Thought I'd share my kids Christmas Lists to Santa (Bless 'em)
1st up Libby age 7
Dear Santa,
I have tried really hard at school, and I have tried to be nice to my sister. I really like Spongebob and would like anything Spongebob or Polly Pocket for Christmas. I will leave you some really nice cake on Christmas Eve and a Carrot for Rudolf.
Love Libby
Things I would Like
Spongebob Annual
A Puppy you can stroke with a bone
Dayglo Clothes
Big Spongebob Toys
Soap Maker
Perfume Maker
Marbles
Spongebob Pyjamas
Polly Pocket Bed and House
Polly Pockets
I was quite surprised a fairly modest list for Libby, and Marbles!! Awwwwwww
Next up Eivie age 5
Dear Santa,
I love you, I have been good at school, I have done all my homework. I love Barbie Musketeer.
Love Eivie
Barbie Musketeer Doll
Soft Elephant big massive grey
Toy puppy
Princess Dress
Hello Kitty Toy big massive really really soft
Princess Book
Ariel Toy
Marbles
I love how Eivie leaves nothing to chance by making it clear just how 'Big Massive' and 'Soft' things should be :0)
What's with the marbles guys?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Christmas Shopping, Aaaggghhhhhhh!!!
I don't want to be all bah humbug, I love Christmas but I really hate Christmas shopping with a passion!!
That's it really just wanted to have a moan, I hate it, hate it, hate it, hate it.....
Bah!!
That's it really just wanted to have a moan, I hate it, hate it, hate it, hate it.....
Bah!!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
The Best Bit
The very very best bit of what I do is seeing the wonderful work created by my customers from my beadies. I received a lovely email today from the very talented Ros Price-Jones http://www.rospricejonesdesignerjewellery.co.uk/index.html.
These beads are some the my favourites from this year, I really felt like I was getting there when I made these, and to see them made in to such truly beautiful jewellery is a treat.
Thank you Ros for the pictures, I just LOVE them. Kate xoxoxox
Friday, November 13, 2009
Husbands come in Handy Sometimes ;0)
I saw a picture of a fabulous glass storage system on one of my fellow lampworkers flickr galleries, and I just HAD to have one. Surprisingly Hubby didn't need much persuading to have a go, and look what he made for me for me. All my effetre organised in to number order and some CiM too. Now I need another one for everything else ;0)
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Black Magic and Dragon Frenzie
I'm making lots of these.....................
Ekho Dragons
And these...............
Ekho Black Magic
Over the next week, anymore for anymore before I'm all Ekho'd out :0)
email me kate@sublimebeads.co.uk.
Ekho Dragons
And these...............
Ekho Black Magic
Over the next week, anymore for anymore before I'm all Ekho'd out :0)email me kate@sublimebeads.co.uk.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Memories
Time to share.......
When I was a little girl I often went to stay with my Grandparents in Huddersfield, on one occasion it was for a week or two, I think mum and dad had bogged off to France and dumped my brother and I there, not that we minded we were spoilt rotten. One evening after a thorough scrubbing with Imperial Leather from Nana in the bath we were ritually wrapped up in dressing gowns with horlicks in one hand and a kit-kat in the other winding down for bed. Grandad appeared and announced that we were going on an adventure and that we all had to get in the car, as we were! We had no idea where we were going, an hour or so later there we were parked up on the front at Blackpool in our pyjamas, eating fish and chips from Harry Ramsdens watching the Illuminations from the car, it was magic! One of my fondest childhood memories of my Grandparents.
It's just a year since Grandad passed away which put me in mind of him a lot, so it was wonderful to relive that memory with my own children recently. We took them to Blackpool and enjoyed the very best Blackpool had to offer, Harry Ramsden's fish 'n' chips, a ride on the big wheel on central pier, a horse and carriage ride all the way along the seafront, Blackpool Rock and of course the Illuminations, but this time aboard the Illuminations Tour open top tram! I have to say it was fantastic, the children were mesmerised, and I LOVED it, all of it.
When I was a little girl I often went to stay with my Grandparents in Huddersfield, on one occasion it was for a week or two, I think mum and dad had bogged off to France and dumped my brother and I there, not that we minded we were spoilt rotten. One evening after a thorough scrubbing with Imperial Leather from Nana in the bath we were ritually wrapped up in dressing gowns with horlicks in one hand and a kit-kat in the other winding down for bed. Grandad appeared and announced that we were going on an adventure and that we all had to get in the car, as we were! We had no idea where we were going, an hour or so later there we were parked up on the front at Blackpool in our pyjamas, eating fish and chips from Harry Ramsdens watching the Illuminations from the car, it was magic! One of my fondest childhood memories of my Grandparents.
It's just a year since Grandad passed away which put me in mind of him a lot, so it was wonderful to relive that memory with my own children recently. We took them to Blackpool and enjoyed the very best Blackpool had to offer, Harry Ramsden's fish 'n' chips, a ride on the big wheel on central pier, a horse and carriage ride all the way along the seafront, Blackpool Rock and of course the Illuminations, but this time aboard the Illuminations Tour open top tram! I have to say it was fantastic, the children were mesmerised, and I LOVED it, all of it.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Cooking up a Storm
Hello Peeps, 
Oh dear, has it really been that long!
Well, onwards and upwards, I have good news, I made some beads! :0)
After a dry spell my tattered mojo has been reignited by a wonderful new tutorial, 'Taking Reduction Glass by Storm' by Amy Kinsch. I love this tutorial because is is technique based and works with silver glass which I adore.
The technique teaches you how to create storm like effects in your beads, I'm trying my best to get some work out ready to list, in the mean time I hope you enjoy these, mesmerising!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Swap till you Drop
I did a great swap this week with Diane Turton of http://www.sowzeredesigns.com/ I sent her a Zoozii Star Press and she sent me lots and lots of glassy goodies as well as some of her super super beautifil hand dyed silk chiffon ribbons which are stunning. 
These are the perfect thing for setting off focal beads, just gorgeous. I was really inspired by the colours and set off to the studio for a play, this is what I came up with..........
Opulent Swirls
Monday, June 15, 2009
Zingy Zesty Mojo Medicine
This is what you do if your Mojo is waining or has gone walkies, I know it happens to lots of beadmakers. You get yourself a Mojo box from Jo at Kitzbitzartglass you take it into the garden, glass of wine optional, stare at it, fondle it, stroke it and let the Mojo return :0) easy peesy.
Coordinating hand blown shards, hand made murrini, handmade frit, hand pulled twisties and stringers, what more could a girl want.
Love Kate xx
Coordinating hand blown shards, hand made murrini, handmade frit, hand pulled twisties and stringers, what more could a girl want.
Love Kate xx
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Tuesday 2nd June 2009
Keeper of the Thicket Review
I have had so much fun with this wonderful Keeper of the Thicket tutorial by the outstanding Cynthia Tilker.
For anyone venturing in to sculptural work I would highly recommend this tutorial it's excellent, a comprehensive list of tools and materials, nothing exceptional required I had everything I needed and I'm not a tool hoarder. Clear steps, great pictures and constant reminders to 'keep me warm' which are essential. I've really learnt a lot about glass making these little chaps, and this tutorial has given me a bit more confidence to make larger sculptural work, I've thoroughly enjoyed myself and thrilled my children who have adopted them all.
I really should have been working but it's not often I have a play day, and this one I put down to research ;o)
I have had so much fun with this wonderful Keeper of the Thicket tutorial by the outstanding Cynthia Tilker.
For anyone venturing in to sculptural work I would highly recommend this tutorial it's excellent, a comprehensive list of tools and materials, nothing exceptional required I had everything I needed and I'm not a tool hoarder. Clear steps, great pictures and constant reminders to 'keep me warm' which are essential. I've really learnt a lot about glass making these little chaps, and this tutorial has given me a bit more confidence to make larger sculptural work, I've thoroughly enjoyed myself and thrilled my children who have adopted them all.
I really should have been working but it's not often I have a play day, and this one I put down to research ;o)
My First Keeper 'Dinky'
Second Attempt 'Viv'
Flo
Dinky, Viv and Violet
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Thursday 27th May
Half term prevents any studio action, but have laptop will work even with kids chelping at my heels. So, I've had a big sprink clean this week of my website and blog all to tie in with my Etsy shop.
Check it out http://www.sublimebeads.co.uk/ hope you like it.
Beady stuff occuring recently is lots of silver glass beads, I treated myself to a stach of the Double Helix glass rods, super super gorgeous, a bit expensive but I do love them.
A recent creation - Evolve
Check it out http://www.sublimebeads.co.uk/ hope you like it.
Beady stuff occuring recently is lots of silver glass beads, I treated myself to a stach of the Double Helix glass rods, super super gorgeous, a bit expensive but I do love them.
A recent creation - Evolve
Well off to see to my duty as chief water bomb target in the garden now.
Kate xxxx
Monday, April 13, 2009
Brights
We've had a great Easter, and I've had a brilliant run of sales from my website so I've celebrated by eating way too much chocolate......oops.
A HUGE Thank You to everyone who's shopped over the weekend, the sales have covered the cost of my recent impulse buy.....GLASS :-) which will be put to good use making more beads, heaven.
My newly designed studio, complete with 'Window' has got me hooked on brights at the moment, I think it's the sunlight beaming through that just makes those glass rods look so irresistible.
Hope you've all had a good Easter. Kate xx
A HUGE Thank You to everyone who's shopped over the weekend, the sales have covered the cost of my recent impulse buy.....GLASS :-) which will be put to good use making more beads, heaven.
My newly designed studio, complete with 'Window' has got me hooked on brights at the moment, I think it's the sunlight beaming through that just makes those glass rods look so irresistible.
Here's some of the brightest of the bunch..........
Party Poppers
Hope you've all had a good Easter. Kate xx
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
I'm Back
Hello,
It's been a while I know, the bead making has been fraught will problems, not least of all having to change servers for my website 'AGAIN' as the previous cheap and cheerful hosting company was driving me nuts. I was losing emails, unable to update my website or shop, all very very frustrating. SO if you've tried to email me and thought I hadn't replied, please accept my apologies, I wasn't being rude and hope it hasn't happened to too many people.
I'll be listing new beads this Friday, the 10th at 8pm with some new fresh beads to cheer everyone up now that we finally have a little sunshine.
My latest obsession are Warring States beads, this is a set I made this week.
It's been a while I know, the bead making has been fraught will problems, not least of all having to change servers for my website 'AGAIN' as the previous cheap and cheerful hosting company was driving me nuts. I was losing emails, unable to update my website or shop, all very very frustrating. SO if you've tried to email me and thought I hadn't replied, please accept my apologies, I wasn't being rude and hope it hasn't happened to too many people.
I'll be listing new beads this Friday, the 10th at 8pm with some new fresh beads to cheer everyone up now that we finally have a little sunshine.
My latest obsession are Warring States beads, this is a set I made this week.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Time Travel
Ever wondered what the inside of H G Wells time machine might look like?
Me neither....but a fellow lampworker Glenn of Steampunk Glass has, so much so that he's begun to create REAL valves and coils using lampworking, for use in the construction of your very own time machine, AWESOME!!
Glenn was kind enough to send me my very own time machine starter kit last week, I'm having a little trouble sourcing the additional componants I need though:
1. Red Velvet Arm Chair
2. Mahogany Wood Base (Polished)
3. Flashing Lights
4. Large Spinning Disk
But I've got my other half on the case ;-)
Here are the parts Glenn sent me
See you in 1841...............................
Thank you Glenn, these really made my week.
Me neither....but a fellow lampworker Glenn of Steampunk Glass has, so much so that he's begun to create REAL valves and coils using lampworking, for use in the construction of your very own time machine, AWESOME!!
Glenn was kind enough to send me my very own time machine starter kit last week, I'm having a little trouble sourcing the additional componants I need though:
1. Red Velvet Arm Chair
2. Mahogany Wood Base (Polished)
3. Flashing Lights
4. Large Spinning Disk
But I've got my other half on the case ;-)
Here are the parts Glenn sent me
See you in 1841...............................
Thank you Glenn, these really made my week.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Wordle Fun - Jan 16th - 2009
Found this on the net http://www.wordle.net/
And this is a Wordle of my blog, go on have a go!! :-)
And this is a Wordle of my blog, go on have a go!! :-)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Lost - Jan 14th 2009
Ok I haven't been around for a while, quite a while actually!!
There's been lots of family stuff going on, my youngest daughter started school and I felt slightly abandoned, very sadly my Grandfather died, which was more of a blow than I'd expected, and then there was Christmas..........
But something else was niggling me all along really, where am I going with the bead making lark? I'm quite an internet junkie, and unsurpizingly I stalk, and I mean 'stalk' all things glassy on the net, particularly lampwork beads, as I've done even before I started lampworking myself. But this continuing habit sent me head long in to something of a quandry, I completely lost sight of what I was trying to do, I was lost, in other peoples beads! I started to feel that everything I was making was rather too 'inspired' and doubted how much of it had actually come from me, and how much I'd subconsciously 'copied', my mind was so full of all those 'WOW' images.
So I took a break, the new year has found me back at the torch and I now feel I'm on my own road again.........phew!!
I recently posted a thread about my experience on Frit Happens (an open internet forum frequented by lampworkers and jewellery designers) and to my surprise there were many other lampworkers who'd found themselves in a similar situation at some point in their bead making career. The general consensus seemed to be, that looking at other peoples work is good in some ways, it raises your game, and can be genuinely inspiring, but on the other hand it can send on a path where you'r unintentionally chasing somebody elses style, and you can also find yourself suffering from a touch of the old 'Bead Envy' too, all very bad for the mojo.
I love the internet, but I've learnt that I need to curb my own obsession for lampwork beads in order to be genuinely creative myself.
So here I go, it's been tough not ogling everyone's gorgeous beads, but it's just so bad for my mojo, so I'm limiting myself to once a week ;-) let's see how I go on!
There's been lots of family stuff going on, my youngest daughter started school and I felt slightly abandoned, very sadly my Grandfather died, which was more of a blow than I'd expected, and then there was Christmas..........
But something else was niggling me all along really, where am I going with the bead making lark? I'm quite an internet junkie, and unsurpizingly I stalk, and I mean 'stalk' all things glassy on the net, particularly lampwork beads, as I've done even before I started lampworking myself. But this continuing habit sent me head long in to something of a quandry, I completely lost sight of what I was trying to do, I was lost, in other peoples beads! I started to feel that everything I was making was rather too 'inspired' and doubted how much of it had actually come from me, and how much I'd subconsciously 'copied', my mind was so full of all those 'WOW' images.
So I took a break, the new year has found me back at the torch and I now feel I'm on my own road again.........phew!!
I recently posted a thread about my experience on Frit Happens (an open internet forum frequented by lampworkers and jewellery designers) and to my surprise there were many other lampworkers who'd found themselves in a similar situation at some point in their bead making career. The general consensus seemed to be, that looking at other peoples work is good in some ways, it raises your game, and can be genuinely inspiring, but on the other hand it can send on a path where you'r unintentionally chasing somebody elses style, and you can also find yourself suffering from a touch of the old 'Bead Envy' too, all very bad for the mojo.
I love the internet, but I've learnt that I need to curb my own obsession for lampwork beads in order to be genuinely creative myself.
So here I go, it's been tough not ogling everyone's gorgeous beads, but it's just so bad for my mojo, so I'm limiting myself to once a week ;-) let's see how I go on!
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