52 little things week 52 and a 2013 round up

On the very last day of 2013 I thought  would be nice to reflect on the past year and some of the lovely things that have happened. It has been a wonderful year for Be Child Cancer Aware and Beads of Courage here in the UK.

It has been a very special year for me too and also a pretty special year for these little beep beep robot beads.  The very first one I ever made was for week 1 in my 52 little things project (to make a special bead each week for a  Beads of Courage child). I thought it would be lovely to finish the year with a little family of Beep Beeps because Childhood Cancer affects every member of a family and turns their world upside down.

I sent a picture of some of my little BoC Robots to Diane Woodall offering a tutorial for them for the Beads of Courage section of The Soda Lime Times magazine and they inspired her to create an ebook called Hot Glass for Cool Kids to raise funds for Beads of Courage in America. It has 20 wonderful tutorials written by artists from all over he world. So far the book has raised almost $14,000. I am so proud to have been part of that super special project.

The first time I began to fully appreciate the significance of the beads that I make and donate is when I happened to see a picture on Facebook with a note from one of the BoC Mums showing her daughter holding one of  the 50 little little robot beads that I made to fund raise in the run up to the summer Beadathon. She explained how that her daughter talks to her little robot bead. I honestly cried, it was so lovely.

This summer 11 amazing, lovely and talented UK bead makers gathered at my house for the second year running and we took turns to make beads solidly for 24 hours on two torches. We streamed the whole 24 hour event live across the internet, raised over £900 and made 165 beads to donate to BCCA.  I loved hosting the Beadathon, such hard work but such great fun and fingers crossed we will get another one organised in 2014. Below is my fave beady snap of 2013, taken by Marlene Minhas. We ran two kilns at the Beadathon, the first was kindly donated for the event by www.Kilncare.co.uk and this shows Sandy Kelly, a huge grin on her face, fetching the some of the first batch of Beadathon beads out of the kiln mid morning on the second day.

Through the latter part of 2012 and the start of 2013 I was working hard learning how to write with glass stringer on beads so that I could make and donate beads with kids names on to Beads of Courage. In April this year I had my first lampwork tutorial published in Beads and Beyond magazine, sharing the writing with glass technique. A huge thank you to Julie Fountain for recommending me to the editor for this project. It was thrilling to see my work in print in a British magazine and it spurred me on to submit more ideas and have two further tutorials published this year.

Another fab project that I have been helping with this year was the Walk of Courage. I put out a call for volunteer bead makers to create pairs of fire colour beads for brave folks to carry whilst walking over hot coals. The ones being shown off here by Ted Drummond were made by Elaine Hunter of Galloway beads (to see all of the beautiful fire walk beads click here). The event was a brilliant success, raising over £7800 and bringing some amazing beads to kids  on the Beads of Courage program.

This brilliant picture shows Ethan Drummond preparing to walk across the coals, he was the very first and youngest courageous fire walker.

2013 has been an amazing year full of wonderful projects that I feel so privileged to be part of. The cherry on the cake for me was an invitation to be the featured artists in the January 2014 issue of the Soda Lime Times. What a wonderful way to begin 2014.

It has been the most wonderful year of teamwork and achievements and laughter and I have a feeling that next year will be even more rewarding.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year and an amazing 2014, Jolene xx

52 little things week 50 and 51

It is such a sweet and sad feeling that this very special project for me is drawing to the end. My week 50 and 51 beads are now finished and will soon be in the post to Be Child Cancer Aware to be gifted to children on the Beads of Courage program here in the UK.

It has been both a pleasure and a privilege to be able to give something of myself to the Beads of Courage kids and families this year. It is humbling to see and read how these glassy gifts that we give empower and uplift. They mean so much more to the kids who receive them than just a bead. They bring hope and smiles and comfort.

If you would like to find out more about the program please visit

http://www.bechildcanceraware.org/beads-of-courage


or check out the BCCA Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/bechildcanceraware

Have a super day, Jolene xx

Mini Mo' Club Nov '13 Happy Faces and Love is

My first happy little collection of glassy embellishments for November is this bright collection of happy faces murrini with lime and sunny yellow canes and murrini. I've used Effetre Nile Green, CiM Daffodil and Effetre transparent Light Teal.

I thought it would be lovely to do something a little different with the striped canes and so I have made this cheeky little mud crab ocean focal using the daffodil cane.

Two sweet little happy heart beads created with Happy Faces murrini, the left is over Effetre transparent Uranium Yellow and the Right is over Effetre transparent light green. I've etched them both for a lovely matt finish.

Little Ollie was created using the Nile Green/Light Aqua cane go give him lots of lovely detail.

My second glassy collection for November is called Love is. I have used CiM Indigo, CiM Maraschino, Effetre Carrot Red, CiM Peace, Effetre baby Pink 256 and also chosen Red Copper Green shards to finish the collection.

First up a beautiful green focal with lovely flowers created using the canes in this collection over red copper green shards.

Lucky lobster created with super stripy Maraschino canes from the Love Is Mini Mo'

And a trio of sweet hearts with sweet love heart murrini.

It is possible to join the Mini Mo' Club via Etsy for 3, 6, 9 or 12 month long subscriptions. Please check out my shop link for more info.

Frit N Chips lampwork supplies.

Have a lovely week, Jolene x

Mini Mo' Oct 13 Pretty Daisy and Delft Daisy

My first collection for October is called Pretty Daisy. I've used Effetre Lavender 247, Effetre Purple 272, Recichenbach dense white and a medley of pink and purple for the twistie canes.

The fab shards in this selection are a lovely pale lilac colour. I've used the pretty daisy murrini and shards to create a beautiful focal.

This dark amethyst focal features an iris type flower that has been created with swipes of Pretty Daisy twistie cane.

I made this little round focal for the Craft Pimp Forum X factor bead sweep (which I sadly goteveicted from in week 4). Ive encased the daisy murrini under one half of the bead and decorated the other side with dots and stringer.

This sweet collection of blues is called Delft Daisy. I've used CiM Glacier, Reichenbach Dense White, Effetre Light Blue 224, Effetre Periwinkle and a medley of blue and white in the twiste cane.

This pretty focal uses sherbet dib dab shards from September's harvest collection and cane form this months pack to create delicate raised flower decoration.

For my second focal I have used Deft Daisy shards over a base of dark aqua and swiped on pretty flowers with some striped leaky pen cane (available made to order in my lampy supplies shop) that happened to be on my desk at the time.

Last up i have a third aqua focal to share, this one is covered with lovely blue and white daisy murrini from the Delft collection.

It is now possible to join the Mini Mo' Club via Etsy for 3, 6, 9 or 12 month long subscriptions. Please check out my shop link for more info.
Frit N Chips lampwork supplies.

Have a lovely week, Jolene x

Customer Gllery, Patricia Mihaiu

I want to take a moment to show you this brilliantly chic chocolate themed necklace by Patricia Mihaiu Trekkie Trisha Jewelry

This is the first time I have seen my chocolate beads made up and they look addable!

Have a super day, Jolene xx

52 little things week 48 and 49

Here are my beads for weeks 48 and 49, the start of the final month in my 52 little things project for 2013. I've made a funky chunky twistie cored green heart bead and a goldstone twistie cored bead in blue. the pictures are somewhat out of focus as my camera lens misted up the moment I went outside to take snaps. Winter is most definitely here.

If you lampwork and would like to make some beads for Beads of Courage and are looking for inspiration check out

www.bechildcanceraware.org/beads-of-courage/lampwork-tutorials

There are 11 wonderful tutorials on there to give you some fab ideas.

And here are some links for BCCA - Beads of Courage
http://www.bechildcanceraware.org/beads-of-courage
https://www.facebook.com/bechildcanceraware

Have a super day, Jolene xx

MEET me on UK Handmade

Morning, a quick post and run from me, there are carrot cakes to be baked and a trip up town to the Natural History Museum to prepare for this morning :-D I wanted to share my first ever interview with you, part of the MEET series on UK Handmade.

You can read the full interview here http://ukhandmade.co.uk/content/meet-jolene-wolfe

Have a super weekend
Jolene xx

52 little things weeks 46 and 47

 For some reason I got a little behind in week 46, no torch time all week so yesterday I made a pair of fun guys :-D One for week 46 and the other for this weeks smiley offering to Beads of Courage.

It is hard to believe that there are only 5 weeks left until Christmas, my heart goes out to all of the kids and parents who will be spending the festive season in hospital this year <3 br="">

If you would like to find out more about the Beads of Courage project here in the UK or about Be Child Cancer Aware and their valuable awareness raising projects please pop by their website

http://www.bechildcanceraware.org

Have a lovely day Jolene xx

52 little things week 45

This weeks special bead uses a combination of glass gold rich glass that gives an effect called Faux Boro. I have encased the whole bead in clear glass to trap the metallic effects inside and there are no metallic reduction effects on the surface which makes it perfect to donate to BoC.

If you make lampwork beads and would like to donate to BCCA for the Beads of Courage program here in the UK pop along and check out the artists guidelines here

Almost anything goes, as long as your beads have neat bead holes without sharp edges, no metallic reduction on the surface, are annealed and have been cleaned then they are perfect.

Please raid your fugly jars, sin bins, declutter your kitchen windowsill and send them in. Your beads will bring smiles and will be treasured and cherished.

Have a lovely day, Jolene xx

Customer Gallery, fesitve necklace by Jean Evan of Dulciebella

This wonderfully festive necklace has been designed by the very lovely Jean Evans of Dulciebella. I love it! She has made one of my festive focals into an elegant pendant and matched the tree detail perfectly with a hand dyed silk ribbon.

Jean exhibits her work at Number 37, 37 Smith street Warwick and occasionally sells at local craft fairs. Although she does not currently have an online store you can find Dulciebelle on Facebook.


Have a lovely day, Jolene x

Spooky Dinner........ #blogtpoberfest13 day 31

A special request from the kidlets for a spooky dinner. Sausage hat witch with carrot for a nose and peas for eyes. This Halloween treat has gone down a storm :-D I also had a crack at making pumpkin soup. It was a pretty simple recipe, just pumpkin and onion with a potato and a carrot simmered in stock and whizzed up in a blender. Tastes lush!

Happy Halloween, Jolene xx

Happy (nearly) Halloween #Blogtoberfest13 day 30

We've been carving a pumpkin today, the kids went to town drawing on a face each and poor mummy had to do all the scooping and mucking out guts because my three year old and five year old decided together that "it is too mucky!".  Happy (nearly) Halloween, Jolene xx

52 little things week 44 #blogtoberfest13 day 29

My special bead for Beads of Courage this week is a slightly more grown up take on a Christmas themed bead. It is still quite large, over an inch across, but I have decorated it with simple holly and berries.

I just wanted to take a moment to remember that Childhood Cancer affects teens and young adults too.

For more information on how to Be Child Cancer Aware and find out about the Beads of Courage program here in the UK please visit
www.bechildcanceraware.org

xx Jolene

Mini Mo' Sept 13 Harvest and Noel

My first collection for September was inspired by the changing of the season as we move towards autumn and the leaves begin to turn. I've used CiM Indigo, CiM Clockwork and Reichenbach Black and Sherbet Dib Dab shards.

The first beads I have to show are some fun hearts made with some of  the Vetrofond odd colours from 2007. The first is Smoke rings and I have finished it with a harvest murrini raked into a heart shape.

Next up is a sweet  pair of earring beads made with Effetre Uranium Yellow and pretty flowers using the Clockwork flower cane.

I also have this fab focal to show, the base glass is a combination of Effetre Dark Teal and CiM Aloe Juice with Sherbet Dib Dab shards.

Noel is a classic mix of traditional Christmas colours. I've used Effetre Petrol Green, Effetre Special Red with Peace and Goldstone.

I must confess that I used the majority of the cane from this collection during October to make smowman scarves. This fella is wrapped up warm with a candy striped cane.

And this poppet here has a snuggly sparkly scarf made from goldstone ribbon twistie :-D








Last I want to show you a pair of heart beads that have Noel murrini accents. There are lot of reelections on the black heart in his photo but hopefully you can make out that I've raked the murrini into a heart shape too.

It is now possible to join the Mini Mo' Club via Etsy for 3, 6, 9 or 12 month long subscriptions. Please check out my shop link for more info.
Frit N Chips lampwork supplies.

Have a lovely week, Jolene x

Display and packaging solution... #Blogtoberfest13 day 27

I been accepted for a regular pitch at my local artisan craft market so you will now be able to come and brows my glassy goodies and see me demo lampwork bead making at The Duck Pond. My first fair will be a weekender Christmas Market and it is just a three weeks away so today I have been playing about with some display and packaging solutions.

Earring note cards

I've come up with a sweet little solution using some note cards and envelopes that I have been hoarding for some time. This will help keep everything looking clean and crisp if the weather takes a turn for the wet and windy!

Hopefully these will hit the mark with shoppers as lovely little stocking fillers :-D I've nearly got everything together for a portable demo set up and now the date is getting close I'm feeling quite excited!

Jolene xx

Homemade beetroot playdough #blogtoberfest13 day 26

Afternoon, here is a lovely and quick project that the kids and I made over the summer hols, using beetroot as a natural dye for homemade play dough. My lovely pal Sue sent me the link to this super blog post that offers up a good selection of natural dye suggestions and it was an irresistible temptation to go pick a beetroot from the lottie.

I chopped up the beetroot in to big ish chunks and boiled with a little bit of water to leach the colour out of the beetroot and then sieved out the lumps then I cooked the dyed water over a low heat in an old saucepan with a cup of flour, ½ cup of salt,  1 tablespoon of cream of tartar and 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. The mixture came together in the pan very quickly and was so easy to make. It was a big hit with the kids - and none of that odd manufactured playdoh smell! It kept pretty well too, I wrapped it in tin foil between play times and it was moist and workable for weeks.

I hope you are having a lovely chilled out Sunday

Jolene xx