Blimey - is it Christmas already!

Cor blimey - luv a duck!  Is it that time of year again?!?

I realise it's probably a side effect of getting old - along with wrinkles and a penchant for warm socks, but crikey this year's gone fast!  And sorry for the delay with all things beady - it's been a bit of a busy few months.  Work's been absolutely mental and there's not been a lot of time for glassy exploits...or well anything really.

Having said that - I've pretty much finished all my 'proper' work - huzzah!  Just got shed loads of other stuff to do now.  So in need of a break, I skived off into Manchester yesterday for a scout round the Christmas Market, and the amazing Dazzle jewellery exhibition at the Town Hall.  It was all wonderful, so glad I went!  Here's a dodgy picture I took, sorry for its rubbishness and inadvertent flat cap content (by 'eck it's grim up north!) - I was far too busy man-handling a warm German sausage to concentrate on my camera!  LOL! 

But I digress - you'll be glad to hear...hopefully, that I've finally managed to get some melting done, and I'm about to upload a whole load of new stuff on my site.  I realise you've probably all already spent up for Christmas, but if you fancy a nosy, feel free to head over for a shufty.  It'll be nice to see you, pull up a chair and I'll get the mince pies out.  ;-)

HP xxx

And the winner is........

Evening all!  Yes I know what you're saying - who's evening all? ;-)

But I've just announced my BeadyBugs Prize Draw winner over on my homepage, so thought I'd share it with you here too. I donned my best spangly frock and white gloves, shut my eyes, and gave my big blue bowl a good old rummage.  And the winner of my first ever BeadyBugs Prize Draw is.........

**** Carol Hartnell! **** 

Congratulations Carol - I'll get your beady prize off in the post to you ASAP.  A big thanks to everyone who entered, I'll definitely do another one when I get chance. :-)

Have a good weekend everyone.

Best wishes,
HP xxx

BeadyBugs is back with a prize draw!

Yay!!! My hosting company finally managed to repair the elastic band last night, so my little site is finally back up and running. :-) I'm really glad to see it back where it belongs, so in honour of this, I've decided to do a little prize draw. As I'm going through a bobbly bead phase at the moment, I've made another of the blue beads and strung it on a lovely 20" sterling silver medium belcher chain.

If you fancy a chance at winning it, head on over to my homepage and click on the prize draw email link there. Then next friday evening (to give everyone time to enter) I'll pick a name at random and the necklace will be yours!

Have a good weekend!

HP xxx

T'int back on t'internet yet. ;-)

Well, as you may have gathered if you've tried to visit my site, it's still not been put back where it belongs. My hosting company have had a major hiccup with a server update that seriously knackered the system (technical term ;-) ). They insist they should have everything back up and running soon, fingers crossed it's not much longer. A shame really, I've had faultless service over the last couple of years and they've been great if I've ever needed to contact them. Ho hum - I guess these things happen.

Anyway - I'll keep you posted. Cheers me dears!

HP xxx

Intermission

Evening all!

I just thought I'd better pop on and let you know that if you've been trying to access my site today, my hosting company have been doing something clever with servers (winding up the elastic band???) which has lead to some downtime. :-( Hopefully normal service will be resumed shortly. I'm just glad I downloaded my entire site the other day, you never know when those gremlins are going to get in and do a bit of chewing. ;-)

No need to worry though, all the beadies are safe and warm and tucked up in their little beady beds, after a long day of skipping through the grass at the local park. Well their little legs were all stiff from sitting on my web pages for so long, so I thought they deserved a day out. Although Bodmin the Badger has come home with something stuck in his fur that not even Cillit Bang will shift!! No idea what he's been up to, naughty boy! LOL! ;-)

Anyway - have a good evening peeps! Fingers crossed my little piece of cyberspace returns soon.

HP xxx

Nobbly Bobbly!

Yes, I know - I've been away from my blog again for too long...thanks Steph for the gentle prod. ;-) Life does have rather a fine knack for getting in the way doesn't it? ;-)

Just a quick one from me as I have to get back to drawing fairies...yes I know...fairies again!! But here's a 'not so little' bead I made for myself a couple of weeks ago just before I went to a party. I got this urge for a blue nobbly bead - like you do - and just had to make one. Anyway - I thought you might like to see it - I know it's not my usual style, but it's the type of bead I first fell in love with and that got me into beadmaking. They are great fun to make, wonderfully tactile, and I might have to make some more.

I hope you like it. Have a good Bank Holiday weekend and I'll be back as soon as I can with some new beadies.

HP xxx

Spangly Dangly!

Hellooo from me and Milo the silver core Dog!

Yep, I'm still here, I didn't realise it had been that long since I'd blogged again. Oops!...sorry. ;-) And yes the holiday photos are still on the camera, but I've been trying to get a bit of melting done every chance I've had so I can restock my site. I'm getting there, and will be uploading the pages as soon as I can over the next few days - illustration work permitting. But here in the meantime are a few photos to keep you going. Hope you like them.


I've been wanting to make bracelet dangle charms from way before I started silver coring, but never quite got round to it. The silver bails I've used have got 5mm+ holes, so should hopefully fit all of the major bracelet systems, not just the Trollbead ones. There are going to be plenty of bug ones from me, surprise surprise, and I'm rather taken with the first one too, the Jelly Bean dangle. This was born out of a cheesy poof bead I made a while back...yes I know...trust me to make a cheesy poof bead! LOL! But I thought it looked really cute and bean-like before I added the enamel cheesy coating, and so the idea was born. I've just 'bean' (*groan*) looking for a way to use them. I'd love a bracelet with loads of different coloured ones on. Mmmmm. :-)

There will also be some new lampwork beads and jewellery too, and I'm still working on the dread beads and fused glass sections which are seriously in need of an update. If anyone finds out where those extra hours in the day have been hidden, could they let me know? ;-)

Have a good week peeps, and don't forget to join my mailing list if you want to be told the instant I update my site. Tara for now!

HP xxx

I got an Award! Woohoo! :-)

What a lovely surprise - I came back off my hols to find the lovely Caroline of Crafted Gems had given me a blogging award. Oooo never had one before so I was proper chuffed. Thanks chuck - you're a star! ;-)

Right I'd best get a wriggle on and name the 5 people's blogs who inspire me.

Beads By Laura - I love Laura's beads!! She's a wonderfully talented lampworker and friend. Thanks 'teach' for introducing me to this melting lark. Bloody love it. :-)

Ajenno Designs - A big thank you to Jo too, who makes lurvely jewellery and has been very supportive of my beady exploits ever since I started beadmaking. But oi lady, update your blog more often! LOL! ;-)

La Perle - Sorry Catherine, you've just got another award. LOL! You shouldn't make such gorgeous jewellery! ;-) I absolutely love your Vintaj collection!!! P.S. Ooo thanks for my award too - just spotted it - promise I'll do my best to be more prolific. ;-)

Mango Beads - Manda is a fabulous lady and very talented lampworker who makes the most wonderful beads and jewellery. Loving the new website Manda, I hope it goes well for you. :-)

Handmade Heaven - And last but not least Steph's gorgeous fused glass. Absolutely stunning use of colour and design - I could ogle her catalogue all day!!!! Ooo-er! LOL! ;-)

And there are lots of other people I'd like to mention too, but I'm only allowed 5 so sorry if I missed you out. Especially Debbie, if you had a blog chuck, I'd have added you too! :-)

HP xxx

Kendal Mint Cake's just not right.

Watcha!

Oh crikey - didn't realise it had been that long since I last blogged. Doesn't time fly when you're eating pasties...and avoiding the aforementioned minty stuff. ;-)

The sun is shining, the birds are twittering, and all's well up in the lakes. :-) I just thought I'd let you know I've added some new silver cores to my site if you fancy a shufty. Some critters, some bright ones and some of the boro cores you may already have seen below.

Also I thought I'd best warn you I'm away from next friday, but there will be more beads of all persuasions ASAP after I get back. I'm looking forward to restocking a few neglected sections. And don't go throwing any parties while I'm away, wait til I get back and I'll bring a bottle or 3. LOL!

Anyway - I'll keep you posted. Have fun looking, and I hope you have a good week.

HP x

Less fattening centres.

Just me again - a quick one before I pack my bags and relocate to the Lakes for the next couple of weeks. I thought you might like to see a few of the ones below after they've been fitted with their handmade shiny silver cores. Enjoy!

Have a good weekend.

HP x

Nuns on the run!

Good morning at last!

Gosh - I'm so sick of modems and wireless routers!!! :-( Thanks to them and their 'quirky' little ways I've had very little internet over the last 3 weeks or so - so sorry if you thought I'd dropped off this little beady planet. I'm still having problems despite having bought new kit. But hopefully I'm getting there.

Anyway - enough whinging. ;-) On a happier beady note, I had a lovely day out yesterday at the Nantwich Bead Fair with Caroline from Crafted Gems. Gosh it was hot in there though!! We had to keep scuttling outside (and to the pub) to cool off. LOL! I bought a beautiful little Beads-on-Coast silver core from Anna. And it was great to meet so many fellow bead fans, and see all that lovely lampwork.

Speaking of lampwork (for a change ;-) ), I thought you might like to see a little bead I made for Julie from Lush Lampwork who had a stall full of gorgeous glassy goodies at the fair. I promised her I'd slip some Blue Nun in in my handbag to keep her going, so this squiffy little bead fell off my mandrel as a result. I hope she behaves herself in her new home and stays off the communion wine......hic. ;-)

And yes, I've been at the boro again, I'm loving all the colours and textures you can get from this glass. Mmm pretty. :-) Anyway - I suppose I should go and do something useful. Just glad to be back online again...well until my router chucks another wobbly!!! LOL! Have a good Bank Holiday monday everyone.

HP xxx

It's a gas...man!!

Evening...just about!

Why oh why oh why does your propane tank always decide to run out just when you've got lots of beady ideas, and some time to carry them out for once!!!! I was going to spend a large chunk of the weekend beading and restocking my site, but Sod's Law (or is that Murphy's?) dictates that my little orange tank coughed up its last furball just as I was in full beady flow late on saturday! Oh well, I didn't get half the stuff I wanted to make, made, but a few little boro beads may have fallen of my mandrels.


Here's a little tease - hopefully some of these will make it onto my site in the not too distant future. ;-) I hope you are all having a good Bank Holiday weekend?

HP x

Had a go at a goddess!

Morning all!

Thank goodness it's saturday - a nice lie in and time to catch up with everything! :-)

Anyway, I thought you might like to see another of my recent beady experiments. A couple of weeks ago I took part in a bead swap on a glass forum I'm a member of. I've not made many goddess beads before, but they are actually quite fun to make once you have a go. She's only my third ever attempt at a goddess, and is very different to my other beads (no googly eyes!) ;-) and a fair bit bigger at about 40mm high.

She's called 'Psyche', is made from silver rich glass, and is not a classic goddess bead being a bit longer and leaner than is typical, but I was still pleased with the results. She is now residing in The Netherlands, and I received a lovely swap bead from Maria Louisa in return.

I must admit, despite thoroughly enjoying my month of being covered in glitter in Chester, I'm looking forward to getting back to my torch soon. I feel the need to bead! ;-) Anyway - have a good weekend - see you soon.

HP xxx

Ooo 'eck - how do you do this blogging thing then?

Hello everyone!

I hope you're all having a good week? Well I thought I'd finally give this blogging malarky a go. If you've not met me before, I'm a part time lampwork beadmaker living and beading in Cheshire. I normally draw daft pictures for a living, but in any spare time I get, I like to melt stuff. :-)

Anyway - this is my first post - so I just thought I'd say hello and attempt to post a picture for you to look at. I've recently had a dabble with Borosilicate glass, and here are the results. Please excuse the holes, I've not polished them yet...need to get my Dremel out.

Righty ho - off to work out how to post this. And feel free to have a nosy around my site if I can figure out how to add a link to this page. Technology eh?! ;-)

Helen xxx