The big 500 Giveaway!!

Wooooooo hoooo

I have 500 "likes" on Facebook! So time for the giveaway as promised.

So up for grabs is one of my button necklace's. There are 6 lampwork buttons on a gold (plated) chain 18" Long.

All you have to do is leave me a facebook comment - or a reply to my blog post before midnight Friday 22nd April 2011.

I'll get my assistant (Jojo) to pick a name at random!

Simples ...........

Post away!

Trudi

Fired up From Flame Off

Not long back from the annual Flame Off event in Towcester, where I had a fabulous few days meeting up with friends, watching artists demo and buy lots of glass goodies!!

I also got to meet new friends, including Christina from Frit & Glass - we have talked a lot over email and facebook - so it was great to finally meet face to face!

While I was there I managed to stock up on some frit (tiny pieces of glass) - like I really don't have enough!! But I see the new colours and I know I'll "need" them. Christina also stocks the really tinly blends that are ideal for smaller beads, and not only does she sell blends, but also single colours. So I bought some of the singles and I've been playing around making up my own blends.

This one was named by Michelle of Sundoor Beads - Rainforest.

And I made these with the frit and the new CiM glass - Atlantis!

Off to play again!

Trudi

The Handmade Gift Guide

I've just recently come across a great site promoting Handmade Gifts

It was set up by Anne Haymen in 2009 with the aim of giving crafters the opportunity to join together and promote not only thier own work, but also the work of others!

There's lots to see and read on the site, directories, showcases, giveaways, so if you've never come across this before, make yourself a cup of coffee and have a good browse.

There are links to their Flickr Gallery

and their Etsy Street Team

and this week I'm included in the vote

My heart is no 60 on the list.

If you like it, please vote by clicking the goldstar above the picture.

Vote here

Show me the love!

Thanks for reading.

Trudi x

Bubble Beads

A few weeks ago I made a range of Bubble Big Hole beads ....

They're quite addictive and look different to other bracelet beads out there!! Well the past 2 days I've sold quite a few of them, so I've been making some more!

Check out the site www.glitteringprize.co.uk where you can sign up to the mailing list!

Thanks for looking!

Trudi x

Nuts About Nuggets!

I quite like making free form nugget beads, they're very tactile and with the angled sides it really lets the light shine through!

They can be all sorts of sizes, but I'm tending to like mine chunky, and they look great with silvered ceramics!

And I just love the bright and bold colours!

Love them both left shiny, and etched too!

I just can't get enough!

Bold and beautiful!

J'adore

This beautiful necklace has been created by the lovely Sarah. She has used my lampwork heart and teamed it with freshwater keishi pearls, crystals and sterling silver chain, simply stunning!

To see more of Sarah's work visit her website

New Coat = New Broach and New Handbag = New Charm!

For Christmas I was lucky enough to get a new coat, and this coat is a bright shade of pink (you can see me coming!).

I decided that this needed a nice brooch of some sort and so I made myself a pink heart bead. Brooches really aren't my area of expertise, so I sent the bead to my friend George and she turned it into the most fabulous fibula!

I can't tell you how thrilled I am with it, and I've had no end of comments about it.

So now I had a new coat, I had to change my bag ........ the bag I was using was green, nothing wrong with it, just kinda clashed with the coat! I was in town the other week and Clarks had a sale on, imagine my joy when I saw the handbag I was after in sale at half price!! I just had to have it.

Now I have my new bag, it really needed a bag charm to match in with the coat. So here is the new charm

I made the heart bead with silver rich glass and gold leaf and teamed it with silvered ceramic beads and Swarovski crystals, strung on a leather cord!

Trudi x