All about jewellery making

As soon as I saw these lovely jewellery gift boxes I knew I had to order some for my shop.  They come flat-packed and should be available to buy in the next few days!

Now that Christmas is past and the new year seems to already be whizzing along my thoughts are turning to Spring.  It occured to me how important the seasons and their respective festivities are to crafters.  The turning year provides a rich source of inspiration and our traditions punctuate that cycle.  The next special day on the horizon is Valentine’s Day. 

As with Christmas I have created a section in the Bead Tree bead shop for this occasion.  Here I have gathered a wide selection of heart shaped beads and pendants as well as a variety of pink, red and purple beads.  I have so many items in my shop that it seems to me that clear and helpful arrangement of stock must be helpful to my customers.

Although we usually associate Valentine’s Day with romantic love it is a perfect time to express fondness and affection to all our loved ones.  A simple handmade gift of a Murano style heart on a cord or rose quartz bracelet could really make someones day.  It is with the spirit of spreading a little Valentine’s love that I write this post.

If you have been reading my blog for long enough you may remember the tutorial I wrote last year for a right angle weave Valentine’s beaded heart motif.  This year my energies went into a crochet pattern for vintage style romantic Valentine’s heart bunting, perfect for decorating your home at this time of year.  Pictures of my Valentine’s heart bunting can be found here and the pattern can be purchased from here.

I would like to end this post by wishing all my readers and customers a peaceful and joyful 2008.

 
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I just had to take a few minutes to show the penguin beads that I have added to the Christmas beads section in the Bead Tree shop, aren’t they adorable?

They would be perfect for fun Christmas earrings, I just love them!

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Lately I have uploaded lots of new stock to my bead shop and thought I would showcase some of it here.  I am gradually building up my range - each time I have a sale I try to put the money back into increasing stock and variety.  It is a slow process but I am getting there!  Many of the items I have for sale can be bought on a ‘per bead’ basis.  I felt that there was a need for this type of selling for those who do not want to buy in bulk and who are perhaps making an item for a special occasion or as a gift.  This method of selling means that I can keep the stock changing and introduce new items quite frequently so that it is worth checking back.  Well, I promised a peek at the new items so here they are:

::  Bali style pewter  ::  Crackle glass  ::  Murano style foil lined beads::  Millefiori beads & pendants ::  Murano style glass pendants  ::

 I hope you like them!

The earrings have not yet materialised - I am having a bit of an inspiration slump!  However I have made this felt flower brooch:

The centre is filled with stuffing to add a 3D quality and the whole flower is hand stitched.  In reality the pink is a bit brighter than in the photo but it is so hard to get a true likeness with some colours, red and pink in particular.