it was wonderful having glyn and james from east london over christmas time, christmas day was great, as well as hectic.
i've managed to make jewellery but only really the last few days.
liam on christmas day. just watch his face.
liam opening one of his christmas presents, an electric fan, you could not miss his delight at this present. we are an odd bunch and he's caught the bug. he absolutely loves fans and has been besotted with them since an early age.
family (boxing) day at bevan and claire. bevan made the most gorgeous paella on an open fire. pic of glyn and james, 2nd one, glyn and i.
my latest cotton crochet cuff with random bead work. mother of pearl buttons, czech glass, shell pearls, glass tubes and various glass seed beads.
a pretty bracelet that started with the green lamp work bead. then yellow ones followed and thereafter the silver metal roses.
i'm sure i've said it before. i'm struggling to find lamp work glass beads and in fact glass beads in general. most retailers say it's just too expensive to import to his country. every one of these blue beads are different and beautiful.
just another view of these stunning beads.
i'm supposed to be packing beads away, i discover one, then have to find beads etc to compliment and this is what we get. pieces like this can't be repeated as i don't often buy strings of beads.
hearts and hearts in icy white and silver.
i'd say this was back to my roots. my first bead book was a second hand copy of "world beads" by janet coles and robert budwig. the african beads and designs are in my blood. i'm fourth generation african.
this 37cm necklace is made up of polished stone nuggets, i've no idea what they are, they came in a packet and the retailer, was also none the wiser. included are african trade beads, probably recycled glass beads from ghana, as well as presiosa seed beads, imported from the u.s.a. the pendants are little african metal charms, i added the jump rings for a bit of movement. it's photographed on a carving done by bevan.
this 74cm necklace is made up of really beautiful beads. they were all in my stash. the amber beads may come morocco, although i purchased them at an african market in j'burg 4 or 5 years ago. the teardrop shaped beads in brown were most probably made in bohemia and used as trade beads in africa. bevan bought a necklace at the goodman gallery in j'burg. some of them were quite grubby, like they were well travelled. the brown patterned beads are most likely from accra, ghana. there are paper beads from www.mothersforall.org in botswana, two turquoise coloured quartz teardrops, cream bone beads, wooden beads, a millefiori bead and turquoise coloured howlite.
this 75cm necklace started with the cream flat oval stone (i have no idea what it is). then came the newspaper resin beads, then the cream and black saucers. in my box of ceramic beads i found the lone cream and tan striped bead. this needed the crochet bead. a stone bead, zulu teething beads, dark grey speckled ceramic beads, a glass saucer bead with silver metal bead caps. some hematite discs, black ceramic beads and an arbitrary cream and black bead that looks like a baseball.
paper beads from www.mothersforall.org. the necklace is 72cm long. the paper beads are interspersed with recycled glass beads that i found at "the space" ages ago. 3 wooden discs beads from "bead some more".
the paper beads from www.mothersforall.org have been very inspiring. probably also because they come from botswana. i mixed these large bluish paper beads with lilac paper beads, smaller bluish paper beads and two crochet beads from "bead some more", as well as blue czech glass pony beads. it looks stunning and weighs nothing. the necklace is 72cm long.
this 82cm long necklace started with the green beads, with the white and yellow design. they are most likely made from recycled glass and originate in ghana. there are creamy/brown bone beads, wooden beads, two foil lamp work beads and a large chip of millefiori in green, brown, white and yellow. the green and yellow teardrop beads came from the necklace purchased at the goodman gallery. the yellow discs were purchased at makkie's shop, "bead some more".
the turquoise paper beads were my introduction to www.mothersforall.org. i've had them for ages. they've been combined with newer paper beads, turquoise wood beads and glass czech pony beads. the two bigger turquoise wood beads were found in a kit at a craft shop. the necklace is 87cm long.
three quick items for me. the earring are made from left over coloured zulu teething beads, african trade beads and two hands.
cone shaped paper beads from lima beads in the u.s.a. paired with ethiopian silver.
a few zulu teething beads, a paper bead, three rustic trade beads and three faceted coloured agate beads.
more paper beads from www.mothersforall.org. a cone shaped paper bead from lima beads, ceramic blue speckled flat oval bead from my stash, cobalt blue ceramic tube beads, green howlite crosses and czech glass pony beads. the necklace is 55cm long.
i suppose i really should get an online site or start my own. currently my pieces sell at joce's salon, makkie's shop "bead some more" and face book.
need to do some repairs for customers, mainly their own pieces from elsewhere. got lots of ideas swimming around in my head so i'd better get going.
thanks so much for visiting. anyone who has a blog with pics knows how long all this takes. but i love it.
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