Batty? Possibly....

I mentioned last week that I'd had the weirdest request for a charm bracelet ever (or so I thought at the time...) and as it's now been gifted I can post a pic. Bats, shamrocks and a leprechaun makes for a strange combination but does look quite cute!

Again, I've spent the week making gemstone bangles for the Christmas Market, and also managed some Slinky bracelets in purple and silver - shame I'm supposed to sell them really....I've also listed them in my Etsy shop and my Folksy shop, along with some handmade polymer clay Ladybug earrings.

In other news, I read back through this blog(I've been at it for a year now!) and realised that one of the first posts I made was about a completed WIP - my daughter Tove, who was one on Thursday. She's now walking (just), saying a couple of nearly-words and eating everything in sight - I can't believe how time has flown. Here she is....and her big sister Daisy too. The clocks went back last night (hurray for the MIL reminding us yesterday!) and it's getting dark already, winter really is setting in. I love autumn and winter though, a perfect excuse for big casseroles (steak and Guinness, mmm) and jacket potatoes!

So, to bring back memories of summer I'm going to spend the evening making Flower Garden sets! Pretty pink and purple lucite flowers, pale green leaves and toho seed beads, all strung on a chain and suspended from ribbon. I wear my own one quite often and it never fails to get compliments.

Next weekend I'm off to a hotel with my best friend for a child free couple of days - luxury! I'm counting the hours...

Charming!

A record week in the life of Ladybird Beads, with orders coming in every day from people both known and unknown - I'm feeling hopeful that things are starting to take off and that one day I might be able to make a (small) living out of this...though I'm not holding my breath! I am now registered as self-employed in a very small way, so me and Mr Taxman (oo-ooh Mr Taxma-an....) are squared off, and I'm being ever so good about updating my records as well. Thank heavens for Microsoft Excel, or it wouldn't be so organised.

Anyway, back to the crafty stuff! It's mainly been charm bracelets this week, starting with a request for "a glam/retro one" for one of my sister's staff - the brief was pink, with shoes and handbags, and I think I pulled it off! She liked it, anyway (you can see it here....and the result was a second themed bracelet that I can't put up here yet (though it holds the current 'weirdest theme' record!), and an order from one of the other team members for a charm bracelet with rocking horses, horseshoes and pink beads.

There have also been requests for charm hoop necklaces and matching bracelets, a daisy chain necklace which is coming back for shortening (see, it's a full service here!), an amethyst gemstone chip bracelet, a Mother's Love bracelet and a necklace based on a bracelet/anklet I've made before. It's all go! I also found time for a kilt pin for myself, which I'd had on the list for a while.

Other news? Still going on the i-phone socks which are very relaxing on the Central Line, especially since my tube karma this week has been terrible. No stitching, but when I finish this sock I'll be getting on with my Flower Fairy for a while.

I finally talked my other half into taking me to Hobbycraft last week, and amazingly I only bought two circular needles and a useful tray - clearly taking a fractious 3 year old with me is the way to save money! She's had chicken pox and hasn't been sleeping so well, but fortunately we're past it. Now I'm just waiting for Tove to break out in spots in time for her first birthday next week.

Tonight, though, I've made a lasagne for me and my beloved, he's brought a bottle of wine, and we're going to relax for a change...unless the lure of the bead box gets too much!

What Kirsty did next!

Well, here we are at the end of another week, and autumn seems to have landed with a vengeance! The lovely crispy sunshine has been replaced by miserable rain, and my fleecy penguin pyjamas have been dragged out of the wardrobe once again. The good side of this, of course, is that its boot season once again - I love pretty flipflops and sandals but you can't beat a good boot. So far I've resurrected my beloved pirate OTKs and the black biker boots from last year, and I'm looking forward to the arrival of some new ones.

Today has been my weekly day off (I love this part-time stuff...) and while I started the day with good intentions about doing some beading/knitting/stitching I just went and had my hair cut instead: a bit of pampering does cheer you up!

I haven't been lazy all week though, I've been making gemstone bangles in tourmaline and amethyst, and have started one in jade...

...as well as making a replacement dangle for a kilt pin, finishing the autumn necklace for a friend's mum, and a mother's bracelet for my own mum's next door neighbour in France.

I also held a giveaway on my Facebook page a couple of weeks ago and have posted off a Sugar & Spice set to a little girl called Madeleine in South London. Keep an eye out for the next one by becoming a fan...

When I put it like that it looks like I've done lots this week!

Finally, I'm really excited about the bags that Rose over at Victoria Rose Crafts made for me this week! Go over and see her at her blog, she makes some gorgeous stuff. You'll find her at the Epping Craft Collective stall at the Christmas Market on 4 December, along with me and Lily Roses's Luxuries - stop by and see us if you're in the area!

Still wearing the Harvest bracelet!

Which was the only bright spot in a really, really rubbish day today - everything that could go wrong did go wrong and nothing that I had planned to do got done. I did get to see the Isle of Dogs from the 34th floor of the Citi building as well as the trading floor (where there was a man with braces!) though.

Forgot to mention yesterday that I met Rose from Victoria Rose Crafts on Saturday with her gorgeous daughter Rianna - Rose is making some pretty bags for me, and we met up to swap materials. Daisy and Rianna had a lovely time with wooden spoons. Drop in on her blog and check out her makes, they're amazing.

Tourmaline and carnelian chips arrived today in the post so I think I'll make some bangles up!

Autumn inspiration

Last night I finished a 'Harvest' bracelet which had been germinating on the beadmat for a few weeks as various bits arrived from Hong Kong and the US (hurray for Etsy suppliers) and I'm so pleased with the way its turned out. The idea for it came from some berry beads that I saw on Ebay and some lucite leaves that were already in my stash. The berries and leaves made me think of hedgerows, and when I found some gorgeous green glass apples and copper acorns on Etsy the whole thing came together. It's the most expensive piece I've ever made but I LOVE it. A lot. The finished piece is almost like a garland, and it feels great on - and it makes a lovely noise!

I built my outfit around it today and several people commented so it was worth it....what do you think? The second picture is a colour mix for an autumn necklace for a friend's mother, and the final one shows the mix on a chain with carnelian chips, which will eventually be strung on ribbon with fieldmice charms and gold findings.

Busy busy!

Christmas is suddenly sneaking up on me with the prospect of sharing a stall at the Epping Christmas market with LilyRosesLuxuries and Victoria Rose Papercraft, so I'm starting to make things in larger quantities than normal...it doesn't seem too far away now, which in one way is exciting. I've also been asked to do a Christmas shopping event in South London by someone who has seen me on Facebook, so hopefully this Christmas will be a good one.

Not getting much stitching done, but I have managed to finish an iphone sock on the tube in hot pink/orange/purple sock yarn, and here are a few of this week's makes. The Allsorts necklace is a one-off, but the Glacier clusters are for the stall, as are the earrings.

I'm also planning on making a few party necklaces and some gemstone chip bracelets in amethyst and candy jade, some phone charms and more earrings...there just isn't enough time in the day!

In Memory...

...I heard yesterday that an old teacher, mentor and friend had died after a fall. Although he had been suffering from Parkinsons Disease for several years and no longer knew what was around him, it's still a sad day and I feel like someone has turned a light out in the world. From Facebook conversations with people who knew him, there are going to be hundreds of us who feel the same way - he made going to school fun and he will live on in the hearts of all of us who were in his classes at Raglan Junior School.

I'll remember the ghost stories, singing 'Green and Yellow', the laughter and the inspirational teaching, the family holidays, the experimental winemaking (much later, of course!), the goldfish, the help and support he gave me over my PGCE course and the faith he had in me, the terrible jokes and the enthusiasm he always showed in the classroom. He was an amazing man and I miss him, my prayers are with his family. Rest in Peace, Mr D. Your grandchildren, children and wife have lost someone irreplaceable....as have we all.

The sooner we find a cure for this terrible disease the better - too many people are needlessly suffering.

Christmas @ Ladybird Beads

The nights are drawing in and someone told me how many days it was until Christmas (I blanked it out....) so I thought I'd start creating pretty stocking fillers and Secret Santa gifts to sell. I've been making bracelets but matching necklaces/earrings can be made on request! I've also been having fun with Fimo, making beads to turn into phone charms and earrings to give away as freebies for customers. My eyes have now been opened to the wonders of polymer clay, and I have some glitter effect red & white to play with next. Watch this space...Daisy also likes what she calls 'Mummy's playdough' and made her own ladybird and worm (which started life as a bug...)

The bracelets below were inspired by tree decorations and the way they reflect the Christmas lights and what tree would be complete without an angel?

Daisy started nursery last week, she's getting so grown up! I had expected her to bring home the usual pictures and junk models but so far all she's given me is a cold....ballet starts again this weekend and I know she's looking forward to wearing her tutu and being a 'princess' again. I love watching her dance, and she gets so excited that every so often she runs over and gives me a random kiss!

Hurray! I finished it...

Finally finished and packed off with my sister to hand over to my mum and dad this week...believe it or not there is a beautifully stitched Celtic ribbonwork border all round the outside of this....which I somehow managed to offset by an inch and a half so it had to be hidden. I didn't notice till I got to the framers, but fortunately he didn't laugh too much while I was in the shop! Never done that before.

I've also had almost 500 visitors to my website which is very exciting! Just started listing Christmas items like these cute Swarovski crystal tree earrings and glass gift box earrings. A free handmade gift will be sent to anyone ordering from the Christmas page at http://www.ladybirdbeads.co.uk/ChristmasatLadybirdBeads.html so please come see me!

First website order!

I'm quite excited this week as I've had my first order through ladybirdbeads.co.uk - a pretty pastel anklet and a Mother's Love bracelet that I sent winging off to France this morning. True to form, I was sooooo excited that I forgot to take pictures of them before I sent them off, though there are examples of both in previous posts...I have taken pictures of the gemstone charm bracelets I've been making though, so here they are. The pink one is candy jade with lots of different heart charms, and the purple one is amethyst. I'm currently working on an onyx version and will post pics of that when it's done.





I've also just joined flickr and have been looking at these amazing photochrom images of Wales from the late nineteenth century - I love seeing how places change over the years and some of these images take me right back to holidays at the seaside, as well as to my uni days in Aberystwyth. See them and more here http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/3751657243/