It hasn’t escaped my notice that it’s been an incredibly long time since I last wrote a blog post. You could be thinking that I’ve just made a New Year resolution to write more posts or at least write more frequently in 2016. Unfortunately I haven’t made that resolution! Whilst it would probably be a good idea, it’s also something that I’m quite likely to break! At least it very much depends on what is going on in my beading world and whether I have anything worthwhile to share with you all…other than the new products and classes that you will hopefully have seen appearing on my website more regularly than my blog posts!
What I do want to do though is wish you all a Happy New Year and take this chance to say a big thank you to everyone who has continued to support my beadwork throughout 2015. Without you all, this website wouldn’t exist and since I love both the designing and making the beadwork that it showcases, and also actually maintaining the website itself, I’m incredibly grateful for all that support. Just to say thank you, I’m going to be running a little competition in January. I have two copies of my ebook, ‘Beaded Christmas Decorations‘ to give away as prizes…so how do you enter, I hear you ask? Well, simply make a purchase from this website during January and I will pick two lucky winners at the beginning of February.
I also have a little surprise for everyone…throughout January I’m going to be holding a ‘secret 
sale’ on the website. This means that every single day there will be at least one product on sale on the website, but it’s secret because you’re going to have to hunt to find them! So, good luck and keep hunting as each item will be on sale for just 24 hours!
New year is also a time to reflect. Yes, it may just be another day and just another change of month, but it’s hard to escape the change of year and the opportunity to reflect back on what the previous year sent and what the new year may hold. So, last year I remember reflecting back on the changes on this website and it proved to be quite fun and surprising (for me at least!). So here goes…it turns out I added 63 patterns and 14 new kits to the website in 2015. Sweet Treats book is still my most popular book and the plate of donuts kit that accompanies it has been one of the most popular kits. Lots of you have been taking advantage of the free tutorials, so I’m pleased about that and hope they have been helping and inspiring your own beadwork.
Looking back on the last few months since my last blog, it has been an eventful time. Apart from two very fun shows on the Craft Channel, I’ve also managed to move house and now have a lovely new beading room. It is full of storage, display space and has fabulous natural light, so I’m looking forward to welcoming friends back round to bead there with me. In less good news, all this excitement has also resulted in a bad ME relapse. As I come out of it (hopefully), I’m feeling very grateful to be doing work that allows me to juggle things to cope with the spells of ill health. It doesn’t make them any less frustrating and it has been a challenge to keep things going over the past few weeks, but I do appreciate how lucky I am. So I’m hoping that 2016 will bring a better spell of health to allow me to enjoy the beading adventures that lie ahead.
It just remains for me to wish all of you a very happy and healthy New Year, full of beads and everything else that you desire!
