Charity

Hi Ladies

Thank you all so much for pledging you beauties for charity. I am away now until next week, but I did not want to go without dropping you a HUGE thank you mail.

I have been mulling this over and have a few ideas, please let me know what your thoughts are:

- instead of auctioning on e-bay we could do it directly. Emma Ralph holds all her auctions on her site, I could set up a page for the auctions and I am happy to manage the bids and updating the page as they come in. If we send just the page link to all of our data bases we will hopefully gets lots of interest.
- -Mindy of Moogin Beads suggested tying pieces together for auction lots, which I think is a fab idea. We could create collections of beads that would normally be far too expensive to buy. We could do the same with the jewellery of sell them as separate lots
- How do you feel about calling this The Collective, I thought the name is simple and basically it is what we are
- Bead wise, if you don’t want to donate a set how about a few lonlies? I personally love lonlies as they are so versatile.

OK I have to dash, I have not finished packing yet! Mull this over and let me know what you think. I am planning to do the first auction at the end of July, is that OK for everyone.

Thank you all again

Have a really super week and take great care

Mel xxx

May winner

And the winner is .... Nic. Congratulations Nic, please send me your address and I will pop your earrings in the post to you tomorrow.

Thank you for entering and enjoy the rest of your Bank Holiday evening

Mel xxx

Charity idea

Hi Ladies
I have a proposition, well actually it is an idea in very very early infancy. If any of you are interested please send me a pm or comment.
After a long, dignified and inspiring 5 year battle with cancer a very close family friend passed peacefully away this morning. I have decided that instead of flowers for the funeral that I am going to make some jewellery for Lizzi and auction it on e-bay (any other ideas welcome) giving the proceeds less the e-bay/PayPal charges to Lizzi’s family’s choice of charity.
Now this is where you all come in. I was thinking that twice maybe 3 times a year that we could, as a collective, put pieces up either for auction or on our sites for sale; stating that all proceeds will go to charity. We could all nominate a charity each time we put the pieces up for sale; and either split the money equally between all of the charities, or pick 2 or 3 from a hat and split all of the money between these.
I think as talented and people we are in a great position to raise some real money for charity and I am pretty sure (remember infancy stage I have not approached yet) that Bead/ Beads and beyond/ make jewellery etc would run at least a small piece on the sales if there are a few of us involved.
Let me know what you think, I take absolutely no offence if you feel that you do not want to do this, equally if you know of another artist/ jewellery designers/ crafty people that you feel may be interested please pass this on.
I am happy to administrate this (I may regret saying that)
Take care and thank you for taking the time to read this
Have a great Bank Holiday weekend and don't forget to enter the giveaway I am running, the draw is on Monday at 7 pm
http://kookiedesigns.blogspot.com/2009/05/flower-give-away.html
Mel xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Uprinting.com giveaway

Check out One World blog, they are featuring a great business card giveaway by Uprinting.com
follow the link below

http://10oneworld.blogspot.com/2009/05/uprintingcom-giveaway.html


http://www.uprinting.com/

Good luck

Mel xxxx

Flower Give Away

Hi Folks

I have been beavering away making jewellery for a party next week in Devon, my parents live there, and for a couple of Summer fairs coming up next month. The whole fare thing is new to me, so I am making a pocket money friendly range for the little people and Mum's, which is exciting.

Right onto business : this month give away time. I am giving away these lovely Flower Earrings. The beads are really pretty, they have a indigo base with clear purple flowers are turquoise centres to the flowers. I have added some pretty purple and teal Swarovski crystals they are on a sterling silver fish hook earring.

All you need to do to enter is leave a comment below, for extra entries mention this give away on your blog and send me the link please.

I will be back later in the week with some pictures of new pieces and the commission I mentioned last week

Lovely Leon will draw the winner of the give away on Monday 25th May at 7pm

Have a great week and thank you for dropping by

Mel xxx

Tagged

Nicola from Sparkly Treasures has tagged me, I am dead rubbish at things like this (thanks Nicola! http://sparklytreasures.blogspot.com/) I tend to over inform so I will try to keep this clean and appropriate. OK here goes

8 things I am looking forward to...
1. Christmas, we are leaving on Christmas Eve to spend Christmas with my parents in South Africa, Leo will wake up on Christmas morning in the sunshine (I can hardly contain myself with excitement and we cant tell him for 6 months!)
2.Spending some of half term with my Parents in Devon
3. Leo going to big boys school in September
4. My 10th wedding anniversary in May, I can't believe it is really 10 years
5. Getting to know old school friend again as grown ups
6. Home grown veggies from the garden and BBQ'S with Rose
7. The summer holiday and mucho Legoland time
8. Getting my teeth into the new designs floating around in my head

8 things I did yesterday
1. Cleaned the house and did a tonne of washing
2. Made 2 pairs of earrings as a commission
3. Met a fab friend and let the kids romp at an indoor play area, we had tea and proper conversation
4. Got in touch with a friend from school that I have not seen or spoken to for 15 years
5. Had a whole evening and bath time alone with Leo as Brian was out on the razzle
6. Caught up with Hero's and Grays Anatomy (see above)
7. Fake Tanned my snowy white body, I am now far less reflective when the sun shines
8. Woke up at midnight to find the cat had fallen asleep on my back and he was purring very loudly whilst drooling, super!

8 things I wish I could do
1. Protect Leo from ever being bullied
2. Stop being such a worry wart (see above)
3. Say no to scrummy food, I am meant to be on a diet to raise money for Leon's pre-school, not going great!
4. Spend more time making Jewellery
5. Order bits I need without being frowned at by he who holds the bank statements
6.Spend our winters in South Africa and summer here, ahh that would be bliss
7. Be more organised, by work space is chaotic most of the time
8. Be a morning person, would help with very chatty and bright 4 year old and husband

8 shows I watch .....
1. Ashes to Ashes
2. Inbetweeners
3. Hero's
4. Greys Anatomy
5. Smallville
6. Dexter
7. Damages
8.Reggie Perring

So my 8's are done, and they are fairly in offencive. The rules for those I tag are

1. Mention the name of the person who tagged you
2. Do you lists of 8
3. Tag 8 bloggers
4. Tell them that they have been tagged, and giggle to yourself

My 8 are
1. Kathryn Lazy Daisy Glass http://lazydaisyglass.blogspot.com/
2. Rachel Earth and Fire Beads http://earthandfirebeads.blogspot.com/
3. Alison AMIDesigns
http://amidesignsjewellery.blogspot.com/2009/05/fridays-weekly-round-up.html
4. Big Blue Bed
http://bigbluebed.blogspot.com/2009/05/brooches-galore-and-other-things.html
5. Heather Bumpy Beads http://bumpybeads.blogspot.com/
6. Emma The Little Bead Shop http://littlebeadshop.blogspot.com/
7. Ollee Ooh Miss http://oohmissjewellery.blogspot.com/
8. Galti Barak Jewelery Designer http://galitbarak.blogspot.com/

Lovely Jelveh

My beautiful bead that I won in Jelveh's blog giveaway arrived this morning, THANK YOU lovely Lady. It is soooo scrummy, I am yet to decide how I shall wear this scrummy beauty, but give me the weekend and it shall be worn:)
http://jelvehdesigns.blogspot.com/2009/05/thank-you-new-beads.html

Her ETSY store is full of amazing and beautiful beads, check it out if you c=have a few moments free to drool and shop;)
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5103875

I treated myself to a pendant from Sea Urchin , her jewellery is really stunning. I love this pendant so much, I am a real blue and purple girl so this was hard to resist. The blue is so vivid and the hint of gold really makes it. Her jewellery is really reasonable priced, check out her Folksy store if you get a chance.
http://www.folksy.com/shops/seaurchin

I have been busy making some commissioned earrings this week for a lovely customer based in California, made with some stunning Tillerman beads, I love them. Once she has had a chance to have a look at them I will post some pictures.

I have been tagged so I am off to do my lists, thank you Nicola!

Have a great weekend, I will be back with a give away

Melxxx

Bubble Boy

I took this picture of Leo one night when Bri was working late and I bathed him, he looks so angelic (don’t be fooled) so I thought I would share!
We have had a lovely weekend, busy doing nothing and enjoying the sunshine. Actually I spent yesterday weeding and planting veggies in the garden with Leo assisting me, well actually he mostly dug holes in the soil and played in his sand. The veggies survived the night, so fingers crossed I don’t kill them before we have a chance to eat them!
I will be posting a competition at the weekend to draw on Bank Holiday weekend, so please do drop by and have a look.
Have an ace week
Mel xxxx

And the winner is

I have a winner, kindly drawn by my 4 year old (he thought it was great). The winner is Kristin of K S Jewellery Designs. Kristin if you pm me your address I will pop your lovely necklace into the post on Tuesday (or maybe Wednesday)

Congratulations Lovely Lady.

I will be holding another give away in a few weeks so please do drop by.