keiara's keep: January 2010

Tuesday, 19 January 2010

help save a life!

04:13

Hi everyone.

I have something a bit different to discuss today. A member of our creative community, Tanya of Aardvark Silver, is facing a life and death situation. Tanya desperately needs our help to raise money for surgery to save her life. You can read about Tanya's situation at her Pledgie page. If you can, please give. Join me in helping to save someone whose light and love touch all who know her.

I will be holding an auction until 9pm GMT on Sunday night, January 24. How the auction will work:

1. Go to my lampwork website.

2. Choose the item(s) you'd like to bid on

3. Email me at keiara@bykeiara.co.uk with your highest bid for the item(s) - include their reference code

4. You can keep an eye on how the auction is going right on my front page. I will update the page each time a higher bid is received.

Some of the items to be auctioned:

ALL proceeds from these auctions will go directly to Tanya to help pay for her surgery.

Please have a heart for Tanya. Together we can make a real difference. Together we can save a life.

Thank you for your support.

Love,

keiara

www.bykeiara.co.uk

www.bykeiara.etsy.com

Labels: aardvark silver, auctions, beads, by keiara, charity, donations, glass, hearts, keiara wells, lampwork, strawberry, tree |

0 comments

Friday, 8 January 2010

back to normal.. well, sort of ;)

02:32

Hi everyone! Happy Friday :) The beads above are a set I created for a custom order. This is my favourite transparent pink with silver wire. I like the simplicity of this design. I hope the customer likes them too!

The big news is: my online lampwork bead shop is now back up and running as normal! All the categories are back and there are TONS of beads to choose from. I'm also having fun creating some beads for Valentine's Day and just took some adorable sweet treats out of the kiln. Pictures of them soon! Any requests for Valentine's Day?

We have quite a bit of snow here in Folkestone. It's only the second time that I've seen a substantial amount of snow since moving to the UK. I LOVE it! It's so beautiful. Of course I'm also realising how difficult it is to run errands (or even go to the post office) when the world is covered in ice and snow. But the novelty hasn't worn off for me yet.

Piglet and Bun seem to really like the snow. They run around like mad and always come back inside with their faces covered in white. I think they must be trying to eat it! You can also see my teeny snowman in the upper left of this picture. I kept him small so as not to overdo it with the back issue.. but I still like him :) He's a bit more covered in snow today. Maybe I should make him a friend!

Any plans for the weekend? I think I'm finally catching Steve's cold so a bit of a rest with some hot tea sounds good to me :) Maybe snuggle up on the couch with some blankets and have a movie marathon. Hmm, what should I watch? We haven't watched the Alien films for awhile. Or maybe the Blade films. Speaking of films, this year looks like a great year for movies, doesn't it? We saw Avatar in 3-D and it was just spectacular! I also want to see Daybreakers, The Wolfman, Alice in Wonderland, Iron Man 2, Eclipse (the third Twilight film).. and that's just the beginning! There's also a new Harry Potter film and a new Narnia film coming out?! Wow. I see lots of trips to the cinema this year ;) What about you? Any films you're looking forward to this year?

Ok, I'm off to make more Valentine's Day beads. Stay tuned for more ;)

Have a great weekend!

Love,
keiara

www.bykeiara.co.uk
www.bykeiara.etsy.com

Labels: beads, by keiara, custom beads, glass, keiara wells, lampwork, sra, uk, valentine's day |

5 comments

Wednesday, 6 January 2010

New Year Giveaway!!

03:40

Hi everyone!

In honour of the brand new year, I'm having another giveaway! I'd like to build a customer picture and review gallery on my website* and I thought what better way to get it started than to offer a glassy incentive! The fabulous prize? A beautiful key focal and a matching earring pair all in my new swirl style.

There are two ways to enter this giveaway:

1. Email me high quality pictures of jewellery created by you and made with my beads; the higher the resolution, the better! If needed, I can do any necessary picture editing.

2. Write a little review of my beads or jewellery that you've purchased from me. Please make your review a minimum of three sentences.

You will receive one entry for pictures and/or one entry for a review for a maximum number of entries of two. So, if you send me a picture, you'll get one entry. If you send me ten pictures, you'll still get just one entry; likewise with the reviews. If you send me one (or more) pictures AND one (or more) reviews, you'll get TWO entries! Got it? Easy!

This giveaway is only open to previous customers but, fear not newcomers, I'll be having an open giveaway very soon!

In other news: I'll be exhibiting at both of the Big Bead Shows this year! The first show is in April and the second show is in October. I'm already making lots of new pretties for the shows! I'm happy to bring back my show discount for previous customers too. If you email me in advance of the show and let me know you'll be there, you'll receive 10% off all beads you purchase from me at the show!

I am teaching more lampwork lessons this year too. Would you like to learn how to make your own beads? Come spend the day (or half day) with me in my studio and I'll show you how it's done. I teach beginner, intermediate and advanced students as well as a wide range of techniques and designs. Let's melt glass!

I'm also currently accepting custom orders. Pet portraits, sweet treats, beads to match a certain design or fabric, you name it! I'm also debuting my 'Beloveds' bead range. You send me pictures of your loved ones and I create little beads to match! My own bracelet includes my family, husband and husband's family. You may order them with or without little personal designs on the opposite side too! For example, I've always called my younger sister "duckling" so on the back of her bead I created a teeny little duckling! The sky is the limit with these designs. Please contact me for more information.

I've just relisted some of my favourite kitty cat focals in my Etsy shop. Passionate Paula (perfect for Valentine's Day!), Calico Jack the pirate kitty, Lilith the devil kitty, Summer the garden kitty and, of course, Luxe kitty are all there waiting for you to give them a loving home :)

Hope you all have a wonderful 2010 and please feel free to email me with any questions.

Love,
keiara

*Please note: If you do not wish to have a picture and/or review on my website, please do not enter.

http://www.bykeiara.co.uk/

http://www.bykeiara.etsy.com/

1 comments

Monday, 4 January 2010

Happy New Year!

03:59

Hi everyone! Wow, sorry I've been away so long. After returning from Florida, everything was SO hectic in the run up to Christmas (since I had to stay a week longer than anticipated). Anyway, happy 2010! While I was in Florida I purchased some (ok, a LOT) of new glass, frit and other goodies and here are some of the creations I've been working on. I LOVE these little beads! I'd like to give a special mention to Val Cox and her sister, Sabrina. Val makes the most gorgeous frit blends and she and her sister are both such wonderful, friendly, helpful people. Thank you, Val and Sabrina, for all your help! I could not have made these little beauties without them ;)

So any new year's resolutions you'd like to share? I have one in particular. I began learning sign language when I was 8 and became fluent by 16. I interpreted for deaf children in high school and in college. I loved making a difference and I have missed it. But sign language is VERY different here in the UK. American sign language is based on the German system while the UK sign language is based on the French system. So I've decided I'm going to learn British sign language this year! Steve's Uncle David is deaf and we always have so much fun trying to understand each other's signing ;) Spending time with Uncle David at New Year's Eve really reminded me how much I love sign and prompted me to make this resolution. I'm hoping it will be a bit easier for me to pick up since I already understand the more basic, abstract principles. Here's to hoping, anyway ;) So wish me luck on my adventure! I'll let you know how it goes :)

I've been making lots of key beads lately and I have a tutorial coming up soon in a magazine! I'll let you know more when I do.. but I'm terribly excited :) I will also be exhibiting at The Big Bead Show in April AND in October this year! In addition to custom orders, my website and my Etsy shop, I'll be spending LOTS of time building up stock for these two shows. Last year's show in October was such a smashing success and I can't wait to see how it goes this year. I met tons of fabulous people and saw old friends too.. it was more like a social event!

So what are your plans and hopes for 2010? I'm planning to travel more this year (hello, Murano!) and dedicate myself even more to my work. I'm also hoping to teach a bit more and perhaps begin teaching at other studios as well. I also hope that each of you have an even better year than last year.

As always, thank you so much for your continued support and interest in my art. I could not have come this far without you! February will be my second year lampworking. Two years! I'm so blessed to have accomplished so much and I owe much of my success to my loyal customers and fans. Thank you all and have a wonderful 2010 :)