Showing posts with label galgorm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label galgorm. Show all posts

Friday, 30 October 2015

Selection of Glass Seed Beads. Available at Church Street Craft Market

From This Week, We have started to stock Glass Seed Bead Selections at the Craft market in Church Street,  Ballymena.
There are selections of Czech Glass Seed Beads, Glass Pearls & Crystals, as well as mixtures of Japanese Seed Beads & Czech Glass Beads also.
As well as those , we have now Tubes of Chinese Seed Beads, 5 Colours , all of which are 6/0 in size.
Packs of Chinese Glass Seed Beads, which have a selection of 8 colours. These come in 6/0 and 10/0. Why not come check them out.
We are open Monday to Saturday
9.00 a.m.  to 5.00 p.m.
Also I will be there always on a Monday from 1.00 till closing




Buy Local, Support your Local Business's

SUPPORT LOCAL

www.wickedprincessbeads.co.uk
Follow Us on Our Social Media pages
https://www.facebook.com/wickedprincessbeads
https://www.pinterest.com/wkdprincess/
https://twitter.com/WPBeads

Thursday, 29 October 2015

Did You Miss Me...Say You Did ...Please





Hi Peeps, Sorry I haven't been about lately and have not Blogged in over a month, simply because my laptop, has had to go to the Laptop Doctor...My Desktop, was so slow, a snail could have processed quicker. Trying to get orders from it to post was like waiting for it not to rain here for a whole Summer ( Fat Chance of that happening ), so by chance and it was chance, I changed my route to town and behold I spotted a Second Hand Desktop for Sale, with Windows 8 ( Oh Yeah Baby ) and after a quick rethink and a count of the cash flow, I had to have it. ( My Excuse is that it is my Birthday, next month, so I bought myself an early Birthday present ).
So Now I'm able to post and Blog without ageing and growing a full length beard, so the blogging begins in earnest again. Hope you Didn't Miss Me Too Much

#wickedprincessbeads,  #wickedprincessbeadsatchurchstreetcraftmarket,


Christmas is Coming , if you haven't noticed
Remember to buy Local and Hand Crafted
Keep your Present buying Local This Year
Thank You

www.wickedprincessbeads.co.uk
Follow Us on Our Social Media pages
https://www.facebook.com/wickedprincessbeads
https://www.pinterest.com/wkdprincess/
https://twitter.com/WPBeads

Friday, 2 October 2015

It Started With One Little Bead, Actually One Little Idea


How My Business Started
As some of you might know my business had 3 beginnings, I know, you are asking, how can you have 3 beginnings, hang on and I will explain, so I will break it down into 3 chapters for you.
It Actually Didn't, start with one bead,but it was one little Idea,
And so the Saga begins
One Summer, I had visited my Friend's shop in Ballymena, she owned a shop that sold food, drink and other stuff from her own country, which was Romania.
Her husband would travel to Romania, once every 6 weeks to get supplies for to sell in the shop. On one such expedition, he had to stop in Paris, as he had to stop over, as his ferry back to Northern Ireland was not till the next day, while he was there, he bought her a beautiful Amethyst Bracelet, which had been made using Memory Wire and Amethyst Chips .

She showed me this and we talked about how beautiful it was, Then she wondered if we could buy stuff to make jewellery, ( Now at this stage, I would like to explain to you, Firstly I had no idea how to make jewellery, or what memory wire or Amethyst chips were, or where i would even get any of this stuff.) So i agreed to have a look and see what I could find. ( Also remember I was no Spring Chicken, so this was a complete new and unknown Field for me)
And so, Sitting down in front of my Computer, I began to search eBay, I was smitten almost right away. There was so much, beautiful Beads & stuff , I was like a child in a toy shop. Eventually, I picked some beads and stuff and ordered them.
The next 2 days, were like forever, meanwhile, I discovered online Bead shops, that only made matters worse, More stuff was ordered, all I saw was Shiny Things, Different Colours, So much choice. Days after beads & supplies began to arrive, I had now one Box of beads, which then turned into 2 and then it snowballed into 8.
So I had got myself beads, now what was I do with them. another 3 days of sifting through Websites for ideas & tutorials, then discovered that a shop in town sold Beading magazines.
I first learned how to use a head pin with beads, then how to crimp, then how to open jump rings and on and on till I had made some Bracelets & some Necklaces, looking back now, my work was really not the best made, but I sold a few things , which brought some money back in. I bought some Chain and began to make Charm bracelets.
That first Year from November to Christmas week, I made over 300 of those bracelets. I was working full time in a Hotel and coming home at night and making them till the early hours of the next morning.
The Next year,with the money that I had lifted from the charm bracelets, I bought wood and so on and my Brother in Law, David, build a stud wall in the Garage and a Word Bench. Now I had a Workshop, simply because my one box of beads, now had expanded from a box to being in the Box Room, The Kitchen & The Living Room. Now it was all under one roof and I began to work in Earnest at my jewellery making. My sister became interested and I taught her, how to make jewellery. I was turning out pieces and selling them and having a great time. I had a friend who was staying with me at the time and she too, began to make stuff. At this time she met an american guy and they became good friends and then, she moved out to live with her sister and I was back to my own making.
Eventually they became engaged and she moved out to Las Vegas and that is where the Second Chapter begins

More to come

www.wickedprincessbeads.co.uk
Follow Us on Our Social Media pages
https://www.facebook.com/wickedprincessbeads
https://www.pinterest.com/wkdprincess/
https://twitter.com/WPBeads

Wednesday, 30 September 2015

The Loneliness of the Bead Stringer

The Loneliness of the Bead Stringer

Oh Woe Is Me,
I am alone,
No one wants to help.



It is the day after the big order has arrived from India and now I have to begin to string the beads for sale, Yes , I know that I could bag them up, but they look better strung and hung against the wall, rather than lying flat on the counter.
So here I sit at the Kitchen Table, with what looks like an ever ending mountain of beautiful beads before me. Their different coloured peaks rising up, towards the Kitchen ceiling and beyond and I have to decide which peaks to begin with, usually picking the one with the least beads to begin with, it’s easier that way to start.
And so my journey across the Mountains of Beads begin, I turn 3 packets of these into a bowl, there seems to be a moving ocean of glass beads afloat in the bowl, swirling around avoiding my fingers as I start to pick them out. Looking down in the bowl there seems to thousands there bobbing up and down as I attempt to get started, but really there are only 300 in the bowl, but there is still another 30 bags still to go)
And so my Bead stringing begins, one after one they are strung, endlessly, each bead eating another couple of seconds of time as I continue on my lonely trek through the bead stringing expedition, then there are those, who won’t play the game, the runaway ones, the ones that escape, they bounce and roll all over the kitchen, into the Hall and out towards the front door, trying to make a break for it… There I go after them, catching some in mid bounce, other rolling to darkest corner, below the kitchen units, behind the pipes of the radiator , below the table, if there is a place that it is difficult to get to, it is there they will go to hide and there I have to go to rescue them from non use.
Onwards, I go the noise of glass bead clicking on each other as they meet, sliding down the plastic cord, nearer the roll, one after another, the even ending pile, not seeming to be getting smaller, like an infinity puzzle, it just keeps going on and then you see it the first glimpse of the bottom of the bowl, faster you work to take in the sight, that glorious sight of the bottom of the bowl.
And then suddenly, it’s empty, a barren wasteland of bowl waiting for the next 3 bags of beads.
A feeling of euphoria, washes over me, I feel like celebrating, but, No
And so it begins again.
Tipping in the next 3 bags, it resumes …. Again you begin the process, one after another, just yourself alone, humming a little song in your head or over thinking an event that happened a couple days ago . Promising yourself that this will be the last lot before, Your Dinner, Bed or some other occasion, that you are using to get away from your Bead Stringing… But you are fooling yourself , you keep on racing against the clock, pushing yourself onward like an athlete, ( I know that sounds over the top, but I’m by myself, who’s to know.)
One bead after another, watching for the slightest sight of the bottom of the bowl, but alas it‘s not to be.
The phone ring, I stop what I am doing to answer it, my momentum gone, the moment lost.
“ Hello “, I say.
.” Hi Dad, What you doing? Says the voice of one of my Children.
 “ Stringing Beads “, Says I.
“ Don’t know, Why you don’t bag them, says he
AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!


So remember, the next time you buy a string of beads, the labour of love that went into it, the passion of the lonely Stringer, as he sat, late into the night, (Well 10.30), working so that you could have those beads strung. 
                      

Check out Our Strings of Beads & the ones in bags



Tuesday, 22 September 2015

Just because that woman didn’t like it

Just because that woman didn’t like it




I have a wee spot in The Church Street Craft market, where I do a 5 hour  Shift on a Monday afternoon ( You’re Welcome to come visit )
I am there with some other Crafters and over the last year we have become like a family of sorts, looking out for each other, helping each other and enjoying our time.
We all know about each others Crafts and how they do them, so that we can explain to customer, how they are created, where it was made and so on.





Each one of us do something different and we have a varied selection, from recycled Repainted plastic containers to Ceramics using Different Clays & porcelain, Sewing and embroidery , watercolour painting, Screen Printing, hand made teddy bears and so on.
I am one of the more mature crafters there, but some of the young ones just can’t get their heads around, some customers and how they view our work and the unkind things that they say
I have heard it all, Things like “Why , would you want that, …….. I can get that cheaper from eBay, No, That’s not my style………

Just because someone doesn’t like a piece, doesn’t mean that it’s not Pretty, or Well made or Hand made or Painted, or Sown by hand in the early hours of the morning.
 Please people, each piece has been made especially, Each piece is an one off thing, Time, sweat, Love and mistakes and experiments have gone into that even before it reached the stage, where it is now, for sale in the Shop. Plus much more has gone into it, than you will ever know, so if it a little more expensive, than the Local shop or eBay or the pound shop.
Please remember, each piece means something to the crafter, who made it
So just because the woman didn’t like it, just means that there is someone else out there, who will buy it, who will take it home and put it somewhere special, because it is special to them
Made with Love, to be loved Forever
Follow us on Facebook or visit us at the Church Street Craft Market
https://www.facebook.com/churchstreetcraftmarket





Monday, 21 September 2015

My Pinterest Boards

My Pinterest Boards

Don't you just love going to Pinterest and looking at all the Fabulous Pins
With Business Pinterest, you can see what your Followers like and all the others, who visit your Boards.

So you might be surprised to find what's on mine.
https://www.pinterest.com/wkdprincess/

I work as a part time chef, so the food pins are always interesting
This is my Food Board, You can tell I like Sweet Stuff
https://www.pinterest.com/wkdprincess/foodies-goodies-recipes/

 My Second Passion is Photography,
 I Have a Board with Tip Pins for your Camera
AlsoI have a board which has some of my Pictures
Here are the 2 links
https://www.pinterest.com/wkdprincess/tips-for-you-and-your-camera/









www.wickedprincessbeads.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/wickedprincessbeads
https://www.pinterest.com/wkdprincess/
https://twitter.com/WPBeads

Friday, 18 September 2015

When I Die..

When I die.
( A funny story for the people who buy my house )




 This is not going to be sad or morbid, but funny.
When my time is Up and I am called to wherever I am to go and My business is either moved or sold and my children, have to sell my house
This is my letter to the new occupants of my house.

Dear New Owners,
 I hope you will enjoy your life in this house , as much as I did. It has seen it’s fair share of good and bad things, but I must warn you, that in every room, in the garden, the attic, the garage, the drive, you will find them, possibly for the rest of your lives.
I hear you ask, 
Find What???.
Beads is the answer
Yes they are below the Skirting boards, in the Fireplace, tucked below the Kitchen Cupboards, I mean everywhere, even between the Paving Stones in the Patio, as well as among the Flower Beds.
There has been more bead spills than oil spills in that house

Seed Beads, 4mm Glass Beads of all colours, Crystal, Crackle, Acrylics, they are all there, hiding either from me or from a visitor, who had come to learn how to bead.
Yes I have hovered weekly, I have had my granddaughters, my niece, my sister & her dog search for them, but they are there.
The Reason
Oh ! I forgot to say, I had a Bead shop in my garage, hence the reason for so many lost & hiding beads
So, if you should happen upon them, lift them, because if you don’t they will keep turning up, when you least expect them, anyway, when you do venture upon one, give a little smile, because I will be watching from wherever having a good laugh at you, plus it will be a vintage bead as well.
So , remember there has been thousands of beads in the garage, Hundreds of people have come and gone through the Back Gate and so many people left with a smile in their face and a little excitement in their heart, because of the beads that you didn’t find, had gone to a new home
Take care, especially at night, because they have a habit of coming out, especially when you don’t wear slippers
Have a good life and Happy Bead discovery.
Enjoy Your New Home

Jim

Check out the beads that haven't got lost on our website

Tuesday, 8 September 2015

Wasted Bubble Wrap

Wasted Bubble Wrap

Bubble Wrap….
You either Love it or Hate it,
 Me I’m indifferent



Oh yeah you go through a stage at first, when it is

 OH  !!! LOOK BUBBLE WRAP

You just have to squeeze it popping each individual plastic cushion, just to hear it pop, as well as the disappointment when you push one and it doesn’t pop, or someone had made to it first. You will even go as far as fight with a friend or work mate to get the piece just for yourself, as it is supposed to relieve Stress you tell yourself.

Ok I have been through that stage
Second stage it is, Ok I will keep this as I will need it to use as packing material, when I am sending out stuff, except that the amount of Bubble Wrap arriving in your orders are 6 times more than the orders that need it going out.
Thirdly, Then you become a Bubble Wrap Hoarder, it’s everywhere and I mean everywhere. You find places for it to hide, that didn’t exist for other stuff. You have boxes of the stuff, you offer it to the charity shops, but after the 15th box they begin to put the closed sign on the door , when they see you coming towards the shop, then you find uses for it, such as wallpaper , ( Only Joking ), but it makes good insulating. Then you give it away to people, who don’t want, then you start using it for other things like anything from Underwear to Hiding the cat in.


. 













                                             And you Thought I was Joking

You recycle it, till the recycling people, stop lifting it and stopping picking up your other recycling in case, you have it hidden in something else. Also there is another problem with it, people you know, then begin to bring you there’s, with either the line “ Thought you could use this” or  “I know you collect this”
 When you see it, you begin to cringe, knowing you have to find a use for it.
Finally, after trying to let it fly away in a high wind  Shouting after it “Fly, Fly like the Wind”,  just to find it has returned later and is wrapped around the garden gate, clinging to it like a child , who doesn’t want to go somewhere and having a tantrum
 My last resort is to put in my ordinary Rubbish, just to get rid of it, the guilt of that haunting me, the fear of the refuse collectors, knocking my door and handing it back to, saying “ Mate, You must have put that in the bin by mistake”
Me, I think, there should be a place for retired, popped Bubble Wrap……

Note:-
Actually, I have used Bubble Wrap, when building a stud wall and used it as insulating, as well as packing it tightly into black bags and used it to block the area above my sliding Garage Door, keeping the drafts out and helping keep frost from forming in the garage and I do use it for packaging, I make little Bubble Wrap bags to put the Beads into, when posting out


                                         Honestly , This is not me, Really!!!!!

OMG,
 I have just discovered there is App for Bursting Bubble Wrap to relieve Stress

                    There is a Bubblewrap Appreciation Day which is January

SAY NO MORE.....
#bubblewrap


Check out our Selection of Beads & Findings @
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Monday, 7 September 2015

Friday, 4 September 2015

The Guiltiness of an Afternoon Nap

The Guiltiness of an Afternoon Nap







Ok I know we are all guilty of it, but was it necessary or is it a necessity.

In the continent they have siesta time, which the EU, is trying to do away with. I’m a rebel, so I’m against the EU and their Idea.

Sometimes I find myself being upset that I have to nap, even in the early afternoon, but really should I feel guilty. Today, I got up and did some garden work, but after a bad night’s sleep, (Which is not unusual for me), I found myself really tired, like an energy leak had happened when I wasn’t looking. After that I had spend 30 minutes writing out orders to be sent and answering emails, looking through new stock items, deciding what to order and so on, but by the end I was sitting on the sofa, feeling so tired, exhausted even
Analyzing my tiredness, from anything from a bad night’s sleep to my age, I made the decision that I would take the plunge and Nap. Now strangely, When I nap it is a heavy sleep unlike my usual Night’s sleep, which feels similar to a sea journey in a rowing boat in the middle of a raging storm,. So I went to The land of Napping, waking 40 minutes later, feeling anything but rested, but I got up trailing myself from the nice warm spot on the sofa, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, half awake, I stumbled into the kitchen and began to work, Housework first, as I have to do the chores due to my on my own status, made dinner, washed the dishes , Brought a washing in, hung a washing out, put away my uniforms from my part time job as a chef, hung clothes up and more. The amount of work I got done was great and then I began to plan my strategy for my social media at the top of the garden in the sun, as lately I have been busy with my business and my part time job, plus 101 other things. Clearly my nap was not a waste of time, as I finished the strategy plans in record time, with so many new ideas, I surprised myself.  I also began writing my articles for my blog ( This was one of them),
Ok I did miss 40 minutes of Warm sunny weather of our short summer, here in Northern Ireland. Our National Anthem should be the song from Annie “The Sun Might Come Out Tomorrow, I know I have used Artistic license and changed a word, but it’s true. It has been sunny here for 2 days and already people are complaining. ???  Anyway  Folks, getting back to my query about guiltiness and naps. Today, My nap was not a waste of time , it revived me, cleared my head and eventually got my ass into gear. (Note I said Today, in case there is another day I do, feel guilty), as I got so much done.
Now I have discovered, that Albert Einstein,( who slept with his pencil in hand) Napoleon , ( Who napped upon his horse ), Wiston Churchill & Brahms were also advocates for Naps. See I'm not alone :)


But you might disagree. What you think  ????
Let me Know

Have a Great Day.

Smile at someone randomly today, see what happens.

Check out us out at our Website, where we never have naps


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Thursday, 3 September 2015

Guess Who's Back


Guess Who's Back

Hi Folks, I'm back to my Blog again and I'm here to stay....
OH! Yeah....

Only this time around, I'm going to be doing a load of new things & Ideas

My business had 3 beginnings, so I will tell you all about that
Bet you can't wait to find out how we got our name ???

 I am a Big Fan of Handmade Things, as you would expect and I will be showcasing some of the talent, I have met over the last year.
As well as that I will be supporting the 2015, Visit Your Bead Shop.
Loads of New Products to show you, as well as tips and ideas
 A few ideas of how to use Social Media to help your business, as well as Quotes for Crafters & Beaders to make you Laugh and feel Inspired.
As well , as that there will be stories & tales to make you Laugh & some will just make you grateful.

There's loads more as well
Keep Following us on Our Blog as well as on our Social Media



Saturday, 21 February 2015

Laird & Gillie...................................... A Different Angle on Tweed.....Plus More

 

Last October, I sat beside a Young Lady at the introduction day at the Church Street Craft Market in Ballymena Business Centre in Church Street for the very first time and immediately I liked her.
She was so full of life, it was bursting from her. When she spoke it was like a light in the darkness, She radiated Life and she is full of it, when she talks to you, it's as quick as the words come out, she is like an overflowing fountain. After talking to her, you feel the same. 

And I still didn't know her name

Her name is Gemma Lowry.
A Graduate from Ulster University in Belfast, she started her own Company 

Laird & Gillie 

And in That Title, there is a story also.
She uses Fabrics and Tweeds to make the most Beautiful Cushions, Pictures, Etc.
She is now working on launching her Dog Collars & Coats Line, aided by her faithful Model Millie, shown here modelling a New Coat & Collar.
:)



Here is just some of the colours of Irish & Scottish Tweeds, that Gemma uses


                                 Below are a small selection of her Designs.









A Selection of Pictures, Dog Collars (Millie posing again) & Cushions
( The Black & White Cushion was taken from a Photo of the Dog & was
 Gemma's very first U.S. order)
Check out her bespoke work on Facebook





















 A Beautiful bag for Stuff, We all need one of them.
We always have Stuff

I love this collection of Cushions



                                                                     Beautiful Tweed Cushion with Stags Head



A Recent Fair that Gemma attended






                                                                Another Stag Cushion. I love the band of 
                                                               colours at the side





Another Stag Cushion, but with a different design



A Tweed Winter Outside Doggie Coat.

I could tell you the story of how her business got it's name, but I think you should ask her, herself.
Gemma does Bespoke Orders
She also has her creations to sell in The Church Street Craft Market,
in Church Street. Ballymena

OH ! and don't forget to ask her about Hector :)