Scrummy Beads Prize Draw

Laura of Beads By Laura is running a prize draw on her blog, for these gorgeous lampwork glass beads.

 Aren't they amazing, I'd love to win them!  If you pop over to her blog, here, and leave a comment then she'll enter you into the draw.  You can see more of her beads on her website.

Folksy Friday - Lizards

It's been too long since I've blogged, so I decided to do a Folksy Friday this week.  I'm going away for the weekend to visit some lovely friends, one of whom draws the most amazing lizards, so i decided to see what Folksy had to offer.  
First up is this lovely cuff bracelet made from pewter, from the Owl and the Pussycat. The pewter is lead free which is good.

My next item is from Box of Delights, and is this lovely rainbow Lizard card.  It's a really lovely chameleon, I love the delicate colours.

 This is the most beautiful, colourful lizard painted on driftwood, I just love it, and it comes from Nicola Potts Art.

 My last choice today is this amazing curled lizard brooch,  cut from sheet brass and textured. It comes from Hollowbourne.  Her jewellery is gorgeous.

 That's it for today, I hope you all like these beautiful things as much as I do.  

On another note, I've finished the jewellery for my Arteria collection, and just have some gift bags to sew, so maybe I'll manage to make something for my Folksy shop soon.  I've an idea for bags, so I think it's time to get the sewing machine out.  Maybe I'll get the bathroom curtains finished too!
I am nearly halfway round my living room/kitchen.   Next is to move the fridge out and paint behind there.  I'll need some help for that!  The trouble with having several different things to do that all seem to have a similar priority is that it just brings me to a halt and I do nothing.  When I get back from my weekend away I must galvanise myself into action. Hmm, that sounds far too energetic for me, but we will see............. 

Folksy Finds has featured me!

My living room is in disarray as I'm having vinyl laid where part of my floor had to be replaced. So I thought I'll have a browse on Folksy forums while the fitter gets the job done.  
I found a message telling me to check out a blog - Folksy Finds  - which I did, and there was a whole feature on Averilpam Designs, with four items from my shop. 
What a lovely surprise.  It's always exciting to be featured on a blog, and very encouraging.  Someone likes what I make! I've also just had a request for a possible commission which is equally exciting, and a friend wants to take some of my jewellery to show to her work colleagues.  
So I'm officially in a good mood today!  
The fitter has started to spray toxic glue on the floor so I'm now hiding out in the bedroom, but I refuse to let that spoil my cheerfulness - so long as it doesn't trigger a migraine.........
Now where was I - oh yes Folksy Finds blog.  They seem to be featuring one Folksy seller each day so I'm in good company, check it out.

Big Blog Card Swap

I recently took part in the Big Blog Card Swap.  I no longer make cards to sell, but I still make them to send to family and friends so I decided I'd make a card for the swap.  I forgot to take a photograph of the card I sent, if you'd like to see it it's here,
Here is a photo of the beautiful card I received. There is a label on the back to say it's made with recycled card, sheep poo paper and old catalogues.  That's what I call recycling - brilliant!
It came from the lovely Sarah, aka Dottydaisies.  Click here to see her Folksy shop.  

The swap was organised by Sarah and Naomi.  So a big thank you to them both.  I think swaps are such a good idea and have taken part in a few.  
The very first craft swap I did was many years ago (before blogs!) on a website called Cybergrrls. It was an online community for women/girls. There were lots of interesting forums including arts and crafts and someone organised a swap.  I can't remember what I sent, (probably some cards) but I remember receiving some lovely earrings with little handmade glass discs.  I just went to take a look to see if Cybergrrls still exists and it is apparently under reconstruction.  It's an offshoot of Webgrrls International - something I didn't know about at the time.  Briefly this is what they say about their mission.  "Webgrrls' mission is to help women succeed in an increasingly technical workplace and world through networking, exchanging job and business leads, and teaching new skills."

Lovely Giveaway Prizes

Lucky me, I won a giveaway from Sue at Blue Box Studio.  I've entered a few blog giveaways and this is my first win, so I was really pleased.
I missed the postman, so the following day I went to the post office to pick it up, and here's what was inside.  

There is a pretty lavender bag,  a little bag of different coloured sea glass and a gift card, along with all these little packages wrapped in blue tissue.So here is what was inside those neat little packages.

There is a key ring,  a pocket mirror with really pretty hand dyed silk covering the back (the photo doesn't do it justice). A bag or purse tag with a pretty glass bead, the sea glass and a lovely pendant also made from sea glass.  It's a lovely aqua colour with a silver plated bail and I have a nice silver chain I can use with it.  
There was one other lovely item which is not in this picture. This is because it is going to be a present for someone whose birthday is in July but who will probably be reading this!
Anyone else who wants to see it can go to Blue Box Studio Blog, and look at her post on May 1st

Gallery - episode two.

I've just done a count and I have 9 necklaces made for the summer exhibition at Arteria.  So just one more to go.  I've done either a bracelet or earrings to go with all of them so far.  Unfortunately I haven't always had enough matching beads to do both. 
I had really hoped to use a lot more handmade polymer clay beads, but I've only been able to use them in two sets.  I'm still waiting for the pasta machine to arrive. The first time I checked up at the website it said they were due in on April 16th.  On April 17th I checked back and it said they were due May 20th. Then I realised that the UK was closed to air traffic so of course they wouldn't get their shipment on time!  I'm just hoping that now planes are flying again they will get their shipment earlier than the 20th.  It will probably be too late to make anything for Arteria - even if it arrived tomorrow I can't be sure I could make good enough beads to include.  In the meantime I've been making copper and silver components - links and clasps - for some of the jewellery I've made.  I've wasted so much copper wire! Fortunately it isn't expensive, although I've been really nervous using sterling silver wire as that is very expensive.
Now I've just remembered I need to make gift bags for most of them.  I've about six large and two small made but I've run out of the lovely gold fabric so I'll have to hunt through the boxes and find something else suitable then get sewing! I have lots of the amazing gold brocade that I used to make gift bags that I'm offering for sale in my Folksy shop, (here) so I may decide to use that.
Here is another photo from my Arteria collection.