A Brief Update and a New Name- Anna Hayward Glass Beads

It was way back in the Summer when my garden was all luscious, when I last posted. This is because I have decided to concentrate my updates mainly on my Facebook page Facebook.com/annahaywardglassbeaddesigns.

I now have a new website annahaywardglassbeads.co.uk, which is fresher and more modern. I spend so much time taking photos and editing them, not only for my customer records but also my website, Pinterest, Etsy, Great British Exchange and Facebook. These days I find myself spending twice as much time working on my computer than I do actually making beads and creating jewellery.

Anyway, other than getting a new name and website, I had a successful Summer Open Studio and have been making plans to run workshops in my neighbouring summerhouse next Summer.

 I have just completed five Christmas collections for the shops and galleries that sell my jewellery. I am now busy getting some exciting new things ready for the three Christmas events I have coming up in the next few weeks.

Parkinson's UK Christmas Fayre
Saturday 26th November - 10am - 1pm
Wootton Bridge Community Centre.

Christmas Open Studios
Saturday 3rd December - 10am - 4pm
Sunday 4th December - 10am - 4pm
Tapnell Farm, Yarmouth

Twelve Days of Christmas
Thursday 15th December - 10am - 8pm
Friday 16th and Saturday 17th December - 10am - 5pm
Sunday 18th December - 10am - 4pm

Plain and Simple Cubes

Really Long Cube Bead Necklace

I wasn't sure how to include turquoise in my Autumn and Winter jewellery this year. Looking at the colours I was attracted to I decided it maybe good to go back to basics and make plain shapes. Some of the glass is variegated,  has a slight lustre finish or marble effect, so the beads are not completely plain.
Of course the big advantage with plain beads are that they are so versatile.
littlehousejewellery.co.uk

Short Cube Bead Necklace

Cube Bead Earrings

Turquoise Bead Stud Earrings

Small Glass and Silver Cube Bead Necklace

Cube and Cuboid Bead Necklace with Seed Beads

Beads within Beads

'Bead within a Bead' Necklace

For the past few weeks I've been working on a new design. At last, after many attempts I've created enough 'beads within beads' to make a mini collection.
After experimenting with mauves and paler greens, I decided on a strong shade of teal with a core of pale opaque green, which I thinks works well at giving the beads a sort of extra 3D effect.

Anyway, see what you think. So far, I have made a necklace, a bracelet and earrings. These are all available on my website -littlehousejewellery.co.uk

'Bead within a Bead' Necklace

'Bead within a Bead' Earrings

'Bead within a Bead' Bracelet

Bead Party with the Ladies of Porchfield

'Orphan' Glass Beads

Seed Beads and Handmade Glass Beads

Had a super evening with the Porchfield ladies group yesterday. They each created a made measure unique necklace with my 'orphan' beads and a selection of seed bead.

Several Ladies were inspired to take home one of my bead kits too.

Black with Smudgy Flowers Beads

I do like black, so I made these beads. Although they are black, my intention was to make them summery with soft smudgy flowers of lavender and pale pink. I was aiming for sort of Chinese chrysanthemums. I didn't quite achieve this, but I'm pleased with results all the same. www.littlehousejewellery.co.uk

A Stall at West Quay, Southampton

Why am I writing about what was probably my least successful stall? On the down side I not only sold very little and few people even stopped to look [I do struggle on the eye catching presentation bit]. This was a shame, as I like explaining how my beads are made and watching how people then take a closer look. Never mind, win some, lose some.

Enough of the negatives and onto the positives. Firstly, I was in West Quay and situated quite close to my favourite department store, John Lewis. Every three or four hours I would leave Mark in charge of the stall and have an amble around the different departments, mentally adding things to my wish list.

I feel a little sad that I won't be having another stall at West Quay, as the other stall holders were delightfully friendly and the chats made the day a very pleasant experience.

There was art work, embroidery, iPad and tablet rests and of course all sorts of jewellery. On the stall next to me was Michaela  Carrington who deservedly did well with her fused glass.etsy.com/shop/micpru. There was a stall just round the corner where a man wrote and drew on single grains of rice! I watched him write 'Congratulations' on a tiny grain. He didn't even use glasses or a magnifying glass. He would then suspend the grain in a tiny vessel of liquid [ some sort of oil, I think?] which magnified the grain so it can be read by people with normal eye sight. www.ricewriter.com


We managed to get wifi and so were able to unobtrusively follow the Six Nations Rugby. We were packing up and travelling home during the second half of the England v France game, so I didn't get find out what a great game it was until later.

Anyway, even though I won't be there, if you happen to be in West Quay at the end of June, take a look, there's some interesting things.

The Advantages of Simple Stringing

In my early jewellery making days I attended and enjoyed a silversmithing course. However on discovering glass bead making, I just didn't want to do anything else, especially something so intensive as silversmithing. I have also dabbled in beadwork and fused glass, but nothing holds me like bead making.
There are several reasons why I like to use simple bead stringing techniques.

1.The main reason is I like my jewellery to be about the beads I make. I don't want anything to detract, complicate or make them fussy.

Part of Spring/ Summer Collection

2. Less time making and joining components means more time creating beads. Yippee!

3. My beads are almost indestructible and so would probably outlast the finest clasps and findings. Simple stringing means that if a clasp, wire or ring breaks it is very easy to repair, replace or refresh.
In fact, all my jewellery except for sterling silver earring components, postage and packing, I will repair free of charge. So actually my jewellery is guaranteed for life!

Tactile Disc Bead Necklace

Bell Flower Earrings 2015

4. All my jewellery can be altered and made to measure to fit an individual. Necklaces and bracelets can be made bigger or smaller or beads can be arranged in a different way.

5. An item of jewellery can be changed while new or to an old favourite at a later date. Beads can be added or changed to create a new look.

Stringing with metal twisted beads

6. The findings are reasonably less expensive, so more of the value is in the originality and design of the handmade beads.

I know there is the issue of allergies. I always use sterling silver for earrings. Clasps etc. are generally silver plated and bead wire is nylon coated [tiger tail]. My glass beads have no rough edges, on the contrary they are very tactile. For those that don't like bare necklace wire, I also use seed beads that leave no exposed wire.

Memory Wire Bracelet fits nearly all Wrists

Seed Bead covered Wire

littlehousejewellery.co.uk

Mad about Mauve

My Mauve Beads

 Whenever I have had the chance during the last 3 or 4 weeks I have been working on the second part of my Spring jewellery, which has a mauve theme.

Yesterday [Saturday], I had a super session making beads in my Summer house. I know it was a gorgeous sunny, Spring day, but as I had enjoyed a lovely long walk with Mark and the dog in the morning, I didn't feel I was missing out too much. Also the summerhouse didn't require much heating either, so win, win.

I didn't make all these beads yesterday, but was pleased that I stuck [more or less] to what I set out to do, that is, make mauve beads and I'm pleased with the result.

 With Mother's Day in mind, I took a small collection of my mauve and white jewellery along to the Quay Arts at Newport  quayarts.org. Hopefully I will get at least a few items added to my website and Etsy shops in the next day or two as well.Little House Jewellery at etsy.com  littlehousejewellery.co.uk

The two smaller beads are to combine with my knitted jewellery

Forthcoming Events - 2015

Open Studio Weekend 2013

Handmade Stall at West Quay Shopping Centre, Southampton
 - Saturday 21st March 2015
-9am -6pm
- First chance to see me and showcase my latest Spring 2015 collection in all its glory!

Isle of Arts Affordable Arts Fair at Ventnor Winter Gardens, Isle of Wight- artsisle.org
 - Monday 4th May 2015
 - 11am - 4pm
- Looking forward to this event in a beautiful location.

Isle of Wight Arts Open Studios - isleofwightarts.com
- Friday 17th July - Monday 20th July 2015
- 10am - 5pm daily
- I love this event because its a great opportunity to demonstrate exactly how my beads are created and made into my unique jewellery.

Mauve Bracelet Spring 2015

Open Studios Weekend 2014

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A Useful Pattern

Pattern from Pinterest

Original Handmade Bead Summer 2014

I love Pinterest! It's such a straight forward place to search for inspiration and ideas. Here's a good example, I found this pattern last  Summer and used it to create this bead. The jewellery I made with these beads didn't prove particularly popular, I think probably because the colours were a bit restricting. However, I really liked the design and decided to develop it. At Christmas I used the design more successfully with cream with metallic spots. This Spring I am really pleased with how it has evolved in the white and soft turquoise beads in my Spring 2015 collection. www.littlehousejewellery.co.uk

Necklace Summer 2014

Bracelet Christmas 2014

Necklace Spring 2015

Bracelet Spring 2015

Spring is on its Way! My New Spring Jewellery 2015

Earrings in Pale Green and Brown Transparent Glass

Long necklace of speckled flowers

White and Turquoise Mid Length Necklace

One of the lovely things about making beads and jewellery is that I am always looking ahead to the next season. The next season in this case is my favourite, Spring! So here I am in February and the first part of my Spring Jewellery Collection is finished.

This first part combines the freshness of white with soft turquoise opaque glass. The other part is pale green with pale brown transparent, with the impression of fresh new leaves and buds.

For the white and turquoise, I've combined spots, dots and a sort of spot, swirl pattern I first developed last Summer. For my pale green, I thought it just had to be flowers, particularly bell flowers.

My new jewellery can be found on my website littlehousejewellery.co.uk and also in the Quay Arts shop in Newport quayarts.org

Spot, Swirl Pattern Necklace