A month ago, the date of my last entry my gosh, where does all the time go? I really need to create some form of organisation thing going on. I must bless my blog with my creativity more often, I wouldn't mind but it's not as though nothing has been going on in my crazed, novice beady world.
Currently my forthcoming stall at the University of Bradford Christmas fayre is a month and 9 days away so I've really been busy completing orders, coming up with ideas for the stall, waiting for supplies to arrive and in additional to that I've been devoting my attentions to my hamsters, the new retro sweet shop opened in the Wootton Bassett High Street, arrow words, Jewel Quest, bead & finding shoppping and Matty. Amongst all that I also found myself falling victim to what could be described as every beaders nightmare - BEADERS BLOCK, one day I was sat with all my tools out ready to get stuck and it just came and slapped me in the face like a salmon. The conition lasted a few hours, it was so frustrating & it was pissing it down (sorry raining heavily) so I couldn't really go for a walk up town for inspiration.
In my last entry I wrote of a shopping list for my latest creations, the majority of that has all been used up now and I've just had to order yet more supplies. I tell you if you'd have said to me this time last year I would be doing be making money from making jewellery and having my own personal stall selling the fruits of my labour I would have laughed in your face because the idea of making jewellery didn't even enter my head until March so it's been about 7 months or something like that. Crazy man and the great thing is that there is so much, much more to learn.
I would just like to take this opportunity ro claify that the reason behind my influx of purchases is due to the fact that I have been using the money from jewellery sales and Matty's very generous donations (bless) it's certainly not because Mr Cameron and chums have increased the allowance of those poor, unfortunate people who are desperately seeking work but as things stand I'm just chasing rainbows.
Well that's it fpr this installment but I swear on all the sherbert strawberries on the world I will write in here regularly not just once a month because that's just slackness on my part. I'll keep you up to date on all the stalls developments so until next time dear readers (I really hope there are some or all this writing has been it vain) I bid you a fond beading farewell.
Friday, 15 October 2010
Saturday, 18 September 2010
Friday September 17th, 2010
Greetings oh loyal and humble diary tidings, I sincerely hope you can forgive my incessant absence. For I can bring no fanciful or elaborate excuses all I can say is that I have been stupendously busy and by that I mean real busy.
The reason? Wait for it…drum roll please… I am due to have a stall at the University of Bradford Christmas Market on November 24th selling only my personal handmade creations. Well, my mum is actually having it on my behalf (that’s where she works you see) I live a good few hundred miles away from there so I’m going to be posting my goods up there for her to sell. The weird thing was that it was all her idea, I guess the fact that she herself is prepared to sacrifice one whole day of her English life to sell my crafts is one true compliment and I can honestly say that is without doubt the best one I’ve received so far.
Now that is officially confirmed I am now in a serious predicament for I need to make things – enough to suffice a market stall before mid-November, quite daunting circumstances to find oneself in, especially as I still consider myself to be a mere novice. Personally I would have waited till next years but then again it’s all about challenge and motivation, my mum must see something in my pieces to do this for me, with my current profits exceeding £150 so far it could to be a success and that would be far more rewarding.
It would be quite fair to say that I possess a somewhat vivid and colourful imagination hence inspiration isn’t so much a problem but as they say ‘every little helps’. I’ve been scouring my backlog of bead magazines, books I’ve rented from the library even flicking through the Argos. Now with a bunch of ideas chilling out in my head I now have to work out how I can pull them off economically whilst maintaining the best possible quality. Hmm, I compiled a shopping list of some essentials; jump rings (various sizes), bead caps, head pins, bracelet blanks, charms of various descriptions (charm bracelets have become an inadvertent speciality) and lastly some satin acrylic beads. Alright so the latter can’t really be considered an ‘essential’ more of a luxury. These past few weeks has seen me develop a fondness for these beads, they have so much potential and are perfect if you want to achieve a vintage/Victorian look. I must get some, especially as I’ve just discovered an eBay shop that sells them in bulk at very reasonable prices so I’ve got no excuses have I?
The reason? Wait for it…drum roll please… I am due to have a stall at the University of Bradford Christmas Market on November 24th selling only my personal handmade creations. Well, my mum is actually having it on my behalf (that’s where she works you see) I live a good few hundred miles away from there so I’m going to be posting my goods up there for her to sell. The weird thing was that it was all her idea, I guess the fact that she herself is prepared to sacrifice one whole day of her English life to sell my crafts is one true compliment and I can honestly say that is without doubt the best one I’ve received so far.
Now that is officially confirmed I am now in a serious predicament for I need to make things – enough to suffice a market stall before mid-November, quite daunting circumstances to find oneself in, especially as I still consider myself to be a mere novice. Personally I would have waited till next years but then again it’s all about challenge and motivation, my mum must see something in my pieces to do this for me, with my current profits exceeding £150 so far it could to be a success and that would be far more rewarding.
It would be quite fair to say that I possess a somewhat vivid and colourful imagination hence inspiration isn’t so much a problem but as they say ‘every little helps’. I’ve been scouring my backlog of bead magazines, books I’ve rented from the library even flicking through the Argos. Now with a bunch of ideas chilling out in my head I now have to work out how I can pull them off economically whilst maintaining the best possible quality. Hmm, I compiled a shopping list of some essentials; jump rings (various sizes), bead caps, head pins, bracelet blanks, charms of various descriptions (charm bracelets have become an inadvertent speciality) and lastly some satin acrylic beads. Alright so the latter can’t really be considered an ‘essential’ more of a luxury. These past few weeks has seen me develop a fondness for these beads, they have so much potential and are perfect if you want to achieve a vintage/Victorian look. I must get some, especially as I’ve just discovered an eBay shop that sells them in bulk at very reasonable prices so I’ve got no excuses have I?
Monday, 30 August 2010
Monday August 30th, 2010
I've just read a previous entry I compiled on these very pages, it was telling of my woes and disappointments regarding my jewellery pieces (or lack of rather). With great sadness I wrote of how I'd gotten into the art of jewellery making several months prior and simply didn't have much to show for it in terms of actual output, somewhere in the region of 18 items I think. But I'm proud to report that since that melancholy day my output has practically doubled, well the content of my Flickr page has at least I am pleased to announce. I don't know what it is but recently I've been getting in to really hardcore, it certainly isn't a bad thing. One possible explanation for my sudden bout of creativity could be put down how I've recently started to store my masses of beads, while I was up visiting my mum my grandma and I paid a visit to our favourite place; Haworth alias 'the village that time forgot'. As it's complimentary alias suggests it's a very ye olde traditional place and it was in it's old Apothecary I discovered some vintage glass jars which I purchased specifically for bead storage. It was in these jars where I literally poured all my beads the unpredictability and complete randomness at which they landed inspired colour schemes and ideas that I might never have even contemplated before, I even rebelled against the convention of colour schemes and matching beads I opted for complete randomness for a few pieces and it worked quite successfully (or at least I think so). The only real down side to keeping your beads in jars is that if there's a bead you really want to use that's chilling out at the bottom you have to strategically pour them all out to reach it but they make great decor too. My relationship with my 'sketchbook' is also on the rocks because I'm finding it easier and better to just make ideas up as I go along with the beads I have as opposed to planning the pieces out in advance. well it must've worked because discovering this new technique I've been on fire, well you know what I mean.
Looking through 'Beads and Beyond' magazine I spotted the 'Jewellery Maker of the Year' competition, looking at some of last years winning entries my heart sighed the skill, creativity, use of colour and finish was astounding but maybe in a year or so I could even think about entering for anything like that - I still consider myself very much a novice but I would love to have the belief and confidence to enter one of these competitions and just maybe do quite well out of it. I guess it doesn't matter if it takes a few years for that to happen as there are so many of such competitions held annually so we'll see. But before I can even contemplate such a thibg I really, really need to work on my wire wrapping and wrapping loops. The latter is rather crucial as I use them a lot but it's a very hit-and-miss situation; one time it'll be absolutely perfect and on another occasion it'll represent a jangled, tangled mess of wire. The amount of headpins I've gone through trying to perfect this technique is unreal. It might sound trivial to some of the more advanced folk but for some reason I just can't quite perfect it, consistently at least.
Looking through 'Beads and Beyond' magazine I spotted the 'Jewellery Maker of the Year' competition, looking at some of last years winning entries my heart sighed the skill, creativity, use of colour and finish was astounding but maybe in a year or so I could even think about entering for anything like that - I still consider myself very much a novice but I would love to have the belief and confidence to enter one of these competitions and just maybe do quite well out of it. I guess it doesn't matter if it takes a few years for that to happen as there are so many of such competitions held annually so we'll see. But before I can even contemplate such a thibg I really, really need to work on my wire wrapping and wrapping loops. The latter is rather crucial as I use them a lot but it's a very hit-and-miss situation; one time it'll be absolutely perfect and on another occasion it'll represent a jangled, tangled mess of wire. The amount of headpins I've gone through trying to perfect this technique is unreal. It might sound trivial to some of the more advanced folk but for some reason I just can't quite perfect it, consistently at least.
Wednesday, 4 August 2010
Monday July 26th, 2010
The day had finally come, my outing to Leeds I'd been waiting for this day for ages, now don't get me wrong Swindon town centre is alright, Bradford's lets not even go there - literally but I do miss the city life. Leeds especially because I worked in the offices of the town centre for over 2 years and it's home to so many little boutiques and other independent little shops that you just don't find anywhere else.
With my mother in tow we wondered around visiting Poundland, HMV, Primark and a whole host of other stores we got to Yum Yum Beads. Oh, I died and gone to heaven beads, beads everywhere, it was almost like Aladdin's Cave (except you were the one that was paying). I left my bags in sole charge of my mum, took a bowl and was off whacking in beads of all colours, shapes and sizes along the way.I was so absorbed in my task I wasn't even counting the actual cost, my mum expressed her concern regarding this matter until she got looking at the beads herself. Handing me some brass and a whole variety of purple beads she asked me to make her something with them (results on Flickr). I could've have looked in there all day but I was ushered out (mum wanted to get to Greggs before the lunch time rush). All in all I'd spent over £20 in there on individual beads, I had no idea what I was going to make with them I just put in the pretty ones that I really liked. In WH Smiths I picked up the new issue of 'Bead' magazine and was surprised to discover that my letter I written to them congratulating them or taking the poor into consideration when coming up with their great projects. Now not only was it published it was also 'star letter' to which I am going to be receiving a whole 'goody bag of beading delights' awesome. Without wanting to sound like a bighead I think I have a valid point, I mean there's nothing worse than falling in love with a potential project only to discover that the necessary ingredients are quite specialist and pricey as a consequence. Recently I've been quite fortunate (and selling on eBay) and being able to indulge in what I refer to as 'bead splurges' but as these are quite seldomn I tend to buy in bulk and little trinkets from Pink and Dizzy. I don't have the financial means to pay a couple of quid for an individual bead or the experience to use it to its full potential, so there you go that's pretty much the jist of it anyway.
I had planned on sitting down with the beads on the table trying to come up with ideas on how to use them when we got home, but another social gathering had been arranged and I didn't leave the pub till gone midnight - on a Monday night as well, shame on me, was great fun though and the kebab was amazing.
With my mother in tow we wondered around visiting Poundland, HMV, Primark and a whole host of other stores we got to Yum Yum Beads. Oh, I died and gone to heaven beads, beads everywhere, it was almost like Aladdin's Cave (except you were the one that was paying). I left my bags in sole charge of my mum, took a bowl and was off whacking in beads of all colours, shapes and sizes along the way.I was so absorbed in my task I wasn't even counting the actual cost, my mum expressed her concern regarding this matter until she got looking at the beads herself. Handing me some brass and a whole variety of purple beads she asked me to make her something with them (results on Flickr). I could've have looked in there all day but I was ushered out (mum wanted to get to Greggs before the lunch time rush). All in all I'd spent over £20 in there on individual beads, I had no idea what I was going to make with them I just put in the pretty ones that I really liked. In WH Smiths I picked up the new issue of 'Bead' magazine and was surprised to discover that my letter I written to them congratulating them or taking the poor into consideration when coming up with their great projects. Now not only was it published it was also 'star letter' to which I am going to be receiving a whole 'goody bag of beading delights' awesome. Without wanting to sound like a bighead I think I have a valid point, I mean there's nothing worse than falling in love with a potential project only to discover that the necessary ingredients are quite specialist and pricey as a consequence. Recently I've been quite fortunate (and selling on eBay) and being able to indulge in what I refer to as 'bead splurges' but as these are quite seldomn I tend to buy in bulk and little trinkets from Pink and Dizzy. I don't have the financial means to pay a couple of quid for an individual bead or the experience to use it to its full potential, so there you go that's pretty much the jist of it anyway.
I had planned on sitting down with the beads on the table trying to come up with ideas on how to use them when we got home, but another social gathering had been arranged and I didn't leave the pub till gone midnight - on a Monday night as well, shame on me, was great fun though and the kebab was amazing.
Saturday July 24th, 2010
In the past I have always stated that it would be the ultimate dream to make an item of jewellery that people would actually want to wear, so much so that they would be quite willing to pay for that pleasure. When I seriously got into the art of beading only several months ago such a chimera was at that time unattainable, laughable even almost like that of a silly childhood fantasy but whatever it was, it was certainly out of my reach.
But it was on Friday July 23rd when my perceived impossibility actually materialised. On this grey summers day in my native homeland of Bradford (I was there strictly to see family not the sights). At my mum's continual insistence I brought up a box of all my individual creations (that transpires as basically everything on my Flickr page). I remember feeling slightly reluctant to open up pandora's box and reaveal all to her expectant eyes for fear of mockery, laughter or even worse that look of disappointment, confronting my fears I took a very deep breath and waited.
I needn't have worried, for she loved the majority of them (not so keen on the gumball pieces). The relief was immense, turns out she liked them that much she took the charm bracelet, purple rosary beads and the chunky black & purple necklace to work show collegaues, they weren't with her when she returned. Yep, the lot had gone been snapped up straight away, I was dumbfounded; the necklaces sold for a fiver each and the bracelet eight quid. I was so chuffed it was unreal but that was only the beginning. That very same night there was a family gathering to celebrate my grandma & grandad's 50th wedding anniversary and my mum took out a further few bits and I left with a further £15 in return for my handmade crafts bringing the suntotal to a whopping £33. Now that may seem like nothing to the pro's but for an absolute novice it's pretty good not only for the wallet but my ego too.
But it was on Friday July 23rd when my perceived impossibility actually materialised. On this grey summers day in my native homeland of Bradford (I was there strictly to see family not the sights). At my mum's continual insistence I brought up a box of all my individual creations (that transpires as basically everything on my Flickr page). I remember feeling slightly reluctant to open up pandora's box and reaveal all to her expectant eyes for fear of mockery, laughter or even worse that look of disappointment, confronting my fears I took a very deep breath and waited.
I needn't have worried, for she loved the majority of them (not so keen on the gumball pieces). The relief was immense, turns out she liked them that much she took the charm bracelet, purple rosary beads and the chunky black & purple necklace to work show collegaues, they weren't with her when she returned. Yep, the lot had gone been snapped up straight away, I was dumbfounded; the necklaces sold for a fiver each and the bracelet eight quid. I was so chuffed it was unreal but that was only the beginning. That very same night there was a family gathering to celebrate my grandma & grandad's 50th wedding anniversary and my mum took out a further few bits and I left with a further £15 in return for my handmade crafts bringing the suntotal to a whopping £33. Now that may seem like nothing to the pro's but for an absolute novice it's pretty good not only for the wallet but my ego too.
Monday, 19 July 2010
Monday July 19th, 2010
I was looking at Flickr page earlier and felt quite disappointed, I'd seriously got into the craft of jewellery making in around Feb/March time and I just don't seem to have much to show for it. As it currently stands I have a mere 18 items upon there and that's everything I've ever done, ever. Even 'The Lonely Blue Earring' is up there and that was the very first thing I made. Maybe I'm being a bit too harsh, but to be honest I think it's fair to say I've progressed since I put those blue beads together, I guess I'd be more concerned if everything up there looked pretty much the same, but I've tried out new things (whether they've worked is another matter entirely). As I get more confident in my abilities I will be making alot more things I assure you. I'm getting there albeit somewhat slowly. The ideas are there certainly.
Writing of ideas I read a piece in a magazine about how to go about putting together an ideal sketch book. Hmmm, looking at their 'ideal' I laughed out loud, there is no chance I could produce anything up to that standard. I can't draw for toffee, in fact there's more chance of England winning the next World Cup than me producing a work of art. I still chuckle when I see my 'seahorse' that looked more like a brontosaurus and my 'butterfly' that just looked like 2 letter B's (obviously one was a backwards B) with a sausage in the middle. At present I have a simple exercise book covered in dogs, I'm well passed the middle page so I'll think about that later on.
I'd come in to a bit of money after selling my old PS3 as I'd just upgraded to a PS3 Slim (thanks to the Carphone Warehouse). I used some of that to have another bead splurge, I ordered lots of goodies from eBay, a box of delights from Beads Unlimited and I went and raided Pink and Dizzy. It was then I'd got the pack of glass crosses I'd been waiting for in order to get started on the rosary bead project I'd seen in a copy of 'Bead' magazine. I used the actual design in there purely as a guide, with regards to the colour I did it purple and used a whole variety of beads and bits that I already owned, I also made it rather long as well. Although it cost less than a fiver to make to make as 'Bead' stated, it certainly took longer than 2 hours, saying that I was routing around for beads for ages, getting food, playing with the hamsters and was distracted by the TV so I guess that kinds of explains that. I was in fact so pleased with the eventual outcome of it I chose to make another one, only this time in red. Because I ordered the mixed coloured pack of crosses I plan on making more of these rosary beads using a variety of colours - maybe go monochrome, use charms or take on themes autumn colours, fruits of the forest, the ocean, sunset, you know that kind of thing.
I'm off up to Bradford on Thursday for a week to visit my family, as soon as this was confirmed pretty much I was online checking out numerous craft and bead shops in Leeds (I knew for a fact there'd be nothing of that nature in Bradford), I'm all too aware there is a Hobbycraft as it was situated round the corner from where I used to work - I spent many a lunch hour in there, but much to my delight I found another one in the town center 'Yum Yum Beads' it's called I believe and judging by it's online shop then it looks most interesting, I'm sure a few quid will be spent there.
Writing of ideas I read a piece in a magazine about how to go about putting together an ideal sketch book. Hmmm, looking at their 'ideal' I laughed out loud, there is no chance I could produce anything up to that standard. I can't draw for toffee, in fact there's more chance of England winning the next World Cup than me producing a work of art. I still chuckle when I see my 'seahorse' that looked more like a brontosaurus and my 'butterfly' that just looked like 2 letter B's (obviously one was a backwards B) with a sausage in the middle. At present I have a simple exercise book covered in dogs, I'm well passed the middle page so I'll think about that later on.
I'd come in to a bit of money after selling my old PS3 as I'd just upgraded to a PS3 Slim (thanks to the Carphone Warehouse). I used some of that to have another bead splurge, I ordered lots of goodies from eBay, a box of delights from Beads Unlimited and I went and raided Pink and Dizzy. It was then I'd got the pack of glass crosses I'd been waiting for in order to get started on the rosary bead project I'd seen in a copy of 'Bead' magazine. I used the actual design in there purely as a guide, with regards to the colour I did it purple and used a whole variety of beads and bits that I already owned, I also made it rather long as well. Although it cost less than a fiver to make to make as 'Bead' stated, it certainly took longer than 2 hours, saying that I was routing around for beads for ages, getting food, playing with the hamsters and was distracted by the TV so I guess that kinds of explains that. I was in fact so pleased with the eventual outcome of it I chose to make another one, only this time in red. Because I ordered the mixed coloured pack of crosses I plan on making more of these rosary beads using a variety of colours - maybe go monochrome, use charms or take on themes autumn colours, fruits of the forest, the ocean, sunset, you know that kind of thing.
I'm off up to Bradford on Thursday for a week to visit my family, as soon as this was confirmed pretty much I was online checking out numerous craft and bead shops in Leeds (I knew for a fact there'd be nothing of that nature in Bradford), I'm all too aware there is a Hobbycraft as it was situated round the corner from where I used to work - I spent many a lunch hour in there, but much to my delight I found another one in the town center 'Yum Yum Beads' it's called I believe and judging by it's online shop then it looks most interesting, I'm sure a few quid will be spent there.
Saturday, 3 July 2010
Wednesday June 30th, 2010
Phew, phew and thrice phew. I had finally managed to find my two formally AWOL library books.I had gone along to the library to return my mountain of jewellery making related books when the librarian asked if I'd like to renew the additional two books remaining on my ticket. This was news to me, I had no idea I was clearly under the impression that the ones I had just returned were all the ones I'd had. Perplexed I politely asked for their titles before readily agreeing to their renewal, I was really hoping my psuedo enthusiasm disguised my initial panic, inside I was thinking 'oh my god, oh my god, where the hell are they?'.
'Perfect Match' (a book on making earrings) and 'Making Necklaces' (title self-explanatory) were the books I sought and I spent the evening searching frantically moving the bed, checking behind the bookshelf, even inside my pillowcase (don't laugh I have left books in there before). It was then I had visions of them having fallen into the bin somehow and already been disposed of then I would be forever in the libraries debt. I was sat in the spare room absorbed in 'The Jolly Postman' when Matty casually strode in opened up the box file where we keep the boring but necessary paperwork and blow me down there they were. The relief was tremendous, up until that point Matty had been about as much use as a chocolate fireguard, but right at that very moment I could've kissed him but I didn't instead I gave him a finger of my Twix, a very noble gesture on my part, besides I had another one in the fridge and he did only find them by accident after all.
Now reunited with my books (mine for 3 weeks) I browsed through 'Perfect Match' and was immediately inspired by the ocean/sea range, so much so I'm considering purchasing some African Recycled Glass beads to make them happen. I guess it is kind of ironic that I have a love of making these earrings without actually having pierced ears, but that might be soon set to change. In a previous entry I wrote that my lobes were too small for the piercing procedure to take place but it turns out they're not so I could soon be wearing and flaunting my very own creations before you know it (obviously when I get good). Using up some of my plastic charms and beads I put together a pair of earrings kinda similar to the gumball charm bracelet (also featured on Flickr).
'Perfect Match' (a book on making earrings) and 'Making Necklaces' (title self-explanatory) were the books I sought and I spent the evening searching frantically moving the bed, checking behind the bookshelf, even inside my pillowcase (don't laugh I have left books in there before). It was then I had visions of them having fallen into the bin somehow and already been disposed of then I would be forever in the libraries debt. I was sat in the spare room absorbed in 'The Jolly Postman' when Matty casually strode in opened up the box file where we keep the boring but necessary paperwork and blow me down there they were. The relief was tremendous, up until that point Matty had been about as much use as a chocolate fireguard, but right at that very moment I could've kissed him but I didn't instead I gave him a finger of my Twix, a very noble gesture on my part, besides I had another one in the fridge and he did only find them by accident after all.
Now reunited with my books (mine for 3 weeks) I browsed through 'Perfect Match' and was immediately inspired by the ocean/sea range, so much so I'm considering purchasing some African Recycled Glass beads to make them happen. I guess it is kind of ironic that I have a love of making these earrings without actually having pierced ears, but that might be soon set to change. In a previous entry I wrote that my lobes were too small for the piercing procedure to take place but it turns out they're not so I could soon be wearing and flaunting my very own creations before you know it (obviously when I get good). Using up some of my plastic charms and beads I put together a pair of earrings kinda similar to the gumball charm bracelet (also featured on Flickr).
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