BRRR........

Yes its quite cold here in North Cornwall we had a dusting of Snow on friday but it melted much to my children's disgust. Unfortunately it does mean I  don't wan t to go out in the shed and get cold while working, but the call of making glass beads is strong so no doubt I will be making jewellery out of the beads I hope to create.
I have been catching up on the orders from a Jewellery party, plus I'm busy getting costumes and other bits and bobs sorted for my children's school play and Fayre and there is the christmas shopping as well. I'm coming up to what I call my shut down time I sort of have a bit of a break from mid December to early Feb. I try not to create anything and review what has sold well and what hasn't etc. sometimes I even break up pieces of jewellery that haven't sold for a while, this helps keep my stock fresh and also it's not wasted as more often it is all reused.

Now I'm off to sort out some Cake Baking for Christmas and the School fayre...

Christmas is coming............

The shops have started putting out their christmas stock since early September in fact before their halloween stock. I nearly had kittens when I saw a cream egg in a supermarket but I looked closer and it was a Scream egg. I would be nice that the christmas stock etc wouldn't come out until early November, I think the fact it is out too early does ruin the enjoyment a bit it isn't so much fun when you've had christmas in you face for a third of the year. Halloween in a couple of weeks is a favorite time and I've only just made a Halloween Elf called Boo.....

So I wait until this time of year to make my Yule stock, I just make a few pieces usually cards, Elves etc.. This year I'm having a bit of a change no elves or cards. So what to make well as you can see from the pictures below I've made some Angels, Snowmen and Penguins. They won't go on my website until mid november.

  

What is your favourite colour?

My children ask me this question all the time and I struggle to answer it. Colour is and a important part of what I do; always has been even when I was a Florist. Part of my floristry training included the colour wheel and the theory of primary, tertiary, complimentary etc. Even then when picking flowers for floral displays it was the customers preference, you may have made a lovely tonal bouquet and the customer doesn't like it they love clashing colours. 

Colours can lift moods and evoke memories, Red and Green - I bet you're thinking Christmas, Yellow and Blue - for me the beach, oranges and reds - Autumn leaves.  Take these bracelets I made a few weeks ago.

    

                                                                                                                                                            

The Red bracelet reminded me of the orient and it was inspired by Hong Kong, the Yellow  bracelet with the green reminded me of Sherbet Lemons and the Blue  bracelet with the gold also reminded me of things Oriental. To me every colour has possibility and can be combined with other to evoke many things. So I tell my children I like all colours I have no particular favourite.

 So what is your favourite colour?

Light Side Collection

Well the kids are back at school now and I've been able to get back into my groove. To start with the old MOJO was missing in action but it resurfaced enough for me to make up a few pieces of jewellery for the Light Side Collection. I did the Dark Side collection a month ago and always had plans to make a Light Side to compliment it.

  

As with the Dark Side Collection I have made two necklaces and two bracelets. That wasn't the only thing I've made last week. I quickly made up a couple of bag charms for my daughter and her BF and another of my favorite makes a charm style bracelet with pumpkins and witches just in time for Halloween.

  

The Weekends are always a creative time for me and I managed to get out the glass and Hot Head and made some beads check out my Storm Glass Bead Blog to see what I've been up to.

Creative Bank Holiday

My weekends have been busy and this bank holiday I was determined to get out in my shed and make some jewellery. I had made a second batch of beads a couple of days before so it was jewellery time, it has seemed like ages even though I made a brooch the other weekend. One thing I need to insist on is that if I'm in my shed working the kids need to ask their Dad questions not me I just want to get on, the tinkers. So I made some of my favorite type of bracelets the charm style, and a charm style necklace, and a few little thongs.

And now the kids are back to school today so my week is free so I can make more jewellery, I can't wait.

Autumn is here?

I know it's still the summer holidays but it feels like autumn, today the weather is forecast for rain all day and it's dark like a winter day. Not pleasant for the kids on the last full week of their holidays, they are back to school next week.

I have finally found time to make my first beads you can read all about it in my Storm Glass Bead Blog, the link is on the right.

Autumn Wire Leaf Brooch Copyright Cornish Dragon

This is my entry for the monthly competition on the Making Jewellery Forum, the comp was for a brooch and I don't do brooches. I was going to go for a polymer brooch but I thought about wire leaves, so I had a go. My fingers were a little on the sore side afterwards and I did do six leaves but I removed one as it looked better with five. of course as it was leaves in brown wire it had to have some autumnal colour beads in it. I'm pleased with the result I wonder what we have to make next month.

New Hobby on the way

I seem to collect hobbies like some people collect stamps. during the collecting  I've learned Encaustic painting, Fairy drawing & painting, paper crafts and much more. Some of them I have stuck with and still do for pleasure and work. 

So my new Hobby, well it is something I have always wanted to do for a few years, I even bought a book on the subject that has been sat on my bookshelf gathering dust. Well it's my birthday soon, so encouraged by my friends the hobby I've always wanted to do I can now do so as my lovely Hubby will be getting me a Kit. So what is this new Hobby, well I'm going to get a Hothead kit and I will be trying my hand at making my own beads.

What put me off years back was the fact to sell the beads they need to be annealed in a kiln, so they don't break or crack. Kilns are not cheap and this fact was the sticking point so to speak. But doing some research on forums etc I can batch anneal at a later date. Which gives me time to have fun making beads, practicing techniques while saving for a kiln, or sweet talking hubby to help out. I will be setting up another blog which I will add those first beads how ever bad they turn out. I'm still thinking of names for it so far the winner is Storm Glass or Spy Glass but I can decide on that soon enough.

Oh despite it being the Summer Holidays and having the sprogs at home I have managed to make some jewellery. Beribboned beaded necklace and a vampire inspired necklace.