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Welcome to EJR Beads!

Do you want beads, buttons and craft supplies just that little bit different?

EJR Beads is home to my lampwork, polymer clay and ceramic art beads plus a host of other jewellery making and craft supplies. I pride myself on stocking the EJR Beads online store with the unusual.

In the store you will find my latest art beads plus other jewellery making and craft supplies. I stock masses of vintage, antique and modern beads and buttons -  including freshwater pearls, copper beads, sterling silver & hypo-allergenic findings, Fimo polymer clay and Art Clay Silver supplies and tools plus lots more.

To learn more about me and my work - just browse this site. Scroll down this page for the latest Studio News or check out the free tutorials, articles & bead galleries.

Click here for the EJR Beads online store !

 We ship throughout the UK and beyond, have an easy-to-use shopping cart and very reasonable shipping rates with a quick despatch.

Oh, and you can use the store to join to my mailing list too.

Subscribers get regular emails about new products, bead auctions & competitions. Simply set up an account in the online store and tick the Newsletter box to subscribe.

In the meantime,  thanks for visiting ejrbeads.co.uk today. I hope you enjoyed your visit -  if so please do spread the word!

 Best wishes,  Emma Ralph

Studio Update: Thursday 19th August

Roll up, Roll up....

Well folks, after a little bit of a wait, I have a new auction for you this week.

My auctions are run here, on this website. Just click on the link and follow the instructions if you want to place a bid.

This week's auction is for a rather experimental set of my Nemo beads. I am starting the auction at just £10 GBP -   To see more details about the beads and how to place your bid - please click here on the auction page link!

The other great thing about my auctions?

No shipping charges - I offer free postage and packing worldwide on my auction wins. So if you win - what you bid is what you pay!

Meanwhile, back at the online store things have been as busy  as usual!

In the magazines section, I have the latest issue of Jewelry Artist magazine in stock. There are also still a few discounted back-issues left for Bead, Beads & Beyond and Making Jewellery magazine too. Just look in the Specials section of the store to see more.

The glitter section has been restocked too - I also have two new white iridescent glitters to show you, but those won't be up and ready for a few days yet. I want to make some test beads with them and show you how cool these glitters are with polymer clay!

Studio Update: Friday 13th August

Clay Baby Yeah.......

Studio Update: Saturday 7th August

Zoom......

Is it me, or is this year just whizzing by faster than a pug on its way to the dinner bowl?

I am sorry this page has been so neglected lately - many of you will recall, I had some trouble with RSI in my hands and arms, which has made typing less comfy than it could be. Coupled with a recent cold, you see see this page became very much bottom of the priorities list for a while. But I will try to do better.

If you ever want quick info about what I am up to and when new beads are listed, do be sure to visit the EJR Beads facebook page or my twitter. You can find links to both on my links page.

So the bad news is, in case you hadn't yet read betweeen the lines, no new art beads this week. I hope to be back melting glass very soon though, so please keep an eye on my sites!

Studio Update: Friday 30th July

Old Friends......

Sometimes, it is nice to revisit old friends I think - which is exactly what I have done this week in the old lampworking shedio.

This week's old friend was my Savannah Rocks beads. I love these beads - all worked with silver-rich glass, each one with it's own little quirks, sometimes quite orderly and sometimes quite organic and chaotic.

Although I often make these beads in a variety of quite bright colours, this set is all blues and browns, one of my favourite colour combinations.

You can find this set and others in the lampwork beads section at the online store!

Studio Update: Thursday 8th July

Going once.... going twice.......

Well,  I know it has been some time since I had some lampwork beads for you, and I am afraid it will still be a day or so before I get this weeks beads up and into the online store.

However.... I do have a new auction for you this week. The auction is run here, on this website. Just click on the link and follow the instructions if you want to bid.

This week's auction is for a set of my Nouveau tabs, in soft earthy pastels. I am starting the auction at just £45.  To see more details about the beads and how to place your bid - please click here on the auction page link!

Studio Update: Thursday 1st July

Pinch, Punch....

So, how are we over half-way through the year already? How in the heck did THAT happen? I swear it was only 1992 just a moment ago.

Anyway, enough of my "in my day" shenanagins.....lets get onto more interesting news, such as beads and stuff.

As many of you might have seen from my moaning facebook posts etc, my arms have been giving me serious problems lately.

Problems to the point that lampworking has been very painful, as has typing. The good news, is that I think things are improving, and it is mostly a case of adjusting the ergonomics of how I work and being a little less gung-ho about everything.

But that should go someway to explaining if the lampwork beads are a little scarcer than usual at the moment (although there is one lone set of my ice beads looking for a home!)

However, I have been able to work more on my ceramic beads, which has been hugely fun. I have managed over the last couple of weeks to finish up many ceramics projects that have been hanging around for ages. And I don't mind admitting, I had an absolutely blast doing it!

So, if you visit the online store today, you will find LOADS of new ceramic beads. Everything from my glazed Medallion pendants, Hooter owl focals, my Troikesque beads and much more. Be sure to check out all the pages in that section too!

Talking of Ceramic beads, that brings me on nicely to the latest magazine to hit the doormat at EJR Towers - Easy Wire magazine. Because I always feel that ceramic art beads look particularly stunning in wire jewellery designs. Don't you?

Easy Wire magazine is a once-yearly publication from the people who put out Beadwork magazine.

It is, as the name suggests, dedicated to beginners in wirework, but I thnk anyone would appreciate the quality of the 50+ wire jewellery designs.

You can find Easy Wire in the Special Issues area of the Magazine section.

Studio Update: Monday 22nd June

Wake Up Maggie...

Hello!

Nope, I hadn't fallen off the face of the earth - just been very busy and shamefully neglectful in updating this site lately. I am so sorry about that.

So what is new in the online store. this week?

Well, lots of new magazines  for starters. We have in the new issues of Jewelry Artist and Art Jewelry ( two different but equally cool American jewellery magazines that focus more on the fabrication of jewellery rather than stringing projects etc). Stocks are limited already on both of these titles so please don't leave it too late if you want to pick a copy of either up.

Also new in - the wonderful Polymer Cafe magazine. This is the only magazine dedicated solely to polymer clay art and features some wonderful project ideas and techniques as well as inspirational gallery pages.

Find them all in the magazines  section over at the EJR Beads online store.

Meanwhile, if you tuned in looking for news about art beads, I promise beads ARE on their way. Work progress is slow at the moment as I have some problems with my arms which is making everything from beadmaking to typing painful and slow, but being the trooper I am, I still have lots of lovely lampwork beads and ceramic beads in the pipeline and they should be ready for sale shortly!

Studio Update: Wednesday 2nd June

Ear, Ear! Want to hear some news?

Well I had a very enjoyable afternoon the other week, making some of my lampwork beads and ceramic charms into earring pairs for the online store.

Much of the jewellery is now sold, but you will find a couple of pairs left - just visit the Emma's Jewellery section of the store to see what is still available. All the earrings come with Hypo-Allergenic Niobium earwires, so they are comfy to wear, even if you have metal allergies to most other earrings.

If you prefer to bend and shape the wire yourself though - do check out the magazines section of the store.

The latest issue of Step-by-Step Wire Jewelry is now in stock and it is a corker of an issue.

This American published magazine is now being produced on a bi-monthly basis as the readers obviously felt quarterly just wasn't cutting it. It focuses on all aspects of wire working and chain maille jewellery. In this issue, there are many chain maille projects - I am seriously tempted to get the pliers out myself even!

Did someone mention pliers?

I thought I would point out, we have some great new sets of jewellery making tools in the online store.

Everything from full sets of gorgeous colour-coordinated tools, to mini pliers - great for when you are on the go.

These tools would make a fantastic gift for anyone crafty - or why not just treat yourself?

Studio Update: Wednesday 19th May

New lampwork beadies and more!

Well, I have been very busy today loading the online store with lots of new stuff. Firstly a few new sets of my lampwork beads went in - including this set of silver-rich encased nugget beads.

Also, I listed a few pairs of my earrings too. One afternoon this week I just had an urge to make lots of earrings - so look in the Emma's Jewellery section of the store to see what I came up with. There are new earrings scattered throughout the different sub-sections there, so you will have to hunt them down!

As well as my own artistic endeavours - the shelves of the stock room have also been filling up again.

Another large order of Fimo clay, tools and other supplies arrived. So, if you maybe found something out of stock on your last visit - please do check again as it could well be here now. Don't forget, I still do the very popular Beadmaker's Starter Kit if you fancy trying out polymer clay but don't know where to start.

The best thing about my starter kits is that you can chose what clay you want  - take your kit with Fimo Classic, Fimo Soft / Effect or even Cernit. The choice is yours.

I also do a modelling kit for those not so interested in beadmaking, containing a section of Cernit clay and modelling / extruding tools.

New issues of Ornament, Jewelry Artist and various other magazines have also come in.

Studio Update: Tuesday 11th May

Where does the time go?

Hi Everyone!

Sorry to take so long to update this page. I don't know where the time is going these days!

So business first - for those of you who have been waiting for the Makin's Clay Extruders - they are now back in stock!

 I have also added some new Sterling Silver findings to the store this week, including these lovely Israeli silver toggle clasps. You can find these toggles and plenty other designs in the online store.

Aside from that, we have had many deliveries arriving - with restocks on Flex-rite 49 and the popular Silk Strings in the Stringing Materials section, the new issue of Ornament magazine

Studio Update: Sunday 18th April

Free Bird Seed!

Ok, well not free bird seed exactly. Its better than that - its free beads!

Yes - I thought it was about time I gave away some of my lampwork beads again. This set of lampies is really two sets in one, just prototypes of different ideas I was trying out. Nothing fancy, but maybe you will enjoy them?

If you want to win these beads though, you will have to work for it!

To enter, you must email me the name of any of my new sets of lampwork beads listed in the online store today. So just take a stroll around the online store, find the section where I list all my art beads and take a look - simples! Don't forget to include your name and address in your email!

The competition closes on Monday 19th April at 7pm. So please don't email after this time, because the winner will already have been chosen by then!

Studio Update: Saturday 3rd April

Going once....going twice...!

Well, for old times' sake I thought I would pop a set of beads up for auction over at ebay.com this week.

I used to sell my lampwork beads over on the US ebay site some years ago, when really that was the best place for anyone to showcase their beads.

We have come along way since them of course. British lampwork artists have found a warm and welcoming customer base right here at home. But sometimes it is fun to just step back in time - not to mention giving my overseas customers a venue (and time zone!) that is a little more friendly to them!

So, of course, prices for this auction are in US dollars - but bidders from all countries are of course welcome. The auction ends  on April 6th. My seller idea over at ebay is ejralph - you can see my auctions by clicking here

Studio Update: Monday 29th March

Charmed I'm Sure!

 Where does all the time go? I am, so sorry for not updating this page as regularly as usual. I have just been rushed off my feet lately (thank you though! I'm sure not complaining!)

I have also been pretty busy in the studio too of course. The last few weeks have been mostly dedicated to my ceramic work. As you can see, I have been making oodles of ceramic buttons and a new range of ceramic charms.

The buttons are all sold in matched sets on collectors' cards. The new ceramic charms come in bags of anything from 6 to 10 matched charms, depending on the design.

These charms really are my babies! I worked long and hard to find a way of making ceramic charms that were delicate and strong, like stoneware and porcelain, but still retained the beautiful colourful look of lower fire clays. After many back to the drawing board moments, I have hit upon the right mix I think! Phew!

These charms are fabulous for making all types of jewellery from earrings to charm bracelets and necklaces. They have a fantastic vintage feel to them, and will look great with all types of wire work too or the fashionable raw brass components so popular at the moment. Use them in fibre arts too. They are glazed back and front, very durable and will even survive washing (although I do recommend, as with my buttons, you hand wash the garment inside out to be extra safe)

You can find all my ceramic charms and ceramic buttons  for sale in my online store.

Studio Update: Friday 26th February

Weight Watching!

I have spent the last few days weight watching!

Not myself (although I am quite porky now so could do with losing a few pounds!) No, I have been glued to my digiscales, weighing out glitters and deco beads.

You have no idea until you start selling these things by weight just how time consuming it is to weigh out hundreds of little baggies.

But it was all worth while. I have built up a good stock of all my Ultrafine and Microfine glitter kits.

These kits have been put together for polymer clay users to mimic the look of anodized metals, heat treated metals or dichroic glass. Although they are equally well suited to scrappers, card-makers etc as many of the techniques can be adapted to use on paper and card. 

As you can see, all the kits come beautifully packaged - they would make fantastic Mother's Day gifts, don't you think? Each kit comes with written instructions on how to achieve the look. My tutorials page also shows one of the kits in action with my Roll-Up Beads project.

Also - I have been weighing out oodles of Deco Beads.

There are many new colours of these fantastic tiny hole-less glass beads, as soon as I have finished doing the photos they will be listed in the online store. This is just a few of the new colours I have! I have metallics and transparents, large and small.

The EJR Beads Deco Beads are perfect for adding to polymer clay projects  - they will happily withstand the heat of baking. Or add them to liquid clay such as Fimo Deko Gel. They are solvent-resistant and can also be used in your resin projects!

They are wonderful for paper-crafts too, just use them like glitters. Use a white PVA crafting glue to apply.

And nail artists - don't you think Deco Beads would be a fab addition to your nail art?

Studio Update: Saturday 6th February

Psst! Wanna know a secret?

I have snuck a few more sets of my art beads up in the online store today!

Firstly, a whole slew of my ceramic beads, such as this lovely set of Troikesque beads.

My Troikesque beads are, as the name probably tells you, loosely inspired by the Troika pottery from the South West of England in the 60's and 70s.

As well as the Ceramic beads, I have listed some of my polymer clay art beads too.

As always, the beads are all one-off sets sold on a First Come, First Served basis. So don't delay, click today!

Studio Update: Monday 25th January

Here we go!

  Well, some of you may have noticed me sneaking up some polymer clay art beads into the online store over the last few days.

I am sorry I didn't send out an email about those - I was waiting for the lampwork beads to be ready to list so I could only send one email rather than spam you all each time I listed a set of beads this week.

Well, the good news is the lampwork beads should be up for sale tonight in the online store. I should also have more polymer clay beads for sale and if that all sounds a bit too easy - there is an auction up here too!

The auction is for a mixed lot of my ceramic beads - some older work here that I found when tidying up. You decide what it is worth - the auction starts at just 99p with no reserve. Click here to see the beads and details on how to bid.

Studio Update: Thursday 14th January

Happy Noo Year!

Well here we are, another year gone. Another decade even.

Would you believe, this year marks ten full years for me as as a professional bead maker, selling my art beads online. I started out on auction sites, back when they meant something. Some of you will remember me from ebay and Justbeads. In time, of course, EJR Beads was born and I started to sell my work exclusively from my online store here.

Lot's of things have happened since I left my last "real" job to pursue all this nonsense. I got old, fat and boring of course. But that is just how it should be and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.  I wrote a couple of polymer clay books, set up EJR Beads. I learned to make passable lampwork glass beads, ceramic beads and dabbled in the odd bit of art clay silver.

I learned various computer skills - all out of necessity of course, I cannot say that side of things interests me. But I cobbled together this site - and I even kinda like it. Probably in the same way you love a cat that has lost an eye. A sort of sympathy-love at its crude pathetic-ness. But it's all good.

There have certainly been challenges behind the scenes that I won't bore you with, both personal and professional. On the whole though, I am a happy duck with what I have learned along the way throughout the Noughties.

And if that all sounds a bit "me, me, me" - well, I am getting to the point now, I promise. It is actually all about you, you, you. Because without you guys coming here and buying stuff from me, supporting my art beads and allowing me to be your clay and glitter pusher, well it would all come tumbling down. So a HUGE big thank you for your support.  It means more than you would ever imagine.

Anyway, I am not drunk. In case you were wondering where this random bout of sentimentality was coming from. Probably more just a bit stir crazy from being stuck inside for so long because of the snow!

I haven't had any chance to get out into the shed to melt glass, so have been inside over the last couple of weeks working on my polymer clay art beads. I have been using the new range of Cernit clay for all these beads and just loving it! Those of you who have been claying a long while will understand this - it reminds me of old skool Fimo so much. And the colours..... swoon.

I hope to have these beads up for sale over the next few weeks. So please do keep an eye on the online store. I am still playing catch-up trying to get the images all done, so it will be a few days yet before the first ones are listed, but they's a'comin!

Studio Update: Thursday 24th December

Merry Christmas Everyone!

So, another year almost over eh? Hardly seems possible does it?

Lots of cool crafty and beady things have flown in and out of the doors here at EJR Beads over the last year and it doesn't end yet. No, to take us out of 2009 with a bang, EJR Beads has a new range of polymer clay to introduce to you all - Cernit

  Cernit is an oven-bake polymer clay that has been around for many years. Made in Europe, it was favoured by dollmakers and modellers especially because many of the colours have a porcelain-like finish and a slight translucency. The range also has a superb range of fleshtone colours. I think UK and US beadmakers and polymer clay jewellery artists were probably a little slower in realising Cernit's incredible potential - I know I was! Possibly due to the fact that it was hard to come by in the UK. Although that has changed now EJR Beads is carrying Cernit !

Over the last couple of years, ALL the polymer clay brands have been reformulated, to remove plasticizers called Phthalates and meet new EU regulations.  And many users of clay - whatever the brand - found slight differences in how their new clay handled to the old. Sometimes these differences were good. In the case of Fimo, for instance, I think the handling vastly improved in many ways. Sometimes the differences were not so good though. We found little niggles here and there and had to adjust to the new formulations, learning new ways to do some things

I think with Cernit  clay, the transition has gone very smoothly. The phthalate-free Cernit handles beautifully for me and I have found myself using it pretty much equally to Fimo in my own art beads over the last few months. In many ways it reminds me of how polymer clays used to be in the 80s and 90s. So, a little firm and crumbly to get going - but conditions easily and can even be prone to getting too soft if you over-handle it. But the more I use it, the more I like it - so it seemed very natural to offer up Cernit at EJR Beads alongside our existing Fimo range.

There are 5 ranges of Cernit currently available at EJR Beads. Number One is their standard range of colours - these all have a semi-translucent quality, what they call their Porcellaneous finish (although the term reminds me of pigs for some reason).  There is an opaque white in this range too.

The Glamour range contains metallic and pearlescent clays. It seems much like the pearlescent Fimo clays back in the 80s. Subtle shimmers in the clay come from metal and pearl nacre particles. So these are not heavily laden with Mica like the Fimo metallics, and not suitable for Mica shift techniques. For that you will need to use Fimo Silver, copper or gold mica clays. But they are just perfect if you want a softly metallic clay that doesn't bruise and exhibit mica-shift qualities where you don't want them!

The Nature range is just fab! I was really impressed with these clays, all stone / earth effect colours that prove surprisingly effective. Try them for pebble beads, faux jade etc. The faux jade pendant I made has been indented and accented with Adirondack Alcohol inks. Such a simple project - I just shaped the clay pendant and indented some patterns. Baked and covered the patterns in ink. Sanded back slightly to remove the surplus ink. Finally a quick dab of Renaissance wax polish was wiped over the clay and quickly buffed off by hand.  Absolutely yummy and very, very easy!

The Translucents range is pretty self-explanatory. A range of six different translucent clays, including a white translucent and glow-in-the-dark too. The white is snowy-white, rather like the Fimo soft translucent. Almost see-through in very thin layers. The coloured translucents are very saturated and best diluted with the transparent white I think.

The Neon Light range contains the fluorescent, day-glo colours. Great for clubbing or rave jewellery, these colours do actually fluoresce under UV light. Very cool and funky!

 So, now you have met the Cernit  family! Larger blocks of some colours will also be available soon - so if there are any colours you would like to see in larger bricks, please do ask me about it and I will see what I can do!

Studio Update: Tuesday 15th December

Getting Closer!

Well, Christmas is fast approaching, so I hope you have all your pressies bought, wrapped and sitting under the tree?

If not - well, why not pick up a few last minute gifts at the  EJR Beads online store?  There's always lots of great gift ideas in store for anyone crafty. Also, I have added some new earrings to the Emma's Jewellery section!

If you are buying for Christmas, please be aware that the last posting date for packet post has now passed, so you MUST visit the Insurance for Orders section of the store and upgrade your shipping to Special Delivery if you wish it to arrive in time.

Other new items in store include the full Lights and Brights ranges of the wonderful Adirondack alcohol inks are now available individually.

These inks are fantastic to use over paper, card and also all glossy surfaces too from ceramic and glass to leather, metal and more. And of course, they are fantastic to use with polymer clay too. Use them over baked or unbaked polymer clay, to tint translucent, liquid clays or varnishes or to pep up metal leaf and foils. There really are just so many different ways to use these cool inks.

Studio Update: Monday 30th November

Here we go!

Well, here we go again - headlong into the Silly Season. It seems to me Christmas comes around quicker and quicker each year. Maybe I am just getting old!

Still it does mean we get to go Christmas shopping doesn't it. And that doesn't just mean pressies for our loved ones, as far as I am concerned it also means the odd treat for ourselves just for surviving it all!

If your loved ones are into beads and crafts, you will find loads they will enjoy in the EJR Beads online store. Maybe the polymer clay fans will enjoy one of our claying kits, glitter kits or Perfect Pearls powder kits in their stocking this year?

Maybe you just need to escape into your own little world for a bit while the Christmas turkey is cooking away.

If so, now is the time to visit the magazines section of the store and pick yourself up a few issues of your favourite beady reads. Perfect for sitting down to enjoy with a glass of mulled wine!

We have the latest issues in stock for Bead, Beads & Beyond, Ornament and many more. Plus, loads of back issues too!

Whatever your crafting needs this Christmas, I am sure you will find something at EJR Beads to satisfy them!

Studio Update: Tuesday 24th November

Check out my Hooters!

I have listed lots of of new art beads in the online store this week, including both ceramic and lampwork glass beads.

There are oodles of ceramic beads up for sale. Lots of sets and also a range of collectable focal beads  - my Hooter's!

These beads are probably the first beads I have designed very much with collectors in mind as much as jewellery designers. A lot of work went into them - with many "back to the drawing board" moments, but I am so happy with how they have come out finally! I only wish the photo could do them justice.

So, being collectable beads,  of course you can make jewellery with them and I think they would be a marvellous focal for some elaborate piece. But shift the emphasis to "collectable" if you wish, as they would be just as happy on display with your other can't-bear-to-part-with beads.

Studio Update: Thursday 19th November

Getting back to normal!

So the annoying strikes are out of the way, my cold is almost gone - and finally EJR Beads is getting back to some sort of normality!

New in the online store this week - latest issues of Making Jewellery and Ornament magazine to name but a few of the new issues arrived lately. Just check out the books and Magazines section of the online store.

New ceramic clay and lampwork art beads will be up in a day or two also!

Studio Update: Monday 9th November

Well, it has been an age since I had some lampwork beads ready to show you, hasn't it?

And now, here we are, like buses - they all come along at once. Beadies for sale in the online store AND a fantastic set of orphans for auction on this website.

So, firstly the auction beads.

As you can see, quite a substantial number of beads there! All of these are orphan beads, slight seconds or left-overs from other sets. There is well over a metre of beads on that there strand and I am starting the auction at just £65.  To see more details about the beads and how to place your bid - please click here on the auction page link!

Meanwhile, if you prefer to buy rather than bid - new beads are also up for sale at the online store.

This set of my Byzantine tabs is probably my favourite this week.

I just love the honey ambers and warn pinks in these beads, together with the odd flash of metallic and iridescence thanks to the wonders of silver-rich glass.

To see all the available lampwork beads in the store, just visit the Emma's Art Beads section. And remember - all my beads are sold on a first come, first served basis. So don't leave it too long if you see something you like!

Studio Update: Monday 2nd November

Long time no speak!

Well, hello everyone!

It seems like a lifetime since I updated this page last, although obviously not - only a week or two! Just seems longer because we had a lovely short break away in Winchester, which was delightful. I will have to get some photos up soon.

Meanwhile, just a quickie to remind you all I am back, and postal strike delays withstanding, it's business as usual at the EJR Beads online store!

The EJR Beads Archive - don't miss my waffle - see what has been and gone!

All text and images © Emma Ralph 2006, 2007, 2008

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