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Some Beads made Yesterday

I haven't posted for ages so here are some of the latest beads,
Free Image Hosting at www.picturetrail.com
I'm going on a sculptural glass course in early September and wanted to keep my hand in as it were so made a red, pregnant glass goddess the other day

Green wine bottle necklace

It's been a long time since I posted anything because Christmas got in the way and all three men in the family were coughing and spluttering at Christmas. DH has only just stopped coughing a month later. Last Christmas one of my presents was the book Ornamental Knots for Beaded Jewellery by Susan Millodot and I've been trying out a few of the things in it. This is the Guinevere's knot made in 1mm leather cord. All I had to do was make a set of beads to match.

Ice Crystals

We had a cold night last night so I took this photo in the back garden this morning, Free Image Hosting at www.picturetrail.com
It's part of a spiders web showing the ice crystals that have grown on virtually everything in the garden, including the yellow plastic washing line. Click on the thumbnail to get a larger version.

Seagulls

I took this photo on Canvey Lake yesterday, Free Image Hosting at www.picturetrail.com The birds were on the only bit of open water. I bought a cheap loaf of bread at Sainsbury's to feed them and had the Swans and geese taking bread from my hands. I was throwing small pieces of bread out to the ducks but the enterprising seagulls were catching the pieces before they fell to the ground.

Michael Barley tutorial beads

Some of the well known, ( to the lampworking, i.e. beadmaking community) bead makers produce tutorials to help hobbyists like myself improve. Michael Barley's baleen tutorial is here and I bought a copy a few weeks ago. You can see some of the beads I've made following the tutorial, with modifications here.
Early beads start from number 1 with the designation a or b relating to both sides of the same bead.

Warning by Jenny Joseph

I love this poem,
Warning

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat

Some new beads

I went on a master course with Kate Drew Wilkinson at the Old Kennels for three days from 20th September. The Kennels is a fabulous place in Devon where handcrafts are taught, see here.
This course was to improve my beading skills and was a great opportunity to meet Kate who was visiting the UK from her home in Buffalo, Wisconsin, USA. Her website is here.
Here are the beads I've made since getting home,

The Smartphoner

The Smartphoner

Bristol Balloon Fiesta 2010 Nightglow

Bristol Balloon Fiesta Nightglow 2010

I just uploaded my photos of the Bristol Balloon Fiesta Nightglow to Flickr. Click the image if you're interested :-)

Peparation for children

This post appeared on the Sillinesss section of the Frit Happens Forum I belong to. It's oh so true.
I remember the once a month trips to the local Tescos with 2 trollies and three kids in tow and the long drives from Essex to Aberdeen with 3 not sleeping children in the back seat.

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