Handmade Monday

We've been busy beading bees this weekend with two lovely Bead Soirees that took place on Friday night at Sheepy Magna Memorial Hall and on Saturday at Nuneaton Heritage Centre.  We'll be at Bulkington Village Centre this coming Saturday so if you missed out this weekend you know where to catch us next weekend. 

Here's a quick snap of one of the Project Ideas we'll be bringing with us, I had already made it using the turquoise acrylic but have been keen to use our new resin beads so I recreated a similar design using the black and white fabric encased ones which I thought would be great to showcase on the 'Handmade Monday' page of 1st Unique Gifts blog  http://www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk/blog/2011/07/handmade-monday-27-from-the-campervan-factory/



Launching Beadelicious Blog Spots

We’ve been mulling over how best to involve everyone into our little world at Beadelicious and have come up with the following idea.

Each month we’ll focus a Beadelicious Blog Spot on one of you and the jewellery you have designed and made using some of our Beadelicious beads.  If you have a business to promote then we’re more than happy to give you a mention too.  To take part please email us your pics plus any words you would like to say to mail@beadelicious-beads.co.uk – if your design gets featured we’ll send you a free goody bag of Beadelicious beads.

Guest Interview - Leigh Armstrong at Magick Minx

A little bit about Leigh:
Leigh is a very talented PMC Artist based in Hinckley, Leicestershire. She has her studio and Minxy HQ in the Atkins Building and can also be found online at http://www.magickminxproductions.com/

I can personally vouch for Leighs fab workshops having been on a couple myself - she brings masses of enthusiasm, expert knowledge and a little impromptu singing to every session she runs!

Website: http://www.magickminxproductions.com/

Blog: erm...busted! Ok, Ok, Ok, I’ll sort one!

How long have you been working with PMC and how did it all begin?
It all started about 7 years ago when I saw PMC demonstrated at the NEC Hobbycraft Show. Coming from a corporate background in Financial Services I was let’s say somewhat cynical about a bit of ‘clay’ turning in to a ‘precious metal’, didn’t make sense at all! I made the poor woman demonstrate it at least half a dozen times by which time I think she got fed up with me & told me to buy the kit!

In the early days I was trying to figure it all out myself but failed to understand the simple but key things you need to fully know about PMC so I wasted a small fortune, I guess that’s why I’m so passionate about Metal Clay education!

What inspires you?

Oooh lots! An awful lot of my work is Sea themed which I think comes from me spending weeks of my School holidays at my Grandparents on Hayling Island. The Sea has complete & utter power over me, I’m an addict, summer or winter, doesn’t matter to me just as long as I can hear the waves & smell the salty air!

I also do a lot of Fae work, for the Faery people! That sounds a bit bonkers doesn’t it!? I was approached by a lady who has made a Faery lifestyle choice who wanted me to make her some Jewellery that a Faery would wear & NOT Jewellery with Faeries on it! Lots of Oak leaves, acorns & tiny wee Faery Houses. Going to the Avalon Ball in Glastonbury (an annual Fae event here in the UK) was an eye opener, an education & a privilege, I got to dress up!

What equipment and techniques do you use in your work?
Well for the most part you can utilise a lot of tools that you may already have lying around the house or Craft Room such as a Scalpal, Workmat, Straws, Cookie Cutters, Texture Plates etc. The most expensive item you will need is a Butane Gas Torch & Firing Block. A good quality Jewellers Torch will set you back around £35.00. However, if you have a good ‘Kitchen’ Torch (for your Creme Brulee’s) already that may well do the job!

You can spend a small fortune on some ‘ready made’ kits that often have a whole bunch of tools that you will never use or are of a poor quality. My advice would be to take advice from someone who already uses PMC, a few good quality tools are all you need to get started & don’t buy a kit from ebay, whilst ebay is fab for lots of stuff & I’m a regular, the kits on offer are mostly terrible!

What is the difference between PMC and Art Clay?
Fundamentally they are the same thing,a Silver Precious Metal Clay, but they do work differently so you need to understand the working differences, you need exactly the same kit for both products. I suppose it is a matter of preference but I find that Artclay dries out very quickly & that there is more ‘finishing’ work required & being lazy that’s not something I’m fond of! Until recently Artclay has always been significantly cheaper but approximately 4 weeks ago their prices increased by 67% so it is no longer a cheaper option!

Where can people learn more about PMC and the workshops you offer?

Well Metal Clay has a much better presence nowadays than it did 7 years ago so you can find a lot of information on the Internet, websites such as Metal Clay Academy offer information on all things Metal Clay! Also there are some fantastic books available now.

I have a quick guide to Metal Clay on my Website, along with a photo demo & Gallery of work. In addition the website details our Workshop Diary & an explanation of each Workshops content.

What advice would you give to others interested in PMC?
GO FOR IT Of course!!! Find yourself a tutor who has been Certified & has taken the appropriate PMC Teaching courses. A Tutor that is offering Certification Classes is likely to be more experienced than most. Go & meet the person that you are looking to teach you before you sign up for a Workshop, if you are going to be spending a whole day with them then you really want to like them! Also it would help if their ‘style’ of work is one that interests you that way you are more likely to walk away with pieces you are happy with.

Also make sure that they have a well equipped Studio, I’ve heard some horror stories over the years where people have wasted a lot of money on poor training, myself included, harsh lesson to learn!

You offer tuition, what classes/workshops do you offer and what would anyone interested need to consider before starting?

We offer a wide range of classes from beginners ‘Introduction to Precious Metal Clay, The Art of Silver Alchemy’ to advanced Certification Classes. We also do project workshops: Rings, Faery House, Bronze/Copper Clay Adding colour etc etc etc. In addition we have visiting guest tutors, Nicky Townsend from Enchanted Handmade Jewellery, a regular project contributor to Making Jewellery magazine is a regular. In the future we will be having Carol Douglas aka The Creature Teacher (see http://www.silvershadowsjewellery.co.uk/gallery/creatures and hopefully Pam East from the USA will be coming over in October to do a 3 day enamelling on Metal Clay Workshop, very exciting!!! (see http://www.pameast.net/)

You need to consider what you are wanting from a Workshop, just to have a ‘play’? If so a Taster session would be appropriate or are you looking to ‘learn’? If so you need the Intro Workshop for starters. I have a wide range of students from all different backgrounds, some come to learn a skill that can then make them a new income or create a lifestyle change, some just want to ‘get away’ & lose themselves in something a bit different, often these people have very stressful jobs.

We offer lots of free services to Magick Minx Students & also they have the opportunity in attending our ‘Open Studio’ days which are fun, we have a bit of a community going on, lots of gossip & chat over naughty food, occasional wine & sometimes Johnny Depp comes out to play (well ok then, a life size cut out).

Three words that sum you up: Pink. Workaholic. Fun! (was going to say ‘Elle McPherson Lookalike’ but that would have been a fib!)

What makes you smile: A cupboard full of Metal Clay, Tools, Tools, Tools, Peter Kay, my Kids, remembering the 80’s, Chocolate, Sauvignon Blanc, Jason Stathem’s six-pack, my Husbands rubbish jokes, Pirates of the Caribbean films, Ironing Fairies, my Studio, The Sea, a Sausage Sarni with Fruity Brown Sauce, Mary Jaynes Fish & Chips (from Cromer), a bouquet of Flowers, my bezzie mate Vinnie, The International Jewellery Show in London (IJL, ooooh all those sparkly things!) crikey lots of stuff! I smile a lot! :0)

Proud as a Peacock



We are very excited to have had our 'Proud as a Peacock' bracelet published in the Top 20 pages of this months Beads & Beyond magazine. The instructions on how to make it are on their website but as this bracelet has been so popular at our Bead Soirees here they are again.

What You'll Need:
1 x 30cm of 0.7mm stretch elastic
1 x wired heart pendant
4 x 8mm light jade pearls
8 x teal Chinese crystal beads
4 x 12mm jet AB fire polished beads
48 x jump rings
1 x stopper bead (contrasting colour to the main beads)

Please note this will create a small/medium bracelet. If you would like to make the bracelt larger you will require more beads.

What To Do:
1. Take your 30cm length of elastic and tie the stopper bead to one end to prevent any of your strung beads coming off.

2. Open one of your jump rings. To do this use your round nose and flat nose pliers to gently push one side of the jump ring away from you to open. Thread on the wired heart pendant and close the jump ring by using your pliers again to move the two ends back together. Set aside.

3. Next start to thread your beads onto the elastic in the following order; pearl, 3 jump rings, crystal, 3 jump rings, fire polished bead, 3 jump rings, crystal, 3 jump rings, pearl, 3 jump rings, crystal, 3 jump rings, fire polished bead, 3 jump rings, crystal, 3 jump rings, pearl etc. Add your jump ring with the wired heart on in between two of your other jump rings as your string your design on.

4. Carry on threading till you have strung all your beads and jump rings. You should end on 3 jump rings.

5. Cut off the stopper bead and tie an overhand knot 4 times in your elastic to secure and trim off any excess elastic with your cutters.

Post Holiday Blues

It's been business as usual this week after getting back from Devon but I'm suffering a serious case of post holiday (and wedding) blues.  We've booked up to go camping back at the wonderful Lobb Fields campsite again in July and I'm so excited I've even dug out the tent already much to Mr C's exasperation :o)



Let's hope its as quiet as this when we go - I very much doubt it if the sun shines!



In the mean time I've been getting stuck in with all the new ideas I had for Beadelicious whilst we were away, starting with a total clear out of Beadelicious HQ and a little DIY!  Our show sign was getting a little creased so I've manged to bang a few nails and put it up the wall instead.



I'm currently coming across lots of end of line beads during the clear out so will be putting together some Bead Soup mix bags together at bargain prices along with a Bead Soup style project idea to go with them so watch this space.



Hellooo Again!!

Hello, hello.  I apologise for being so lax on my blogging recently but a combination of beady busy-ness plus the final preparations for our wedding last week have meant that the last month or so have been a little bit hectic to say the least.  Anyway apologies for being absent and for those who might be interested in a little wedding news here’s some piccies and big thanks to all those that attended our special day and helped to bring it all together.

First a huge thank you to all my girlies and especially to Clare and Tree, my wonderful bridesmaids who have helped to keep me calm make the day very special.



Thank you to the best man and usher and for to all the boys who kept Paul out of ‘serious’ trouble and in one piece for the big day.  An extra special thanks to Dancing Daz for your surprise performance.



To all our friends and family who took the time to travel all the way down to Devon to be with us on our ‘big day’ and to Mandy for making our cake.

To our parents for getting helping us so much along the way and a super duper big thank you to my mum for all her hard work in creating the invites, bunting and decorations.



To Mr Matt Fryer – our lovely photographer for hopefully taking some fab shots (we’re due to see them very soon), for being a top impromptu bar man and all round good sport who was a pleasure to have with us on the day.

To our caterers Hazel and Ellie at Eat With Englands for really pulling it out of the bag and making sure the whole day ran like a dream – and most importantly kept everyone fed and watered and so very happy!

To the Reverend Anne Thorne for marrying us and her very welcoming ‘Dibly-ness’ approach.

And finally to the ever so lovely Mr Crook for making me his wife.  What have I let myself in for :o)!!



Guest Interview - Sally Carver

A little bit about Sally:

Sally Carver is 46, married to Adam and has an eleven year old daughter called Emily. Sally lives in Hinckley, Leicestershire but also has a shop in St Ives, Cornwall – Redhotsal at St Ives.

Sally graduated from London University with a BSc in Physics and trained as an Optical Physicist, making holograms in the Security Print Industry prior to becoming a full time bead maker and teacher.

Website: http://www.redhotsal.co.uk/ Blog: http://www.redhotsal.blogspot.com/

Sally aka RedHotSal

How long have you been lampworking and how did it all begin?

I have been making lampwork glass beads for around eleven years. I have always been fascinated with glass but started out making stained glass panels as I used to renovate Victorian houses.

I had seen artisan glass beads before on a trip to Seattle but I had always assumed that they were made in factories with a substantial amount of equipment. One day I picked up Cindy Jenkins book “Making Glass Beads”. It was a revelation to find out that it was possible to make such glassy gems at home.

I could not wait to begin – I started with a plumbers torch and some glass which I had bought from Plowden and Thomson – one of the UK’s last remaining glass manufacturers. I happily played with glass on my own for a few months in my garage. It was a welcome spot of “adult time” as my daughter Emily had just been born. I used to take the baby monitor with me into the garage in the evening and enjoy an hour or so of glassy bliss!

Sally's aard winning Clover Blossom beads

A lesson with Diana East followed and I was absolutely hooked.

What inspires you?

I have not had professional artistic training and I find it quite hard to put colours together in a “tasteful” way. My instinct is to throw colours together garishly. Luckily people seem to like bright colours so that’s okay. But I sometimes want to make more “sophisticated” looking beads so I just go out window shopping. Clothes fabrics are a huge resource and a constant source of inspiration to me. I’m really enjoying the strong bold prints that are in the shops now.

I also love anything relating to the sea and love making “beach scene” beads. Having the shop in St Ives is a wonderful opportunity to see what’s happening at the sea’s edge.



Seaspray Beads

What equipment and techniques do you use in your work?

I use a Nortel Minor Burner which runs on propane and oxygen from two oxygen concentrators. I’ve used the same torch since I started. People are usually surprised that I haven’t got a huge range of tools. In fact – aside from a graphite marver (for shaping) and a stainless steel rake (for prodding and poking) everything else I have can be found in the average garage or kitchen.

Techniques for bead making are fairly straightforward; but you can make an endless variety of styles and designs by carefully picking colours and types of glass. It never fails to amaze me that there are so many different designs that can be applied to such a tiny glass canvas.

Or even IN the same glass canvas! My personal favourites are encased beads – beads where most of the decoration is inside the bead – such as encased florals or my Blossom Beads.

Where can people buy unique RedHotSal beads?

From my website – www.redhotsal.co.uk or now from my shop Redhotsal at St Ives which is one of the only shops in the UK dedicated to British made lampwork glass jewellery.

Sally's Shop in St Ives

What advice would you give to others interested in lampwork?

For buying lampwork always look for well made beads. The bead hole should be clean of powder and the holes should have a nice “pucker” – no jagged edges. Also look for clear sparkly glass. While most commercially available glass beads from China or India are not “annealed” you should always make sure that artisan glass beads have been kiln annealed. This is a process where the bead is allowed to cool very slowly under controlled conditions in a digitally controlled kiln. This ensures that the glass is stress free and less likely to break. It is essentially a strengthening process.

If you are considering taking up lampworking always follow your own style. When I started making beads there were very few people in the UK making beads and there was no pressure to reach a particular standard so it was possible to just mess around with the glass and see how it behaves. Glass bead making in the UK has grown up with the widespread use of the internet and so nowadays there are many forums dedicated to hobbies and crafts. Such forums are a wonderful resource for people – especially those new to lamp work, but at the same time it is very easy to be intimidated by the huge amount of glassy “eye candy”. Take time to just “play” with glass rather than feel you have to create a full set of beads for a necklace!

You offer tuition, what classes do you offer and what would anyone interested need to consider before starting?

I offer tuition on a one-to-one basis or small groups (up to three) at my studio in Hinckley, Leicestershire. An intensive one-to-one day course costs £160 which includes all materials. I offer discounts for groups if you want to come with a friend or two. I also sometimes teach with Diana East at her Enderby Studio. These are larger group settings in Di’s well appointed studio and are great fun.

If you are looking for a lamp work teacher your first considerations are probably cost and locality. However, do bear in mind that anyone can teach glass bead making and many people do – even if they’ve only been making beads themselves for a short while. If you are looking for a “taster” class to see if you like bead making or not this is fine – but you won’t be able to learn much in a three hour lesson. You should expect to learn about the equipment – what is available, types of kilns, torches etc. and where to get them, and most importantly how to set it all up. Health and Safety is an important consideration – as you will be using a torch which is capable of reaching 1600 C, so it is vital you know how to use it safely.

Do also make sure that your teacher has full public liability insurance and don’t be afraid to ask to see their certificate.

Also find out what torch you will be using. A hothead is a great little beginner’s torch but it is very unpleasant to have a lesson on because it is very noisy. Make sure you have full use of a torch if you are in a group situation as there is nothing more frustrating than to have to wait to make your creation.

Three words that sum you up: Bead Maker Extraordinaire!

What makes you smile: My beautiful daughter Emily and my lovely hubby Adam, especially after he built my wonderful “signal box” style studio!