A flaming good time...

So, back to real life after attending the Flame Off last weekend. For those of you who don't know, the Flame Off is a gathering for all of us loopy lampworkers...demonstrations, torches to play on, likeminded people to talk to and of course lots and lots of glassy goodies to buy! I arrived home with my bag several kilos heavier and my purse somewhat lighter and itching to play with all my new glass murrini and frit and try out the new techniques I'd learned. Unfortunately it was straight back to work for me, so today will be my first proper play day :o)

However, my week and a half off work before the Flame Off was very fruitful, so there are now some beads up on Ebay...this lovely set of blue and green pebbles;

 And this comet bead, made with dark silver plum and with three dragged turquoise dots...

Shiny new beads

Yep - the first brand new beads in a looong time! Happily, getting my new studio set up has coincided with a week and a half off work, so I'm really making up for lost time. I've been making beads every day, which is quite a luxury.

I seem to have got over my 'dark phase' from before Christmas and I've rediscovered colour. Mostly blue, but hey, at least it's colour! Looking out the windows onto a sunny garden probably helps, it's great for inspiration.

So here you go...summer pinks and fresh blues, on Ebay right now!

Happy happy happy!

Lovely landlady has finally come back from her extended holiday and given me the go ahead to use the conservatory for my studio...so I'm good to go!

 And if it looks really tidy...that's because it is :) For the first time ever, I might add. Normally, my studio looks like an explosion in a glass factory. However, the conservatory is also the entrance to our house, so I have to make an effort to keep it tidy. Also, Bob likes to stick his beak in everything (as cats do) and I didn't want him getting bits of glass stuck in his paws.

I haven't mentioned Bob, have I? He's our newly adopted cat. An ex-stray, when he was found he had rope wrapped around his tail, so he had to have the tail amputated. Mostly he seems fine with that, although he does sometimes have episodes of invisible tail chasing! I guess if humans can get phantom limb syndrome, cats can too. Apart from that though, he's a very happy chap!

Beads in strange places

Well, still no workshop and I'm suffering from serious glassy withdrawal symptoms! However, I've been having a root around and I've found lots of beads that disappeared in the house move, so I've just listed some of them on Ebay.

 One of the beads, however, I didn't have to search for...it just turned up inside one of my shoes! Now I do have a LOT of beads around the house, in various containers, but they do have the habit of appearing in the oddest places. I have found one in the car, in a lampshade and strangest of all, inside a cat's toy ball, instead of the bell! I can't even begin to imagine how they get in all these places, the little blighters must have a mind of their own!

Anyway, here's a taster of some of the beads on Ebay...

Charity Auction

I've just listed three little glass cat beads on Ebay, in aid of South Devon Cats Rehoming, the charity who gave us the lovely Noel :) They are always in need of donations for the care and upkeep of the cats. After all, the food, cat litter, vaccinations and general care don't come cheap! Trevor and Faye at Happy Stay Cattery do a fantastic job looking after the cats, so even though Noel is no longer with us, I'd like to give something back to the charity.

Multicolour Mervyn, Jasper and Roy are all waiting for a new home, so go on...you know you want to!