Bite Me!

What can I say - a post-and-run kind of blog post, but this one tickles me, so I think it deserves its own post ;o)

Abraham De Lacey Guiseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley

As you might have noticed, there haven't been many beads online for a while. However, things have happened - behind the scenes, so to speak. A selection of my rose ring toppers went over to Germany, to be on display and for sale at the Ringtage Exhibition (Ring Days) in Walldorf at 'Galerie Sam', an exhibition led and curated by Aleksandra Baum, from the 26th of March to the 23rd of April. I hope they do well!

For those of you who are local, please come and visit me at the Open Up event, where artists around South Yorkshire open their studios to the public. The event isn't until June (12th/13th and 19th/20th), but you might as well pencil it in ;o)

And, finally, there are beads online. Hurrah! Mainly roses and butterflies, but some ammonites, too - I have a new press, and I'm not afraid to use it! What's with the title of the blog post? Well, the little one and I have been ill, and watching Aristocats has cheered us up, especially O'Malley the Alley Cat :o) The rose above is 'Casey' - and many other Aristicats names appear on my website this week :o).

This is your life!

This is the commission I was talking about the other day - no, not the courgette! I was approached by a lovely lady, and entrusted with making a bag charm/key ring for a special birthday gift for her partner's mother. We started out with a finger print from the grandson, and a kanji bead for luck and happiness. When we exchanged emails and I said I could incorporate other beads that were meaningful, the piece progressed. The piece was to definitely come from all three, including the grandson, and together, we searched for special connections and memories. I found out that their is a mutual enjoyment of trains, that nan and grandson sing nursery rhymes together, and that the grand son (only a couple of months older than my own son) sings Bah Bah Blacksheep with his nan, giving both of them lots of fun. I found out about Welsh origins and daffodils, gardening, a love for chocolate and cats, a family history that included a miner for a father, and a life lived near the sea.

...and so I went about creating. It will be sent off today and given as va present next week, but I have permission to share it now. Some commissions are just a bit more special than others - thank you!

Strangest commission?

You never know what can happen when you take commissions! And this very moment, I've got two running, each winning a top title. One in the category 'loveliest thought' - I'll write more about that soon! But yesterday, I got a commission for a courgette necklace. I had the day off work to stand at a local business event, flogging my wares. It was a networking event, so I didn't expect much in the way of sales, so I was surprised when a lady stopped by my stall and to a shining to my bramble tiara. It transpired that she works as a children's entertainer under the stage name of 'Madame Zucchini and her vegetable theatre'. We worked out that the tiara was maybe a bit OTT and not necessarily the safest costume part around lots of children, when she asked whether I could possibly make her a courgette necklace. Well!! I love a challenge :o) So watch this space for some courgettes in the near future, and watch out for Madame Zucchini and her vegetable theatre!!

It's the Final Countdown!

Doobedoodoo, doobedupdupdoo, doobedoodoodoo, doobedupdupdoobedoo, doobedoo, doobedupdupdoobedoobedoooooooooo...

Today, ladies and gentleman, the final countdown starts - 100 working days until self employment (slightly kerfuffled by the fact that I've actually got a stinking cold and temperature, which probably means I won't get much work done today!) The working days don't include annual leave I still have to take, so it's more like 85, really, but this way, it's easier to count. I love my job, there is so much to do still, the next two months especially will be absolutely frantic, with a book to edit, a conference to organise, assignments to mark...but slowly, irrevocably, the end...or indeed the beginning...is nigh.

Maybe I've gone bonkers, but...

...this week's beads tell a story, I think. I only realised it on my way to work. See what you think (bead names in bold)!

The Rough Pups Were Feeling Blue.

Life was stressful, they were running around, being here, going there, always just keeping on top of things. And, over time, the world seemed to lose its colour. Everything seemed muted, soft, without colour. It was as if everything around them spoke 'Sotto Voce', 'under their voice'. The world, in short, was not as it should be.

The struggled to understand. Colour was seeping away, from their days, even from their dreams. They went to The Magic Tree to ask for advice. Its branches were silvery blue, as if it got its colour from the night sky itself.

The rough pups told the tree of their problems, and it said "I might be able to help. Let my branches reach out, reach within you. Let the Tribal Dreams stored within me guide you on your way."

The rough pups saw the tree tremble and shiver, and its branches and leaves reached out to them. The world basked in a shimmery blue. Everything around them now glistened and gleamed, in the beautiful shades of blue the Magic Tree had shown them. The rough pups thanked the tree and went on their way in wonder. Yet, the further away they got, the less the magic seemed to work. Life, everyday worries pushed the magic away as they carried on living as before. They weren't sure what to do. Visit the tree every day, to see more of the magic? Or just accept that life would be in black and white? One morning, a rough pup woke up and turned to the others, and said "Remember When Your Dreams Were In Colour?

When they were green, and blue, and purple, and yellow, and red, and brown, and swirled and dreamy?" The others nodded. "Who can help with our dreams?" They asked themselves. Then they knew. Morpheus, the God of Sleep. He'd know what to do.

They reached Morpheus, and he nodded sagely when they told him of their troubles. "This has happened before, my little rough pups", he said gently. "You've simply lost your way. Nobody can give you back the colour in your life, or in your dreams. You must remember who you are, and what you aim for. To find the colour again in your life, you must be Rooted in the Stars, rooted in your dreams. You must reach and explore, and be brave, and fall, and get up, and try again. Your dreams are who you are. Even when you are stressed, or sad, you must dare to dream, and dream in colour. Then the roots from your dreams will reach through the stars to you."

So the rough pups made time to dream. Not just when they were asleep, but during the day, too. They made plans that were new, and uncertain, and sometimes a little mad. They took risks, and sometimes, they fell flat on their faces, but when things worked out, they were beautiful. And when they didn't, they helped each other up. And tried again. And soon, the colour returned, and their lives were bold and beautiful again.

THE END

....told you it was bonkers. :o)

Beads are on sale at www.littlecastledesigns.co.uk

March!

I have a fair in four days. That in itself is not cause for panic - except for the fact that I wanted to change my range until then, and create a number of new pieces of jewellery for it. And therefore, the beads for that! Well, that's unlikely to happen! Fortunately, I found some pieces that I'd made in a frenzy for the Christmas fair I did, and guess what? They aren't even on my website! Funny how they're not selling, eh? Ah well, at least they'll mean I'll have stock!

I didn't manage to add new beads to the site this week-end, due to life getting in the way. However, expect a little (only a little, mind!) flurry of activity tomorrow night!

A non-beady photo, to explain one of the reasons why I've not made as many beads as I would've liked: work took me to Greece for a couple of days last week!