My poor neglected blog!

When I have 5 minutes to spare I have a look through my favorite blogs. One of them is this one http://lorelei1141.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/my-poor-little-neglected-blog.html in which she tells us about lack of time and how her blog has been neglected. This reminded me that I hadn't posted in an age and when I checked I couldn't believe it was as far back as April! In fact I think I abandoned my last series of blog posts midway.

The truth of the matter is that I am having trouble sitting for long periods of time and so I have to pick and choose what I do and making beads and putting them up for sale takes priority and so my little blog has been poorly neglected. I also confess that I am never sure if my hard work posting is actually read by anyone as I very rarely get any comments - but then to be fair I hardly ever comment on the post's I read either so who can say. Perhaps we should all take time to acknowledge the work that people put into sharing the information that they do on their blogs.

Anyway it's 6am in the morning and I have been awake since 3.15am and up since 4.30am as I couldn't sleep. I'm going through early menopause and suffering with the dreaded hot flushes which wake me regularly during the night. So rather than lie awake for several hours as I did last night I decided to make good use of the time and so here I am on the computer. Luckily for me I don't have to go out to a day job so if I feel tired later I can always have a nap!

Back to my favorite blogs. One of them is Beading Gem from Pearl Blay. I was lucky enough to actually be featured in one of Pearls posts with my Jelly Bracelet Tutorial http://www.beadinggem.com/2013/01/lampwork-bead-jelly-bracelet-tutorial.html way back in January 2013.

I love Beading Gem because she shares such a wide range of jewellery making tips and tutorials and I have been inspired by yesterdays posting about Thread wrapped thick cord or rope jewellery http://www.beadinggem.com/2015/09/how-to-make-thread-wrapped-thick-cord.html

In the post she mentions using wire coils instead of hardwear beads and this got me thinking, especially when I saw this next link about these thread wrapped necklaces.

I'm always looking for ways to use my headpins in jewellery designs and I can just see then necklace on the left, made with coloured wire coils and my headpins hanging from them. Something like this

Please excuse the rough drawing I'm not much of an artist but it gives you an idea right?

Then I saw these gorgeous wrapped bangles from Mark Montano that Pearl mentions in the blog and thought wouldn't they be amazing wrapped in sari silk with coloured metal wire threaded with tiny seed beads and then some instead of the tassel's some of my dangly headpins? Something like these orphans https://www.etsy.com/uk/transaction/1058622317?
 

I bet you could pick up some really cheap bangles in a charity shop and re-purpose them.

It really makes me want to make some more jewellery but that is something else I have had to prioritise. I love making jewellery and have quite a big bead collection but apart from some jewellery I have for sale in a gallery which trickles out, I find it quite hard to sell and have boxes of it sitting around doing nothing. I should really take it out and sell it online and I do have some bits and pieces on my website http://www.earth-shine.co.uk/ but there are only so many hours in the day......

You can find all the links to the tutorials to make these on Pearls Blog.

Another blog that I love is Love my Art Jewellery and this post is all about a sheet metal bending brake, something I had never heard of. http://lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/sheet-metal-bending-brake.html

Metal work is something I would like to explore more, I dabble a bit here and there and am hoping to take a course next year.

Carol Dekle-Foss makes this fantastic bracelet cuff using it and also generously shares how she does it.

Well, I hope that gives you some jewellery making inspiration.

Thanks for looking.

Linda x

Carol Dekle-Foss