Selling in the Highlands of Scotland!

I've had a busy couple of days making lots of cakes for my son's rugby presentation evening and preparing lots of bead sets to sell in Kiki's Craft Corner in the Highlands of Scotland. 

Kiki's Craft Corner (click on the link) "is a patchwork & quilting, spinning & felting, knitting & embroidery shop in the Highlands of Scotland." Now, I don't live anywhere near the Highlands of Scotland but I do have a very lovely friend (Sophie) whose very lovely Mum (Teresa) comes down regularly to visit and has popped up to my Shed/Studio/Shed to purchase some beads for her quilting projects - Lochside Quilter.  Take a look, Teresa has made some gorgeous quilts in beautiful colours.  I have seen some of her work and it is stunning in real life too.

Well, it was Teresa who put in touch with Kiera from Kiki's Craft Corner.  Are you with me so far...... hee hee....  We had a good chat and talked about what kind of beads to sell and decided to have a mixture of buttons, individual beads and bead sets.  I also included some 'lonelies' too.  These are the left over beads from some of my sets, suggested by Teresa and Sophie.  A great idea!

You can't see it very clearly from the photo but I have had these little 'made with love' charms for ages and had completely forgotton about them until now.  So, whilst stringing up the bead sets I added a little charm on the bottom.  This may sound wierd/strange....but I take a great amount of pride in my work and I am very conscientious. When I finish a set of beads, considering the amount of time and effort I put into my work ... they are I think....made with love!

Sarah xx

Busy, Busy, Busy .....

It has been a busy week this week.  I have been working on a few commissions, teaching pre-school children to make polymer clay beads and fighting a nasty cold that I don't seem to be able to shake off.

I have also been struggling with a million and one ideas trying to whizz-pop around in my cold ingested head.  The trouble is that most of my ideas have been happening at the torch whilst I am trying to make my commissions.  My mind is hyjacked by all these ideas and I end up not being able to concentrate on the bead I am actually making!

I've been trying to think of strategies to help the situation ....  I have my trusty notepad on the desk next to my kiln.  Every time I get an idea I can scribble it down on the pad to try and empty the thought from my head (temporarily at least...).  My next strategy was to alternate making a commission bead with an 'idea' bead.  So far this seems to be working!

I think this is why I find commissions difficult.  Usually when I am making beads my mind is free - almost like meditating I suppose - and I let my ideas flow.  If I am making something specific, the ideas are still whizzing through my mind but are stopped and I end up with a creative blockage in my brain.  This causes me to lose focus on the beads I am trying to make.  I used to think artists were quite pretentious when I heard them talk about similar things but I am beginning to understand it more and more.

 

Anyway....

 What are these ideas whizzing through my mind?

What else have I been working on this week?

I have swirls on the brain! 

The idea behind this bead is quite nice really.  It is part of a commission.  I have been asked to make three special european large hole beads (like pandora/troll) to represent my customer's husband, son and daughter.  Her daughter is quite outgoing, girly and has a mass of beautiful swirly curly hair.  Hence the swirls ..... I have yet to make the other beads ..... a new blog post I think later in the week!

Here is an example of how my mind works ..... This led me on to making more swirly beads.  This time with an internal swirl.  I am going to make more of these beads in lots of different colour combinations.  I think there are a lot of possibilities with these .... and I liked making them!

I have decided to call these my Cafe Creme beads and they will soon be appearing in my Shop on Etsy.

Finally .... It's that time of year when all the daffodils start popping out in my garden.  It has taken me a long time to appreciate the daffodil.  I used to absolutely detest them.  Wierd really because now I look forward to them filling patches of my garden with their happy yellow trumpets.  But that is another blog..... here is what I made ....

My little flowers don't look anything like a daffodil I know! But, this is something I am working on ..... I still want to progress my floral beads further by using canes to make the stamens and I think I need to master that first.  I was hoping to start that this week but I need to have a clear head to concentrate on these beads.

Sarah xx