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