Blogtoberfest day 1 - My new studio and International bead challenge day

So it is that time of year again, Blogtoberfest! I love this once a year project, it really helps me focus on my much loved but oft  neglected blog and gets me catching up on sharing glassy news and tutorials.
If you would like to take up the challenge to blog daily through October check out this linky...
shellsinthebush.blogspot.com.au/p/blog-page.html

So my big big news is that I moved out of my (dark, damp and spider filled) garage studio at the start of August and into a fabulous studio space in the Manor Farm heritage site at the top of Ruislip High St. My new beautiful, airy, light filled space is just a dream come true!

It has finally given me the space I need to be able to offer lampwork bead making tuition and host special events like the one we held on the 20th of September for International Bead Challenge day. Marlene Minhas, Heather Kelly and I spent the day showing some super special kiddos from the Beads of Courage program and their families how lampwork beads are made. We also made String of Strength bracelets with the kids which are a fabulous way for kids to be able to support other kids on the BoC program. The way String of Strength bracelets work is that each child and their siblings can each make two identical bracelets, one to keep and one to gift to another child on the program along with a short message of support. It's a very lovely thing.

Here are the beads we made on the day which have already been sent on to Be Child Cancer Aware along with the String of Strength bracelets. Hopefully they will bring strength and encouragement to some very brave kids :-D

That's it from me today, back to tomorrow with a Mini Mo' catch up post for September.
Jolene xx

Beads of Fire..... #Blogtoberfest day 12

Today is the day :-D Be Child Cancer Aware has organised a walk of fire to raise funds and honour children on the Beads of Courage program here in the UK. The intrepid fire walkers are undertaking training for tonight's daring challenge as I type and each will carry a pair of unique handmade glass beads as they bravely face the coals at the Selex Sports & Leisure Club, Gardiners Way Gardiners Lane, South Basildon at 7 O'Clock tonight. One of the beads will become a memento of the day and its twin will be given as a booster bead, along with a special message, to lift the spirits of very special children on the Beads of Courage program.

I have been helping out by organising a colour scheme and coordinating the making of the Fire Beads with some very talented UK lampworkers with glass kindly donated by Kathy Seamands of Creation is Messy.

To everyone involved with this evening's daring do, I wish you the very best of luck.

Here is a little gallery and roll of honour for the glass artists who have given their time to lovingly make all of the Fire Beads.

Beautiful Fire Beads by Stepanie Gough, Fiona Smith, Heather Kelly, Debbie Dew, Cecilia Lawrence, Tan Grey, Laney Mead, Carole Hughes, Elaine Galloway, Sue Reynolds, Vic Tierney, Jo Walker, Jo Wolfe, and Kat Newman.

Ladies you are Superstars xxxx

Have a super Saturday, Jolene x

Lampworking for Charity

I have a few special listings in my bracelet bead shop for Custom Name Beads. Writing with glass is a skill I have recently taught myself as I wanted to make and donate name beads to Beads of Courage - Be Child Cancer Aware and so it feels right to me that whenever I make a name bead for sale that the BoC project gets a little benefit from that too. I really appreciate the chance to help out a little bit just by doing the thing that I love to do anyway.

I am not the only bead maker I know that likes to lampwork for charity so the rest of today's post is going to be about some of those special beads and the brilliant people that make them and the charities that are dear to their hearts.



First up are these delightful minty lentils by Heather Kelly who has a special corner in her Etsy shop for OCD-UK (Reg. charity #1103210). Heather writes OCD-UK is the charity dedicated to improving the mental health and well-being of almost one million children and adults in the UK whose lives are affected by Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. OCD can be so debilitating that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has ranked OCD in the top ten most disabling illnesses of any kind, in terms of lost earnings and diminished quality of life.





The next fab lampwork bead I would like to show you is this adorable pink dino made by Lauren May Mazursky. Lauren has a Dinosaurs for Diabetes section in her Etsy store and says - he's small but mighty, like a Type 1 kiddo I know. Proceeds from the sales of the mini dino beads will go to the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) for a cure.











My last shout out for today is for Kat Newman who has designed kindness bracelets to fund raise for Team Jaxon.
You can also find out more about team Jaxon - FROG here on Facebook.

These are just a very few fabulous examples of people turning their creativity and talent into a source of support for causes close to our hearts and trying to make a small difference in our own way.





If you craft to fund raise for a charitable cause close to your heart please feel free to tell me all about it and post a link in the comments section below.

Have a great day, Jolene x