special visit, since my necklace, Flora Argenta, had been selected as a finalist in the show's British Bead Awards, in their 'Crystals' category. I'd been invited to the awards ceremony and so just after the show opened, myself and my 'entourage' (aka my boyfriend and parents) headed in to the display.

I wasn't fortunate enough to win anything with my piece - but I was just pleased to have made it to the final and have my work on display to all who came to the bead show. The standard of entries was amazing; my favourite pieces included Rebecca Anderson's gorgeous turquoise and red floral necklace and a fantastically detail seed bead depiction of 'The Owl and the Pussycat' - complete with £5 note in their boat! I didn't have my proper camera with me and my phone camera wasn't loving the light so I only have this really poor quality photo of my necklace actually on display.

See, I really did make it to the finals! Not bad going considering this was the first time I'd entered the competition and that I had to bead some of the final components on the train on my daily commute to work because otherwise I wouldn't have had time to finish the necklace (note: beading on the train gets you strange looks, particularly from commuter businessmen-type men in suits!) Here's a couple of photos that I have of the necklace to give you a better idea of what the finished piece really looks like.

I have no idea how many crystals are in the whole piece...perhaps I should have a proper count up? There are 9 sparkling Swarovski light vitrail rivoli stones, with the addition of bicones in violet and silver and some wonderful Czech fire-polished crystals rounds too.

The necklace also uses Miyuki long magatamas as the 'petals' of my rivoli flowers. These beads are quite hard to work with as they seem to be quite variable in size and thickness, but I also like this about them as they make for more naturally 'imperfect' ruffled petals.

I love the clasp on this piece...it might even be my favourite part of the whole design.

Once the awards ceremony was finished, we headed for the trade stands. It was quite busy by this point so I found it a bit hard to have a proper look at some of the stalls, but I did make a few purchases; some more 4mm glass pearls in several different colours from Anita's Beads, some 'champagne' gold plated findings from Bead Time (which I already love as they compliment the rose gold galvanised seed beads I've been using recently) and I treated to myself to a beaded bauble kit from Spellbound Beads which I'm itching to start.

It was a long day, but well worth the trip; it's so nice to get to see and touch beads before you buy them, since, like a lot of others, I tend to buy most of my beading supplies online.

In other news, I am currently in the process of re-jigging my website and transferring it to a new web provider. Whilst I'm waiting for the technology to sort itself out, there's a chance the website might not be visible. Please do bear with, this should only be a temporary thing whilst the domain is switched to my new provider, and there will be a brand new look to the Hollybird Beads website (complete with it's own online shop) very soon.

Ta ta for now

Nicole

xoxo

Wax Carving Workshop at the London Jewellery School

2011-09-20T11:59:00.000+01:00

As you may remember, if you are a regular reader of this little blog, my Flora Metallica necklace recently won 2nd place in the annual London Jewellery School student competition. My prize came in the form of a gift voucher for their jewellery making classes, and after scouring their website, I managed to decide on taking their beginner's wax carving course.

So last Saturday I presented myself at their Hatton Garden studio at 10am sharp, ready to learn a completely new jewellery making skill. Our tutor for the day, the lovely and talented Sima Vaziry, introduced us to the medium of wax, demonstrating how to start on carving out a basic ring shape - making it look very easy! Although I would have loved to try something more complicated, I instead settled on creating a simple 'domed' shape ring; sawing, filing and smoothing away for several hours. It is quite therapeutic once you have gotten the basic shape to sit and file and smooth the wax - I can imagine doing this whilst half watching TV of an evening! We also learned how to hollow out the inside of our rings with a pendant motor (I now really want one of these - not sure if my boyfriend would appreciate the noise though!), very important if you don't want to end up with a really heavy (and expensive) ring when cast. Here's a photo of my ring...it's not a great pic, my camera seemed to be refusing to take photographs on macro because it was too sunny!

After a much needed lunch (concentrating hard really works up an appetite!), we learned various different techniques for adding decoration and embellishment. We were using heat from a simple tea light candle - I say simple, but when you have never smoked in your life, a cigarette lighter is like an alien creature, and so I had to embarrassingly ask for help to light my candle! Candle lit, I was able to play around with adding textures to the wax, and used this to create a teardrop pendant.

Six hours of workshop time flew by, but it was very worthwhile and I'd now feel confident to continue working on my wax carving skills at home. All I need now is to buy some wax and a few tools - good job I have a birthday coming up soon! I'll be sure to post photos of my creations from this workshop once I have had them cast into silver too.

Nicole

xoxo

Latest Work - 'Serafina' bracelet

2011-09-05T18:20:00.000+01:00

It's the start of a new month, and we are drawing ever closer to it being Autumn (and even having to start thinking about the C-word that involves the 25th of December - eek!)

Expect to see more Autumnal offerings starting to appear in my online shops - I spent Saturday morning going through my boxes of beads pulling out colour combinations I want to work with in the upcoming few months. I've a craft fair on the 26th of November to start building up stock for, and after some early September sales, I want to add to what I already have listed in my Folksy and Etsy shops.

Which brings me to my most recent piece, a silvery beadwoven bracelet which is related to my 'Halo' necklace pendants, which I have named 'Serafina.'

This bracelet features some fantastic galvanised silver grey seed beads and is embellished with Miyuki magatama drop beads, dark grey glass pearls and Swarovski crystal bicones. All the findings on this piece are Sterling Silver.

I have plans for a gold version of this bracelet in the making, but I am waiting on some beady post to deliver me some more of Toho's gorgeous galvanised rose gold seed beads (I am usually all about silver, but this rose gold beads are such a beautiful colour, even I can't resist them!).

You can find 'Serafina' listed in my Folksy shop here. As always, if you like this piece, but would like it in an alternative colour scheme, I am always happy to make up custom orders, so do get in touch.

Nicole

xoxo

It's Folksy Friday time again!

2011-08-26T10:00:00.000+01:00

Two weeks running and I've managed to get a Folksy Friday post done - how long will this continue? Your guess is as good as mine! Once again, no theme here, just things I've favourited recently on Folksy that I think deserve a blog shout out for their fabulousness.

1.) A cute wee highland cow card by Aileen Clarke Crafts - aside from it's total adorableness, I love how the felt texture has transferred so well as a print

2.) A heart necklace by Alison Moore designs - I think the silver and copper look fantastic against one another in this piece

3.) A mini yarn skein necklace by Max's World - a great gift for a knitter, a teeny weeny little skein of yarn pendant

4.) A resin bird ring by Cassiopi - I love the the 'brushed' effect of the blue colour in this ring, which makes the little flying birds really pop

5.) A cat necklace by Jings Things - A cute and fun little kitty necklace in acrylic, with the sweet little addition of a bow around it's neck

6.) A pair of cufflinks by Fortune Favours The Brave - these Scottish themed cufflinks made me smile with their 'aye pod' slogan - and who doesn't love a man in a kilt, right?

Hope you like my picks for this week. As ever, click on the photo to be taken to the Folksy makers' shop. I am off for a Bank Holiday weekend back in Essex with my family, so my Etsy and Folksy shops are now closed and will be re-opened on Monday. Hope you have a nice holiday, however you choose to spend it!

Nicole

xoxo

Success for Flora Metallica in the London Jewellery School Student Competition!

2011-08-23T15:54:00.000+01:00

I attended the London Jewellery School last year to take one of their evening classes in silver jewellery (fab little studio, a fantastic, inspiring tutor (Michael Milloy) and I came away with two pieces of jewellery which had tested and educated me in several techniques) and was thus eligible to enter their competition for current and present students.

I was extremely excited to be nominated in the final five, packaged up my entry, my 'Flora Metallica' beadwork necklace, and awaited news of the results, which were to be decided by a judging panel made up of tutors from the London Jewellery School.

The result? Flora Metallica was awarded 2nd place!

I am so proud of this necklace - it is my first really big piece of beadwork and challenged me in new ways whilst I came up with a way of beading the necklace I had imagined and sketched out. Winning a prize for Flora is the icing on the cake!

My 2nd place prize is a gift voucher for the London Jewellery School - so I will have to look through their website and try and decide what course I want to take next (they have so many to choose from!) I am also looking forward to having Flora back...I have missed having her sparkliness sat on my chest of draws as a reminder of what I can achieve in terms of my beading.

My congratulations also go to the other winners and finalists in the competition; you can see the full results page here. There were some fantastic pieces, and all very different from each other.

I'll try and remember to blog and let you know what workshop I decide to take and how I get on - I think my choice is between wax carving and enamelling at the moment!

Nicole

xoxo

Folksy Friday...yet, yet more favourites!

2011-08-19T10:00:00.000+01:00

Apologies once more for the lack of blogging - a wee holiday and PhD woes have kept me from keeping on top of things. I will try and be a good blogger (but don't throw stuff if I fall off the wagon again, please?)

So here's a Folksy Friday for you; no theme really, just things I have favourited recently.

1.) I love the mood and subtle colours of this illustrated locket necklace by Bonbi Forest; there are a range of different designs too, making it hard for me to choose a favourite!

2.) Two of my favourite colours in one lovely floral hair pin from Wychbury - perfect for summer hair (if we get anymore sunshine!)

3.) A beautiful set of silver butterflies featuring gorgeous etching and patina in this fab necklace by Artigiana Jewellery.

4.) A fun, vibrant necklace created from vintage fabric by Gemma Nemer - there are lots more fantastic florals to choose from in her shop too.

5.) I love the use of stained glass to make a 'scene' with these lovely dragonflies flitting in amongst the bullrushes created by Raven's Stained Glass.

6.) A beautiful bridal bag embroidered in seed beads and crystals by Rococo & Co - so much work has clearly gone into this piece.

That's my Folksy Friday picks for you, hope you enjoyed!

Nicole

xoxo

Not Done One of These For Ages...Folksy Friday Returns!

2011-07-08T09:00:00.002+01:00

I'm going to try and be a good blogger. Last weekend, I relocated from North London, to Cambridge, to move in with my boyfriend (yup, I now have to live with a boy!) and so now all the pre-move organising/packing/panicking etc is over and most of the boxes have been unpacked at the new flat, I hope I can keep a more up to date blog.

To kick things off, we have a Folksy Friday - no particular theme, just things that have caught my eye whilst browsing around the Folksy listings and forums. Hope you like my picks :)

1.) Rose Drop Earrings by Nicola Reed Jewellery - I love the elegance of these earrings and there's something a little bit Rennie Mackintosh about them too

2.) Axolotl Earrings by Squishy Arts - Seriously, how cute are these polymer clay sculpted earrings? I want a pet axolotl now!

3.) Love Birds Print by CowBag - if axolotls aren't your thing, then how about this gorgeous lovebird print...I adore the expression on the face of the one on the right

4.) Rainbow Butterfly Necklace by Carols Crafts - these vibrant butterflies have all been hand created from polymer clay...this would be a fab piece to wear to a summer festival

5.) Lily Border Bracelet by Lynwoodcrafts - what beautiful embroidery work has gone into this bracelet...the orange lillies remind me of the ones my parents grow in their garden

6.) Great Crested Grebe Ring by Sally Ayling Jewellery - I really like the simplicity of this silhouette ring and the use of oxidisation to complete the effect...there are several other versions of this ring, each with a different kind of bird on it too

Thanks for reading

xoxo

London Jewellery Week...My Visit to Treasure 2011

2011-06-20T17:30:00.000+01:00

The blog has been a bit neglected of late...my excuse? Well, in less than 2 weeks I shall be moving in with my lovely boyfriend and we are heading away from London and off to a cosy flat in Cambridge, so I have been spending my evenings/free weekend time having a big clearout of all the clutter I have magically accumulated over the past year. But on with the real subject of this blog post, my visit to the Treasure exhibition, which was part of London Jewellery Week.

After going along last year (with my bf in tow, who also enjoyed it) I was very keen to make the trip to Victoria House again to see what would be on display in 2011, despite it being a horribly wet drizzly day. We had been very kindly offered tickets to the exhibition by Chris and Joy of CJ Poupazis and we had a nice chat with Chris over at their stand. Chris was particularly pleased with this ring which he had created after getting the opportunity to use CAD. He was aiming to create something that was very organic and natural looking, despite being designed with computer technology and I think this gorgeous ring definitely achieved that goal.

Again, this year, we saw a huge variety of work using many different techniques and materials, so here are a few of my favorite designers from the visit. If you click on the images you will be taken to the designers website for more of their work to drool over!

Daphne Krinos' large, bold flowers really stood out on her stand - I love the subtle graduation in colour on these.

Atelier Michael Berger's kinetic rings had everyone who visited his stand enthralled and wondering 'how do they work?' Very cleverly designed...the tops look like they might slip off at any moment as they spin smoothly on their ring base, but they are attached (and not magnetic as my bf and I initially guessed).

I also loved Alexandra Raphael's stunning cloissone enamel work - combining beautiful dream-like enamelled pendants with semi-precious gemstones.

And, last, but certainly not least, was Milena Kovanovic's fantastically named 'Superman Rocks' collection - I was very interested as she explained how she had wanted to feature gemstones in their natural, uncut state...she had so many gorgeous rings with different stones 'growing' out of the ring band.

There were so many more wonderful pieces of jewellery on show, but I haven't the time or space here to mention them all. If you enjoyed this post then I definitely recommend a visit to Treasure 2012!

That's all for now...if you don't hear from me for a while then I may have got lost amongst all the boxes during my packing!

xoxo

Beadwork To Be Proud Of

2011-04-26T17:48:00.000+01:00

For the past few weeks I have been quietly beavering away on my biggest beadweaving project to date. At a rough estimate, at the very least 20hrs of beading went into this necklace...probably more as I haven't accurately recorded all the time I spent in the evenings after work and on weekends when I had time to spare. Add to that 1000s of seed beads, over 200 Swarovski crystals (including 3 gorgeously sparkly crystal rivolis, to which I am now hopelessly addicted!) and a whole lot of patience.

I have learnt a lot in developing this design from an original rough sketch into the finished article - and if I make another I will certainly do a few things differently (namely to attach my linking loops BEFORE adding any embellishment - this took me hours just to add a few loops on to each flower because it was so difficult to stitch back into the beadwork with the magatamas and crystals included). I am hoping I can make a few slightly less labour intensive pieces based on this work, so if nothing else, it has been a big challenge and learning experience for me as a beader.

I hereby present, Flora Metallica.

However, this piece is also a competition entry. E-beads, is hosting the competition in conjunction with Swarovski, and the task was to create a piece featuring Swarovski crystallised elements which embodied the theme 'Urban Beautiful.' My necklace features beadwoven flower motifs with an urban edge. My colour palette of dark metallic gunmetal grey and metallic purple was chosen to reflect a city landscape. And of course, the sparkle of the Swarovski crystals was intended to help with the 'beautiful' side of the theme.

If you like my work and would like to vote to help it progress to the judging stage, the link to the entries gallery is here. You may have to flick through a few pages to find Flora Metallica depending on how many entries have been added since this post was published (it was at the top of page 2 last time I checked). There are 3 voting buttons, 'good effort,' 'like,' and 'love.' Each button gives a different number of rating points - good effort = 1 point, like = 2 points and love = 3 points. Obviously I would love it if you'd click 'love' for my entry...but feel free to peruse the rest of the work and vote for some of the other very impressive pieces on show. Your support will be very much appreciated!

Laura McCabe Locket Necklace Workshop

2011-04-04T18:10:00.000+01:00

I've been beadweaving for about 3 years or so now (I think!) but up until last week I had never attended a class on the subject. I've been to workshops on silversmithing, art clay silver and other crafty subject, but everything I know about beadweaving I've learnt from books and magazines. So, when I saw that the fabulously talented Laura McCabe was going to be doing some classes at Stitchncraft, I knew I had to book myself a chance to learn from someone who's skill I admire greatly.

It was a bit hit and miss as to whether I would make it to the workshop at all, after being struck down with a horrid cold the weekend before and being sat in my PJs feeling rotten, hoping it would have gone away enough by Wednesday. Fortunately, despite having to get up at 5:45am (shudder) in order to make my 7:10am train down to Dorset from London Waterloo, I felt a lot better and enjoyed a nice train journey to Gillingham, where I then got a taxi with a very helpful lady driver to the Stitchncraft bead shop. Stitchncraft is a lovely shop and venue (if only it was closer to London!) and I was welcomed in and given a much needed cup of tea as I sat down ready for the class to begin. Laura had kits for sale for the necklace project we were going to be working on in two gorgeous different jewel tone colourways, but since my student bank balance couldn't stretch to that, I'd come up with enough beads from my own stash to work in my own silver and blue colourway.

Apologies for the lack of photos on the day - I was just too engrossed in beading! I have included some quick snaps of my finished locket though, and rest assured there will be pics of the finished project too.

Laura is a really great teacher and we were soon all beading away following her printed instructions with her on hand to help if we got stuck anywhere. We were all hoping we would get to finish at least one locket component in the workshop time so we'd have all the knowledge to work on finishing a whole necklace in our own time. The locket construction is very clever and mixes stitches in a way I'd never have come up with myself. It also features Laura's trademark bezelling of a crystal rivoli, which I'd done before from her fantastic crystal jewellery book.

Time went way too quickly and it was soon time to have some lunch and a stretch. I took the opportunity to have a look around the shop (though I was very restrained not to buy any more beads!) and to admire the lovely beadwork which was on display on the walls in the workshop room as well as the stunning finished pieces that Laura had brought with her. Lunch over it was then time to cram in another couple of hours beading to get the locket embellished and with its pearl and loop closure on before it was time to go home.

With the sun shining it was time to say goodbye (and get a big hug from Laura!) and start my return journey home. I got back to my flat at 8pm tired and hungry, but happy and extremely glad I'd had the opportunity to go on this course. Now all I have to is find the time to make 8 more lockets to create a whole necklace!

Folksy Friday...yet more favourites

2011-03-25T09:20:00.000Z

Another Folksy Friday selection this week picked from my ever expanding favourites list...I have trouble thinking of themes so I might stick with this way of doing things for now, unless inspiration strikes!

1.) Cute laser cut vintage pendant necklace by From Laura With Love

2.) Fantastically intricate wirewrapped jewellery set by Reverie

3.) An adorable felt budgie boy (because I love budgies!) by The Felt Menagerie

4.) Another cute birdie, this time a kingfisher upcycled from a jumper by Clootielugs

5.) Fabulous felted earrings with a lovely landscape scene, complete with sheep, by Aileen Clarke Crafts

6.) A floral necklace made using string knotting by Sun Studio

Hope you like my picks for this week...happy Friday!

xoxo

Bead shopping...the best kind of shopping!

2011-03-23T10:30:00.000Z

I haven't got any finished work to show on my blog - beginning to sound like a broken record here! But I have been doing a fair bit of bead shopping in the last week, so I thought I'd show you what goodies have been dropping through my postbox and what I hope to create with them...

Here we have a LOT of silvery grey delica beads...35 grams to be exact! These size 11 cylinders have been bought for the Laura McCabe beadweaving workshop I'm off to on the 30th March at Stitchncraft, which I am very excited about. I can't afford to buy one of the kits on the day so I have plundered my bead stash for suitable colours and have only had to buy a few things I didn't already have that were on the materials list I received in the post a few weeks ago. The other main thing I needed to buy for this workshop is below...

Crystals!! In a gorgeous vibrant capri blue shade, these are a more unusual size of Swarovski rivoli. I didn't think I'd be able to find them in this country but a quick search on Ebay produced a seller who had some in a variety of colours and I plumped for these babies. Sparkly huh?

The other main thing I have been bead buying for is supplies for a competition entry I want to make. I've had a practice of the design elements I want to include and they seem to work, so then I had to buy supplies in the colours I wanted to fit with the competition theme. I still have to buy a few more seed beads, as I don't think I have enough of the colours I need to finish the whole thing, but I now have most of what I need, including...

...miyuki long magatamas. I had never looked at these until I saw a fabulous bangle project featuring them in a recent issue of Beadwork magazine, and when I saw the competition theme I thought these beads in this dark gunmetal grey shade, would fit the bill.

What project would be complete without Swarovski bicones? The blue ones are to go with my rivolis for the Laura McCabe workshop project, but the other two shades (dark indigo and crystal silver night) have been selected for my competition piece. I love the dark indigo ones...although I am not sure they will replace the purple velvet ab2x ones I have as my favourite Swarovski colour!

My final purchase for the competition piece is yet more Swarovski sparkliness - 3 medium vitrail coloured rivolis in 2 different sizes, and one of their Cosmic rings. So much fantastic sparkle and colour in these - I can't wait to put them to (hopefully) good use.

I am currently working on a custom order of some bridesmaids bracelets for a friend, but once they are complete, it will be full steam ahead with the competition entry; so check back here to find out what the finished article looks like.

N
xoxo

Sock Knitting Fail

2011-03-21T10:30:00.003Z

If you follow me on Twitter you might have heard me tweeting about knitting my first pair of toe-up socks with some fabulously funky hand-dyed wool from Wharfdale Woolworks.

Well...things started off well. I love the magic cast on technique for starting socks toe up - so much neater than my attempts at kitchner stitch! I don't get much time to knit, so most of the first sock was done on my bus journey to/from work, which is only about 15-20 minutes. I turned the heel and carried on with the hearts and flowers lace motif and did a picot bind off to which I'd never attempted before.

The finished article...looks like a sock right? So let's put it on, shall we?

Uh oh...looks like we have a little bit of a problem here!

Yup, this is as far on my foot as I could get it!

I have discovered that I am apparently a very tight sock knitter, resulting in a sock that probably will only fit someone will size 3/4 feet...I am a 6/7. That'll teach me not to do a tension square. True sock knitting fail.

Fortunately, I have not had my sock knitting dreams crushed by this disaster. I have cast on again on bigger needles and this sock is definitely going to fit!

I'm particularly liking how the bigger needle size has changed the effect of the yarn from super stripey, to more graduated mixes of the colours.

And the original sock will be getting a good frogging...as soon as I can bear to unravel several weeks hard bus knitting!

xoxo

Busy, busy, busy....

2011-03-14T15:05:00.000Z

The blog has been getting a little neglected of late. The reason for this is that I am now well and truly in the final year of my postgraduate studies and the pressure really is on to get everything done ASAP so I can start writing my thesis. I no longer want to carry on in academia, so I therefore have added incentive to get finished on schedule.

A big career change is in order - having given up my artistic pursuits whilst at 6th Form College to go down the academic route, I now feel like if I don't give myself the chance to have a creative career now, then it'll never happen. Having been making jewellery as a hobby for around 4 years now, my aim is to turn my hobby into a career, by re-training in jewellery manufacture and seeing where that takes me. I am fortunate that I have some money saved up to allow me to do this, plus a very supportive boyfriend and family who more than anything would like me to do something I enjoy and am passionate about.

But enough of the big talk...alas I still have no new work to show. I am currently still working on bridal/bridesmaid jewellery, and also on a competition entry - I hope to have the competition piece done within a month, and rest assured once it is complete and uploaded onto the competition website I shall be blogging in the hope of securing some votes ;)

The only other news of note I have is that I was excited to receive an email the other week to tell me some of my work has been shortlisted for possible inclusion in a new beading book! I submitted about 14 images and of those pieces, 7 have been shortlisted, and were hand delivered by my good self to the publishing company. They are there for a short while to be professionally photographed, and once all submissions have had their images taken, the publishers will make the decision on which pieces will be included in the final article - so fingers crossed at least one of the 7 makes it. Below are a couple of the pieces that are on the shortlist - they are still available in my Folksy shop, but as made-to-order items, since the originals may be with the publisher for a few months.

That's all for now...in other crafty news, I am off to visit the Stitch & Craft Show at London's Olympia this coming Saturday, so expect a report about what I discover there (i.e. how much temptation to buy crafty supplies can I resist!?)

N

xoxo

Folksy Friday...recent favourites

2011-02-18T16:37:00.000Z

Haven't had the time to do a Folksy Friday post for a few weeks. I've decided to do one today by having a look at the things I've been adding to my favourites recently. Hope you enjoy my picks!

1.) Sherlock Holmes pendant by Emma Turpin - I just love the whole concept of this necklace...the magnifying glass shaped pendant with the silhouette cut out detail = Fab!

2.) Dancing Fox ring by Sarah Birt - some more silver loveliness here with a wonderfully cute fox shaped ring

3.) Yellow tulip earrings by April Is Forever - I'm not one for yellow usually, but these beadwoven earrings are so delicate and just right for Spring being (hopefully!) just around the corner

4.) Wee Blue Flower Brooch by Pats Paraphernalia - there are some talented polymer clay people out there and I am in awe of people who can make such detailed canes as these butterfly wing influenced ones

5.) Silver Disc Earrings with Green Jasper by Cinnamon Jewellery - the jasper beads in these beautiful earrings are a fabulous bright contrast against the silver metal

6.) Organic Peacock lampwork bead set by Kilo Lemur Lampwork - I have way too many lampies in my bead stash already but I am finding it hard to resist this gorgeous set which have a peacock-feather like pattern on them

Hope you enjoyed the picks...hopefully I will have some beady bits of my own to show you after the weekend as I have (a very rare) whole Saturday to myself tomorrow to use creatively.

N
XOXO

Knitted socks and metal piercing!

2011-02-08T13:26:00.000Z

Sorry for the gap in blog updates...there's no beadwork to show as I've been working on bridal jewellery for a fantastic friend who gets married in July. Whilst I think it's very unlikely her husband to be will read this blog, I still feel I should keep it a secret until the big day - you can see photos afterwards I promise! I can tell you that the necklace I am making for her involves a lovely slinky twisted herringbone rope, which is a stitch I rarely use but am enjoying immensely.

I have been knitting though, and finally finished my first pair of socks, knitted on 2 circular needles. I picked up the funky self striping Regia yarn at the Knitting & Stitching Show in October and started off on a different pattern but the instructions were very confusing and not designed for 2 circulars, so that got frogged and I instead turned to Ravelry and found this pattern called Eleanor.

So here they are all finished!!

So what's next for my knitting needles? Well, I recently bought a book about toe up sock knitting which has some gorgeous patterns in. It's called Socks from the toe up by Wendy D Johnson - find it here, and after much thought I have decided to knit the very sweet hearts and flowers socks, using my gorgeous new sock yarn from Wharfdale Woolworks.

So here is everything gathered together ready to go into my bag for some knitting on the bus to work.

And a close up of the yarn, just because it's fab!

Now I mentioned metal piercing in this blog post title, so I also have a little peak at what I got up to on Saturday afternoon armed with my piercing saw and a practice sheet of aluminium. I've had an idea for a pendant (although it will require soldering and I don't currently own a torch) so I wanted to try out one of the components...it's a little bigger than I'd want it to be in the real thing, but I wanted to have a play with using my saw blade to 'draw' some detail in as it were.

Can you guess who inspired this? It hasn't been finished off - the edge could definitely do with filing (I await the arrival of a set of needle files for this) and I'm not sure about the eyes (I think they look a bit zombie scary!) but I am happy with it as a trial run. I have another prototype ready to pierce for real, i.e. out of silver (eek) that I hope I can use to enter some beading competitions this year, but I'm not sure when I'll next get a spot of free time to get the saw out again.

Hope you've enjoyed my little show and tell.

xoxo

My Heart's Desire...new Valentine's themed braclet

2011-01-29T15:25:00.000Z

Apologies for the lack of blog updates...I have been rather busy with my day job, and also been continually frustrated by the lack of decent daylight at the moment! I am only around for a short time in the morning before work, and at this time of year, the light at 9am on grey days just isn't good enough to get decent photos of my jewellery. My newest piece was actually finished a week ago, but had to wait another week until I could get pictures of it in afternoon daylight.

I made a bracelet similar to this in shades of teal and turquoise with a silver-foil lined glass focal, and when I saw Julie Fountain of Lush Lampwork was making gorgeous lampwork frosted heart beads, I thought they'd work wonderfully as focal charms. It's taken me a while to get around to using one, and in the meantime I found some lovely pressed glass heart beads with an AB finish at the Big Bead Show in October which I thought would work well. So, with the knowledge that Valentine's day is only a few weeks away, I decided I should have something with heart theme in my Folksy shop, and thus, my latest piece of beadwork was born.

I was also nicely surprised to open up the February 2011 issue of Beads and Beyond magazine and see that my Glittering Gunmetal bracelet had been featured in their reader's gallery. Did you know that you can upload your handmade jewellery to their website and each month they pick their favourites to include in the magazine? Well you do now, so head over and upload something you've created and you too could get a pleasant surprise like me and see you work in print.

That's all for now...next in the pipeline for me is to start work on some bridal jewellery for a friend who gets married in July.

Nicole

XOXO

First New Pieces of 2011

2011-01-17T17:11:00.000Z

I have finally managed to a) finish and b) get half decent photographs of two new pieces I was working on over the Christmas/New Year holiday so that I could list them in my Folksy shop. I am a big lover of tactile jewellery...fringing, embellishment, dangles, charms and jangly bits - I am one of those people who can't help but play with whatever jewellery I'm wearing (this also comes in handy for testing the resilience of my work!).

I'd been gathering a little collection of semi-precious blue goldstone beads in my stash, and following the purchase of some gorgeous and in some cases, unusual, new crystals, I suddenly had an inkling of what sort of piece I could use my goldstone in. With the addition of seed beads in a lovely shade of metallic dark blue called 'Cosmos' I have ended up with this finished bracelet which I have named 'Twilight.'

This bracelet is now up for sale here in my Folksy shop.

After I'd completed 'Twilight,' I still had the urge to make a similar piece, in another colour scheme...and predictably, since it's my favourite colour and therefore I had a LOT of beads to choose from, I came up with a purple version.

This piece is yet to be named, so please feel free to post a comment if you have any ideas what it should be called. As well as the obligatory seed beads, this bracelet features Czech fire-polished rounds, Swarovski crystal bicones (my particular favourite are the purple velvet ab2x ones), glass flowers, dyed freshwater pearls and some wonderful dark purple semi-precious faceted agate beads.

I haven't listed this one on Folksy yet as I haven't gone through all the materials I've used so I can price it accordingly, once I've done that, it too will be up for sale in my shop.

Hope you've enjoyed a look at what I've been up to lately :)

N
XOXO

Happy New Year!

2011-01-10T12:18:00.000Z

Welcome to 2011 at Hollybird Beads!

Yes, I know it's been 2011 for a little while now, but I only returned from my extended Christmas break on Saturday, so forgive me for being a little late with the New Year well wishes.

I had a lovely 2 weeks off from my day job over the festive period, spending a week with my family in Essex before heading up to Scotland for another week staying with my boyfriend's family. I feel much refreshed, although coming back to work today has been a shock to the system...but hopefully the calm state of mind I have been cultivating over the last fortnight will not be dented for a little while yet. I have a lot ahead of me in terms of my studies - officially I am due to finish my PhD in October, so I shall be busily trying to get all of my work done in order to be able to start writing up my thesis ASAP. I don't want to go too much over my official finish date (because I won't be getting paid after then!), so if the blog gets a bit neglected, this may be the reason why.

But fear not, I shall be continuing to bead and sell my handmade jewellery in my Folksy shop. I have a few things I have been working on over the holidays to show you but I have not yet had the time to photograph them yet.

In the meantime, I would like to let you know that my Folksy Shop has now reopened, and I have put some items (See the images below for a few examples) for which the listings are due to expire rather soon into a mini January sale, with up to 20% off their original prices. Please head over and have a look...you may be able to bag yourself a beadwoven bargain!

That's it for now. Check back soon though to see what new pieces I've been working on recently.

N

XOXO

A Weekend of Ups and Downs

2010-12-06T17:20:00.000Z

I realised I haven't blogged for almost a fortnight now, so I thought I would write a little update about the ups and downs of my weekend.

On Saturday, with my bag laden with lots of mini kits of seed beads and crystals, pliers, needles and thread and a wad of printed instruction sheets, I headed off to the Chelsea Town Hall for the We Make Fair where I was due to be running a beadwoven snowflake workshop.

After getting off the tube at Sloane Square, just as I spotted the hall up ahead, I reached round to take my phone out to check the time as I'd not put my watch on that morning...only to find the zipper pocket on my rucksack undone and my mobile phone nowhere to be seen! In a fluster I marched back along the Kings Road as quickly as possible scanning the ground in case I had somehow managed to drop it and asked at the tube station if anyone had handed it in to no avail. I headed back to the fair, all of a fluster and quite upset at the thought that someone had probably opened my bag on purpose and stolen the phone.

Thankfully, there are some nice people out there, and Mary, one of the We Make organisers was very kind and helped me try ringing my phone and then get in touch with my mobile phone company to get the sim card and phone blocked so noone could run up a huge bill on my contract. However, I was still really rather upset and so most people passed by the sad and distracted looking girl sitting at the workshop table. I had a few people compliment me on the snowflakes, but no interest in anyone wanting to make their own. I think this was down to a combination of me not being in the best frame of mind to be drumming up interest, plus that people were either at the fair merely to browse or to purchase something ready made for themselves or as a Christmas gift. I am still grateful for Mary at We Make for giving me the chance to do the workshop, but I think Saturday was just not my day! Fortunately I have phone insurance and should have a new one on its way very soon.

But, on a more positive note, my Folksy shop has been having a flurry of sales in the last few days. Two Dazzling Daisy necklaces have been snapped up and my Ice Queen bracelet has also found a new home and is off to be a Christmas gift. Plus an extended family member was told about my website by my mum (who needs Twitter/Facebook etc to promote when you have your mum to tell everyone your work is lovely?!) and bought my Heart's Desire bracelet as a present for a friend.

There's still plenty of time to have a look at my shop and pick out a handmade Christmas gift for someone special. I have several more Dazzling Daisy necklaces listed (and I am always willing to make up a custom pendant in a colourway of your choice) and plenty of earrings which make perfect stocking filler gifts - all earrings in my shop are currently part of a special pre-Christmas offer of 3 pairs for £10.

Dazzling Daisy pendant in the rainbow crystal colourway

'In Bloom' bracelet in deep metallic blue

Frosted silver flower burst earrings

Jet Black 'Falling Star' earrings

Hope everyone is doing alright with their Christmas shopping...I still have a fair bit to do, plus several gifts to handmake.

TTFN

Nicole x

Beadwoven Snowflake Workshop Announcement!

2010-11-25T11:14:00.000Z

I have been very excited about this opportunity, but have been refraining from announcing it in case anything went awry. Now, the information has been official posted I am happy to announce that I will be teaching a beadweaving workshop at the We Make London Christmas Fair!

Between 1pm and 3pm I will be teaching you how to make gorgeous beadwoven snowflakes - which can either be used as Christmas tree decorations, or worn as a festive necklace pendant.

I'm really excited about this workshop - they make look intricate, but these snowflakes are really rather simple to make. All materials, tools and a handout with helpful diagrams will be provided, but I will be on hand to help you create your snowflake too.

So if you are looking for something Christmassy to do on the 4th December in London, please come along. The fair is open from 11-5pm and as well as workshops there will also be lots of stalls selling gorgeous handmade items (perfect for giving as gifts!) and even a live choir to really get you into the festive spirit.

For more details about the event, go check out the We Make London blog here.

I have also been gradually adding lots of new jewellery pieces to my Folksy shop, and there are still more to come (plus I am always willing to do custom orders) so if you've started your Christmas shopping (or want to treat yourself ;-) ) then head over to my shop here. Below are just a few of the new pieces I've been busily listing.

N

XOXO

Earrings, earrings, everywhere...yes, it's craft fair time!

2010-11-09T13:53:00.000Z

Remember that copper earring display stand I bought at the Big Bead Show? Well, I spent much of my Sunday and yesterday evening working on trying to fill it with earrings! The reason being, I taking Hollybird Beads off to it's first craft fair on the 20th November, so I every spare minute I have in the next 2 weeks is being spent beading so I don't end up with an empty looking stall. If anyone is local to North London and fancies visiting the fair, you can find all the details here.

Here's a sample of the earrings I've been making the last few days.

I still have one more row of the stand to fill up though, so I will be making more earrings tonight whilst I enjoy the second episode of Kirstie's Handmade Home.

For a bit of a break from earrings I also made up another snowflake - but I attached some ribbon to this one so it can be used as a Christmas tree decoration.

Think I will have to make up a couple more to go on the silvery tree I bought from Paperchase last year. I also hope to bring you some exciting news about these snowflakes this week - so keep your eyes peeled!

Thanks for reading

N
XOXO

Folksy Friday...piggie in the middle

2010-11-05T15:27:00.000Z

I do love pigs...and since me and my bf have been exchanging emails this week mostly featuring youtube videos of some ultra cute micro pigs, I have decided to make them the theme for my Folksy Friday post this week.

1.) I love this little piggie soft toy from Dottie Doodle - lovely chocolate brown patterned cord-type fabric with bright pink ears and a nose you just want to squish
2.) This pig cushion by Keleasel has a wonderful abstract quality and also looks like it would be nice to snuggle into on your sofa
3.) I really like the unusual pose of this ceramic piggie by Toucan Ceramics - and his adorable black eye patch too

4.) This mini pigling polymer clay creations from Quernus Crafts are incredibly sweet - I'd love to have a whole row of them living on the mantlepiece in my bedroom
5.) This decoupage style pig created by PrettyRose by Roosmarie reminds me of making papier-mache money boxes at school, but this one has way more finesse than we had slapping paper onto a balloon. I love this piggie's turquoise snout too ( I actually think I bucked the trend of doing pigs and made a whale instead!)
6.) I have always enjoyed puzzles so this one of a pot bellied pig by Puzzles In Wood really floats my boat - plus it would look lovely as a stand alone ornament.

The Big Bead Show

2010-11-01T13:57:00.000Z

Sandown Racecourse was the setting once again for The Big Bead Show on Saturday...and being a lover of all things beady, naturally I had to pop along to see what was on offer. I couldn't make the previous one in April, but I was pleased to see that there were as many, if not more, stands than there had been at the October 2009 show, all jam packed with beads, findings, tools, book, kits and anything else you could think of related to jewellery making.

There were also the British Bead Awards finalists to go and coo over - I was particularly impressed by the geometric necklace in the seed bead category which had made fantastic use of bugle beads (which I am always ultra scared to use incase they manage to slice through my fireline!).

So, I hear you ask, what did I buy?

Some faux suede thongs in shades of dark forest green, purple and silvery grey....

An earring display stand which will come in very handy for the craft fair I am having a stall at in November...

I treated myself to a couple of strands of semi-precious beads - these ones are a kind of agate with a gorgeous frosted/matt appearance...

And some more faceted agate rounds...the camera doesn't do these justice as in real life they are a gorgeous deep purple, but this photo makes them look black.

I'm all about embellishment and fringing at the moment so I had to buy these gorgeous crystal rounds and bicones...and some more tiny glass hearts too.

I also bought a bumper pack of silver-lined size 8s and 3mm fire-polished crystals for a potential exciting project I may have coming up...will post more details when I know that things are definitely going to happen as I don't want to jinx it!

With the craft fair in mind, I also bought a few jewellery boxes to display some of my pieces in on my stall.

And finally, these flower findings caught my eye - I think they could work well with my daisy motifs - and whilst I was browsing the same stall I also spotted these tiny glass flowers to add to my flower bead collection.

So that's my purchases accounted for...all I have to do now is find time to bead so I can fill that earring stand come the end of this month!

Thanks for reading

N :)

I am bad blogger...update and a Folksy Friday in one!

2010-10-29T11:55:00.000+01:00

The blog has been a bit neglected in the last few weeks...naughty me! Alas real life has been keeping me super busy what with hen parties, work, birthdays etc, so I have quite a few bits and bobs to post, as well as a Folksy Friday post too.

I went to the Knitting & Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace on the 8th October. Having never been before I was amazed at just how many stalls and stands there were, all full to bursting with yarn, fabric, cross stitch, beads and much much more i.e. heaven! Here's a pic of my purchases from the day.

My little stash includes a ribbon pine cone christmas decoration kit and some 2.75mm circular needles for having a go at knitting a sock in the round on circulars (because dpns just hate me!) as well as some bright and cheerful Regia sock yarn to practice with. As you can see I'm almost done on sock number one - it's not the neatest sock in the work because I was just getting the hang of it, but I really like this way off knitting in the round so I'll definitely be on the look out for some nice sock yarn for my next pair. I also couldn't resisit buying a beadweaving pattern from Heather Kingsley-Heath's beautiful stall - I was very tempted by her Albion stitch books too but they might have to go on my Christmas list instead! My only other purchase of the day was another 2 balls of Sirdar's Indie yarn to finish off the Florence waistcoat pattern I have been knitting out of a recent copy of Let's Knit magazine. Here's the finished piece....quite proud of it, though it could probably do with a bit of blocking - the yarn is lovely and soft though and was really good to knit with.

There have been a few new items listed in my Folksy shop in the last week or so. These include a simple, yet, sophisticated spiral rope bracelet featuring some lovely bright violet silver-lined seed beads and one of my floral bouquet cuffs in a "glittering gunmetal" colourway, which I would love to keep for myself (even though I already have one of these bracelets which is mine!).

And finally, there's time to squeeze in a Folksy Friday post for today too - the theme for this one is 'favourites,' so I have been having a look back at some of the (many!) items I have favourited on Folksy to put together this selection.

1.) I love the cute whimsy of this necklace by Cherryloco Jewellery with the bunny chasing after a strand of carrots.
2.) This dreamy cluster necklace from Nanuk jewellery features some beautiful paua shell as well as a silver clay dragon which I just adore - this piece is really tempting me (perhaps I should get my boyfriend to read this blog post? hehe)
3.) More jewellery...this time some earrings from Ali Bali Jewellery - I love these for the fantastic patina colours she has achieved in the texturing of these silver clay pretties.
4.) The beautiful oceanic greens and blues of this bowl by Charlotte Hupfield Ceramics just draw you in and would make a fantastic table centrepiece for a special occasion.
5.) Yet more jewellery...a necklace of textured butterflies from La Belle et la Bete - I love the way they are linked together and that the wings are angled to give the impression that a host of silvery butterflies have all just landed on your collarbone.
6.) Now that I can knit socks I can't stop looking at brightly colour sock yarn, hence why I love this hand dyed yarn by Abstract Cat Crafts.

Phew...that was a long post! I am off to the Big Bead Show at Sandown racecourse tomorrow so I hope to have a new post after weekend to tell you all about that.

N
XOXO

What's new? Exciting announcent and a new bracelet design..

2010-09-30T12:43:00.000+01:00

So, starting with my exciting announcement...some of you may remember me writing about doing some part time jewellery making teaching with a jewellery school in London in the last few months. Until now I have been mostly teaching beginner's wirework workshops and doing the odd hen party, however, I am now pleased to announce that I will be teaching my very first beadweaving workshop!

The workshop is going to be based on my own designs; we will be making a pair of my daisy earrings to get into the swing of beadweaving....

...and then we will learn peyote stitch to make a bracelet base to add fringing and lots of embellishment to create one of my clustered floral "bouquet bracelets."

I am so excited to be teaching beadweaving as it's the part of jewellery making that I am most passionate about...I just have to hope that people will like the designs and want to come to the class. If you are interested, the link to the jewellery school is here (scroll down to the bottom of the page).

I also have a new bracelet design to show too...I'd call it a cross between a beadwoven bracelet and a charm bracelet, full of loopy fringing and beaded leaves with gorgeous glass flowers and leaves added as dangles giving the appearance of a garden of flowers and foliage. It currently has the name of 'Victoria's Garden,' since I was watching The Young Victoria when I started making this. Hopefully one of these will make it into my Folksy shop in the not too distant future. There are a few bigger photos of the piece on my Flickr account if you want to see more.

Hope you like!

N
XOXO

Giveaway winners announced!

2010-09-23T11:19:00.000+01:00

Thank you to all who entered the giveaway - unfortunately it fell victim to "competition spammers" on the last day (yesterday) so I had to sift through all the Twitter entries to sort out the genuine entries from the spam. I feel a bit sad that there are people who obviously just use the twitter search facilities to find any giveaways to enter, and I feel justified in disqualifying these entries. I am giving away a piece of handmade jewellery that will have had my time and effort put into it, therefore I feel I am at liberty not to accept entries from people who probably had no idea what the prize even looks like or that it was handmade.

But enought about that...onto the winners!

So everyone's names went into the hat...yes, this is my horse riding hat! (I don't own many hats and this was the first one that came to hand!)

And I picked out a winner, who will receive a custom Daisy Garland bracelet...and I also picked out a runner up who will receive custom Daisy Garland earrings.

Drum roll please!

And the winner is.....BeadyPool!

And the runner up is....PrestoBeads!

Congratulations to the winners, I will contact you at some point today to discuss your prizes :-)

N

XOXO

Folksy Friday...breaking out the woolies!

2010-09-17T12:20:00.000+01:00

Walking to the bus stop on my way to work there was a definite autumnal chill in the air, despite the lovely sunshine, so today's Folksy Friday post features some of my favourite knitted and crochet woolies that we are going to have to start getting out of the wardrobe now that summer is well and truly over.

1.) A delicate berry coloured scarf by Bliss Knits - I also think her wooden kitty model is fab!

2.) I love the The Hungry Caterpillar childrens' book, so I think Sara Carr's whimsical caterpillar scarf is very cool

3.) I'm not a fan of myself in hats (I think they make my ears look odd!) but this navy blue one by Toggle with it's flower detail makes me think perhaps I like hats after all.

4.) This gorgeous scarf from Victoria Jackman Knitted Textiles is seriously tempting me - lots of purple and the little flower strands make it a winner for me

5.) More purple, this time in the form of a lilac cowl by Edie O'Hara Designs...I love the textured stitch that's been used and it really does look like it would keep you nice and snug

6.) Can you tell purple is my favourite colour? I couldn't resist adding these sweet little crocheted wristwarmers from Lemonade and Lamingtons - I'm a big fan of fingerless gloves and these are a lovely amethyst purple shade and have that extra button and flower detail too

Hope you enjoyed this week's picks!

Remember, there's still time to enter my GIVEAWAY...win a handmade Daisy Garland bracelet - for entry details see the previous blog post.

Happy Friday!

N

XOXO

It's time for a GIVEAWAY!

2010-09-14T14:47:00.002+01:00

Today I reached the milestone of 500 followers on Twitter...that's right, 500 people want to listen to my jewellery chatter and other day-to-day ramblings, crazy huh?

So to celebrate I am going to have a giveaway...

The winner of the giveaway will receive one of my Daisy Garland seed beaded bracelets in a colourway of their choosing. Depending on how many people enter (and how much beading time I have!) I may have a runner's up prize of a pair of my daisy earrings too.

A few examples of previous colourways of the bracelet, you can choose one of these if you like, or come up with your own.

How to Enter:

You have four different ways to enter this giveaway...for each one you complete your name will go into the hat (or whatever receptacle I choose to hold the names!) once, so if you do all three you will gain yourself three chances to win!

1.) Leave a comment on my blog telling me what would be your perfect colour scheme for the daisy bracelet if you won = 1 entry. (Please post with a name of some sort [i.e. no anonymous replies] and add an email address/other way of contacting you when you fill in the comment form so I can get in touch with you if you are the winner).

2.) Twitter about the giveaway - simple copy the following text, ensuring that you have the @Hollybirdbeads part so I know that you've tweeted - "I've entered the Daisy Garland bracelet giveaway at @Hollybirdbeads http://is.gd/fag9d Have you?" = 1 entry

3.) Blog about the giveaway = 1 entry (Either post a comment here saying that you've blogged about the giveaway or send me a tweet so I know to add your extra entry)

The giveaway closes at midnight on Saturday 18th September, and I'll do the draw to pick the winner ASAP after the closing date and announce the lucky winner on this blog.

Folksy Friday...Highland Fling

2010-08-20T11:00:00.002+01:00

I decided on a Scottish theme for my Folksy Friday post this week since I am currently on a week long break in a lovely rural village where my boyfriend's parents now live. Hope you enjoy this week's picks as much as I am enjoying a holidau in some beautiful countryside!

1.) Some beautiful artwork first in this wonderfully wintery print featuring the iconic Edinburgh Castle by Chris Anderson Artwork

2.) I love this little highland cow card fantastically rendered in pen and watercolour from Sophie Martin Illustration

3.) This funny Scottish take on the well known 'keep calm and carry on' poster by Hole in my Pocket made me smile

4.) This beautiful cuff by Aileen Clarke Crafts takes it's inspiration from the Scottish seas and also uses local handspun yarn

5.) I adore scottie dogs so I just had to include this very cute little scottie tartan brooch from SpoiltPig

6.) And lastly and unsual little notebook with a cover made from a jigsaw puzzle - I particularly like how Dumfries and Galloway (where I am staying) has a sheep on it - there certainly are a lot of them around here!

Happy Friday!

Nicole

XOXO

Too many jewellery makers?

2010-08-16T10:30:00.001+01:00

After finally getting myself organised enough to open and actually start listing my jewellery on Folksy, the next thing on my creative agenda is to take the plunge into craft fairs. I have been trawling away on the internet looking for fairs to apply to, with the aim of doing some around the Christmas period so I have time to actually make enough pieces up so I don't turn up with a very bare looking table. In addition to the trouble of finding fairs which I could get to reasonably easily by public transport (I don't have a car) of the listings for several potential fairs I managed to hunt down, several popped up with what is probably an oh-so-familiar phrase to a lot of crafts people - "no more space for jewellery."

I know that there are a lot of people out there who make jewellery as a hobby. The UK Beaders forum where I am a member has 2600 members (although not all of them are UK based), we have had several new jewellery making magazine publications arrive in the last year or so and jewellery making worshops seem to be popping up all over the place; clearly, making jewellery is very popular. I can understand why people take to this area of crafting more so than others; you can start making pieces with a few basic, cheap tools and online bead shops offer a wide range of choice of all things glass, crystal, ceramic, metal and wooden to create your own wearable piece of art. However, this success seems to be a problem when it comes to jewellery makers wanting to sell the fruits of their labour. It seems to be the case that you often either have to get in very, very quickly with your application, or have already had a stall at a particular event and therefore be 'known' to the event organisers to stand a chance at getting a place as a jewellery maker.

So what is the solution here? Some fairs do seem to be trying to accomodate as many jewellery stalls as possible by actively looking at potential vendors' work in order to make sure that of those they accept, they end up with a range of stalls - after all, there are so many different jewellery making styles/fields: beadweaving, wirework, stringing, precious metal clay, polymer clay, ceramics, textiles, silversmithing etc. I know I would not mind having a stall if I knew there were a fair few other jewellery makers there, but that they had different styles used different materials to myself. I would hope that this would be appreciated by those visiting a craft event too, it would, after all, go some way to ensuring that there is something to suit every budget and indeed, a variety of different tastes.

Another potential solution, and one that I recently Tweeted about whilst I was trawling for events, was this - why not have craft fairs soley for handmade jewellery?

I attended the Treasure UK event as part of London Jewellery week, which was an exhibition of jewellery - mostly contemporary or fine jeweller showcasing new and established designers for trade buyers to scout out potential new talent to stock or to talk commissions for special pieces, in addition to jewellery being on display and for general sale. It was a fantastic event with a wide variety of work and it seemed to be successful for many of the designers too.

So, my fellow beaders, why couldn't we have something like this for small-scale handcrafted jewellery designer-makers? We women do love our jewellery, so I see no reason why people would not want to attend a totally jewellery based craft event, especially with all the different styles and techniques we have to offer. If it can work at Treasure (didn't hear anyone complaining about there being "too many jewellery stands" - and me and the boyfriend were there for a good few hours looking and talking to the people behind the designs!) then I really believe we could make it work for us too. I have heard of a few of these kinds of events taking place in Northamptonshire with reasonable success, so I think it would be fantastic to have one in London. With UK Handmade and Handmade and Fabulous launching a campaign to get Queen of Shops, Mary Portas on the side of all things handcrafted, the handmade movement in general could do with as much promotion and publicity as possible, and I think a jewellery fair has the potential to really be something quite special.

Any volunteers?!

In all seriousness, I would love to hear peoples' comments, ideas, feedback etc on the subjects raised in this blog so please feel free to post in the comments area or if you want you can contact me via email at hollybirdbeads@hotmail.com.

Nicole

XOXO

Folksy Friday - Monkey Business!

2010-08-13T19:18:00.000+01:00

Following a trip to the fantastic Colchester Zoo today, which has a large variety of primates from tiny tamarins to their incredible 42 year-old male orangutan, I have decided on a monkey theme for my Folksy Friday today.

1.) Something for your little monkeys to wear by Nell...I love the heart shaped nose of the monkey print on this kids t-shirt.

2.) Amigurumi cuties like this wee blue monkey from Cute Designs make me really wish I knew how to crochet.

3.) A sock monkey with an original twist - this skeleton monkey from Honest Fabrication is definitely a cute rather than a spooky skeleton

4.) Need a home for your jammies? Harry the monkey from Katie's Corner needs your PJs to fill up his empty monkey tummy!

5.) Another adorable sock monkey, this time from Squiggly Monkeys - in a funky shade of bright green stripeyness, and he has a scarf on too :)

6.) And last, but certainly not least, a lovely little felt monkey brooch to wear on your jacket/bag/anywhere else you like to show your love of all things ape

Hope you enjoyed all the monkey business and remember, if you enjoyed the blog, please click follow - I will be having a giveaway once I reach 50 followers so spread the word!

Nicole

XOXO

Being teacher and student...all in one day!

2010-08-03T10:45:00.042+01:00

If you happen to be a follower of mine on Twitter, you might have noticed a few tweets about me doing some jewellery making teaching lately. I replied to an ad that popped up on my Facebook page that was looking for part time jewellery trainers and after attending a trial session I've now been involved in a couple of beginner's jewellery making workshops showing people the basics of using headpins, chain and of course, plenty of beads, to make simple necklaces, earrings and bracelets as well as teaching some jewellery making at a hen party. It's been great fun so far, although sometimes a little hectic - 4 hours seems like plenty of time but before you know it there's only 15 minutes left and you really want everyone to leave with finished pieces of jewellery that they'll love to wear (or maybe give away as gifts).

Last Saturday, having already been 'teacher' in the morning at a beginner's workshop, I then headed off to Kingly Court (just off Oxford Street) to spend a few hours being 'pupil' instead at a horsehair weaving workshop run by the Micro Techniques Horsehair Jewellery pop-up shop. This craft originated in Chile, and the shop had brought together Chilean artisans and jewellery makers to create some beautiful contemporary pieces showcasing the amazing weaving skills.

Now I am used to fiddly/small things being a beadweaver, but horsehair weaving beats beadweaving on the fiddliness scale...trying to get the base right and then making sure you don't miss bits and mess up your over-under pattern is tricky stuff!

Doesn't all the brightly coloured dyed (although personally I'd love to think of horses this madly coloured trotting around somewhere) horsehair look fun?

We started off learning the simple 'circle' shape...but my version is nowhere near as fantastic as the one our tutor whipped up whilst she was teaching us. Appologies for the rubbish photo taken on my mobile....proper camera batteries decided to run out.

We also made a start on the 'butterfly wing' but I haven't had a chance to try and finish that off yet...it's a lot harder than the circle as the base fibres seem to want to revert to the circle base shape constantly the whole time you are trying to weave around them!

I enjoyed myself, despite the high difficulty factor...plus I think I could potentially incorporate some of the technique into my jewellery work replacing the base fibres with wire.

If you want to find out more about this craft then check out their website www.chilemakers.com. There's a great video on the website showing you the craft as done by the experts :) The ladies at the pop-up shop are hoping to come back for another spell sometime in September potentially so keep your eyes peeled if you fancy a go.

Nicole

XOXO

Buying handmade...and selling it too!

2010-08-02T10:45:00.006+01:00

As a crafty person I have a great love and appreciation for others who make things...and not just for other jewellery makers, but all walks of crafty people. I would far rather buy a handmade item than something off the high street that you'll see loads of other people wearing/using and support talented designer makers in the process. As such I've made a few purchases from other crafty types that I thought I'd show off because I am soooo happy with all of them.

Firstly, I ordered some lovely lampwork glass beads from Julie of Lush Lampwork that look almost good enough to eat! The frosted hearts I want to use to make another "Heart to Heart" braclet and a set of matching earrings...and the litle blue dotty bead is actually a button, which I am hoping to be able to use as a clasp for either a bracelet or a neclace, haven't decided which yet.

Another recent purchase was one of the fab denim bags created as a collaboration between Bonbi Forest and Custom Made. I love the print and it works really well with the denium, plus there's a lovely blue lining inside it too. Think I might have to save it for evenings out though as it's far too pretty for me to overfill with my day-to-day bits and bobs (there is so much random/useless stuff in my current day handbag!).

And last but not least, despite being a jewellery maker myself I can't help but treat myself to jewellery from other maker's from time to time, especially if they use techniques that I myself can't do. Hence the purchase of this funky laser cut acrylic goldfish necklace and "Team Jacob" wolf ring from the lovely Leese of Cup of Sea. Have worn the necklace a fair bit, but since I can't really wear rings day-to-day (and I fear clumsy moi would manage to break wolfie's head somehow) I am going to incorporate the ring into a bracelet instead - and I shall of course post photos to show you all the finished result.

So that's the buying handmade part...now what about the selling part? Well, after having a shop there for, erm, rather a long time, I have now actually gotten around to listing some of my beadwoven jewellery on Folksy. Would very much appreciate people taking a look and any feedback on the items/shop design etc would be gratefully received. You can visit my Folksy shop by clicking here.

Til next blog!

Nicole

XOXO

What I've been up to lately...silversmithing and my old friends the seed beads

2010-07-14T11:15:00.001+01:00

So now that the madness of moving flat is over and done with and I've had a chance to take some vaguely ok photos, I thought I'd write a little post to show you some of the things I've been doing recently.

In the last couple of months I've been giving silversmithing a try, to expand my jewellery making skills a bit further. I've learnt how to piece metal with a saw (which I actually really enjoy, even though it does make your hands ache after a while!), conquer my fear of open flames by using a handheld torch for soldering, plus polishing and finishing, and a little bit of stone setting. Here's a few of the pieces I've made on the courses I've attended...

...some simple hammer textured earrings (with handmade ear wires)...

....a handpierced "squiggle" link and soldered oval linked bracelet...

...and my favourite so far, a simple rub-over cabochon flower ring - I believe the stone is blue lace agate.

But I haven't forgotten the seed beads (how could I when I have bags and bags of the little treasures!?)...and I'm currently trying to build up a bit of stock to reopen my Folksy shop so here's a few of my latest seed beady makes too...

This chunky, tactile glass heart embellished bracelet which I have christened "Heart to Heart..."

A baby blue version of my "Daisy Garland" bracelet...

...and some matching earrings too...

...and to finish some fuchsia-inspired earrings for my mum for her birthday (I also have a silversmithing project on the go as an additional present for her but it is still to be finished off).

Hope you enjoyed a peek at my beady antics of the last few weeks

XOXO

Folksy Friday - Tea time!

2010-06-25T11:00:00.000+01:00

Now who doesn't enjoy a sit down with a nice hot, fresh cuppa? I don't like coffee...well, I actually rather like the smell (plus I am totally down with the concept of cappucchinos - hot drink + cream + chocolate = yum), but I just don't like the taste. Therefore my hot beverage of choice is a good cup of strong tea...and so I've selected this week's Folksy Friday picks from the many tea-related items crafty people have dreamt up. Go put the kettle on and then have a looksy :-)

1.) Adorably cute, with lovely button details, this knitted teacosy from Buzybee will keep your teapot toasty warm and pretty at the same time.

2.) Run out of tea bags? Don't panic - with this fun emergency tea bag brooch by NikkiMade a cuppa is always at hand...love the creative photo shots of this piece too.

3.) Keep your pennies and your pounds safe in this sweet and daintyly appliqued 'I love tea' purse by Dinky Daisy.

4.) And keep your sewing needles safe from doing anyone any mischief in this lovely little needlebook from Paperfish - you can attach other sewing accessories to the ring to keep everything on hand too

5.) Get comfy on the sofa with your tea with this cushion featuring a cool appliqued teacup design from The Quilted Teacup

6.)Brew up a storm in this fun illustrated teapot from She Draws featuring lots of tasty treats you might want to accompany your cuppa

Hope you liked this weeks picks!

XOXO

Treasure UK Exhibition for London Jewellery Week

2010-06-21T11:00:00.090+01:00

I had every good intention of blogging about this last week but we are about to move flats next week so things have been a bit hectic sorting out things for the new place and trying to get our current place cleared and packed up. So, a week later, than planned, here's my review of the Treasure UK exhibition which ran as part of London Jewellery Week.

Last Sunday, complete with boyfriend in tow, I headed to Victoria House to be inspired by the work of some of the top new talents in jewellery design - and I definitely wasn't disappointed in that respect! From traditional silver, gold and platinum, diamonds and semi-precious stones, to textile-inspired work and other unique materials, there was something to suit every taste. I could go on for ages about the variety of work on show so instead I'll mention a few of my favourite designers and pieces.

The first thing to really catch my eye were the fab flower brooch displays outside Westwood Rocks little pop-up boutique area - loads of different styles in pearls and chunky dyed shell in every colour of the rainbow!

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Then Elinor Voytel's textile-inspired work caught my eye - especially this fantastic necklace which at first glance looked to be made of thin coiled wire, but is infact a lovely shimmery unusual kind of knitting yarn.

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Not too far from Elinor's display, was another eyecatching cabinet filled with pieces by husband and wife team C J Poupazis. Both myself and my boyfriend loved the geometric and kinetic nature of their work, particularly this necklace featuring lots of linked rings and tiny jasmine flowers.

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If cute, whimsical jewellery is your thing, then you might like the work of Helen Lea, one of several members of Design Space, who shared an area of the exhibition. Her Owl and the Moon brooch is just adorable, and intricately hand carved.

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Several members of the Jewellery Designer's Collective (JeDeCo) really stood out from the crowd.

Ute Decker's scuptural ethical silver pieces were stunning.

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And Debbie Carlton had some fantastic statement bangles made from polymer clay, which were superlight despite their chunkyness - and I love the addition of a different pattern on the inside of the bracelets (even if you don't see it when you're wearing it, you still know it's there!)

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Finally, I also really liked Zelia Horsley's "block and chain" collection - with it's great initial concept behind it, plus the fact that (unintentionally) her pieces have a very 1920s feel to them (which my boyfriend pointed out, no less!). Plus, Zelia herself was a very lovely, bubbly lady when we were stopped for a quick chat with her.

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And there were soooo many more great designers featured but I'd be here all week to even begin to feature them all - so I suggest you make a trip to the next exhibition during London Jewellery Week 2011!

Folksy Friday...magnificent maille!

2010-06-11T12:57:00.000+01:00

I love chainmaille jewellery...I have a copper maille necklace I made from a beading magazine tutorial that I love - though I did drop it about 6 billion times whilst making it, scattering jump rings as I went. As such I definitely appreciate the patience of maille jewellery makers and so today's Folksy Friday is entitled 'Magnificent Maille.'

1.) A really feminine bracelet by JewelleryMyDesign featuring aquamarine stones

2.) Funky purple coloured rings make this Euro 4 in 1 weave bracelet by Aeris Designs really stand out - I have some pink & purple rings lurking in my stash somewhere too

3.) I love copper and turquoise as a colour combination, hence why I picked out this great byzantine bracelet from Curve Jewellery

4.) Seed beads added to the rings on these sweet little maille earrings from Designed by Frances add a burst of colour

5.) And not just for jewellery - a length of maille combined with some wire wrapping create this unusual copper dragon by Corvus Chainmaille

6.) And finally some gothic glamour - black rings and a polymer clay rose focal create this collar that could have walked straight out of a Victoria Frances drawing by KaJulee

That's it for another Folksy Friday folks...haha.

XOXO

Folksy Friday...a Silver Clay Spectacular!

2010-05-28T12:03:00.000+01:00

I will start posting blog posts other than Folksy Fridays I promise, but I have my upgrade from Mphil to PhD status viva on Wednesday next week so most of my spare time is being spent reading and cramming my brain with as much knowledge as possible.

I had a dabble in silver clay/art clay silver/PMC a while ago and when I get the time I want to do more...so in honour this week's selection is a silver clay spectacular - trust me it was really hard to narrow it down to just 6 pieces!

1.) I know Summer is just getting going, but I love these wintery themed earrings by Willow Wire Creations - I like the shape and the patina on them gives them a real ethereal winter quality2.) These teeny stud earrings from NG Jewellery are just dainty and very cute - love the oxidisation to make the heart pattern really 'pop'3.) AliBali Jewellery has sooooo many droolworthy silver (and copper) clay pieces it was hard to pick just one to feature but I settled on this 'broken heart' pendant because I just love the concept4.) More hearts, this time by CeeGee Jewellery designs - I think these earrings are gorgeous and delicate and very feminine5.) A flower pendant by Crafty Little Mia - I think the off centre cut out design is really nice - and the teeny little leaf motif is a really great finishing touch6.) This pretty lace textured silver clay flower charm is really well complimented by the choice of semi-precious stones in this wonderful bracelet by Trinket Box
Now I'm going to sit here for the rest of the day wishing I had some silver clay to sit and play with!
NXOXO

Folksy Friday - things that go neeeeeeeiiiiigghhh!

2010-05-21T12:11:00.000+01:00

Sitting at my desk in the office gazing longingly out at the sunshine, it's this kind of weather that always makes me wish I had the time (and didn't live in London) to have my own horse/pony and go for long hacks out in the countryside. So, today's Folksy Friday post has an equestrian theme - hope you like!

1.) An adorable recycled cuddly horse from Noonoo and Me - I want to ruffle his sweet little felty mane :)2.) Gorgeous horse art print by Marmalime - the big brown eyes are what draw my attention in3.) Another lovely art print, this time from Bonbi Forest - I'd love something like this on my bedroom wall4.) A little donkey print card from James Green Printworks - donkeys are fantastic (I always want to play with their ears), I like how this print has the donkey standing their patiently with his little shadow5.) Cuteness overload with these wee horses from Quernus Crafts - you can even get one custom made to look like your own gee gee!6.) Some more lovely artwork by Hearts & Crafts in this pretty mare & foal scene
Hope you aren't all horsed-out after that lot!
N XOXO

Folksy Friday - Seed Beed Special

2010-05-07T12:36:00.000+01:00

I joined the Beadworkers Guild last week and just received my membership card and copy of their journal - saving it for my train journey up to Edinburgh tomorrow, but had a quick flick and looks quite interesting. So, as I'm a seed beader at heart I scoured Folksy for all things seed beaded and beadwoven for today's Folksy Friday. Enjoy!

1.) A lovely elegant dark purple flower by Songbeads
2.) I'm not a gold fan myself, but it looks stunning next to the turquoise cabochons and seed beads in this statement necklace by Art, Jewellery and Accessories
3.) A beaded cocktail ring with plenty of crystal bling by Sarah Paris
4.) A fantastic blue beaded flower - imagine a wedding bouquet made up of these pretties - from Beads in Bloom by Nichola
5.) I love big chunky spirals, especially in bracelet form, so I think this one in bright candy shades by Bowerbird Jewellery is ace
6.) A rainbow coloured chunky chain bracelet...no findings needed here! by MysticDNA Contemporary and Vintage Jewellery

Hope you like this weeks picks...have a nice weekend!

N

XOXO

Folksy Friday....Metalwork

2010-04-30T16:16:00.000+01:00

I've just started a 5 week beginners silver jewellery course so I am learning to saw, file, hammer, texture and solder, so what better way to start my contribution to the Folksy Friday movement by having a 'metalwork' theme...only problem was once I started looking I had trouble choosing just 6 pieces!!

And whilst I was looking for Folksy Friday pieces I spotted the earrings below, fab resin gummy bear earrings by PennyDog Jewellery and I just had to buy them! Can't wait til these arrive :)

XOXO

California Dreaming

2010-02-23T22:21:00.001Z

So if you are a follower of mine on Twitter you might have noticed I was rather quiet the past two weeks. The reason…a fortnight in sunny California! A week in Disneyland Anaheim as part of my job and then a week’s holiday to soak up some sunshine and have a bit of a break before returning to work again.

So what did I get up to? Well, it’d be rude not to show some holiday snaps…not too many though!

We drove from Anaheim to Palm Springs where we stayed a few nights.

Using Palm Springs as our base we visited the Joshua Tree National Park…

And took a tram ride up 10,000ft to a snowy mountain top…

Then, we hit the road again heading towards San Diego where we enjoyed a day at the world famous San Diego, a place I’ve wanted to visit since I can remember.

And we also went out on a boat whale watching to catch the migrating pacific gray whales (note, NEVER go inside the boat, it WILL make you seasick!)

But the highlight has to be seeing the ladies below in the flesh…please excuse me looking ultra dorky in my glasses…but just look what I am standing in front of :D

All in all a great trip…but now it’s back to work. Have a few things to look forward to though. Going to learn to knit next week at The Make Lounge and also going to see the Calendar Girls on tour with my mum. Plus, I have just booked myself onto a 5 week silversmithing course in April which I am very excited about!!

That’s all folks, hope you like my pics

xoxo

A very belated happy new year!!

2010-01-22T17:19:00.001Z

Yes, yes I know I am very bad for not blogging at all so for in 2010 but I have been busy with real work (aka my day job that pays for my beads!!) as I am off to the states for a conference in 2 weeks…so I think that is a reasonable excuse!

I am very much hoping that 2010 will be a good year for my jewellery making. Fingers crossed that before I go away I’ll get confirmation of an exciting happening currently in the pipeline, so if all goes to plan I shall let you know :)

I have started a few seed bead pieces in front of the telly in the last week, including a new colourway of my bouquet bracelet. I also got some art clay silver pieces kiln fired before Christmas which I am going to have as charms on some simple strung bracelets. Here’s a sample of what I made:

A couple of silver paste leaves – the one on the left has the better texture by far…chose the wrong leaf for the right hand one, but you live and learn these things!

A textured star…I cut my own texture pad out using some rubber carving block and a lino tool to make the pattern…have plenty of ideas for other texture pads I want to make to use on clay after doing this one – I may well LOS this one to make the texture really stand out.

And some dinky charms – a pair of hearts textured with paste and a mini star that was textured using…sequins! Again I might have a go with the LOS on the star to bring out the detail in the texture.

If I get any of these made up into jewellery before I go off on my American adventure I will be sure to post pictures!!

Well, that’s all for now – sorry there’s not more to show for 2010 so far, I hope to rectify this when I get back from the US.

XoXo

Hectic times, but some exciting times ahead too!

2009-11-13T15:14:00.001Z

I am sooooo looking forward to Christmas! For all the obvious reasons (Christmas pudding, crackers, mince pies, seeing my family etc), but also because I will get almost 2 weeks off work! PhD are hard work and I have been working like a busy bee in recent months to meet some deadlines so I’ve had no extended time off since I went on my riding holiday long weekend to France in July. In a nutshell…I need a holiday!!!

I love what I do and it is what I wanted and worked hard for, but when it eats into my life outside of my PhD it sometimes gets frustrating. For example, I joined my uni’s polo club but because it happens on Wednesday afternoons (which all undergraduates get off for “sports”…but postgrads don’t :( ) it means at the moment I cannot justify losing whole afternoon of work time. It has meant that I’ve instead been able to go to life drawing classes on a Wednesday evening which I am really enjoying. I had to give up art at A level to carry on my science stuff so it has been nice to get my hand back in with some proper drawing. I would post pics of my work but not sure whether blogger allows nakedness in the medium of paper and pencil and I don’t want to get in trouble!!

There has also been an exciting development in my jewellery making “career” which I hope to be able to say more about once I know for sure that it is definitely happening. Going to spend the weekend working on “my part” and hopefully in the next few weeks I’ll be able to tell you more.

Hoping to have a productive crafty weekend so I’ll try and take some pics (cos all writing blog posts are a wee bit boring aren’t they?)

XoXo

Long time, no blog…..plus the Big Bead Show!!

2009-10-20T17:14:00.001+01:00

Yes, I know, it’s been a considerable time since my last blog post. Alas, real life seems to keep getting in the way (whoever thought up having to have a day job to earn money for rent and food and stuff, huh?) but I am really trying to get on top of things.

Last weekend I really got to grips with my bedroom and bought myself a desk – note: when you are trying to carry 17kg of flat pack desk in a box that is about an inch too big to carry under your arm, the trip from the bus stop to your front door which usually takes 5 minutes can, and will, feel like a lifetime. Chivalry is clearly dead…several people walked past me clearly struggling with the box without a second glance…and by the time I got to the flat lugging it up the stairs to our (top floor!) flat was well, torture!! But, once the feeling had returned to my hands, I cracked on and made it up and now I have a nice work/beading desk to use.

And speaking of beading…it was the Bead Magazine Big Bead Show on Saturday at Sandown racecourse so I eagerly hopped on the train from London to go and drool over stall after stall of fantastic beads. I was looking for some different things to usual as I have just started to work with art clay silver and wanted some different stuff to go with that than my usual seed beads.

The first stall I bought from was Ilona Biggins. I had to be VERY restrained because the entire stall was crammed with semi precious gorgeousness (I could have bought every kind of purple coloured stone on display they were so pretty!). Eventually I settled for some lovely purple crazy agate ovals and some chunky blue goldstone chips/nuggets. Neither of these photos does them justice (light was poo when I took pics) – the agate is a wonderful dusky lavender, and the sparkle on the goldstone is to die for :)

Then I bought some more semi precious beads from Twinkle Pieces – rounds this time. I’m not normally much of a pink person but these were so beautiful and I’d not seen any round matt rose quartz before so I had to have them.

And I also couldn’t resist these lovely impression jasper rounds either…my housemate says they look like little planet earths with the sea green and rock colours. Unfortunately my camera decided it didn’t want to download the pic I took of them for reasons best known only to itself. But I promise they are really nice too!

I spent a few pennies at the Bead Time stall – they had an offer on some nice glass pearls so I bought a selection in colours that work together in a few sizes.

And I also snapped up a few packs of acrylic flowers just because they are so sweet!

And I couldn’t quite manage to stay away from the seed beads and bought an adorable ladybird bracelet kit from Spellbound Beads that I started the other night – will post a pic when I have finished.

It was a great way to spend a Saturday and I’ve definitely found a few places where I can find stuff I want as my jewellery making takes a slightly new direction. Roll on the Big Bead Show 2010 :D

N xoxo

Craftacular, markets and general creativeness

2009-08-28T20:23:00.003+01:00

It's been a busy week at work for me so not had time to update the blog until now.

So, last weekend I dragged myself from my bed (went out Friday night, intended only to stay out a few hours...ended up not back til 2am, oops) and hopped on the tube to Bethnal Green to pay the Bust Craftacular a visit. Wasn't really sure what to expect, but despite the venue reminding me very much of school assemblies, there were lots of people surrounding most of the 50 stalls.

There was a mixture of the cute, the retro, the unusual and in some cases distinctly bizarre (!) but some great eye candy and worth the trip. Favourites included the cool wooden animal brooches on the OFFCUT design stall, the gorgeous birdie artwork on offer from Little Doodles and the very cool Tatty Devine stand where they were attempting to make a record breaking charm bracelet. My sole purchase of the day was this adorable little horse brooch on the Fine City Friends stall.

Since my housemate was away for the weekend, on the Sunday morning I headed to Spitalfields market to see what was on offer there. Lots of clothes - some handmade, some bought in, plus plenty of jewellery and food from pretty much every continent you can think of. Some equally cool market stalls can be found further up towards Brick Lane at the Sunday Upmarket and the Backyard Market. So if you are at a loss for something to do on a Sunday I recommend a trip there.

So what have I got up my crafty sleeves in the coming weeks? Well, I have a silver clay workshop booked for a few weeks time that I'm really looking forward to, some belated birthday present jewellery to finish and I'm also brainstorming some ideas for a piece to enter in the Beads and Beyond magazine jewellery designer of the year competition. I'll let you know how that turns out

N

XoXo

A little netted cuff....

2009-08-20T16:28:00.004+01:00

No, your eyes do not deceive you, I do indeed have a picture to show you of something I've made recently! Not an original design, but a project from Bead and Button - I don't really use netting much so I fancied a go at this. Not too struck on the colour but I love the labradorite chips I've used as the toggle buttons.

I have so many ideas for pieces I want to make...plus a couple of UFOs, but at the moment I am so busy at work that often I can just about summon up the energy to make and eat dinner, let alone get out the beads and thread. But I do really want to make a go of this jewellery making lark. Yesterday I signed up for a Misi account and I intend to use there and Folksy to sell pieces rather than my own website. It's a start in the right direction anyhow!!

So in the spirit of this, I have a very crafty weekend planned. On Saturday I'm off to the Bust London Craftacular to have a look at what other crafty and arty peeps have been up to, so, with the additional aim I have of blogging more regularly, look out for a report back on that in a few days time.

On Sunday I'm heading off to Spitalfields Market - in a brainstorming session I had and idea for a bracelet and I remembered that last time I was at Spitalfields there were a couple of stalls where I might be able to pick up some of what I need to make it. Fingers crossed they are there when I go, otherwise I may end up trawling Ebay for what I want.

So, to summarise...in the future, look out for my jewellery being up for sale on Misi and Folksy, and for more in the way of blogs (I hope to start featuring other craft artists in Blog posts...we crafters have to support each other after all!).

TTFN

xx

Beady Backlog

2009-07-28T15:07:00.003+01:00

I wish I had some pretty pics to show you, but sadly not. Has been a busy time of moving home, work, going on holiday and other stuff. Which means I have a bit of a beady backlog - still trying to get the pendant on a necklace for a friend's birthday to hang right...and have a piece for my mum's birthday I should really get finished this week since I am going back to Essex to see my family for the weekend! I'm also halfway through a cuff bracelet design from the latest Bead and Button. Rest assured once I have some finished pieces I will photograph them and post them up for you to see.

One thing I have done is start a 'page' for my jewellery on Facebook, so you can now go and become a 'fan' and make me feel all warm and fuzzy that yes, some people do like what I make! So if you want to make me smile today, become a fan here.

Best make tracks, time waits for no woman

xx

Busy as a busy bee...but no time to bead!

2009-06-26T12:11:00.003+01:00

Sadly I have not a bean of new beady stuff to show you. It has been a busy time chez Hollybird Beads in the last few weeks - for both good and not so good reasons. Fortunately though, it nows seems like the good is starting to outweigh the bad.

Now, sadly, I have to have a day job in order to be able to live, eat and buy beads, but until recently I was doing the Essex to London commute 5 days a week. Which meant you get to read a whole heap of books, but also means you have to sit next to people with rather questionable personal hygiene - surprisingly though, most of the real stinkers are the people in the shirts, ties and suits, not the builders in their paint splattered overalls (how exactly does one sit in an air conditioned office for 8 hrs and still manage to smell worse than someone who's been up and down scaffolding since 6am?).

So last weekend, myself and a good friend moved into a 2 bed flat in London - and now it takes me 20 mins on the bus and a short walk and there I am at my desk and I haven't had to get up at 6:45am! It also means I can stay at work longer - science is not a 9 - 5 kinda thing, and experiments are needy and like you to pander to them at random hours in the day.

So appologies for the lack of jewellery to show you, but hopefully once I get things sorted after the move I should have time to start getting creative again :) xx

I will keep up with blogging!!! ...and Race for Life

2009-06-14T20:21:00.002+01:00

Blogging is a bit like making New Years resolutions - you start off all 'yea I can totally find something to blabber on about for a few paragraphs or show everyone a new piece of jewellery I made,' and then you suddenly realise you've gone months without writing so much as a full stop!

Well I am going to attempt once again to maintain my jewellery making blog (just don't come throwing stuff if I let it slide!), and thought I'd make my first new post about something unjewellery related I did today - the 5K Cancer Research Race for Life.

We took part again for the 2nd time this year...and though we weren't strictly racing, we still managed to shave 6 minutes off last time, completing the course in 50 minutes.

If you've never been to one of these events before, let me tell you that it is an enjoyable, fun day - the warm up is always a giggle, plus there are the hilarious Nivea Boys male cheerleaders to get everyone in the spirit. People all around you are wearing silly wigs, fairy wings and tutus - someone even ran today dressed as Spongebob Squarepants!! But for every smile there is the constant reminder of why we take part in the race. Everyone has a 'back sign' where they have to complete the sentence "I race for life for..." Now I did giggle at one who had written "because it's safer than doing a parachute jump!"...but most people's back signs bear the names of friends and family who have been affected by cancer.

Some are survivors...I had my mum's name on my back and she took part in the race with me, but we also carried with us the name of my mum's aunt, who I am named after, and who passed away barely a month before my mum gave birth to me. I also wore the name of someone I went to school with who passed away a few months ago - I had not seen him since college...but that did not make the news that someone I used to be in classes with every day at secondary school passed away at the age of just 23 any easier to handle. Sometimes you have to look away from the back signs - one lady I saw had a t-shirt saying she was racing in memory of a little boy whose picture was printed on the back...the years of his life read 1994 - 1997. And if that isn't a reason to don a pink t-shirt and your trainers for a stroll around a park with thousands of other women to raise money to help fight cancer, I don't know what is.

Practicality

2008-07-07T10:49:00.002+01:00

No new jewellery I'm afraid - I have been a busy bee but not in areas involving beads and so nothing new to show. However, my trip to work this morning prompted this little mini-rant...

Now, if you are a UK resident as I am, you'll probably have noticed that despite it being July and therefore technically summer, the weather forecast is saying rain all this week. If you didn't catch a weather forecast, perhaps then you might have noticed that the ground looked distinctly damp when you looked out of the window this morning. Failing that, surely when you took yourself out of the house this morning to head in for work, you might have actually felt said rain falling on your head.

Apparently though, some people managed to make it all the way into London on the main line train I was on, without having appreciated the fact that it had a) been raining, b) currently was raining and c) was likely to rain for much of today.

Yes, I'm talking to you lady in white t-shirt, floaty summer skirt and strappy backless peeptoe sandals!

Said lady, upon leaving the train station to head for the underground, produced an umbrella for the walk, thereby indicating that she was in fact aware of the rain and had been aware of that fact prior to leaving her home presumably. Is it just me that finds this dumb and weird? I mean, I know that she probably works in an office or some other indoor environment and will therefore only be exposed to the outside world there and back, but come on, all she's gonna end up with is a damp skirt and soggy feet (at least she had a brolly otherwise with the white top she had on things might have descended into wet-t-shirt contest territory!). Perhaps I am the only one who places comfort and practicality over looking pretty? Either way, until I see a weather forecast that tells me tomorrow is going to be bright blazing sunshine, I'm going to stick with
my trainers and jeans.

Oh, and people wearing flip flops today (I kid you not), seriously, what planet are you on?

Little budgie birds

2008-06-27T15:25:00.003+01:00

So what's this obsession with birds I hear you ask? Hollybird Beads? And today's blog title too... Well, it's all because of a certain little fella who went by the name of Pip.

Pip was a small, green, 6 week-old budgerigar, and arrived in our household just after my 10th birthday. For some reason I had decided I wanted a budgie as a pet, and I think my parents were relieved I wasn't asking for a puppy and so they agreed. I don't think any of us knew quite what we were letting ourselves in for!

Pip was already handtame when he arrived and grew quickly accustomed to his new surroundings. He learnt to talk, and was bold and inquisitive, and quite the trouble maker at times. His favourite thing was toast - we would often leave his cage door open for him to come and go as he pleased if we were in the house (provided no windows were open) and if free to do so, the instant he heard the toaster being taken out of the cupboard he would fly into the kitchen and sit on the toast-making-person's head, chirruping loudly, until it was done and no peace would be had until you had broken off a chunk for him to eat. He was a small bird with a big personality, and when he passed away after 10 years with us, although we were upset to lose a member of the family, I knew that at some point another little feathered friend would occupy out house in the future.

Our second feathery companion, Smudge, only stayed with us for 6 months, due to a sudden and upsetting illness which left me dazed - it is a horrible thing to see an animal so obviously sick, but to be unable to do anything as you wait for antibiotics to kick in and fight the infection. The Smudge experience didn't mean that I turned away from budgies, but I wasn't sure when I'd want to take another one on.

Well...a few months after the loss of Smudge, I was in the local pet shop (as an animal lover I tend to treat pet shops as minature zoos and go in just to look!) and spotted a white budgie in amongst a cage of youngsters singing its little heart out. I remarked on having seen this bird to my family but nothing more happened...until the next week when I returned to the pet shop where little white one was still there and still singing away. I asked mum and dad to come in and "just have a look"...and then 15 minutes later he was coming home with us!

Holly, who is a boy despite his name, is not like Pip or Smudge, he is his own little person. He adores having his head and under his chin scratched for him and has proven himself to be my best student talking-wise, counting amongst his repertoire "pretty bird," "bye bye bird," "whatcha doing?" as well as a host of sound effects including blowing kisses, whistling and the telephone. Hollybird, is one of his many nicknames. My birds have had their own nicknames...some of Holly's other aliases include Puffin, Squeaks, Beeps and Stink (all terms of affection I hasten to add!)

There are tonnes of books about cats and dogs, but few about these "little clowns with wings" as I have heard them referred to. So this is my shout out to the humble budgerigar...and with it comes my latest piece of jewellery. When I saw this PMC budgie beads set on Etsy I just had to have them and with a few bits of spiral rope and a beaded clasp I fashioned myself a budgie necklace - just to promote their cause a bit more!

Race for Life 2008

2008-06-16T11:34:00.002+01:00

Well, yesterday I managed to move myself along a distance of 5km, under my own steam, along with 3500 other people to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Yes, I took part in my local Race for Life event, and what a day it was for it - nice and sunny but with a good breeze to keep us cool. We didn't run (except for a little dash at the start to get out of the way since we semi-accidentally ended up amongst the more serious runners!) but we made it round in a pretty respectable 52 minutes. I was expecting to ache this morning but nope, my legs still appear to be in perfect working order. Think the next aim is to do some running training and maybe join some people from work in entering a 10k event - I think I might have caught the running/jogging bug :S

Finished a few bracelets over the weekend too but the photos are on my home computer and I'm at work as I write this. Will post pics later hopefully.

TTFN

First Post

2008-06-11T12:11:00.001+01:00

Well I created this a while ago and then never posted anything (shame on me, huh?)

Welcome to my little corner of the world wide web - it's gonna mostly feature my latest jewellery making efforts...but I'm sure if I have anything else to say it'll end up on here too!

Alas, I cannot spend all day creating pretty things - I'm studying for a PhD so my beading time is pretty limited, particularly as I commute to London during the week (and due to my tendency to drop/spill/knock flying beads and needles I don't think beading on the train is advisable!)

To crack things off...here's a pic of the latest piece I finished. Made using the instructions featured in Bead Magazine for the lovely and ultra talented Lynn Davy (go check out her gallery for more drool-worthy beadwoven goodness).

(excuse the duvet cover background!)

Instead of the original pink 'Rose Garden,' I instead went for zesty lemon and limes with a bit of sunset orange and tropical blues to create this piece...it took a long time to complete, but is so worth it (my mum said it is a "work of art" - thanks mum!!) - all I need now is an occasion to wear it.

Well that's all I have to say for now - except that today I saw the most HIDEOUS blazer style jacket today on the underground. Imagine a Butlins redcoat-style jacket, but imagine that the designer decided 'right...now if I was going to make a jacket like that, but in the three most revolting colours I can dream up...what would that look like?' We're talking vertical stripes of lime-mould green, dirty terracotta orange and dingy navy-grey blue! And someone presumably designed this catastrophe, then a shop bought in the stock...and then someone went into the shop and thought 'ooh, that looks nice.' My mind boggles sometimes!