My first batch of annealed beads!! I was surprised and pleased with just how many I ended up with.

I had bought some jewellery findings and string to put some of them together for gifts for family and friends for Christmas, so here is my first attempt at jewellery making, I don't have the right tools so my wire bending leaves a lot to be desired, but I was happy to have some finished pieces. I used the black silk thread for some because that way the recipients could pull the beads off quite easily and do what they wanted with them.


Bracelet and earrings


I hung some of my early beads on a bracelet that I had for years, also in this picture is my cat bead and two rats.


Keychains.


Simple Necklaces



And here's the necklace I strung together for my mum using some white glass beads from an older necklace along with the lampwork ones I had made.

A lady at a local bead shop made me feel really good when she saw my spirally worm guys, she went crazy over them and wanted to show them to a co-worker. I've promised I'll go back in the New Year and take some to show her, so now I have a mission, I have to get good at doing the eyes and making tidy tails. A worm with wonky eyes just does not look good!

I got some glass stuff for Christmas (yeeha!), a nice selection of coloured rods and stringers, a pair of glass shears and two marvers for adding more shapes to my beads. Unfortunately it's too cold at the minute to work in the sunporch, once the holidays are over and Rebeka and James have gone back to Newfoundland I'll set up in her old bedroom again and get back to work.