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:
Saturday 20th June
Reading Specs On!
 Get
your reading specs on girls.
The latest
Art Jewelry and
Polymer Cafe magazines are now in stock in the EJR Beads
online store.
I could bore you
with details on how good each issue is - because that would be so true.
Especially the Art Jewelry mag, some fab projects in there this time around. But
I seriously need to get some breakfast and the dog needs a walk and a hundred
other things too. So I won't go on. Just check out the
Magazines section of the store for more details on each.
Also - don't forget
my auction ends on Monday - so still a
couple of days to get your bids to me. Remember, if your bid reaches me even a
minute after the auction end time, it won't count. So please get your bids to me
sooner rather than later - you snooze, you lose!
Have a lovely
weekend all....
Studio Update:
Friday 19th June
Oh not again!
The post office
workers are on strike in some parts of London today and in Scotland tomorrow.
For that reason, I won't be despatching any orders today or tomorrow I am
afraid.
This may seem a bit
of an over-reaction but I can only say that I would rather be safe than sorry. I
have no idea how big a postal backlog these strikes could create but I am
betting there will be one. I remember from the last strikes, Royal Mail
certainly did NOT deal with the post in the order which it was received -
as they had promised. In fact the opposite was true. Their continued denial that
there was a problem made sellers such as myself up and down the country look
like liars and cheats. And yes - as you can tell I am still angry about that ;-)
So, for that reason
I feel its better to allow a couple of days leeway. In any event, I think it
quite possible that orders might take a little longer than usual to reach you. I
can only apologize for that and ask you to be patient.
More details on the
strikes and the Royal Mail's official response to any possible
repercussions can be found on their website. The pinch of salt that you will
undoubtedly need can be found in your kitchen cupboard. Which, coincidently, is
where I shall be hiding until its all over.
Studio Update:
Monday 15th June
Another New Auction!
I have another new auction
running here on the website this week. This auction is for a set of my
Astrotomical tab beads. Is that even a word? I have no idea, it just seemed to
suit them for some reason.
I really enjoyed
making these beads, something about the colours and the funky retro design
really transported me to another place, like the world of the Jetsons or
something.
I think I fell in
love with all those 50's designs as a kid, growing up eating endless Christmas
dinners at my Great-Grandmother's house off wonderful plates by Conran or the
fabulous Homemaker range by Enid Seeney. Remember those? Its funny how even half
a century later, those designs still seem fresh and current.
If bidding isn't
quite your style though, fear not. I should hopefully be listing some new
lampwork glass beads in the
online store later
today. Internet allowing that is.
Our internet
service has been up and down like a yo-yo lately and I am about ready to blow -
its driving me so potty. But assuming all goes well and I don't end up running
amok through town due to internet-withdrawal, you can expect to see more lampies
later today.
Studio Update:
Monday 8th June
New Auction!
 I have a new auction
running here on the website this week. This auction is for a set of my Lovebug beads.
These beads are worked in deep, rich shades of berry purples and browns - I
think the beads are a tad richer in colour than my aging camera could capture
actually. They also have a lovely blue/purple subtle iridescence to them
courtesy of glorious silver-rich glass. What did we do before silver-rich glass
came along?
The best news?
The beads up are up
for auction with a 99p start and NO reserve!
If you want to bid,
just email me the highest amount you are prepared to go to and I will bid up to
that amount on your behalf. The auction ends at 7pm British time on Sunday 14th
June. All bids must be in GBP (British Pounds)
Overseas bidders
are very welcome - and remember the final price of this auction will include
free worldwide shipping. However, please bear in mind that I cannot do
currency conversions for you! If you live outside the UK and wish to bid,
please check with a currency converter site such as
www.xe.com to get a ballpark
figure on
exchange rates. But do remember that will be just a ballpark. It is PayPal's own
exchange rates on the day of payment that ultimately governs the conversion.
Studio Update:
Thursday 28th May
Hot Copper!
What a busy week I
have had here. I seem to have been rushing around like a you-know-what all week,
but not getting a huge lot done.
For a start though,
it was a Bank Holiday and then there was my birthday to celebrate on the Monday
(thank you all so much for your kind wishes by the way. I was amazed and touched
that so many of you on Facebook and the various beady forums remembered little
ole me.)
However, I did manage one or two new and exciting things. For instance, the
long-awaited second
Ultrafine Glitter Collection is now available in the EJR Beads online store.
This kit is called
"Hot
Copper" and emulates the look of heat-treated copper on
polymer clay or paper. The kit is so easy to use - I have put together all
the best colours of Ultrafine Glitter to emulate heated metal. All you need to
do is splodge them around a bit on a sheet of black
polymer clay and you are ready to make amazing jewellery. For those of you
who sell your jewellery, let me tell you - earrings made using these colours
practically sell themselves!
The earrings in the
photo use the Hot Copper kit in conjunction with our
Base Metal Kit to create polymer clay laminate jewellery that is as light as
a feather but still strong and versatile
Also, in the
online store, you
can find a couple of new shades of our
Microfine Glitters too - Dark Rose and Lavender Ice. These colours are also
available in great value wholesale bags.
And of course, if
you prefer your beads to go clink rather than clunk, there is still some time
left to bid on my lampwork bead auction! This set of slight seconds is up for
auction ending tomorrow evening. Please visit the
auction page to see a larger photo and
details on how to bid.
If you want to be
in with a chance of winning the beads, just
email me the
highest price you are prepared to go to and I will do the rest and bid on your
behalf against any other bids on my book.
Studio Update:
Friday 22nd May
Honk if you think
I'm Beady!
We had
another lovely day out today at Claremont, a National Trust garden. I say
another day out because we also went there a couple of weeks ago.
Claremont is a
large estate garden with a big lake at the centre. At this time of year it is
filled with all manner of baby birds (which of course is my main reason to go).
These photos are actually from a fortnight ago, since the lighting was better
then. But the goslings were just as cute today let me tell you and a lot bigger!
The National Trust
supply free bags of bird seed to feed all the wild birds there, consequently
they are all very tame. All in all, a lovely way to spend a morning.
This is a couple of
nice Greylag geese we met (at least I think they are greylags, not pinkies. I am
not too good on my gooses...)
But the real
stars of the show, of course, were the babies.
Here are a couple
of gorgeous baby Canada Geese. These guys were in a brood of 9 goslings. I have
no idea if the parents actually parented all of them or just stole someone
else's kids to add to their own. There seemed to be a heck of a lot of baby
geese with these particular parents anyway and not that many with any other
goose. So I am wondering.... ;-)
They seemed to be
doing a fine job of raising the babies though. All were plump little things with
ferocious appetites. They were already trying to be like their dad too, putting
their little heads down low and hissing at any other birds coming by. Bless.
Mr Man forbade me
to put one in my rucksack and bring it home. I would have though given half the
chance.
All too soon back to work though. And to my computer to list this week's
auction beads.
This week's auction
is for a set of beads I absolutely adore. Although, technically I think it only
fair to call them Slight Seconds since the bead holes are a little flared on one
or two of them.
Either way, you
guys get to decide if that is a problem or not since they are up for auction
with a 99p start and no reserve. So just visit the
auction page to see a larger photo and
details on how to bid.
I did also list a
few sets of lampies in the online store last night. A couple have now gone, but
this set is still up for grabs. My funky Nemo beads in shades of salmon pink and
purples.
They are etched
too, for a matte finish. I forgot to add that to the item description. Better go
do that in a mo.
You can find them
in the
EJR Beads online store
in the
lampwork glass beads section.
Studio Update:
Monday 18th May
Read up!
Lots of new
magazines
keep arriving at EJR Towers and I never quite seem to get it together enough to
update this page and let you know.
So I will try to
get better at that.
We have the latest
issues in stock for the new-look
Beads and Beyond magazine,
CRAFTS,
Step-by-Step Beads to name but a few. Also in this week, the latest issues
of
Making Jewellery and Bead.
Making Jewellery (current issue is issue 3) is a newly-published UK magazine
that tries to bridge the gap between a jewellery magazine and fashion glossy. It
contains articles and profiles of interest mainly to those who like to fabricate
their own jewellery. So lots of lampwork glass projects, art clay silver
projects and so on. Even how to make your own beautiful ceramic earrings are
covered in the latest issue.
Bead magazine, (also a UK publication) tends to aim more towards seed-bead
work.
Although it does
also contain a lot of other general interest jewellery projects - chain maille,
wirework and so on. There is also even a basic lampwork bead making project in
this current issue (issue 16)
You can find all
the different titles, including many back issues, for sale in the
EJR Beads online store,
in the
Magazines section
Do also keep an eye
on the online store over the next few days, and indeed this website. I should be
adding some new lampwork beads for sale shortly and running a new auction too!
Studio Update:
Sunday 17th May
Dichro Crazy!
I have added
another glitter kit to the online store
this week.
This time a
Microfine Glitter kit called "Faux
Dichro". You can find it in the "Glitters
& Perfect Pearls" area of the shop.
As you can probably guess, this kit allows you to imitate the gorgeous sparkles
of dichroic glass on polymer clay (and of course, paper crafts) using beautiful
holographic Microfine Glitters.
These glitters have
a very fine particle size, but are just large enough to give sparkle rather than
shimmer to your projects. The colours work beautifully over black polymer clay
to recreate the look of dichroic glass. Or use them in liquid clays such as Fimo
Gel to emulate opals and more. You can also mix them into or use underneath
translucent clay or suitable varnishes.
The glitters are
tested compatible with
polymer clay and related products and will withstand the baking process.
The kits contain a
generous 10 grams each of six different fantastic colours, which can all be
blended together to create countless more shades. The kits come beautifully
packaged in a gift pouch with my tips sheet for ideas on how to use them. So
they also make the perfect crafty gift for anyone into polymer clay or
papercrafts.
Studio Update:
Wednesday 13th May
Deco Crazy!
 Well
I am slowly getting the new glitter stocks listed in the online store.
Yey!
So far, I have
managed to photograph and list my new range of
Deco Beads. You can find these in their own little category in the "Glitters
& Perfect Pearls" area of the shop.
These Deco beads
are wonderful - little tiny hole-less glass beads you can use in just the same
way as glitter. So sprinkle them over glue or double-sided sticky tape in
papercraft projects, or roll them into unbaked polymer clay for cool effects.
Unlike some deco
beads on the market, our range are tested compatible for use with polymer clay
and can withstand the baking temperatures involved. The clear beads work well
under
Perfect Pearls powders for unusual effects. Used alone rolled into different
polymer clay colours, they can create beads that exhibit a cat's-eye quality in
low light conditions, reflecting the light back beautifully.
The Deco Beads all
come in super-value 20 gram bags. They are currently available in three
colourways and in two different sizes.
Do keep an eye on
the
glitter section of the store also for some new Microfine and
Ultrafine glitter kits.
Studio Update:
Friday 8th May
Hello again!
Hello everyone. I
am shockingly bad at keeping this page updated lately aren't I? No excuses I am
afraid, I have just been so busy here.
Aside from my
art beads keeping me occupied (and I have been having a lot of fun
playing with the ceramic clay again lately), there has also been lots of new
stock needing my attention. I haven't even started on the new glitter stock that
arrived yesterday, but trust me there are some drool-inducing new colours,
both of the Microfine and Ultrafine glitters and a new range of holeless deco
beads. All of those should be making their way to the
EJR Beads online store
shortly.
You will find some other new bits and pieces already up in the store though.
Firstly a range of fantastic quality bead-stringing wire -
Flex-rite 49 has been added to the Jewellery Making
section.
This premium
quality tigertail type beading wire from Beadsmith is designed for ultimate
flexibility, drape and kink resistance. There are a range of diameters available
and two colours - Clear and Copper although I hope to increase the range further
still.
This wire ideally
needs to be finished with crimps (although thinner diameters are knottable). So,
in the
Copper Findings and the
Sterling Silver findings sections of the store, you will see I have added a
slew of crimp tubes, crimp covers and Wire protectors.
Studio Update:
Wednesday 29th April
Here I am!
Wow, where IS the
time disappearing to at the moment? It seemed like an age since I last updated
this page. When I came to check, I found it was an age!
So sorry about
that. I really will try to keep you more up to date with the latest news from
the
EJR Beads online store.
The first thing to
mention is I have a new auction up and
running here on this website. This auction is for a set of my Lovebug beads. I
just cannot make up my mind about the colours on these beads, was not sure if I
liked them or not. So I decided the best thing to do was to place it in your
hands.
The beads up are up
for auction with a 99p start and NO reserve.
If you want to bid,
just email me the highest amount you are prepared to go to and I will bid up to
that on your behalf. The auction ends at 7pm British time next Wednesday (6th
May). All bids must be in GBP (British Pounds).
Overseas bidders
are very welcome - and remember the final price of this auction will include
free worldwide shipping. However, please bear in mind that I cannot do
currency conversions for you! If you live outside the UK and wish to bid,
please check with a currency converter site such as
www.xe.com to get a ballpark on
exchange rates. But do remember that will be just a ballpark. It is Paypal's own
exchange rates on the day of payment that ultimately governs the conversion.
I shall also be
adding some other bits and bobs to the
EJR Beads online store
over the next few days.
Firstly I have a
lot of
lampwork glass beads to list! Also, some
ceramic charms,
ceramic buttons and
ceramic jewellery. In fact, some of the charms and jewellery have already
been added - but there is more to come!
So please do keep
an eye on the online store to see what turns up.
Studio Update:
Wednesday 15th April
It's here!
The next
issue of
Making Jewellery magazine is here already and up for sale in the
EJR Beads online store.
It only seems a
moment ago we were oohing and ahing over the last issue and here is a brand
spanking new one for us to gush about. And gush I will. There is a nice mix of
projects in this issue if you like to fabricate your own beads and jewellery.
There are metal clay projects, silversmithing projects, chainmaille projects,
wirework - you name it!
In fairness, there
is not a great deal in Making Jewellery if you enjoy stringing or beadwork.
Titles such as
Stringing and
Step-by-Step Beads will probably be more up your alley for those sorts of
things. But if you enjoy looking at fashion trends and mucking about with metal
clay and the like, then I think Making Jewellery will so be your bag baby yeah.
Studio Update:
Sunday 12th April
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter
to everyone who celebrates today. I hope you are all having a nice holiday
weekend.
I have spent the
weekend simply trying to catch up on a few things - seemed like I had 101
different projects on the go that all needed my attention. Not least of all
photographing and listing this week's new
Lampwork glass beads in the
EJR Beads online store.
If you like blues
and purples, this week's bead sets will be so up your alley. I have another set
of my silver-rich glass rocks up for grabs. This time a set all in the lovely
blue/turquoise/purple colours. I haven't dared show my mum this set in case she
tries to steal them. I know what she is like.
Also, a couple of
other sets are available too. As always, all the beads are sold on a first come,
first served basis. So, whoever's completed order comes through first will get
the beads.
Also new in
the online store
this week - I have added a section to the
"Fimo Clay / Crafts" category for a range of colourful craft wire.
This
lacquered copper craft wire, is available in a range of colours. At the
moment, I just have the one gauge - 0.7mm in a range of colours. This diameter
is what I prefer when creating different embellishments and dangles for clay or
jewellery projects. However, if people want I can get some other sizes in too.
Studio Update:
Thursday 9th April
Read all about
it!
The latest issue of
Beads and Beyond magazine arrived at EJR Towers this week. The magazine has
had a revamp both inside and out, and I think the facelift suits it.
The magazine does
seem a lot more focused now - lots of projects and design ideas aimed squarely
at those who enjoy stringing, wirework and maille projects as well as some
lampworking and metal clay. And far less of the beaded bikini style projects!
So certainly time
to look at this magazine with fresh eyes I think. Find it, and other great
beading titles, in the
Magazines section of the
online store.
Also, don't forget
my lampwork bead auction ends tomorrow
evening!
There is
still plenty of time to get your bids in, but I urge you to do it sooner rather
than later to avoid accidently missing the cut-off. It is amazing how many bids
came into me AFTER the end of the last auction.
If your bid does
not reach me before the auction end time, it will not be counted.
Lastly - I thought
you might enjoy a few hints at what I have been working on this week. Quite a
diverse line of products will be making their way to the
EJR Beads Online store
over the next few days / weeks - including, lots of
Ceramic Buttons, more
lampwork glass beads, some great new
copper-finish beads, new
Ultrafine Glitter collections and much more.
They are not all
there quite yet, but they will be soon. So, I know it's a cliché, but you really
should watch this space!
Studio Update:
Thursday 2nd April
Lampies at Last!
Yes, I have
some new lampwork beads made at last. But not many I am afraid so this set has
been sent to Auction. Can you spot
them hiding there in the pear tree?
They will be
auctioned off here on the website over the next week. For more details on the
auction, how to bid and see more photos of the beads, please click
here
This is another set
of beads from my new Byzantine series - lots of rich fruity colours with a
subtle rainbow of reflected iridescence here and there. They sort of remind me
of Victorian carnival glass - hence the set's name. They were impossible to
photograph though, even in bright sunlight I couldn't capture all the colours
they reflect.
Also new in the
online store - the
latest issue of
Ornament Magazine.
This issue really
is crammed full of quality articles and artist profiles. There is everything
here from reviews of ancient jewellery exhibitions and ancient beads to profiles
on big-name artists like Polymer Clay maestro Elise Winters and lampworker Beau
Anderson and much more.
To see
Ornament and many other great beading and craft magazines, just visit the
Magazines section of the
EJR Beads Online Store.
Studio Update:
Saturday 21st March
Long Time, No
Speak!
Well, it
seems like ages since I updated this page. Sorry about that - it has just been
SO busy around here.
There are so many
cool new things at EJR Beads lately, I don't even know where to start. Maybe
just with the shiniest things first I think? I know you are all a bunch of
magpies at heart ;-)
Polymer Clay fans
will be thrilled with the new range of
Perfect Pearls available in the
online store.
These loose pearlescent pigment powders are a bit like Pearl-Ex powders. The
only difference is they have a built-in resin that helps them adhere to the
polymer clay in the baking process so you don't have to seal them with varnish
afterwards to stop them rubbing off. Of course if you want to varnish you can -
it will make them even more robust and make the colours pop even more. But the
point is, you don't have to - which is handy for some types of projects.
The
Perfect Pearls are available individually in 24 different colours, including
Interference shades, rich metallics, duo colours and more. You can also buy
themed kits, containing 4 different Perfect Pearls, some excellent brushes and a
stamp pad of their Perfect Medium in case you want to stamp with the Pearls over
paper or baked clay.
You can find the
new
Perfect Pearls over in the online store alongside our Microfine and
Ultrafine Glitters.
Other exciting news is the launch of a new UK-published beady magazine called
Making Jewellery.
This magazine is
beautifully produced. It has a unique approach, where it has blended beads and
jewellery making with a strong emphasis on fashion and trends. Rather like a
mixture of a Bead magazine and Fashion glossy all in one.
The projects range
from metal clay and lampworking projects through to stringing, beadwork and
chainmaille, with a nice mix of beginner and more advanced techniques.
The launch issue
also comes complete with a 12 project supplement of different metal working and
metal clay projects. The mag is well worth the cover price alone just for that
supplement I think.
You can find
Making Jewellery along with many other titles in the
Magazines section of the online store.
Studio Update:
Thursday 5th March
Your King-Fu is
weak, Birdman. I will peck-fu you.
I am soooo bored of
Winter now. Really, truly bored of it. Each time I think it is finally buggering
off and Spring is on it's way, another cold snap comes along to prove me wrong.
Bah! This is like what winters were like when I was a kid. I thought global
warming had made those sorts of winters a thing of the past.
One good thing
about winter is that it is usually quite fun (if cold) for birding. I managed to
break away from my desk the other day and nipped out for a spell of chasing my
feathered friends around the woods.
As it happens,
apart from a rather fun mixed flock of siskin and redpoll, I didn't get to see a
great deal. There were however a team of volunteers about catching and ringing
birdies. They were collecting important data for something or other. I arrived
just as they had bagged themselves this gorgeous lady Green Woodpecker. Isn't
she adorable.
She weighed 197
grams in case you care! Green woodpeckers always remind me of stuffed olives.
But all good things
come to an end, even day trips out to see strange men putting little birds into
cotton bags..... and there was work to be done.....
So, what work?
Listing the new
stock of course. I had a shipment arrive of some gorgeous new copper-plated
metal beads and findings.
These beads and
findings are just gorgeous. They are made in Western Europe to the highest
quality - so you can be sure they are ethically made and meet all the relevant
EC regulations.
All the beads and
findings are available in both a bright and an antique copper finish. This will
team very well with your other copper beads and findings.
See the new items
in the
Copper & Plated Beads and the
Copper & Plated Findings sections of the
online store. There are useful things like earwires and jumprings and more fun
items like these large focal toggle clasps.
Studio Update:
Monday 23rd February
I can't see you -
so you can't see me, right?
Ah, don't you love
Dog Logic?
Here is Trixie,
trying to avoid her bath by going to her happy place.
I think she thinks
that if she cannot see us then the reverse must also be true.
Even still, she is
peeking over the top so she doesn't even follow her own rules there does she?
Never mind, we
still love her no matter how daft her thinking can be at times. After all, it
isn't like any of the other animals in this house are any less silly.
So, we have set the
scene at EJR Beads then. A place full of daft animals as well as beads. And now
the beads....
I have listed a few
new sets of
lampwork beads today in the
online store.
As usual, you know
where to find them (in the Emma's Art Beads section of the store, under Lampwork
obviously!)
All today's sets
are in Springy colours as I am hoping by some form of sympathetic magic it will
herald in some warmer weather!
Don't forget, all
my art beads are sold on a strictly first come, first served basis. So if you
see a set you like, don't leave them to be snapped up by someone else!
Studio Update:
Friday 20th February
What's new
pussycat?
 Well,
not a lot to be honest! But least the snow has all gone now.
I finally managed
to get back into the shed to melt some glass (and had much fun doing so) but the
new beads are not ready to list just yet. They still need to be cleaned,
photographed and then of course the most labourious job of all - to be named.
Blimey I hate naming beads, but it has to be done. They cannot go through life
without a name can they and a bad name is better than no name.
Meanwhile,
something for you clay-heads out there. The latest
Polymer Cafe magazine is now in stock. Some great articles in it as usual,
including interesting geometrical Lantern pendants, a new twist on the Skinner
Blend and much more.
Find it, back
issues of polymer cafe and many other beady reads in the
magazines section of the
online store.
Studio Update:
Thursday 12th February
Would you believe
it?
Yup, it's snowing
again. Brrrrr. Bored. So bored of snow now.
Anyway.... just a
quick update today to say two things (or could be counted as three?). Firstly,
the lampwork bead auction is now finished. I had a LOT of emails this time
around trying to bid after the end time. It is not good you offering me
megabucks once the auction is finished - you have to get your bids in before the
end. Else someone could walk away with a bargain and you will miss out on
the goodies! Remember, you only ever need to email me the highest amount you are
prepared to go to - I will do the rest so that the winning bid is only ever £1
above the next highest bid on my book.
 Along
the same lines as the above note - can I just mention that the giveaway prize
draw for the Dichro beads has long since closed now.
The beads have been
won, are already with their new owner and she is probably even bored of them by
now ;-). So please no more emails to enter that competition but do keep an eye
on this page as I will have more giveaway draws soon.
lastly, you may be
happy to know I have listed some
polymer clay beads in the
online store
tonight. There is a great mix on offer, with beads from my Clarice, Illuminare
and Shabby Silks series. Plus also some Big Hole beads and one of my funky Pod
Pendants.
As always, beads
are sold on a first come, first served basis. So please do take a quick peek!
Studio Update:
Monday 9th February
And it's Still
(quite)
Snowy!
The snow is finally
starting to melt a little here, although most of the pavements are still icy and
in the woods it is as snowy as ever. Even the dog was skidding all over the
place on our morning walk today.
So not a great deal
to report at EJR Beads right now. If you have been waiting on either the
Makin's Professional Clay Extruder or the
Anti Tarnish tabs, both are now back in stock in the
online store.
For lampie fans,
don't forget my
auction finishes tomorrow - so hurry
up and email me your bids in case you forget!
Studio Update:
Wednesday 4th February
And it's Still
Snowy!
Yes - we are still
knee deep in snow here. I can only apologize for any delays this is causing in
getting your orders delivered and thank you for your continued patience. Because
of the state of the roads here, Royal Mail just have not been able to reach the
Post Offices to collect the mail.
I noticed that many
courier firms are at least back in the area making (or rather, trying to make)
their deliveries, so that offers hope that the mail will soon be collected too.
Although the vans are all running into trouble on the many minor roads around
here - such as the City Link van that got totally stuck in our side street
today! At least by the sounds of things most other areas are doing better now,
so as soon as I can get the post into the system from this end, it should be
relatively simply for Royal Mail to sort and deliver it.
 I
have been amazed by the number of pedestrians I have seen over the last couple
of days. Doesn't it just prove how many of us use our cars for journeys we could
easily walk. I am just as bad. Mental note - try to walk more instead of driving
places and stop being a lazy moo-cow.
Anyway, despite the
"wrong type of snow" problems at EJR Beads this week, there *are* some new
lampwork beads. Although this set has gone to
auction rather than the
online store.
This set of my
Mottled Flamenco Tabs has been adorned with real gold to indulge the theatrical
side in us all. The set is up for Auction
here on my website. There is NO RESERVE and bidding starts at just 99p. So what
are you waiting for! Click here to see
the Auction Page.
Studio Update:
Tuesday 3rd February
Still Snowy!
Well it's still as snowy as a Christmas card here. I saw on TV last night that
our area did indeed have the most snow. I knew it! Coulsdon was reported as
having 28 cm, although I reckon it was more since it was up to my knees in most
places.
It took ages
to dig the car out of the snow, so in the end we walked to the post office. Not
sure why I bothered since it is unlikely the mail will even be collected. The
roads are still terrible - even the main ones.
We walked back
through the park and came across this fabulous thing. A huge snowball. See, here
I am petting it. Don't I look dandy in my snow-gear of 2 pairs of trousers,
wellie boots and about 18 jumpers!
The Snowball was at
the entrance to an alleyway. As I walked down a young lad was walking up. He had
such a beaming look of pride on his face I knew my question was a mere
formality. "Is it yours?" I asked "yes - me and 6 mates made it yesterday. We
were trying to roll it home, but it was too heavy!" "It's magnificent!" I told
him. He looked happy.
Studio Update:
Monday 2nd February
Snowed In!
 Well
I am afraid EJR Towers was officially snowed in today. The snow started
yesterday afternoon and didn't stop. It is still snowing and we have had over a
foot of snow already.
We live on the
North Downs here, a very hilly area. Actually every single road in the town is
uphill or downhill (most are a combo of both and look rather like Nessie's spine
if you are lucky enough to have seen her!) So car travel has been near
impossible.
If it were not for
a bunch of highly enthusiastic neighbourhood teens last night, there would be
many a car still stranded on the road outside. They worked like Trojans all
evening pushing each stranded and skidding car up the slopey bits of the road
until they were able to drive free again. I wish the people who write these
snotty letters to the Daily Mail about the "youth of today" could have seen
THAT. That might have shut them up!
The sad news is
that any orders placed on Sunday or Monday have not yet been despatched.
I am so sorry about
that. They are all packed up and ready to go and I am confident they WILL be
with you shortly, certainly I hope within the 2-5 day expected delivery time
mentioned in the online store's ordering info. Just today, even if I could have
physically got to the post office there would have been little point. No-one has
come to collect the post and I expect not many Royal Mail staff are around to
process it. I would far rather your orders were a day or two late than end up in
a pile of "to be sorted when we have time" post in one of Royal Mail's
warehouses. When their services are stretched they have a terrible habit of NOT
dealing with the backlog of post in a first come, first served order.
So I can only thank
you for your patience and promise you that normal service WILL be resumed soon.
It has just been really, really bad in this area today.
Studio Update:
Thursday 29th January
Read all about it!
New mags have been arriving here, as so often they do.
This week, new
issues in of
Bead Magazine - full of fantastic projects, artist profiles and all the news
from the British bead and beadwork scene.
Also in, the new
issue of American magazine,
Jewelry Artist. This is the new name for the long-standing title Lapidary
Journal, focusing very much on the fabrication of jewellery plus the cutting and
setting of stones. A lovely pull out wall chart of stone colours in included in
this issue!
I have also added a
few new useful
tools to the
Modelling and Finishing section, including metal files, craft knives and
dental picks. All fantastically useful tools for polymer clay, metal work, art
clay silver and lampworking projects.
Lastly don't forget
to enter my lampwork bead giveaway (details below). Thanks to everyone who has
already entered. I hope you don't mind that I haven't acknowledged all your
entries - but don't worry, if you have emailed me to enter, your name IS in the
hat!
Studio Update:
Saturday 24th January
Giveaways!
I thought it was
high time I gave away some lampwork beads, don't you?
This little set of
Dichro Relics came out ok. I was playing around with different ideas though, so
they are more prototypes than finished article. So whilst they are not the best
beads I have ever made, they are not the worst either and definitely too good to
bin.
So if you want to
be in with a chance of winning these - just
email me
your FULL name and your postal address. Only other condition is that you think
about joining my mailing list if you haven't already. (Click
here for details on the mailing list and how to join). I will pick a winner
out of the hat this time next week.
So what else is
new?
Well I am afraid no
new
lampwork or
polymer clay art beads are available at the moment. I shall be out working
in my shed soon though, I promise, and should have something to show you before
long.
Meanwhile some of
my ceramic work is still available for purchase in the
online store. Just
check out the ceramic sections of the
Emma's Art Beads and
Emma's Jewellery categories and of course the
Emma's Art Buttons to see my ceramic buttons.
Those of you who
have purchased my
Ultrafine Glitter Collection - "Anodized" may be interested to know that I
am now selling the
refill packs for the main glitter colours in that collection.
These packs contain
15 grams of the Ultrafine glitter powders, allowing you to recreate the blends
in the "Anodized" collection or just create your own new shades. Don't
forget there is also a full free tutorial up now, showing how to use the
Ultrafine glitters - just
click
here to see the tutorial, or visit the
Tutorials
page to see my other projects and articles.
Studio Update:
Monday 19th January
Hey Ho!
Well, after a nice
- but busy - weekend, it is off to work once more.
I must apologize
for not updating this page very often at the moment. I really just don't know
where the time is going at the moment.
So what news then?
Well firstly, I
have a couple of
polymer clay bead sets just added to the
online store. I
love how these beads came out - all covered with vibrant shades of bronze, gold
and cool blue-greys. I also added a little leaf pendant to the
ceramic beads section too.
In the
Magazines area of the store, you can find many new issues in stock,
including the latest issue of
Ornament magazine. This issue is going to be especially interesting to all
you beadmakers.
Not only can you
see some stunning enamelled beads and jewellery by Barbara Minor and Marjorie
Simon, there is also a profile on the colourful lampwork glass of
beadmaker Heather Trimlett, plus a review of the Pasadena Bead Show.
Oh and some final
little news - I set up a
Facebook site for EJR Beads.
I don't quite know
why, or what I will do with it yet. I just did it because other people were.
(Yes, I probably *would* jump off cliffs and put my head in a gas oven if other
people did. Clearly, this has proved it. I am a sheep. Baaaaa ) Anyway, please
feel free to become a "fan" of it. Whatever that means!
Studio Update:
Monday 12th January
Yey!
Yey the snow and
ice has finally gone!
Well for the time
being at least. I felt like it was a summer's day when out walking the dogs
because I only needed two jumpers today and got away with the one pair of socks!
Yey also because i
have made as tart on listing some of the new Art Beads in the
online store.
I have new
ceramic beads and
buttons up and listed in the store already. Over the next few days I hope to
get some new
polymer clay beads and
lampwork glass beads up for sale too. So watch this space!
New magazines have
been arriving also - look for the new issues of
CRAFTS,
Step-by-Step Beads and a new title -
Bead Star.
This magazine is
brought to you by the Beadwork people and features a slew of award-winning
jewellery designs as voted for by the visitors to the beadingdaily.com website.
So, not only
can you vote for the designs you like, but you also now get the instructions to
make them! There are some lovely stringing projects in there, suited to all
levels of expertise.
Studio Update:
Monday 5th January
Brrrrrr!
Woke up to patchy
white snow everywhere and it is as cold as an iceberg out there.
I am getting really
bored with all this cold weather. So are the dogs. Our spaniel is knocking on a
bit and like all King Charles Cavaliers, he has the inevitable heart problems
which doesn't help matters. So that combined with the cold just made him refuse
to walk the other day. We got as far as the woods and then he just stood there
with that look on his face (spaniel owners know the look) and promptly refused
to take another step. Oh, he found the energy to toddle over to every other dog
as far as the eye could see to sniff their butts, but would he just get on with
the walk? Would he heck.
Anyway, thankfully
the vet has tweaked his meds and reckons he was just being stubborn and should
be back to his jolly self soon. He already seems better, but we have decided
maybe smaller, more local walks are the order of the day until Sir Spaniel deems
otherwise.
Meanwhile there is
little new to report in the
online store at
the moment.
But I do have the
latest issue of
Beads and Beyond
magazine now in stock though - and that more than makes up for the lack of
action elsewhere!
In this issue, you
can see more of the fabulous entries for their lampworking competition plus lots
of other news and reviews for anyone into making their own beads. There are also
a couple of lampworking projects too.
Also, some great
project ideas for using
Vintage buttons. Lynn Davy shows how to make the gorgeous clunk click key
rings (I still have to show you all the one she sent me - it is gorgeous. But
now you can make your own!). And remember this month, if you spend over £15 in
the EJR Beads Online
store, you can add a
free packet of mixed vintage buttons to your order!
Also - don't
forget, my lampwork bead Auction ends
at 7pm British Time this evening!
Studio Update:
Saturday 3rd January
Happy Noo Year!
Happy New Year everyone!
I do so hope
that 2009 proves to be a happy and successful year for you and yours. I know
that for many of us 2008 was not the best of years was it? So lets hope 2009 is
an improvement.
Well I have listed
my first beads of the year!
If you visit the
online store, you
will find some of my
polymer clay Illuminare beads. I am just in love with these squares, so
please don't feel obliged to buy them ;-) if they ended up finding their way
into my own personal stash, well I can't pretend I would mind too much.
Also listed is
another of my Big Hole riveted beads and some Illuminare lentils.
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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