New Look for the New Year

Happy New Year!

Okay, I know it's a bit late and we're hurtling towards February, but better late than never. I've given my blog a makeover for the new year, and as I haven't had time to christen it with my first post until now there's quite a few new designs I want to share with you. More details can be found by clicking each link. So without any further ado..

First in line is a pair of vintage inspired earrings. I love the retro feel of these; I could almost visualise my mum wearing them in the 60's; a quick application of mascara... after spitting on the solid black block to soften, red lipstick, a light spray of Norman Hartnell's In Love, and she was ready to go.

Noir Earrings

Next in line is a sweet little pair of cream Czech glass flowers because Spring is just around the corner... wishful thinking!

Wood Anemone Earrings


I love the combination of colours in my latest addition to my collection; a charm bracelet of amethyst and peridot glass flowers interspersed with leaves, pearls and cute little silver puffed hearts for added tinkle!

Grapevine Bracelet


More spring flowers... ever hopeful that we've seen the back of winter, even if it is only January. These are from my popular lily collection with Swarovski tipped stamens.

Lady Grey Earrings
Following the same theme, here we have the same style of lily in a beaded necklace.

Nightshade Necklace
More flowers with these lovely Petunias.

Petunia Earrings

I have phases where I become slightly addicted to certain colours and they appear in my collection in increasing numbers. At the moment, just in case it has escaped your attention, it is purple and all it's variants; amethyst, lilac, aubergine etc.

Red is another big favourite at the moment, particularly bright scarlet red in opaque glass. I can't get enough opaque glass and seem to spend hours browsing suppliers looking for a shape I don't already own. Here I have teamed some rondelles with a bright red retro hoop to make this bold necklace.

Kiss Necklace
This next pair of earrings is a lovely shade of ruby red.

Very Berry Earrings

These blue Gentian buds are made from some vintage beads I have had for years and years.

Blue Gentian Earrings


And as it will soon be Valentine's day, I couldn't leave you without including a couple of heart designs.

Blossoming Love Necklace

Heart of Gold Necklace

Latest Additions

This week I've added a few more memory wire bracelets to my existing collection. They're becoming quite addictive. I find the making of them very relaxing; there's something about threading beads in a sequence and watching the design build, that's very satisfying.

Dotty: A simple, yet striking design. Six wraps in black and white form a nice deep cuff.


Spangle: I love the zesty citrus orange and Lime in these crackle beads. They remind me of the hard fruit flavoured spangle sweets I had as a child.


Autumn Fruits: Many of the wooden beads in this bracelet are vintage ones I've had in my bead stash for many years. I seem to remember I bought them from Janet Coles Bead Catalogue... anyone remember her? This was way before the internet, and I loved pouring over the glossy pages of wonderful beads she had personally sourced on her travels all around the world. Here I've mixed them with apple coral and carnelian.



Christmas: I know it's early, but it will be here before we know it. A four wrap bracelet in festive red and green.

Beautiful Memory

Decided to introduce a few memory bracelets to my shop this week. I like the simplicity of them, the fact they are easy to wear with no fiddly clasps, and one size fits all. But I absolutely hate the way they devour all my lovely beads!

I'm a typical magpie, I hoard my little beauties, take them out, play with them, gaze at them lovingly, then put them all away again. Well that's not strictly true, of course I do use them in my designs, but I'm not used to depleting my entire stock of my absolute favourites all in one sitting!

Simple to make they may be, but it's definitely not a case of less is more where the memory bracelet is concerned, in fact the more the merrier! I adore the deeper cuff style of at least 3 or 4 wraps or more, so looks like I'm going to have to go on a bead buying binge... again!

Mulberry:



Cool Water:



Autumn Berries:



Misty Ocean:


But I haven't given up on my polymer clay roses, and here is my latest....

Purple Passion: