Hi all!
So Monday and a day for playing at the torch, I have been thinking about christmas baubles for my christmas tree or HUGE pendants can't decide which. They are hollow beads measuring 30mm approximately and are lovely to hold....fit nicely in the palm of your hand!! The dots leave abit to be desired so some practice is needed before I am happy but they have been a huge amount of fun to make and I thought I would share them with you all. These I think will adorn our tree unless someone makes me an offer!! LOLx

Busy week this week, Ian is away on a stage management job so I am (with the help of the lovely Chloe and co) on my own in the shop this week so not much time for torching. Thought I had tomorrow but due to a rota c**k up I am in the shop for the middle part of the day.....may be able to fit something in tomorrow night. Hope so was doing some experimenting with Terranova which was looking exciting....watch this space!!

Have a good week all, will post when I get time.........

I've Been Keeping a Secret......

Hello Everybody, Where does the week go? I cannot believe it is Friday already and we have had our first late night shopping at the shop......Is it my age or is the world moving so much faster than it use too?

So the news from Raspberry Rings : Well a busy week, managed to get on the torch at the beginning of the week and produce some beads. The 5mm are still the most popular but these larger 5mm core beads are also proving a hit. They are all unique, I do not make two the same so you will get something original to wear. I have also designed a silver link, like the one you can see on the blue bead here (can you see the Tobago influence still asserting itself LOL!), The links are completely handmade out of sterling silver wire, hammered and worked into a D shaped link and wound at the top. These I have been selling on their own for customers to put on their own chains or we have silver chains availabe in the shop or I am making simple leather necklaces with silver clasps to hang them on. Phew! It is endless, oh and did I mention the bead pins? Anyway the long and short of it there are lots of beads to choose from in Bazaar. If you are local come in and have a chat, I love making pendants up and there is a wide variety of style and prices to choose from. You can come in and choose a wish list for your family to buy for you for Christmas and then you know you are getting exactly what you want!

Now those of you who know me well know I hate keeping secrets and I have been for what seems like months. I have ordered a secret ingredient for my beads to really make you stand out in the crowd but it has been delayed in California and I am practically mugging the postie when he arrives in the excitement of the possibility that he might have something in his sack for me! I just hope it is worth the wait....I have kept it secret for two and a half weeks and I am popping to tell you and to experiment and post pictures.........watch this space for the moment my lips are just about sealed!

Elsewhere I was really chuffed to win a Competition. I am a member of a lampworking forum, called Frit Happens - www.frithappens.co.uk. It is a forum for fire people everywhere, not just lampworking there are all kinds of glass workers and some really talented beaders, jewellers and silver clay artists there too. Anyway I entered a couple of my beads in a Sparkly Challenge that was being held and I won......never one anything in my life before so I was very chuffed with that, and even more chuffed to hear I was to recieve some bead work from the very talented Lynn Davy (http://www.nemeton.clara.net/) so that was a lovely suprise and TA TA here are the winning babies:



Oh dear just noticed the bit of sticky behind photo 4...oooops! These have all sold except the bead in Picture 2 I have a feeling that one is still in the shop. I was popping these on in my Etsy shop but I keep paying for the listing and then sell them over here! Not grumbling but it means my shop is looking abit empty now!!

As always if you see any of my work anywhere and you would like more information or to buy or commission a bead please do get in touch.

So that is all the news for this week, a few necklaces to make and a lovely pin commission to do so I better get to it! I also need to add some 5mm beads to the website.............Infact I will do that right now........thanks for reading!

PS Thinking of giving away a sparkly bead for Christmas to one of my blog readers, what do you all think about that? LOL!

PPS oh and I nearly forgot some of the new 5mm beads:

Hey Facebook Followers!

Wow modern technology, I can't believe that I have new followers via Facebook in that short space of time....thank you everyone, I will endeavour to update these posts regularly and keep everyone up to speed with what is happening in Raspberry World!! xx

Where do all the Days go?

I can't believe last week has gone so quick.....The engagement ring that gave me sleepless nights was picked up on friday and they LOVED it, in all the excitement I forgot to photograph it but Ian took a shot on his mobile of it actually on her finger so all I have to do now is work out how to download that onto my laptop!! We had a great bead party on Thursday night with Alison...Thank you Alison!....Milly came too as she has two dogs herself and Milly was given a lovely red bandana by Molly and Mabel which makes her look everso sweet.....must post photos!! Lots of sales, lots of lovely glassy chat really enjoyed it.

The shop is busy with customers as well and the large size beads on silver chains are popping out! I have a pile of commissions and I am out to lunch so note toself NO WINE AT LUNCHTIME! It was my birthday on Friday, 46 were does the time go, I still feel 26 apart from a dodgy hip which is playing up badly at the moment......there it is old age!!??? I am talking and sharing my health issues, will stop that immediately! Got a new Blackberry phone so look out I will soon have absolute access to the internet at all times!! Ian gave me a few tools I had requested and all in all I was really spoilt, sister and family came for weekend, lovely time but no time for the torch except in my dreams.

Well I am sure noone is that interested in my social diary so I will stop here and will post with piccys once I have mastered getting photos of Ian's phone.

Best wishes Jenniex

DREAMING OF TOBAGO!

Good evening all! I don't know what it has been like in the rest of the world but it has been FOUL in North Devon, blowing a hurricane and pouring with rain for days, I have been listening to Radio 4 and the rain gushing of the roof of my Shed as I work at replacing the 5mm beads that are flying out of the shop..... As usual I got distracted and this time I started daydreaming about my holiday.

My friend Cath who took me to Tobago to stay at her friends house last year has asked me again in January, so exciting it is such a beautiful island, sea, sunshine and flowers! The house is in a truly beautiful spot set in virgin rain forest. The whole thought of Tobago made me think of the seas and the beautiful infinity pool at the house (piccy above) and I found myself leaving the small beads and grabbing the blues to produce the beads below influenced by the Carribbean Islands, the spear shaped pendant from the infinity pool and that flowing water. (Double click on images to get the full glory!)

and so I have lots of new designs in my head now and dreaming of Nylon Pool, Tobago...............Slightly more inviting than rainy North Devon............................

Wedding Bells!!

Well what a week that was! Loads of exciting glassy things happening but the biggest suprise of the week was when a young couple came into the shop and started looking at my glass rings. I love making them but they don't sell as well as the beads so I don't make so many now. I probably jinxed them by getting 20 larger mandrels made and as soon as I had them done the sales seem to drop right off. Ho Hum the twists and turns of retail! Anyway I digress, it turns out this couple are getting married and want something different for the engagement ring. Ha ha! you know what is coming, well I was gobsmacked, I mean I like my rings but I would never have put them in that bracket but they obvioulsy loved them and who am I to argue? It left me with a glow and a smile on my face all day untill I realised I actually had to produce something special and that glow turned to fear and apprehension and a couple of nights of glassy dreams, what a responsibility, I am so honoured! They have decided on colours and I have been getting some practice in on the torch today as I haven't made a ring for a few weeks. Tomorrow will be 'ring' day. Once it is done and they have picked it up and like it I will post piccys but here are a few of my earlier ones, sorry about quality of pics, don't seem to have photographed any of the more recent ones so they have improved since then!!

We had a couple of Christmas Sales this week, one was in aid of a childrens charity in a local community hall, it was not just beads and jewellery but a range of stock from our shop Bazaar in Barnstaple. It was hard work, we had a busy day in the shop and then packed the van headed off had half an hour to set up, then 3 hours of watching paint dry! No to be fair there were shoppers there but most were browsing and we took a total of £80.00 and made the decision that we would not be doing that style of sale again, every year we give it a go and every year it is a disaster!

Friday night was a different matter, a regular customer, Sue threw a bead party and we had a fantastic night. It is always a buzz to be amongst people who love beads and Sue's friends certainly did! There is nothing like hearing feedback firsthand and I still find it amazing how we all see colour and combination so differently. I just love looking at other peoples bracelets and necklaces. We were due to be there from 7 till 9 but we were still going at 11pm, one girls mum even phoned in an order having checked out the website.....what can I say but a huge THANK YOU SUE!

For anyone in the Barnstaple/Bideford area of North Devon who would like to hold a bead party do get in touch, we bring a few bottles of vino with the beads and 10% of what we take you get in beads!

Most of the sales were 5mm beads but I have also started taking a dish of 3mm beads and am offering a pendant making service if customers want it or they can just buy them and string them themselves which is proving really popular at the partys but particularly in the shop I had six to do this week.

I have divided the beads up so that they are different prices according to how complicated and time consuming they are to produce but the basic ones at £2.50 each fly out! So the result of this and a really good week in the shop means the bead racks are looking bare so after a romp on the beach with Milly, (at last a drop of sunshine after all the rain) I cleaned the shedio and glass and settled down to a 5mm beading session on the torch. Wasn't long before I was distracted and one huge bead was the result! I will post pics when it is out of the kiln.

We also had a delivery of new sterling silver bead bracelets in store from our silver supplier, they have really pretty clasps double ended with a tiny coloured crystal in the centre of a flower decorating it. I won't be putting them on the website as there are only a few all in different colours and all 7.5". Do get in touch if you would like one of course I can post them. This is the pic from the supplier which is why it is not so clear.

So that is the news from me, a really good week on the bead front but now Sunday roast beckons so time to close.........See you soon and thanks for looking x

Revving up for the Christmas Sales!

Wow knackered tonight, really busy day at the shop deliveries left right and centre and we seem to have our teenage doggie back now the bangs have stopped. She is bossing us around and generally telling us what to do and when, we are going back to our Cesar Milan rule of Exercise, Discipline, Affection in that order. Poor old Dudley is being bullied 24/7 that is him the background looking angelic but don't believe it he managed to wake us up with a sweet little fat mouse at 2am for the second night running.......little cherubs aren't they!

Another good day today 25% of the takings on Raspberry Rings, a couple of bracelets and beads and a couple of focal beads....I am liking christmas! ;0) Did a couple of pendants with customers today, they chose charms and beads but did not want to spend the money on silver chains so I offered up some leather and they chose their colour and I have spent this evening putting clasps on both as well as riveting loads of 5mm beads. Not a very good piccy but here is one, that fairy is a great charm she looks as if she is holding the beads up.

I did some copies of my christmas sparklies in smaller beads and they look lovely now they have their little silver tummies in place! So we are all ready for a couple of Christmas Sales, one tomorrow and a private Bead Party on Friday, I always really enjoy those, meet loads of new people and get to have a glass of wine whilst I sell!! So I will let you know how those go over the weekend when my feet touch the ground again!!

Bye for now..................

Getting ready for a busy week!

So we survived Fireworks, Milly was not happy and lost her mojo. We were staying with friends in Plymouth and it was like a war zone and she managed to leave a little pressie for them in a quiet corner..oooops!
Sorry Jane and Simon! She has now returned to full on teenager and bossing us all around. She takes me round to the Shed everytime I go to work incase something or someone 'gets' me on the way there and keeps coming back to check all is well every five minutes or so.

Last week was fantastic bead sales which put a smile on my face but that means back to the shedio for some fast and furious work in the flame! Managed to spare time on Thursday to have a good glassy catch up with Manda from Mango Beads. Manda gave me my first lesson and is a constant inspiration......hey check out her world at www.mangobeads.co.uk! It is so good to sit down and talk glass over a mocha thank you Amanda!

Have also added a couple of beads to my Etsy Shop. One of them pictured here. These big hole beads are going a storm with the new silver charms and chains, something abit different to the usual bracelets, although talking of braclets I have ordered some lovely new silver bracelets with great clasps, flowers with czec crystal decoration will post them when they arrive.

So the kiln is bubbling away and we will see what tomorrow brings, lots of silvery glass my favourite. I am toying with the idea of some glow in dark beads...great for clubbing......maybe I will have to flex the credit card in a few minutes hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmx On a non glassy theme I managed to book tickets for P!nk again next year.........awesome.....saw her in Birmingham this year, so excited she is doing stadium this time.....bring it on....whoop whoop!

Well that is it for now, thanks for reading!

Jenniex

New Silver Has Arrived!

Hello Folks, A strange day today, infact a strange week but that is too long a story to share.

The good news is that bead wise this has been a fabulous week lots of my sparkle beads are nestling in new homes and I have received my latest orders of silver charms for the silver necklaces that you can add my 5mm troll style beads too. Currently these are only available in the shop but if anyone is interested do get in touch! Here are a few they are awesome and look fabulous with my new sparkly beads........am I allowed to say that myself!! I think I might have to keep a pirate one myself...Jack Sparrow eat ur heart out!

Fireworks still banging around outside mean that my time on the torch was limited today as Milly was cowering around my ankles so we had to abandon creation and come inside to safety!!

Off to Plymouth this weekend to see old friends so torching will now have to wait till Monday, got a couple of sparklers in the kiln to replace the ones we have sold this week. I am smiling all the way with the response from my customers. Thank you everyone xxx

The Fireworks have started already.....

Well I am sitting here typing this and thinking about popping into the FHF Etsy Team chat room, drinking hot chocolate and trying to ignore Milly who is quivering under my chair at all the pops and bangs that are going off around us in Bideford. To distract ourselves from the fireworks we are listening to a debate on radio 4 about Twitter. The result: that Twitter can create a 'Twitch Hunt' which in the opinion of the current speaker creates Mob rule. Mob rule hhhhmmm! I guess that is what the FHF team are trying to achieve with their treasury 'hits' lol.

Now what I should be doing is sitting down and starting the Wedding Crown I was commissioned & paid for to do for this Saturday,, yes that is this Saturday (the bride had an accident with her original one and needs a quick replacement that looks as she wants it LOL !! and she is asking me?) So here I am asking myself why am I twittering, blogging and generally floating around the internet rather than getting out my tools and wire and getting on with it? Probably because the wire doesn't hold as much of an attraction now I have FIRE! And talking off that I also have one eye on the clock as the kiln has a little stash cooking away.

Felt so tired today, didn't get enough sleep last night, was it just me or was that wind freaky? It felt like the house was going up Wizard of Oz styley, ended up reading from about 2am to 3.30am tried to sleep and finally dropped off at 6.15....my alarm goes off at 6.30 GREAT.

Full day at shop, Christmas shoppers out already and really busy with lots of goodies arriving for christmas. I must get some piccys of the Christmas window its a goody stuffed half the shop in there!! I must also post piccys of my awesome new jewellery counter. Milly has caused stress today she is really restless and bossy, she was spayed last week and is not able to exercise too much yet which means I have a Lakeland Teenager on my hands she even barked at me when I left the van this morning to fill up with diesal I ask you, she has also taken to pushing her cushion all round the office if I am on the computer and ignoring her.

So that is my excuse for no wire wrapping tonight. I am knackered and I am promising myself I will take my tool bag to the shop tomorrow and get on with it....well I have too as they are picking it up lunchtime Friday....aaaagghhhhh!

Sold the two babies you see above yesterday, a 26" silver chain and silver Bali Ball Charm to keep them company and a whole heap of 5mm beads, then a bracelet and more beads today, oh and some charms so was really chuffed with the beady side of things! Should get an exciting package tomorrow from my silver supplier with new charms and some great leather bracelets with silver clasps for 5mm beads.

Well that is it for now..maybe I will go and pack my toolbag ready to go, but first I might pop into the chatroom and see who is about.........

Night Night...............................

Feeling Optomistic Today!

So after last week this week has got to be better. We normally have Sunday and Monday away from the shop so today, Tuesday always seems like the beginning of the week for me.
Huge family dramas last week with my dad announcing his plans to remarry meant my focus was all over the place but now I have got my head around it and am back on track - I think.
Just trying to get my head around all the different places on line that I seem to have posted myself in the on line frenzy I had yesterday, so much to check every day!! Hey and still trying to work out how I can put Twitter on here for folk to add themselves as followers....does anyone out there in the ethers know?
Just added a few of my 5mm beads to my Etsy Shop, www.raspberryrings.etsy.com. I sell them from the shop where they fly out like hot cakes I am pleased to say, and the website which is slower sales so I thought I would try a few them across the pond to and see what the response is!
So I must go and face the madness that is the shop at this time of year and help the lovely Chloe who is working for us now Manda's daughter Sophie has gone to Uni unpack yet MORE christmas stock and put it out. Come and check it out if your local to us...Bazaar, 3 Gammon Walk, Barnstaple, North Devon!!

God it is so fustrating that there are not more hours in the day, and that I only have two hands, it seems to be my torch time that is comprimised at the moment particularly since Lam (husband!) is off on a 'secret' stage management job in Glasgow for the week, will tell all once the secret is out!! So it is me, Dudley (the cat!) and Milly (the Dog!) keeping each other company at home. The really happy family person is Milly who has just had her stitches out following her spaying and can now lose the pink 'bonnet' that has been causing sideways amused looks from all the other dogs she met bless!!

So lets see what the day has in store......Maybe I'll blog later.......................Bye for now

2 November 2009

So Christmas has arrived in our shop it feels so strange with the weather being so warm but the customers are buying so I am back at the torch to produce more 5mm Beads which are selling even better since we put in a bespoke counter for all the beads and handmade jewellery. I am thrilled and touched by the response. I have also started to produce some sparkly beads with christmas in mind, I have ordered lots of lovely silver too will post some piccys later but time ticks on so I am off to the shudio now..........