SALE NOW ON

Hope everyone had a fab Christmas and looking forward to the New Year!!

I've decided to bring the SALE forward a couple of days as I'm also designing a new website.

Visit the SALE www.beadsandmorebylois.co.uk

Looking forward to the New Year!

I love New Year, always feels like a fresh start for anything that has gone wrong the year before and New Years Day is also the day my husband and I got together, 7 years ago! Will be looking forward to our first wedding anniversary in May, ahhhhhh.

After my HUGE SALE that I will be launching on 1st Jan, some items up to 75% off!!! I'll be creating a new website, will still be keeping the same web address though www.beadsandmorebylois.co.uk

All of my jewellery will be in the sale, including this fab bracelet...

Was £15.00

Will be selling for £12

This necklace

Was £15.00

Will be £11.00

These earrings

Was £8.00

Will be £6

Even this ring!

Was £12.00

Will be £9!!

Bookmark my website and make sure you visit the sale for a great bargain!

Nearly Christmas!!!

Hi everyone,


I cant believe it's nearly Christmas! I've only got a couple more presents to buy. I stuck to my word and bought lots of handcrafted presents this year from MISI and will definitely be doing it from now on. One of my faves have been these handmade soya candles, they smell delicious! 

These were made to order by The Pink Fairy Cake http://www.misi.co.uk/product_desc.php?user_id=12445

I'm giving one to my Mum, sister, cousin and friend.

I bought this for my sister, he's called Punkee Zee and she is going to love him, luckily she doesn't read this blog or I've just given away two of her presents!

This was made by Hennie's NimbleNeedles, also on MISI.

Ive only bought one for myself so far and can't bare to give it up because it is soooo scrummy, check this out

It really smells like chocolate and you have to force yourself not to nibble on it! I'm certainly keeping it out of sight from my toddler! You can buy one for yourself or other fabulous soaps from www.soaperstar.com

My friend who made the above soap also writes a fab blog, her last one was what inspired me to write this and tell you about the talented crafty people Ive bought from this year, it's about promoting them and the lovely things they make by doing a random act of kindness. Please read her blog and maybe you could join in and do something random for someone today?

http://soaperstar.blogspot.com/2009/12/random-acts-of-kindness-join-kindness.html

Prize Draw!

Firstly I'd like to thank everyone who entered, thank you for all your blogs and tweets!


I wrote all your names on pieces of paper and folded them all. 

My 20 month old son Alfie then picked the lucky winner.

So I am happy to announce that the winner is......






.......












...........

ALISON TINLIN AKA MRS PandP!!!!!!


Well done! Let me know which prize you would like and I'll send it :)

Back in action with a prize giveaway!

I apologise for the lack of blogging action but I had a good reason! I gave birth to my second son on the 25th October, we named him Shay and he was 6lbs 1oz :)

But as christmas is only round the corner and with christmas fayres to attend I thought I'd best get back to work!


I'd like to re-launch myself with a prize giveaway, how would you like to win either one of these bracelets...

Blue Iris Chain Maille Bracelet

Or

Hot Pink Daisy Bracelet

Or

These beautiful earrings...

Green Crystal Silver Earrings

For a chance to win, visit www.beadsandmorebylois.co.uk have a browse through my items then come back here and leave a comment about your favourite item. I will put your name in a jar and pick a name on the 30th November.


To gain extra entries:

• Follow my Beads & More by Lois blog (1 extra entry)
• Become a Facebook Fan (1 extra entry)
• Follow me on Twitter (1 extra entry) http://twitter.com/beadsmorebylois
• Tweet about the prize giveaway with a link to my blog (2 extra entries)
• Make a post about this prize giveaway on your own blog (2 extra entries)
• Make a purchase from Beads & More by Lois website or MISI shop (5 extra entries)

Ends Midnight on 30th November 2009, good luck!

I've FINALLY took photos of new jewellery and got it all onto the website, have a look at www.beadsandmorebylois.co.uk

I also made some fun Halloween pieces today, more cute then spooky but I think they are fab!

Pumpkin charm bracelet with a lampwork pumpkin, silver pumpkin charms, stars and balls and Swarovksi crystals.

Pumpkin cluster, chain necklace with a silver pumpkin charm, stars and beads!

Looking forward to making some christmas themed jewellery but think I'll leave that till the baby is here!

Halloween Baby

Now October is here, reality has hit that I am having my baby this month!! Due on halloween and I hope he comes on that day - think of all the fab parties!

This month is going to be busy, what with christmas fairs next month to prepare for and a baby on the way, I really need to get stuck into building a larger stock of jewellery but been in abit of a slump the last week. I've finished orders but not been creative with anything new and interesting, I've just been staring at my beads..... Who wants to give me a kick up the bum?!

I've been creatively busy today!

I've designed some more jewellery today and I'm really happy with what I've produced!

Here is a colourful, modern necklace and ring set..

And here is my glam, dusky rose set..

What do you all think? I've put them on my website but if they don't sell I'm hoping they will do well at the next jewellery party :)

It's been too long!

It's been ages since I've had a waffle on my blog! Been so busy since the jewellery party but things have settled down again now and I've had the opportunity to design and make some more jewellery. The jewellery party was quite successful, much better then I thought. I was really nervous before but soon got into the swing of things and at the end of the night once I saw how many orders I had I was so chuffed! The napkin rings were popular and someone asked me to make them some glass charms out of the wire wrapped pendants I do so I will introduce them at my next party - which is in less than two weeks now!! Eeek

A couple of days ago I launched a SALE on my website to make way for new stock in more wintery and this seasons colours. I've also added some jewellery sets and a new section for the younger girls which I was inspired to do from the jewellery party as a few of the women had younger girls. I made a fabulous pink charm bracelet for a girl also called Lois (not often someone has the same name as me!) Heres a pic...

I've started making cluster rings which are quite popular. It was my friend Ali's anniversary and she asked me to make her one in red as a gift from her husband, she loved it and I am so pleased as I get so nervous as to what people think!! She's a wedding and party planner and will soon be featuring on a CD which will go on the front of a National Bridal Magazine and will be on telly when she exhibits at a wedding show soon! Exciting stuff, proves how fab she is, check out her blog http://plansandpresents.blogspot.com/ or her wesbite

And heres a pic of her ring..

I've still been attending jewellery making workshops on a wednesday, week before last we made tiaras! Now that was fiddly, I'll leave that to the experts like you Allie! Allie also makes jewellery and mainly specialises in bridal jewellery, you can check out her blog at www.nujoolz.blogspot.com She amazes me as she works full time, has a family and runs her own business which she always has orders for. Check both Ali and Allie out if you are getting married!

This week at the workshop we made felt beads, next week we will be embellishing them so at the moment they look like purple blobs, but watch this space, next week they MAY look fabulous! LoL

As I've mentioned a couple of my creative and hugely supportive friends I'd like to mention a few more as they have blogs also! Celine, who is building her own business of soap making is one of my biggest fans ;) I am also one of hers as she is so creative and makes the most wonderful smelling soaps and lotions, I know that for certain as she sent me some as a wedding present! I can't wait until she sets up her website and makes me some body cream which sparkles. Please have a look at her blog with pics of some of her creations HERE

Theres also Susie who has been creative for years with card and jewellery making but has recently started selling her wonders. You can visit her Etsy shop HERE and her blog HERE She is also fabulous with material and makes Eco friendly nappies :)

Jewellery workshop

For the last two weeks I've attended a jewellery workshop to learn new things and improve my current techniques. My teacher is really good and loves wire wrapping like me so we're going to create some fantastic jewellery over the next few weeks!

The first week she showed me basic wire wrapping techniques and I wire wrapped a pretty pendant:

And this week I chose something I wanted to learn out of a book and found a wire wrapped bangle, so I made this, not entirely sure about the yellow beads now but I can do it again with other colours!

My first jewellery party has nearly arrived! It's tomorrow night at 7pm and I'm really nervous. Hopefully people will like my jewellery and book their own party, got another booked through my aunt for the middle of September and a lady who is coming to the party also wants one nearer christmas. So I best buy more stock this weekend and make lots more before this baby arrives in October because I'm sure I'll be very busy with him and my 17 month old toddler :)

Adding abit of twist!

I've mastered the art of wire twisting! With a bit more practice it will look better but I like what I have achieved so far. I think it really sets off a piece of jewellery and can secure a bead or crystal nicely.

I made these earrings, think they be an acquired taste, but we'll see if they sell!

I also made this bracelet that I really love, using the twisting method to secure the Swarovski crystals.

Made lots of new jewellery!

Well I've been a busy bee in the evenings make more stock and experimenting with new designs, I've tried a couple of new techniques, this picture of a bracelet I made which I found quite hard at first but once got the hang of it was really impressed and thought it was soooo pretty... 

I've also been experimenting with making little charms in-between the bracelet links, to give it an extra bit of sparkle...

And these are my favourite earrings I have made so far, tempted to keep them for myself..

I'm certain I have enough stock for the jewellery party now and for the time being I'm still putting everything on my website and some bits on ArtFire to sell.

It's my birthday tomorrow, I'm 26!! Theres nothing I really need so told my Mum to get me some jewellery making items and she is going to pay for me to go on a jewellery making course to learn more! Only thing is it starts end of September and runs for 10 weeks, our baby is due end of October so won't be able to start on the next one!

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Website Improved

Spent all day working on my website and think I've improved it, hopefully made it look more professional. I've added terms and conditions, jewellery party section, previous designs gallery, news and offers and a links section. Think having a previous designs gallery is good as I can still showcase what I've already made and sold without having to have 'sold' splashed across the images so people can still see what I've made!

Lets hope more people visit!

Weekend over

Had a busy weekend attending birthday parties and now looking forward to the week ahead.

Managed to make some jewellery in the evenings and have all my ideas wrote down for the jewellery party, just need to put them into action and get the invitations printed!

Maybe starting a new adventure with people from the craftsforum.co.uk, a group of us want to set up a website to promote/advertise all of our websites, etsy, ebay shops etc in one place, for little cost! People have come up with some good ideas so we'll see where it takes us.

Going to see Oasis this afternoon at Wembley!! I used to love them when I was younger and all my friends were into Boyzone.... lol Not so much into them now but my Step Dad has got my sister and I a ticket so we are all going together, hubby is also going with his friends but not till Sunday. Not sure they will compare to Kings of Leon who I saw last week though!!!! Love them.

So this morning I woke up buzzing with ideas for the jewellery party, got some great tips off some ladies on craftsforum.co.uk, they said to make a flyer to get some bookings for another party, hopefully some of the guests will be interested and I could offer a gift or percentage of profits to make it more enticing ;) I'm going to buy some organza bags to put all purchases in along with my business card and might offer gift wrapping and see if my Mum or one of my aunts will do that for me! Thinking I could charge 50p to £1 for that service, depending on how much the materials cost I guess.

Exciting but scary stuff!

1st Jewellery party to be planned

Went to see my Mum today and she has been gassing away to my aunts and coming up with jewellery party ideas for me, such as who to invite, what food and drink etc!! So I've agreed with it all and said I can be ready in a couple of weeks but I'm rather scared.... Worried people will come and think my jewellery is rubbish but feel 'obliged' to buy something! 

I'm going to go for it though as really want to sell all of what I've made so far so I can buy some more beads and findings that I have my eye on and start running into the black instead of red!!

So I shall be a busy bee coming up with new designs and making lots of jewellery over the next couple of weeks :)

First blog!

Hi everyone,

I'm Lois, nearly 26 and I'm married to Liam, 27. We have a 15 month old son called Alfie and another baby boy on the way, due October 31st!

I'm currently a stay at home Mum but a staff nurse by trade. 

My hobby is jewellery making and I've recently set up a website to start selling my products! I've mainly been selling to friends and family but thought I'd share my designs with the world!!! ha ha 

I'd really like to start selling at craft fairs and fetes but need to learn how to find and get into them.

Thanks for reading, hope you come back and read about me again :)