Good old polka dots

I'm going to ignore the crazy long gap between this post and the previous one and just launch into writing this post.

I recently got a new oxygen concentrator. The old one was only just hanging on, puffing out next-to-no oxygen, and one day I realised that my bead making had slowed to my Hot Head torch days speed. I mean, I know I work slowly but this had become utterly ridiculous and making something as simple as a spacer bead was driving me mad. Encasing anything had become an almost impossible mission.

The new (well, reconditioned) oxygen concentrator is a beast. It's like having a new torch and it took me a while to get used to it. The flame is actually hot!

Last week I made some of my favourite beads - red with white polka dots.

These have cores of CiM Foam which I encased with a thin layer of Effetre red 076 and the polka dots are Effetre white 204.

I made a few of my 'classic' sets too. 

These green ones are CiM Peat Moss over CiM Foam with decoration in Effetre white...

...these ones are Effetre steel grey 088 over CiM Foam, again decorated with Effetre white...

...these lilac ones are CiM Yours Truly over CiM Gelly's Sty with decoration in, you guessed it, Effetre white (it's a favourite of mine)...

...and to mix it up, these have Effetre black 064 cores enacsed with Effetre light blue 052 with Effetre light periwinkle 360 decoration.

Some of the above beads are still available in my shop.

In crochet news...

I'm fully addicted to making shawls now. I crocheted my first one just over a year ago and I've not stopped since.

I like the way that a shawl can double up as a scarf but the best bit is how they make you feel all period drama when you drape one over your shoulders. They make you want to say "A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!" in your best Mrs Bennet voice.

All of the shawls pictured here are currently available in my Etsy shop and in the crochet section of my website shop. In both cases I'm set up to ship within the UK only but if you are outside the UK and you'd like to buy one, do let me know and I can give you a postage cost.

Why have one shop when you can have two?

I'm not a huge fan of Etsy. Its fees are too high and I have issues with some of their policies and biases. However, I'm at a point where I'm selling very little and I need to get my work seen. Instagram algorithms don't help with this unless you're willing to become a videographer who spends seventeen hours a day creating Instagram content and I refuse to do that. Also, PayPal seems to be playing silly buggers with my website checkout for some of my customers, and Etsy has many alternative payment options, so I've reluctantly reopened my Etsy shop. However, I'm keeping it to just UK sales at the moment. I'm keeping my website shop open too so right now I'm Laura Twoshops.

I'll add new items to both platforms for the foreseeable and I shall just see how it goes for the next few months.

Newly added items include this 'Sweetness' bracelet:

I made some matching earrings for it. I have two pairs of these.

There's also this very groovy 'Retro' tassel necklace.

All of these can be found in my web shop and my Etsy shop.

In crochet news...

In the previous post I mentioned that I was crocheting a shawl as a pattern test for another crocheter. The shawl is all done and is currently blocking.  I'll post a photo of the finished item when the pattern is released, which I think will be towards the end of the month. In the meantime, here's an in-progress shot of the shawl.

The yarn is Scheepjes Stone Washed in the shade Coral. The yarn reminds me of when I stir salad cream into Heinz spaghetti hoops. (Yes, I do actually do that and I've done it since I was a child and yes it sounds vile but no, in actual fact it's a taste sensation.)

I'm currently working on the border of another blanket which is made up of fifty-four of these mosaic crochet squares.

The pattern is the Terrazzo Afghan by Tinna Thórudóttir Thorvaldsdóttir. I bloody love Tinna's work. She's an absolute genius.

I'll post a photo of the blanket when it's done.

See you later!

Meridian Ariel

Have I told you how much I love Twitter?  Have I?

Oh right.  I have.

But I really really like it and the people who are part of it.  One of those people is Apryl Lowe who is also known as Meridian Ariel.  Apryl makes all sorts of groovy things including these marvellous pin badges :

They're made with images from the pages of an old Star Wars annual so how could I resist them?  I thought I was going to love the Lando one best but no, the winner is the Luke and Threepio one that's at the top of this post.

Apryl sent me a sweet little Jayne-from-Firefly-inspired 'Cunning Hat' badge too.  Shiny.

But Apryl does way more than badges. She also makes the sweetest 'Little Monster' dolls like this one :

Photograph by Merdidan Ariel

His name is Merle The Ghost Boy and, like all of Apryl's dolls, he comes with his own little story.  Merle is a typography nut and he can't stand Papyrus and Comic Sans.  That makes him brilliant in my book.  Merle is currently looking for a home, bless him.  And his buttony eyes. 

All of Apryl's dolls, badges, drawings, jewellery and other assorted goodies come packaged in the most wonderful way accompanied by sweet typewritten notes.  You can click here to visit the Meridian Ariel Etsy shop to see more of Apryl's work and she also blogs here.

I'm off to the shed now.  I've got glass to melt and beads to make.

Happy Saturday!

Thanks & Lonelies

Many thanks to everybody who left comments for me and sent emails to me about Grandma.  Your kind words and supportive messages were so lovely.  You lot really are the best!

I've just added some strands of Lonelies to my Etsy shop so please do pop over there if you fancy a look.

I will write a proper blog post in the morning.

Enjoy what's left of your Tuesday!

New Beads

This is just a quick post to let you know that I've just added these beads to my Etsy shop.

Have a great Friday night!

Spottiness

It took me ages this morning to clean all the beads that I made at the end of last week but they're all done now and can currently be found over in my Etsy shop.  There are some strands of mixed pairs that would be great for making earrings.  Please click here to take a look.

Even more beads

I've just added lots of beads to my Etsy shop.  There are the 'Olive' ones pictured above .....

..... these pale and pretty 'Coconut Ice' ones .....

..... a strand of 'Regal' ones .....

..... and a chilly-looking set called 'Iceberg'.

There are also a few strands of Lonelies waiting for new homes too.  All of these beads are currently available over on Etsy.

Have a fab Monday night!

In The Shop

I've just added these three sets of beads to my Etsy shop.  Up there is 'Berry & Blue' .....

..... then there's 'Apple' .....

..... and 'Ink Blue'.

I'll try and add a few more sets to the shop at some point over the weekend.

Have a good Friday night!

Etsy Update

I've just put a few beads in my Etsy shop.  There are some Lonelies, including those Berry ones up there, and there are also some sets of spotty beads that just would not behave for the camera last night!

And no, I haven't changed my photo setup.  I just decided to take advantage of the autumn sunlight which shows the beads off beautifully.

A quick Etsy post

I've just added a few beads to my Etsy shop.  They include those wispy purple-pink ones up there .....

..... these ethereal yellow and silver nuggets .....

..... and a trio of Flurries.

Earring Pairs

Hello you! Did you have a good weekend?
I had a bit of a busy Bank Holiday weekend and as such I only have these few beads to show you. These silvered ivory and fine silver earring pairs are for sale over in my Etsy shop as I type .....
Eagle-eyed readers may notice that if you click my blog header a different web address appears in your browser bar. That new URL is www.beadsbylaurablog.com and it is my new blog address. Fear not, you don't have to change a thing as Blogger will redirect the old address to this new one so the transition should be nice and smooth for you. However, if you find things aren't showing up as they should on the old Blogspot address (such as the Followers displaying incorrectly) I suggest that you re-bookmark the new URL instead.
Have a good Tuesday! I'll be back later with beads.

New Beads

I've just added some new beads to my Etsy shop. Those pretty ice blue ones up there are for sale and there are five strands of glimmery nugget beads awaiting new homes too.

If you fancy having a go at winning a strand of these assorted nugget beads please enter my prize draw. Please click here for all the details.

New Beads

I've just put three lots of beads in my Etsy shop.

There are those pretty wispy pink ones up there .....
..... some more indigo and orange ones .....

..... and some blue and silver glimmery ones.

More beads tomorrow!

New beads in the shop

I've just added some trios and Lonelies to the shelves of my Etsy shop.

Please click here to have a browse .....

Just a little update

Hello beadpeople. I've been a bit quiet, haven't I? It's been over a week since I last blogged.

I was in Oxford on Thursday and Friday - I went to see my grandfather (Mum's dad) who is known as 'Herbie'. His name is Herbert and when I was a child I started calling him Herbie. I was Nannie and Herbie's first grandchild and all the other family and grandchildren followed suit and before long everybody started calling him Herbie and it just stuck. Anyway, I went to visit Herbie as he is very ill. I also saw Dad, Sally, Emily and Robyn and Dylan (my niece and nephew) so that was nice. It was also great to see Buster again. I do miss him.

Because of said family things going on last week I found it a bit hard to concentrate on my beads. I've just put some etched midnight blue beads in my Etsy shop and I'll try and add some more beads later on today.

I've been reading all about the wonders of gardening. We have two gardens that need some prettying up so I bought myself a copy of Alan Titchmarsh's 'The Complete How To Be A Gardener' which is an amazing book! I have learned a heck of a lot already just from dipping in and out of various chapters.

A few weeks back I ordered a composter for the garden and it arrived last week. Chris and I cleared a space for it and installed it on Saturday but not before Chris had hidden inside it. Unfortunately I ruined his joke as I saw him climbing into the composter before he could jump out and surprise me!

In knitting news, I do have a project on the needles. It's a multi-coloured scarf made out of all my oddments of sock yarn. Sounds horrible but it's actually looking really nice. Hang on, I'll take a picture .....

There you go. It will eventually lose the bright pink edge as that is just a provisional cast on. The scarf is knitted along the long edge. The pattern I'm using is a very simple slip stitch pattern which produces a flat, almost woven-looking fabric. More details about the pattern can be found here.

And finally, if you're a Twitter user you may be interested to know that I've re-signed up to the service. I used it for about three weeks a while back but stopped using it. I thought that I'd rejoin so I can keep you updated with Etsy listings and also because I was missing Peter Serafinowicz's witty tweets. My username is beadsbylaura (surprsing, huh?) so do follow me if you feel like it. There's a Twitter link over there on the right hand side of my blog.

That's enough of my waffle for now - I'm off down to the shed to make beads .....

Bead Haiku

Lots and lots of beads

Put them in my shop last night

Now they are all sold

(Thank you to my fabulous customers!)

Oh my!

I can't believe that the virtual shelves of my Etsy shop are empty.

Thank you to everyone who has made purchases today! I have a few more beads that I will add to the shop either later tonight or tomorrow morning.

Your custom is much appreciated. Thank you.

Bead Buying

I think I'm just about there with working out my new bead-selling schedule.

I will be adding Freshly Baked Beads to my website on Wednesdays at 8.00pm UK time. I'm hoping that the regular once-a-week sales will be more convenient for you.

I've also re-opened my Etsy shop and am slowly stocking it with pretty spacer beads (like those ones up there) and focal beads. It'll also be the place to buy my Lonelies, smaller bead sets and bargain beads. UK people, please don't let the US Dollar thing on Etsy put you off - PayPal will do all the currency conversion for you. You can also use XE for quick currency conversions. There is no shipping to calculate as postage is free no matter whereabouts in the world you are.

Thank you for all your input about bead selling and buying - it's been a great help.

'Oceans Heart' by Janine Byrom

I just got an email from Janine over at Cherished Trinkets and attached was a photo of this super necklace that she's made with one of my heart beads. Vintage prettiness!

If you're a fan of vintage-style jewellery or Alice In Wonderland-themed wearables then do make sure you head on over to Janine's Etsy shop and have a browse.

Etsy Faves : Lego

Because I just love Lego. Click on the images for details.