360 degrees

Whoa!

Here it is, my second torch anniversary! So much happened since the last one....mainly me going sculptural big time. It's funny that the torching anniversary matters so much - well, not *so* much (since I can't remember the exact date of my first lesson ;o), but it's a great opportunity to take stock and reflect.

Here are some of the beads I liked most this past year, and thank you to everybody who has shared their knowledge and kindness with me over these past two years, and to the lovely bead collectors and jewellery makers who keep me in glass.

To celebrate, there's a little mailing list competition - join my mailing list by emailing me at mail@littlecastledesigns.co.uk, and everybody on my mailing list by end of August will go in the draw for one set of 5 made-to-order lace beads - winner chooses the colour. :o)

Leaving the comfort zone...

Following on from the last post, I have been - well...busy! Nothing focuses the mind like pending unemployment. So, in addition to launching a full bridal business at www.nowforevermore.com, I have been stocking my derelict etsy store (http://littlecastledesigns.etsy.com), and tried to keep a steady flow both there and on the 'normal' online shop at www.littlecastledesigns.co.uk. If this looks like a long list of links as part of a desperate flogging attempt...well, I guess it is :-) I've noticed a few things, and I don't know what they mean. I know that some beadmakers appear to be working in the shadows, generating a steady stream of income based mainly on commissions which never see the light of day on the general beading circuit. Others twitter and tweet and blog everything they sell. I'm not saying any which way is better or worse than the other, just that there appears to be more than one way to...stuff a mushroom (never liked skinning cats). And so I thought I'd post all links conveniently together :-)

Here's another:

http://bit.ly/FUZbP

It's the URL to an ebay auction finishing a week from today, for a lampwork bead based on Edvard Munch's The Scream. Another funny thing. It looks a bit grubby, but that was entirely deliberate. Should I have tried to 'prettify' it by sticking less closely to the original? I don't know. As it is, I've promised myself to try one 'art bead' based on a famous painting per month, for auction. Let's see what happens, eh?

Crossroads

You know the number of times you contemplate whether this is something you might do full-time? Head for the garage in the morning, bead for a few hours, clean beads, photograph, make jewellery, etc.? I'm at one of those crossroads at the moment. Me being methodical within the chaos, let's evaluate:

pro-hobby approach:

- safe and secure income from day job

- in the current climate, difficult to find job if you change your mind

- if you don't fancy beading for a couple of weeks, the world will not come to an end

- if equipment breaks down, the world will not come to an end

- you can experiment, even if it turns out rubbish, it doesn't matter, you don't *have* to sell

- you can price however you want (interesting one, this, see below!)

pro-pro approach:

- you do what you love, every day (but see point 3 above!)

- LOTS more time behind the torch = more ppp = better beads

- more time to build up customer base

- working from home, flexible hours

- time to do teaching, fairs, etc.

Concerns:

Flexible hours = lots of hours - but more than working full-time plus making beads and selling them as a hobby?

Pricing: interesting...I try not to underprice professional bead makers, but if I *was* a professional bead maker, wouldn't I have to lower prices, simply to sell more? A constant conundrum.

This is a rather convoluted ramble - which is, in fact, rather representative of the twists and turns inside my mind.

What's in a name?

I like naming things differently each week. Call it a hangover from being a linguist, but I know most bead makers think names are important. In my search for ever new ideas for names, I don't always get it right. Sayings, for example, seem to evoke a more direct response than, say, place names or ...(I know!!!) Vulcan words (I was particularly stuck that week). So, something is definitely in a name. I already picked the category of names for this week, although this week won't be particularly productive. So meet: "Into Temptation". Question is: What will it be next week?

Patience, grasshopper

Am I the only one who always wants to make beads way beyond my skills? It didn't take me long after my first lesson to decide that round doughnut beads would not be the be-all-and-end-all. I still have the first bicone I was happy with. It's maybe an inch long. When I got into sculptural beads, my first roses looked like something the sugarplum fairy might have left behind...from *her* behind. And you've already seen Cyril the dragon. So why can't I settle in a comfort zone? And why do I always want to know more than I do?

Have you noticed? It's not just me. It seems to be a trait inherent in bead makers, no matter their level of skill or experience. If you can fume, you want to paint with enamel, if your dot placement is perfect, you want to sandblast, electroform and engrave. Is it just me, or is this hobby salvation for the easily bored, those always striving to push themselves somewhere new? Here's that first bicone. Lest we forget how far we all have come :-).

I've been tagged

Thanks to the talented Kelly Boulter (whose stunning slate grey necklace I'm wearing whenever there's no danger my son will rip it off my neck!), I've been tagged. So........8s about me (all of them, in no particular order):

8 Things I'm looking forward to:

1) Cuddling my son in bed tomorrow morning

2) My garage getting done

3) Holiday in September

4) Meeting up with Becky in June

5) Getting my new torch & second oxycon

6) Growing old with hubby

7) The next Robert Crais book, whenever it might come out

8 Things I did yesterday:

1) Answer emails

2) Sort a room booking

3) Read about staff-student partnerships in HE

4) Make beads

5) Juggle toddler and laptop

6) Get petrol

7) Ponder whether I should buy a second torch

8) Have a take-away

8 Things I wish I could do:

1) Play the piano

2) Speak more languages

3) Be an amazing ballroom dancer

4) Make time to practise singing again

5) Turn wood

6) Make amazing boro sculptures

7) Sleep on demand

8) Resist the lure of chocolate

8 Shows I watch:

....aaah, I knew this would fall down somewhere. Okay, let's try.

1) Heroes

2) QI

3) Dr Who

4) Torchwood

5) Have I Got News For You

6) Read a book instead

7) Read a book instead

8) Read a book instead

Oooh, now I get to tag 8 people. Eek! Do I know eight who haven't been tagged? Okay.

1) Becky - Chameleon Designs

2) Emma - The Little Bead Shop

3) Julie - Dolmairic Designs

4) Becci - Fired Silver

5) Elaine - Chatelaine Jewellery

6) Alison - Alibali Jewellery

7) Veryan - Beadypool

8) Helen - Blue Fairy

Choo-choo bracelet

So many of my lovely customers have sent me photos of their creations, and I've been remiss in showing them off! You can see them in the customer gallery on my site, but I thought I'd take it in turns to give them more of the limelight! Speaking of lime, when Sarah Lamb of www.sarahlambjewellery.co.uk came to our stall at the Flame Off in Towcester and commissioned a train in pinks, turquoise and lime, I couldn't wait to see what she'd do with it. And here it is! 

Sarah's jewellery often features brightly coloured wire coils, it is so funky and fresh. I'm really chuffed (geddit?) that this little choo-choo made it into one of her creations!