Striking bead and jewellery delivery lorry drivers!

I just heard a rumour that bead delivery drivers are going out on strike. Apparently jewellery delivery drivers may join in out of sympathy so I'm encouraging everyone to top up their supplies now!

Better buy beads quick from my SoozBeads Etsy shop

You can get jewellery from my SoozJewels Etsy shop

Please form an orderly queue!

Hot orange bubbles

A customer has asked me if I can make her some orange bubble beads - I'm giving her the choice of these prototypes. I'm waiting to hear which one she prefers but I like the one third from the left best and have made a set of these today, they are cooling in the kiln as I type!

These are hot stuff, just like the lovely warm weather we are enjoying this week! 

Boys will be boys

This little male Chaffinch has been keeping me company whilst I've been beadmaking all morning. He can see his reflection in the window and thinks it's a rival for the prime real estate of my garden (which is well stocked with bird feeders) and obviously the most des res in the area.

He keeps flying up and gesticulating frantically for the other male to depart but his efforts are in vain. He doesn't seem to be hurting himself but his persistence looks very tiring! I have tried to explain to him that rather than fight himself he should really be building a nest and then finding a nice young lady to settle down and have eggs with but he's not listening. I even tried taping white paper at the window so he couldn't see his reflection so well but it hasn't worked. He is undeterred.

I do hope he decides to have a family soon and so becomes too busy for such testosterone fuelled duelling. After a while it gets a little unnerving ... when he's still like this, it looks like he's staring at me. I've seen Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", when some goldfinches appeared on the niger feeder and THEN some pigeons on the bird table, I decided it was time to come in ...

Please excuse Sue from attending her stall at the market today

The weather forecast was so bad for Cambridge both on the BBC and xcweather (which is often more accurate), that I decided not to do my stall today. Standing around in the damp only to make a loss after paying for fuel and stall fee just didn't sound attractive when the alarm went off at 5.45am this morning.

Instead, I have been sorting out my glass shorts (gosh, I may not need to order any more glass for months!) and also doing some jewellery photography.

I've been really bad at updating my website lately so I've decided the only way to go is to list them on my other Etsy shop, SoozJewels and here are the ones that I've managed to do so far

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Coppery highlights and a dog blanket

I went to see George (short for Georgina) yesterday and she sorted out the mess left by the other hairdresser and I also had some coppery highlights put in. These have inspired me to create the above new beads (but more of that later). First I have to tell you how absolutely wonderful George is, she has got my world back on an even keel. Before yesterday, EVERY day since my last hairdresser appointment was a bad hair day. George used to cut my hair when we lived close to Lincoln, I followed her around to 3 salons because she was so good. It was a sad day seven years ago when I went to see her for the last time before we moved to Cambridge.

These days she is her own boss running "Aspire" on 46 Clasketgate in Lincoln. She's now about an hour's drive away by the time you get through very heavy rain near Newark and get parked but well worth it.  I've put photographs of her work taken when I got home in an album entitled "New Hairdo" on Facebook, click the link to see if you're interested! (I've made it public so you should be able to see it even if you're not a Facebooker yourself).

The beads in the photograph are made using a custom frit blend which I mixed myself (secret recipe so don't ask for it!) This is the first frit blend I have created and I'm really pleased with it. I made lots of different beads with various base colours and techniques and the ones in the photograph are the best of the bunch. They came out brown and coppery to match my hair, there is a new brown spankle bead in there and an orangey twiddly twirly bead. I'll be going into production to make more of these so keep an eye out for jewellery made with them very soon!

Update on the wrist, it's still a little sore from time to time. I have to go back to see my GP next week to check he's OK with me continuing to take anti-inflammatories and wear the brace. But I know it's getting better, it's nowhere near as bad in the mornings; most of the time apart from the inconvenience of the brace getting in the way, I don't feel it at all. From time to time though doing something (like chopping carrots or operating scissors) will give cause for malediction and for some things I have to take the brace off for (like signing my name), I barely recognise my handwriting at all actually!

I even started tentatively knitting again yesterday. I am breaking myself in very slowly and knitting a square every night for a Battersea Dogs and Cats Home blanket. Battersea is asking crafters across the country to help its most sensitive dogs by knitting them a special security blanket. If you're a dog lover and a knitter and would like to take part, there's a free pattern download on the link. Share the love!