The Little Bead Shop

We've moved our blog to Wordpress!

2011-04-16T14:57:00.003+01:00

From today, our lovely Little Bead Shop blog has moved to Wordpress!

Come and visit us at http://thelittlebeadshop.wordpress.com/

Love,

The girls from the Little Bead Shop x

Right-Angle Weave Bangle: Saturday 30th April 11am - 2pm: £15

2011-04-16T09:57:00.007+01:00

Our favourite guest instructor Rebecca Anderson is coming back to The Little Bead Shop to teach you how to make these beautiful, colourful bangles!

These stunning bangles are made using right-angle weave, an amazingly versatile jewellery making technique that requires no more than a needle and thread and some beautiful seed beads in the colours of your choice!

This class is suitable for beginners. Some experience of working with seed beads would be helpful, but is not essential as you will be given full support on the day. And don't worry if you don't get your bangle finished in the class - you'll be given full, detailed instructions to take home with you!

This wonderful class costs £15 which includes tuition, all threads, and any findings required but excludes the cost of your seed beads which you can select on the day!

We're expecting this class to fill up fast so pop in to see us, visit our website or give us a ring on 0131 228 5058 to book a place!

Love,

The girls from The Little Bead Shop x

Beautiful Czech Bead Give Away!

2011-04-09T12:49:00.006+01:00

Spring has well and truly sprung at The Little Bead Shop and to celebrate, we're going to give away a fantastic bead goody bag worth £5 made up of our favourite, stunning Czech glass beads!

To enter, just tell us what your favourite thing is about spring! The lucky winner will be chosen at random at 5pm on Monday 11 April.

Good luck!

Love,

The girls at The Little Bead Shop x

The Little Bead Shop and Art Clay Scotland are teaching at the Edinburgh Bead Fair 8th May!

2011-04-06T11:13:00.005+01:00

The Little Bead Shop and Art Clay Scotland are delighted to be able to tell you that we're teaching at the Edinburgh Bead Fair on 8th May!

Here is our fantastic list of classes!

Right Angle Weave Bracelet - 11:30 - 1:00

With just Seed beads and thread you will create this beautiful banglein whatever colours take your fancy! You will learn how to stitch right-angle weave, a very versatile stitch that can be used to make silky fabrics or self-supporting structures. You may not finish the whole bangle in this class but will be given with complete instructions and materials to complete it after class! Some experience of working with seed beads will be helpful not essential.

Swarovski Crystal Bracelet - 1:30 - 3:00

Simple clean lines are often the best. Using Swarovski Crystals, you will create this fabulous sparkly bracelet. Once you know how, you can make this bracelet in a range of different sizes by simply changing the size of the crystals. This one uses 6mm Bicones. Most students should finish this bracelet in class, even total beginners!

Beginners - 3:30 - 5:00
This is an ideal introduction to the basics in beading. If you really don't know your crimps from your tiger tail, then this this class is for you. Covering the basics in bead stringing from the different types of threads available, and when to use them, to the different types of finishes available. You'll make a bracelet or necklace with the emphasis being on your own creativity! But don't worry - there are plenty of design examples on hand to help get those creative cogs turning.

Chainmaille - 11:30 - 1:00

This is an ideal introduction to chainmaille for a beginner. The lovely loose weave is perfect for a bracelet and adding seed beads to the outside rings gives it that extra “something”. Choose to make in either sterling rings or silver plated. You’ll complete most of this bracelet in the class and will be given a set of instructions to take away with you.

Magical Silver Clay - 1:30 - 3:00

This is a fantastic opportunity to try your hand at Silver Clay. You don’t need any experience to attend this workshop and you’ll make a pendant or charms. Learn the basic techniques including: handling the clay, shaping and forming it, pre-finishing, firing times and temperature, finishing and polishing. 7g of clay is provided. Pieces will be fired after the class and be ready for collection at the end of the day.

Starburst Pendant 3:30 - 5:00

Learn how to make this beautiful swarvoski pendant. Using a beading needle and thread you will first encase your 16mm swavoski rivoli using a circular peyote stitch and size 11 toho seed beads. You will continue the pendant with 3mm swaroski bicones and the 11 tohos. When finished, your piece can be used as either an pendant or brooch. Full instructions will be given so you will be able to continue making more at home.

ALL CLASSES JUST £12!!

To book simply call The Little Bead Shop/Art Clay Scotland - 0131 228 5058.

Full payment is required to secure a place.

Easter Holiday fun at The Little Bead Shop - New children's class timetable!

2011-03-26T15:18:00.030Z

It's almost the Easter Holidays - HURRAH! The schools are off from 4 - 21 April and, if you're looking for something to keep your wee ones occupied, look no further!

The Little Bead Shop will be running a special series of classes just for Easter including this fabulous daisy chain (above), caterpillars, charm bracelets and memory wire bracelets!

All of these classes cost £12 ALL INCLUSIVE.

So, without further ado, here is our fantastic Easter holiday timetable!

Friday 8 April 12pm - 2pm Daisy chains!
£12 all inclusive
Suitable for children 8 years +

Spring really has sprung with these adorable daisy chain necklaces! All the beads you need, as well as loan of tools are included in the price of this class and at the end of your two hours, you'll come away with a finished necklace!

Saturday 9 April 12pm - 2pm Wrapped wire loop charm bracelet
£12 all inclusive!
Suitable for children 8 years +

Learn how to make wrapped wire loops to make this gorgeous charm bracelet using beads from our extra special bead bowl! Tuition, all materials and loan of tools is included in the cost of this class.

Monday 11 April 12pm-2pm CATERPILLARS!
£12 all inclusive
Suitable for children 8 years +

Ok doke, this class gets capital letters because it's one of our favourites! For £12 we'll give you all the beads, materials and loan of tools to make these beautiful beady caterpillars! This class is always popular with little girls and the bigger girls who work here too - and we always have great fun working out if they're boys or girls and what to name them... :D

Saturday 16 April 12pm - 2pm Memory wire bracelet
£12 all inclusive
Suitable for children 8 years +

Another Little Bead Shop favourite class! In this class, we'll show you how to make this lovely colourful bracelet - just perfect for summer :) As with all the others, the cost of this class includes all materials and loan of tools.

If you would like to book your child into any of these fantastic Easter classes, please pop in to see us, visit our website or call us on 0131 228 5058!

Love,

The girls at The Little Bead Shop xxx

Mother's Day at The Little Bead Shop

2011-03-26T14:34:00.008Z

It's mother's day next Sunday (3rd April) - did you remember?

We're going to be running some special "make a present for mum" classes next week - we'll keep you posted! But remember, you can pop in to make a special pressie for your mum and use the lovely little craft table at the front of the shop at any time and, the best bit is... it's totally FREE of charge!

We'll also give you a loan of tools, again, totally FREE! All you need to pay for is your beads and materials you use to make your creation!

So make sure you pop in to see us before next Sunday!

Love,

The girls at The Little Bead Shop x

Full Day Bridal Workshop: Saturday 9th April 10:00pm - 4:00 pm £50.00

2011-03-22T13:40:00.007Z

Are you looking to make the perfect piece of bridal jewellery for your big day? Well, this special bridal workshop could be just for you!

This full day bridal workshop is ideal for brides to-be and bridesmaids.

In the morning you will design and create a tiara using a variety of techniques with the beads and crystals of your choice.

After a break for lunch you will make either a necklace, bracelet or earrings to match your tiara.

Don't worry if you have little experience your tutor will help you at every stage. Class numbers are kept small to give you all the assistance you need!

Refreshments are provided.

This fantastic bridal workshop is running on Saturday 9 April from 10am until 4pm and costs £50.00 which includes a tiara band, wire and a £5.00 voucher towards your beads.

To book your place, pop in to see us, visit our website or call us on 0131 228 5058.

Love,

The girls at The Little Bead Shop x

Stunning Czech Dagger Bead Bracelet: Sunday 20 March: 1pm - 4pm

2011-03-16T15:04:00.005Z

We're very excited to bring you this fantastic new class where you can learn how to make this beautiful Czech dagger bead and swarovski crystal bracelet.

Designed by The Little Bead Shop's taleneted owner, Gil Baird, this class is exclusive to our premises.

The dagger beads give this striking bracelet an amazing texture which allows it to drape softly around your wrist.

The bracelet is made by bead weaving but if you're new to this jewellery making technique, have no fear! We will be there to help you at every step.

You will be given full instructions for you to take home as you may not finish the bracelet in the three hours allotted to the class.

The class is suitable for beginners and costs £40 which includes tuition, all threads, findings AND your beads.

To book your place please pop in to see us, visit our website or call us on 0131 228 5058!

Love,

The Girls at The Little Bead Shop x

The Little Bead Shop at the Scottish Bead Fair Sunday 13 March!

2011-03-08T14:55:00.012Z

It's all go down at the Little Bead Shop today as we continue preparing for our stand at the Scottish Bead Fair this Sunday 13 March!

Our very own Emma Baird will be doing a demonstration on the basics of using Precious Metal Clay at 3pm - a must see!

Not only that but we'll be bringing along all of our most special beads, including our favourite Czech glass, a good supply of magazines for inspiration as well as precious metal clay and metal clay tools and goodies!

And, as if that wasn't enough, we'll also be running special offers for our lovely customers on the big day!

We're all really excited and looking forward to seeing you all there!

Love,

The girls at The Little Bead Shop x

The Little Bead Shop at Perth Bead Fair Sunday 13 March!

2011-03-05T15:14:00.007Z

Our lovely Little Bead Shop is on the move again!

On Sunday 13 March (just over a week away!) we'll be taking our gorgeous selection of beads (not to mention the lovely ladies of the Little Bead Shop) over to Perth for a fun-filled day at the Scottish Bead Fair.

Not only that, but our very own Emma Baird will be doing a demonstration on the basics of using Precious Metal Clay!

We'll be bringing all our beautiful beads and precious metal clay and will also have some special offers for those who come along to see us! More details to follow - we'll keep you all posted!

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

New Class! Feather Necklace: Sunday 26 March, 1pm - 4pm, £15

2011-03-02T11:03:00.006Z

One of our favourite instructors, Rebecca Anderson, is coming to Edinburgh specially to teach this fantastic class at The Little Bead Shop.

Using Swarovski crystals, Rebecca will teach you how to create this unusual, delicate-looking necklace with sprays of nylon-coated wire feathering off to each side. Using crimps and calottes, you will learn how to attach clasps and extension chains.

It's a stunning piece of jewellery and we guarantee it'll attract compliments whenever it's worn!

This class, which costs £15 is suitable for beginners - no previous experience is necessary.
Price includes tuition, all threads, findings but excludes your beads.

Swarovski and czech dagger bead flower: Saturday 5 March: 1pm - 4pm:

2011-02-25T10:28:00.008Z

Spring is finally in the air and to celebrate, we thought we'd share this lovely new class with all our favourite customers!

Made from czech glass dagger beads, seed beads, swarvoski crystals and a 22mm rivoli you can make this beautiful, glittering daisy which can then be made into a pendant, brooch or even a pin.

The class uses bead weaving techniques which are suitable for complete beginners and will run on Saturday 5 March from 1pm until 4pm

Price £30 includes tuition, all threads, findings and your beads.

To book your place or for more information, please pop in to see us, visit our website or call us on 0131 228 5058!

Love,

The girls from The Little Bead Shop x

Full Day Bridal Workshop: Saturday 9 April: 10am - 4pm

2011-02-18T10:04:00.005Z

Calling all blushing brides and beautiful bridesmaids!

The Little Bead Shop is delighted to be able to tell you that we will be running a full day bridal jewellery workshop on Saturday 9th April from 10am until 4pm.

In the morning we'll show you how to make a beautiful tiara and in the afternoon you can make a stunning piece of jewellery, such as a necklace, bracelet or pair of earrings to match.

This amazing class costs £55. This excludes the cost of your beads but includes all tuition and use of tools. Within this cost, you also receive a £5 voucher to put towards the cost of any beads you buy on the day.

Book now to avoid disappointment!

For more information about the class, please pop in to see us or call us on 0131 228 5058.

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Sparkling Swarovski Bracelet: Saturday 19th February 1:00pm - 4:00 pm

2011-02-09T11:00:00.004Z

Designed by Gil Baird and unique to the Little Bead Shop, this gorgeous, glittering, spiral weave bracelet will certainly make a statement.

Made with seed beads and swarovski crystals, this stunning bracelet drapes beautifully on the wrist and is a really rewarding piece of jewellery to make.

Previously Gil had taught this design as a necklace, which students are more than welcome to come and make instead, but please be aware that a necklace would take much longer than the duration of the class, would certainly need to be finished off at home, and extra beads would be required. We would anticipate that most students choosing to make the bracelet will complete or be close to completing the bracelet in class.

The class is suitable for beginners and will be held on Staurday 19th February from 1pm - 4pm. Price includes tuition, all threads, findings but excludes your beads.

For more information or to book your place, please pop in to see us, visit our website or call us on 0131 228 5058.

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Dagger Bracelet Class: Sunday 6th February, 1pm - 4pm

2011-02-02T15:00:00.006Z

Come and learn how to make this stunning dagger bead and swarvoski crystal bracelet.

The bracelet's beautiful Czech dagger beads give it an amazing texture which allows it to drape softly around your wrist. It is made by weaving the beads with needle and beading thread.

If you are new to bead weaving no need to worry, this class is suitable for beginners and we will be there to help you at every step. You will be given full instructions for you to take home with you as you may not finish the bracelet in the three hour class.

This fantastic class takes place on Sunday 6th February from 1pm - 4pm and costs just £20, which includes tuition, all threads and findings but excludes the cost of your beads.

For more information or to book your place, please pop in to see us, visit our website or call us on 0131 228 5058!

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Love

Silver Smithing with Jared Sanders Sunday 6 and Saturday 19 March

2011-01-29T12:49:00.005Z

I'm sure you've heard the buzz online from Emma Baird about the new member of our team- everyone at the Little Bead Shop is delighted to introduce you to the very talented Edinburgh jeweller Jared Sanders.

Jared, who has been making and selling his jewellery for more than 20 years will be running a range of silver smithing classes exclusive to the Little Bead Shop.

This is an exciting opportunity to learn from a professional jeweller - not to be missed!

Jared's first two workshops will be running on Sunday 6th And Saturday 19th March. More details to follow shortly.

Please pop into the shop, visit us online or call us on 0131 228 5058 to register your interest.

Love,

The girls from the Little Bead Shop x

New Class! Exploring Silver Cay

2011-01-19T11:26:00.009Z

We're getting the New Year off to a bang with a whole host of new classes!

On Sunday 30 January and Sunday 27 February we will be hosting full day classes exploring Silver Clay.

You will learn the differences between the three frequently used types of clay - lump form, syringe and paste. You'll also learn how to handle the clay, condition it, shape and form it, dry it, prepare it for firing, how to fire and how to polish. We will also teach you how to torch fire your pieces, as well as how to fire them in a kiln.

The most exciting part of this course is that you have the whole day and 20g of clay to truly explore the potential of this wonderful material.

If you are a total beginner you can choose to make charms or pendants, if you have a little experience you can choose to spend your time designing and making a more challenging piece. You can experiment with textured pieces, non-textured pieces embellished with the syringe and even add sparkle with gemstones. As ever, there will be a wide variety of projects on hand to inspire you!

Whether you are new to Silver Clay, or have a little experience you will receive expert guidance from our Award Winning Artist and Instructor - Emma Baird. The course costs £120 and includes 20g Art Clay Silver, cubic zirconias, use of a syringe, use of paste, tuition and a loan of all tools. There will also be unlimited tea and coffee and biscuits available through out the day.

Suitable for beginners as well as those with some experience, these classes run from 11 - 5.30pm on Sunday 30 January and Sunday 27 February.

For more information or to book your place, please pop in to see us, visit our website or give us a call on 0131 228 5058.

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T12:52:00.005Z

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

We're all full of the Christmas spirit (not to mention a fair few mince pies....) and, before we get ready to shut the shop for Christmas, we'd like to send an extra special Merry Christmas! to all of our lovely customers.

We'll be be back open from 12pm - 3pm on 28th, 29th and 30th December, before returning to business as usual on 3 January 2011 where we'll be back with a whole load of brand new beading and metal clay classes!

Wishing you all a fantastic Christmas and exciting start to 2011!

Love,

The girls from the Little Bead Shop xxx

One to One Classes at the Little Bead Shop

2010-12-17T10:53:00.004Z

Is there something you would like to learn how to make but have no idea where to start?

As well as offering a comprehensive range of beading and Art Clay classes, the Little Bead Shop also offers tailored one to one tuition. So whether you want to learn the basics or try your hand at something more advanced, our experienced teachers can show you the ropes!Our one to one beading sessions lessons cost £20 and hour and include the findings required to make your piece. Please note, the cost of your beads is not included.

Our own Emma Baird will take the one to one sessions in Art Clay. Qualified as a Senior instructor, Emma is the only provider of the Art Clay Certification in Scotland. Her work has been recognised internationally and she is a featured artist on the prestigious Metal Clay Guru website and is regularly featured in national magazines such as Bead and Making Jewellery with over 30 publications so far. And in 2011 her work will be published in several books!
One to one sessions with Emma cost £25 an hour and exclude metal clay.

These classes would make a perfect Christmas present. To book a session or arrange for us to make up a voucher, please pop in to the shop, contact us via our website or call us on 0131 228 5058.

If you would like to be taught a specific beading or Art Clay project, please let us know - if not we are happy to advise you on suitable projects according to your needs and experience.

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Stuck for ideas for Christmas pressies?

2010-12-08T10:39:00.004Z

Are you stuck for ideas for Christmas pressies for your nearest and dearest? Well, the Little Bead Shop might be able to help you out!

We offer gift vouchers, for any amount, which are redeemable against everything in our lovely little shop, as well as all our classes, including metal clay!

A perfect present for the handmade craft enthusiasts in your life. And, even better, there's no expiry date so the vouchers can be used at the most suitable time for you!

For more information. pop in to see us, visit our website or call us on 0131 228 5058 :)

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Beady Stocking Fillers!

2010-12-01T10:53:00.008Z

Christmas is fast approaching and if you're looking for a crafty stocking filler for someone special, we might just have the answer!

We've got a lovely range of beady goodie bags in the shop just for Christmas - perfect for keeping big kids and wee kids alike occupied for an hour or two.

We've also got a whole range of craft kits coming soon, so we'll keep you posted!

Love,

The girls at The Little Bead Shop x

Get ready for Christmas with The Little Bead Shop: Christmas Present Making Class: Sunday 12 December

2010-11-24T13:50:00.006Z

The season to be jolly is coming ever closer, so to get you into the festive spirit, The Little Bead Shop is running a special Christmas present making class on Sunday 12 December.

Come along and sit by our roaring log fire for some mulled wine, mince pies and make some pressies. The class costs £45 and will run from 11am - 4pm. Findings are included but beads will need to be purchased separately.

To book your place pop in to see us, visit our website or call us on 0131 228 5058.

Love,

The girls from The Little Bead Shop x

One to One Classes at the Little Bead Shop

2010-11-10T14:08:00.007Z

Is there something you would like to learn how to make but have no idea where to start?

As well as offering a comprehensive range of beading and Art Clay classes, the Little Bead Shop also offers tailored one to one tuition. So whether you want to learn the basics or try your hand at something more advanced, our experienced teachers can show you the ropes!

Our one to one beading sessions lessons cost £20 and hour and include the findings required to make your piece. Please note, the cost of your beads is not included.

Our own Emma Baird will take the one to one sessions in Art Clay. Qualified as a Senior instructor, Emma is the only provider of the Art Clay Certification in Scotland. Her work has been recognised internationally and she is a featured artist on the prestigious Metal Clay Guru website and is regularly featured in national magazines such as Bead and Making Jewellery with over 30 publications so far. And in 2011 her work will be published in several books!

One to one sessions with Emma cost £25 an hour and exclude metal clay.

To book a session, please pop in to the shop, contact us via our website or call us on 0131 228 5058.

If you would like to be taught a specific beading or Art Clay project, please let us know - if not we are happy to advise you on suitable projects according to your needs and experience.

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Festive Frolics at the Little Bead Shop: Monday 8 November

2010-11-05T19:27:00.012Z

We've all got festive fever down at the Little bead shop and, with that in mind, would like to invite you to our extra special Christmas present making classes!

Come along for mulled wine, mince pies and some festive frolics where we'll show you how to make earrings, necklaces and bracelets as Christmas presents for your nearest and dearest.

Our Christmas classes will be on Monday 8 November 6pm-9pm (cost £25) and Sunday 12 December 1pm-4pm (cost £45). Both classes exclude the cost of your beads.

We look forward to seeing you for some festive cheer!

Love,

The girls from the Little Bead Shop x

Your Chance to win a Handbag Charm Kit Designed by Jeanette Sloan!

2010-11-04T07:39:00.010Z

Last week we told you all about the fantastic handbag charm kit, designed by Jeanette Sloan, exclusive to the Little Bead Shop - and now we're delighted to offer you the chance to win one in our fantastic Pretty Pampered Pooches competition!

To enter, just post a picture of your dog wearing a fantastic bit of bling to our Facebook fan page and the best dressed pooch will win!

If you need any inspiration, here's a pic of Beau, Gil's dog, looking extremely regal!

The closing date is Friday 12 November - we can't wait to see your pics!

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Exclusive to the Little Bead Shop: Flowery Bag Charms by Jeanette Sloan

2010-10-27T15:20:00.011+01:00

The Little Bead Shop is delighted to announce that we are now stocking Flowery Bag Charm Kits custom designed by our favourite textile artist Jeanette Sloan.

Each kit contains all the materials you need to make these beautiful knitted handbag charms* and make a fantastic crafty and creative present for any occassion - and at £12 per kit, would be just perfect for Christmas!

We have a limited supply of these wonderful kits in stock, so please pop in to see us or phone us on 0131 228 5058 if you would like to reserve one!

Love,

The girls at The Little Bead Shop x

*Please note, knitting needles are not included.

Children's Beading Parties at the Little Bead Shop

2010-10-22T16:59:00.005+01:00

Looking for a creative and fun way for your child to spend their birthday? Well look no further!

Our children's parties are an ideal and fun way for your little ones to have some fun.

All parties are held in our lovely shop allowing you to leave your children to safely enjoy themselves.

Our parties are suitable for children from ages six and upwards. We find that groups of no more than eight work best.

Each party project is decided upon after discussion with you and your child. If she is unsure which project to choose then we will happily give you some advice on the kind of projects suitable for your child's age.

Our parties cost £12 per child and last approximately one hour. All children will leave with their completed project and their own beady goodie bag.

For more information or to book a date, please pop into the shop to see us, call us on 0131 228 5058, or visit our website.

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Our Emma is in a book :)

2010-10-05T10:38:00.005+01:00

We are very proud!! The lovely and talented Emma Baird features in the pages of a brand new book all about Lampwork.

Creative Lampwork includes everything you need to know about lampwork, from the history of the craft, to safety and materials, to various bead shapes and decorative techniques. The author, Joan Gordon, formerly Editor of Making Jewellery magazine, has gathered together 14 accomplished glassmakers from around the world to guide you safely through each technique and project, and Emma is one of them :) She has two projects in the new book, one of which takes you through all the steps to make this lampwork Bead Ring.

Emma's studio is located right here at The Little Bead Shop and she is always happy for people to watch when she is on her torch. It really is fascinating to watch.

The book isnt available yet - but will be soon!! Congratulations Emma!!!!

New Class! Stunning Swarovski Crystal Bracelet: Thursday 16 September 1pm - 3pm

2010-09-08T15:37:00.009+01:00

Being a bead shop, there's nothing we like more than a being able to bring a bit of sparkle to our customers, and you don't get much sparklier than this stunning swarovski crystal bracelet.

Here we will teach you the bead weaving techniques to make this beautiful bracelet. Once you know this technique, the sky's the limit!

The class runs from 1pm-3pm on Thursday 16 September and is suitable for beginners.

Cost £15 excluding cost of beads.

Pop in to see us, visit our website or call us on 0131 228 50508 to book your place!

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop

New Class! Embellished Peyote Stitch Bracelet: Saturday 20 November 10am-12.30pm

2010-09-08T15:26:00.008+01:00

We're all big fans of bead weaving at the Little Bead Shop and we're delighted to be able to bring you this brand new embellished peyote stitch bracelet class!

In the class, suitable for beginners, we'll teach you how to make this gorgeous peyote stitch bracelet and how to add embellishments to make it truly unique.

The class runs from 10am-12.30pm on Saturday 20 November.

Cost: £25 including beads.

Pop in to see us, visit our website or call us on 0131 228 50508 to book your place!

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

New Class! Sparkling Swarovski Christmas Ring: Saturday 20th November 1pm - 3pm

2010-09-08T15:04:00.006+01:00

The nights are getting longer and it's definitely getting to the time of year when we all feel the need for a little bit of sparkle. And what better way to add a bit of bling to any occasion than with this stunning sparkly swarovski crystal ring?

In this brand new class, suitable for beginners, we will teach you the bead weaving techniques to make this beautiful glittering Christmas ring.

The class runs on Saturday 20 November 1-3pm. Cost: £25 including your crystals.

Pop in to see us, visit our website or call us on 0131 228 5058 to book your place!

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

New Class: Funky Wire Work Necklace: Tuesday 2 November 6.30 - 8.30pm

2010-09-08T14:56:00.007+01:00

We've all gone a bit wire crazy over at the Little Bead Shop these days, so we thought we'd share the love with this brand new wire work class!

In this lesson you will learn to combine wire loops with beads to create this fun and striking necklace.

The class runs from 6.30 - 8.30pm and is suitable for beginners.

Cost: £15 excluding beads.

Please pop in to see us, visit our website or call us on 0131 228 5058 to book your place!

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

New Class! Wire Crochet Necklace: Saturday 23 October 1pm-3pm

2010-09-08T14:46:00.010+01:00

Have you always wanted to know how to make beautiful crochet necklaces but weren't sure where to start? Well, this could be the class for you!

In this brand new class we will teach you how to make this gorgeous beaded wire crochet necklace. Suitable for beginners, no experience in crocheting is necessary.

The class is on Saturday 23 October and will run from 1pm-3pm.

Cost: £15 and includes findings and loan of tools.

Please note, beads are not included.

Pop in to see us, visit our website or call us on 0131 228 5058 to book your place!

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Scottish Bead Fair - Sunday 22 August!

2010-08-19T17:39:00.009+01:00

It's that time of year again and we're all looking forward to taking the Little Bead Shop down to the Scottish Bead Fair in Perth on Sunday 22 August!

We'll have our usual fine array of sparkly goodies on offer as well as some brand new jewellery kits and, for all those of you who follow us on Facebook, twitter or on this blog, you'll get a fantastic 10% off any beads you buy* - just tell us which site you follow us on when you come to make your purchase!

This year our very own award winning metal clay and lamp work artist Emma Baird will be doing a free demonstration on art clay. This year, she'll be showing you how to make one of her famous lamp work bead rings as featured in Making Jewellery magazine.

So remember to pop over and say hello to Deanne, Emma, Gil and Helen (who will no doubt be bedecked in their traditional glittery Bead Fair finery!)

Look forward to seeing you all on Sunday!

Love,

the girls from the Little Bead Shop x

*Please note that this lovely special discount applies only to our beautiful beads. Metal clay, tools, products and findings are not included.

NEW CLASS! Polymer Clay Cane Making - Saturday 7 August 11am - 4pm

2010-07-29T18:09:00.004+01:00

We've done it again! The girls at the Little Bead Shop are delighted to introduce yet another fantastic new class!

In this class, suitable for beginners, you'll learn how to design and create your own unique, colourful polymer canes with your own intricate designs which you will then be shown how to form into beads to make your very own jewellery.

At the end of the day you will leave with several made up polymer clay canes for your future jewellery creations and one finished bracelet.

The class is being held on Saturday 7 August from 11am-4pm.

Cost: £65 which includes four packets of polymer clay and loan of tools.

For more information and to book your place, pop in to see us at the shop, visit our website or call us on 0131 228 5058.

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

NEW CLASS! Dichroic Glass Fusing: Sunday 1 August: 11am-4pm

2010-07-21T18:40:00.008+01:00

We are thrilled to offer you this new course in dichroic glass fusing - but beware.... it's addictive! In this class you will learn how to make beautiful pendants and cabochons. The colours are wonderful and the results fantastic!

You'll learn how to cut the glass as well as how to execute "full" and "tack" fusing. We promise you won't be disappointed.

This class is suitable for complete beginners and you'll take home three finished pendants.

Fee: £85 which includes tuition, all materials and loan of tools.

For more information or to book your place, pop in to see us, visit our website or call us on 0131 228 5058.

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Just for Father's Day - Silver Fingerprint Jewellery 10% Discount Special Offer!

2010-06-17T20:37:00.010+01:00

We all know it's Father's day this Sunday and the girls at the Little Bead Shop are delighted to tell you that, just for this weekend, we are offering a fantastic 10% discount on silver fingerprint jewellery!

By using a combination of traditional silversmithing techniques and Art Clay Silver (often referred to as metal clay) we can capture a fingerprint directly into fine silver. What better gift for a dad than his child's fingerprint cast into a beautiful pair of cuff links or a charm for a necklace? It makes a perfect, truly personal gift.

Pushed for time? If you pop in before 2pm on Saturday you can get your beautiful personalised gift the very same day!

Arranging your silver fingerprint jewellery is easy - just pop in to see us or call us on 0131 228 5058 and tell us your requirements.

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop

Children's Classes: Beautiful Beaded Ribbon Necklace: Saturday 10 July and Saturday 31st July

2010-06-05T13:19:00.007+01:00

This amazing class will show budding young jewellery designers how to make beautiful necklaces using organza ribbon and sparkly beads.

Helen will take you through this three strand necklace project and show you how to use ribbon crimps for a professional finish and how to knot ribbon to suspend beads!

The classes cost £10 and are running:

Saturday 10 July 11am-12.30pm
Saturday 31st July 11am-12.30pm

This class is suitable for children ages 10 and above and all materials are provided. There are only six places per class so book soon to avoid disappointment!

Remember to pop in to see us, visit our website or give us a call on 0131 228 5058 if you would like any more information.

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Children's Charm Bracelet Class: Tuesday 6th July and Tuesday 27th July

2010-06-05T13:09:00.011+01:00

In this brilliant class, Helen will show you how to turn any beads you like into lovely charms, which you will then turn into a beautiful spangly gold or silver plated charm bracelet!

You will be shown how to use pliers properly, and the correct way to do a wrapped loop, an indispensable technique for any budding jewellery designer.

This class is suitable for ages 8 and above, with a maximum of 6 places and costs £12.50, inclusive of all materials.

These great classes are running:

Tuesday 6th July 11am-12.30pm

Tuesday 27th July 11am-12.30pm

Book now as places are limited!

Remember to pop in to see us, visit our website or call us on 0131 228 5058 if you would like more information.

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Children's classes: Fimo Food Making: Thursday 24th June and Thursday 22 July!

2010-06-05T12:58:00.009+01:00

Yum yum! Delicious looking treats made into charms? This is your chance to let our very own Zoe show you how to make gorgeous cupcakes like the ones above and turn them into jewellery!

This class lasts for two hours and is suitable for ages 10 and above. Places are limited so book soon!

The classes are on:

Thursday 24 June 11am-1pm

Thursday 22 July 2pm-4pm

The class costs £12.50. The price includes all materials, but bring an apron or old T-shirt as it might get messy!

Give us a ring on 0131 228 5058, visit our website or pop in to see us for more information.

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Just for Father's Day - silver fingerprint jewellery

2010-06-04T21:55:00.014+01:00

Father's Day is fast approaching and with 20th June just around the corner, it's time to start thinking about presents. And we all know that getting presents for dads can be a bit tricky sometimes!

And, lets face it, there aren't that many holidays where we get to spoil our dads. So why not treat him to a really special gift?

By using a combination of traditional silversmithing techniques and Art Clay Silver (often referred to as metal clay) we can capture a fingerprint directly into fine silver. Our on site artists are fully qualified in Art Clay Silver so we can guarantee that everything is finished to a high standard.

And what would make a better, more personal gift for dad than a loved one's fingerprints cast into a pair of fine silver cuff links. Or a link in a bracelet or even a necklace?

Arranging your silver fingerprint jewellery is easy. Simply call us or pop in to see us and tell us your requirements.

Now you can "drop in" on a Saturday between 2pm - 5pm to have your, or your child's prints taken. Come along at the beginning of the session and your jewellery will be ready for you by the end of the day!

Please call us on 0131 228 5058, pop in to see us, or visit our website for more information.

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Beginners Bead Stringing - Monday 31 May

2010-05-28T07:28:00.005+01:00

At the Little Bead Shop, we know that there's nothing more satisfying than the first time you make a piece of jewellery, apart from of course having someone compliment you on something you've made yourself!

The easiest way to learn how to make jewellery is to start making it - and once you've mastered a few basic techniques, the sky's the limit!

We're pleased to be able to tell you that we are running a Beginners Bead Stringing Class on Monday 31 May 6.30-8.30 pm. Perfect for beginners, this class will teach you the basics from how to use crimps and tigertail, different types of threads and when to use them as well as teaching you about the different types of finishes available.

By the end of the class you will have made a beautiful necklace or bracelet of your own design and leave with the techniques to make the kind of jewellery you've always wanted to!

The class runs from 6.30-8.30pm and costs £15 which includes findings, excludes beads.

For more information, please pop in to see us, give us a call on 0131 228 5058 or visit our website .

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Comprehensive Introduction to Metal Clay - Sunday 23 May

2010-05-19T21:15:00.009+01:00

We have another one of our fantastic full day introductory classes coming up on Sunday 23 May and we just had to tell you all about it!

This comprehensive class takes you through the basics in the three frequently used types of Art Clay Silver: lump form, syringe and paste. It's suitable for total beginners but may also appeal to those of you who have been to our evening ring making or Magic of Art Clay evening classes.

Some examples of the beautiful pieces you could make on the day are pictured above.

In the morning our qualified, professional instructors will give you a thorough grounding in the basics and show you how to make pendants, earrings and charms.

In the afternoon, we will teach you all about shrinkage in metal clay and how to make your very own silver ring, how to make decorative, personalised embellishments using syringe and how to use paste to make your very own, beautiful silver leaf!

The class runs from 11am - 5.30pm (with a break for lunch) and is £130 which includes your materials for the day (20g Art Clay Silver, 10g Paste, use of syringe type and loan of tools).

For more information, please visit our website, pop in to see us at the shop, or call us on 0131 228 5058!

Love,

the girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Parties at the Little Bead Shop

2010-05-16T07:47:00.006+01:00

We love a good party at the Little Bead Shop. Yesterday we had a little girl's beading party in the shop and I thought I'd share some of the pictures with you!

This is one of several beautiful pieces made by the birthday girl herself!

Parties can be held in our shop, where they are fully supervised, or in your on home. We hold parties for children ages six and up and each party project is decided on after discussion with you and your child. We're also happy to advise you on the most appropriate projects for your child's age if you're unsure.

As well as leaving with a piece of jewellery that they made at the party, everyone also gets a complimentary beady goody bag!

Please call in to see us, give us a ring on 0131 228 5058, or visit our website for more information.

Love,

the girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Metal clay at the Little Bead Shop

2010-05-01T09:24:00.020+01:00

One of the things that makes the Little Bead Shop so special is the range of classes we provide and the level of expertise of our staff.

We share our premises with Art Clay Scotland, and provide a whole range of art clay silver classes from beginners to advanced master classes . Courses are run by Emma Baird, and taught by our team of qualified staff.

Not only that, but we also teach silver smithing techniques to bring a whole new dimension to your art clay silver and beaded jewellery. All our staff already have strong silver smithing experience, with Helen about to start her final year of her silver smithing and jewellery design design degree and Deanne is due to begin hers this September.

The level of experience of our staff makes us unique and you can be confident that we can provide you with the best possible advice and teach you to a high, professional standard. For more information about the metal clay and silver smithing classes available from the Little Bead Shop, please pop in to see us, visit our website or call us on 0131 228 50508.

Love,

the girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Dazzling czech glass dagger beads: some design ideas

2010-05-01T08:55:00.016+01:00

We've been having a bit of a love affair with czech glass dagger beads as of late and thought we'd share some of our designs with you to get you inspired!

So, why do we love dagger beads so much? Well, not only are they beautiful (the colours really are amazing so pop in and see our displays to get the full idea!) their unusual shape adds a really interesting dimension to your jewellery designs which you just don't get with round beads.

Not only that, but they can also add a lot of movement to your jewellery, which is particularly eye-catching in necklaces and bracelets. So, what's not to love?

We hope this post has given you some ideas about how to use dagger beads and we'd love to see some of your designs so send them to us!

Love,

the girls at the Little Bead Shop x

An update on our lovely new shop

2010-04-28T12:38:00.007+01:00

Well, what a week it's been. We've moved, we're merrily unpacking and are all totally in love with our fantastic new shop!

We've still got a fair bit of reorganising to do (and shelves to put up!) but we're all feeling rather impressed by how much we've got done in such a short space of time.

If you would like to see some pics of how the decorating is going, have a look at our pictures on Facebook

We've been running our classes as normal throughout (you may have seen us sitting at our lovely new beading table in the shop window if you've been strolling through Bruntsfield lately), and I just had to share this beautiful tiara that one of our students made at the weekend!

New dates for our tiara workshops will soon be on our website so we'll keep you posted!

Love,

the girls from the Little Bead Shop x

PS. As alway happens during any move, something has to go wrong, and unfortunately we've been having some problems with our phone line this week. We're hoping to get this sorted out asap, but if you would like to speak to us, you can reach us in the mean time on 07593768127 or email us via our website.

The fabulous new shop is officially open!

2010-04-21T06:25:00.008+01:00

Well folks, after a long hard week of packing and painting, the Little Bead Shop is now open for business at the new shop at 120 Bruntsfield Place!

Not only does our new shop boast some rather stunning chandeliers, but we now have a dedicated classroom. Details of all our new classes will be coming soon so watch our website for more information.

Remember to stop by and say hello!

Love, the girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Big news update: New shop opening 21 April!

2010-04-08T07:06:00.004+01:00

Hello everyone!

We can now confirm that as of 21 April, the Little Bead Shop will have moved a few doors along the street to 120 Bruntsfield Place, currently the premises of Cafe Crepe!

Those of you who have popped in to see us already know that we're already packing up and getting things organised for the move. Although we are possibly just a little bit messier than normal (ahem), everything is business as usual.

We'll keep you all posted on how the move is going :)

Love,

the girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Big News!

2010-04-03T12:41:00.004+01:00

We are moving! :)
Some of you may have seen the 'To Let' sign on the front of our wee shop, but don't worry, we're only going down the road! Our new shop has a lovely back room, which we are going to turn into a little dedicated classroom. Our classes are now so popular, this will let us run them during the day as well as in the evening!
The front will display all of our lovely beads, tools and Art Clay. We have some awesome ideas up our sleeve too and we are so excited about it! The official opening date is still to be announced, but expect it around the 20th of April!
We will still be on beautiful Bruntsfield Place so come and visit us! We will be back with more details soon, happy Easter!
Love from the Little Bead Shop girls x

New Class! Comprehensive Beginners Beading on Saturday 8 May 10:30 - 3:30pm

2010-03-27T13:07:00.013Z

As you've probably guessed from the title of this post, we have yet another fantastic new class running at the Little Bead Shop.

Our very own lovely Helen Chalmers will be running a comprehensive, five hour introduction to the the basics of beading. This great class will teach you all the basics and more including crimping, stringing and wrapped wire loops - the techniques needed to make gorgeous pieces such as the beautiful czech glass necklace and swarovski crystal wrapped loop bracelet above!

We will also give you lots of inspiration for your pieces as well as colour matching, an essential for any beading newbie!

The class costs £45 and includes all wire and findings. Beads are not included so why not come along a bit earlier before the class or pop in a few days before hand to pick your beads?

Just pop into see us, visit our website www.thelittlebeadshop.co.uk or call us on 0131 228 5058 to book your place!

Love,

the girls at the Little Bead Shop x

New class dates: wrapped loop charm bracelet: 30 March and 8 April

2010-03-18T14:51:00.014Z

Hello everyone!

I'm delighted to be able to tell you that we have some new dates set for our wrapped loop charm bracelet classes!

In this class, we will teach you one of the fundamental jewellery techniques - the wrapped loop. This technique is a staple of wire working and being able to make these simple wrapped loops from wire or headpins will add a whole new element to your designs.

Using this technique in the class will allow you to make a beautiful charm bracelet like the one above. If you've been to one of our art clay classes, why not bring along some of your silver charms to add to your design? Seriously, once you know this technique - the sky's the limit!

The class, which is suitable for all levels, costs £15 and includes silver plated chain and headpins. Beads are not included.

The classes run 6.30 - 8.30pm on Tuesday 30 March and Thursday 8 April.

Pop in to book your place or call us on 0131 228 5058!

Love,

the girls at the Little Bead Shop

New class: enchanted amethyst swarovski bracelet: Tuesday 13 April

2010-03-18T10:37:00.011Z

Hello everyone,

We're all excited to announce that the Little Bead Shop has a whole host of new classes coming up over the next few months.

We'll be running a class on how to make this beautiful enchanted amethyst swarovski bracelet on Tuesday 13 April 6.30 - 8.30pm.

In the class, which is suitable for all levels of experience, you'll learn about the art of needlework and bead weaving and we'll teach you how to create this stunning bracelet.

The basic stitches you learn will set you well on your way to mastering all kinds of other exciting weaving patterns.

The class costs £37 including all the swarovski crystals and findings you need to make your beautiful bracelet!

Pop into the shop to see us or call us on 0131 228 5058 to reserve your place!

Love,

the girls at the Little Bead Shop

The Little Bead Shop at the Scottish Bead Fair

2010-03-15T15:23:00.014Z

What can I say, the Little Bead Shop had a brilliant day yesterday at the Scottish Bead Fair.

We want to send a big thank you to all our customers, old and new, who came to see us and who stopped by to say hello.

As ever, we had a gorgeous selection of our favourite beads on offer as well as information about our brand new classes (watch this space!)

Emma from Art Clay Scotland also made a special guest appearance to demonstrate how to use precious metal clay and gave some very handy hints and tips to those who came along to watch.

All in all it was a brilliant day, but now we just need to unpack!

Keep your eyes peeled as we'll soon be updating our website will all our fantastic new classes.

Love,

the girls at the Little Bead Shop

Fingerprint Jewellery Special Offer: The Perfect Gift for Mother's Day

2010-03-11T13:17:00.010Z

Mums. They work hard. They spend all day running around after us, and more often than not still somehow end up doing our laundry even after we've left home... I think it's fair to say that our mums deserve a little TLC, and with Mother's Day fast approaching on 14 March, we at the Little Bead Shop are here to help you show your appreciation.

In honour of mums everywhere, we are offering a 10% discount on all finger print jewellery ordered by Saturday 13 March.

We can offer you a range of personalised jewellery beyond a charm on a chain. Pair your charms with stunning swarovski crystals, or beautiful freshwater pearls to create a beautiful bracelet or necklace. Choose a texture for the front of your charm and have the fingerprint on the back for a unique reversible pendant, or have a name inscribed for that truly personal touch.

Arranging for your silver fingerprint jewellery is easy. Simply call us on 0131 228 5058 or visit our website for more information.

Mums, we salute you!

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

The Little Bead Shop is going to Perth Bead Fair 14 March!

2010-03-05T20:53:00.027Z

It's been all go at the Little Bead Shop over the last week as we prepare for the Perth Bead Fair on 14 March.

Those of you who know us well know that we always like to get our glad rags on for the bead fair, and we've been sorting out our outfits in earnest, not to mention all the gorgeous glittering goodies for the stall itself.

On top of our stunning selection of beads and findings, we'll be coming along with a full stock of metal clay including silver, copper and bronze and a whole host of craft and design magazines including "Bead", "Making Jewellery" and "Bead and Beyond".

Emma Baird, one of the owners of the Little Bead Shop, award winning metal clay and lampwork artist will be doing demonstrations on how to use art clay silver and will also be on the stall, so remember to pop along to see her and say hello and find out more about the exciting metal clays.

We've all been very excited - not only do we get to meet all our lovely customers, but we have a whole range of special offers for everyone who comes to our stall on 14th March including:

10% discount off all classes booked on 14 March; and
beautiful pick and mix bags of Indian beads for £2.99!

Keep your eyes peeled as we'll also be announcing more special offers on the big day.

We're all looking forward to seeing you all on Sunday!

Love,

The girls at the Little Bead Shop x

Handover....

2010-02-22T15:29:00.005Z

Ive been thinking of doing this for months, and after a period of quietness in blog land I thought now would be the perfect time to do it - I'm crossing over to my new Blog on Word Press. if you have been following my blog at all then you can come with me here
My blog will be concerned with my own work, classes, Guest Teachers for Art Clay Scotland, my travels etc....

This blog is going to be looked after by all the girls at the Little Bead Shop (even me occasionally) so the hand over I think is fitting!! There will be plenty of chatter about all the beady things going on, classes, jewellery designs and metal clay too! I'm sure given my lackluster blogging of late it will be a really interesting blog to follow!

SO - - I thought I'd introduce you to two of the girls who will be blogging!!

Helen Chalmers - 23, is a jewellery student at Duncan of Jordanstone in Dundee. At the moment she is starting work towards her degree show and dissertation. She loves to draw, and has just started working in lampworked glass. She is a familiar and friendly face at The Little Bead Shop, holds her Level 1 Qualification in Art Clay Silver and has been published in "Bead Magazine"

Deanne Holden - our newest staff member - jewellery designer Deanne uses a variety of media in my work from sterling and fine silver, copper, bronze and art clay silver. She is, by her own admission, interested in everything odd, and her creative interests include Victoriana, gothic, deco and nouveau. She is obsessed with jewellery and design in all its forms and loves being experimental. Deanne also holds the Art CLay Level 1 Qualification and like Helen has also seen her written articles published in "Bead".

Faux Bone Bangle Tutorial Available online

2009-12-20T09:46:00.003Z

I'm dying with the cold, it was only a matter of time.... but I'm never too ill to check out my favorite web sites like the Making Jewellery Magazine web site where I noticed that my recent Faux Bone Bangle Tutorial is available online.... FOR FREE!!! Check it out here.

Over Christmas I am going to be tinkering with my word press blog and eventually changing over to Word Press. For the time being I am duplicating posts on both blogs - and then I'll blog on this blog that I've posted on the other with a link. The girls at the Little Bead Shop are excited as they will inherit this blog. The blog may still interest you when they take it over as it will still be all to do with jewelery making - thats what beads are for :)

Hattie Sanderson Master CLasses

2009-12-12T08:26:00.003Z

Its taken me a while to get around to blogging but last weekend was just great!! THREE packed days of classes from the wonderfully talented Hattie Sanderson. My poor head took a week just to switch off from all the new design ideas I had in my head! I’ve yet to photograph my own work – but meanwhile I can show you a finished ring by Lesley Messam (above) and Helen Chalmers, featuring one of my very own beads :) (Below).

Hattie will be back with Art Clay Scotland next June - details will be up on our main web site asap!

Making Jewellery Christmas Issue

2009-11-26T12:42:00.002Z

Making Jewellery magazine seems to be going from strength to strength. Clearly I'm a little biased as there is some of my work in there :D including my tutorial on how to make the above Bracelet from Robert Danicks Faux Bone & Art Clay Silver, and my fun swarovski bling ring tutorial.

I'll try to remember to pop a photo of the ring on once I've collected it from the post office!

Metal Clay Artist Magazine

2009-11-19T10:43:00.002Z

Nothing like really exciting news to get me back to blogging!! All our copies of Metal Clay Artist Magazine have arrived and it looks fantastic!!! The worlds first magazine dedicated to Metal Clay this eagerly anticipated magazine really does look fantastic. I've already claimed my copy :)

If you want one then it will be available in our online shop very soon :)

I'm Runner Up in the British Bead Awards!!

2009-10-18T18:51:00.004+01:00

Yipeee! After an age of having to keep quiet about my pieces being shortlisted I am delighted to say I came second place in the Metal Clay Category of the British Bead Awards! I couldn't make it down to the show as I'm so far away up here in Edinburgh - so I had to wait for the news to filter through and finally I got an email from Jean Power - Bead Magazines Editor confirming that I got second place. It was all judged anonymously and I'm totally thrilled!

Here are my beads - I believe that they were on display, though they didnt win any prizes. Full run down of all the finalists and winners will be in Issue 19 of Bead ! I cant wait to see it!

Bead Rings

2009-10-17T09:24:00.004+01:00

I will post a proper run down of the conference and all its exciting goings on - including the new Art Clay Copper - as soon as I have time - meanwhile here are some of the bead rings that folks made on the Lamp work bead ring class with me. I think they look so great!! I felt like a proud mum seeing all these fun new rings being worn!

Day 1 - Art Clay Conference

2009-10-01T22:12:00.005+01:00

Today we had our Master Class, which was really intreresteing and informative. We learned how to fuse copper and brass onto pure silver. The course was held in the building you can see above - right on the harbour. WE have been blessed with good weather, and we ate fish and chips at lunch.

Tonight its an early night for many of us as we check all our tools, our supplies and so on in preparation for our own classes tomorrow and Friday. More pics to come :)

Landed in Jersey!

2009-09-30T12:47:00.002+01:00

Wow! Long time no blog post :) Been busy with my son, other things....

BUT I'm excited to tell you that I'm now in Jersey. I'm here for the Art Clay World UK Conference - and cant wait!! The plane here was easiest the smallest I've ever been on - but thankfully it was a smooth ride! This conference promises to be great, as always one of my favourite thing about these things is the fact I catch up with my friends - though there are also TWO new products being launched - Art Clay Coper being one of them! I'm really excited to hear all about it! As soon as I get to my hotel and rigg up my camera I'll take lots of pictures of this pretty place!!

Scottish Bead Fair

2009-08-29T22:57:00.002+01:00

Its that time again, the Scottish Bead Fair! I'm so excited, I love it, the atmosphere, the beads, seeing friends I dont get to see very often! Oh - and I'm doing a demo too, on how to use art clay silver and "capture nature". I'm going to have a little microphone and and a camera on my hands which will be a new one on me! So if you are coming to watch please SMILE at me :) Expect lots and lots of pictures soon!

In the Magazines this month .....

2009-08-22T09:53:00.004+01:00

This month you can find two of my lampwork tutorials in Making Jewelery and Beads & Beyond. In Making Jewelery the project talks you through how to make a beautiful bead with real gold. Its one of the smaller pictures on the cover - the first on the bottom left...

And in Beads & Beyond there is a tutorial that will allow you to practice your stringer control without the need to be perfect - handy seeing as stringer control can be so hard!

In addition this morning browsing the web sites I found my Lampwork Bead Ring tutorial that appeared in Making Jewellery Issue 4 is now on the Magazines Web site - as are my beads - look at the Readers Gallery!! You'll also find excellent tutorials from my friends and fellow Art Clay Silver Instructors Lesley Messam and Tracey Spurgin.

AND dont forget about "Bead" magazine which is still available and contains my Silver Shell Charm Bracelet tutorial! Great for the last weeks of summer!

Where have I been??

2009-08-20T22:09:00.011+01:00

My goodness, its been ages since I blogged, which is really bad because I've been doing really blog worthy things!! Did anyone miss me lol??

Any way - here is what I have been doing. Two weeks ago I flew down to Bristol for the PMC Symposium. It was a weekend packed full of seminars, exhibitions and shopping. With fantastic sessions from Robert Dancik, Tim McCreight, Lisa Cain & Jeanette Landenwitch it couldnt help but be an informative and inspirational weekend! As always it was a joy to catch up with my friends, but it was especially nice to make new ones! We also had the privilege of viewing an exhibition of some of the work so far submitted for the prestigious Masters Registry! Blimey - the work is amazing!! Thats Lisa Cain and Bristol above.

Last weekend Robert Dancik came to Edinburgh for his Faux Bone weekend! It was incredible. Never before have I been taught by such an inspirational, kind and generous teacher. Everything about Robert is positive - and he has an effect on people that is very rare, as he seems to generate self belief. The Faux Bone itself is a wonderful material that I cant wait to work with more. Its so strong that its almost impossible to break making it great for adding strength to fine silver. Everyone made some really amazing pieces, being a very talented group!!

I promise to come back with pictures of some work just as soon as I've edited them!!

Time for a change??

2009-08-04T11:49:00.003+01:00

I'm toying with the idea of moving my blog over to word press. Its partly due to the desire to change my blog name - when I started blogging my intention was to blog about beady things to do with The Little Bead shop - but as time has passed my blog has become more about me and my own work and focuses on things other than our shop. I think this is a good thing, and has been a natural blogging journey - but my blog name no longer feels like a good fit.

I'm tinkering about with my "other" blog, seeing if I can add my favorite gadgets! I'm having problems with that - so who knows maybe I'll stay put. One thing I cannot find to have on a word press blog is the followers box that you can see on the right hand side of my blog. I like it, and love seeing that I have a new follower every now and then. I'd miss it. I also cant add a box linking to my new favorite thing - the Face Book Art CLay Scotland Fan Page. But even so - there are some undeniable pulls towards the other side !

If you are a follower and actually do read my blog every now and then I'd love to hear your comments about following me over.

Gizmos & Gadgets

2009-07-31T11:21:00.004+01:00

I've been seduced by the lure of the Face Book Fan Page. Now you can keep up to date on all thats happening on the Art Clay Side of things at the Little Bead Shop by becoming a fan of Art Clay Scotland on Face Book. There is fan box now on the right of this blog, if you would like to become a fan! Now lets see If I can be really clever and and put the fan box in this post...

Art Clay Scotland on Facebook

Faux Bone & Ginga Squid

2009-07-28T10:08:00.012+01:00

Now I'm settled back home I'm getting excited about some of the things that are happening in the next couple of weeks. First there is the PMC Symposium, and then on the 15th & 16th of August there is our Faux Bone weekend with the amazing Robert Dancik. I've been thinking about how I can incorporate the Faux Bone into my work, and have been sketching designs into my book to take with me to the course. Imagine my delight when Daily Art Muse featured the work of the amazing Ginga Squid and drew my attention to the fact that Vicky T. Hunt uses Faux Bone in her incredible creations. Just looking at her work has made me smile and has helped me think "outside the box". I'm now full of ideas of how incorporate Faux Bone into my work in a more creative way, and am so excited about the course. Its still not too late to book - and there is now a generous discount for students too!! See here for full details.

Vicky of Ginga Squid is an incredible artist and I thought I'd share some of her work with you here. All of these pieces include Roberts Faux Bone.

You can see the Ginga Squid Blog here. Her web site can be found here.

My work in the Magazines this month....

2009-07-27T18:06:00.007+01:00

Just a quick shout to tell you where you can find my tutorials this month. As I've already blogged about you can see my tutorial on how to make my "retro" lentil Beads in Augusts edition of "Beads & Beyond" - you can see my beads on the cover above in the little picture - far right.

I have an precious metal clay tutorial in Issue 17 of "Bead" - a sea shell and freshwater pearl charm bracelet. I never tire of making bracelets like these. There is something so nice and tactile about them! Finally you can find another Lampwork Tutorial in the Lampwork Supplement of Issue 5 - "Making Jewellery". The tutorial gives the recipe for these beads on the cover and introduces you to the special glass by Double Helix. I'm delighted to make the cover of the supplement only a month after gracing the main magazines front page!

And finally I have to tell you that I'm really chuffed to make an appearance in the American Publications "Art Jewelry" & "Bead & Button" - even if it is only because my jewellery features in the latest advertising campaign for Art CLay World USA :)

Refelections on the MCWC Chicago

2009-07-26T10:30:00.014+01:00

Well, I'm not sure how to even sum up the Metal Clay World Conference - It was amazing! Myself, Lesley Messam & Lynda Cheney all met up at Heathrow on the Saturday to fly out to Chicago. We arrived at 8pm or so even though we left at about 6pm, the time difference acting in our favour. So on Sunday we had the chance to do some sight seeing.....

Monday saw us start our two day Pre-Conference Class Caged Glass Beads with the lovely Cindy Pankopf. Amusingly though we all decided to go to the conference independently of each other FIVE of us British girls chose this class! I was interested in it naturally as a lampworker and metal clay artist, and I wasn't disappointed. I did how ever find it tricky .... and couldn't get them finished how I'd of liked in the time (I'm not very speedy!) Anyway - here are my two beads followed by a class photo.

On Wednesday several of us had a free day as we hadnt booked into another Pre-Conference Class, so we went off to Chicago to do more sightseeing. We were joined by Cindy Pankopf and Michelle Loon, and we all had a blast up the Sears Tower! Here is me on the Sky Deck...

The VIP event was that evening so we headed back to the Hotel to get ready (this is where I last posted). When we arrived the wine was flowing and people were mingling. I was delighted to finally meet Hattie Sanderson and talk a little about her upcoming trip to Edinburgh. I was also introduced to some other renowned artists who were interested in coming to Edinburgh.... how exciting! This was also the evening of the Charm Swap. I was a little nervous, would anyone want to swap with me? But I shouldn't have worried, there were plenty of charms to go around, and I made mine up into a lovely bracelet the next day.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday were jam packed with Seminars, breakfasts, lunches and shopping breaks. There were raffles, prizes, speeches and competitions (including the mystery brown bag competition which thankfully I didnt get to enter). I attended Hattie's seminar on ring construction techniques found it inspiring (with an added bonus of seeing my very own bead rings used in her slide show!), and I also enjoyed Holly Gage's Seminar really interesting too! And I'd never miss an opportunity to attended one of Gordon Uyehara's classes or seminars - his was informative and amusing! All of the seminars were great but these really stood out for me.

Jackie Truty, Katie Baum and the rest of the team did such a great job organizing this conference! Congratulations! I think everyone had a great time, and made new friends. Thats what makes it so special, the people! I cannot wait to meet them all again next time at the MCWC in 2011.

If we are really lucky you can all meet some of them even sooner, when they come to bonny Scotland!! :)

Conference- off to the VIP night !

2009-07-15T23:42:00.004+01:00

We are having such fun, with hardly a minute to blog -the class with Cindy was just incredible (top pic) and sightseeing in Chicago is great too!! We have had an hour after shopping to get ready for the VIP reception and the Chrams Swap. I'm hoping i can find 32 people who like my charm enough to swap with me :)

Caged Glass Beads!

2009-07-13T13:38:00.004+01:00

We are up - about to have breakfast, and head off to class..... I'm so excited about this!! I met a few lovely people last night at dinner and so far am having a blast!! Hope Cindy wont mind me taking pics :)

Chicago - We Have Landed!

2009-07-12T14:17:00.002+01:00

Well, we have arrived safe and sound in Chicago! It was a long day travelling for me, (up at 4am - body clock thinking it was 5 am by the time we went to bed) but I'm just so excited to finally be here! Today is a free day with our course starting tomorrow, and another free day on Wednesday for exploring! Once I rigg up my camera expect lots of pics! I've even brought my video camera!!

New Metal CLay Magazine!

2009-07-08T11:09:00.003+01:00

How exciting! A new Metal Clay Magazine is to be launched late October! A free sample issue will be available at the Metal Clay World Conference - so hopefully I'll get a copy of that! I'll be really interested to see what its like, I'd imagine a magazine dedicated to Metal Clay Will be great! To find out more click here!

Bead Ring Tutorial - your rings!

2009-07-06T09:15:00.004+01:00

One of the lovely things about doing tutorials for magazines is getting to see that people actually do them! Here are two great rings that have been made following my tutorial in "Making Jewellery". The top one is by Julie Haveland Beer. This is a sterling ring band - but its riveted in the same way. Isnt it pretty!! The bottom one is by Lucy Spencer and is metal clay. I think they are GREAT :D Anyone had a go at the lampwork tutorial I did...... ?

Beads & Beyond - August Issue

2009-07-03T09:14:00.005+01:00

As I was looking on the Beads & Beyond web site for an image of their July Issue to update my blog with (I have a BronzClay Tutorial in there) I came across this lovely and vibrant cover for their August Issue. And if you look closely that picture on the top right is of my beads. A little while back my retro lentil beads as I now call them came second in my category of their fantastic lampwork competition. Here they are -

In this latest issue you'll find my tutorial on how I make these beads - hope they appeal to somebody to have a go at. :D

Countdown to the MCWC is ON!

2009-07-01T10:06:00.004+01:00

With only 10 days to go the countdown to my trip to Chicago is ON! I've lots to do, including making charms for the Clay Trade, where artists get together and swap a little charm attached to their business card, figuring out what I'll take with me for the "Taste of Home" event where everyone takes some food or delicacy from a local factory, (I was thinking Scottish Whisky, but maybe Edinburgh Rock is a better idea!) and deciding what clothes to take! (Oh - and how many pairs of shoes. :) - I'm such a GIRL). We have a free day on the Wednesday and plan to take a trip into Chicago - and hope to do a boat trip - though I have no idea which one! I'm really excited!

Robert Dancik comes to Edinburgh!

2009-06-20T09:26:00.007+01:00

If you are one of our regulars then chances are you have already booked your place on Robert Dancik's Faux Bone weekend on the 15th & 16th August. I'm so excited about this I cant begin to tell you (though again those who know me know full well how excited I am)!!

If you havent heard of Robert Dancik or Faux Bone then rest assured you will. Check out this interview with Robert on the Art Jewelry Magazine web site here - you'll have to create an account but its free.

The weekend course is dedicated to exploring Roberts Faux Bone. Its a new, easy to use and very versatile material. Oh - and its CHEAP! You can cut it, carve in it, saw it, sand it, file it, hammer it, drill it, stamp in it, inlay with it, dye it, put resin in it, paint it...............get the idea? You can do pretty much anything with it!

You can also heat it with an embossing gun and bend it - just look at this beautiful Tribal Cuff by Angela Baduel-Crispin. I absolutely adore this piece and love how its accented with silver. You can see more of Angela's work here.

You can also choose your finishing, sure it can look like bone, but you can also make it look like aged ceramic, or like ivory. Or you can simply polish it to a pure white. And for metal clay users it may interest you to know that you can Faux Bone can easily be embossed to make texture plates!

But really, the most exciting thing for me is the opportunity to spend two days being taught by Robert. I'd take a class with him in ANYTHING! He is literally oozing with positivity. Just read this (taken from Art Jewellery Magazine September 08) -

"By redefining what I used to consider a mistake, I find that I rarely have any. An errant hammer blow, a scratch, or a misaligned edge are now considered another piece of visual information. The trick for me is to embrace the new information, enhance the new direction, and make sure all the marks, forms, and surfaces look intended"

Roberts happy to chat to anyone that may have questions about the course. The last time I came off the phone after talking to him I felt totally inspired! He kind of has that effect. Ask anyone! You have been warned!

Roberts Web site
Booking Information

I'm a cover Girl!!!

2009-06-19T09:46:00.005+01:00

I said I had news didnt I? I just took a bit longer than I thought to get around to blogging about it. I have made the cover of the new magazine "Making Jewellery". I am totally delighted! When the magazines arrived yesterday in the shop it hit me - my bracelet will be all over the place! Inside you can find a tutorial how to make the beads on the cover and also one on how to make my bead rings. If you have a go at either please let me know! I'd love to post some of your pics!

.

I'm Home !!!

2009-06-13T13:17:00.005+01:00

Well, I have been away for a bit havent I! I've been on a family holiday in France. I had a nice plan of how to ease my way back into things but I've rather "JUMPED" back into things as there is so much going on and so much news to share. Expect a fair few blog posts over the next few days. Until then I thought I'd share with you my beautiful home of 10 days in Burgundy, above, and the cutest but nosiest Donkey in the world below :)

Art Clay & Enamell Weekend.

2009-05-25T16:15:00.011+01:00

Lynne Glazzard demonstrates Art Clay Silver to the enammellers

Dorothy Cockrell talks the art clay group through the enamell process

Well, I am just about recovered from two days of Art Clay and Enamell. As the Scottish Rep for the Art Clay Guild I organised this event to allow metal clay users to try their hand at enamelling. Members of the Guild of Enamellers were also welcomed along and got to try out Art Clay Silver for the first time.

Dorothy Cockrell & Lynne Glazzard led the weekend, with each taking a group of students. The weekend was just great and I think everyone really enjoyed them selves. It was a great mix of people and there was plenty of time to swap tips and chat!

Tea Break!

There was a wonderful array of work on show by both Dorothy and Lynne - and by the end of the weekend we all also had work to share in our "show and tell" - I'll post more pics just as soon as I've edited them! The only down side is that now I have a shopping lost as long as my arm of things I "need" to buy!! Isnt it always the way!

Playing with Copper Clay

2009-05-19T09:02:00.004+01:00

A while back I talked about Copper Clay. I've had some for a while now but hadnt had time to just have a play, but yesterday I did. After my first experiences with Bronze Clay - where I took hours on what I made only to find them split or cracked after firing- I decided to keep my first attempts with the Copper Clay simple.

The picture shows Copper CLay on the left and a Bronze Clay Piece the right. Although I've experienced the Bronze clay splitting (Its like it stretches during firing) I've never seen my pieces break like this has. All my pieces this time were fired using a different firing schedule - which has clearly not been successful for these pieces - I think my impatience possibly had something to do with it.....

.
These bronze disks above have also been fired - I've had them kicking about for too long!! These are how they looked after their first firing. Some of them have the most pretty patina! i have something in mind for these. I'll be trying it later today! Fingers crossed it works!

My Work in Magazines

2009-05-16T19:20:00.007+01:00

I've been so excited about this, and now that the magazine is out I can finally share my news with you! I've been featured in Bead. I cant quite believe it - a whole article about little me!! I am sooo chuffed! Its the second time I've worked with Bead magazine and I am so grateful for their support. I've also written their first ever Lampwork Tutorial - which outlines how to make my "blooming" Pansy Beads. I still havent managed to get my hands on a printed copy of the magazine and really cant wait to see it properly!

On top of all this excitement my copy of Making Jewellery popped through my letterbox today. I was thrilled to see my bead rings featured in the readers showcase section (now available to order). I'm in good company there other artists including my friends Lesley Messam of Silver with Lesley & Manda Muddimer of Mango Beads. Check out their work if you can - they are both super talented!

And just as I was about to put the magazine down I noticed something else. A little write up of my classes at the Flame Off by the editor of Making Jewellery - Joan Gordon. There is even a photo of three of my happy students!! Hope they see it!

And if you think thats all my exciting news for a while think again. I have something very very exciting being planned that I cant announce just yet........

Enamelling Weekend

2009-05-14T11:18:00.004+01:00

Necklace by Lynn Glazzard.

Bracelet by Dorothy Cockrell

Art Clay Guild Members should have receieved their newsletter by now.We still have a few places available on the Enammelling weekend here in Edinburgh on the 23rd & 24th of May.The hugley talented Dorothy Cockrell & Lynn Glazzard will be running the weekend - I'll be there playing with everyone else!

Its a great opportunity to either improve your enamelling skills or have a go if you have never tried it before. Because its a Guild Event it costs just £25 for the whole weekend - but you do need to be a Guild Memeber to come along! If you want to come along too call the shop on 0131 228 5058.

Distracted.....by Art!

2009-05-08T20:44:00.008+01:00

Anyone who knows me will know that I tend to flit from one task to the next - never fully finishing anything (my mum calls it "butterflying"). Tonight is no exception. I've been doing some online research into one of the Masters Registry projects - that of duplicating a Votive Figure from an earlier Culture. So here I am googling away, my thoughts traveling onto mythology and then onto folklore.

With the word "folklore" I thought of my super talented friend & Artist Kate Leiper. So off I went to look at her latest work and I've been on her web site ever since, totally distracted from what I originally set out to do. Instead I'm sitting dreaming up what work I'd commission Kate to do for me! Kate lives in Edinburgh like me and I just love every single piece of work she has ever done. I'm lucky enough to own a couple of originals. I just had to introduce her to you - and here are a few of my favorite pieces!

Competition Winners

2009-05-04T09:50:00.008+01:00

There are so many worthwhile competitions out there - and recently the winners have been announced for the Rings & Things & Art Clay Club Japan competitions.

Here are the winners of the Metal Clay & the Gemstones & Pearls categories of the Rings & Things Competition.

Far East By Lisa Pavelka

Pardon My French - Linda Valentino Michel

More incredible work can be seen here - the gallery of the Art Clay Club Japan. The entries are stunning and here are just a couple of my own fav's

Diane Sepanski

Laila Bakker

And I wanted to share with you my prize for coming runner up in the Beads & Beyond Lampwork Competition - my necklace by Beverly Hinklin. Isnt it lovley!

Feeling like you want to enter a competition too?? There is still time to enter the British Bead Awards run by Bead Magazine. With TEN categories including lampwork, metal clay & seed beading there is bound to be something for everyone. Closing date is not until the 17th of July. No excuses :)

The Scribbler

2009-04-26T14:18:00.004+01:00

This post comes with a warning - read at your own risk - for the subject matter is highly addictive!!

Yes The Scribbler. Its the most amazing little thing I've come across in a while thanks to one of the many blogs I follow (sorry - I cant remember which!) Its hard to explain but you just do a doodle or drawing and the program does the rest - and its very cool! You need to try it out - you'll find it here.

Here is a scribbler doodle I did this morning.

Drawing with a mouse is hard (for me anyway) so I'm looking for a decent tablet for my mac. I'm looking forward to the day I make a discovery that wont lead to me NEEDING to buy new things :D Now - go and have a go, but you have been warned !!!!

Smile!

2009-04-24T08:38:00.002+01:00

I saw this and it just made me smile. Hope it makes you smile too!

Flame Off 2009 - what a blast!

2009-04-21T22:56:00.008+01:00

Our View

Hot Torches

No - I havent fallen off the face of the earth - I've been away at the Flame Off. It was amazing. I was running the Metal Clay Classes and honestly is was really great to be a part of such an amazing event. So many lovely people all under one roof! As an added bonus some of the extra lovely ones (you know who you are) were staying in our hotel! I made some new friends and was lucky to catch up with old ones. I was also thrilled to get to drool over some of Sarah Hornicks beautiful beads again - but I made up for the mess by giving her a super condensed Metal Clay lesson ever over dinner :). Check out Sarahs beautiful beads and great blog here.

A Huge Thanks to everyone at Tuffnells Glass who worked so hard to make it such an amazing event! See you all there next year!

Art Nouveau Inspiration & New Beads

2009-04-11T20:34:00.008+01:00

For the first time REALLY I have found that I am fascinated by architecture. I've been looking online at images that come up when you google "Art Nouveau" . The more images I see the more images I see the more fascinated I become. Here are a couple of my fav pics so far! Its making me want to travel to see these amazing places with my own eyes!

And here is a sneak peak at my new beads - they are cleaned - just not photographed yet. These should be up on the main web shop by the end of the weekend - I hope :) Happy Easter!! x

My beads on CIM Website

2009-04-08T09:00:00.004+01:00

Well, it is turning out to be a good week, (but I'm a little scared to say so in case something goes wrong!) I just got an e-mail from Kathy Seamunds of Creation is Messy. These "Ruby Jewel" Beads of mine feature a lot of her Cranberry Pink glass. She liked my beads so much that they now have a place on the Cranberry Pink Bead Gallery!! Honestly - there is hardly a bead that I make these days that does not have some Cranberry Pink in it! I think its the most beautiful colour! Check out the whole range of Creation is Messy Glass here.

I'm RUNNER UP In the Beads & Beyond Competition

2009-04-06T18:15:00.004+01:00

Towards the end of last year I entered the Lampwork Competition that was being run by magazine Beads & Beyond. I am totally thrilled today to find that my entry came Runner up in the Intermediate Category. To know that the experienced and super talented judges Sally Carver, Ray Skene & Beverly Hicklin liked my beads means an awful lot to me. I'm not sure I can top runner up - but I'm thinking about my entry for the competitions in Bead Magazine now. I enjoy entering them - its exciting! I wont spoil the results for those who are waiting to get their Beads & Beyond magazines but a massive congratulations to all the other winners, runners up & special mentions! Now - wheres my champagne!

Hattie Sanderson Is Coming to Scotland!

2009-03-30T14:27:00.015+01:00

I'm extremely proud to announce that the fantastic Metal Clay artist Hattie Sanderson is coming to Scotland!! She will be teaching two intermediate/advanced workshops for us on the 5th & 6th of December. One is will be The Reversible Box Focals Workshop (pictured top) and the other is a Spinner Ring workshop (pictured bottom).

I'm so excited - and my place is BOOKED! Hattie has never been to the UK before let alone taught here! Its the most awsome opportunity for all us UK Metal Clay fanatics to learn from one of the best in the world! Hattie's work is just incredible and her style is instantly recognisable! She is also one of only two people (at the time of writing) to have achieved Level II in the prestigeous Masters Registry! I cannot put into words how excited I am about this!!! If you use metal clay then chances are you have heard of Hattie, but just in case you havent here are some pictures of her work ...........

Places on these workshops are limited and we expect them to go fast once booking opens. If you are interested then take the chance to register your interest now - and we'll contact you once booking opens! See the main web site for full details by clicking here. And PLEASE - if you are excited like I am LEAVE A COMMENT :)

New Beads!!

2009-03-28T22:29:00.003Z

Hello everyone! I'm a very happy bunny today as I was featured on a Blog - it made me blush and made me smile! Big thanks to Alison aka Ali Bali Jewellery who was kind enough to feature me. You can read what she wrote here :D

I'm busy at the moment working the metal clay - but I'm still trying to find time for my two loves - and I must have done an okay job as I have a few new sets of beads for sale! Here are two of them. You can see all of my beads available for sale here.

Bead Rings

2009-03-22T22:03:00.003Z

I have been busy this week, tucked away in my studio working on these fun bead rings. The Beads are my own, and I have made each ring from Metal Clay. I have to say I think the beads and the rings look great together. They DEMAND to be worn in the sunshine - cocktail in hand :) If you like the look of these and would quite like to own one then simply click to "follow me" as I'm planning to have some ready for sale very soon, and will as always announce it here!!!

I have a MASSIVE bit of exciting news that's keeping me awake at night - but I can't share it just yet......BUT what I can tell you about is the enameling weekend workshop that I have organised for Art Clay Guild Members. If you would like to try enameling but dont know where to start then this weekend would be ideal for you! It will be in May and will be run by talented artists Dorothy Cockrell & Lynne Glazzard! Its open to members only - so if you need to join to find out more then do it quick by clicking here!

I have a project in Bead Magazine!!

2009-03-17T18:32:00.003Z

Helllooo!!! I was very very excited to get my hands on a copy of Bead Magazine today as I finally got to see my Metal Clay Project in print! Its a bracelet made up of five disks of fine silver interspersed with sparkly swarovski crystals. I'm chuffed as I think that the team at Bead have made it look just great! Also Helen (one of The Little Bead Shop staff) has piece at the back of the magazine on a Day in the Life of a Bead Shop!!! Made my day!!!!

Lynda Cheney & The Raden Technique

2009-03-15T20:28:00.003Z

Well, here is the change in the Art Clay Silver class timetable - our Resin workshop has been postponed to make way for the super talented Lynda Cheney to come and teach the little known Raden Technique. Lynda is a Senior Art Clay Instructor with many years experience and is one of only a handful of Instructors in the UK to be taught this technique in Japan directly from the Japanese Masters. She also happens to be a multiple competition winner (if we are lucky she will bring up her pieces of jewellery) AND the Chairman of the Art Clay Uk Guild!!!

The Raden Technique is a beautiful technique of inlaying (most commonly) mother of pearl into your Metal Clay - giving it depth and sparkle. Its going to be held on Sunday of the 14th of June. Its most likely to be the ONLY time it will run ANYWHERE this year! I cant wait as this is one class I'll definitely be attending :) For more info please see the courses page here.

The Little Bead Shop

We've moved our blog to Wordpress!

Right-Angle Weave Bangle: Saturday 30th April 11am - 2pm: £15

Beautiful Czech Bead Give Away!

The Little Bead Shop and Art Clay Scotland are teaching at the Edinburgh Bead Fair 8th May!

Easter Holiday fun at The Little Bead Shop - New children's class timetable!

The Little Bead Shop will be running a special series of classes just for Easter including this fabulous daisy chain (above), caterpillars, charm bracelets and memory wire bracelets!

All of these classes cost £12 ALL INCLUSIVE.So, without further ado, here is our fantastic Easter holiday timetable!

Mother's Day at The Little Bead Shop

Full Day Bridal Workshop: Saturday 9th April 10:00pm - 4:00 pm £50.00

Stunning Czech Dagger Bead Bracelet: Sunday 20 March: 1pm - 4pm

The Little Bead Shop at the Scottish Bead Fair Sunday 13 March!

The Little Bead Shop at Perth Bead Fair Sunday 13 March!

New Class! Feather Necklace: Sunday 26 March, 1pm - 4pm, £15

Swarovski and czech dagger bead flower: Saturday 5 March: 1pm - 4pm:

Full Day Bridal Workshop: Saturday 9 April: 10am - 4pm

Sparkling Swarovski Bracelet: Saturday 19th February 1:00pm - 4:00 pm

Dagger Bracelet Class: Sunday 6th February, 1pm - 4pm

Silver Smithing with Jared Sanders Sunday 6 and Saturday 19 March

New Class! Exploring Silver Cay

Merry Christmas!

One to One Classes at the Little Bead Shop

Stuck for ideas for Christmas pressies?

Beady Stocking Fillers!

Get ready for Christmas with The Little Bead Shop: Christmas Present Making Class: Sunday 12 December

One to One Classes at the Little Bead Shop

Festive Frolics at the Little Bead Shop: Monday 8 November

Your Chance to win a Handbag Charm Kit Designed by Jeanette Sloan!

Exclusive to the Little Bead Shop: Flowery Bag Charms by Jeanette Sloan

Children's Beading Parties at the Little Bead Shop

Our Emma is in a book :)

New Class! Stunning Swarovski Crystal Bracelet: Thursday 16 September 1pm - 3pm

New Class! Embellished Peyote Stitch Bracelet: Saturday 20 November 10am-12.30pm

New Class! Sparkling Swarovski Christmas Ring: Saturday 20th November 1pm - 3pm

New Class: Funky Wire Work Necklace: Tuesday 2 November 6.30 - 8.30pm

New Class! Wire Crochet Necklace: Saturday 23 October 1pm-3pm

Scottish Bead Fair - Sunday 22 August!

NEW CLASS! Polymer Clay Cane Making - Saturday 7 August 11am - 4pm

NEW CLASS! Dichroic Glass Fusing: Sunday 1 August: 11am-4pm

Just for Father's Day - Silver Fingerprint Jewellery 10% Discount Special Offer!

Children's Classes: Beautiful Beaded Ribbon Necklace: Saturday 10 July and Saturday 31st July

Children's Charm Bracelet Class: Tuesday 6th July and Tuesday 27th July

Children's classes: Fimo Food Making: Thursday 24th June and Thursday 22 July!

Just for Father's Day - silver fingerprint jewellery

Beginners Bead Stringing - Monday 31 May

Comprehensive Introduction to Metal Clay - Sunday 23 May

Parties at the Little Bead Shop

Metal clay at the Little Bead Shop

Dazzling czech glass dagger beads: some design ideas

An update on our lovely new shop

The fabulous new shop is officially open!

Big news update: New shop opening 21 April!

Big News!

New Class! Comprehensive Beginners Beading on Saturday 8 May 10:30 - 3:30pm

New class dates: wrapped loop charm bracelet: 30 March and 8 April

New class: enchanted amethyst swarovski bracelet: Tuesday 13 April

The Little Bead Shop at the Scottish Bead Fair

Fingerprint Jewellery Special Offer: The Perfect Gift for Mother's Day

The Little Bead Shop is going to Perth Bead Fair 14 March!

Handover....

Faux Bone Bangle Tutorial Available online

Hattie Sanderson Master CLasses

Making Jewellery Christmas Issue

Metal Clay Artist Magazine

I'm Runner Up in the British Bead Awards!!

Bead Rings

Day 1 - Art Clay Conference

Landed in Jersey!

Scottish Bead Fair

In the Magazines this month .....

Where have I been??

Time for a change??

Gizmos & Gadgets

Faux Bone & Ginga Squid

My work in the Magazines this month....

Refelections on the MCWC Chicago

Conference- off to the VIP night !

Caged Glass Beads!

Chicago - We Have Landed!

New Metal CLay Magazine!

All of these classes cost £12 ALL INCLUSIVE.

So, without further ado, here is our fantastic Easter holiday timetable!