I just want to thank all of you who have followed my blog here on the site over the last years and to let you all know that my new blog is from today up and running on the following address www.abeadmakerslife.blogspot.com

   It won't just be about my bead making but about the life I lead and the thoughts I have, how we live our life here in the fens and the problems we sometimes face. I want to show all sides to being a full time beadmaker, not just the nice parts but the sad parts too. I hope you will all enjoy it and follow this life I enjoy so much.

Thank you all

Rob

   Yesterday gave us some wonderful warm weather, at last the summer returns to the fens and to celebrate we had three hours working in the garden. The bonfire was lit and yet more hedgerow trees were cut back, giving the garden a brighter feel and making it look so big. I had forgotten how big it was and how lucky we were, the encroaching hedges had over the last few years made the garden look so narrow and dark, ok for sitting in the shade but no good for growing the fruit and veg we hope to.

   So with the chain saw working and ziggy being the helpful little dog that he is collecting any odd branches we left behind we were well away, we managed to get lots done and hope to get out there again this evening, mind you I think every piece of clothing stinks of bonfire so the soap nuts will be busy today in the washing machine.

   This moring is a grey start but the goldfinches are giving the garden a flash of colour and I can't believe a dove is building yet another nest in the Lilac tree, she built one there early in the summer but was moved on by something, hope she stays this time.

   We hope to get our broadband connection sorted today, AOL are really not my favourite company at the moment, i think we are heading to BT broadband instead, its becoming a real pain at the moment, you get online srart to list beads and if your really lucky you get to list two of three before the connection goes again, we can't carry on like this so lets see what BT can offer.

   I heard back from Mrsite about my downloading of pictures and to be honest not much help at all, but I'll try again and see what happens.

   Ok I better get back to my flame its cuppa time over and there are beads to do, by the way, if your waiting for beads I hope to get most posted later today, just need connection to stay on long enough.

   At last we get a nice sunny morning here in the fens, well to be honest yesterday was nice too. After working in the garden yesterday my back is bloody killing me, we think it must be our bed as I'm waking in the early hours with back pain and just can't get back to sleep, oh well just means early starts for me.

   No bike ride today but I may get out to pick some blackberries this evening after we do more work on the garden. I'm making a lot of jam this month so winter dinners will be rolly polly pudding and jam tarts, may mean extra bike rides for this bead maker ! The hedgerows are now getting cut back in the new kitchen garden and the garden looks twice the size and full of light, it's amazing how different it looks. We have lots more to cut back before we can start building raised beds and tho it's hard work it will be well worth it.

   Today is a work day for me, I need to get a few more sets made for the etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/pebbledreams and I'm enjoying it as I get to make beads I like, the rock effect beads alongside the more natural looking beads, beads I'm known for making. I'd like to thank all of you for the great feedback about my etsy shop and I hope you all enjoy taking a look there even if you don't find anything to use in your jewellery.

   In my last blog I asked if any of you knew of a blog site where I could keep a blog as no pictures here is not really the way I want to go, I have sent off a picture to Mrsite for them to check its not something my end, fingers crossed we get it sorted.

   These last few weeks have been a real pain here on Mrsite, for some reason just days after renewing my site I couldn't download any pictures, here on blog, in the shops, nowhere. So to say I'm pissed off is an understatement and even tho I've been on the phone to the them I'm still waiting to get it sorted, just sending yet another email this moring !

   Well, now thats off my chest I guess I need to update you on life here, with summer still hiding away and for some reason my back is killing me this last week it hasn't been the best of times. I'm still getting out on my bike every lunch time and after planning the new kitchen garden we have started work on that, every evening we get a couple of hours. First job is cutting back a lot of the hedgerow trees to let more light into the garden, so we have been burning those for a few days clearing as we go.

   I idea is to grow as much of our own fruit and veg as possible by next summer, new raised beds are to be built, ten in all, along with cold frames and compost heap. It's not new to me as all my family are keen veg growers and as a boy I was always helping in the garden. My veg garden at the moment is fine but so much of the garden is wasted and can be used to grow more.

   I was hoping to let you all know how things were going on here but I just hate the fact I can't get pictures on, it doesn't feel like a blog without them. If anyone knows of a good blogging site where I can blog please let me know.

   As for the beads, the etsy shop is all up and running www.etsy.com/shop/pebbledreams and the ebay shop is full of new focal/spacer sets www.stores.ebay.co.uk/Beads-Of-Glass

   I better get off to get my flame lit and get more beads made for etsy and until I get the pictures sorted I'll be doing blog without them.

   I sit here with my morning cuppa watching goldfinches feeding while still more rain falls on the fens, it seems every morning this week we wake to find yet another wet start to the day. I laugh when I think of all the moaning about dry gardens, low water tables and possible hosepipe bans, oh how different things can be in a couples of weeks, now gardens are green with both veg and flowers looking so strong and healthy.

   In this area we are known for the soft fruits of summer and indeed the strewberry fields are full and with what seems like every farm selling everyones favourite fruit at their gates alonside those great little new potatoes and fresh bunches of carrots.

    It's been a busy two weeks here in the barn with what feels like every yearly bill due all in the same month, I guess we all get that and it never gets any easier to get them paid off, all I know is hard work and long hours is my answer and fingers crossed we get there. The ebay store is doing well with focals and matching spacers still being popular www.stores.ebay.co.uk/Beads-Of-Glass 

   I started placing pebble beads on ebay this week as I feel not enough people get to see them on the pebbledreams site, this proved to be right as all six sets sold the same day. I hope to list more this coming weekend along with some seaglass bead sets and more ceramics, by the way thank you to all of you who have given such nice feedback on the ceramic beads and pendants, As you know I'm trying out new designs all the time so you may see some very different pieces listed over the next month or so.

   Then there are the singing stone to come, but more about those in the next update, nothing to do with jewellery but so far the feedback for them has been amazing, I'm sure they won't be to everyones taste but then how boring would it be if we all liked the same.

   Its been so long since I started to convert the old garage, it's been a hard struggle most of the way but as you know from the last blog I'm in there most evenings throwing very wonky bowls and feeling the clay in my hands, just wish I had done it years ago. After a day at my torch I had to find something to help me relax, I guess making beads is like driving, you don't know it but your concentrating for long periods of time, the fact that you enjoy every minute doesn't mean your not stressed out at the end of the day and that didn't help with my health. So now I get to play even if it's just an hour it still helps and I'm sure the big kid inside me is happy.

   My aim is to teach myself to make nice pots, bowls etc and because I only have an old kick wheel at the moment I need to try to save for an electric wheel, nothing new of fancy but good quality, a wheel that will help me learn. With this is mind I have been making some ceramic beads, just plain hand rolled beads, nothing moulded or fancy to start with but more rustic, natural looking, think you all know that what I like. Also I have made the first batch of ceramic pebble pendants, some plain, some with surface designs and some I've hand carved, these along with the beads are now being listed over on the pebbledream site www.pebbledreams.com  I know I have a long way to go but if I get half the pleasure that I do working with my flame then I'll enjoy every second.

   Thank you to the first customer who has given the ceramic beads a try, I hope you enjoy using them and please tell me what you think of them. It's strange selling something new, rather like selling those first lampwork beads, you just know everyone will hate them and not a bead will sell, it all goes through your head until the first sale helps you think more positive, well that was me last night but then I felt was it that important, isn't the fact I'm learning something new more important and if the ceramic beads and pentants help then thats a big bonus.

   I hope some of you find time to go take a look and any feedback or ideas would be very welcome, no nights reading in bed for this beadmaker anymore, he now juggles two note pads, one in which he draws down lampwork bead designs and ideas, the other filling fast with ceramic bead, button and pendant designs, some would say sad others would say a mind that loves to learn.

   Well, I better get back to the listing and watching the rain dance on the surface of the pond, I'm sure I can hear the garden singing with the arrival of the rain.

   What a great morning, we woke to the sound of fresh rain and that unique smell that it brings along too, a real smell of summer, a reminder of walks out in the rain as a kid dressed in big old over coats and wellies off around the local lanes cutting pea sticks with my uncle Basil, how funny it is how just one of natures simple smells can bring back so many thoughts of those days.

   Well I promised to tell all about the old garage and so here goes, when I was at school I was really into art in a big way with drawing and pottery being top of my list, so when it was suggested I could use the old garage as a pottery studio and spend evenings relaxing with clay it just sounded a great idea. This was two years ago nearly and since then it has been a long long road of saving any spare money I had to get the conversion sorted, ok it is nothing special but its sound, dry and a nice clean space to work in.

   For the last couple of months I have been playing with clay the odd evenings and even throwing pots on an old kick wheel I have, it's been so relaxing and I'm really enjoying it, ok it's not got my heart like glass has but I really do find it a great way of finishing the day. I have been playing with ceramic beads and pendants of course tho it's the throwing of pots and hand building items I want to learn more about, so I hope to be listing some pendants and beads in the following week. I will be selling them over on the pebbledream site www.pebbledreams.com  alongside the seaglass beads and lampwork pebbles as to me that site is more about the natural materials and designs rather that normal beads.

   I sit here writing this blog while waiting to open my kiln after yesterdays bisque firing, then the next few evenings will be spent playing with glazes ready to glaze fire monday evening, it will be interesting to see what I can come up with but whatever I produce it will have been fun doing so.

   On the bead front of things it's been a great week for me, I've been making more focals so you will know without me saying that I've been a happy boy and I'm working on new bead sets plus pebbles to list on the websites. I have had a few hours working back on my favourite rustic looking beads with the use of silver being a big part of that.

   I have an idea of making some really fun summer beads this coming week, bright colours ideal for wearing on the beach etc, just fun crazy colours, so it will be interesting to see how they go, I did make then a couple of summers back and they were popular but we'll have to wait and see.

   The garden is starting to look good with the ponds alive with wildlife, dragonflies, damselflies and of course the newts all very active, the garden is full of bees and butterflies with every bird in the area using the feeding stations to feed their young, summer has made this little fenland haven a happy one.

   It is such a wonderful sunny morning here in the fens, the birds are everywhere this morning, finches feeding alongside blue, great and coal tits while black birds search the grass around the pond for grubs and worms. Yesterday we decided today would be a day off work with garden jobs this morning and a trip to the local woods to take photographs this afternoon, with the last few weeks being so busy it's nice to relax and walk around with my camera, there is so much going on right now out in the countryside so it's time I got down to some real photography.

   I've been making order beads most of this week but tomorrow will be spent making more new beads for my ebay shop www.stores.ebay.co.uk/Beads-Of-Glass  where the focal beads with matching spacers are fast becoming a big favourite with a lot of customers.

   This coming week I want to make some sets of pebble beads, these are a joy to make and tho only liked by a few I think it's time I started making more beads that I enjoy rather than those I know will sell. I guess thats all part of being a full time bead maker, where before I could just make those beads I liked it all changes once your sales pay the bills, it can take a little of the fun from it, but my love for the craft is still strong and I hope that will never change.

   I did say I would tell all about the garage but I want to wait a week before I let you know whats going on, I guess I just want it to be right before I let it out the bag, lets just say my evenings are spent playing with something new to me and it is so relaxing that I wish I had tried it years ago.

   Ok, I better get off to the greenhouse, lots of plants need a water to get them through another warm sunny day and I need to hoe some of the veg beds before I go for a early bike ride. I hope you all enjoy the weekend and the warn spell they say is heading our way.

   The first thing I have to do is to apologize for the lack of blog updates here on the sight. I have been busy with making beads, garden work and and other summer projects so with the early morning starts and the evenings being nice to potter in garden I have failed to keep on top of the blog,

   I have to say it really has been nice to see so many new customers buying  and bidding on my ebay beads and I thank every one of you and I hope to keep up the standard of work you seem to enjoy. To all my regular customers I have to once again give you all great thanks for your support and I hope your still enjoying using my beads in your pieces.

   Every morning seems to bring new colour to the garden and countryside around us with buds opening and fruits swelling on fruit trees everywhere. The ponds are alive with a whole different world and watching common newts as been a great thrill for us, it's always great to know our ponds are clean and healthy enough fot these great little creatures to make them their home.

   My bike rides are full of interest with the sighting of a stoat making the last week interesting, every day I wait to see if there is any sight of him, some days I'm lucky and see him taking the odd meal down into the hole, others I see nothing, but what a great way to spend your lunch time.

   The beads are working out really well with focals being top of my list at the moment, I have spells where I seem to enjoy making one type of bead more than others and it's that time for focals. I guess when your full time and spending so many hours at the torch it's only natural that this will happen.

   Once again thank you all for your great comments on my flickr sight www.flickr.com/photos/robjohnsonnature  and i am trying to keep up on twitter tho the early mornings do mean I miss some days www.twitter.com/beadsofglass  feel free to follow me and I will you.

   I will get some bead pics on here tomorrow and give you an update to whats going on in a little corner of my garden, in what was the old run down garage in fact, but hey thats all another story.

   The Easter holidays are here and hundreds of children are opening chocolate easter eggs all over the country while most of us adults are happy to welcome a rest this weekend. Gardens everywhere are having makeovers with weeds being removed, veg seeds being sown and flowers planted in every hanging basket.

   Here we are no different, some work is getting done each morning over the weekend but by lunch the garden gets the attention with all the ponds looking refreshed and tidy, chores that have to be done but ones which are a pleasure really. Evenings spent sitting watching the bats hunting over the water while coffee and the sounds of birds as they settle for the night bring that little feel of contentment and gratification, we are so lucky in many ways.

   This morning the smell of Lilac fills the garden and the sound of doves calls welcome another nice day while my head is full of dreams and ideas, but then thats nothing new haha !

   This week has been a busy one on the bead front with lots of new silver glass beads being listed and sold and yet more nice comments were left on my flickr page, I can never thank you all enough. www.flickr.com/photos/robjohnsonnature  Today I'm making more summer beads to list in the sale section of my ebay shop which I hope will help some of you in your pices www.stores.ebay.co.uk/Beads-Of-Glass

   By the way, thanks to all the new followers on twitter, it's nice to know people are interested, I try to twitter most days tho it's all a bit new to me yet. You can follow me on www.twitter.com/beadsofglass

   This morning we woke to a calm misty start to sunday, at 5.30am I lay in bed with the sound of the dawn chorus telling me that those bright early summer mornings are not so far away now. The garden is now so green with new flowers and blossom turning every corner into a picture, this makes all those freezing cold days of winter worth every hour.

   It's been a busy week here with orders being made alongside a lot of silver glass beads, a few hours working with seaglass has given me great pleasure and of course my love affair with focals is still going strong and yet again I have to thank you all for the kind remarks and comments you left me on my flickr page www.flickr.com/photos/robjohnsonnature  I think every bead maker will tell you it's really nice to get such remarks and helps push you on to more different ideas.

   On the exercise side of things I'm really happy, every day I take my bike ride around the local river and lanes and 9 miles is the distance I'm covering now. When I look back to how I was at christmas, if anybody had told me then that I would be doing 9 mile bike rides every day in a few months time, well I think you may know what my answer would have been haha ! It's like a new start for me, a real kick up the arse and I think most family and friends can't believe I'm keeping it up, but as the weeks pass and I feel fitter and notice the change in my shape and the get up and go I now have then I know I have to keep going, my body has had years of abuse and now this silly sod knows its time to look after it before it's too late.

   The ebay shop has been busy with a lot of silver glass beads being listed and I have started listing the trio and earring pairs once again, which customers always seem to find very handy. Most days I'm listing beads in the sale section all of which don't seem to stick around for long so keep an eye out www.stores.ebay.co.uk/Beads-Of-Glass

  Well I better get to my flame, just a couple of hours to put in this morning then it's garden work and bike ride later, I hope you all enjoy the sunshine and take it easy and keep one eye on the way the countryside is changing around us, this time of year there is so much going on it would be a shame to miss it.

   The last two days I've been getting a little carried away making lentils, I seem to get these periods when I spend more time than I should on one type of bead, sometimes focals, maybe encased tyres and like this week lentils. Some have some really summer colours others I've made with hints of stone effects, a more rustic look which always works well with the shape found in spree and lentil beads.

   Today I'm making a few hollow beads for a customer and also some organic looking tyre beads, when I sit back and think about my job I become aware of how lucky I am to be making such a wide range of beads making every day unique from the last. When I was young I worked in a mill producing furniture, making the same parts every week day in day out and of course there must be thousands of people doing just the same today, so believe me I do appreciate how fortunate I am.

   The last couple of days have been cold here but still dry meaning the garden jobs can still be done. The strong winds yesterday ment the bike ride was hard work but then that never hurt anybody. It's funny how the days this time of year can change so much, one day I'm watching a peacock butterfly taking in the sun on a large pebble by the pond, the next the cold wind and grey skies leave just hungry birds in the garden, but then hey, if every day was the same how bored would we be.

   How long is it since we felt the early morning sun and had those remarkable fragrances of blossom in the air, the long wait with angry cold winds, rain, ice and snow is eventually over and we can again wake to sunshine streaming into our bedrooms.

   Every living creature seems to have a new outlook on life with every garden coming alive, insects wake to find early blooms, the evenings are full of the theatrical sounds of spring frogs and the first nests are being built in every hedgerow. I mush say I've found the last week a real pick up, early starts to every day and a brighter outlook on things, it's amazing how we change with the weather, I can understand how some people suffer from the winter needing light boxes etc and I guess it effects us all in some part.

   My work has taken a real summer turn with more and more fresh bright colours coming out from behind that dark winter cloak, I listed some nice encased tyres this week in my ebay shop and have more ready to list in the bead shop here on the site.

   My walking and bike rides are proving a big help to me and the way I'm now living my life, not only have I started loosing weight and feeling fitter but I'm looking at work in a very different way. Yes I need to make a living and pay the bills and yes I guess with that there will always be a little stress but my work seems to be even more of a pleasure for me now. I'm taking my time in that I divide my working day into sections, a period for every day beads, orders etc, another section of the day I put aside for new beads, trying designs, focals etc and the third part of the day is for my health, walking the dogs, bike rides and jobs around the garden.

   Ok, cuppa time over and back to my flame, the feeding stations are alive with birds this morning so the fact I get to watch them just feet from my window makes the day even more enjoyable. Today my bike ride will take me along the river so camera will be around my neck and eyes will be searching for wildlife, enjoy your day and enjoy the sun.

   After waking to the most stunning sunny morning I find myself sitting with a cuppa watching Chaffinch and Greenfinch singing their hearts out perched high over the garden, how could I wish for a better start to the day. The day ahead is one of garden jobs and exercise, the camera will be taken on my walk as I hope to catch some of the madness of spring, birds busy collecting for nest building and buds covering every plant in sight, even the early blossom is forming white magical havens in the hedgerows.

   Every few days I check the ponds for life and at last the sight of some of the water plants reaching the waters surface has given me great dreams of those warm summer evenings to come. Evenings spent sitting and watching dragonfly and working bee, my thoughts off into another world, one full of thatched cottages, cottage gardens and nature filled countryside just asking to be photographed. A small outbuilding where this old bead maker can sit and work alongside his flame, where he can watch the seasons pass, nobody can take my dreams away.

   Well, back to the real world and once again thank you for your great comments on my flickr page www.flickr.com/photos/robjohnsonnature I'm glad you always seem to find something you like and I hope this will continue. Last night I listed more sets on ebay, some in the sale section too. A lot more sets will be added this coming week with brighter spring colours in mind.

   The last two mornings have placed a warm damp cover of mist over the fens, with swirls of dancing fog finding every quiet street a stage. Bird song fills the garden with early blackbirds feeding on lawns and the spring dove giving his courtship bows. I'm sure the sun will return and soon I will be walking through woodlands with camera at the ready, until then we can all enjoy the different stages of spring and picture in our minds those nice summer mornings taking breakfast in the garden while planning the day ahead, they won't be long coming.

   More sale beads were listed this week tho they didn't hang around long so more to be added at the weekend. The tube beads are selling well and thats great news as I enjoy making them so much, I think the sets of small matching spacer beads help and I hope to add them to some of the focals I list in the next week or so.

   Foot is back to normal and it was great to return to my afternoon walks and garden jobs, just keeping an eye out for nails everywhere I go haha !

   Today we are off to visit family so the morning off work, must admit I feel guilty, but it's always nice to catch up on Ashwell news and that feeling of home never fails to appear when I get there.

   The last few days have been a real pain, in more ways that one. After getting back to feeling fit, lots of walking and bike rides and other good exercise I did one very stupid thing while working in the garden. I jumped down from a bank onto a plank of wood with a nice two inch nail sticking up through it, yes you guessed, it went straight through the soul of my trainer and into my foot. After pulling it out and a trip to the doc for a tetanus jab it was three days with one very sore and tender foot.

   I know, it was my fault and a stupid thing to do, but don't we all do such things at some time in our lives, anyway how bored would I be if I was perfect like some people claim to be. Well, now I'm back walking ok so tomorrow it's back on the bike and a good long walk for me.

   On the bead side of things I've been listing more bead sets in the sale section in my ebay shop www.stores.ebay.co.uk/Beads-Of-Glass which have been popular with customers and there will be even more sets listed later this afternoon so pop along and take a look this evening.

   I also would like to thank all of you who have been leaving such kind comments on my flickr page www.flickr.com/photos/robjohnsonnature where I try to show my work plus the countryside I'm lucky enough to have around me, those kind remarks make this bead maker a happy one, thank you.

   I'm guessing we are all feeling brigher and more full of energy now the spring sunshine is here, the last few days lets hope are the first of many dry warm days to come and with spring flowers showing their stunning colours across every inch of our proud countryside how can we not feel a warm welcome to summer after the long winter we have had.

   I'm excited with the prospect of afternoons out with my camera, walking through woodland, meadows and coastal havens, there were times this winter when summer walks seemed such a long way off. 

   Well we can now say without doubt that spring is here, two days of sun and buds opening in every garden, well that is until we get cold rains for the rest of the week ! I must admit the last couple of days have been a real pleasure and tho today was encased in cold winds here, it has still been great doing garden jobs without four layers of clothes.

   I had a great time opening the kiln this morning, taking out yesterdays beads was a great feeling as most I had tried had worked out really well. I'm just starting to stock up the displays here at the barn yet trying to continue to list more beads in my ebay shop.

   I feel more like the old Rob now, I'm guessing the forced rest from my flame as worked out ok. I felt I was getting into a situation around the christmas period where work was becoming more of a chore, I never felt I would ever say that but looking back I can see now how the long hours every day had burnt me out. Now I feel like I did years ago, my love affair with the glass is again new and exciting and believe me, it's so nice to be back.

   I've been listing some colourful sets this last week with some nice pillow and spree sets with matching spacers, these seem popular among customers and don't tell a soul but I quite enjoy making them, tho the colours are a bit girly haha.

   As I stated yesterday I'm really enjoying making my more organic or rusting looking beads with focals coming out as favourites, I think the more I make the more I love them, which I guess means I'll end up with boxes full of these stone effect beads collecting dust for years to come, but hey sod it, at least I'll be able to look at them and remember making most. It's funny how us bead makers remember beads we have produced even years after, maybe there is a touch of magic in every bead ?

   I remember last year we went to visit a craft centre in which local Norfolk people could sell their items. In a glass display box there was a selection of bead jewellery, nice jewellery with silver findings, then my eyes fell upon a bracelet made from lentil beads, beads that I knew I had made a year before and I knew the lady who I had sold them too. So later I asked her if  I seeing things and she told me how she had given them to a close friend who had started making jewellery and that was where she sold her pieces. So it goes to show we never forget our beads and rightly so.

   At last I can get on here to update my blog and let you all know whats been going on here at the barn, on this the first sunny morning for weeks it's a real pleasure to be back, yipeeeee !!!

   For some reason we have had trouble getting on Mr Site for the last couple of weeks, three times when I have wrote blog it wouldn't publish, so I'm so happy that its all up and running now, tho to be honest i hear others are getting problems with the site.

   So, whats been going on here in the fenland haven I call home, the land of dykes, wide skies and wicked winds where hills are as rare as hens teeth. Well, first of all I'm at last getting back to full health after weeks of feeling out of sorts, my doc as at sorted out the problem, touch wood and with this new diet and the exercise I'm sarting to feel fit again, just need smaller clothes now, which is a good thing. Yesterday morning for the first time in at least ten years I went for a bike ride, I missed that after being a lover of bike rides years ago but always felt I was far too big and the thought of people seeing this big guy on a bike and laughing put me off. So now I'm getting smaller and feeling fitter it's time I started getting out there.

    The welcome sight of a sunny morning comes after weeks or should I say months of bitter cold days with winds that can cut you in half and it's amazing how better you feel when you wake to sun filling the bedroom, please let this be spring here at last. The fact that I'm only working half days, well shorter days means I get to exercise in the afternoons buy walking and garden work but also it means that hunger to try out new beads is back and every morning the old Rob is itching to get to work. It may mean fewer sets getting on for sale for a while but to be honest my health comes first, hope you all understand that, I want to be around until I'm that little old bead maker in his barn full of amazing beads.

   On the bead front its been so so nice to make more organic beads, you all know that I'm in love with the stone effects that I produce and to be honest I can't see a day when I won't be. I'm about to change most of the beads here in the shop for new sets and as you may have noticed new sets and focals are being listed in my ebay shop most days including sale beads.

   I've been making more seaglass beads and more sets made from wine bottles, I'm sure I'll get around to listing them one day, seems a shame we can't use this kind of glass more, the thought of producing all my beads from bottle glass and seaglass is but a far away dream, but it's good to dream and there must be millions of bottles placed in bottle bins every week so maybe the idea isn't that silly.

   Ok, I better get back to my torch, that's the longest cuppa rest I've ever had haha, I'll be updating again tomorrow with a pic or two also, now go enjoy the sun.

   After a busy couple of weeks making order beads it was nice to get a few days to myself which so far as been spent making a lot of rustic looking beads and playing with my favourite enamels. I've been playing with tube bead ideas, including shard effects and silvered rock designs, results have been very good so far, so I'm one happy bunny.

   I really don't know why I don't make far more tube beads, I've had great fun and very much looked forward to opening my kiln door each morning. To start with I have been using silvered rock but also I'm starting to use more colours other than Ivory as a base. I have a thing with blue at the moment, so I'm sure you'll be seeing some blue tubes over the next few days.

   Having the weekend off for once, I've not been too well last few weeks and after starting really strong treatment from my doctor yesterday just feel I need a couple of days rest. Hope to get back on my torch monday as lots to try out.

   Dark grey skies here in the fens these last few days and the garden seems slow, not so much bird song but they seem to be feeding well which is always great news. Its nice to have an ice free pond and we only lost two fish this winter so I hope the spring will bring lots of life around the water and garden alike, I'm starting to long for the warmer weather now tho I love the winter months.

   Well it's a new year for us all and I guess a lot of us will be making a new start of some sort in our lives, maybe home life or work or even just the fact of getting out more, seeing new things, taking up new hobbies, whichever it is I hope it works out well for everyone.

   It's been a dark wet week here in the fens, the wide skies have been full of magical rain clouds rushing off towards the coast riding on the winter winds that seem to blow every day. The river that runs through the village is at last ice free with the days getting warmer and the garden is at last green again even tho it is so wet. Will we see the snow here again this year or do we head towards the warm spring sunshine, we'll see.

   I've been busy in the barn making order beads and more beads to list in the ebay shop, I'll be listing today and tomorrow. I'm working on the new spacers which I hope to start listing this week and there will be more orphan beads listed, the last sets did really well. On the focal front, as ever I keep playing with them and have lots to list so keep your eyes out for those too. The pebbles shown here with the flowers on were made in the holiday, I had a mad few hours and made a few sets like it and yes I know I don't do flowers but they are just a bit of fun and maybe someone will like them.

   At christmas I have trouble with my kiln so it has been replaced, not the best start to the new year but hey, it's all sent to test us and with it being one of the most important tools a beadmaker will ever need, it had to be replaced. I hope to get the old one repaired to keep as a back up kiln. It's strange I still hear of people making and selling beads who haven't a kiln, I find that amazing really, I wouldn't dare sell a bead that I haven't annealed from the flame, it takes allsorts I guess.

   I took a walk along one of our local beaches over the christmas holiday, it must have been around -4 and the ice was being left at the tide line like piles of glass needles, I collected a lot of seaglass but it was difficult to see the white pieces as the beach pebbles were covered in frost. The air was so cold and pure but my fingers and feet became too cold to carry on, but at least I had a good hour there and enjoyed every second. 

   Merry Christmas

 As the sun starts to set over the snow covered fields here on the fens I just wanted to wish you all a very merry christmas and I hope that your day is going well. I want to thank you all for the great support you have given me in the last year and I hope you all have a great 2011, making all your great jewellery and to all those bead makers out there keep up the great work and remember to be you, unique and willing to try new ideas.

   Its been a quiet christmas here for us this year which means a couple of days resting, eating, drinking and being lazy, yer I wish ! My heads full of ideas and thoughts of building my ebay shop, I need to make and photograph lots of beads, make and list a new range of spacer beads and give the whole shop a new fresh look.

   I have new beads to list on both websites which will keep me busy this coming holiday week and on top of all this I want to get to the beach if the weather allows.

   Ok, I better get back to jotting down yet more beads ideas and the odd glass or two, enjoy your christmas evening and keep warm.

   I spent some time in the garden this evening looking with wide eyes at the amazing clear sky over the fens, a huge sky full of tiny stars and a bright magical moon, a sky ready to cast a thick raw frost over these flat lands. I'm hoping the morning will bring a great chance to take some frost filled photographs and a early morning walk by the river.

   The night air is cold out there and the sight of a burning hay stack makes one hell of spectacle out across the fields behind us. The stack started burning last night and is still burning 24 hours later, in a funny way it warms the night, tho you can see the ice forming over roof and garden the sight of such a big fire warms your thoughts.

   More new pebbles were listed today over on the pebble site www.pebbledreams.com  including this nice blue rustic set, a set I'm really pleased with and will be making more in the coming weeks.

   The last two days have been so cold out in the barn, heaters have been on while we still huddle around the kiln, even the stone hot water bottle was filled today to warm my feet on, I really don't think It has been this cold since I first started working there.

   The outstanding pictures that the frost and ice have shown us these last few mornings makes any amount of cold worth living with, the sight of ice lined tree branches that sparkle like tiny crystals make my mind work overtime, how can I use this amazing effect in my beads is a question I have asked myself many time in the last 72 hours.

   These beads were made monday morning after finding some really special ice forms on the edge of the pond, I couldn't stop myself trying to reproduce the effects. The results were not as I wished but still made a nice set of beads. I decided to place them in the bead shop here on the site, so if they interest you go along and take a look, there are two other new sets also listed.

   There has been some great feedback from the pebble sets sold on the pebbledream site www.pebbledreams.com and I aim to list even more this weekend.

   Tomorrow we are taking a day off to visit family and I hope to take a few pictures out in the frost covered countryside. I'll get some put on my flickr site www.flickr.com/photos/robjohnsonnature for you to look at.

   A nice sunny day here in the fens with the last few patches of snow hanging around in the shade. A wide blue sky with very few clouds and bright fresh winter sunshine casting shadows over the garden and happy little birds feeding on peanuts, wild seed and fat balls.

   This morning was spent taking beads photographs, making fresh soup and clearing out and getting the woodburner lit. A bit of an easy day here today, listing beads in my ebay shop, putting more pictures on www.flickr.com/photos/robjohnsonnature and getting beads ready for posting tomoorow morning.

  Yesterday was spent making beads, some from seaglass, some pebble sets and more silver glass sets too, it was a great day, sitting warm by my kiln working while watching the frozen ponds with reeds of ice standing by the banks, such a different picture from a month ago. It was only three weeks ago we were watching butterflies skipping through the garden in the warm sun, I just love this country.

   Still held in that magical blanket of snow we find a cold dark morning of silence here in the fens, my warm kiln awaits and a head full of bead ideas race towards my flame with so many questions to ask. Yesterday was a long cold day with the odd flurry of snow teasing us, in my head I hoped for snow a foot deep just as I did when that little boy watched from a window nearly 40 years ago, waiting and wishing the road outside would become white.

   The bird feeding stations are full, I have to help those tiny friends who keep me entertained all spring and summer, no warm kiln for them to snuggle by, no hot soup to help get though the day, they face it all, the cold snow around their small feet and the bitter winds  fighting against their warm little bodies.

   It's days like these when I feel lucky I don't travel an hour to work each morning, leaving at around 6.30 as I did for four years when we first moved here. The short walk across the garden holds far less danger  with only the odd glass burn awaiting, no long days working in the freezing conditiond trying to keep warm under layers of old jumpers and coats, no luke warm tea from flasks and mornings when tools were frozen solid, yes I'm one lucky guy.

   I'm working on some order beads today, some of which are made from seaglass, so I look forward to that. I took pictures yesterday of beads to list but for some reason I wasn't pleased with them so will take more this morning to list tonight. The last sale beads will be reduced to stupid prices to get rid today also, whats left will be dumped in the barn to gather dust. Oh, and don't forget you can follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/beadsofglass  a few people have mentioned that I never put twitter link on here, so if you want to keep up with my rants feel free.

    Well it's here at last, the fens have a fresh new coat of early snow, fluffy white hats sit upon all the tree tops and branches bend under thick snow blankets. Everywhere is so quiet and peaceful, snow always looks great when sitting in warm with a hot coffee, but need to get in garden to take some pics.

   On the bead  front it's been a good week with a lot of exciting mornings opening my kiln and I have a lot of beads to list on sites and in ebay shop, will start this evening. I have pebble beads to list on  www.pebbledreams.com and I'm working on adding more new beads to this site also.

   I always seem to get more ideas in the winter months, maybe it's because of the way the countryside changes so much, the magical effects that frost and snow produce and the calm coldness that seems to last long into the day, no bright flowers and fresh green leaves, but those sights that only sleeping nature can show us.

   Lots of new rock effect focals are getting listed and sold in my ebay shop, I just love making then, I know some people don't like them but there are a lot who do and they are one type of bead this bead maker will always produce.

   I just wanted to say a big thank you for all your kind birthday wishes, it's great to know so many customer have become such great friends and every email or text has made this a great day.

   No work today, well I did manage to clean yesterdays beads, I just had to empty the kiln to see how they looked and yes I was well pleased. I'll get a picture on here tomorrow, not had time to get camera out here this evening.

   47, wow I'll soon be 50, only seems like yesterday that I was having a party for my 21st, they say the years fly by and boy they are right. Well I better get on, a glass of birthday cider waiting for me, once again, thank you all, you helped make this such a nice birthday.

   A bright day here in the fens with the wild winds of the last few days missing, the sky so blue and clear and the air fresh and cold, this is why I love being a country boy.

   Yesterday was a great day for beads, the excitement this morning opening the kiln was well worth it, I found not just the odd set to make me happy but three sets and two others that were well worth making, this last week has been such a great seven days.

   I know I've said this before but I'm sure the the way I work with the glass helps. My love for using silver leaf, foil and enamels in my work allows the glass to work it's magic, lots of bead makers love to be in control of the glass or at least they try, but thats not my way.

   I work with the glass, it's not my skivvy to be placed where I want, to be controled, it doesn't have to work for me. It's my partner, my lover in my work, we work for each other, I give ideas and the glass lets me know if they work, sometimes they do and sometimes it gives me a far better alternative, of which I'm always greatful.

   By using these different metals and enamels we get to play our way to new effects, we get to see great battles in the flame, conflicts and tussels with a different victor everytime.

   More pebbles and nuggets were added to pebble site this morning www.pebbledreams.com  and yet more pictures on flickr site, thank you for all your great comments.

   I sit here with a cuppa and a slice of banana cake with the sound of wild winds charging over the fens, dark magical clouds rushing over heading towards the coast and yet there is no place I'd rather be. It's been a long week with some interesting weather and bead results, including yet more silver glass trials.

   I must admit I'm having great fun finding out which glass does what and every morning this little kid is rushing out to empty his kiln. With my love for rock or stone effects it was just a matter of time before I started mixing the two, this set being one of the first sets I produced and I'm really happy with them.

   As many of you have seen I've been adding more pictures of my work to my flickr site www.flickr.com/photos/robjohnsonnature and I need to thank all those who have left comments, every bead maker is happy to get nice feedback on their work making every hour spent at the flame worth while.

   There are new pebble beads being added to the pebble site www.pebbledreams.com , some new sets were listed today and I hope to add more this weekend. Feel free to pop along and take a look.

   First of all I need to give a great big thank you to all those customers who joined in with the sale sunday evening, I'm really pleased you all found something you can use in your jewellery making, at a bargain price I hope. The remaining sale beads in my shop www.stores.ebay.co.uk/Beads-Of-Glass will be left on until the weekend at which time they will be taken off and placed into one of the many dust covered boxes here in the barn.

   This morning I'm spending a few hours getting all the sale beads packed and posted so I hope most of you will recieve them tomorrow.

   What a wild morning here in the fens, wild winds have been beating at our door for three days now and the rain keeps trying to dampen our spirits but we keep this little hive of activity marching on. The winds have placed a carpet of golden leaf with the most amazing array of autumn colours dancing over the ground, makes me feel so lucky to live this life of a bead maker surrounded by nature.

   I've been working hard to make all new bead sets to fill the display here in the barn and I'm getting there, I guess it's a fresh start for winter, I always feel like this after a big sale, just need to start working with different designs, designs I hope will please but most of all designs that will keep this old bead maker's mind searching for that perfect bead, one day I'll get there !

   Well, it's here, sale day at last and after spending yesterday listing nearly 200 sets and focals, it will be nice to get back to my flame and the welcome warmth of my kiln on this cold morning.

   The last beads I made on friday evening included some more Double Helix trials and boy was I happy this morning when the kiln door was opened, I'm getting to like this glass, pitty it's so expensive, but then I guess we have to pay for quality, unless some daft fool holds bead sales at silly prices that is !

   I'll post some pictures on my flickr site later www.flickr.com/photos/robjohnsonnature  I mentioned to a customer and friend yesterday that I never keep beads for myself, well only the first ever bead I made, hidden in a box somewhere, but after seeing these I might just start, I'm that pleased with them. A lot of other bead makers will think I'm slow and well behind times when it comes to using silver glass, but you know me, I buy glass and and it can be months before I try it, the same goes for Double Helix. I still have a few bundles that I obtained around two years ago and to be honest I don't think I've used more than a rod from them, in fact two packs are still intact. It's not that I don't like the glass, it's just that I never get around to it, I find most pieces of spare time are spent trying new rock effects or mixing colours and to keep up with fashion as never been that important to me, ask those who know me.

   I hope you all had a great bonfire night, our neighbours had their fireworks last night, so there was one nervous black lab here hidding under the desk, Marley has never liked them, yet Ziggy and Sam take no notice. 

   Bonfire night always brings back great childhood recollections, my uncle Basil pushing milk bottles into the ground to set off the rockets, standing in big coats writing my name in the air with sparklers and eating the hot jacket potatoes with butter and cheese on and of course not forgetting  those silly little boxes of indoor fireworks that fizzled and smelt of rotten eggs.

   Well I better get off to my torch, the morning rain is passing and the sun is fighting her way out, the whole garden looks golden with autum leaf today with some trees having a snow fall of red berries, the birds are loving it.

   I hope you all enjoy the sale this evening and if you don't find any beads you can use at least enjoy looking through them.

   Well it's that time of year again, it's time for my november bead sale, most years I hold it on my birthday but this year its a week before, giving people more time to use any beads they buy in jewellery for the christmas market.      

   There are a couple of changes this year. First of all the prices of the beads are a lot lower, in fact silly prices, but my feelings are that we could all do with a hand this year, things are hard and as you know I have always said I want everyone to be able to afford my beads. So with this is mind and to say a big thank you for your support over the last 12 months I have decided there will be well over 100 sets and they will range in price from only 4.99 to 6.99. I know they were always 7.99 before, but I really do think this year is difficult enough for all of us and these prices will I hope help.

   The second change is that this year there are over 50 focal beads in the sale, these are all priced at just 2.50 and I hope you will find something that can help in your work. There will be a lot of rustic and rock effect focals plus some of the silver glass focals I've been playing with.

   The beads will be listed at 8pm this coming sunday the 7th november in my ebay shop as before www.stores.ebay.co.uk/Beads-Of-Glass  I hope you enjoy looking for a bargain, I know a lot of you enjoy hunting down some nice sets in the middle of the rush. I have included as wide a selection as possible, with gravity, lentils, encased, nuggets and rustic beads all there to be found.

   I'm adding to the list every day so not sure how many sets we will end up with, but there is over 100 to date already. I would just like to say a big thank you to you all for the support you have given myself and Yvonne this year and we will promise to continue to supply you with the best beads we can over the next few years. So many of you have become friends as well as customers and that is important to us both.

   What a difference from yesterday, this morning we have drizzle and dark skies, where has the sun gone and the butterflies that were playing over the pond a day ago. I stood in the garden with the smell of coal fires being lit, watching the chimney smoke swim over the roof tiles of the cottage opposite, a magical start to a magical day.

   When we wake to news of bombs and children killers it's such a pleasure to hide away in my little world of bead making, that warm seat next to my trusty kiln where I can dream of pebblewitches and magic spells being cast on a dark sunday night, a haven full of a thousand colours and a million ideas.

   I'm sorry to say there are no pumkin beads or beads formed into witches hats to be found here and I'm sure there never will be, but that doesn't mean to say my thoughts won't be wild and wonderful tonight. Its strange how this last week I've been working with the ideas of magical fires, pebble beads with riots of flame and embers inside, maybe there really is something special about this time of year.

   I thought it would be nice to post my flickr site here so anyone who may be interested could go along and take a look at this months bead pictures. www.flickr.com/photos/robjohnsonnature  Any comments are very welcome and I hope you enjoy looking at my work. I'll be adding more pictures as the weeks pass and hope to show a wide selection of the beads I make.

   I hope you all enjoy this evening and keep safe from any goblins and ghostly spirits.

   The weekend is here and what a great early winter morning, sun casting shadows over a garden full of autumn leaf and trees full of red berries, who could ask for a better way to start two days of rest, god, did I just say rest ! It's been a great week here at the barn, full of glass trials and experiments, a week of yet more burns from flying glass ( an occupational hazard ), and best of all a week that gifted me with some very pleasant emails from customers, it's alway great to hear how happy they are with my beads, it makes all the hours at my torch so so worthwhile.

   As some of you may have seen I've been playing with silver glass yet again, think I may get addicted to this glass but also I've been happy spending more hours making my stone effect focals, some of which have been listed in my ebay shop www.stores.ebay.co.uk/Beads-Of-Glass and I'm happy to say over half have already sold.

   The silver glass focals are also in my ebay shop and I'll add more as and when I make them, I'm enjoying playing with this glass but I'm keeping it simple for now, I want to learn the ways of the glass before I add the fancy touches.

   The pebbledream site  www.pebbledreams.com is starting to take shape again with new lampwork pebble sets being added every couple of days. More seaglass beads are finding their way into the shop and I hope to be making more later today.

   The bead site www.lampworkbeadsbyrob.com is again about to have more new beads added and a lot removed, my aim is to keep the selection on that site changing every couple of months and with christmas fast approaching, I'm looking at more festive colours, but sorry, no snowmen or santa beads from this bead maker, tho I'm sure there will be hundreds hitting the market in the next few weeks. God I'm talking about christmas and it's still October, how bad is that !

   Ok I better get this work done, my flame awaits and there are gangs of hungry birds to feed in this autumn garden, hope you all have a great weekend.

   I'm guessing most bead makers have a special love for a certain kind of bead, a bead they love making, a bead that makes them smile every time the kiln door is opened, well, I'm the same. With some it may be flower beads, others find dots or stringer work their favourite, with me its beads with rock or stone effects, be it sets or focals, I just enjoy making them.

   To be honest I find this the only way to let the glass work its magic, it can do as it pleases, not me placing dots here or swirls there, putting a stripe down the centre etc etc, this way the glass is free, it runs where and how it wants, its in total control, yes I shape but other than that these beads are formed by the glass and flame, a love affair that has no match.

   In my barn I have my hidden wooden chest, my little box of magical favourites, the only beads I do keep for myself. Most makers I'm sure will have beads from every year, beads they keep, but I'm not like that. I must have made many many thousands of sets over the years, yet I don't keep any, apart from my very first bead, for the rest I just have photographs, it's a shame we can't make two of everything and keep one, but that would mean twice as much work which would need twice as many hours and thats just won't happen.

   On the bead front I have been playing with ivory shades again, something about that glass that pulls you back every week or two, I don't know what we would do without it.

   These swirl nuggets were just one of the sets made this week and I hope to list them here in the organic shop later this evening. There work really well alongside the etched ivory spacers and I'm looking to try them in different colours.

   Over the last few days I've been getting some great results from some of my design ideas, working my way through one of my many design note books, trying colours that I hardly use, rods that stand in dust covered jars watching me work, wishing they could be part of it.

   The results have been far better than I could have wished for and that butterflies in the belly feeling has been here most mornings when opening the kiln, that little child as returned, the small excited boy who would jump on mum and dads bed at 6am christmas moring, I'm sure most bead makers get it, if they don't then I suggest they find another craft. That feeling in the evening that makes you wish the night away so you can get out there to find the treasures hidden inside that blue fire box is just one of many reasons I love making my living making beads.

   The mornings are getting colder now and the sight of falling golden leaves show winter is on her way, now the heat from the kiln becoming a welcome friend rather than a unwanted addition to the summer warmth.

   Before I go on I would love to send loads of good wishes and encouragement to one of our close friends and valued customer Joy. Joy is having to spend time in hospital and I'm sure we all know how thats not one of the best things we all face, so be brave Joy and we all hope your home soon. 

   It will soon be time to change all the website beads so I have been making new sets to replace them, I think customers are looking for something different all the time, yes some make the same looking jewellery most of the time but I think most jewellery makers are now looking more towards that unique piece, so a good selection is a must for all our websites.

   Yes, it's me who is the lazy sod, I've spent most of the weekend watching the Ryder Cup golf and to be honest I don't care ! Yvonne is pleased as she can be in total charge of the works radio, so no talksport the last two days. I did work a few hours this morning making order beads ready to post in the morning.

   It has been so wet here this last week but on the bead front I have had some great results. For some reason I have worked with blue colours, maybe the fact I've been watching the rain hitting the surface of the pond so much, who knows, but all I can say is I'm enjoying it a great deal.

   I have been working with a lot of clear encasing this week, helping to show off every tiny detail inside the beads, I've always been very keen on encasing and with the right clear glass the beads can be stunning when finished.

   Encasing is made easy with nice clean clear glass, there are many on the market yet I must say you can get sold some real crap too, full of scum, some can boil very easily leaving many bubbles that spoil the beads and some just ain't that good full stop. So get used to a clear that you feel ok with, try different makes and see which reacts best to your flame. Remember to melt the encasing in on a fair heat, too low in the flame and you will boil the glass, you often see encased beads for sale that have been boiled in a very hot heat, you will see scumy patches, keep an eye out next time you shop.

    The last two evenings I have had fun playing more with goldstone chips, the effects would be great for those who want christmas beads to be fun and bright with some sparkle. I'm trying to figure out what colours they work best with and at the moment cranberry is looking favourite. I've tried pinks and purples with good results but cranberry frit seems to give a richer finish. The darker colours will be tried in the next few days, colours such as cobalt, emerald and black maybe or deep purples, I'm sure one will stand out.

    I put this set on ebay last night, a real lush set ideal for that special piece of party jewellery, we'll have to see if they interest anyone as much as they do me, I hope so as I think they would work really well with the right findings, light copper maybe of indeed gold.

   More rain here in the fens this morning and it's getting cooler every day, I think it is safe to say autumn is now upon us and winter is heading towards us fast, mornings opening the barn door only to walk inside with freezing temperatures greeting me, days sitting at my flame while snow falls outside and the birds wanting every bit of help the feeding stations can give them, I really can't wait, I love winter and all she brings.

   I hope this coming week to take a ride back to my family village, it's been ages since I went and I really need to take more time off, we seem to work all hours here at the moment and that can't be that good for us. I used to go there every couple of weeks but for some reason that doesn't seem to happen now. It's nice when I bump into the odd person I know and get to catch up on the village news, I guess like all village folk I miss the place.

   My god we are getting a lot of rain, that warm feeling sitting next to the kiln with the sound of heavy rain on the barn roof and the sight of the millions of drops hitting the surface of the pond, has made my afternoon very special. I, like a few others I know love the rain, from a child it as been magical to me, a thousand times I must have laid on my grandfather's kitchen floor under a great army coat watching through the huge open timber door as the rain drops hit and bounced on the cobbled path just outside. I was no age at all but remember these times in every detail.

   But enough of the rain, lets talk beads, I'm sure thats what you all read this blog for, they are far more interesting than me. Yesterday and today I have beem working a lot with goldstone, I often play around with it and I do enjoy the finished beads too, I think it's the golden glitter yet it has a dark look, more like copper, which can make for a very interesting bead. I hope to show you a set on here tomorrow, in the mean time here is a trio being listed this evening.

   I have a busy evening ahead of me listing beads in my ebay shop www.stores.ebay.co.uk/Beads-Of-Glass some pairs and trios, a few more sets and the odd silver glass focal, so I think it may be another late one for me.

   Sunday morning and the sun is filling the garden, butterflies and even the odd dragonfly over the pond, how different from the rain, wind and cold nights of last week. A perfect day of rest, a day to relax and just potter around, a few beads sets to clean and string and a hundred mandrels to dip, but apart from that it's a real easy day for me.

   I have to admit we have been putting in long hours this last couple of months and yesterday I felt really tired, I know when my body has had enough and I felt that yesterday. So today we recharge ready for the coming week and that means tomorrow morning my head will be full of ideas, it always is.

   I'm starting to produce beads for the christmas market and hope to get them listed next week, reds with silver, black and dark purples too. If anyone as ideas please feel free to let me know after all your the people who make and sell the jewellery so who better to know what people like.

    I had a few hours playing with silver glass the last couple of days and I'm so enjoying the different options the glass gives me. I'm sure I will list a few more of the results here this coming week.

    Yesterday was spent removing yet more rubbish from the garage, I don't think one skip will take it all away, but we'll try. I never thought we could hoard so much stuff in nine years but we have, most of it being stuff we never use and never will. Five huge boxes of candle wax and moulds, a mountain of tools plus the hundreds of boxes full of screws, nails and bolts, all needing new homes, I'm sure we will get there.

   Today is a Rob play day, over the last few evenings I've been jotting down a few ideas I have for sets and today I get to try them out. I have a couple of new glass types to try too, well new to me, I think I obtained them last christmas and only just getting around to using them. That happens a lot to me, I get some new glass that makes it's way onto the market yet when it gets here I never seem to make time to try it, so it can be weeks or months before I get to discover if I like it or not.

   I need to make some leaf beads today also, I really enjoy making these beads and I'm lucky that customers enjoy using them. I thought with autumn well on its way I would try some autumn colours, rust, ambers and red browns, I think these would look ok in the leaf design.

   These frost blue leaf beads start on auction this evening, I thought the blue made a nice change, but will try the autumn colours later.

   I have to stock up the seaglass beads again on the pebbledream site, they seem to sell so fast, maybe I'm not the only person who loves these magical little beads after all. It was nice to get seaglass from another customer and friend this week, she asked if I had time to make some beads out of the peices for her and of course I couldn't say no, I think I could use seaglass every day, there is something so special about the resulting beads.

   The focals are becoming great fun with the use of some silvered glass and enamels, I'm very happy with some of the resulting beads and I'm getting more and more of those exciting moments when opening the kiln in the mornings, I think all beadmakers must get this, if they don't then they need a new challange.

   More beads will be starting this evening on ebay auction, focals included some at just 99p starting price. I also have more earring pairs and trio beads going on so take a look if you get time.

   The last two mornings have been spent trying to sort out a mountain of odd rods and to be honest with you it will take yet more mornings to get them in any kind of order. I'm guessing most full time beadmakers will get the same problem, your working on orders and end up with a pile of used rods next to you on the bench. These are then placed into boxes or jars ready to be sorted, but just never seem to get that promised attention. So we end up with boxes, jars and tins full of rods, worth many hundreds of pounds in value, it's these rods I'm trying to sort.

   I know I moan but in a way I enjoy every second, I'm like a kid in a candy store with rods of every colour and every shade of every colour. You hear some beadmakers saying they use these used rods and rod ends for all kinds of things, but for me they are there for my flame and after sorting them into colours they are melted together forming rods ready to use, saving me a small fortune.

   Thank you all for the nice feedback on the large lentil beads and there will be more listed this week, I'm really having fun with them and too with lots of different silvered glass, playing with the reactions they give out. I'm getting a lot of orphan beads as part of these trials, some of which I have listed for auction on ebay.

   What a great bank holiday morning, sunshine yet still nice and cool, the perfect day to play with new glass YIPEEEE !!  I've had great fun the last couple of days trying to bring to life some of the designs in my ideas book. I guess most beadmakers carry around a note book to jot down ideas and thats goes for me too. Ok, most of the ideas never get tried but I have had some that have given me great results, not just with designs but also colour matches and as I've stated on here before, sometimes the most odd colour combinations produce the most amazing beads.

   Give it a try, do the blind pick which I can spend hours if not days doing. I just grab a handfull of rod ends from my box, lay them out on the bench, close my eyes and pick out four, then make a white base bead, adding the four colours in four strips before letting gravity roll the glass around the mandrel, always make a set as you would be so upset if they turn out great and you fogot the colours used. You will be very happy with some of the finished beads the next morning I promise, its an amazing way of finding how colours work with each other.

   I have been listing a few large lentil beads this last week, these beads are ideal to use as single focal beads being 25mm (an inch) in size. In some I have been playing with the Baleen design, It's a nice way of mixing colours and I'm trying to mix this with my usual rock effects, so lots of work to do yet.

   I was asked a few weeks back by a customer if I ever make my dragon scale and snake skin beads these days to which my answer was no and made me ask myself why not. These beads were and are such a pleasure to make and the different effects that can be used is never ending. So, I thought I'd start making more of these mythical beads for the website and ebay shop.

   I started with a couple of designs here in the bead shop but also I made some dragon scale sets to place on ebay, I hope people enjoy them as much as I enjoy making them. Today I'm making a few snake skin sets which I will show on here. I love the way the silver cushions the colours in this type of bead plus the full encasing helps show off every tiny detail acheived, every time you look inside the beads you spot something different.

   Well, I better get back to my flame, time waits for no old beadmakers, I think we need another few hours in the day I'm sure I could fill them with more torch time. Have a great bank holiday and enjoy the great weather.

   Oh how nice the summer has been here in the barn, the weather is perfect for us beadmakers, cool quiet mornings and cooler days which help when sitting next to your kiln all day. The bird feeding stations keep things interesting outside and new bead ideas keep thing intersting inside.

   We are trying to sort a date when we can take a week off to start work on the new bead room, it will be a long job but I'm sure well worth it in the end. It will be a big challenge to fill the new displays with hundreds of sets of lampwork beads, spacers and focals of all types, but I'm sure we will get there. Both my beads and Yvonnes beads will be on display and indeed sale, so customers of us both will be very welcome.

   As you will have seen even more new sets are listed here in the website shops, both every day beads and the more rustic looking beads are being added every week. I really enjoy the more organic style beads, and as lots of you will know, I'd be very happy just making these, but it's never going to happen as my head wouldn't let me sit still on just one kind of bead, think I would end up going crazy, tho some say I'm there already .

   These drop beads are on auction and indeed I think they finish tonight, they look really unique and are sold with matching spacers, go take a look (ebay shop Beads Of Glass).

   The earring pairs and the trios seem to be a welcome addition to the ebay shop with lots of interest in both, I'll be adding a lot more in the coming days. There will be more new focals listed for auction this week, these I started last night with more this evening.

   There will be more new seaglass beads added to the pebbledream site tomorrow www.pebbledreams.com  as all listed had been sold. A big thank you to all the new customers of the seaglass beads and I hope you all feel that little bit of magic when wearing them as I do when making them.

   Ok, enough for now, I better get back to my torch, I will post some focal pictures on here this week as I'm really happy with some I've made in the last few days.

   Well at last I've started to list some of the new bead sets here in the website shops, both the bead shop and the organic shop are having new beads listed all this coming week. I thought it was time customers had new fresh beads to look at and to use in their jewellery and I hope thats what this week will produce.

   I'm really pleased with the remarks on the "Celt" beads, as you all know I love nothing more than making really natural looking beads and some evenings I get to spoil myself, making just that. There will be a lot more celts added this week in more colours, all of which will be natural organic colours, sorry no pink celts !

   The feedback on the celt focal beads as been really good and thank you to those who like them, it's always a nice feeling knowing others like your own favourites plus it's a great excuse to make more YIPEEEEE !

   Lots more beads are being listed in my ebay shop, most of which are on auction but not all, there are some buy it now set. I decided the pairs and trio sets were a good idea to start listing again, giving some customers the option of not having to buy full bead sets when just a couple would be perfect for what they want. I start these at just 99p so I hope a lot of you will get the chance of a real snip at that price.

   More beads will be added to the site shops and ebay in the next couple of nights so keep an eye out.

   I know it has been a long time since last blog update but its been a mad house here this last few weeks, work has been very busy with yet again long days at my torch, visitors have been coming to the barn to looking for beads and with all that going on I'm still trying to find time to build my dream of a new bead showroom. The old garage is so full of junk and tools, some of which I forgot we ever had and it's taking ages to get it empty, finding homes for everything is harder than we thought, but i guess when we get the skip a lot will find it's way in there.

   The building materials are getting here a bit at a time and I hope in the next month to have a week off work to get a good start on the project, it would be nice to have it open by christmas time.

   The summer has been a little kinder to us this last week, cooler days helping a great deal yet the pond and garden are still full of life, every day it seems something new arrives and the early morning bird song makes working a real pleasure.

   On the bead front its been good, had time to make lots of new focals and commissions which I always love doing. I'm about to strip the website shops here to add new sets and the seaglass beads as always seem to be going well over on the pebbledreams site www.pebbledreams.com . New beads will start on auction this evening and more tomorrow, at the same time I'm working hard on adding more beads to the displays here at the barn as more visitors are coming this week.

   I have been playing with a lot of encased beads this week, a couple of set will be listed on auction tonight. I'm leaving the shape a natural design rather than the normal tyre and they seem to be popular with customers here at the barn, so it will be interesting to see how they go. Its funny, some beads need to be seen in the flesh rather than in pictures online, the details don't always show up in a photograph. Tomorrow I'll post a picture of some here on my blog, yes I know, doing my blog two days running ! well, i'm getting moans from friends about my blog updats being so far apart so I guess its time I sorted it out.

   It's been a really mixed week here at the barn, ups and downs as always but for some reason the summer feel with its bright early mornings and bird song from what seems like every corner of the garden helps soften the blows. Thankfully there were more ups than downs and I've had a great week with the beads, including some really nice feedback from new customers, the best feeling in the world.

   I listed a few more of the silver rivet type beads in the small sizes, these beads really do look great when used in the right way, I've yet to see a piece with them included that I don't like, no, I'm not a big fan of all that sparkles as you all know, but there is something about these beads that brightens up any piece of jewellery.

   In the set shown here I wanted to get a real look of natural timber, a teak finish to the beads and I was very happy with the results. I think the extra effect the silver rivets give sets off the set and means that a very natural colour can be used in a very up market looking piece of jewellery, for me a perfect mixture. This set or on ebay and if your the winner of the auction please please can I get to see them after you use them, I really feel they could look special.

   I have a lot more of these type bead sets and will be adding a few more every week, also I'm building the stock up again here at the barn as we have visitors booked in over the next two months, so I always try to have a wide selection on show.

   Now, the downs for this week, please don't mention broadband, we have had so much trouble this past couple of weeks as a lot of you know, and thank you for all your offers of help, but touch wood, I think we are now at last back to normal.

   As for the football, well lets no mention it and just hope the lads can sort it all out this week, I guess being a England fan you just have to suffer !

   The last two days have been a delight for me, at last I had time to play with my favourite glass, seaglass. I love using this wonderful gift from the sea to make beads because each finished bead is so very unique in colour and texture.

   The pandora style beads work really well with seaglass, being large in size you get to see so much more of the surf formed textures, the tiny salt bubbles that form in the flame work their way throughout each bead and of course that lucky dip of colours. I found that after making hundreds of seaglass beads each piece of this stunning beach found glass has a life and will of it's own. I often get customers send me seaglass to make into beads for them and I'm happy to do that, but they have to understand a piece of bright turquoise or red glass will not always end up as a turquoise or red bead, indeed it's rare that the beads will take on the same colours of the piece used, maybe this is why I love using this wild free running glass.

   I do produce different types of seaglass beads, from tiny spacer beads up through lentil and hearts ending up with the large pandora style, I also have a few other thoughts and ideas which I'm working on and hope to be listing in www.pebbledreams.com very soon.

   I'm sorry its been so long since the last update but things have been mad here at the barn. Still the orders are coming in plus I've been playing with some new glass, well I say new but it has been on my rack so long I had to clear the dust from it before I could begin.

   The summer seems to have left us this week with heavy rain and a couple of amazing storms making it ideal for evening trips to the beach. To walk on miles of deserted sand looking for seaglass, pebbles and amber is a great way to relax and is helping with my weight loss, meaning I have far more energy than this time last summer. I know sitting at my flame for hours each day is not the best when it come to exercise, so beach walks and the garden are becoming really important. The walks are getting longer and more enjoyable and I'm starting to feel a lot more better about myself, trying not to hide under baggy clothes so much.

   The pond is a feast of wildlife at the moment which means lots of photographs being taken, some of which I will place on photobucket soon. Here you can see the common blue damselfly, many of which visit all our ponds. Most of my lunch times are spent sitting by one of the ponds waiting and watching for a chance to catch some wildlife on my camera.

   On the bead front I just want to thank you all for your support in the last couple of months, the silver rivet sets are going well and to be honest I really enjoy doing them, even the summer colours. You may have seen there have been more pink sets and indeed more to come, think I have a thing for pink now, god whats going on, I'll be making more red beads next and then the flowers will appear, maybe summer fever !

   I'm pleased your all enjoying the focal beads, there were a few new ones listed last night in my ebay shop and more going in tonight, would be nice to see how some are used, so photographs are always welcome. The cored pieces of seaglass are selling well on the pebble site www.pebbledreams.com and more will be place on there tonight so keep an eye out.

   The new bead room conversion is slow, we are still trying to empty the old garage and finding new places to store the contents is not as easy as we thought, but we will get there and one day it will be finished and full of lampwork beads to look at and play with.

   Right, back to my flame and another long day ahead.

   This last week has been really busy with orders coming in thick and fast, ebay beads made and listed and pebbles and seaglass work in progress. At least with the early morning starts I'm welcomed to the barn by bird song and sunshine, only a few weeks ago it was ice and freezing temperatures.

   Everywhere is so green now with all the fruit trees in blossom and the first signs of shrubs flowering, the pond is fast becoming alive with it's own residents and bathing birds on the waterfall. The swifts and swallows are hunting high above the garden every day and the tiny wren seeks her flies and grubs with tail cocked.

   On the bead front I have had time to work on new ideas, the sterling silver rivet beads being some of them, I just thought that rather than make all the beads the size for pandora or troll bracelets why not make some sets smaller giving the opportunity of using these in normal jewellery with the silver finish on the holes a great addition to silver findings. I'm happy so far with the sets and I have a lot more to list this week starting tonight.

   Some of you may have seen the natural pebbles on the www.pebbledreams.com where I have started to list some of the silver lined pendant pebbles. There will be pieces of seaglass listed there also this coming week.

   We took our first real visit to the beach one evening in the week, the tide was out so I spent a couple of hours walking and gleaning any treasures that took my eye. The sea never fails to produce such a wide selection of gifts, it's as if she knows how they excite us, from the details found on tiny shells to that sweet sea smell we breath in from the seaweed left by the last high tide. I plan another trip this week and hope to share a few photographs with you.

   Well back to my flame this cuppa break over and beads to make, enjoy the sunshine and if you get chance walk the beaches and fill your lungs with that sweet sea air.

   The secret is out at last, yes its true, pink beads have made their way into my ebay shop and there may even be more in the next few days. Well, I thought it was time I listed a few pink sets to put on ebay, summer is trying her best to brighten up our lives and pink blossom is everywhere, so it's only right I dusted down the pink rods, forgotten for many years and placed them into my flame.

   I wanted soft looking beads that could work well with silver and that ment etching the beads. I used a great soft pink and thought a set of around 30 beads would be ideal for those who would use them for matching jewellery sets as in necklace, bracelet and earrings.

   I think the first two sets listed look great and I just know they will look fantastic when used. The shingle shape makes every bead unique and also it gives that natural feel.

   I will be listing these beads in different colours this week so keep an eye out.

  Well the three young blackbirds have flown the nest and spent a day fluttering around the pond with proud parents keeping them fed with goodies. This picture was the last time I saw them in the safty of that wonderful nest.

   The weather has been outstanding here in the fens and the barn temperature is getting towards that of the summer. Fish are spawning in the main pond and water plants are heading to the waters surface.

   On the bead front it's been a busy couple of days with late evenings being the norm for tunning off my flame. I have found time to try out a few new designs and they will be listed on ebay soon, As you may have seen some of the beads have gone from the sites and ebay shop but these are just being replaced with new beads.

   I have been doing a lot more of my nature photography this last few weeks, it's my way of relaxing, having the odd morning or evening walking with my camera and it would be nice to share the odd picture with you all, i'm sure you will let me know if they get too boring haha !

   First of all I need to explain why the silence for the last few weeks, no I haven't been to bead prison for not making enough pink beads haha ! I've been really busy making a few really large orders which mean that next weekend I can start work on the new "Bead Room" and "Studio". We have been planning this project for the last six months and at last we have saved enough funds to start.

   We need a bead room, a place where customers can visit and sit in nice relaxed area to play with and select beads, a place where you can chat and exchange jewellery ideas and where there will be a much larger selection of our beads on sale and display. The second part of the project is a new studio where I can work but also give lessons in lampwork. I get asked so many times if I give lessons and I always point people towards other beadmakers who I know teach. Its been a couple of years since I last taught beadmaking and I feel it's time I again helped any of those who feel they could enjoy the art.

   So, I hope by the end of summer there will be a new bead haven for all our customes to visit and get to love lampwork beads.

   Now I want to share with you one of natures true wonders, we have a new family living in our greenhouse this spring, a family of blackbirds. I found the most amazing nest when I went in to tidy up ready to set seeds and get ready for the coming season. The three eggs were to turn into three fantastic chicks and over the last ten days it has been a real outstanding experience watching those three new lives grow, the hard work mum puts in to feed them and fact that no local cats have even a remote clue to them being there, even tho I feel like keeping guard at the door.

   On the bead front I have had some time to try out new ideas and hope to be listing pebbles in next few days on www.pebbledreams.com site. I want to thank all the visitors who came to the barn in the last couple of weeks, it was nice meeting new customers and old faces again too, it's always great seeing how my beads place a smile on their faces. 

   Well, it's here, spring as sprung at last and the weather is still heading towards warm here in the fens, daff's all out here and still the snow drops are in full flower. The ponds are coming alive with so much frogs spawn, little devils have been really busy.

   I started work in the garden yesterday with tayberries, loganberries and blackberries all being tied back and pruned ready for the coming summer. The fruit trees are all full of buds so I hope we get another good harvest this year.

   On the bead front, some of you may have seen the new pebble sets are being listed on the pebble site, www.pebbledreams.com I hope to list a good selection with a good variety of colours and designs.

   Some of the pebbles are fully encased to help show off the tiny details and some come with small matching pebble spacers to help get two pieces of jewellery from each set.

   Ok, back to the flame, cuppa time over and another long day ahead.

   Another nice week here at the barn, sunny spring mornings, warmer temperatures and more new beads being made. As some of you may have seen I've been adding new bead sets to the shops here on the site including some one off unique sets which to be honest didn't stay around for long, but more will be added.

   I've now started to stock the focal shop with three new beads being listed last night, the beads are made with some amazing new glass giving an outstanding colour finish.

   Some of the new focals will come complete with matching spacers as seen here in this picture. I hope this will help customers when using the focals in a single piece, if not just add them to your stock, at least you get the option.

   I have had some great feedback about the silk beads and more colours have been made, I just need to get the pictures clear before I list those, I hate the thought of customers not being happy with bead colours when they arrive, so I will try my best to get them right.

   If you see beads disappear from my ebay shop ( Beads Of Glass ), it is because they are being replaced by new sets or new pictures.

   Next week the pebbledream site www.pebbledreams.com will also be getting a fresh new spring clean with new pebbles and new seaglass beads.

   Now back off to my flame and I hope you all enjoy what looks to be a great sunny weekend.

   Its been a good week here at the barn with lots of new bead sets being made for the website shops. I hope some of you are enjoying the beads I'm listing and will find some interesting enough to use in your jewellery. I have had great feedback about the beads being listed on ebay for auction and more will be added this week so keep an eye out.

   I have started listing the silk beads here on the website and will add more colours as and when I make them, these beads are a fast becoming a favourite with many uses. They have a real soft look which remind me of silk hence the name.

   These beads are a big tyre size not spacer size, making them great to use on their own or with smaller size beads. I'm thinking of making these beads in a spacer size but we'll have to wait and see.

    Two new sets have been listed today for auction in my ebay shop (Beads Of Glass), one set of spree beads with some great sea dream swirls inside and the second set, shown below are a pillow set with more of a organic appearance.

   I have to say I love making this type of bead, not so much the pressed shapes but the stone effects mixed with the cool etched transparent colours I often use. I find the etching of the beads adds so much more texture and gives a real soft feel to the beads. 

   Yet another busy weekend working but this time I spent most of the time playing with glass and boy did I enjoy it. After removing a lot of the bead sets from the shops here on the website I have been making fresh new sets to replace them. I wanted to give the shops a real good spring clean and yes, I know its about time, I guess I need more hours in the day to keep on top of things.

   I have been playing with a lot of what I call, mirror glass, glass that can be used to produce mirror effects like some of the glass produced by Double Helix. This glass is fast becoming popular with a lot of bead makers and I have had a stock for a while now without trying them out.

   These tyre beads were made this weekend and as some of you will know I already make the "Devil's Mirror" beads which have a matt finish. These beads have a really silver gloss finish and are a real fun bead, they are a good size bead being around 9mm by 12mm, a handy size for most jewellery making.

   These beads can now be obtained in the beads shop here on the wesite, also more sets will be added tomorrow.

   It has been another busy week at the barn and yet again we had snow and freezing conditions to cope with, The orders keep coming in and the ebay auctions are getting really popular with not just focal beads but also sets being listed.

   Ok, yes I did make some pebble beads with flower designs on and yes there are more to list, but hey, with this winter going on so long even I need to play with brighter colours a bit more. Looking out the window of the barn I see the snow drops flowering and just maybe the hint of spring in the air with is giving me thoughts of early spring flowers I guess this is where these beads are coming from, or do I just need help ? Rob Johnson making beads with flowers on, are you joking !

  As you can see the set isn't that bright but they do make a refreshing change and I have had some nice feedback from customers. I'm not sure I will start making this kind of bead on a regular basis but to be honest I did enjoy the results, nice clean design and neat little flowers.

   Some of you may have seen some of the bead sets listed in my ebay shop are also a little bright for me but I hope some of you will find them interesting enough to use in your jewellery.

   I will show you some more new beads on here in the next couple of days, you never know they may even be pink, or is that taking it too far haha !

   It's the end of another week here in the barn and to say it has been busy would be an understatement, the new year so far as been very positive as far as sales go and I' just about finding time still to try out all my ideas.

   Thank you for your feedback on the drop beads and I'm glad I started to list more, some beads never seem to see the light of day being kept in the barn, so I think I did right.  I have made more to list on ebay and hope some of you enjoy them.

   The "Red Romance" drop beads that are shown here are listed on auction. They are very long as you can see and would look fantastic with the addition of silver findings. They are made from the same deep red glass that I use for my hearts, a more romantic red rather than bright red.

   Talking of hearts, they have been a selling really well and most colours have been getting great feedback. Of course with Valentines so near it may be a little late for using them in Valentine pieces but they will remain for sale in my ebay shop (Beads Of Glass), all year round.

   There are some focal beads that finish on auction today so why not pop and take a look, you may well be interested in one. The seaglass hearts are making a big splash which I thought they might, so more will be listed in next few days.

   If you see some of the sets removed from the bead shops here on this site, don't worry I'm just replacing them with new designs. 

   At last I have been making the amazing new seaglass hearts and they are becoming a great favourite with customers already, just two weeks since they appeared on the pebbledream site ( www.pebbledreams.com ). I Hope to add more at least twice a week and I'm trying my best to list a wide selection of colours too.

   It's very difficult to put into words the special feeling I get working with seaglass as I have explained before and to be able to produce these very unique little hearts makes me feel very honoured. They are a first and yet again this pushes me forward again, on from the normal seaglass beads and into another option, but most of all it gives customers a chance to use more seaglass in their work and this can only be good.

   So now we have seaglass tyre beads, silver cored beads and hearts, whats next, mmmmmm that would be telling and you know me by now, the next idea will just appear as these hearts did.

   There as been a lot going on in my ebay shop this week  ( Beads Of Glass ), with more new focal beads going both on auction and in the shop as "Buy It Now". More drop beads have been listed and more beads are being listed later today and more in the next few days also.

   Before I go I want to thank all those of you who have sent emails with kind words about my beads, also all the new customers who have been so pleased with their focal beads. It's always nice to get great feedback from happy customers, makes all the hours at my flame worth while.

   Well, I did it ! I went and made red hearts, I just hope those of you who asked for these think about the few hours I spent using red glass, me the guy who hates bright colours haha, to be honest I enjoyed it and there may be a few more listed in the next few days. I thought it was better to list in ebay shop as "Buy It Now" so people can get them now giving more time to use them before valentines day.

   I'm happy with the colour of the hearts, I didn't want cright red but a darker more romanic shade and I didn't just want to add silver dots but wanted to use the silver in a different way and I hope this looks ok.

   I listed some of the hearts on ebay last night and a couple have sold already so I guess the colour is ok with customers. Being a full time bead maker is sometimes a bit of a pain, when I say that I mean in the way that I need to work out what people will like rather than what I like to make.

   It was ok when I made beads as a paid hobby like a lot of people do now, but the last four years I had to learn that to make living doing the job I love and enjoy so much I had to make beads that people would like, I have to cover a wide range of designs, shapes and colours and not just make my favourites as before. I guess in a way it helps me learn more by making so many different types and it also makes every day so very different at work, just the thought of sitting in an office every day doing the same things drives me mad and I hope I never need to do it myself, mind you I'm not bright enough anyway.

   Well I better get off to the barn and clean yesterday's beads, turn on the kiln and say good morning to my flame, I have an idea for some nice bright pink hearts haha !

   Its a new year, the snow as left us at last and it's not so cold here in the barn. Work is going well and as some of you might have seen I have been adding more beads to the ebay site. First of all the drop beads just had to be listed as they always sell well here and I thought it was time to put them in the shop.

   I have been making drop beads for well over four years now, but never really covered different effects with them, most sets I make are from plain transparent colours, all the popular ones such as cobalt, emerald or the different purples. This week I thought a change was needed and I made a couple of unique drops, just to see if customers would be interested.

   The set shown here are on going on auction on ebay and were made with my favourite rock/stone effects but with the addition of some wonderful turquoise caverns. Tho the beads are narrow on the stem they always seem strong for their size and they will always be very well packed when posted out to customers, believe me I never want my beads cracked or damaged in the post after the work I put into them. I have been lucky enough to see these drop beads used in jewellery and I have to admit they can look stunning to say the least, I think its the shape that does it all.

   The focals are going really well and boy do I love the hours spent making them, now I see why some bead makers just make focals, its such fun. I sit behind my flame like some old hermit for a couple of hours every afternoon watching the glass as it runs wild in the heat, every day I learn more, every day the glass shows me new effects, a dream job this really is.

   I'm working on some hearts to list in the next few days and will try my best to get some red ones made ready for valentines, yes I know it's very girly for me but I have been asked by a few people this last week and so I will give them a go.

   I hope your all enjoying your new year and your head is full of new jewellery ideas, if we ever need a fresh start then this is the best time. We woke again to snow this morning and the freezing temperatures are very much making life in the barn very interesting to say the least. Its hat and scarf time first thing in the mornings, but the kiln does get things warmed up in time.

   Glass rods are warmed before use to save on spits and iced windows are cleard ready to watch the feeding birds on the bird table. But I have to be honest and admit there is no better feeling than sitting by a worm flame while heavy snow falls outside and frozen ponds and snow covered trees greet me.

   As some of you would have seen my websites are getting sorted for the new year, old stock as been removed and new beads will be added in this next two weeks, first of the new pebbles were listed on the pebble site this morning ( www.pebbledreams.com ) and more will follow tomorrow.

   There will be more new sets listed on the lampwork site this week ( www.lampworkbeadsbyrob.com ) plus focal beads.

   Sea glass sets will be making their way to the pebble site this week too, these are some of my favourite beads and I just love the feel of working with natures gems of the sea.

   I need to thank the people at the Norfolk magazine for doing such a fantastic piece on my work in this months issue, I couldn't have wished for a better start to the year and I wish you all at the magazine a great new year, thank you again. I guess I'm getting used to magazine articles now tho I very much still hate having my picture taken.

   For any new visitors to my site I would just like to say you can see more of my work for sale in my ebay shop (Beads Of Glass), where there is always a big selection of focal beads and spacers.

   Now its time to get more work done and also list more beads, hope you all enjoy the snow and the new year brings you all lots of great jewellery ideas.

Merry Christmas

   I would love to wish all of you a very merry christmas and I hope you all have a fantastic new year making jewellery. As you can see in the picture below we have had lots of snow like many of you, and for the first time in many years we have a white Christmas.

   After a special cooked breakfast I opened my pressies to find lots of wonderful new glass to play with, so tomorrow will be a boxing day playing in the barn and to be honest it will be a great way to spend the day, I guess just like a kid playing with there new toys, but then I am just a big kid.

   I'm feeling excited having this holiday to get all the changes and new beads listed on the two websites and in my ebay shop. It has been a really busy month leading up to Christmas and all but two orders have been made and posted, I wanted to get all done before the Christmas holiday and I nearly got there.

   I hope you will be pleased with the new beads that will be appearing over the next week, I have I hope come up with some nice new bead sets plus there will of course be lots more new focal beads listed. I will also be listing more bead trio's in the ebay shop, I used to list a lot of these handy little sets and after having customers ask if I would be listing more, I thought it would be a great idea, helping people who can't afford full bead sets, this way they can buy enough to make just one piece.

  Well, I will leave you now to your Christmas dinners and I hope you all have a great day.

   First thing I need to do is to thank you all for the birthday greetings you have sent, you made a grumpy old bead maker very happy, 46 today, god I feel old.

   It's been a very busy week, getting over 100 bead sets photographed and listed ready for tonights sale, I hope you all enjoy it and find a set that interests you. I have tried to make sure all types are included and the selection is as big as possible.

   Tomorrow is yet another new fresh start in the barn, I guess thats one of the things I love about holding the sales, I get to refresh all the barn displays which means I need even more new ideas. This way I get to keep pushing on with my bead making, four times a year I will be holding these big sales, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, giving me chance to clear out stock and start fresh.

   I  better get off to enjoy my day off now (do have new glass to try tho, so may slip into barn !), and hope you all enjoy the sale later, don't forget it starts at 7pm and all sets are listed in my ebay shop (Beads Of Glass) under £7.99 sale beads.

   Once again, thank you all so much for the nice birthday wishes.

   I hope you all put your clocks back this morning, winter is here YIPEEEE ! working in the barn next to the kiln is now a real pleasure, no more long hot days wishing the day would end by lunch time because of the heat, no more drinking pints and pints of ice water and no more shorts which means no risk of leg burns.

   I've been working really long hours the last week which ment a lot more beads being made of which a lot are focal beads. So with that in mind I have been listing a lot of focals in my ebay shop (Beads Of Glass), with a lot at a auction starting price of just 99p and even more listed at just £5.99 "Buy it now". The responce as been great and I'm so happy that your all happy with the beads you obtained, hope to see some pictures of the focals in your jewellery.

   Some of the aution focals finish later today so pop along and take a look, I'm sure there are some real savings to be had. I have taken my time to pick focals of different types and designs, some etched and more natural in looks, some more colourfull with some wonderful metallic effects. There will be additions through the coming week plus bead sets too. I'm hoping these beads will give those of you making your Christmas pieces up a good chance to get some bargains to help.

   I want to remind you all of the bead sale on my birthday (Nov 15th), I have started sorting out sets ready and indeed I will be making a lot more to add to them, beads of every colour and design, I hope to make it the best sale yet and with Christmas in mind I will make sure there are some festive sets listed.

   I think most of you all know by now that the sale sets will all be listed at a set price of just £7.99 which means a saving of over 50% on some of the sets.

   Well, I better get off to my torch, I have so many focal ideas in my head and need to try them out this morning, who said sunday was a rest day haha. To be honest I couldn't think of a better way to spend a sunday than playing with new design ideas.

   The colder weather seems to be making work go more smoothly here at the barn, in fact the heat from the kiln has been very welcome this last few mornings. It will soon be time for filling the bird tables and watching all the garden birds filling up for the winter months ahead.

   Lets get down to the matter of beads and what I've been up to this last few days. As some of you may have seen I have listed a lot of new focal beads on auction in my ebay shop (Beads Of Glass), they are all listed with a starting price of just 99p which gives more people the chance of winning them.

   I'm really enjoying making my focals at the moment, I guess focal beads have always been my favourite way of letting the glass run wild, the fact that the glass can do just as it pleases, never fails to produce some really nice beads.

  There will be a lot more focals added in the coming week so keep an eye open, there may be one that will interest you.

   Thank you to all of you who have asked about the Nov sale, it's really nice to know so many people are interested. The price will be the same as all the past sales, just £7.99 and all will be listed at 7pm on the evening of the 15th, so all will be on a first come basis. I will be letting you all know nearer the time.

  I just wanted to tell you about the new "Wild Mind" focals that are listed in my ebay shop (Beads Of Glass), also the reason behind the beads.

   As you all know by now I treasure my play time on my torch, those few hours I get to make beads the way I wish I could all the time. In this time I must admit I do produce some really wild beads, beads I'm sure have a mind of their own, beads that should be used and not just packed away in an old dusty box.

   So with this in mind I thought it was time they had there own place in the ebay shop and I have listed the first batch, I'm sure some people will hate them tho there may be some who find them very interesting and to be honest with you I just want them to be seen.

   As you can see I use the ivory glass I love so much and play around with metals as an addition, some I feel look better etched and some I like left plain so there is always a mixture of both.

   Well as you can all see I've been busy listing more beads today on both websites and in the ebay shop ( Beads Of Glass ), they include focals, silver cores and some new pebble bead sets.

   The first set of silver cored tyre beads as been listed in my ebay shop, the first of many I hope. These little core beads are great to use in jewellery being the same sizes as normal tyre sets but with the addition of the cores, their hole size is just over 2mm so this makes them perfect for most jewellery wires.

  This first set are made with the Saxon Silk design which is very popular with customers, but there will be lots more sets listed including some very colourful sets, yes your read right, more colour ! The cores are not as wide as those of the large beads but thats because of the narrow size and I would rather that than not make them as I do belive they can help make some very unique pieces of jewellery.

   I hope to list more tomorrow and more during this coming week so keep an eye out.

   Also I will be updating this blog more often, I love to share all my trials and new ideas with you all, it makes me feel we are all in it together and with some of you being beadmakers also, I hope I help to give you ideas to try, which may give you all the excitement and pleasure that I get from working with the flame.

   Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

   It has been a great week here with a lot of new ideas playing around in my flame, but also I have been making a lot more silver core beads including the new sea glass examples. I have listed some new cored beads on this site and today will be listing more in my ebay shop ( Beads Of Glass ), including the new smaller sizes which give me the option of selling sets.

   I'm working on some new focal designs and to be honest with you I'm really enjoying getting a few hours play, just like old times.

   I hope to be able to show you the new silver cored sets tomorrow ans indeed list a couple too, I'm really pleased with them and you don't see many sets that are cored on the market. I have also been working with copper cores, which are fast becoming my favourite.

  What a great time of year it is, those autumn evenings are drawing in and the thought of bonfire nite and the smell of garden bonfires come to mind. The colder yet sunny mornings are great and the cooler days make working next to the kiln far more comfortable.

   I know it's been a while since my last update but its been a busy time here and we wanted some time off too, so we did manage to get a few afternoons off and for once some evenings away from beads, which helps recharge. We had a few visitors to the barn and would like to thank them so much and your welcome any time.

  As you can see I have started to freshen up the websites, both here and the pebblesite (www.pebbledreams.com ), it's a fresh start as winter heads towards us and there is to be a few changes on this site. I will be selling a lot more unique one off sets and focals from the shops and also I hope to be selling a lot more silver cored beads, pebbles and sea glass from the pebble site.

   A lot of the beads that sell here at the moment including beads like Rock spacers, Mother Of Pearl, Turquoise Caves etc will be moved to my ebay shop (Beads Of Glass) in the coming weeks, the prices will stay the same and all the beads will be made to order as they are now. There are going to be a lot more one off focal beads for sale as customers are always asking for them and to be honest I just love making them, so its a pleasure.

   I have already listed some new bead sets and focals here in the shops so pop along and have a look, all feedback is very welcome.

    I have been working on some stone effect focals these last few days like the one shown here in the picture, as you all know I love making these beads letting the glass run free in the flame, we can all position the glass such as in dot beads etc but we can never get the effects that glass gives us when we let it play, no chains, free to move and dance where it likes, give it a go sometime, you will I promise be happy with most of the results.

  Last thing I want to tell you all is that I have decided to hold a large online bead sale on the evening of Nov 15th, yes my birthday. I think it will be nice for all of those who need last minute beads for any Christmas jewellery and yes, of course all beads will be £7.99 as normal. I will be listing a large amount of beads in the sale, well over 100 sets so, keep that date marked and tell any friends who would be interested in some good quality beads at a give away price.

   First thing I need to say is thank you for all the great feedback for the sea glass beads on the pebble site, It really means a lot to me when I get such remarks from friends and customers alike, thank you all.

   Next I need to apologize for leaving it so long before updating this blog. It really has been a busy couple of weeks plus we tried to have a few days off, spending them with friends and getting a little relaxation.

   Some of you may already have seen my sea glass beads and I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy making them. I collect sea glass from some of the local beaches here on the east coast, giving then to people to use in jewellery or silver coring myself to use as pendants, but I thought about the waste pieces, pieces with cracks, chips or broken edges. After talking it over with a close friend I decided to see if I could use it to make beads, followed by hours of working on the idea.

   Sea glass is such a special gem of the sea, man using natures gifts and fire to produce glass, then nature taking it back into her waves, placing it in the care of the sea, giving it a more natural shape, adding her own remarkable textures to the surface of every piece, then I get the chance to take this amazing material and let my flame work its magic. Just the feel of holding this glass in my flame sets my mind thinking, the history of each piece, who drank from the bottle, from which ship may it have been tossed into the sea or who was the victorian who cast it into the sea along with other rubbish, we will never know.

   Knowing that each piece I use was born of fire all those years ago, now I get to let fire turn this glass into something that I hope will last at least another century and maybe some of these beads will end up back in the waves, what an amazing thought.

   These magical little beads have no glitter or gold, no silver or sparkle, but boy they stand so high above all of those, they contain natures special magic and just holding them makes the dreams flow. 

   It's the weekend again and the weeks fly by these days rather like the years the older we get. I want to tell you about the new shops on the pebble site ( www.pebbledreams.com ), both of which are related to my love of the coast and beaches. The first shop is for sea glass and some of the very unique new silver cored pieces, tho very difficult to produce I wanted to make these amazing items available to customers, not just for jewellery making but also they are so well known to aid relaxation and stress relief. The feel of sea glass and the knowledge that the sea has taken a man made material and worked it into an amazing gem of the sea over, in some cases hundreds of years gives you that feeling of holding nature.

   Some of the pieces sold in the shop will be silver cored, some will be drilled and some will be untouched giving the jewellery maker the option to use it in any way they wish. The silver core pieces will vary in size from large pieces ideal for pendants and stress pieces down to smaller pieces ideal for use in jewellery making.

   The drilled pieces will be sold with different size holes, some single pieces, some in groups or pairs, being perfect for earrings. 

   The sea glass will come from both the coast of Britain plus from other countries of the word and there will be a wide selection of colours, some rarer colours being more expensive.

   The second new shop is for natural beach pebbles, including the new very unique silver cored pebbles. My love for pebbles is very well known and to walk along a dawn beach with the pebble carpet running out ahead of you is the best feeling in the world. Nature is such a wonderful giver, she leaves us these gems of the beach after every tide.

   Again these sea pebbles are very much used for relaxation, just the feel when holding these pebbles can help remove so much stress that we have in these hard times.

   I will be placing not just silver core pebbles in the shop but also drilled pebbles in a wide selection of sizes for use in jewellery making. These could be single pebbles or groups and the hole sizes will also vary. Also the colours of the pebbles will vary and there will be pebbles listed with some very interesting effect in them.

   All the silver cores are made by myself using a single piece of silver, I know there are mass produced rivets on the market but why on earth would anyone want to use these on such natural gems of the sea. A huge factor in my work is that I learn, teaching myself to produce things like silver cores is the only way I can do this, so many people are happy to keep making the same things or too follow others but I'm not like that, we are only here on this earth for such a short time and lets make every day count, lets push forward looking for something new.

   I hope you find something in the new shops that interest you and I will now get back to my barn to play with glass, have a great sunday.

   Well, I promised you a update picture of Sam and as you will see he as grown a good bit now, no longer that tiny ball of fluff that you saw in the last picture.

   He is now bigger than the other two, Marley and Ziggy and tho he is still a puppy they only just cope with him playing because of his size. He seems to find trouble anywhere he goes and he looks like a naughty dog too, but he has so much character and is turnning into a really nice dog, happy and really friendly. As you can see in this picture he loves exploring around the ponds with the other dogs.

   Its been a great weekend here at the barn, I was tucked away in the corner working on new ideas some of which I hope will be seen next weekend and not a bead in sight !

   I need to mention something important before I go on, its about an auction being held by Mel at Kookie Designs, her close friend Lizzi Boullin lost her five year fight against cancer and Mel is raising money for the Princess Alice Hospice in Esher. So please go take a look and give Mel some support. http://kookiedesigns.web.officelive.com/collectivecharity.aspx

   We have had two trips to the coast this last few days, evenings or early mornings walking on the beach, not a souls around, you just can't beat it.and as we won't be getting a holiday again this year it's our way of getting some relaxation. I've been asked for an update on Sam so tomorrow I'll get a new picture on here and I think you may just see a difference !

   I thought you may like to see this little guy who seems to be watching you where ever you go in the garden, can you get stalker frogs ? Every afternoon he seems to be around hidden under the duck weed, think we need to give him a name.

   More tyre beads have been added to my ebay shop, some on auction, some "buy it now". More new focal pebbles were listed too but I think some sold already so will add more in next two days and I hope to list more silver core pebbles after being asked if they will be going in the shop again. Then of course next weekend the new items will make their first appearance on the pebble website www.pebbledreams.com  they are a little different but I can safely say very unique. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

   The questions is am I going mad or just running wild with colours ? I blame the sun myself but something is happening here in the barn, I cleaned off the dust from the top glass rack and the brigh colours were still there ready to do their part for me, summer colours, colours that would feel at home on the beach.

   As some of you will have seen there were more tyre beads listed on ebay this morning for auction and some have some really funky colour mixes.

   The set shown here is one listed this morning and the mixture of silver effects with the greens, turquoise and iris yellow makes for a really nice set of beads. There will be more tyre sets listed this week along with focal beads too so keep an eye out. 

   This last week the barn as been a hive of activity with a lot of new beads being made. The new column beads are one thing I've been working on and I have to say I'm enjoying making them, both the shape and the designs working out well.

   I find these beads ideal for adding more colour into my work and there will be a lot more listed in my ebay shop this week. The sizes of the columns range from just 25mm and go up to well over 50mm making them very interesting for jewellery use, maybe a real challenge for some.

   The bead shown here was snapped up within minutes of listing and I think I know why, the colours say it all to me, dark yet magical and the silver just adds that little something the bead needed.

   I have started to list these beads in the ebay shop (Beads Of Glass) and also a lot more focals have been listed too with a wide range of colours and designs being added every few days. There are also some nice new large shingle sets being added with some fantastic colour mixes, I love making those beads because I get to play with the effects and colours, but most of all I watch as the glass begins to play in the flame, turning and twisting on its own and my god, some of the results can be stunning.

   This next few days I'm listing more tyre sets on auction many of which have silver incorporated in their design and too be honest with you some colours may be a shock to you, well they shocked me thats for sure ! Its a hard fight for me getting more bright colours into my work, it goes against my way of working, you all know by now how I love the more natural colours but it's a challenge and I've never been one to back away from a challenge. But please, if I start making all pink and red beads at any stage, someone stop me !

   Well it may be sunday but it off to the torch for me, lots of experimenting to do and I promise if I fall upon and new design that I feel worthy, they will be shown here in the next update. Enjoy your sunday and this wonderful weather.

   Its been a great week here at the barn with some fantastic weather and I even got to finish my new garden path at last ! With the hot weather it has made working next to the kiln a little warm to say the least but I've been making some great new focals and tube beads, it's been a while since I worked on new focals for the ebay shop (Beads Of Glass) so now I'm starting to get a good selection listed, all "buy it now". I listed the first of these this morning and will be listing more tomorrow morning.

   There will be a large selection including rock effect, tubes and lots and lots of organic beads. It's nice to be set free with my designs again after a long period making orders, it will be interesting to see if I can get more colours into my beads with summer giving us so many natural colours to work with.

   The focal shown here is just one of the beads listed this morning on ebay, I just love making these focals as every one is so unique and perfect for use as a centre piece in most jewellery, but also great for use with leather cord in more organic jewellery.

  Well, at last we get our summer and what a difference it makes here at the barn. Sitting at my torch looking out over the pond which is so full of life is a real pleasure. The pond being home to so many creatures this time of year including frogs, fish, newts and so many menbers of the insect world with dragonflies ans damselflies being a favourite of mine. It seems that new plants appear every day and water lillie pads popping up overnight, I'm so lucky working in such surroundings.

   It has been a while since I updated the blog but it has been so busy here with lots of orders having to be completed plus I had a big commission from the Royal School Of Needlework. They are working on a very big piece and it was nice to be able to help with my beads, I wish all the girls at Hampton Court Palace the best of luck with the project and look forward to seeing the finished piece.

   The pebble site ( www.pebbledreams.com ) is really taking off now and I'm adding new pebbles twice a week to keep a good selection in the shop. I will be adding a lot more tyre beads to the ebay shop ( Beads Of Glass ) in this coming week so keep an eye out, I will let you all know on here when they are listed.

   I hope you all enjoy this wonderful weather and I hope the colours that nature gives us at this time of year will influence your work.

   First of all I need to thank all of you who emailed me wishing me a well after learning I had Bell's Palsy, it was very kind of all of you and I'm pleased to say I'm very close to being back to normal. I'm lucky really has a lot of people get left with some lack of movement in the face, but touch wood I'm ok.

   I've been very busy this last week with orders and commission beads, which is always a nice thing this time of year, beads are not always the first thing people want to spend money on with summer holidays coming up and school holidays meaning trips out with the kids to pay for, so thank you all for your orders.

  I have been stocking the displays here in the barn and also I have a lot more sets to list on ebay over the next two days starting this morning with some nice tyre sets. Including this set made from a mixture blues, purples and silver. There are many more colours to be listed so keep an eye out, there may be some that interest you.

   The pebble beads are becoming really popular and the focal pebbles are selling fast. I'm about to list a lot more on the pebble site www.pebbledreams.com  this weekend including a couple of the giant focal pebbles that sell so well from the barn, but I warn you these are very big beads.

   I hope you all enjoy the rest of this holiday weekend and lets hope the weather keeps up for all those who are going to outside events or the coast. Yesterday we spent in the garden, which is really starting to look good now. When I think of the jungle that faced us at the start of the year, it's nice to see our garden back.

   I hope your all enjoying your holiday weekend and for once the weather as timed it right so no excuses for getting all those garden jobs done. It wasn't the best week here at the barn after I was hit by Bell's Palsy, having had it ten years ago I was hoping it wouldn't return, they say one in twenty people get it back years later so I guess I'm one of the unlucky ones.

   It has caused problems work wise because of my eye not working as normal, so if any of you are awaiting orders from me please accept my apologies and your orders will be getting off to you in next few days. I guess the weekend off will do some good but I miss my torch already.

   I have made and listed more new sets on ebay this week, so if you have time, pop along to my ebay shop (Beads Of Glass) and take a look and any feedback about colour is always very welcome.

   This set were made using a wonderful new red deep red glass and to be very honest with you I didn't think they would work out, guess my mind was thinking "bright red", but it was a real pleasure when they came from the kiln and I don't like to say this but colour seems to be working its way into my work a little more. I have never really thought about red glass and the effects it can produce, ok we all know it can be in your face sometimes and those who love red always love red, but I think it can work in beads without being the centre of attention.

   The second set is one of my favourites and I was looking for a cold snow and ice feel with these beads, I hope you think I may have got it right, but then some of you may think not. With the etching I think the ice feel is there and the silver gives that tiny bit of sparkle just like those frosty winter mornings.

   Well its back to the garden for me and if you see my tiny little body slipping in through the barn door, please don't tell a soul I will just be getting a little torch fix to get me through the weekend, have a great weekend.

  Sorry it's been so long since the last blog update, but it really has been very busy here at the barn, with orders and new beads to be made plus the continued success of the pebble bead site ( www.pebbledreams.com ). Plus the garden is getting it full make over, the idea being that the exercise will help me get fit again, after four years full time bead making its time I started looking after myself, sitting for all the hours I do doesn't help so by doing the garden a couple of hours a day it's killing two birds with one stone, doing me good and the garden is back looking like a garden at last, still more to do but I hope by late summer it will be finished.

   I have been having fun with tyre beads this last week or so, placing sets on ebay and people seem to like them, plus as promised I'm using more colour in my beads, ok I'll never be making those "in your face" bright pink or yellow beads but colour really is getting into my work more.

   I have been trying out a lot of new glass which is always a great thing adding to that excitement every morning when I open the kiln. Some of the sets I have fully etched like the set here to the left, these seem to be very popular with customers. To me they give a very unique soft feel and look, ideal for summer jewellery.

   Before I go any further I want to thank all the new customers who are taking an interest in my work, it's alway great to know my work is reaching new jewellery designers especially when times are not easy, as they are now, it makes all the hours spent at my torch worth it, so onec again thank you.

   Some of the results from the new colours have pleased me a great deal, there are a couple of new pink and purple shades that I have been working with, one being used in this next set. These colours are perfect for my work, yes colour, but no, not loud colour. I know nature gives us some amazing bright colours and yes, I will get there in the end but will always try to use them with the addition of stone or rock effects.

   I will promise the next update won't be as long a wait as I have so many more beads I want to show you all. Hope you all have a great weekend ans enjoy the weather for as long as it lasts. 

   I hope your all enjoying the start to this Easter holiday and whatever you all have planned I hope you all have a great time. Here at the barn things really have been very busy this last week with orders coming in and lots of design trials taking place. Now I'm almost up to date with the orders it will be great to get the weekend off, haha as if I could leave the barn door shut for four days, more chance of me flying to the moon !

   I have been enjoying making the large pebble focals and they seem to be a hit with customers, I guess it give everyone a chance to buy pebbles with the prices being a lot less than the sets. I'm starting to list pairs and trios on the pebble site ( www.pebbledreams.com ) along with the sets and while on the subject, I would like to thank those of you who have emailed with great feedback about the pebbles and the way they are packed, I wanted something different and thought the small boxes were ideal for the job.

   I have made a lot of tyre sets that I will start listing on ebay tomorrow and thought it would be nice to show you one of them here. Not all the sets are stone effect but to be honest if they were to turn out like these every time then I would be making them every day.

   I know some of you don't like this kind of bead and would rather see more colour and I promise there will be more colour listed, but I think this set says it all, the way the glass worked the silver really is stunning and I take no credit for that.

   First of all I need to thank everyone for the kind remarks about the 'Bead' magazine profile, it was an interesting thing to do and it is so nice to meet new people through it, thank you all.

   Well, at last the whole weekend off YIPEEEEEEE !!!! been laying the new stone path leading up to the barn, it wont be finished until next weekend but boy have I enjoyed it. Just the fact I was back outside working made me happy and the bonus of all the exercise being good for me puts a nice topping on it all. The sun as been playing for the last week but dare we say summer is here, I think not, knowing our weather we may get snow this comming week.

   The garden being full of budding shrubs and blossom can only fill my head will summer bead designs, all those flower colours plus creams and greens. Anybody making beads at this time can see why I go on about mother nature giving us so much to work with, get out there and use it.

   I must say that the pebble bead site is doing far better than I ever thought www.pebbledreams.com  and thank you to all who have obtained pebbles to use in their work. Maybe some summer pebbles on the way, mmmmm who knows what this week will bring.

   Here is one of the sets that was listed this week on the pebble sight. They were made with a new glass for me, I wanted to get a stunning rich bright sun filled sea design and the thought of Atlantis entered my head. So by adding the rock effects to the beads it gave the look of a city below the sea.

   It has been a really busy week here, plans to start laying the new path leading to the barn have been put on hold until next weekend, I hope the whole weekend will be spent in the garden doing work. The orders have been coming in and taking up a lot of time but thats a great sign, 'busy bee make lots of honey'

   The article in  this coming issue of 'Bead' magazine is I hope going to be ok, it was really nice of Jean and the others there to ask me to let them do a profile on me, just hope it is interesting enough for people to want to read.

   I have started listing more sale price sets in my ebay shop and they seem to be a big hit with customers, as I said before my last sale if it helps more of you to afford lampwork beads then thats great news for the craft. The sets shown here are listed along with a lot more rustic design beads.

   I will be listing swirl, dot and more organic beads in the sale section, I hope to list every few days and will try to keep a good selection of colours there to pick from.

   The first set here were made using a new glass to me and I'm really pleased with the reaction to the use of silver, a real winner in my eyes. No every glass lives alongside silver so well, so finding one is always great news. There are a lot of different glass producers and I find it a great way to relax by spending an evening trying these glasses out, if they don't do it for me they find a life in the odd bead dish and I admit there have been some giant failures and always will be, but the odd gem is uncovered and they always bring a smile as I write them in the spell book for future reference.

   This second set was made using one of my own frit mixes, then I used gravitation to form the swirl design, this is a very simple for of bead making but can produce some stunning results. One exercise I like to do is line up 10 glass roods, a mixture of colours. Then close my eyes and pick out three rods from the selection. With those three colours I make a gravity bead, sometimes using a bog standard base colour like white. You will be amazed at the results, colours you never thought would work with each other can really look fantastic.

   Its been a sunny day and we have been busy in the garden, seed sowing and digging over raised beds, it's great to be out there in the sun, been a long winter this year and by the sounds of it we may still have some more cold weather to come.

   I also need to mention that Yvonne will be holding her first bead sale in two weeks time, it will be held on a friday evening at ( I think ) 8pm. She will be emailing all her customers but I know some of you buy from us both so thought it would be a good idea to let you know, I will remind you all on here nearer the date. I think her sets will all be priced at just £5.99, which I think is a fantastic offer.

   I listed some new pebbles on the pebble site this morning and I see some have sold already so pop along and take a look, you may find something of interest. Some of you will maybe have noticed that in the £7.99 section in my ebay shop ( Beads Of Glass ) as been growing, I have been adding more sets even after the sale. Well I felt that in these days of the so called "credit crunch" it would be nice to keep adding to this section, giving more people a chance of picking up a bargin, so let me know if you think this is a good idea, its great to get feedback from you.

   Once again I need to thank all of you who obtained beads from the sale Sunday. It was once again a great success and thank you for all the great feedback you emailed me.

   I have been catching up on orders since the sale, but have found time to produce a few more pebble sets which I hope to list on the pebble website www.pebbledreams.com this coming weekend.

   I have been working on using more colour in the pebbles and thought you may like to see one of the sets to be listed. I used a nice deep red in this set along with some great rock effect and was very happy with the final effect.

   Thank you for all the emails about the pebble site, to be honest with you all I didn't think there would be so many people who also liked this kind of bead, I thought I was alone. I'm really pleased that I can share all future pebbles with you and don't forget I would love to take photo's of any pebble jewellery to use on the site.

   After several customers had asked for the rock face shingle beads but in spacer form, I thought it was time I listed them in the ebay shop and here on the site. I have made them before but just for my own use a never really thought about selling them. They take a bit of work but the effect looks good and they are a perfect match for any of the encased quarry beads.

  They are sold in sets of ten and after listing them last night on ebay they are already selling fast. I must admit they are a favourite of mine and I think they could be a huge hit with customers. As they are encased beads the size is a fraction bigger than the normal spacer beads, I will work on getting them smaller, but I guess this give you an option of using them alone, not just with larger beads.

   Its been a great week here at the barn, the weather is warming up and the ground drying out well after the snows. I have been busy making orders and working on more new pebble beads for the new pebble site www.pebbledreams.com  it seems that there are a lot more people out there who love pebble beads than I first thought, which makes me very happy.

   I have a date for the next sale, it will be held a week tomorrow, next sunday the 1st March, again the sale will start at 7pm and all sets listed will be priced at £7.99, I hope you will find something you like.

   I need to just say a quick thank you to all the people who have emailed me saying how much they love the new pebble site, I'm really happy that some of you love the pebbles as I do. It really was time for me to let them loose on the public, for a couple of years I have had pebble sets hidden away in boxes all around the barn, not pushing them onto customers but keeping them to myself and a few fellow pebble lovers. Now they can sit on the new site and show off all they want.

   Once again, thank you all.

   Well at last I'm pleased to say my new pebble bead site is up and running at  www.pebbledreams.com  and I hope you all enjoy taking a look.

   I wanted to use the new site as a showcase for my pebble beads. Making these pebbles brings me such enjoyment and there is such a vast spectrum of designs for me to play with that I wanted to share more of this with you. There is a shop on the site in case any of you find the pebbles interesting enough to use in your work or maybe just to obtain and collect like some customers do with my quarry focals. In this shop I will be adding just a few items each week so by no means is the new site taking over from this one.

   I want people to see the thoughts behind some of my pebbles and what I see inside them, how nature plays such a big part in their designs and how I try to reproduce some of the wonderful colours she gives us. 

   Its been a cold weekend so far here in the Fens, every river and every drain solid ice and the fields white with snow and ice as for as the eye can see. Well, I did wish for snow so no moaning from me and in fact it means a sunday spent infront of the log burner for a change. I need to work a lot on this website and the pebble bead site that I'm building at the moment, so photos need taking and the new customer gallery needs building, there are lots of new customers wishing to be part of it and I'm really pleased and honoured that they will let me show their work here on the site.

   I hope to let you know the date of the February sale in the next few days, I'm hoping it will be the last sunday of the month, but will make sure to let you all know very soon.

   I made a few natural pebble sets this last few days ready for the new site, natural meaning just that. Along with the more unique encased and very detailed pebbles I love making these pebbles, trying to get those same colours and effects we find on pebbles picked from rivers and beaches all over the country. But, I have to say here and now, however hard we try we will never produce the magnificent colours that mother nature gives us.

   It's really strange when you think of it, or maybe just amazing how we all try to match colours together, some we say don't go and others we all use on a daily basis thinking they are the perfect match, yet nature puts so many colours together and every time it works, maybe the pebbles she leaves us each and every day are just her beads for us and if so, then she is the best beadmaker I will ever know !

   This first set were made with those shaded small streams in mind. Stepping stones placed by nature and pebble edging allowing birds to wash and drink. I wanted the darker browns with hints of moss green and I'm pleased with the results. I often feel that these colours can say so much, we don't always need all the fancy glitter, or encasing to make stunning beads, there are times when plain colours come into their own and only they can produce the effect you need. I would advise any beadmakers to just take an evening or two to try this sort of work, forget the silver and gold for a little while and see what happens, I promise you'll love the end results.

   In this second set I wanted to get a soft natural green design, light fern colours with slight jade greens mixed in, the kind of pebble we would pick up in low valley streams.

   These pebbles do bring so much pleasure and I hope will become a bigger part of my work in the future, there is just something very relaxing about them and we all need to relax sometimes.

   The snow as arrived and we have lots of it. I must admit I can't remember having this much snow for years, the garden looks like a different world and the barn is hidden behind snow covered trees like a small alpine hideaway. The ponds are frozen and look really nice with the different layers of ice giving a strange layer effect.

   But let me tell you there are three very pleased little dogs running around the garden, playing in the snow and enjoying every second of it.

   I have a feeling it's going to be cold day in the barn but looking out on the snow I'm sure will help me with bead ideas.

   Hope you all stay safe and warm and enjoy the snow, I'm off to my torch.

   Well we are still waiting this morning for the appearence of the forcast snow, maybe we'll be lucky tomorrow morning.

   I am working on my other website at the moment, its a site i'm using as a showcase for my pebble beads. As you all know they are one of my favourite beads to make and I can incorporate such a wide range of techniques, many showing my love for the nature that surrounds us. I just thought it was time the pebble beads were given a chance to gain more appreciation and I'm hoping people will see how I try to capture so many different worlds and dreams inside them, rocks, stone and the sea playing a large part in the designs.

   So with this in mind I have been using my evenings to make some pebbles beads for the sight, its a real pleasure making these beads and to be honest, if some people don't like them, it's no problem, they bring me hours of fun making them and hours of pleasure looking at them and to me that is so important.

   I will be putting a link for the new site on here in the next week just in case you would like to have a look.

   Now I'm off to the barn for a few hours to clean yesterdays beads and to try out a few design ideas I have been thinking about. I hope tomorrow I'll be showing you the snow we have, I wish !!

   We are all bracing ourselves for the cold spell we are promised this week, heaters are at the ready in the barn and thermals are ready and waiting. Bird tables are full and pond fish fed, I just hope if we do get snow its stays around for a while and not just makes a mess for one day. I have to admit I love snow as most of you know by now so that little kid inside me is wishing that we get lots and lots, the thought of sitting in a warm barn working over my torch looking out the window at a foot of snow is a great thought.

   Our puppy Sam, is now 14 weeks old and what a sight it will be watching him in the snow for the first time, the other dogs love it and I'm sure Sam will join them playing in it.

   Sam is an "Old English Sheep Dog" and I've been told off by customers for not showing a picture of him on here, so for those of you who like cute furry puppies, here is Sam.

   I have been catching up with orders this week, it seems to be a busy time here at the barn with many orders coming in from both website and ebay shop, it's a really nice feeling as most years this period is slow after the Christmas holidays.

   I have found time to make some more new large encased quarry focal beads and thought it would be nice to show you a sample. Along with pebble beads I think these are my favourites at this moment, it's the fact that you never really know what they will look like when removed from the kiln, this gives you such great expectations every time and is such a great exciting part of my job.

   As you can see the beads seem to hold so many colours and effects inside, every look letting you find more. I try my best to get that rock wall look and feel, the layers of minerals formed over thousands of years with just the hint of glamour held tight between the layers.

   I guess we could never reproduce the wonders that mother nature teases us with, but I'll keep trying.

    Its been a bad week here at the barn, this morning was the first time I've been into the barn since Wed after being struck down by the tummy bug that is going around. The whole family has been hit by it and Yvonne being the latest victim, its really not a nice bug, lasting at least five days, so its my turn to be nurse along with Nicola who was the first to suffer.

   Anyone who is waiting for a bead order from me please bare with me as I will be back on my torch in the morning, fingers crossed and will get beads made in next couple of days.

   I have some new sets to list on ebay tomorrow so please feel free to take a look, two nice sets of encased quarry beads will be included.

   I have been working hard this last week even with the freezing mornings in the barn. It seems how ever hard you try the barn takes hours to warm up even with the kiln up and running and two heaters on, your finger tips still feel like ice.

  There have been some great results with new beads this week plus I have been making more lampwork cabochons which I use to help my silver work. After giving away a few to friends my cabochons seem to be very popular, so with this in mind I have decided to put a few here on the website, I will add them this weekend and we'll see how they go. For any jewellers looking for something different to work with they would make a great option.

   My love affair with encased quarry beads is still growing and these beads just never fail to please me when I empty the kiln every morning. As all bead makers know when we make beads of this design you will never tell what the finished bead will look like until it's cold the next morning, yes we have an idea what the colours will look like, but by mixing so many colours together the results will never be as we think.

   I've been working with more purples and pinks this week and I wanted to show you this set that was made two days ago. I used a pale lavender and a mid purple to help produce these light fresh encased beads. The rock effects adding so much more helping give that natural look to the beads.

   The last two days have been spent having a big tidy up in the barn, the mountains of glass rods are all sorted into tubes, well almost all, and dog ends all boxed awaiting joining. Even the hoover made an appearance and a new computer desk as been fitted as the old table bites the dust.

   I have started teaching myself silversmithing so part of the existing work bench is now set up as a work area for the silver, I try to get an hour every afternoon to work on the silver and I'm really enjoying it, something new to me but already I'm getting the bug.

   I hope your all having a great start to the new year and also trying something new, this time of year mother nature gives us so many new ideas with her frost covered mornings and yet she still leaves us a wide range of colours to find. 

Happy New Year

   I want to wish each and every one of you a wonderful and happy new year and that your jewellery making will be stunning here in 2009. Yet another new year and another new start, I guess we all get that fresh start feeling every new year, those new ideas swimming around in our heads, and all the promises that we never quite get done. The diet, the packing up smoking, the saving money and in my case the job of sorting out the barn, its a bloody mess, even Christmas wrapping paper and mince pie boxes in there.

   There are piles of glass rods everywhere and in some cases mountains, all with those ever present Tuffnell Glass labels, my dog end boxes are full to the tops (dog ends being the small ends of used glass rods), I need to get them all joined ready for use. I think this coming weekend calls for two days sorting the old place out.

   As you may have seen already I have started listing some of the new beads here in the website bead shops and yet another group of new spacer colours were listed on ebay last night, but there are more to come, a lot more.

   I hope you all have a very restful day and let all those new year ideas work their way around your head, all the jewellery ideas and bead ideas, just go with them and try some out, I'm sure we will all get some great results in 2009.

   With the new year fast approaching I have so many new ideas going around in my head, designs that I want to try and some designs that I'm really in two minds about, guess that means the rubbish bowl will be full here in the barn.

   I have been working on a lot more encased beads this last week and here is one of the sea theme range, they were a joy to remove from the kiln as I really wasn't sure how the colours would blens together. But I'm really happy with the results and will be making a lot more.

   I hope you all enjoy new years eve and try not to get too bad a hangover ! I will see you all again in the new year.

Merry Christmas

I would love to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and I hope you all have a wonderful day with family and friends. Enjoy the time off after making so much great jewellery and beads this year and keep that note book with you this holiday to get those new ideas writen down for the coming year.

I will leave you to get on with the mince pies, bubbly and turkey.

Rob And Yvonne

   Well, it's only two days away and yet another day in the barn for me. I have some last minute beads to make for Christmas pressies and orders, but it will be the last day until after Christmas.

   I need to thank all of you who sent cards and emails wishing Yvonne and myself a "Merry Christmas", I still have so much to do for Christmas, pressies to wrap and sausage rolls to make (one job I love doing), and will be visiting friends and family tomorrow. All last minute shopping is done so thats out the way, mind you I,m sure there will be something we have forgotten.

   All in all this year as been a hard one for us with lots of changes here in the barn and I want to thank all of you for your support and I hope I can keep coming up with bead designs you will all enjoy in 2009. I am building up an even bigger selection of spacers for the ebay shop and I intend to have the biggest selection here in the UK, colours to cover every taste, yes even the girly pinks ! There will be a lot of new beads ready for the website, some of which are here in the barn ready and waiting, I just felt that New Years day would be a good time to start the big website spring clean.

   First of all thank you to all who obtained beads from the Christmas sale and I hope you enjoy using them in your jewellery. All the sale beads that still remain in my ebay shop will be there until next weekend.

   I wanted to show you a set of large pebbles that I made yesterday, I was over the moon this morning when they came out from the kiln, just as I wanted, it was one of the best moments I've had in all the years I have been making beads. I made three sets for listing on ebay and all three made me smile, it was just one of those mornings when it all went right, if only every morning was like it.

   The beads are fully encased to show off as much of the details as possible, I used a new mixture of glass with the thought of giving a magical dragon design to the beads, the results to me are stunning.

   I just want to make sure you all know that the Christmas Sale will be this coming sunday evening at 7pm. Again all the sets will be priced at £7.99 and I hope you all find something that will interest you. There are a lot of expensive sets included as it is Christmas and I want you all to have chance of getting a real good bargain.

   I hope to keep the sales going through next year as I have had so many emails from customers who find them a great help. Prices of Lampwork beads have always been on the steep side and so if we can help by holding the sales every month then we will.

   Those fantastic fresh frost covered mornings have arrived and the barn is so welcome every morning, its bloody freezing !! I'm guessing I'm not the only bead maker who can see his or her own breath while I empty the kiln. But luckily the barn doesn't take too long to heat up and after all those years working outside I guess I'm lucky now to be sitting next to a warn kiln.

  Yesterday I was over the moon with a set of quarry beads I made, they were made with Christmas in mind and I used a fantastic dark red transparent glass as an addition to the silver effects encased inside the beads. I hope to list them on ebay in the next two days and really hope they go to a great home.

   You all know how much I hate the santa and snowman beads this time of year, each to their own but I just think its so much better to try something new. Go for it, lets not all be the same try to get the Christmas effect in a unique way.

   I have decided to have the Christmas sale on sunday Dec 7th, again there will I hope be 100 sets listed at £7.99, some of which will have Christmas in mind. I will let you know again nearer the time.

   I have been working on more quarry style beads this week and I think I have the bug, I so enjoy making them, they always give that excitement when the kiln is opened. I guess they are the perfect bead for me to make as every one is so unique and as you all know I so hate making the same beads over and over again.

   Also this week I have been spending time working on a lot more large shingle beads, I love making these beads as it's a real job to add colours to the small Rock Face shingles. This size give me far more roon to work with.

   This set shown are made from a new glass to me, it as many colours similar to the Iris Orange glass, but more pale in colour. I really enjoy this glass and hope to list some in the next week.

   I have been working on these large lentil beads for the past few months and after the great reactions they are getting from customers here at the barn I thought it was time I listed a few here in the focal shop. I wanted to try something very different and I wanted them to be great to use for a centre piece.

   I was trying to get that Sea Anemone look and I think I may have got there in the end by using a side implosion encased in clear glass, this along with the natural looking ivory and silver section make for great results. I'm working hard on the photographs to try showing off the design more as these beads look bloody stunning when in your hand.

   So the first four have been listed and there will be more listed in the coming weeks, the price is as low as I can keep it as the beads really do take a lot of work and time to make.

   I hope you find them interesting and if you use one in your jewellery please let me see the end results as I'm really excited about these focals.

   A sunday off, I feel really lazy but sod it, I think the odd day off is ok. Birthday out the way and its back to thinking and planning beads, I also need to get more beads listed today on ebay.

   The encased swirl beads seem to be popular and to be honest I really like them myself. This set were made from a new glass and the results are very nice indeed, the colours that this glass produce are wonderful and so natural looking.

   The clay reds and the grey shades really work well together. With the swirl beads being fully encased they the details show up a lot more and I'm sure this is the reason they are such a hit with customers.

   I will also be listing another set of the new flat backed lentil beads on ebay, the feedback from these beads says they work really well, sitting against the skin better when worn.

   Well that day is here again, my birthday and I'm starting to wish they were every other year now, it seems no time since I was in my thirties, but now I'm 45, god the years really do fly by just like they say.

   Thank you for all of you who sent cards and emails, its really nice to get them and even pressies too. I'm having an easy day today, no bead making for me.

   I will show you some of the new beads tomorrow and I'll be listing some more new leaf beads later this evening from the stone forest range.

   I have been having a lot of fun in the last few days with the new stone quarry look beads, encased beads with some amazing base beads. I know you all know by now that rock and stone effects make up a lot of my work, I adore the natural look of this type of bead and these new beads are bloody fantastic, just wish i could make them all day, every day.

   Here you can see a set I have listed on ebay auction, I hope you agree the new design looks great. I wanted to show off every detail and as we know the only way we can do that is to fully encase the beads in clear glass.

   With the addition of a small amount of goldstone these beads give some wonderful effects. I have made some great focals in the same effect and will be listing them in the next week, just need to sort photograths out first.

   I'm feeling a lot better about my ebay shop now, the summer passed, it's now time to spend those colder dark nights sorting out the shop sales and website sales. Now the ebay side is really looking a lot better and sales are coming in thick and fast I think it's time I started sorting out the bead shops here on the site.

   I will be taking off a lot of the current beads and will be replacing them with, I hope, lots of new sets and focals, so please keep your eyes open in the next few weeks.

   I have been listing some nice new stone effect leaf beads on ebay and I thought you may like to see a set. These beads are a real favourite with lots of customers now and I must admit I really enjoy making them.

   I have seen this type of bead included in jewellery and boy, do they look good, why not try some out for yourself, the ideal beads with christmas heading towards us fast. We all see the christmas beads made this time of year, santa beads, snowmen and many more, but why not try a more natural bead this year. We all love the nature around us this time of year so why don't we use the look more, you don't always need flash and sparkle to make a stunning piece of jewellery.

   I have been trying some new designs out this last few days, rock designs that I have encased in clear glass using a spree shape bead. Below is one of the sets I managed to get just how I wanted, I was looking for something natural but with the "WOW" factor and I'm hoping you agree that I got there.

   These beads took a while to make but the next morning when I opened the kiln I had no doubts that they were some of the best beads I have made. By encasing the beads it really helps show off even tiny details which wouldn't be easy to see without.

  One of the problems with encasing is that not all glass enjoys it, you really need to try out as many different glasses as possible, there is nothing worse than spending hours on a set only to find the beads cracked when you clean and string them, believe me it happens to us all at one time or another.

   I'll be making more beads in this style so keep your eyes open in the next week.

   As some of you may know, I used to make a wide range of spacer beads which I sold in my ebay shop, and after being asked so many times if I was going to sell them again I have decided to place a new range in the shop, starting with the seven new colours today and adding more throughout the week.

  There is also going to be a wide range of shingle beads in the shop and the first eight colours have gone on today, so po along to take a look, these great little beads are already a big hit with customers. There will also be more shingle sets added this week.

   I said I would be placing a few sets of lentil beads on auction but I never thought they would produce so much interest. I must admit I'm not a big fan of pressed beads, I know makers who seem to sell nothing but pressed beads, but to me you learn so much more making beads without the aid of a press, but thats another story.

  When I do make lentil beads I try to do something different, not just the swirly bright colours that we see every day listed on auction sites, but more natural colours, beads that say something but at the same time make you look at them, searching for every detail.

   With this set I knew by using silver I would get some amazing natural designs, every bead so unique and as I said, you need to look into the beads to find them all.

   I have been listing some very large focal lentils in my ebay shop and never thought they would get so much attention from customers. I will be adding more tomorrow.

   Now summer as passed by and the dark winter days are heading our way I have the chance to really update my ebay shop and the website shops. The summer jobs in the garden are finished and its time I gave far more effort to my beads. I'm starting with ebay and hope in the next couple of weeks to add a lot more beads to my shop, more new designs will be added and my hearts and silver core beads will be placed in the shop in the next week.

   There will be a new range of shingle beads going on, they are becoming a great hit with lots of customers so I think its time they were part of my shop. They will be listed in sets of 12 beads and there will be a wide range of colours.

   I have been working hard on producing more beads for ebay and the website shops this week. I have placed new pebble beads on auction and they really are getting a far amount of attention.

   The Conker Stones seem to be a big hit and I love the results of the colour mix I used. Autumn was a big part of the idea behind these pebbles and I'm sure there will be more to follow in the next couple of weeks.

   I will be placing some great new lentil sets on auction in the next few days so keep your eyes open.

   Well, I have been having great fun making hearts this last day or so and why on earth don't I make them and nothing else, I enjoy making them so so much, they give me such highs and lows. When I empty the kiln I get that great high seeing the hearts, the colours and designs I was after looking so good, but then the lows when cleaning them, getting the odd chip around the hole when using the cleaning machine and the heart is in the bin, never to be used or to show off in some wonderful piece of jewellery.

  I love using the stone effect when making hearts, yes I make lots of coloured hearts too but my favourites are these natural looking hearts.

   Here I have used a purple silver running through the hearts, my feelings are that purple and turquoise do this job better than most. I leave these hearts with a gloss finish as it helps show off the silver.

   I will be listing a few of these hearts on ebay auction tomorrow so if your interested in using one pop along tomorrow evening and take a look.

   I have been working with silver this week and wanted to show off one of the silver sets I came up with. The beads are made in the same way as the turquoise caves but this time the beads have a faint hint of pink in the silver, yes you heard right, PINK !! me making pink beads, whats the world coming to.

  As I'll be working on hearts this week, I think this effect would be perfect for hearts, stone effect hearts maybe, we'll see.

   The pink isn't the best colour to show in the picture but believe me these beads look stunning in the flesh.

   I have decided to give awat two sets of these beads in this month free bead draw and I hope they will make two people very happy.

   Once again I was so pleased with the way the sale went on sunday and thank you all for the nice comments about the beads I listed. This time of year is not easy for any of us, kids back to school and holidays taking up much money from every pocket, so with that in mind I was never expecting the amount of sets to sell that did. I will be holding one big sale in early Nov, my Christmas sale and there will be many sets made with Christmas in mind, colours and sparkle.

   All the beads from the sale should be in their new homes by now and knowing some of you as well as I do, they may even be in pieces of jewellery !

   So I once again have to thank everyone of you who obtained sets from the sale and yet again some old faces who I'm really pleased to see still like my beads. Also more new customers who I hope enjoy working with my beads, it's always great to supply new jewellery makers.

   I want to say a big thank you to the two lucky free bead winners and their emails were very much a big bonus, it's so nice to know ny beads give so much pleasure and I hope both of you really enjoy using them. But you never need to thank me, as I have said many times its just a tiny way for me to give you all just a little something back.

   Don't forget the sale as been put back a week to next sunday, I will be sending out emails midweek so all customers, i'm sure you will all find something you like.

   A great misty morning today, so I'm off to my torch to get some misty beads made, wish me luck and I hope to show you what I come up with.

   Because of a few different reasons, the sale which was going to be help this coming sunday ( 14th ) will now be help next sunday the 21st Sept. The sale will include 100 sets of beads and again they will be set at a fixed price of £7.99. The sale will be in my ebay shop "Beads Of Glass" and will start at 7pm as normal.

   I have been very busy this last week and I wasn't happy with the beads I had ready for this sunday, so part of the reason for putting the sale back a week is to make sure I'm happy with the sets I put up . Yes I know its a sale but I still only want top quality bead sets involved, fussy I guess, but thats me.

   Well, summer is on her way out now and the weather is a lot cooler this last week, great news for working next to my kiln all day and the colours that surround us in nature are changing, giving us even more new colours to work from. So get out there and have a great look around you, nature is stunning and she makes life so much more wonderful for us bead makers.

   I promised I would let you see some of the new nugget beads I have been working on this last few days. I have some new glass to play with and I always find making nuggets helps show off the colours and designs, because we need to press the nugget, it helps show off the glass, if you notice when glass retailers sell us glass they always show a mashed or pressed rod end, this is again the same principle, the pressing if the glass shows the colours more.

   If I had a new glass and just made a simple tyre bead with it, there would be a big chance the colours wouldn't show us all there hide, but by using it in nugget form i get to see what the glass as to offer. Next time you get to play with some new colours try it, I'm sure you will enjoy it a lot more.

 Here I used some stunning new glass which gives so much colour, dark, light, silvers, it has an amazing charm about it and I for one will be using it as much as possible.

Tomorrow I will post another picture on here as I tried a lot of glass out like this in the past few days.

I have posted the names of the two free beads winners on the "Free Beads" page today and I hope they both enjoy using the beads. I feel very happy to be able to just give a little back to those who help me living this wonderful life of a bead makers.

   Rain yet again here in the fens, and although I love the rain it points us towards the end of summer, the leaves are dropping already and the birds are feasting on berries all around the garden here. Work on the ponds is coming to an end at last and this means I get more time to work on my beads.

   For those of you wanting to know about the next bead sale date, there will be a big autumn sale on Sunday 14th Sep ( a week this Sunday).  As you all know by now all the sets for sale will be at a set "Buy It Now" price in my ebay shop which is Beads Of Glass.

   On the bead front, I have been making some new nuggets beads with new glass that I haven't used before, some of the results are fantastic and I promise to show you pictures tomorrow. Orders have been buy this summer, which is good news as summer months can be really slow.

   If your orders are late or were a little late this last week it was because I had a major kiln problem here, but because of the great guys at Tuffnell Glass, I was able to get it sorted in a few days. It did put things back but its all back to normal here now.

   I thought you might like to see a picture of a little friend who I'm hoping to make a nice new home for. The job of sorting out the pond is taking longer than we thought but then you know me, I would only be working all holiday so I guess its doing me a favour being out in the fresh air.

   This little guy was really happy to pose for me before he set off to the new pond. I feel really lucky that I can sit by the pond for lunch, there is always something going on there, fish, dragonflies, frogs, beetles and colours that give out so many bead design ideas.

   For any of you just taking up bead making I would suggest you take time to get out and look at all the colours mother nature has produced for us and if you get chance to bring some into your garden like we did, I promise you will get to enjoy so much and just sitting by water can help your creative side shine through.

   The sun is shining so we have a great start to the holiday weekend Yipeeee ! I must start by thanking the two lucky free bead winners for July for the nice emails they sent, I'm really pleased the beads will be used and that they will help bring a little pleasure. All this months customers will be placed in the hat for this months draw, there will be two sets of the encased rainbow stone sets given away.

   Tomorrow or this evening I hope to show you some new beads that were made yesterday, I just need to get the pictures taken this afternoon.

   This last two weeks have been a real jugging act for me here at the barn. We found that the liner in the pond needed replacing around two months ago and I kept putting it off until Yvonne said it was time we sorted it out plus it would give me a week to take it easy.

   Of course the replacing of the main pond ment the need of a smaller pond to keep the fish happy while the work on the large pond was taking place, this then lead to the suggestion of a group of ajoining ponds, smaller but reaching further down the garden, more like a small water garden.

   So we set to work, low cost yes but bloody hard work and we wasn't wrong ! I must admit the digging helped with the exercise and i feel a lot better for it.

   So this is why I've been so quiet this last couple of weeks, to be honest I've been crashing out most evenings, I have been keeping up with orders and the last of those are going in post today and tomorrow.

   WOW!!!! the last few days have really been warm here in the Fens, the barn was too warm, I guess sitting by the kiln doesn't help, but I get used to it and there is always an area of shade by the pond to sit and sip a ice cold drink. I'm so lucky to have a large cooling unit in the barn so that helps make working more easy in these hot weeks of summer, plus we would only moan if the summer was cool or wet.

   Its been a strange few days, I've been making beads for orders from the website, all of which are now made and the last few will be posted out tomorrow. A whole day was taken up with the packing of the sale beads, but it was worth it after getting so many nice emails from happy customers, always puts a smile on my face and makes this job so worth all the hours.

   I'm just about to list a couple of sets on ebay plus some focal beads here in the website focal shop so feel free to take a look when you have time.

   Here is one of the sets that i'm listing today for auction, I love the mixture of colours and I don't think I have missed any out, blues, greens, pinks and purples, what a great selection all in one set. The beads are fully encased in clear glass which helps show off all the colours.

   I hope you are all up for some great bead fun this coming week as I will be trying out a new idea. It won't be for the faint hearted and will test your trust in me. All will be explained in the next few days, but lets just say no other bead makers as tried it before ( that I know of ) and will any of you take up the challenge. 

   Once again I have to report that the sale sunday evening was a great success, and thank you all for buying my beads. There were only nine sets left and those will be taken off ebay on sunday if not sold. Thank you again for all the nice emails about the sale and again I say don't thank me as it's my way of giving just a little back, plus it helps my turnover, so we are all happy.

   I have noticed new buyers starting to like my beads, I'm not sure if any of you are new to lampwork beads or just new to me,  but in both cases its great news.

   Not long now and the free bead draw will take place and we have a great amount of names in the hat already from this months website sales, the two bead sets are all made and waiting for their new owners.

   Its been a really busy week so far with orders to make and garden to clear ready for new pond, but I must say the work in the garden is such an eye opener. The fact that just two years ago I was working long days building stone patios, stone walling or laying cobbles, yet now after two years sitting on my arse making beads ten hours a day, just two hours digging post holes for the fence and I was so tired. It does show how much I need to get fit now and it was a shock which has really opened my eyes to the fact. So now every day I'm trying to get at least an hours work done in the garden.

   The beads are going well this week, I still have three orders to complete but most of the work is done for the sale evening this coming sunday. Like the other sales this month it will again start at 7pm on sunday evening and again there will be 100 sets listed, all on "Buy It Now" at just £7.99, so I'm hoping there will be something there for all tastes.

   There is a good mixture of sets in this sale including etched, bubble, lentil and encased beads. Even pebble sets too. Thi set shown here in the picture is a set from the coming sale, they were made with silver and have beed etched giving that real rustic look, there are more like these in the sale so try making time sunday evening to take a look.

   I feel really guilty this evening, I have had a real lazy day here in the barn, the weather has been fine and I guess I just needed a slow day, a day spent with Yvonne and the dogs relaxing by the pond, well I did make one set.

   As you can see in this picture even without Klyde there are still these two to keep an eye on haha ! Marley on the left is the older more sensible of the two and Ziggy on the right is just plain bloody naughty, he even looks naughty, I'm sure when I took this picture he was thinking of something to do to get in trouble.

   I have been making some new large focal lentils beads in the last month or two, I have now started making the beads to a better standard and I'm starting to think they may work. I have given a few away to a few customers and they all seem to love them, keeping them all for themselves.

  Here is one of the samples, I 'm sure they will improve a lot in the next few weeks as I'm spending  more time on them now. Feel free to let me know any thoughts you have on the design, it's always great to hear from you all.

   I can tell you the date for the next sale day, it will be sunday 20th July, it will be another 100 set evening and yet again all at a fixed price of just £7.99. I'm getting a lot of emails from customers thanking me for the sales, but I am really happy doing them and giving a little back to you all, without you I would still be landscaping in the hot sun all day, yet here I am doing a job that I adore, so it should be me thanking you.

   Yesterday was an amazing day here in the barn, we had some fantastic rain storms with thunder rolling around the fenland skies. Since a very young boy I have always loved the rain, I remember sitting on the kitchen floor of my grandad's thatched cottage with the big oak door wide open watching the rain bouncing on the cobbled yard, I often wish I was still there.

   While the rain and thunder were playing around us my thoughts were playing with the idea of making beads to show those big tropical storms, big dark skies yet still full of the most amazing colours, so glass was picked and I started work on the set.

   I knew when the first bead was made and placed into the kiln that they were going to be good, but this morning at 6.30am, when they were taken from the kiln I was really over the moon, it was great great feeling of excitement that all bead makers get when something special comes from the kiln.

  After the beads were cleaned and washed it was clear to me that there was not just one great set but two, the second set I made in the rain was bloody amazing too and you can see those on the "Whats New" page. The storm beads I have called Tropical Cyclone and as you can see the colours and effects are very unique.

   I hope I can make more beads in this style as they really are pleasing to the eye and I'm sure some of you would love to work with them. 

   This morning was spent sorting through hundreds of focal beads in the barn, beads that have spent months and in odd cases years in boxes and cupboards. I'm still not sure I have found them all yet, but enough to keep me going for now.

   I have a box of focals here in the barn that I sell off at a fixed low price and so many people keep saying I should sell them on in my ebay shop as it;s a real shame they never get seen by all my customers. So with that in mind and after the bead sale days going so well I have decided that there will be a category just for bargain focals in my ebay shop. All the focals will be listed at a set price of just £4.99 and will be listed from today. I will list as often as possible, meaning there will always be focals there to buy.

   I hope you all enjoy looking through them and I hope there will be something there that you can use in your jewellery. I will still be listing better new focals here in the website focal shop so please keep your eyes out for thyose, I have some really nice new focals to list here in the next day or two.

   I'm always getting asked if I sell loose spacer beads and I have done from the barn for the last couple of years, but never from website or my ebay shop. So I thought it was time I placed them for sale in the spacer shop here on the site.

   I know they are always very usefull for jewellery makers as they can be used in charm bracelets etc, but even just having different odd spacers in your stock box can be handy.

   They will be sold in batches of 50 spacers, sizes and colours will be picked at random and some will be etched, others not, but all will be nice in shape and machine cleaned and washed ready for use.

   I hope they will be a help to some people and at just £9 for 50 spacers I hope people will be able to afford to use more spacers in their work. It's nice to think people may start using more lampwork spacer beads, I have seen some great jewellery made using nothing else but spacers and findings, I guess I'm saying that they are not just the sad little cousin who sits next to the show off focals, but have their own part to play in jewellery making.

   The lucky dip spacers are now on sale from the spacer shop, so go for it, bring them to life, they shouldn't just sit in a basket for ever.