Bead Soup Blog Party - 3rd Reveal

I'm so excited! It's time for the Bead Soup Blog Party reveal. I have been busy since the 20th February when my bead soup arrived from Cilla of Tell Your Girlfriends in Canada. Here is a little reminder of what she sent me.

 

Before I started making anything I arranged the beads into little groups on a beading mat and pulled out some lampwork beads from my inpsiration boxes and just played around with different combinations on and off until I was happy with them. This went on for a week or more - but just a few minutes at a time.

The first couple of pieces I made were this bracelet and matching pair of earrings made using the beautiful freshwater pearls, the copper starfish charms, some of the copper 8mm beads, the copper and crystal rondelles, the jump rings, some of the mixed beads and the cute copper clasp from Bead Bazaar. Of course being a lampworker I had to add some of my own lampies.

I have to say that this bracelet and earrings virtually made themselves. The components were meant to go together and couldn't have been a better choice by Cilla and I have to say not something I would have chosen to buy myself.

Next up was the Laborite Focal Bead. I have to say I struggled with this one a little bit. It didn't seem to want to go with any of the other components Cilla had sent so I set about making some of my own beads to go with it. I pulled apart a couple of bracelets and a necklace I got at a charity shop and some little triangle hematite beads that a friend gave me that seemed to suit the angular design of the focal bead and this is the result.

Not too bad if I do say so myself!

I have some of the beads I used in this necklace for sale in my Etsy shop. Click on the picture to take you there.

Now, what did I make next? Oh I know it, was this one

Cilla sent me this lovely ceramic dragonfly focal bead made by Jean Christenensen of Clay Genie but because it was a bit on the small side I wanted to design something that would give it a lift. One of the gorgeous clay lentil beads from The Studio Sublime matched perfectly so I teamed it with a few of my lampwork spacer beads and some czech crystal from The Curios Bead Shop. I put it all together with one of the silk ribbons from Sowereze, made a string of beads and added some chain which I connected with part of some copper daisy clasps.

Well, I have to say there wasn't much left of the soup but I was determined to use as much as I could and really enjoying the stretch on my designing abilities.

This necklace was made using a clay focal from Knme. I struggled with this one too as it didn't seem to go with anything I had, until I realised it had a hint of lilac in it and then there was no stopping me.

It went so well with the Antique brass findings from Vintaj. I had some lampwork beads that I made ages ago that were sitting in my inspiration boxes obviously waiting for this moment. Again adding some czech glass from The Curios Bead Shop.

Finally another necklace. I had left 3 of the clay lentil beads from The Studio Sublime. I don't usually work with anything so big and didn't have anything in my bead collection that would go with them. So I had to design some lampwork beads myself. I had some lovely silk ribbon from Sowereze that was blue and rust and this seemed to be calling out to me to be used. I made the lampwork beads in ivory with tourquoise stringer decoration and amber dots. Used some more of the 8m copper beads from Cilla and more Vintaj brass. I found this cute little owl bead from our local bead shop Purple Moon which just seemed to add the finishing touch.

The only thing I admit to failure on was the lovely little hearts from The Menagerie Studio. I tried making several pairs of beads in different combinations to go with them but wasn't satisfied with any of them. The main problem for me was the hole which meant they hung at an angle and I just couldn't get them to look right. I was going to drill another hole with my dremel but didn't have the right size drill so I'm ashamed to say I have given up - well for now anyway.

 

I hope you have enjoyed sharing my journey and I hope that Cilla likes my creations.

 

If you see any of the creations here that you would like to buy please email me.

 

If you would like to see what Cilla made with the beads I sent her you can read all about it here: http://www.earth-shine.co.uk/2013/04/bead-soup-reveal-with-my-beads-by-cilla.html

 

A huge thanks to Lori Anderson for organising this despite having troubles with her health.

 

You can read all about the other participants on the Bead Soup Blog Party Blog.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Linda

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Earring Challenge Reveal 8- Weeks 15 & 16

It's that time again! Reveal 7 for my earrings makes for week's 15 & 16 of the AJE Earring Challenge.

You may see a bit of a theme running through here as I have been playing with a couple of odd rods of glass that I have in my stash and these rings go so well in earrings. Must make some more to go in my shop.

First up Rustic Birds.

I picked up these cute copper birdies when I was at the Flame Off bead fair a while ago. The rings are made of Effetre red copper green glass which has then been etched for a matt finish. I love this glass, it's a shame I only have a small piece of a rod left. I then used the pink/peach Czech glass flowers from The Curios Bead Shop to bring out the pinky colour in the rings. The antique brass earwires are from Smitten Beads.

And......Grecian Rings (really couldn't think of a better name!)

These were inspired by the Czech glass beads and headpins from my Curiosity Shop monthly theme pack of Greek Temple. I was looking for ages for something to make to go with them and my trusty rings came to the rescue this time made with Effetre metallic copper green glass which has again been etched for a matt finish. Who knew there were so many variations of copper green?

Both pairs of earrings are up for sale in my Etsy jewellery store. Please click on the pictures if you would like to buy.

Don't forget to go and have a look at the other participants in the challenge.

Thanks for looking.

Linda
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Custom Orders

I may not have been posting on here much recently but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy with making glass beads and jewellery.

My seaside beads have been doing well with several orders over last weekend, I was so pleased when my first sailboat bead was purchased together with and order for 20 seashells. These are on their way to the USA now. They looked so lovely all together that I took a photo.

These are available to order for £1.50 each plus p+p so please email me if you would like some.

Then I had a request for a bracelet to be made using these beads

I was so pleased to be asked as I love these beads and have been thinking about making something with them for a long time. I think they are gorgeous and have been surprised that no-one has snapped them up.

I had no other requests for the bracelet so had great fun playing. This is what I made and I'm pleased to say the lady is over the moon with it.

So if you would like something made with any of the beads in my shop please send me an email earth-shine@hotmail.co.uk

I have a busy weekend blog wise as it's finally time for the Bead Soup Blog Party reveal and also my AJE Earring Challenge reveal as well. Both tomorrow eeek! Look out for my posts, lots of eye candy to see.

Thanks for lookings.

Linda
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Bead Soup reveal with my beads by Cilla Watkins

Cilla Watkins of the blog Tell Your Girlfriends has just done her reveal for the Bead Soup Blog Party. Have a look and see what delicious goodies she made with the beads I sent her. http://www.tellyourgirlfriends.com/?p=2361#comment-2794


Here is a reminder of what I sent her.

My reveal will be on Saturday 27th April.

Thanks for looking

Linda
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Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!

One of the great things about living on the Isle of Wight is that no matter where you are you are never far from the sea, so it is inevitable that it will have some influence on my work. Over the past week or so I have been making beads that are inspired by my love of the sea and on Sunday evening I uploaded them to my shop.

Here are the beads I have made along with links to where you can find them for sale. Please click on the photos to be taken to the Etsy listing.

Don't they look nice when photographed all together?

First up are the beach hut and sailboat beads that I have been working on recently. I haven't seen any other beads like these anywhere so I think I am safe in saying they are totally unique.

 

Next up some focal beads: Ocean Waves

 

On the beach

Ride the Wave

I made a couple of new colours in the toggle clasps to go with the theme. This one is Light Grass Green which can be etched if that option is chosen

and a favourite colour of my Celadon

Some little sets, this one has lots of little bubbles in it which are created using baking powder.

This set was created using my new ribbed oval bead roller from Pegasus Lampwork Tools which I absolutley love. There are some lovely fritty beads in this set.





Some cute ribbed rounds, these have been etched for a satin finish.

This set is one of my mixed sets which includes a lovely petal bead.

I have 3 of these focal and earring sets which have been stamped with a spiral stamp to give the beads some texture. These two have been decorated on one side with iris orange frit.

Light Tourquoise

Etched transparent light tourquoise

and light Ivory, this one has a silver glass swirl on one side.

and last but not least a shop update wouldn't be complete without some little spacers.

These are a bumper pack of 20 which come with 5 free spacers. All in assorted sizes which are great for charm bracelets.

Thanks for looking.

Linda
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Earring Challenge Reveal 7- Weeks 13 & 14

I can't believe it's that time already, being away at Flame Off has meant I haven't had much time to play with recently so I have one new pair and a pair I made a while ago which I kept for an emergency and a good job I did too!

Week 13

One thing I love about this challenge is how much it has stretched me to use components I have had sitting around for a while, these triangles being one of them. They look great with some of my little spacer beads on little chain dangles. Up for sale in my jewellery store here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/128021526/silver-and-raspberry-handmade-lampwork?ref=shop_home_active

Week 14

This is my emergency pair. I made them a while ago and they are not perfect but do show a way of using components differently from what they are meant for.

I have loads of these little spacer bars which are for use in necklaces. I cut some of them up and made them into a pair of earrings complete with some more of my little spacers.

If you would like to make some earrings with my little spacer beads, I have a section in my Etsy store just for them. https://www.etsy.com/shop/Earthshinebeads?section_id=13196711

Thanks for looking and don't forget to check out the other participants.

Linda
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Workshop with Marshall Hyde.

I'm a little late in doing this blog posting but I only received the beads I made on Marshal Hyde's course at Flame Off.

The workshop was held at Diana East's studio in Leicester, regular readers of my blog will know that I am a frequent visitor to Di's.

The aim of the workshop was to make that bead that you have inside your head but don't exactly know how to do it.

Marshall is a lovely man. He started the workshop by telling us a little bit about himself and explained to us how he goes about designing his beads, mainly by drawing the steps on paper first.

We each then described the bead that we would like to make, most of us brought some inspiration with us in the form of pictures or in one lady's case a scarf and handbag.

Marshall suggested to each of us ways we could go about making our beads and we all chipped in with our own suggestions.

I had decided that I wanted to make some seaside themed beads as I live on an island and surrounded by the sea. So I had in my head a beach hut bead or a bead with a beach hut on it. I also made a bead with a sail boat on it a while back and wanted to have another try and that.

Marshall demonstrated and idea of how he thought I could make my beads

These are the two resulting beads that I made and I am very pleased with them.

This is Katherynne, she made some unusual beads inspired by the pattern on a handbag

I can't remember why Moira wanted to make these but they are a bit weird

Lots of different ideas from everyone.

It was a very enjoyable day which I would recommend if you have the chance.

Thanks for looking.

Linda
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