Matilda, Spookies and Beading

I've been very very lazy over the last week because I have been so ridiculously tired. First I was crashed out from festivals, then I had to deal with sorting my health and social care budget which I'm not going to go into here because I will get even more stressed, and then the rather lovely JT came to visit me... and I kicked him out of the house because I was too stressed to want to socialise, but while he was out I did make him this:

So I'm not a COMPLETELY horrible girlfriend.

We also went out on Thursday to celebrate having known each other for a year and I was taken to see Matilda! I bloody loved it. I love the story, and I love musicals, and I loved the combination. It was pretty awesome. I completely and utterly crashed out after that though until Sunday because on Sunday, something else special was happening.

Those of you who know me will know I LOVE The Spooky Men's Chorale. Probably a bit too much, it begins to get worrying. I have seen them more times than I can count, and that's not just because I've got a poor memory. Seriously amazing group. I love them. ANYWAY, that isn't the point of this. The point of this is to say that Sunday was their "post penultimate" gig of the UK tour, and so, as per tradition, there was a gig in Union Chapel, Islington, and so I went, and I didn't get in 'til 2am. But it was awesome, I had an awesome time, I had awesome shooters, listened to some awesome music and sat around and soaked up each other's awesomeness. (I hope someone gets that reference!)

Therefore, I am very very tired. I think yesterday was Monday but I didn't really see any of it.
I've sat around today in between tidying trying to do some beading but it's not gone well. Mainly because I'm not following a pattern but hoping. It's kind of coming out looking like colourful blobs but I'll get there!

I have also had an exciting delivery of some bags made from recycled plastic which I am/will be printing on, so keep your eyes peeled for some new stock in my shop.
Anyway, I should have been having a housing review 15 minutes ago so I'm going to stop typing now, and go and sit uncomfortably waiting in the other room until they arrive.
I'm out.
Janet

P.S. Please enjoy this picture of why I love the Oxford Comma

My new line of clothing...

I've had another productive day today!

I've put some glitter on my henna:

I think it looks pretty swanky!

I then made some stamps:

(This is them stuck to the backing before I cut them out)

And what I'm most proud of today is this masterpiece:

A stamped printed t-shirt. 

Handmade stamps, hand printed, all t-shirts or jumpers or whatever will be completely unique!

I'm going to make some more stamps so I can do more fun things on clothing, but I'm pretty impressed with myself. What do you think?

Anyway, I'm going to sleep because I have a meeting with my social worker which stands to be stressful tomorrow!

Over and out.

Janet

P.S.

I got a palace tent today!

Exciting times with a new domain!

Hello there, good internet folk.
I am very excited to say that as of today, and for the next two years at least, I own www.colourfulcrafter.com!
It's been difficult to try to think of how to separate all the things I do because I like being silly when it comes to jewellery, art and workshops associated with those skills, but as my training specialism is in mental health, that approach can seem rather unprofessional. Therefore, I shall be hoping to set up three sites, all interlinked, and then carry on this blog here.

These three shall be:

• Colourful Crafter (DONE!) - The shop selling my jewellery and hopefully prints of my artwork and some clothing. 
• Janet Deci Bell - The main overview site where you can find information and links to everything I do from henna art to disability awareness training, including Colourful Crafter and the third site...
• Janet Bell Training - My coaching and training site. I'm hoping to gain an advanced diploma in life coaching to go along with my training qualification so I can have a bit more empirical credibility to the courses I hope to offer.

I'm probably about half way through my other two sites, so depending on how much I decide I want to work (lots at the moment!), they could be up in the relatively short term.

In the mean time, I got bored with making websites and also it's not too practical to create websites while doing other things like sitting on a bus so I've been making these:

With many thanks to the lovely Fiona at FionaFiona for showing me how to make them and providing me with some beautiful beads to coordinate with my hair!

I've also made a business card (1 down, 2 to go!)

Any thoughts?

I'm probably rambling more than usual now because I'm really tired but can't go to sleep because I got a bit distracted earlier and did some henna on my foot and I don't want to go to sleep with it yet because my bed will get all mucky, so I shall end this post here.

Please check out my new site, www.colourfulcrafter.com, have a look at my facebook, take a snoop at my pinterest or etsy, or send me an email at my lovely new email address: janet@colourfulcrafter.com!

Night night!

Janet

P.S.

This is the bugger keeping me awake!

I have a working online shop!

That's right, Colourful Crafter is actually ONLINE! I'm incredibly impressed with my little shop, and you can be too if you follow this link:
http://colourfulcrafter.tictail.com/

I'm currently working on my website which will link to this and that and facebook and all of those things. I also want to start making some other bits of jewellery and some clothes for sale.

It's all go here! I'm very excited, can you tell?!

Towersey WIN and offer

Hello lovely internet based people!

I am back from my travels to the wonderful Towersey Festival.
I was astounded and delighted by the interest in my earrings. I sold about 20 pairs which was fantastic, but now my stocks are rather depleted!
I'm going to start selling my earrings by category rather than listing each individual pair, especially for the time being as 1, I think part of the charm is the randomness of them, and 2, it's easier on me which means I can continue selling them at £5 a pair without finding myself selling myself short.
So, the categories are:

White backed:

• Coloured flowers and leaves (no pictures of these so far, they're still in my kitchen after being baked)
• Coloured Geometric segments 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Mini geometric patterns
  
  
  
  
• Graded colour flowers and leaves
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Frosted:

• Coloured flowers and leaves (no pictures because I sold them all before I had a chance to photograph them!)
• Coloured geometric segments
  
• Large geometric patterns
  
  
  
  
• Large geometric patterns with colour
  
  
  
  

Clear

• Coloured flowers and leaves
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Black flowers and leaves
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Black

• Gold large geometric (no pictures, all sold!)
• Gold flowers and leaves
  
• Silver large geometric (no pictures, all sold!)
• Silver flowers and leaves (no pictures because I'm lazy!)

There will be more pictures taken when I've not got wet henna on my arm!

I'm also thinking of making some other things like pendants or broaches. Anything you'd like to see made, please let me know!

At the moment, I also have an offer on my earrings, instead of the usual price of £5 a pair, you can now get them at £4 a pair, or 3 pairs for £10 until midnight on the first of September!

I'm off to eat curry but I'll leave you with a photo diary selection of things I've been up to.

Feel free to check out facebook, etsy, pinterest or send me an email (janet-bell@live.com) to say hello!

Over and out.

Janet

Another post! I'm so very surprised with myself

On Sunday, despite being absolutely completely knackered, I was really productive!
I made these:

Which are in the process of being made into earrings, which I must do today because I'm heading off for Towersey Festival tomorrow!

I've made some little business card type things, fixed my display board and also ate chicken tikka. Yesterday was a good day!

Got some new types of earrings in the pipe line too so hang around for some more pics.

In the mean time, I have facebook, etsy, pinterest and email (janet-bell@live.com) so say hello.

Janet

P.S.

I found a lei!

Oh I do like to be beside the sea side...

That's right, I had a very good reason for not making any posts because I was, surprisingly, by the sea.
Sidmouth to be exact. I was there helping run workshops with the amazing group of people that is Shooting Roots. I was helping with craft workshops and we made some awesome instruments out of recycled materials. If I had thought to take a picture I would put one up now. I'll have a scavenge to see if anyone else has.

Also I did a face painting workshop and decided I now love face paint. I would wear it every day if I didn't want to get very strange looks.

This is the lovely Jocelyn with my first attempt

The possibly less lovely me with my second attempt

The amazing Alley with the third

And Jocelyn again!

I also before I went away watched the film Up! It was pretty cool and I loved the Ellie badges, but I'm not a fan of grape soda so I decided to make my own variant. 

Here is my much loved beer bottle cap badge, helpfully attached to a sock, as you do. I was going to be making a load more and have collected bottle caps but have been a bit busy because the beautifully talented and lovely person that is Helen Gilbert, a fimo artist from Sheffield, has offered to sell some of my earrings at Towersey Festival which I will be at next week so I've been rather frantically making stock!

Here is my brand spanking new display board:

I'm rather chuffed with myself!

So, until next time, check out my pinterest, my etsy, facebook or send me a good old fashioned email to janet-bell@live.com.

I'm out.

P.S.

I did some morris dancing too.