It's been a while ... again ... sorry !

It's been SO long since I last updated this blog ... sorry guys n gals, but I am terrible at remembering to do things like this.

Anyway ... I shall just give you all a quick update as to where I am at the moment :)

Well .... the walking has been rather patchy, due to bad weather, but hey, I decided to book a babysitter in and go for Snowdon anyway ! I shall be going up Mount Snowdon on the 16th ... weather permitting ... I can't wait !!! It'll probably make me feel about 100 years old, but hey ... be sure that photo's will follow !

Another lovely bit of news is that I am now semi-resident in the Peak District *HAPPY face* My partner has managed to secure a little cottage in the village of Longnor, whilst I do the family / renovate / figure out how on earth to sell this house thing. We love going up there at weekends ... it's a lovely, cosy little place, with a field of lambs just under the kitchen window and amazing countryside just 5 minutes walk in any direction. We have our eyes peeled for a bigger place, but it's less urgent now that I have a bolthole to run to :)

My business is ticking over nicely ... something which I am VERY grateful for during these tough times. 

I have started painting ... on silk, and I am loving it !

I also spent a very busy and rather frantic few months organising a local art market, in a bid to publicise the fantastic local talent that we have here in the Staffordshire Moorlands ... I think it went well, hehe :) Fingers crossed we get to do it all over again in December :)

Anyway ... the whole point of resurrecting this blog is for a give away !

My facebook page, Mad Cat Glass has just hit a milestone ... 500 likers !!! Woooo !!!!

I shall make a gift to give away in a random draw ... I'll post again tomorrow with the details and a photo, both on facebook and on here :)

So for now, I'll leave you with a visual catch up of what I've been up to :)

(just hope I can figure out how to import blog posts into word press ... it's been quite a while, hehe)

FINALLY ! A few new listings *cheers*

I just thought I'd blog a little post to celebrate finally getting a few new beads listed in my Etsy store today !

Here are a few images of what's new today :)

Oh and here's today's photographic assistant ...

Well that's all for now.

Tax returns and all that financial stuff is sorted out ... I have some appointments in town tomorrow, so I hope to finally manage a full day's torching by Friday !

If you fancy a look in my Etsy store, just go to my website and you will find a link to my Etsy store, should you want a browse ? :)

See you soon

Les xx

Looking for pastures new ......

Gahhh ... the hint of a cottage here ... the sniff of a property there ..... it's really quite exciting, although a teeny bit frustrating !!!!!

Slacking again !!!

I keep trying ... I keep forgetting ... But I won't give up !

I haven't posted for a while, but I just thought I'd give you a mega quick update as to where I am at in January 2012 :)

I had a fantastic Yule ... followed by a great Christmas ... rounded off with a lovely, chilled New Year :)

Getting back into beading has been very slow, but I think I am finally beginning to gain some momentum.
Accounts must be done next week, but I shall be back at the torch once they're all done :)

Right ... present day stuff :)

I am slowly but surely beginning to make improvements to my health ... I have started walking with Rob.
I don't mean doing the whole getting off the bus a stop early ... round to the shop, etc, but some proper Peak District walking ... I am loving it !!! It does, however, highlight just how unfit I have become over the years.

Rob and me were talking last week, and decided on a goal ... a really challenging, but tangible goal .... Hopefully, by May this year, I will be walking up Mount Snowdon ! A challenge like this calls for some serious getting fit, so we are getting out and about and taking on some more challenging (well for me), walks.
I have noticed an improvement in my overall fitness over the past 6 months, so now it's time to start pushing myself :)

Although I am REALLY bad at maintaining this blog, I have decided to set up a new blog, just to document my progress between now and my Snowdon attempt. More for my own benefit I think, but I'd also like to share any progress I make, just to prove that if I can do it, then maybe you can :)


I am 40 years old ... I smoke ... I am overweight, but I do like my food and the odd beer, I have a bad back most days, and my knees are a wee bit buggered ... I am still determined that I can do it though !

I won't necessarily waffle on, on this new blog ... I want to share links to the walks that I attempt, week by week ... I may add photo's too .... more than anything else, I'd like to have a visual record of the places I have walked and the fitness I have gained :)

So off I trot to set up a new blog page .. You don't have to follow it really though ... but I thought it would just be nice to share places and progress with you guys :)

Off I pop ... I shall leave you with a couple of recent photo's ...

Solstice sunrise at Arbor Low, Derbyshire

December snow at The Roaches

The Roaches on a grey day

Cherries and other assorted jiggery pokery ....

I'm thinking about starting a new line in some simple, but funky jewellery ... like this cherry necklace I've just finished as a commission for a friend ....

I'm thinking cherries ... strawberries ... maybe Halloween and other holidays .... what do you think ?

I know times are hard and money is scarce, but we all still need a little colour in our lives, don't we eh ? 

Please let me know via the comment box below this post whether you think a basic range would be a nice idea :)

I  shall make a pendant and hold a random draw for a freebie :)

I'll hold a random draw of all the people who have commented their thoughts after this post at the end of the week .... that'll be September 30th :)

New BHB's just listed for sale this evening ...

2 posts from me in one evening ... that's really going some for me !!!

But here you are .... I have finally taken the plunge and started to make those fabled Big Holed Beads ... you know ... the ones that are compatible with Pandora or Troll bracelet systems ... here's the link :)

Click here to see my new BHB's

Thanks for looking ... I hope someone out there likes them :) ??

Ooohhh .. how lovely !!!!

Some of my little tweety birds have been featured in a web tutorial by the very lovely Trish Latimer of Beads and Beyond  !!!!

The web tutorial accompanies October's issue ...

Here's the link ..... why not give it a go yourself ??

When Happy Little Bluebirds Fly