'Afternoon Tea' Beads - Back by Demand!

Here they are! The new collection of 'Afternoon Tea' Beads!

After receiving several requests for more of these colourful, delightful beads, I have created six new designs for you, in bright colours. They are listed at $35 with free shipping. I have three necklaces in stock for each of the six designs, so it is a matter of first in, first served!

Spoil yourself with some Summery accessories, or cross some names off your Christmas list. Each strand is gift wrapped in spotty paper goodness and tied with the sweetest string, making these beads a complete gift for friends, family and teachers.

So pop over to the shop now to make your choices and snap these up!

Made By Hand - Link Up

'Made By Hand' is a weekly creative show and tell, with an aim to foster community, conversation and inspiration.

My aim is to craft a life of homemade, home grown happiness. 

So, what are you creating right now? Join in by leaving a link below.

This week's making has been all about beads and mock up market tables. The beads were to fill the large vintage style mixing bowl on my market table. Customers at the market will be able to run their hands through the lovely handmade beads and design their own necklaces with them. I'm really excited about this, I love seeing what people choose. They will be given a hand stamped calico bag with a length of thread in it, then it is up to the them which of the rainbow of colours and the variety of shapes and designs they will chose. Should be fun.

I have also been working on mocking up my market table, as I sent off my application for the November Brisbane Finders Keepers Market! I needed to include a photograph, so I sent off the photo at the top of this post. I will be keeping everything crossed for the next few weeks, until I find out if I am in or not. As for my table, it was harder to put together than I had imagined. I have used vintage items from around the house as my props. My Grandmother's suit case and wool storer stand - which I have re-purposed in to a bead display. An antique Selfridges mannequin, vintage Singer sewing machine drawers, tea cups, a milk jug and some of my tools - to reinforce the fact that I have made each piece. I'm hoping the display expresses my love of craft, handmade and vintage, and how they inform and inspire my work.

So lovely crafters, what have you been making this week?

Instagram Snippets

1. On one of the worst days I have had recently, where nothing would go right and I could not seem to get myself out of the terrible mood I'd fallen in to, yellow roses, children's naps and cups of tea did the trick.

2. Making beads for the market - so fun and relaxing too.

3. A canvas painted for me by my dear boy. Self portrait, while walking a dog on a path next to grass, with sky, clouds and sun. Heart melts.

4. Blocks of colour and possibility.

5. Tea pot pendants and brooches in progress.

6. Hokey Pokey biscuits with honey instead of golden syrup - because we had run out. Both children approved, as did I.

7. Dinner from the garden - a simple veggie stir fry - quick, delicious and healthy.

8. Wise words from the Brisbane Writers Festival - If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.

9. Strawberries from the garden - we are averaging a punnet every day or two. Sometimes they only make it as far as the outside tap, where little hands rinse them and eat them. The rest of the time they find their way on to our breakfast.

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PS. Don't forget to enter the beautiful crochet heart bunting giveaway here. You have until Friday to enter. :)

Made By Hand

 

1. The beginning of a pendant or brooch (or maybe both!), this crochet flower will be cast in sterling silver

2. Stamping bags with 'Christina Lowry Designs'

3. Making beads while the children nap

4. A new project in the works

5. A custom order

Day to day creativity, squeezed in around two small children and a cold. This is how I work. A little here, a little there. A load of laundry and a tray of handmade beads during nap time. Stamping and packaging orders next to Lego play. Crochet while lunch cooks. Knitting on the couch at night. Over a week these creative moments add up. Sometimes there are more. Sometimes less. At times it's frustrating. More often it's satisfying. Right now I wouldn't have it any other way. This is how I work, so I can be a stay at home Mama, and still express myself creatively.

What have you been making?
How do you work?

Are you missing 'My Creative Space' too? The inspiration, communication and community?
Join in! Post your own 'Made By Hand' and leave your link in the comments.
I'm tentatively putting it out there. If you are interested in joining in, let me know.
Perhaps next week I can add a link up list if enough people are interested?

Shop Update

Flamingo Party

Grello

Picking Flowers

Pretty In Pink

Gallery Opening II

 

I've updated the shop today with a new collection of handmade beads. I'm especially loving the spotty ones. There will definitely be more spotty ones!

 

$26 each with free postage.

In the shop now.

New In the Shop

Now you can design your own sweet and colourful necklace for $26! Simply choose five handmade sculpey bead colours, decide on black or brown braided cotton, and leave your instructions at the checkout. These fun necklaces are perfect for popping out for afternoon tea. They simply slip over your head for a splash of colour and handmade goodness.

Pop over to the shop for more details and to order. Or take a look at my Facebook albums for some colour combination inspiration.

Handmade by Christina Lowry.

*Free National and International Shipping.*

Shop update - 'Afternoon Tea' beads

'Paddington'

'Long Tall Sally'

'Birthday Party'

'Seaglass'

I'm pleased to announce that I have updated my bigcartel shop with new Afternoon Tea beads. Handmade by me from non-toxic Sculpey, and perfectly perfect for adding fun and colour to any outfit. 

I'm also taking custom orders. 

Please pop over to the shop for a browse.

And stay tuned, as I will be releasing bracelets soon.