Thursday, 17 September 2009

Get your business straight, set a date...

...and don't you dare be late!

That's nearly the lyrics to the song (not wanting to blaspheme), from the musical 'Five Guys Named Moe', which I first came across when I was 17, and I still love it now (think swing & fifties).

Reason for this post is that I've had a date from the builder...a week today, they will descend on my garage. So, I'm getting my business straight, and setting a date. I'll have a 'proper' lampworkers' get-together, but I'm having a simple open studio on Saturday, 21st of November, to coincide with the village Christmas market. Not quite willing to plaster my address all over the internet, email me at mail@littlecastledesigns.co.uk if you can come, and I'll send out details (I know, not very open, I'll have to work on that, but I would love to have lovely people there! ;o))

Monday, 14 September 2009

New ventures, but no name!


I've had a play and made this, then I asked around, and the general consensus is to make more. Shown is the prototype, which is perfect for me (i.e. laid back and relaxed), but there will be posher ones, with silk, cotton, wool, yarns, scarves, much more delicate that the one shown.

Question is, with such a wide range (from 'scarf with lampwork bead' to 'fabric necklace with lampwork bead'), what shall I call these little babies of mine? Scarves? Necklaces? Scecklaces? Snarves? Snoozles (my favourite so far)? Ane clever ideas would be gratefully received!

Saturday, 12 September 2009

Phew!

It's about two months before my website comes up for renewal, and after my recent marathon listings, I'm tempted to switch. But that's a grumble for another day. For now, I delved into the world of dragonflies, butterflies and roses once more, and listed new beads. What I am most proud of, however, are my silver cores. Yes, I had a 'destruction rate' of almost 50%, but I do love the ones that survived, all hammered and annealed and cored and stroked and polished by my own fair hands - aaaaaw!

Thursday, 10 September 2009

Where do all the beadies go No. 2 - Joanna Bailey

When Jo ordered her first beads from me, I was surprised and delighted with the delivery address - a short detour between my home and work. Jo is a dress maker as well as a jewellery designer (and that's when she's not busy being a Mum). I love how she tickles new designs out of my beads - see the stunning rose ring - now, there's a statement piece! You can see more of Jo's work on her website, here.

Wednesday, 9 September 2009

Fairs, fairs, fairs...

I've not done many fairs to date - in fact, I can count them on one hand and still hold a biscuit in it (handy, that!) However, with full-time beady business fast approaching, this autumn and Christmas, things don't half happen. Not all fairs are confirmed yet, however, here's what I *think* I'm doing!

19th September - GBUK bead fair - mainly beads, but also jewellery
24th-25th October - UK Wedding Show, Manchester - scary, this one, it's massive. I will be there with Now Forevermore wedding stuff.
14th November (not confirmed yet) - Christmas fair in centre of Sheffield (Leopold Square)
29th-30th November - Craft Candy "Candy Cane" Christmas market

Plus, I'll be holding an open studio morning or afternoon (or day?) once my studio is finished.

That's at least five days of selling, possibly seven. What does that mean? Fairs are great - you get to meet new people, you get to chat, you get to see other people's goodies, and, hopefully, you get to sell. But how much? How much stock to pile up? How to balance beads & jewellery (& tiaras ;o)) on display? For me, while I work full-time, it also means five (or seven!) days when I can't make beads - a potentially serious loss of income. Will it be worth it? Would I be better off just shutting the door to my garage and bead away? No, I don't really think so. But I don't half hope the sales figures don't prove me wrong. Having said all this, I've made about 60 pieces of jewellery, and they're on my website for now - new beads will follow later this week, with a little surprise in store ;o)


Tuesday, 11 August 2009

Reverse inspiration

Often, I make beads all week, thinking of a group of names as I go along. At the end of the week, I look at the possibilities within that group of names, and match beads to them.

I can tell you now that there will be very few, if any, new beads online this week-end, as I'm trying to build up a stash for jewellery making while I'm on holiday. What this has led to, however, is some sort of reverse inspiration - because I *know* my group of names for the next listing.

When I was a child, a 'rock musical for kids' swept through Germany, about a little dragon called Tabaluga, who goes on a journey to grow up. He meets lots of different individuals, who try to convince him that their way of life is the best and only way - the dolphins tell him to just enjoy life, the ants tell him to work hard, a stork tells him that he is meant for better things, born to the skies, a giant tells him a story of how people often miss out because they're simply afraid. In the end, he meets an old, old turtle, Nessaja, who has seen everything come and go, and who has worked out that it is balance, and keeping a child-like wonder at the world, that might, just might, bring wisdom and maturity...but, as she says...does any of that really matter?

Tabaluga is now in the second generation, my son enjoys hearing it, and I know the whole thing front to back and back to front. And while I'm at the torch this week, names come to me, for which there are no beads yet, but I know exactly what they'll look like. Some of these names, just as a tease:

  • Playing with clouds
  • Cradled by the storm
  • The songs of leaves
  • Little Dragons
  • I make time

.....Guess I better get torching!

Saturday, 8 August 2009

Why I love sculpture

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with round beads - after all, I probably make more lace beads in a week than anything else. But, looking back over the last month, I once more realised why my heart lies with sculpture. Including commissions and the ideas springing from my own little mind, I made:

  • Roses
  • Butterflies
  • Dragonflies
  • Munch's The Scream
  • Magritte's The Son of Man (the less said, the better! ;o)
  • Lilies
  • Cats
  • Cupcakes
  • A cornflower
  • A moongazing hare
  • A howling wolf
  • Skulls
...and I'm sure I've forgotten something! Doing sculpture means I walk through life looking at everything through the eyes of 'can I turn this into a bead' (I know others do this with patterns, so it's not just sculpture, but that's the way my mind works). It means I get a photo from a customer, of a flower growing in her back garden 'can you do these'. It means an endless journey of a balance between being true to the original, and allowing the glass and my skills to set boundaries, and the thrill when at least my skills expand and I coax something out of glass I didn't know I could.

So there you go. I love sculpture. And I know exactly what I'm doing next - which is why I'm waiting for a glass delivery!