Bits 'n' bobs...or should that be beads!

We all start off with good intentions to make something and then it just turns into a small sample or is put to one side to be finished off later.

Here a few of my samples and good intentions: right angled weave in turquoise, even-count peyote in gold with purple helix design (amulet kit from The Spellbound Bead Company), 3 bead netting in lime and gunmetal grey.

The Key to my Heart

In a moment of madness, I decided to enter a competition that the Beadworkers Guild were running in their quarterly Journal (issue 32).  I think the prospect of winning £75 of Swarovski crystals might have a spurred me on.  The remit was to "design a simple bag charm or keyring that can include seed beads but must contain crystals too".  

I used two shades of pink 4mm bicones on the circular motif and the strap which loops round a key charm with a cut out heart.  The pink crystals are accented using green fire-polished crystals.  The rear side of the circular motif uses a central 6mm olivine swarovski crystal surrounded by green fire-polished crystals as before.

I didn't win the competition (see issue 34 for winners) but since then I have made a few things with a pink and green theme which I love.  My latest project is from The Bead Merchant-Barnsdale Cuff which is a riot of green and pink beads accented with pink Swarovski crystals...it is almost finished.  

The Dawn Chorus

My time in the land of nod officially ends the second the birds start twittering at around 5am. I am sure they sit on the branches of the lime tree just outside my bedroom window and conspire to make sure I am awake before the sun is up! Fortunately my pillow makes good ear muffs and I can usually drown out the noise long enough to get some more zeds in.

My favourite bird is the blackbird and I love beads, hence the title of my blog. Magpies like collecting all sorts of pretty shiny things but they are not as cute as blackbirds. I promise I will put up a 'beady' post as soon as I have finished my current project which is taking me forever to finish.

Maybe if I could sleep through the dawn chorus I would bead instead of snooze on the couch in the evening.

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