Winner of the Giveaway

Congratulations to Christine from Columbus Ohio

Christine shared the link on her blog Sweet Girl Designs

I have already contacted Christine and hope to hear from her soon to organise her gifts from my Etsy Store

Thank you to everyone who shared, linked, liked and commented on the blog and facebook page.  I have really enjoyed checking out the blogs from the new followers.  It is wonderful to find like minded artisans all over the globe.

I have had so much fun doing this giveaway that I think I might make it a regular occurrence and might just do another one before Christmas so make sure you check back from time to time.

Hopefully I will have some time this week to hit the torch again - I found an old photo taken a couple of years ago of one of my raked stars - I think I might have to revisit this type of bead in time for Xmas.  - Might hang a few off the tree.

 

Cheers

GIVEAWAY!!! - $90 to Spend in my Etsy Store

I am living a life full of gratitude and abundance and would like to show some of that gratitude to the wonderful people that have followed my growing business over the last few years as I have transitioned from my retail store to my now online business.

The act of giving is wonderful and exciting, so I would like to offer a lucky person a chance to choose $90 worth of jewellery or beads from my Etsy store.  Offer is open to both Australian and International entries.

How to enter - three entries available per person.

One entry for sharing the GIVEAWAY POST on my facebook page with your facebook friends.

One entry for following this blog

and another entry for linking this giveaway on your blog.

Please leave a comment below to let me know which ones you have done!!!

Winner announced next Monday 5th November - Good Luck

New Pendant & Bracelet Designs

Have a lot of images to share with you.

New pendants featuring - leather, sterling and bali silver

New Bracelets featuring - leather, copper and magnetic clasps

Also being playing with my bead press and frit!

What is in a name? - tanglebeads

It is time for the change.  It has been well over two years since I closed my retail bead and craft store.  It has been over a year since I have moved house and locality.  Now, it is time to bring my branding skills back into my business and give it a bit of a makeover.  Choosing a name I thought was going to be hard.  My old name wasn't sitting with my style or personality anymore.  Time to think of something new.

I have a love for tangling (doodling, zentangle) and of course my bead making - so how could I incorporate the two, - I came up with Tanglebeads - ok it has both things in it.  Easy to say, conveys the product.  I liked it.  Also checked that I could register it and it was all good.  Hooray.

But now the story gets better - while I was looking for a cool font to use and saw that name about 100 times in 100 different fonts, it dawned on me that Tangle incorporated both my name and my partners name.  Tan - for Tania and Gle for Glen - and while I was looking at the font I liked, I put the E backwards.  When I showed Glen last night I told him that that was because he is not the type of person to run with the sheep he always does things his own way.  

I am so happy with the name and style I hope you like it as well.  It is more me, and I am really looking forward to the tangle part of the name and what will come out of that.

Today I will be tagging my exchange beads for the "You Pick 9" - Lampwork Etc exchange - here are a few of the ones that I am sending off.  Not the best picture but I took it at work (shhhhh....)  I attempted a Jellyfish bead and a tree decoration, neither of which I had done before, so in my eyes exchanges are a great way to expand your skills and also your colour pallet as I never use orange but heaps of the inspiration pictures had orange in them.

Loving Recycled Copper

Over the next week I have heaps of projects to finish off.  But today while I had a student over using my lampwork torch I decided to use some of my recycled copper stash.  Here are a couple of pendants that I created.

The goddess has already sold in record time - about 1 minute after listing it on my facebook page - once I photograph the other pendants I will be listing them on etsy and taking some down to L'abundance in Fernvale.

Silver Murrini - I am challenged!

Ok - so I am leaving a certain exchange that I am doing on the Lampwork Etc Forum right until the last moment.  My beads need to be sent and postmarked by the 17 September to be sent to California USA.  So I only have a couple more days left to make some successful silver reactive murrini recipes.  

Here are a few beads that I did Monday night a couple might just scrape through as good enough to send.

Also this week the Artisan Beaders of Australia Blog went live - I have been working on the concept for a while now.  Would love you all to visit and follow along.

Etsy Spring Coupon Sale

Well Spring has certainly sprung in my neck of the woods.  I know I have a lot of followers from the other side of the globe and I hope your Fall is looking beautiful.

In honour of the season I love so much I am having a 10% off sale in my Etsy Store

CODE : SPRING2012

The sale ends at the end of September - Enjoy!!

My most recent creation has been gifted to my Mum for her birthday earlier this week - she saw this bead when she visited me last time and commented on it - so I made it into a surprise necklace for her.

Earrings, Goddesses & Fire Lotus

I had a bit of a play with TAG Fire Lotus yesterday.  I love the earthy feel it gives especially when overlaid onto a sage base. - All these beads have fire lotus as an accent.  It gives a wonderful array of colours depending on what you do with it in the flame - these where all used in a neutral flame, cooled and then slowly struck.

My Mum & Dad are going on a cruise in September and Mum asked if I could make her some interchangeable earrings for some gold sleepers that she has, these are to match some outfits that she is taking with her.

And this last pair are going to be listed on Etsy when I take a couple more pictures.

Cheers Tania

Glass Bead Makers Challenge & Students

Over the last couple of months I have opened my world to teaching basic lampwork bead making classes.  I am loving it!!! - I have great students and some of them are picking it up really fast.  Soon enough they will be addicted too.

Here are some beads that a student made in her second class - I am really impressed with the shape and holes that she is forming after a two hour first lesson.

I am also organising the challenges on the Glass Bead Makers Forum - the July/August Challenge  which finishes at the end of August and I made a bead for it over the weekend.

Here is the inspiration

Here is the bead.

I still love my Moroccan Lamp Style beads - so why not make a few more!!

Cheers Tania

Dreaming of Ceramics

I scored big time last week - a friend on mine (friend since grade one) sold me a pottery kiln and wheel for an amazing price - I have yet to pick it up but very excited - so apart from everything else I am supposed to be doing, I am now trolling the internet for ceramic inspiration, tutorials and insight.

So if you know any amazing websites for me to visit leave a comment and let me know please!

Finished off a few more pendants that I have listed on Etsy as well this week.

Cheers Tania

Bead Soup Cooked and Ready to Serve

Whoops a bit late - work does get in the way of some things when blogger decides it does not like scheduled posts!

Done and ready to wear - my lovely soup from Alicia in Canada from All the Pretty Things - 

Here is the soup ingredients

And here is how is was served. - I used every last piece - and I love it!!!!!

I love the unbalanced designs and use of different components, none matching of course.

Can you tell I like chunky!!

I added a couple of my own lampwork beads to one of the strings - the colours matched perfectly.

Click here to see the complete list of Participants in the Bead Soup Party 6 First Reveal

Lampwork Rings and Stock Clearance

I just have way too much stock and no room.

I have been diligent about listing my jewellery supply stock on Etsy over the last week or so.  I have so much in my demountable studio that I don't have room to lay it out the way I want - you know Girl Cave Style - I want to put a sofa in there - have a nice display of my finished works - a place where I can invite friends over for a coffee and play with beads and things.

I have also started to import some items that will be new and need ROOM!!! - so go and check out my Etsy store - and see if you can help me make some space in my Girl Cave.

Chain - great for Steampunk Designs available on Etsy

While I was cleaning out some things in the cave - I found a packet of adjustable ring bases - these are now featuring some of my newest lampwork beads. - These ones are available on Etsy as well as down at L'abundance

I had these pink strawberry beads floating around in the what to make pile - they found there way into a chain with some funky black and white beads, making for a fun fresh necklace.

Lastly my EDP goddess adorned with Bali Silver accents

I have also finished my bead soup jewellery item.

Can't show it until the reveal date on Saturday - which is Sunday here. I nearly wore it to work today, I am really happy with the results.

Cheers Tania

Bead Soup in the House!!

Woo hoo - my bead soup package from Alicia has arrived safely in my letterbox all the way from Canada.

I had to wait a couple of days to photograph the soup as the weather here has been overcast and rainy, and I love taking my photos out in the natural light.

So here it is - and what a wonderful package with the added Canadian Pin (nice touch)

Bead Soup Ingredients

Alicia has handmade the silver flower focal and clasp.  She has worked with a wonderful fall pallet, gifting me with jade & rhodonite gemstones, swarovski crystals and some other gemstone chips and flowers. - I am now in creative mode thinking of the possibilites for these ingredients.

I have also been working on some reactive twisties for a challenge on the Lampwork Etc Forum - some not working quite the way I want them - but never the less it is all experimentation and taking yourself out of your comfort zone.

Reactive Twistie Experimentation

During the week I made a couple of bracelets to showcase my Mandala beads - one has already gone to a new home - I will be listing the other in Etsy sometime soon.

Sold

Finally a few beads made with DH Terra 2 Silver Reactive Glass

Goddess made with Terra 2 & Sage

Focal bead with Terra2 and CIM Olive & Triton

Terra2 and CIM Olive & Triton

Cheers Tania