Designs By Vicki nearly ready to launch... comments welcomed please

I reckon I have a few more hours working on it left, getting the right packages etc... and obviously the adverts will be gone when I launch it, but would really like to know what you guys think... would love any feedback you can give me pleeeeeeeeeeaaaassssseeeeeeeeeeee :-) xxx

Wow soooooo much has happened since my last blog!!!

Weeellll!!!! We went to Helpringham to visit my lovely lovely family and to go to the Heckington Agricultural Show where I was sharing a stall with a lovely lady called Becky who also make Lampwork beads and jewellery. She did the Saturday and I did the Sunday. We slept in the garden in tents, it was lovely. We got to the fair at 7:30am!!! I was panicing, hoping that I had bought everything with me etc. Mum and Fran were absolutly fantastic helping me set up and helping me throughout the day!!! :-) We got set up and had a great day!!! Talked to lots of people and swapped a lovely wall hanging with the lady from the next stall and she had a load of my beads. Her website is currently under construction but as soon as it is ready I will post it on here as her stuff is beautiful! She says that she is going to use some of my beads to melt into a bowl. So I am very very excited to see what that turns out like :-)


Here is me and Fran my Stall!!! :-) After the fair We went to my Mums cousins 30th Birthday Party, it was so lovely to see all the family, and we had a great great (and got a little drunk) hehe, haven't drank for ageeeessss! I think i remember telling the bar staff their My life story... haha!! Oh dear... yep, I was THAT drunk!

Also, All the members who are on Frit Happens (my fav forum ever... I pretty much check that before I check my email - not good haha) and Etsy now have a FHF team which is bloody brilliant!!! A few people have done a LOT of work to get this going and I would like to thank them, as it has definatly upped the traffic to my etsy shop!!! FOR SURE!!!! Here are a few treasuries I am featured in right at this moment :-) how exciting!

All the Pictures are clickable and will take you to each of the treasuries on Etsy, and you can view peoples comments of the treasury. I think a certain few people are enjoying the suspence of waiting for the treasury to open!!! hehe, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE... and thank you, you lovely people!

Another Exciting thing to have happened is My Sun Rise Jewellery site is now featured on the actually MR SITE webpage!!! I was so excited when I saw it!!! It should drive a lot more traffic to my site, which is very exciting - Oooow, I am a very excited person at the moment... everything seems to be going in the right direction :-)
This picture is also clickable and I am shown on the 3rd page. Please feel free to take a look :-)

I'm tying to think what else has happened... (that is if I haven't lost all of you cuz this post is so bloody long... at least I know one person will be reading!!! HIYA NAN!!! *WAVE* hehe) Well I have sold I few bit of jewellery and I have given quite a few of my hours away at work next week, and I have 3 days off in a row... I am going to see if I can treat my lampworking as when... for example as soon as fran leaves for work... that is when I start beading... and when he gets home... I stop. I know it will be great cuz I wanna spend every spare second I get behind the torch... so I think it will be a case of "Ow... do I have to stop now?!" hehe, but this way I will actually get to see FRAN!!! WOOP!!!

Ooow, I knew there was something I hadn't told you. and the reason I haven't been bloggin I have been working hard on a website for My Brother, let me know what you think so far please. any comments welcome!
Photo also clickable... It is no where near finished yet (thats tomorrow job!) and it won't have the adverts in the end... so look at it with an open mind!!!

And keep your eyes peeled for my new website... Designs By Vicki...
PHEW... thats was like 6 posts in 1!!! sorry guys... sure there is something I have missed. but please please please excusing spelling/typing/grammar mystakes cuz I just don't have the time to type this long AND read back!!! hehe. Bed time for me. then making beads all day tomorrow :-) WOOP

Goodnight x

The Kiln is full... now sleep!

Well... that's it people. I have filled my kiln and used every single mandrel I have!!! the bead door is nearly bursting open!!! I can't believe it is 4:50am... well I am looking forward to a few hours of sleep then I'm back up to sort everything for the stall, before we leave to go to Helpringham in 12 hours time... ah, so little time... so much to do... must sleep now. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

New Look Blog!!!

Well I made the header earlier today, because I had been thinking that I haven't really been doing anything for Sun Rise Jewellery (I do so much other stuff now), as I am totally addicted to Glass now and it has taken over my life. So not much time to make jewellery you know! hehe.
Anyways, hope you like it... thought it was a funny title too :-p

I'm in the process of doing an all night-er as we leave tomorrow to stay with family and then am doing this fair, I am gunna fill my kiln!!! and i'm not going to bed til its full!!! NO WAY!!!! I'm feeling good at the mo, and i'm good to keep going!!! and I'm totally hooked on Frit Happens, because everyone is being lovely and helping with my silver glass predicament... I bought some Reichenbach Silver Brown which is this horrible colour brown glass which when reduced it gives absolutly stunning bright blues and purples!!!


I made this set last night and they have been in etching solution, I am going to make them in to a bracelet and a pendant to go on a chain for my mums cousins birthday. We are going to the party after the fair!! can't wait... I bought a dress a while ago (which I probably shouldn't of bought, but I love it!) and haven't had any time to wear it so that is exciting! anyway, my kiln isn't full yet so must get back to it... wish me luck, its gunna be a loooooooonnnnnng night !!!

Tropica Bead Set

Tropica Bead Set... can't stop gunna get back to my torch... just thought I'd share these with you. They are listed on my website and on etsy.
Hope you like them :-)

Reducing Psyche

Well I did say yesterday about thinking that I have manged to make silver glass work for me... I love this set I made but I was hoping for more purpley tones. I have asked the lovely people over at Frit Happens and I'm sure they will be able to let me know either what I did wrong... or something else. Here are the rods I used to make the beads... DH Psyche, Effetre Ivory and Effetre Clear.
can you belive that those three rods made these glass
amazing really! don't get me wrong I love this set, but also want to be able to more with the glass!!! So fingers crossed this is the begining of somthing loveleeeee!
Also had a quick read of Amy Trescott's Surface- Decorated Floral Heart tutorial and made this heart from it
I am really pleased with how it went... I have whipped it on a black cord and have round my neck at this moment... I will defiantly be making more of these today i different colours and hopefully I bit more presise

Introducing... MATTHEW WHITE!

D71_7738, originally uploaded by TED Conference.

Well ... I did promise didn't I!!!
I spoke to Matt today, he says he is having the best time at the TED Confrence (which he corrected me as I said it was in Cambridge... I'm wrong, it is in Oxford -see now thats why I'm not there!!! hehe), I think its dead funny cuz the phone hasn't stopped ringing today - it's Matthew just HAVING to tell us the next thing that has just happened! obviously my mum beats me to the phone everytime :-p so I am always shouting PUT HIM ON SPEAKER PHONE - I WANT TO HEAR TOOOO!!! hehe. He playseda couple of peieces yesterday with Steaven Fry before him and the PM Gordon Brown after... they all had reserved seat in the front row together whilst they were waiting to do "their stint" as far as I know he spent the rest of the day mingling with the other people "performing and giving lectures" etc.
Every night there has been a free bar party, but I know that cuz Matt was playing this morning I think he only went to the one last night for a bit, then got an early night! He played this morning, and met Imogen Heap who we are big BIG fans of... if you haven't heard of her check out her myspace here, listen to HIDE AND SEEK its amazing... I remember watching The OC a few years ago, and it were playing on a memorial scene, I looked it up and played it over and over for months!!!
Anyway, another phone call we got later this evening. A blonde haired lady went up to him and told him she had enjoyed his playing. I don't imagine how Matt had been so cool about it, he said he thanked her, and reaised who she was... He checked with someone near by and the person confirmed that it was nun other than CAMERON DIAZ!!!!! can you belive that! Well we have 2 more days of this, he is back on Friday and he isn't doing anymore performing so I imagine that he will be making the most of the free bar (good lad!)!!!

He has always been amazing at the Euphonium, he has played since he was 7 years old (music runs in the family... mum and dad play, I played up until I got ill last year) He has been in the Young Musicain Brass Final, in the Radio 2 Brass Finals and so much more. and I am so happy that finally something amazing is happening for him, he deserves it more than anyone I know... he is simply the most hard working nicest guy you could want meet... I know it is soppy but I am so proud to call him my brother!!!

Oh my god...

I am pretty sure that I have just reduced some gorgeous Double Helix Psyche!!! I have made 5 beads, and I am soooooooo happy with them... I'm so impatient I keep open to the kiln door to look at them!!! Here is a protype picture of the Psyche Glass... I actually got blues and greens out of the beads I have just made!
I really hope its not a fluke... I'm gunna have a try with another type of silver glass (Cuz i just finished off the last of the Psyche :-( Boohoo... ) fingers crossed... if it goes well I think I'm gunna have to make a rather large silver glass purchase from Tufnells!!! Oh dear, another thing to feed my expensive addiction :-p after all folks... thats exactly what it is!!! I am a Glass Addict!!!!

Rainbow Hue Bead Set...

Right well can't stop just thought I'd post these new beads... I have sold the Blue Hue set which originally gave me the idea to make a rainbow set so if these ones sell well too... I think I will have to make them a signature bead set... a made to order set :-) Hope you like them... I will blog tonight about my day and all about my amazing brother who is amazing by the way ;-)




Enough photos :-) hehe, got a bit "snap happy"!!!

My Super Doper Talended Brother!!!

SO1_MatthewWhite_D72_6539, originally uploaded by TED Confrence

Well... What can I say, he played between Steven Fry's and Gordon Brown's Talk to 700 aprox people at the TED confrence in Cambrige earlier this afternoon!!! He is awesome... I'm so excited my mind really isn't the right frame of mind to blog blog blog... promise will write tonight after I have found out more :-D Yay, well done Matt!!!!!! xxxxxxxxx

Simple but so effective!

Well like I said I have been having problems concentrating on anything, and I sat at the torch for a good few hours the other day, and everything I produced went in the bin! not only that I burnt myself a total of FIVE times!!!! so I decided to make simple beads... to be honest I literally could make these bead with my eyes closed (hm... maybe thats why I burnt myself so many times... lol)
When I got these beads out of the kiln this morning and I looked at them and decided to etch them... I absolutely love them, and will be making soooooo many more of these and they are just to die for!!!

What do you guys reckon? I think I am gunna make some rainbow ones, and see what happens!!!

Just can't concerntrate...

Sorry I haven't blogged for a bit... so much has gone on but I don't think that anything has actually sunk in at all... Very strange, don't know whether you guys know but I have had a few problems with my meds recently without going into too much detail and boring you they have made me feel very dull and very... well... BLAH and not me! I can't concentrate at all... like one day last week at work... I droped about 6 knives within an hour. It was like I had lost the ability to balance a knife in the middle of an empty plate (felt pretty stupid by the 6th one - everyone at work just took the mick out of me and thought It was pretty funny). Anyway... I suppose I have done a few things since last time I blogged... so here goes.

Bronze Suprise Bead Set

This set was a total suprise... I used different shades of blues pinks and purples (my fave colours at the mo, can you tell?!) I pulled a stringer of purple to do some purple decoration on the beads... I think i must have reached for the EDP instead of the bog standard purple colour... well I bought this EDP a couple of weeks ago... its not cheap glass and its called EDP which is short for "Evil Devitrifying Purple" you can get so many colours from this glass (so I have been told - so far I have been pretty terrified of the glass and haven't touched it) but when I looked in my kiln (for a sneeky peek - hehe) the normal purple I thought I had used had changed to the bronzey colour you can see on 3 of the beads!!! YUM!!!!

Purple Haze Bead Set

Royal Impressions Bead Set

These two beads sets I will use to make jewellery with... I don't know what yet, but will put pictures up when I have finished!

Play Mates Bracelet

Bronze Suprise Bracelet

Here are a few beadsets I have made into bracelets for this Heckington Show I am doing with weekend, oww it is hard work, but luckily I'm going slow... and enjoying myself!

Teal Torment Jewellery Set

and here is a jewellery set a made also with one of my bead set and a few swarovski crystals which seem to compliment the glass art very well!!!

At the moment, I'm having a dress rehearsal for my stall at the show, lol I have it all set out on the dining table. I have a few more things to sort out then, then I can pack it all away and be ready for it... I am still very nervous though!!! AGH!!!!

3rd day off

Well after not really feeling like making beads... my kiln is now full!!!!! YAY!!!! Few... thank goodness for that...!!! I started off the day and made about 10 beads... and they all went in the vermiculite! cuz they well CRAP! so that wasn't a good start to the day, so I decided to make easy beads.... I am very pleased with them. Can't wait to wake up in the morning, see them!!! YAY!

A little bit of inspiration...

So I had a little bit of bead making time yesterday (when the internet went down!!!) I wasn't really feeling it though. But this morning when I got only the cutest set of beads out of my kiln it has certainly inspired me to make more beads today!!! I made this set with only 3 colours, baby pink, baby blue and ivory. I actually really enjoyed making them... and they are alot more fuller than my usual sets which I really like!!

Also, last night I got all my jewellery sprawled out all over the living room floor and it turns out I have about 5 times more stock than I thought I had... so I am alot more happy about doing this craft show in less than a couple of weeks!!!

I'm gunna make a few more sets like this as well... very simple but so effective... Love em!
Anyway the first thing I'm gunna do is hoover up all the tiny shards of glass on the floor, because its getting a bit of a mess and would hate anyone to hurt their feet!!!!

Have a good tuesday !!!

3 days off!

Well, I have been very fortunate to get 3 days off in a row!!!
I'm am physical knackered though, as this weekend has been one of the busiest weekends at the restaurant and although it ran as smoothly as It could of done, we only had 5 floor staff on which means we were all working our arses off for it!!! Luckily the tips were good, which made it all worth it!!!
I am quite excited about my bead making progress as I sent my first commissioned bead set off to the States last week, I made a bracelet with my beads some silver and swarovskis for a friend from work, who has bought a dress around the bracelet to wear for a wedding she is going to.
I've sold a few bead sets, and a focal bead off my website. And also, trying to make sure I have enough stock to take with me to the Helpringham Show which is 2 weeks yesterday...!!! oh dear, I shouldn't be writting on here, I should be getting on with it all, hehe.
I am also looking into doing a years course at dudley college in Birmingham at the International Glass Center september 2010. I have heard it is an intense course... which is quite exciting!!! I know I work well under pressure with things I enjoy!!!

This morning, I have had a bit of practice with the silver glass I have after some help from some of them lovely people off frit happens they are always so so helpful!!! had a bit of luck... but not anything to show!!! lol!!! will only show you guys when I have got the hang of it properly... anyway!!! Tonight, Tomorrow and Wednesday gunna be making lots of beads... making beads I know I can make!!! and making most of that into jewellery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will be taking a picture of everything I make for the show... so don't worry... soon this blog will be FLOODED with pictures of beady things... WATCH THIS PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Afternoon!

Good Afternoon! I have a horrible horrible cricked neck!!! its rubbish, it better go soon cuz I've got things to do!!! Right, well yesterday was very progressive which is always good! I made my first set of actual ROUND beads... not doughnut shaped round beads... my dad keep telling me to make marbles, lol, and I have been practicing for a couple of weeks, and I have finally cracked it, so I made some supper special beads!!! These beads are made with CIM Tuxedo black, and then I have drapped Double Helix's Psyche around the bead, which is a silver rich glass, so when it is reduced it gives a very silvery/metalic look. I haven't quite got the hang of reducing glass, and I don't even know where to begin when it comes to striking glass! I have called this bead set Psyched Out... because of using the Psyche Glass :-) I love Psyche but it so expesive, i can't afford to waste it so it only comes out when I know exactly what I'm doing! Each bead has a capri blue swarovski cryals between them which really sets off the beautiful blue from the silver glass.
At least I have made this reducing work a little... fingers crossed it can only get better from here!!!

Also yesterday I finished off this set which I have called Jewellery Box.
Anyway, I'm off to make some more now!! of course! :-)

Comment are working!!!

So I was checking out my blog a few days ago, and I was thinking to myself... I'm pretty sure no one is reading my blog!!! As I have had NO comments in months! Then the lovely Eve from www.jemsdirect.co.uk commented on one of my photos on my flickr and let me know that she couldn't leave a comment. So i have fixed it and now you guys can comment away so that I know you are reading :-) hehe WOOP!

xxxx

Lavender Lillies

I had a successful day yesterday before work, I made 19 beads in total, 3 of them were practice beads but the rest turned out good.
I based these beads on a set I was commissioned to make for a lady in the US through etsy, they turned out so well that I think i'll be making lots and lots more of these as they seem very very popular.

Here are the ones I made, which i have listed on my website today... If you want to keep up to date with all the photos of my beads etc, please check out my flickr page, as I put ALL of my photos on there, rather than updating all the photos on here :-)

Of to bed now... nunight xxx

Getting back into jewellery making...

So I was up til 3am last night... I am very excited as I am not in work til 4 tomorrow, and it is my 6th day in a row... and im still alive!!! YES!!! hehe, not off properly til WEDNESDAY, but then i actually have two days off!!! WOOP WOOP! well any way, I have been confirmed for this fair so i got started on making a few bit of jewellery... really enjoyed it hence why i stayed up to 3 last night!!!! anyway, I made 2 necklaces and 2 bracelets... WITH MY BEADS - YAY! here are the piccies on the necklaces... hope you like them...Also, I made my references beads (the first lot of plain round beads that I had made with every colour glass I had) into a necklace, I threaded them onto a silver plated necklace and wor it for glastonbury. I have had so many good comments about it, that I decided I am going to make it a MADE TO ORDER necklace on my site... and the colours may change but not too much, and every necklace will have 43 beads on it. Here is a picture or MY ONE :-D
So I have tomorrow til 4 to made beads and jewellery YAY!!!!!

Helpringham Show

I have confirmed a stall at Helpringham Show in the Crafts Tent on 26th July, It is my first stall and I am relying on the people of FRIT HAPPENS to tell me how much to take, and what to take!!!

If you are nearby, the show is open the whole weekend and the tickets are £7 a day, with lots of things to see and do! So between now and then, I will be frantically making beads, and using them to make jewellery to take with me to the fair, I am very excited about it! Contact me if there is anything already on my site that you would like to purchase at the fair and I will make sure I bring them along with me.

:-)