New Listings ~~~ Finally

Yes I have finally got to listing some jewellery into my ChatElaine Creations Etsy store.  My intentions are always good but get very sidetracked when I'm online (plus I have to admit I don't really enjoy listing it just takes such a long time!!!)

 

Tempest Seas in copper

So I will be trying to pop in a few things I made for Bead Magazine and maybe if I feel like making some earrings I will list those too.  I have been very off jewellery making lately, as I have been doing other things around the house instead! Like tidying up my work area and getting my beads storage more streamlined so I can actually find what I want, when I want it!

So Tempest Seas Pendant Necklace is now in my store, with copper wire and my own lampwork focal bead in it. I have one or two others to list still but I will get them up this week.



Cant believe how quickly Christmas is looming up, time to sort out my list to Santa, I think there will be tools on there somewhere! Ha ha!  80))


Till next time

E x

Blogtoberfest DAY 21

Oh dear dear me!! 

I have failed to keep up on my Blogtoberfest every day posting!!    Slappy Handy!!

Days just seem to be whizzing by and I haven't been around to organise what I wanted to post about!

I really am going to have to play catch up now but not necessarily in the order of my original schedule!  I am not good a time keeping so why I thought I could keep to a schedule I really don't know!!!  Ha ha!!


So Saturday Snippets

I headed off to the Big Bead Show at Sandown Park in Esher, Bead Magazine's Bead Show and their British Bead Awards, the winners where announced and Best in Show voting by the Bead Show attendees, I placed my vote but I didn't win any giveaway prizes though!

I did, however, get a bit carried away and my 'flexible friend' suffered a bit!

Tools were on the list amongst other things ~~ wire mainly but I did need that for my workshop which I might add is looming up fast on the 2nd November.  I have some students booked on it so its a Goer, YAY!   Need to make sure I have the necessary wire for that.

Well back to the TOOLS!

Top of my list was Letter Stamps for metal. TICK got those!  You might see my endeavours in the future.

New pair of wire cutters.  TICK got those with orange handles no less!

Pin vice, TICK.  Another pair of Nylon coated pliers, TICK got those!  Digital Calipers, TICK. And a Center Punch, TICK to them all! 

I did get a few beady things which included some solder paste and some st. silver beads and bead caps from Palmer Metals.  Gosh won't I be a busy beader!!! Whoahoo!!!!


I didn't get the wire as the supplier wasn't at the show so will need to order that on line, but I think I did quite well!  80))

And it was also my Wedding Anniversary so a lovely Chinese Takeaway for Tea!! Yum yum!



Next ~ The Sunday Gathering


I have got a few new beads to show you along with some new headpins which I have listed in my Etsy store

 

 

 

 

 

Jumbo Chatelle Beads

 

Leaves Headpins on copper wire

 

 

 

Sea Urchin Buttons and beads 

Just as few new things.


I do need to do some forum bits and bobs but will pop back to do that when I have sorted it out.



That's about it for now

E x

     

Saturday Snippets ~ DAY 5

Its rather late as I forgot to take some pictures of my bead session this week so I have decided to do something else!

New issue of Bead has been published and this issue has my Steampunk Fashionista Necklace tutorial in. 

 

 

I enjoy making long necklaces and I am so 'into' steampunk right now, I love this very popular current trend. My Pinterest boards are full of all sorts of lovely creations.

 

Purple version

 

Green version

The purple version used for the tutorial has a locket watch for the main focal whereas the green version had a large watch/bee charm. 

It has inspired me to have a go at making some beads or cabochons within the steampunk genre!!  I reckon I will have a play this week and have a little go at seeing what I can come up with.

 E x

Latest Issue Bead

Look at me posts back to back!!

Do I here a whoop whoop whoop!!  No ~~ oh well here goes anyway!!

The Latest issue of Bead ~~  I made the front cover with my copper/pink bangle.

 

Bottom right corner

The bangle is called Chinese Whispers I thought it had a little chinese feel to it and liked the name so here are all the colour variations I made for it.

 

 

I love the colours really vibrant, with my weaving technique for the project, the pink wire is using 0.315mm wire and the purple is using 0.56mm wire. the difference is the pink is much finer and the purple more obvious.

Would love to know if you have decided to have a go at trying it out.

~~~~~~~

I will be adding more tutorials to the blog very soon and I would love to know if you would like to see me do any specific tutorials for you.

I do love to get comments so don't be shy leave any comments you want to pass on I always read them and will respond when possible.  (Please no advertising though)


More updates very soon!



Toodleoo

E x

Latest Bead Magazine

I know its a bit late but I am in the latest issue of Bead Magazine

here is my tutorial piece(s)

Swirling Tempest

Its wild and stormy - this issue was a special issue with the theme Back to Nature.

I decided to use one of my seascape beads as the focal I dont use my own beads very often but as I am also profiled in this issue of the magazine as well,  I was able to use my beads in the project, so the article had a 2 page spread and the project had a 4 page spread so lots of pages - huh!!!!  80))

It was quite a large advanced project and it took me a while to write it so my next one isnt so large but I did enjoy making it and I am pretty pleased with it.   I hope the readers will like it.

 

 

I also made the connectors and the beads on them too. Its my first major project where I made the majority of the components, so I am pleased with this achievement and one I have had on my long list of goals to fulfill. So thats another tick in the box!!


Next time I will show you what new ideas I have been working on.

So till next time

Toodleoo

E x

Christmas is getting close!!

I have struggled so much this year trying to get ready for the arrival of Christmas!!  I can't believe I still haven't purchased any gifts other than my husband/daughter's present of a (joint) laptop.

Billie needs it for her school work so she can use it up in her bedroom for revision of her GCSE exams.  She got her Mock results last week and they were pretty good - some better than expected.  Her dragon for her Art & Design mock sadly broke in the kiln (previews in a previous post), she has glued it back together, hopefully with a good paint job it shouldn't be to bad!!  She then has her science resits in January, she got B's in 3 of them so we decided why not give them another go to see if she can get A's in those as well, she was only 2 marks off the chemistry one!!!  She can't lose as she keeps her best grade either way!! 

She will also resit her English language module which the school has agreed to put everyone back into resit it because of all the wooha over the government changes they made mid-year!! She got a D and her target grade was a C she was pretty devastated by that!!!  

So now we are trying to work out what she wants to do for the future, its so difficult making these decisions now, she is still 15 and trying to decide on her future.  She wants to carry on into the 6th Form and do A levels. She is suppose to pick 4 only, so wittling down from 11 has been very mind-blowing!!   I think we're nearly there now!!  Phew!!

Mick needs the laptop to download his music collection (records) when we had to wipe the system on the main computer I didnt know he hadn't saved anything onto disk/memory stick so he lost everything he'd done already!!  He was gutted!! So they are both sharing the laptop, I will need to get him an external hard drive I think to save everything onto so he won't lose it all again!!


So hence Christmas has taken a bit of a back seat, I just cant seem to get interested in it at all. My biggest problem is the fact my oven is cremating everything I put in it!! 80((  Yes its about 23 years old and has seen better days, the thermostat has gone and my hubbie says the parts are now obselete so that means I need to get a new one.  I dont want to get a new one, they don't make them like they used to (mine is a split level one) my kitchen is only half complete and I just didnt want to buy one right now, so what to do?????  January Sales I think cheap and hopefully cheerful!!!   So not much chance of getting a christmas pressie this year! 80((


Its my birthday again in January, only this is a biggy!! 

Yep 50!!

Oh gosh!!  I feel ancient, at 40 I seemed to change over night but 50 I really dont know how thats going to go!  I know one thing I really want to do something a bit different, special ~


a flying lesson!





            No not a glider a real plane!! 





Checked it out and I have found a company on the web

http://www.intotheblue.co.uk/flying-experiences/fly/flying-lessons/panshangeraerodrome/

this is at Panshanger in Hertfordshire so not too far!! I am quite excited about the experience but I will wait until the spring for better weather.  I am still trying to work out what to do on my birthday, I am thinking of doing an Afternoon Tea type gathering, I'm working on that one!!  Will update you when I have decided.



Thats it for now, nothing new to show you jewellery/beads wise, I am working on tutorials for Bead Magazine right now so got to keep that under my hat. 

One thing though I can hear my paint brushes calling me from my workshop, I might just have to go answer that call, must be all the art stuff Billie is doing at school, she keeps raiding my art and craft supplies and its making me think ~ I do miss it!  I need to get those canvases out which seem to be cluttering up my space!  Mmmmmmm problem with that though is I love doing life drawing, I might need to go join an evening art class!!

Maybe I'm having another mid-life crisis at 50!!!  Ha ha ha!!

Catch you next time!!

E x

   

More Tutorials

Well here is the latest issue of Bead Magazine which is the Winter Special Edition which has a theme of 'Through the Decades', issue 42. 

 

 

 

I chose the decade of 1910 which is Art Nouveau style so for my design I came up with a wirework brooch called Nouveau Vines Brooch. 

Wire is copper in 1.25mm with green wrapping wire in between copper leaves with vine type tendrils and a pin with a 3 petal flower at the top. The green wire I chose to emanate the colour of enamels used in the jewellery of this period. I always think copper and green look great together and I am particularly pleased with the final piece.  

 

 

 

This will hold an open/loose weave scarf or shawl maybe you could also use it as a hair barrette, the pin has a slight curve to it to allow for fabric or hair!! I think I need to come up with other designs to add to my wirework collection.

I so love copper and have decided that it will be one of the main metals of wire I will use, along with brass and bronze too. I do use the colour coated wires as well this has a copper base but as for silver, which is expensive now, I won't be using that very often ~ its mainly due to the hallmarking which we have in this country for silver with the weight exceeding 7.78grams. The extra costs this entails is not feasible for me at this current time.

I have now been trying to come up with some future designs for the magazine and bangles were ideas I have come up with.  That one won't be in the magazine until next year now and I also have a linked necklace on the agenda too.



I have a sample bangle I can show you and this was made using a basketweave around the back.

Bit funky but fun!!

Very enjoyable but it took longer than some of the other weaves to do but very effective.

Love the turquoise wire,  weaving is much easier to do in the coloured wires as they are softer to work with, not so demanding on the fingers but they do start to get a little sore about a few hours!!    I love this weave.

No lets see if I can actually publish this post now???  Internet not playing ball, very frustrating taken be ages to get it to work!!

Ta ta for now

E x

Tutorials for Bead Magazine

I have been making tutorials again for Bead Magazine, I enjoy making them especially if they go well. I get a little worried when the deadlines come around but I just about make the deadline in time ~ phew!!


Its a ring called Hugging the Rose made using bronze wire and a lovely pyrite rose bead, I do love bronze wire, mmmm gorgeous colour and a very sophisticated feel to it!! 

This is the article photo ~ so as you can see its a very professional composition unlike my own photos, not my fortee I'm afraid, I would love some photographic instruction, its also the props that make it look so good too.

I have another tutorial coming up in the next issue as well, this is a Special Winter Edition with a Decades theme. My project is a brooch with an Art Nouveau inspired design.  Cant show that just yet as it wont be out in the shops for another couple of weeks. Will post it then!

~~~~~~

Life is a little hectic just now as I am doing more hours at work so finding the time to fit beadmaking in seems to be limited to tuesdays and weekends mainly.

I have a new venture too, back in september the family and I went to Brighton for our annual visit (we love Brighton)  I did my usual seafront gallery visiting and got chatting to the gallery owner of the Cactus Gallery and she wants to have some of my beads in the gallery.  So lots of brightly coloured hearts to make and buttons too.

I've started!!!

Many more still to do!!

Show you more next time as torch was lit again yesterday!!


Ta ta for now!!


E x

I've been away a looooong time!!

Yes I have!  Where have I been?  I'm sorry to say I've been ill.

I am getting better all the time but still not quite right.

My unusual condition is called Erythema Nodosum which has painful lumps over my legs, hands and a few up my arms. Swelling of my legs/ankles and wrists includings my knees recently. It also came with a fever which has gone now but my lumps keep coming up and going away but still it lingers on. Doc is now sending me for blood tests and I've just had a Chest X-Ray so maybe we can get to the bottom of why it isnt going. I do have an idea that maybe I've had something else with it that hasnt come to light but.....  who knows!!!!!!!


Right thats enough of the boring, self pity!!!! 

Down to business, well actually there hasnt been any!!  I have done a little bit recently as I have just completed a project for Bead Magazine for one of my wire rings but that wont be out until September, so cant show you anything of that yet.

I am working on the next project for Bead Magazine which is for there special winter issue, I am not going to give that one away just yet.  You will have to be patient!!

Now because I havent been on here for so long I cant remember what pictures I've shown you so here are a couple just so the post isnt too plain!!!

Triton's Treasure Ring

This has my own bead made with Triton DH glass ~ I love this glass

     

Katie's Ring

I made this one for my friends daughter Katie for her birthday

and she is modelling the ring for you

It has a pink tourmaline gemstone bead on copper wire

I know finally have some liver of sulphur gel and so I will be able to patina the copper so it will be darker. I think it will look much more rustic then.

Well thats it for now, hope to be a bit more active and write much more often. Right I'm off to Inspiration Avenue to see what the challenge is for this week!!

See you all again soon.

E x