Quiet Drove, Bulrushes and Pumping Stations

   This week I chose Tuesday as my long cycle day and another first for me as I headed off towards the small village of Pymoor. The village is around 16 miles from us so a half decent all round trip of 30 ish miles, not the longest of journeys but another fen village I had yet to visit.
   Like most trips I found myself passing through some wonderful fenland countryside, those long straight drains that seem to stretch for mile after mile and of course the water meadows that ease the risk of flooding every winter and all lit by the low morning sun. Heading along "Hundred Foot Bank" which follows the "New Bedford River" was as ever a feast of virgin sights for me, one such sight was a stunning old pumping station with some really interesting stone plaques upon it's wall.

   Uncovering these small hidden treasures of fen history is fast becoming a great pleasure for me and the miles seem to pass with far less effort. It was soon after passing this old station that I noticed the great sight of bulrushes, without fail seeing these reeds always brings memories of my mum flooding back, she used them in many autumn flower arrangements, sometimes in high glass vase with dried seed heads, willow and thistles and at times just alone in bunches. I remember watching her cut the stems to length and the way the bulrush heads (pokers as we kids called them), would over the weeks start to turn into fluff as if shedding their skin.
   So into the small village of Pymoor I rode, very quiet little parish, I never saw a soul walking the streets, I guess the lack of shops etc is gradually turning these small settlements into "commuter villages" rather than the once self-sufficient communities of the Victorian and Edwardian periods. 

 
    All in all a very enjoyable trip and yet another small fen village crossed off my list, now trying to decide where to go next but until then the same 20 mile cycle each morning. 

All In Just Five Days

   Once more the pumpkin harvest ruled the fens for the last few weeks, there are two main signs here in the flat lands that winter is arriving, firstly the pumpkin fields are alive with action and secondly the sugar beet crop is being lifted and indeed both have been prominent.
   Every year I'm amazed at the efficiency of the pumpkin harvest, being out cycling every day I note how the fens change and the pumpkin fields are by far the quickest to change, the three pictures below were taken within five days of each other and show just how fast the wonderful orange crop can go from field to shop.

   Now with the mornings a little cooler and the low sun, the fens are a very different place than they were a couple of months ago, the green hedgerows are now wearing that beautiful jewellery of autumn with the golds and rusty reds replacing those bright fresh greens of summer and the many miles of open land have a real feel of a harsh few months heading our way.

Being Different Really Does Matter

   I've now been making lampwork beads for a long while and over that time I've learned that the best bead jewellery designers are those who explore the different, not only do their designs show something very unique but also the colours and shades they use make every piece interesting. They always seem to resist the temptation to follow the trends, for them it's all about leading, pushing the boundaries, being as unique as possible and this is why even when making my spacer beads I try to produce shades that others dismiss.

   This week I've been adding even more sets to the spacer bead selection in my shop including some very rustic looking beads which seem to be attracting interest already. For those who wish to look over the new shades just follow the link below.
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/pebbledreams

 

     

Not Harvest Weather

   The past two weeks here in the east have been a touch damp to say the least, harvest started with the rapeseed being cut but then soon after when the wheat cutting started the rain gods decided to put in an appearance, now we have had nearly two weeks of rain with just the odd dry day here and there. I've gone from watching the harvesting of peas, rapeseed, potatoes and wheat, to now just casting my eye over acres of wet crops and mud filled fields, let's just hope the summer returns soon.

   On the plus side I've spent longer hours making beads as the two days a week I set aside for landscaping the garden have been cancelled due to the weather and I think all who know me will know that makes this old bead hermit very happy. Sometimes even I find it strange how after all these years I still enjoy long days at my torch,  I sometimes wonder how old I will be before it fades. I imagine myself working away well into my 80's sitting at my torch muttering to myself about dodgy glass and why odd ideas just won't work and knowing me I'll be surrounded by beads filling every tiny space, even hanging from the rafters, but I guess that's not such a bad picture to have.
 

Why So Different?

   I guess like most bead makers and other artisans I often get correspondence from customers, most consisting of kind words about my beads, others asking questions about the way I work etc. One common question asked is why I love making such unique and in many cases strange bead designs, why don't I just make all the normal shapes like others, round, tyre, cushions, lentil etc etc, so for those who are new to my blog and new to my beads I'll try to explain the reasons.
   From a young child I was always a touch different in the things I did, I loved drawing and designing with the old felt tip pens we used back then, I would come up with strange patterns and carried on doing so through my school days, finally getting good results in art exams. Even in my adult years when hard landscaping my patio or walling ideas were very different and I was always looking to incorporate quirky little features, so I guess when I started making beads I was never going to be happy following the trends as such.
   Over the years I've seen literally hundreds of new bead makers appear, some of which only stay in the craft a year or so, others who end up making a living from their work as I do, but in nearly ever case I see the same old beads being made. With the many bead groups and forums that now exist it's so easy for people to just reproduce what others make and that's just not the way I work, yes we all make tyre beads or pressed beads in different shapes, but to do this all the time without exploring the different would drive me crazy. To me the glass and the flame can produce some stunning effects on their own, far more than I could by placing dots etc in certain places, the crackles, rock effects and swirls produced by the flame are natural, it's like they produce magic and all I'm doing is helping them, so often I have made beads but had no idea what they would look like until they are removed from the kiln the next morning and that feeling is unique. If somebody makes a simple bead and places frit or dots upon it, they will have a good idea how it will end up, but me, well I'd rather not know, I'd rather experiment and that includes spending hours trying new forms other than the usual ones.

   So I guess all in all I just want to be different, I love to lock myself away in my studio and play, not knowing from one day to the next what I'll produce, yes I'll always have to reproduce some beads for customers and of course beads like spacers, but I'll always be pushing at the boundary as in how odd and different my beads can be, I just hope customers will find ways of using them.

  

Putting in the Miles While Watching the Fens Change

   The old bead hermit has been putting in the miles this last week or two, every day the fens seem to change and now harvest is upon us, the many miles of flat farmland that were so cold and bare in winter are now so alive. The farms are busy, the hedgerows are abundant with wildlife and those beautiful wide skies are full of the great birds of the marshes, what more could I wish for as I cover the area.

Dragon Dreams Return

   After some great feedback from customers who have worked with my "Dragon Dreams" I just had to get more made, they always seem to be popular tho when making the first ever set I did wonder if anybody would dare explore their very unique shape. Thankfully more and more bead jewellery designers are beginning to push back the limits as to the bead designs they are using, I hope more will follow and we will see some fantastic new jewellery being worn.
   You can now obtain my "Dragon Dreams" from my Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/pebbledreams 

Hunstanton

   The first "Hunstanton" pebble beads were only in the shop a matter of hours so after enquiries from customers as to if I'd be making more, I decided to list a couple more sets. There are two options, a set of seven beads and a larger set of nine, both sets come complete with matching spacers.

New Encased Nuggets

   The skies here in the fens may not be at their brightest but my flame as been burning well and each day new beads are being added to the Etsy shop, https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/pebbledreams
Yesterday another great set of encased nugget beads were listed and already they are gaining admirers, which of course I'm really pleased about.  https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/539770421/angel-breath-lampwork-beads-sra-uk?ref=shop_home_active_2

Rock Face

   On a grey damp day here in the fenlands of the east it's nice to be working once more with the many colours of summer though I'm sure the beautiful warm weather will soon return.
   This morning I listed more beads including the favourite of many, the "Rock Face" encased beads, I guess if I'm honest they are a favourite of mine too.
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/539112457/rock-face-lampwork-beads-sra-uk?ref=shop_home_active_6

Turkish Delight

   The first set of "Turkish Delight" beads are now listed in the shop, a wonderful fresh colour, ideal for any piece of summer jewellery. https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/pebbledreams

Aztec Marble

   The new "Aztec Marble" beads are now listed in the shop, my god I bloody love these beads; https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/524973936/aztec-marble-lampwork-beads-sra-uk?ref=shop_home_active_1

More New Orphan Beads

   It's turning out to be a very mixed week here in the marsh lands of East Anglia, boiling hot weather to start, thunder storms today, car in hospital, new garden pergola built and still I found lots of time to share with my flame.
   Some who know me know I suffer from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and to be honest this week it became an utter pain, lack of sleep and causing a slower work rate with my beads as put me in low mood, which some would say is the norm for this grumpy old git.
   This evening more new spacer beads have been listed in the Etsy shop plus another nice new set of "Rock Orphan" beads, so please feel free to go take a look.  https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/pebbledreams

The Smaller Pebble Bead Sets

   Just about to be listed in my Etsy shop are the first of the smaller pebble sets, ideal for those who don't need or can't afford larger amounts. https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/pebbledreams

Summer Spacers

   Anybody looking for great quality British lampwork spacer beads check out my Etsy shop, the selection is fast becoming one of the best on Etsy and the prices are downright silly. https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/pebbledreams

New Pebbles, Fengil Stones

   The latest pebble beads have just been listed in the Etsy shop; https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/537523539/fengil-stones-lampwork-pebble-beads-sra?ref=shop_home_active_2

Etsy Shop

   I have been asked by some if I could place the link to my Etsy shop here on my blog, so here it is for those interested.  https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/pebbledreams
   If anybody has any questions about my beads regarding how they are made etc, please feel free to email me at the follwing address;  upwellsell@aol.com

Warm Weather, Garden Work and Lots of Miles

   The last few weeks have been busy ones indeed, what with all the extra orders I've had my flame has been burning longer hours and without doubt sitting next to my kiln in this weather s becoming harder as I get older. I shouldn't moan for a year or two back any orders were a blessing let alone being as busy as I am at present, The summer months were always the slower of the year, people were heading on holidays and buying beads wasn't very high on their agenda, but luckily things are slowly changing and more new customers are discovering and enjoying my beads.

   After working hard last year on the inside of the cottage, this summer is about the garden, new patio, pergola and all over change around, which is down to this ex-landscaper. I know most who know me will know I'm enjoying every second out there but don't mention it to the other half, I'm trying to make it look like hard work haha!
   The cycling is still going well and for the first time in weeks the winds that rattle the fens are settling down so the miles are far more pleasant, the countryside is green, the wildlife is busy and the beautiful wide skies are blue, what more could I ask.
 

Afternoon Cycle

   I guess one of the perks of my job is that I get to be my own boss, I can take the odd hour off when I please and I can work longer hours if I wish to. This week has been no different, I decided to take a few hours off to cycle one of our local areas of interest, Ten Mile Bank. For me it's quite a long trip, just over 30 miles in total, I know those who cycle will laugh and say that's nothing but for a guy who is still over 20 stone it's not that easy, as one guy I know said, it's like some of those who cycle having another guy on their back while they cover the miles, which I guess is correct. Anyway I set off for Ten Mile Bank and Denver Sluice via Welney, of course the fen breeze was in full force as always but after cycling through the winter I'm now getting used to it.

   As I passed through the village of Welney and headed towards the Wetland Centre the sunshine was warming the air and for once I was happy to be away from my flame, nothing better than being out in the wilds of the fens with not a care in the world. The WWT Centre was busy with lots of children there, a great place for the parents to take them in the Easter holidays and the flooded meadows still looked like they held a wide range of wetland birds.

   Soon I was heading towards the small hamlet of Ten Mile Bank and the lovely open river that was the reason for this ride, this area always seems so peaceful to me, yes the small drove road follows alongside the river bank but hardly a car passes and the river holds so much wildlife, it sure takes your mind off of those aching legs. The odd family having picnics and locals out walking but apart from that it was pure peace and for once with the wind behind the ride was an easy one for a few miles. As I arrived at Denver Sluice the boating crowds were there, sitting on their floating weekend palaces, spring cleaning their little vessels and some just sitting enjoying the sunshine, I guess to them this place will be their weekend retreat for the next few months.

   After a drink break and 20 minutes watching the boats it was time to head home via Downham Market, around 10 miles and every yard would be against the wind. I could have picked  nice still day but I guess if I can do this trip in the wind then I can now do it at any time, plus the extra work can only be good for me.
   When I think of that first day on a bike and after just 20 mins how I had to get off being so out of breath, I'm now quite proud that I head off every day on my trip of just under 20 miles and these longer trips like Ten Mile Bank, it goes to show that even the biggest of us can get fit, we can lose weight and start to enjoy life again, we just have to want it. Hopefully this coming holiday weekend I might get to do my next longer trip and if so I'll post it on here.

Spacer Bead Prices

   After a full long day in the garden yesterday I've gained enough credit points to spend a few  hours playing with silver glass in my studio followed by a good cycle through the local drove roads, I can't think of a better way to spend a sun filled spring Sunday. As I grow older I realize just how much the turning of the seasons can effect us, for me the cold winters working in my barn studio seem to extend each year and the arrival of the warmer weather becomes a greater pleasure, of course it's more likely just old age that longs for the heat, either way it certainly puts a spring in my step.

   I had a nice message from a customer this week regarding the price of my spacer beads in the Etsy shop, she mentioned how much she had paid in the past to other bead makers for their spacers and couldn't believe what great value my beads were. I explained that the prices some charge for simple spacer beads had always been a bugbear for me and promised I would post my reasons why here on the blog. Having been a bead maker now for many years I have seen, met and known of many kinds of bead maker, I've seen them come and go and I've witnessed prices that range from great to unbelievable and none more so than with spacer beads. Now before I go on I have to say the prices that people place on their beads is completely up to them, if they believe their beads are of such a fantastic high standard then I guess they have every right to price them as such, but when it comes to the simple spacer bead then my thoughts are very different.
    A spacer bead is I guess the most basic of beads though some good jewellery designers know they are also a very important part of bead jewellery, they are the base to some wonderful pieces when used correctly and as a bead maker I know that to make spacer beads is probably the easiest of jobs and can take seconds rather than minutes, so why some makers charge what can only be called ridiculously high prices for them I do not know.  In just half an hour searching for lampwork spacer beads online I have found prices that range from a sensible £3.99 for ten beads up to the outrageously high price of £7.50 for just six beads, these prices do not include the postage, which I must add can be morally unacceptable too. I have even seen some claiming their spacer beads are replicas of ancient or medieval beads, come on, who the hell are you kidding, they are bloody spacer beads, no more no less!
   Now when I was attending bead fairs around the country I was often told by other bead makers how sales had dropped and people were using imported seed beds from India, China etc rather than lampwork spacers and my answer was always the same, price spacer beads at a reasonable price and more people will use British made beads. As you can imagine to some this went down like a lead balloon, their beads priced low, "oh no, I'm not doing that".
   This is the way I feel, by selling your spacer beads at reasonable prices you do two things, firstly it means your customers can afford to use your spacer beads and still have the money to buy focal beads or main bead sets, letting them complete whole jewellery pieces without breaking the bank. Secondly and more importantly by selling your spacers at sensible prices means more new people can afford to start using handmade lampwork beads, even the young can afford to start using British beads in their jewellery, now how can that be wrong, why on earth would I want to out price half the population, that's no way to gain more users of our beads.

   So, to the lady who messaged me, thank you for your kind words and I promise my spacer beads will stay at realistic prices and to those bead snobs who charge silly prices for the common spacer, stop moaning about sales going down when you know the answer, sensibly priced spacers can lead to more sales and more people using our lovely British made lampwork beads

Beautiful Signs of Summer

   This week the signs of summer have flooded the fens, the warm sunshine, the smells of cut grass and the sight of nesting birds collecting building materials, all a wonderful part of country life. As I cycle each day I pass the miles of blossom filled hedgerows and the once dark soiled fields that now boast those young crops of barley and wheat and the amazing scent of the flowering rape that welcomes the warmer season each year.

   The summer spacer colours are a great hit with customers in the Etsy bead shop,  https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/pebbledreams 
   I'm starting to get some wonderful pictures from jewellery designers who are using my beads, the picture below shows a piece made by Caroline Legg, Caroline has used a selection of my encased orphan beads to great effect, I often explain to people how good these lovely beads can look when used alone without the bling of other mediums and this I feel is a perfect example.

   Well for this old bead hermit a weekend in the garden calls along with the odd evening shift with my flame, more new spacers are to be listed this coming week and a lot more encased summer beads that I'm sure will find homes with some of the great designers who use my beads. Enjoy your weekend and embrace the signs of summer.

Orphan Beads, Spacers and Bloody Doris!

   Well it's been a busy couple of weeks both with the beads and cottage life here in the fens. As did a fair proportion of Britain we were stuck by "Storm Doris", as most will know we have good strong winds here in the flat lands at the best of times but Doris was something else. We have been here for around 15 years now and I can honestly say we have never had gales so strong. On the morning of the storm I was working in my studio as normal, my flame lit and kiln beside me when out of the corner of my eye I saw two of our large conifer trees come crashing down just inches from the studio wall next to my seat, to say I was shocked was an understatement  and to think it was only a few weeks back when I was joking with a neighbour how knowing my luck one of those trees wold fall onto the studio while I was in it, well it looks like somebody up there was looking down on my that morning as I was just inches away from a serious accident.

   So as you can imagine the following week was spent with chainsaw in hand and the odd bonfire or two until the whole mess was sorted. Hopefully now we have spring and summer to look forward to and not so many storms and gales.
   On the bead side of things the last few weeks have been really busy, the introduction of spacer beads to the Etsy shop as really produced good sales, both sets of 20 beads and the larger sets of 40 being listed. Also I decided to start listing some sets of orphan beads, like most bead makers I love to experiment with silver glass, striking, reducing, encasing etc, so I find myself hoarding these beads in boxes where they would and are gathering dust. So to sell them on Etsy is not only giving customers the chance to use them but also making a little extra income.

Winter Gems

   Well the frost covered mornings seen to have given way to a wet damp spell, but as ever the mytical flat lands of the east still seem to produce yet more naturally stunning sights for this bead maker's sore eyes.
   The extra miles I'm putting in on the morning cycles mean I get to explore even more of the fens, yes I've travelled around most of  this area in the last 14 years, but always by car, not by bike and don't get me wrong I enjoy driving and we have visited some great places, but being on a bike you see far more. Every road and drove that I travel holds new gifts, I see so much more detail than I do through a car window, the dyke banks, the rivers, those tiny drove roads that always seem to be littered with wildlife, and those wonderful great birds of pray that hunt the wild headlands and riverbanks alike.

    Even now in mid winter, I still seem to come across some amazing gems of the countryside, from the flocks of Fieldfare to the beautiful Barn Owls that sit on rural gate posts like little princes dressed in warm ermine, just shows that minter really can be a magical season.

A Mixed Week

   This last week has been one of mixed results as far as beads are concerned, I've been playing with new focal ideas but as yet the effects I'm looking for have not materialized. I think you all know me well enough by now to realize that they won't be listed for sale or indeed even shown here on the blog until I manage to get them right, fingers crossed they will be up and running soon.
   On a brighter note, I'm working on a batch of different spacer beads that will I'm sure be appearing very soon in the Etsy shop, https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/pebbledreams  The range will consist of larger sets (20 beads), but will all be one-off sets, meaning it will be first come first served. Over the last few months I had a number of requests from customers regarding the larger spacer sets I sold in the past and if I would be listing any again, so I hope these coming sets will again become popular to those who use spacer size beads more regularly than the larger beads. I do know a lot of customers use spacers when making bracelets and leather jewellery as they sit better against the skin, so hopefully they will find some that interest them and please don't forget, I'm always happy to see any photographs of your work, I love to see how my beads are used, even simple spacers.

   On the cycling side of things, it's been a good week, I've improved the amount of miles I'm putting in and the weather has been a great mixture, from dark and damp to beautiful clear frosty mornings. I can never understand how anybody could label the fens as boring and flat, when even in winter those stunning wide skies and open countryside can change in so many ways, I now understand why those Victorian artists were so keen on this magical part of the country.

  

The School Room

   As most of you will know each morning I cycle around the fens,  my route differs but on many occasions I pass through the small village of Lakes End when setting off on my travels. It's just a small parish set on the main road leading from Upwell to Welney, it's here that I always pass the old empty Primitive Methodist Chapel, a lovely brick built chapel with stone windowsills and arches, joined onto the chapel is a small school room which never fails to get my thinking.

    The school was built in 1914, the year the great war broke out and I just cannot help thinking how many of the young children who sat in that tiny school room at Sunday school were later told that their dad's or big brothers were never coming home.  What must those small children had thought, did they understand what was happening in France and Flanders while they sat learning from the bible,  did some go home that holy morning only to learn they had lost their dad, gives me shivers every time I ride past.