Instagram with Curling Stones for Lego People

As I've been a bit quiet on the blog lately, only posting when I have something I want to say, I find I'm using my Instagram a bit more often for bangle combos and updates...

If you want to follow me there, you can find me at curling_stones_for_lego_people but here are a few shots of what I've been buying and wearing this year so far...

L-R: New copper and brass bangles from Cottingley Treasuers, Work Wear - X Jewellery & Born of Fire,
Gig Time - old favourites with Eske Storm / Trollbeads / ACA Kreations / Endangered Trolls

L-R: Work Wear - X Jewellery and Born of Fire, Time for a Walk - Bluebell Woods, Iron Age Fort in Wales,
Old Favourites Returned - Eske Storm / Trollbeads, Born of Fire glass with Cottingley Treasures Bangle/Stoppers

John Grant's North Atlantic Flux - Sounds from Smoky Bay
L-R: Saturday, Sunday & Monday, newbies on Monday were Chocolate links X Jewellery,
Ohmbeads Typo Collection, Pandora leather with Born of Fire Glass.

My last Instagram post was showcasing that new Brass hammered bangle from Cottingley Treasures, had been umming and ahhing about what to pair with it to get the most out of it... I looked down at the pattern on my top and voila!

Cottingley Treasures Brass and Born of Fire Glass

I often think my Instagram can be quite an odd mix at times, lots of wrist shots but mixed in with walks and cups of tea!

Do you have an Instagram Account?

If you do/did, what do/would you post?

...and on the 7th day, I'm waiting for the 7th bangle

I've been having a love affair with bangles ever since I plucked up the courage to try the Trollbeads bangle.

Trollbeads Carved Amber with the first Trollbeads Day beads
on the silver bangle

I've never really worn bangles much before this, the odd cuff that could be bent to my super small wrists, or perhaps the 80's fashion of multiple stacked metal bangles but generally bangles don't suit me.

Then there was an oval shaped one that did, and the rest is history.

3 silver bangles with Summer Stones

Very quickly I acquired 3 silver ones, who doesn't like to stack?

Rebeligion Skulls, X Jewellery and 2 silver bangles

Then came the copper version... Then the twisted silver and copper versions, add to this copper and dark oxidised stoppers followed by decorative stoppers and I barely wear anything else.

Copper, silver twisted and silver bangles

Copper and Silver Twisted Bangles

So what is the 7th bangle?

Well you'll just have to wait as although I'm camped by the letterbox it hasn't arrived yet...

Do you stack your jewellery?

Is it piled high, or artfully aranged in it's simplicity?

Meeting myself coming back...

I don't think anyone would be surprised if I mentioned I was a wee bit busy at the moment... it seems to be just what I do these days rather than being anything out of the ordinary!  It does make blogging a tad difficult though... loads of content, not enough time to write about it!

I did almost meet myself coming back at the end of the month due to two epic trips - of the travel kind not the oops accident kind thankfully.

The first trip went without a hitch and a marvellous time was had by all, but the second, which although last minute, should have been relatively straight forward... turned into a large saga.  I don't mind, as I often think some things happen for a reason, and it led to a chance conversation as I was somewhere I wouldn't normally be at that time... which led to another conservation which I had no idea was even possible, which, if any of it goes to plan (ha!), could lead to some exciting opportunities next year - so it's had a very interesting, but totally not expected outcome... nor anything I could have possibly imagined...

...and yes, that will remain cryptic for quite some time, but when I can eventually tell you about it, whether it happens or not, I'll remind you of this post!

In other news, I have been steadily buying bits and pieces, however, unbelievably I'm well on target for my New Year's Bead Resolution of spending less, go me!  Yay for preloved beads, lovely artisan makers and sales with HUGE discounts!

There have been a lot of Skeletons turning up; on X links, bone beads and full skeletons, not THE skeleton though before anyone gets too excited.  I've been a very happy bunny to have so many arrive!  I haven't taken many photos (bad Mars) so I'll just tease you with these two, the X link and the Bone Bead which is my new favourite bead.

One of my big treats was via a sale.  I added the Trollbeads Amethyst and Malachite Fantasy Necklaces to my collection; I'm ashamed to say that after waiting so long for an opportunity to buy them during a sale I've not done much with them... it's the whole meeting myself coming back effect.

I've indulged in some of the new Trollbeads Spacers, or new stoppers, but more on those another day... and I've even bought myself a Pandora Bracelet, well ordered it at least!

Yep, all of this in the last 6 months and I'm still on track, I can barely believe it myself!

What has surprised you this year?

Do you think I'll blow my "half year" budget in the last 2 weeks of the month?!

Double, Double Toil and Trouble

I'm having a Victor Meldrew moment here... a glorious 5 days of feeling much better after Lurgy 1.0 finally gave up defeated after our epic month long battle, and then I went down with Lurgy 2.0 on Friday...

An unexpected visitor who came to see
what I was up to last week... I think he heard about
my new Redbalifrog Lock!

So far it appears to be a faster, quicker version so I'm hoping it's also a shorter version and that I might be sane & healthy by the weekend.  I really don't fancy another 4 week stint - I have plans and a life to get back to!

As a result of Lurgy 1.0 I indulged in my Redbalifrog Wishlist starting with the Dragon Lock that's been at the VERY top of my lock wishlist for years.  This was shortly followed by the Frog Lock from the 2014 Me'Lange Collection and two of the charms from the Myths and Legends Collection that debuted earlier this year: Book of Spells and Cyclops Skull.  Which you might notice is doing a headstand for the photo, bear with me, it's been one of those weeks!

Look what happens when you're stuck at home ill!

In the background you can see I'm catching up with my rubber links from X Jewellery, the not so new but gorgeous Khaki colour, with more on the way now I've seen the colour in person!

I also wanted to show you what's been on my wrist this last week or two, a slightly belated delivery of beads that have gone straight from parcel to bangle.

Scott Bouwens Glass Beads

Two gorgeously deep red and black beads from Scott Bouwens - if the name sounds familiar to Trollbeads fans, Scott was the designer of the Rocky Beach Kit!

These weren't the only beads that arrived, nor my only Scott beads... but it's time to have another Lemsip and I'm flagging a bit.. so I'll leave you with just these for  now!

What new things are you looking forward to?

A Delirious Ramble and a Budget Blown

Just so we are clear; let me start by saying how thoroughly fed up I am.  I've just dragged my arse into the shower to try and freshen up from the most malingering bug/virus I've had since October 2009...

Somewhere in Wales - from my sick bed

Obviously I wasn't writing a blog in October 2009 or I might have told you about it at the time in between hacking up my lungs and wondering if there was enough oil in the tank to last the week.  If I had been writing a blog back then, this is the photo I would have shown you, taken from my sick bed during the year we spent living in the middle of nowhere, it was great - the place not the bug.  At least now I can drag myself a few yards to the corner shop to stock up on more meds; back then it was a 6 mile drive to the nearest corner shop!

What does this have to do with beads, or a blown budget you might be wondering?  Will she get to the point?  Almost there... bear with me!

Festival Nights

Today I should have been on my way in my little bus to a festival, one that I've been looking forward to since I didn't go to it this time last year - ticket bought back in December, and the fact it coincided with a certain significant birthday (the bus's not mine) was all the more sweet.  Making time to catch up with old friends, make new ones and just chill out in what has been a busy year so far.

So I've been chilling out, but not in the way I imagined, I'm literally chilling out, then boiling out and then repeat.

So beads & budgets, where am I going with this?  I'm not sure, other than having been able to sell my festival ticket at the last minute (I was hanging on with grim determination in the hope I would be better) I had some unexpected funds in the bank.  Add this to the rather large amount of diesel I now don't have to put into the bus, along with some spending money I won't be spending and a large amount of time where all I can muster the energy to do is look at the Internet... and guess which Rabbit Hole I fell down?

Photo by Samantha Marx

Yep the bead one!

It all started innocently enough with OHM's Bead of the Month announcement for October.

For those of you on planet Earth who haven't cottoned on yet, the wonderfully creative and quirky OHM team have been releasing Limited Edition Bead of the Month beads for a few months now...

OHM beads - Bead of the Month - August 2015 - Black Sheep

I have one already, have coveted a few more, and have just bought my second, the very wonderful Deadhead - a cross between a pumpkin and a Day of the Dead Sugar Skull, my kind of bead!

Of course once that was in my virtual shopping cart... I suddenly realised that if I was putting in an order, I might as well have a browse to see what else I fancied as I was shopping with one of the retailers who stock lots of my favourite brands... 2 locks and 2 more silver beads from Redbalifrog and some rubber X Jewellery links later (and some deleted Bali Clicks items where I'd gone a bit overboard and seriously overspent the overspend) and I was done.

Now to sit back and wait for the pitter patter of tiny packages hitting the mat... although sadly, despite my love of jewellery, I really wish I was hearing the pitter patter of tiny raindrops on my bus windows instead.

Come join in with the misery...

What have you looked forward to for ages, only for it not to happen?