Merry Christmas

I'll be taking a break from blogging over the festive season

but I'll be back in the New Year. 

Merry Christmas everyone! 

Snowflake Pendant

 I wanted to bead a rivoli to make it look like a snowflake,

ready to wear on Xmas day. 

Luckily when my other half came home 

and had a look at my latest creation he remarked

' That looks just like a snowflake' 

- My work here is done! 

Necklace For A Scorpio

Perceived as dark, brooding and manipulative types 

Scorpios often get a bad reputation as the dark and dangerous 

sign of the zodiac. 

They can be intense but  also

 inquisitive, sensitive and emotional.

The Scorpio does have a good side! 

A scorpion would rather tuck itself away in its home

staying safe rather than running about 

using its poisonous sting with wild abandon.

It doesn't confront, rather it saves its sting for

 the occasion when  it is itself confronted.

For this necklace I chose dark colours of black and gunmetal 

to give a bit of a dark and brooding feel to it. 

A patterned heart bead to represent passion 

as the Scorps are said to be very passionate types. 

Also rumoured to enjoy spending money, 

(especially other peoples (!), 

I thought 'black diamond' rivoli would be a good choice.

Scorpio: 

October 23  -  November 21

Famous Scorps include: 

Pablo Picasso Oct 25 

Sylvia Plath Oct 27

Bill Gates Oct 28

Marie Antoinette Nov 2

Fyodor Dostoevsky Nov 11

Demi More Nov 11

Grace Kelly Nov 12 

Whoopi Goldberg Nov 13

Prince Charles Nov 14 

Danny Devito Nov 17

Martin Scorsese Nov 17 

Goldie Hawn Nov 21 

Element: Water

Ruling planet: Pluto

Symbol: The Scorpion

Birth Stone: Topaz

Vibration: Resilient  

Life Pursuit: To survive against all opposition

(According to the Psychic Guild.com) 

Beads Direct Discount Code Valid Until 31/05/13

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Yoko Ono For Swarovski

Image via pinterest

Conceptual artist and Beatles widow Yoko Ono's 

collaboration with Swarovski 

brings us these delightful crystal keys.

Both as a high end ready to wear jewellery collection 

and also as a selection of crystal key pendants 

ready for use in ones own jewellery designs. 

Ono designed the collection around the theme of

'unlocking the door to a better life'.

Shop for unsigned keys at

  The Bead Shop Nottingham  (UK)

Or the signed variety 

 from  Beadfx (Canada)  

Images from The Bead Shop Nottingham 

' Imagine a key 

that unlocks the door to the forest 

with its secrets,

to the sky 

with its peacefulness,

to the Universe 

with its infinity, 

to a future 

with a promise for a better life. ' 

Rivoli Blow Out

I'm sure I read somewhere on the internet about 

Swarovski crystals bringing out the inner  Gollum

in you.  

(You know, the  Lord Of The Rings character that

 is so entranced by the ring of power 

' My Precious....' )

There's something so entrancing about these 

little sparklers that you can't help 

coveting them, 

preciously hoarding them 

and wanting to  just 

buy more and more of them....!

First Beading In A long Time

I am absolutely thrilled to have been able to do a little 

beading.  

First time in quite a long time, since the accident,

 and I have really 

missed being creative.

I owe MANY thanks 

to my wonderful fiance 

and mother 

who have helped me in so many ways 

through out this. 

Doing my typing on the blog,

helping me get dressed etc. etc. 

There is still a way to go 

but lets hope it all continues well. 

So, anyway, back to the beading! 

I thought I remembered how to bead around a Rivoli, 

but I really didn't  - it has been so long.

So as you can see the beading around the stone 

is far from perfect  (!)

but after so long of not being able to make anything 

 I was just so determined 

to finish and make something that I continued rather than 

starting over.

I'm pleased with the over all design and I think I will 

redo it at some point in the future. 

Miss Kitty was surprised to see me making something 

and decided to lend some feline 'assistance', as you can see!

I think she quite enjoyed 'incubating' the tiny seed beads. 

Awwh pets, where would we be without them ;-)  

Beading Discount Code Round Up

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Offer ends Nov 30th 

10% off at The Bead Cellar using code:

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 Beads Unlimited.  

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Spend over £10 at Crystals And Ice

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Rain Forest Parade

I had almost forgotten about this necklace that I made last year.

I loved the elephant pendant from the moment that I saw it,

with all its sparkly crystal jewels  

and Eastern inspired detailing.

I could just imagine him roaming through the 

rain forest so I decided to use a luscious 

green colour scheme. 

 I wanted to make it quite a jangly necklace with lots 
of detail and interest so I wire wrapped on lots of 
faceted glass beads in various sizes and shades of green 
with a sprinkling of Swarovski crystals in a sparkly deep blue 
to offset the look. 

It's so nice to rediscover something that I made such a long 
time ago :-)

 

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Soaking Up The Last Of The Sun

 

Soaking up the last of the sunshine.

Miss Kitty is a creature after my own heart.

You would never guess it was September already!

Bead Radar - Gorgeous Earring Kits From The Bead Shop Manchester

Just look at these gorgeous  Fimo flower 

and Swarovski crystal earring kits.

At £4.50 each from

 The Bead Shop Manchester

they would make an adorably affordable 

prezzie for a friend

... or even for yourself ;-) 

Inspire Me - London

 

With all the cause for celebration Great Britain has had recently, 

 with the Royal Wedding last year, 

the Queens Diamond Jubilee 

and now the Olympics and Paralympics, 

I thought it would be nice to do a bead selection based on London 

our capital city and epicentre!

The strange looking fellow in the picture above is 'Wenlock' one of 

the official Olympic mascots. 

They are dotted about all over the city for you to find in various 

guises. 

So roll up and enjoy the sights of London as brought to you 

by this super selection of sterling silver charms.

All available from Jewellery Enchantments.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Spoilt Rotten Beads Discount Code

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A Little Dior In Your Day

It was Christian Dior himself who collaborated with Swarovski 

to inspire this gorgeous AB crystal coating. 

Dior wanted the crystal 

to reflect the 'Northern Lights'

 and Swarovski certainly delivered 

with this gorgeous Aurora Borealis finish.

I am currently reading Jean Campbells' book 

'Creating Glamorous Jewelry 

With Swarovski Elements. 

Classic Hollywood Designs 

With Crystal Beads And Stones'   

Which has a great introduction about the history of Swarovski

and it's links with the glitterati of Hollywood and the fashion world.

I like the idea that my favourite crystal finish 

was inspired by Christian Dior!

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Le Chat Noir Necklace

   

I don't always make things from my 'Inspire me' posts 

but this postcard really made me want to create something.  

I love cats and I was desperately looking for a black cat clasp to finish this piece

but I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for. 

Then I found I had run out of jump rings, so being too impatient to order 

any new supplies I made possibly the laziest clasp ending to 

a necklace ever - looping over the actual beading wire 

at the end to serve as a loop for the clasp!

I wasn't really expecting to wear it much 

but actually I have worn this necklace many, many, times now.

It's become one of my favourites and 

I just hope the lazy 'clasp' holds out for a while! 

Inspire Me - Le Chat Noir

Le Chat Noir was a 19th-century cabaret entertainment house 

in the bohemian Montmartre district of  Paris. 

Although the club may be a thing of the districts bohemian past this art work has remained as a popular image of that time. 

Great artwork to conjure up a little inspiration. 

I think the colours and style of the postcard itself are beautiful 

and the bohemian history of the Montmartre itself offers 

quite a colourful story , I'm sure! 

Stormy Skies

Made pre accident, this was my second project  beading around a rivoli.

 This ones Heliotrope and isn't it just a gorgeous Swarovski lovely wiith all that deep moody blue and the violet sparkling out of the centre.  

 I decided to use gunmetal seed beads because black might look too harsh

and I'm glad I made that decision.  

 Somehow the second design didn't go quite as well as 

the first I made  (the Olivine rivoli and gold seed beads).

I just kept going despite the flaws and she doesn't look too bad for her sins.  

(Don't you find that some of the jewellery you make just has to be a 'she' rather than an 'it'!) 

The gunmetal colour reminded me of stormy weather so I added some bicones dangling  underneath to represent some 'rain drops'! 

So here 'she' is, please give a warm welcome to 'Stormy Skies'... ! 

Tea And Sympathy

Hi Everyone! 

I realise it's been an absolute age since I last blogged. 

Life has been hard since my accident. 

I am healing slowly but there will not be so many regular posts for a while. 

- It hurts to type!!  

I spy some new followers - A very warm welcome to you! 

I look forward to coming over to your blogs for a visit soon. 

Luckily I have some pics of things I made (before the accident) 

to share, so I hope you'll enjoy those for now 

and hopefully beading and blogging can resume 

as usual in the future.

Take care lovelies x