And this is some of Marlene's work:

You can see more on:

glassygear.etsy.com

glassygear@yahoo.com

I'm sure you'll like what you see!

The Winning Bracelet

The Big Bead Awards was a success for Ellie, who has won the 2nd Prize in the Under 16' category with this "Night and Day" bracelet featuring my glass beads! The idea was Kit's, and she had to show Ellie how to attach clasps etc, but the result is great! Well done, girls!!!

We had a lovely time: we saw and had a chat with Jean Power, editor of Bead Magazine, then we had the Presentations, then we had to go for lunch, after which we came back and had more chatting with my friend Marlene, who is a talented and very knowledgeable beader, bead maker and jewellery designer, and you can see more of her work on glassygear.etsy.com. We also had a chat with Sarah Downton, and we bought two lovely beads from her, Kit loves her blue fish, she's already put it on a string. This was not all: we bought some cabochons (a rip off - I spent £100 and the man charged me for the bails on top of that as well!), but never mind. But never again.

So it was a great day out, of course, we bought some gold leaf from Tuffnell, and I already managed to make some horrible beads with it (the photo is NOT attached!).

I've just discovered that I need to make a different post in order to put some more pix!

The Big Bead Show

Yesterday we went to the Big Bead Show. It was great: Ellie's bracelet won a 2nd prize in the under 16s' category - well done! We saw lots of familiar faces and had chats with all our glass/bead friends, the photos are to follow shortly! It's a bliss to have my computer back after all the de-bugging!

Staffordshire Hoard

If you have not been to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery yet - you've got to go! Well done, Mr Herbert! The beauty of the pieces exhibited is unsurpassed, you won't be disappointed. It was a shame that those beautiful gold pieces weren't washed, as I came to look at the motifs, they remind me of so many things, this could be a book! And we only queued for 1&1/2 hours, the wait was worth it! I do hope it all will be left somewhere local, we made a little donation towards that. Now I am waiting for a proper book with photos, alas, this would take a couple of years, I guess. And we must come back to see the amazing trompe l'oeil of Patrick Hughes too.
No time to make beads!