Wednesday 28 November 2012

Sunshine and happy Claude

Its been a funny week.  What with the flooding, Claude and more rain. This morning the sun has been shining.  I have walked the dogs down to the river and even though the fields have enormous great puddles in them, which Defi is sure are his private baths, we had a lovely walk and actually met other dog walkers braving the mud, but enjoying walking in the sun.  There was still a brisk breeze, which is slightly on the winter side of breezes, but...the sun is shining!!  I came home and cleaned out the chooks as they have had it worse I think, being outdoors whatever the weather, even if they have spent their days under the hedges and have put wellies on their Christmas lists, whilst eyeing up the ducks in an envious manner as they have webbed toes and the chooks don't, and still the sun shines.  It really lifts the spirits.  Talking of uplifting, I have good news on the Claude.  He is back to his normal old self, sleeping in totally daft places, this week he is choosing to snooze between the tumble dryer (which is on a side) and the oil fired heating unit, he is toastie!  We changed the litter in the tray, which seems to have made a difference to both the old cats and thankfully with Claude moving his sleeping quarters from the litter tray to inbetween the boiler and the tumble dryer, Megan is no longer trying to wee around his slumbering self, which is another blessing as we thought that he was sleeping in his own ..umm..waste?...at least we now know it was Megan, our elder cat (approx 21 -ish).  So with the litter change and food change, Claude is back to his normal old self, mugging me for breakfast and meowing for food whenever he sees a person, as obviously we are only here to serve, and now we know that he no longer chooses to eat food in gravy and has a preference to food in jelly, all is well in Claude's World!

I have been experimenting again.  I do enjoy a good experiment.  I have been flattening bottles, painting on them or decorating them with decals, which are then re-fired to fuse them into the glass.  These make fabulous gift ideas, great serving trays for cheese and nibbles or a wooden spoon rest whilst cooking, I even have them on the kitchen window sill with hand cream and soap on them.

Flattened bottle





These are available in my Etsy shop or you can contact me direct here if you don't use Etsy.  Fab gifts for Christmas and all recycled glass.


Another experiment was the rose buds above.  I used frit in multi colours and a base of creamy yellowy orange, I rather like them, they jazz up a dull day!

Hope the sun stays out for a bit, I am off torching!

Laney x

Monday 26 November 2012

Roses for Claude

 
 
This is our Claude, this summer.  A geriatric old mog at the grand age of 20.  We are having to keep an eye on him as this weekend he has started to decline, any healing vibes coming his way are gratefully received.
 
On a happier note. I have been re-visiting my flower designs and have listed a few beautiful rose sets in my Etsy shop 
Pink Roses
 
Caramel Roses

 
We have been having that rain, with flash flooding all over the county.  This morning the river was a torrent and the fields are so boggy as they are completely saturated.  We are forecast more later on today.  My poor chooks have put wellies on their Christmas list to Santa!
 
 
 
Hope you have a dry day!
 
Laney x
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




 


Wednesday 21 November 2012

The last apple.....



Each day I walk my dogs down to the river, through the orchards, past the church and through fields.  Its a lovely walk and we are most lucky to do it every day.  This morning the lanes were flooded so we slooshed through the flowing torrents and skidded our way across the flooded fields, to the orchard at the bottom, avoiding the river that is about to burst its banks for the upteenth time this year - it has been a really wet year!
 
 
In the orchard I was mooching about, as you do, and the day was grey and dreary, everything shrouded in a layer of misty dewy veil, like a spider had been super busy and made fine silky cobwebs across the entire orchard which had collected the dew drops in the early morning, but no sun or warmth was there to dry them.  I spied this one last apple, still red and rosy, hanging from the leafless tree.  I didn't have my camera so its a picture from my phone.
 
I rather like it!
 
Laney x

Friday 16 November 2012

Festive spirit...not the drinking kind!!

 
I have been experimenting with 2D bead designs.
 
Yesterday I sat and made these cute Christmas beads into bag charms.  I am doing a local church fair tomorrow (Saturday 17th November) and thought they would be fun.  I found in my stash some silver tone Christmas trees and some really cute silver tone bells, like what you would get on a cats collar, added some bright white ribbon bows, red beads from a big bag of bead soup that I got from my friend Cazz aka Beadercollie
 
and Voila! bag charms.
 
 
The picture is a little rubbish as its just a quick snap shot!
 
I loved making these so much that I am already designing more 2D design beads for alternative, non festive, bag charms.  Who fancies a mog or a dog or a dragon....the possibilities are endless!
 
Laney x

Monday 12 November 2012

Its all new today!



 
I have been finishing off some of my bead weaving pieces.  I am a slow bead weaver, but I enjoy it in the evenings, especially now the nights are drawing in and the tv is just too rubbish to watch.  This piece has one of my fused glass cabochons and has been beaded around and a netted collar added.  Just don't ask me to name the stitches!
As well as a bit of beading, I have been wiring up some of my lampwork beads into beautiful pendants, just perfect for the Christmas gift giving season....and the church fair I have been roped into doing this coming Saturday...thats the day before I head off to Newmarket for the bead fair, nothing like keeping busy!!    

This cute toadie is all wired up and strung on a rubber tube necklace.




 
I went back to a my Netsuke styled beads for this gorgeous donkey.  I did one before, in ivory coloured glass, but this chap is a beautiful new glass called Biscotti - well new to me - it has the pale colour I like of the ivory but with a 'weathered' grey colour, perfect for this bead.  Finally I have been making people beads, lots of little people to go with the animals, I have done fairies and ladies that bathe and now a Centaur, possibly the most handsome one I have seen! 

Last but not least, I have been updating my new shop, its a Buegle store on Facebook, click on this link to take you to My new Facebook Shop add me as your friend and share my store, its getting quite popular!

Laney x

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Flower Fairies in glass

There has been a lovely monthly challenge on Craft Pimp that was on Flora. 



For a while now, I have wanted to do some 'people' beads to compliment my creatures and with my love of Cicely Mary Barker, her beautiful delicate painting of the flower faires and my love of fantasy, it was a good opportunity for me to push that boat out and experiment.
 
So here she is in all her floral glory.  Flora 



Now available in my Etsy shop, this beautiful collectable bead to make you smile and remember those childhood days of long hot summers and bright blooms.


Laney x

Monday 5 November 2012

And the winner is.......


JANE....whoo hoo!!

Which picture would you like Jane?  You can choose any one of the four pictures and I will send it too you. 

Thank you for being patient, its been one of those weeks!!




Jane
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Minute stopwatch | Remove name from list
Ahowin
Georgie
Jolene
Catherine
Jo
Nic
Kat
Sue
Vic
Leah
Beti
Jill
Elaine
Cat
Jane
Ahowin
Georgie
Jolene
Catherine
Jo
Nic
Kat
Sue
Vic
Leah
Beti
Jill
Elaine
Cat
Jane
Ahowin
Georgie
Jolene
Catherine
Jo
Nic
Kat
Sue
Vic
Leah
Beti
Jill
Elaine
Cat


Saturday 3 November 2012

Quick Update....

I have been off line for the best part of the last 10 days, so didn't draw the October draw, I will be doing that over the weekend, so stay tuned people!! 

Life is slowly getting back to normal this weekend, its been a long week!!

Lx