I have been beading for over fifteen years and my beadwork is bound up with my health. You will know this story if you have followed my blog before.
I started beading after becoming seriously ill and I have found the beadwork consistently therapeutic. Beading has also given me a creative outlet and I think this is a healthy thing for anyone. I have come to know a lot of other beaders and I realise that many of us are suffering from difficult health conditions.
So, although I wanted to write mostly about my beading adventures, I have also talked more personally. I think we can all support each other. Sometimes it is comforting just to know that you’re not the only one who is struggling. So, I’ve shared some of my struggles and doubts on here. Since I believe it’s important to speak out, I thought I had better start by setting an example!
I hope you enjoy reading about my general beading adventures in this part of the blog.
You may not have heard of L2 Studios beads yet. They are a really exciting new venture led by two Slovakian ladies. If you enjoy bead embroidery, or if you like beading around Cabochons, then you will want to read this! I am going to be sharing the story of how I have come to…
Did I say Spring beading? Oh, yes I did. I probably should be Spring cleaning if I’m honest, but I promise you Spring beading is a lot more fun!…and they sound almost the same, so I think we can pretend it’s the same thing. Changing the clocks, the approach of Easter, celebrating our wonderful Mums,…
The first thing you need to know is that Tom Hiddleston plays a minor role in this story. I also have a confession to make. Usually, I keep to beading and mostly stay away from anything political. I am well aware of the potential for anything I post to take on a life of its…
It’s that time of year: my Facebook newsfeed is full of personal reviews of 2016 and reflections on what kind of year it has been. So, this set me thinking. I’ve been seeing lots of downbeat reflections that focus on the celebrities we’ve lost, the political turmoil and the wars that fill the news at…
Somehow the 1st December has arrived. I know that Advent officially started last Sunday, but my Advent calendar only counts down through December! I’m not sure whether the idea of Advent fills you with excitement or trepidation. As a child, it was most definitely excitement. As an adult, I fear it may be more trepidation…
No, I didn’t make a mistake. I really did mean Twelve Months of Christmas and not Twelve Days of Christmas. You might be forgiven for thinking that I am one of those Christmas obsessives who has their tree and decorations up on or before 1st December and would like to keep them up all year.…
I am fully aware that I’m in a very lucky position as a beader: I get to ‘play’ with some of the new beads before they come to market. So I’ve launched several new bead designs this past couple of weeks and I thought you might like to hear a little more about the design…
Are you sitting comfortably? Then let me begin… My beaded snowflake story starts in a bead shop in Cornwall in the summer of 2012. I was teaching at GJ Beads and somehow I found myself taking a look at the wall of beads that were new to me (can’t think how this happened…). Anyway, I…
Have I just gone insane? Very possibly. Why on earth would I be attempting to write a single blog about Mitochondria and beads? In fact, probably your initial question is: what are Mitochondria? I can tell you up front that they’re not a new type of bead…although I am considering the idea of developing a new…
It’s just a few days ago that the Internet celebrated its 25th birthday and the topic of the day seemed to be ‘what has the internet done for you?’ This did set me thinking actually and I realised that it has pretty much saved my life. Given that the ME frequently leaves me housebound, the…
