Oops!

I was playing around with glass today trying to make a few fused cabs. Popped my next piece in the kiln, fired up the microwave and this was the result - after only a few minutes of fusing.

For some reason the two layers of glass didn't get like each other so the top layer did a runner and jumped off the bottom one trying to escape from the kiln!

I put the piece on my block of wood and started to get another piece ready when I could hear a popping sound and then felt a sharp feeling on the back of my arm like someone was stabbing my skin... to discover it was pieces of broken glass flying up off the block as it was cooling! Ouch!

So it's back to the drawing board on this one. Not sure why the glass reacted the way it did - I guess it is just one of those mysteries of life which will remain unsolved!

St Petersburg set

I recently made two pairs of earrings in designs called Evergreen and Spanish Fan (see L♥ving cube beads post) which were stitched using a stitch called St Petersburg.

I loved the beads that I had used in those earrings so much that I really wanted to make a bracelet to match.

So here it is...

Stitched in St Petersburg stitch using 3mm and 1.8mm cubes as well as size 11 seed beads.

I think this set now needs a matching necklace... what do you think?

Playing with glass!

I was lucky enough to recently be given some gorgeous chunks of glass from my dear friend, Sally, of Happilyeverartist. Sally makes the most gorgeous lampwork beads and I have to admit I do have a few...ok a lot... of her stunning beads in my collection.

She has been debating whether to buy a microwave kiln to fuse her broken beads so when Sally asked me if she gave me a few chunks of broken glass whether I'd test them out for her I was very keen - especially when she said I could keep the resultant cabs!

Here is one of the first chunks of glass I have tested. This glass is so pretty that it almost seemed a pity fusing it in the microwave so I reluctantly placed it in the kiln.

And here is the result... one gorgeous cab!

I still have a few chunks to fuse including some of Sally's gorgeous lily beads so watch this space for more lovely Happilyeverartist cabs made by me!

I am thinking Sally might just be getting that kiln sooner rather than later... in the mean time I will happily take the broken glass... hee hee!

Gone Loopy!

This is a piece I started last year and finally got round to finishing yesterday. All I had to do was finish off the threads and add the button/clasp so I really had no excuse for not finishing it sooner.

The design is from the UK magazine, Bead, and is stitched in size 8 and 11 seed beads.

I wasn't sure how to finish off the piece in terms of a clasp so I extended the brick stitch and added a button at one end and a loop at the other...voila! Instant clasp!

I have to say I am very happy with the overall result. It's not the sort of style necklace I would normally wear but I don't know... there is something about it I love so might even make another!

Orange Buzz!

This is a bracelet I finished today and I have to say I have fallen in love with it!

The bracelet was created in St Petersburg stitch using size 8 seed beads as well as cube beads and czech beads within the clasp. The gorgeous lampwork bead was made by Deb Lewis of Debbie Does Beads.

I loved the lampwork bead when I bought it a few months ago and knew it would work beautifully with the piece.

L♥ving cube beads!

Here are two pairs of earrings I made recently. They are both from one of my favourite beading books at the moment, "Cube Bead Stitching".

The first pair are called "Evergreen" and are stitched in 1.8mm and 3mm cubes as well as size 11 seed beads.

The second pair are called "Spanish Fan" and are stitched in 1.8mm and 3mm cubes as well as size 11 and size 8 seed beads.

Ohhhh I do l♥ve cube beads now!

How tidy are you?

A little while ago a few of my bead friends and I were complaining amongst ourselves about how messy our bead spaces were. Desks, shelves and floors filled with beads... glorious beads...but beads in big piles of MESS!

I don't know why we let our work areas get so bad - maybe it's just us being lazy and not putting our beads away when we are done with them - or perhaps it's because we love our beads soooo much that we can't bare to hide them away ...ok ok - the first reason is probably closer to the truth!

After many discussions on this topic someone suggested we should take photos of our "mess" and email the photos to each other. I have to say it was almost like bearing our souls - sharing a side of us that not many people get to see. We had all talked about our mess... but to SHOW our mess....ohhhhhh! I have to say I still don't feel comfortable showing these photos but if you can't share these sort of things with friends who can you share them with?

So off I went to take a photo. I have to admit my desk space was in a pretty bad state. I had just completed two major challenge pieces for the Beading Forum (my starfish Rockpool piece and my Ladies of Camelot amulet bag) which had kept me beading until the wee hours of the morning for around 6 months. Anything I used or even thought about using was shoved onto my desk with the promise that I would tidy it up on the weekend.

Well as you can see many weekends came and went and my poor desk received no attention! Please don't judge me... it's all "creative" mess I promise!!

Unfortunately I didn't manage to take a photo of my tidied bead space at that time. I did tidy the room... I promise.

So here is a picture of my tidy space for 2010!

I have to say it was nice being able to take my sister and nieces in the room when they were visiting recently so I have made a vow with myself to keep that room tidy!

Perhaps I should commit myself to taking a photo of the room once a month and post it here as proof!

Watch this space!

My three favourite kids!

My beautiful little man with his two gorgeous nieces, Jaima and Taryn.

♥ Miss you guys ♥

Sharing my l♥ve of beading

My two nieces came to visit this month. It was so nice to see them as I had not seen them since June 2007 so a visit was long overdue!

They are beautiful girls. Taryn will turn 16 this September and Jaima will turn 14 this November.

I have always tried to encourage them to be interested in some sort of craft or hobby - to keep their hands and minds creative and as I am an avid beader they were keen to make something with beads.

So with my new Cube Bead Stitching book in hand, they chose to make a pair of Evergreen earrings stitched in St Petersburg.

I have to say they both did really well. We stitched the first earring on the Wednesday, taking us around 1.5hrs, and then the girls made the second earring on the Thursday following the book by themselves and asking me for help when they needed it.

I was really proud of them! I have sent them home with some extra beads so they can teach their mum how to make them so fingers crossed she will make a pair.

Here is what we made. The top pair were made by me, the middle pair were made by Jaima and the bottom pair were made by Taryn.

Another Julz cab

I just realised I had not posted pictures of my other Julz cab so here it is... this time a gorgeous cab with beautiful blue and white flowers and a butterfly!

The fringing has galvanised seed beads and Swarovski crystals.

Julz heart pendant

I started this piece back in 2009 and finally completed it yesterday.

I am trying to resist the temptation of starting some new beaded cabs and actually finishing off a few I started in 2009 so let's see how I go... but be warned... I am not making any new year's resolutions in this department!

The cabochon is a polymer clay cabochon made by Julie Doust of Meanderings by Julz. I have stitched it with some gorgeous burnt orange galvanised seeds as well as a mixture of size 11 and 15 seed beads.

Spectacular Spiderman

It seems my little man is turning into quite a little boy now and is quite smitten with superheroes. In a recent post I mentioned that he had taken a liking to Batman... well see if you can guess who he now aspires to be....

Living in Australia we obviously aren't celebrating a white Christmas... yep we are in the middle of summer so you can imagine how hot my little man has been in this suit... but you've got to give him credit - he has kept that suit on and has refused to take it off! I have managed to wash it once or twice but as I type Spiderman is sitting on my lounge playing Lego Indiana Jones on the Wii...

I wonder if the next fad will be a leather hat and whip just like "Indy"!!

A perfect partnership

I've been making glass fused cabochons for only a short while now, since May 2009 to be precise. I love working with any kind of cabochon and I have to say there is something very rewarding about being able to make my own cabochons, custom made to my own desires, likes and needs! Even more rewarding is actually using these cabochons in my own designs.

Earlier this year I gifted some of my cabs to a dear friend of mine who is a very talented beader, Chanel Oldfield. Chanel creates gorgeous bead embroidered pieces, some of which have won her ribbons at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney. Much to my dismay she sells many of her gorgeous pieces on her website, some of which I am proud to say are now in my collection and frequently adorn my neck!

Chanel recently used some of my cabochons in a few pieces she created which she had listed on her site. Well to my excitement I found out they recently sold! I know the beadwork is all hers but there is something very exciting about knowing my cabs were a part of these gorgeous creations. Be sure to visit her site, Jiha, by clicking this link http://jiha.com.au/

So here they are:

The first piece is a gorgeous cuff/bracelet using one of my raku cabochons.

The second piece is a stunning necklace which features a gorgeous berry coloured cabochon and Chanel named "Berrylicious".

I will be supplying Chanel with some more cabs in the new year so I can't wait to see what she creates with them... and fingers crossed these pieces will sell too!