Shop Update

Just a very quick bead update for you ...

First up, the 'Amber Leaves' bracelet is now available to order. I've been wearing mine non-stop and I've had some lovely compliments on it. I can make this in whatever size you like. Ordering details can be found here.

I've also just added three strands of pairs to the shop.

They're made in blues, aquas and teals and they'd be fab for the earring makers amongst you. These 'Ocean' pairs are in stock, ready for posting and can be purchased here.

If you like the metallic frit ones, those are available to order in sets of ten.

I'm calling them 'Aqua Spangle' and they're priced at £19.00 per set.

And finally, I've added a headpins section to my shop.

Headpins are available in pairs and sets of six and I will be adding to the range as and when so do keep checking back.

That's it! Like I said, just a quick update tonight.

Speak soon,

Project Headpin

Not beads but glassy prettiness just the same. Lampwork headpins.

I've been having lots of fun, experimenting and fiddling about making these. Glass headpins are great for embellishing jewellery designs. They look great at the bottom of earrings; wrapped as charms; in clusters; as dangles at clasps; wired onto jewellery. Basically, they have all the lovely looks of a glass bead without having to thread them onto a headpin because they ARE the the headpin.

All of the headpins pictured are made with copper wire but I also have stainless steel and brass wire too. I've settled on 0.8mm wire which is about 20 gauge and the headpin wires themselves are about 2.5 to 3 inches long. (Check me out muddling up my metric and imperial!)  To give you an idea of glass size, the glass ends of the black and white spotty ones are about 10mm diameter. I'll be making smaller ones and different coloured ones and different shapes and so on and so on ...

I started off with a very simple leaf shape because I have a bracelet idea in mind that requires glass leaves but I don't like the 'clunkiness' of glass leaves that have a glass loop or that are made on a bead. They just don't fit with what I need for my design so I figured that headpins were the way to go.

Having that heap of glass leaves sat on my desk all got too much for me and in the end I sat and wired them onto a copper chain to make this very simple but striking bracelet. It makes that lovely glassy rattle and it feels SO nice to wear. So yeah, that's one thing you can do with headpins. But what else?

This is where you come in.

How do you fancy being part of 'Project Headpin'?

I'd like to invite some of you to make something with some of my headpins. I will send you half a dozen or so headpins (for free - WOO!) and then you can make whatever you fancy with them. The headpins you receive might be like the ones pictured and they might be different; depends what I make over the weekend. The resulting piece/s will be yours to keep/sell/give to Auntie Edna for her upcoming birthday. All I'd ask for in return is a photograph of your finished piece/s so that I can post them here on my blog and Facebook so that others can see what can be done with my lampwork headpins. And of course, you'd also be able to provide me with valuable feedback regarding size, length of wire, blah blah blah etc.

How does that sound? I'm looking for about ten people to enrol in Project Headpin and if you're interested in doing so please email me at laura@beadsbylaura.co.uk with the subject 'Project Headpin'. I'll then be in touch to discuss the matter further.

EDIT: Thank you to all who have emailed about Project Heapin but I am now at maximum capacity and I have enough testers. Thanks!

Well, it's flipping miserable here today. It's all soggy-wet out there and the cat is not impressed. He's wrecking the joint, running about like a mad thing, all annoyed that it's raining outside. I really hope it's nice wherever you are.

Have a super duper Saturday!

Alright?

I'll not lie; I'm finding it flipping hard work keeping up with all the digital places I'm supposed to be. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, mailing list, blog, website - it's crazy, this cyberwold in which we live!

Anyway, I'm here. And I've got two lots of new glass beads to show you. The 'Vanilla & Honey' ones up top ...

... and these 'Midnight' beads are available in my shop right now as I type.

So what's happened since I last blogged?

Well ... Nigel got ill but then he got better and then Martha, one of my guineas, got ill but she didn't get better and all in all I've spent far too much time at the vet.

Nigel is due to have his manparts operation next week so I'll be back there again but hopefully that'll be quite straightforward. For me. Nigel, not so much but it's for his own good. He's also being microchipped (I'm referring to his vet appointment as his 'Chop-n-Chip') as the bugger will NOT wear a collar. We've got through four collars and tags since he came to live with us and he only wore the last one for a couple of hours.

I've caught up with all my bead orders (there were moments there where I thought I'd never reach the end of them but YAY I did!) and I'm now working on a couple of new bracelet designs. Hoping to have those ready by the end of the week.

Lots of other life stuff has been happening but that's not for here. I think it's all on the up now, though, so that's good.

OOOH, I'm expecting the arrival of a new laptop this week! This is very exciting. You know mine broke yonks ago? Well, I've been borrowing Chris' one but it's a work machine and I don't have full time access to it. Also, I'm unable to download any software or useful stuff (like Acrobat) without Chris getting it authorised at work which is a pain. The laptop won't talk to my laser printer either so it's all been very annoying and irksome and I'd be right up the swanny without my iPhone. But yes, I have ordered a lovely Dell Inspiron 15R laptop which is due to arrive on Wednesday. I was after a red one but it was an additional forty quid and I figured that most of the time the lid will be open, facing away from me and I didn't see the point. So it's black and silver which is fine by me. It'll just be amazing to have my own computer again. We seriously do not realise how much we need these things until they're not there.

I've not done a discount code for a while so here you go - just enter AUGUST10 at checkout to get ten percent off anything on my website. (Code is valid until midnight on 22/08/13)

I think that's pretty much it from me. I hope all is dandyfine in your world?

Have a good rest-of-your-Monday,