nextfairdate1

11 March 2012
The Scottish Bead Fair Perth, Scotland 11am-5pm

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I don't expect to be doing many craft fairs in 2012, but I'll still be making beads, putting them online, offering bead set up services and going to bead fairs.

Bail Option

bail option

You can have any bead that I sell made into a pendant. I use sterling silver findings, and there's a choice of having a simple jump ring to thread your necklace through, or a bail. This service is £6, and is also available at the fairs I take my beads to, and will be done while you wait.

dog

A dog outside Sainsbury's

I saw this dog waiting patiently outside the shop, it looks so much like my dog beads that I had to take a picture. I love how it's legs are positioned.

seaside bird

seaside bird

This bead started life out as a cat, but I saw it just wanted to become a bird, so I let it, and I love it.

Blue Shore

Tempest Bead Min Fidler

A bead I made in 2008 is part of the internationally touring Tempest Glass Bead Exhibition. Click the picture to see it, and other work by talented glass artists.

Home

Welcome to my website! Have a look around, I hope you like it ♥

22nd January 2012

 

Well, I have listed new things in the shop, I’ve been making a new style of owl bead, taking my inspiration from an owl fridge magnet sent to me by Judy Munford, because it reminded her of me. I suppose I do look like that sometimes : ) I thought I’d share how I came to be making round owls with flappy finger wings rather than the flat owls. It was fun making a new style, I had one day where I just couldn’t stop making them to make anything else, not even a cat bead. More to go in the shop in the next day or so, and the second the gales give me a break, I’ll be back at the torch.

I have also booked two more fairs ~

25-26 August 2012  9th Annual Stourbridge Bead Fair

and

18 November 2012 The Scottish Bead Fair Glasgow, Scotland

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10th January 2012

Happy New Year!

I’m almost ready to put new work in the shop, I’ve been developing my owl beads and am very pleased with them. I have only two booked fairs for the coming year (so far), I needed some time to draw breath and give myself space for creating without pressure. I found myself referring to my work as ‘stock’ and it felt wrong.

Effort, skill, artistry, creativity, and thought goes into making a successful bead, and to nurture and enable those things I need to step back and give them space. I can imagine how awful it must be for a creative person to have to sit and make the same bead style, colour, size and design repeatedly all day long for a wage, it would bring out the absolute worst in me, I’d be sacked.

Here’s a close up of ‘Knuckles’, I was honoured to make him as a Christmas present


deeeelicious colours…

 

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I needed something ‘new’ (well, new to me) to get my interest sparked again, so I’ve been trying out ‘painting’ with molten glass, and here’s my first attempt at an owl on a branch bead


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Below is a photo of my newest bead display, I have handmade individual stands for each bead, I really like this idea, it means that favourite beads can be displayed while they wait to be made into jewellery. They are made from plaster, can be painted, and have a good weight to support a large bead without falling over, they are £2.00 each.


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Swimming Elephant

So, I was trying to recover a bead that wasn’t playing nicely, I pulled at the glass a bit here and there and was considering dumping it in the plunge pot and going to bed, when I realised that I had what looked liked an elephant face on the surface of the glass, so I gave it eyes, and there it is. I love it. I really do, and it’s completely accidental. Of course I had another go and made a couple more over the next few days, but they’re not quite like this one. First time lucky.

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I’ve been amusing myself making ‘sheep’ beads…

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Some of the beads you’ll find in the bargain bowl at my fair table, I put a few beads together, and you pay £1.50.

Sometimes you’ll find matching sets, perfect for earrings. Bargain.