To start 2010, a lampwork bead swap has been arranged on www.beadingforum.com.au.  Basically, lampworkers make a group of beads to a theme, then send them to the organiser who sorts them out and distributes one of each bead to everyone. 

For example, ten people participate, so they make ten beads, the organiser then sorts out piles with one each of those ten beads, and sends the piles back out to each participant.  Hope that makes sense!  LOL

Anyway, the theme for this swap is ’seaside’.  I wanted to do something different and fun, so decided to make little beach hut beads.  Each one of different colours.  I wanted them to look like a child’s drawing, which is why I added the black detailing around the roof and doors.  For the detailing I used glass paint, as my stringer work isn’t that great for such fine detail, there’s no way I’d have been able to make such tiny dots for the door knobs! LOL

I couldn’t resist showing you all the little huts together.  The swap ends early February, so when I receive the other beads in return, I’ll be sure to pop a photo up of them for you as well.

It seems that I have confused a few people with the newsletter announcing the End of Year competion winner.  To clarify, Danielle Rapinett, is the winner of the beads.  I apologize to those of you that were unsure.  Next time I send out any newsletters, I’ll be sure to check the wording better.

For the 2010 end of year comp, besides the main prize of all the orphan beads, I will be having two runner prizes, so there are more chances for you to win something. 

There will also be a change to the entries.  Previously, the entries were those that purchased in November and December.  From now on, anyone who purchases anything from the site during the WHOLE year will have their name entered.  Also, multiple purchases means multiple entries.

I’d also like to thank you all for your custom over the years, and hope we continue our aquaintance well into the future.

Regards

Anne

I’ve done veryyyy little beading jewellery wise for well over a year now. I think it’s a case of just getting disheartened when very little sells, not that I’m really marketing myself lol

It was getting close to the stage where I was going to give up the jewellery making altogether and just stick to creating lampwork beads, but I could never quite get to the stage of selling off all my precious beadies. So I’ve decided to redirect my focus instead.

I’m going to basically just stick to making earrings, as they seem to be the only thing that occassionally sells for me. This way I can make a bunch of them in a short amount of time, and get them up on my site regularly.  Hopefully, I’ll get into a system that I’ll list some new earrings each week.  I’ll still get to play with my sparklies. :-) 

If I feel the burning need to make a necklace or bracelet, I’ll still have my stuff for that, but I wont let that be my focus. If they happen, they happen.

I’m actually feeling more ‘lightened’ since making this decision, so I definitely think it’s the way to go for me.   I suppose in a sense it’s a 2010 new year’s resolution. 

To clear my stock of ‘non-earring’ items, I’m going to pop them on sale - 40% off. 

Now to just clean up my beading desk and sort everything out so I actually have somewhere to bead!!

We have a winner!!

Congratulations Dani Rapinett!  You’ve won the beads shown below!

I’ll be getting them into the post for you this coming week!

Just a quick reminder that you only have a couple of days left to get an entry in for the end of year competition!  

Just purchase anything from my lampwork website, and you will be automatically entered into the draw.  You will have the chance to win all my orphan and experimental beads from this year, worth over $400!

Good luck!

I have just listed the last three sets of beads for 2009.  How fast did this year go by?!  It seems that each year is going past faster and faster, and it seems that alot of people feel this.  Is it because we’re all so busy, rushing too and fro that the days just blend together?

Anyway, here’s the piccies of the beads for you :-)  Two palette sets, and a crystal set.  I had actually forgotten that I’d bought the crystal press!  It was fun playing with it, so I shall definitely be using it again, I have alot of frit I can use!  LOL  I also used my new light tent studio kit for the photos!  I think they turned out lovely, no harsh shadows or glaring reflections, that’s one purchase I’m ecstatic about!

I’d like to wish you all a very joyous Christmas, and a safe and prosperous 2010.

See you in the new year!

I got the chance to play on the torch a few days last week, and decided to make up some more colour palette sets.  Just the two for now, but they are new palettes, more earthy than others I have done before.

I also just had a general play around, trying out some new glass colours, etc.  Alot of those beads have joined others for the draw at the end of the year.

Here are the piccies for you.

I’ve had several comments from other lampworkers about selling my frit blends, so I have finally taken the leap and made one blend up for sale.  This first blend is a mix of lovely blues and some teal/greens, which suit it’s name perfectly… Oceanic.

I’m using Kugler glass for the blends, and Kugler has a COE of 93 (or 96 depending on which source you use), because it has a high lead content, it allows it to be easily used with glasses from other ranges, from 90 to 110.  I’ve sucessfully used it with moretti glass both on the surface and encased.

So far I only have the three baggies of Oceanic available.  I’m waiting for some more frit to arrive before I make some more.

So watch this space!  There should be more blends available soon!!

Hi everyone!

Wow, I can’t believe how fast time has passed!  I’ve finally gotten around to listing some new beads on my website, a mix of focals, some pairs and a set.

I got my Nortel Minor torch hooked up finally and, ohhhhhh, it’s sooo good!  The flame is alot hotter and more defined so I can more easily encase beads now and work on details.  What’s even more wonderful is the different glasses that didn’t work well on the hothead are proving a joy to work with on the minor!  I can actually get colour from EDP!!  EDP is short for evil detrifying purple, and on the hothead it lost all it’s colour and pitted on me, but on the minor I get the gorgeous purple colour with some pink blushing, the beads are sooo purty!!

I’m hoping that the weather cools down again this week so I can torch some more, fingers crossed!

Anyhow, here’s a few piccies for you.

Toodles!

- this is the EDP!