Hello folks!
Whoosh!! That was the year that's flown past since I last updated.
The littlest grandchild is now walking and the older one is starting primary 2, where did the time go?
So where did it go, what's happened.
The main thing I guess is my daughter opening up TLC studios. http://www.tlcstudios.org/ She has a unit in the Fauldhouse  Market, 1 Blackfaulds Place. There is a gallery area selling some wonderful handcrafted items, including my jewellery, lampwork beads and books and Ewan's rings and silverwork. There is lots happening, craft activities for children and adults, all ages and abilities. Get in touch if there is a craft you would like to try and Siobhan may well be able to get it set up .
My torching......well it has been a  difficult year for me healthwise and my oxycon (necessary piece of kit for my lampworking, packed in leaving me without until I saved the couple of hundred needed for a new one. I then had to get back to work on my beadmaking and found it very difficult to start again. Seems my hands do not want to coordinate with my brain, so I set to practicing only to find my lovely bobcat torch is in need of a good clean as it seems to have got sooted up. I think the dodgy oxy gave me a fuel rich flame and has caused the problem. I am waiting on a call from America from GTT torches to help me sort the problem.
On the plus side, I have a 3 day glass skills class coming up in Caithness with Ian Pearson. Lucky me, its 20 mins away from where my mum is so I'll get to see her too.
So that's an update for now with the really good intention of keeping up to date with my blogging.
TTFN xx

It's the 9th June! So much has happened it would complete a book rather than a blog post. Lets start with family life then, I'm a grandma again. Yay! Casey, born 22nd April 2012. She's the sweetest little girl. her daisy hat is by the lovely Haylee from http://www.facebook.com/Haylees.Hats. Doesn't Casey look  like she was found at the bottom of the garden under a big daisy.

So to torching! I am set up with my dual fuel torch in the backie, utility room that wanted to be a conservatory but didn't quite make it. I'm learning so much and enjoying lampworking with the same passion I had when I first started out and went to my first taster session. Going to say it with pics now and show my "studio" and some of my latest beads. 

So there we are!

Once again I haven't updated for ages. Life goes so fast i have to try to catch up. Just getting to grips with getting our website updated and etsy shop filled and working out how to do mini etsys and link so the frit happens hub . All this and 3 fairs and 3 events and an exhibiton to get ready for. More details soon. So here goes with a link to the frit happens blog!

its all good

I have been busy making a commission for my sister for which I have made my own lampwork beads. It is really exciting choosing beads I have made myself for my jewellery designs. I have been having a great time torching and since getting my kiln am really starting to do well.
Have some lovely new glass to play with and some great beads from other people on the frit happens forum. I love the forum, and have learned so much from it.

We have some new jewellery in Green and Pink in the Elements Centre Livingston. Also we now have 3 Craft fairs at Christmas time, 2 in Linlithgow in September and December and the regular one in November. I love the West Lothian craft fairs they are so much fun. I am starting to plan what new pieces to make already.

On the home front, we now have a garden. What was a jungle which we had to enter at our own risk is now dug over and could be called a garden! I have planted tatties, onions and have carrot, leek, courgette and parsnip seeds started. I have a herb garden and some lovely floories. My mum's a keen gardener and I am always asking her advice. Hoping to post some pics soon, doesn't look too much just now but an awful lot better than it was before.


I am going to start following other blogs and have signed up for facebook, only to watch a video of the flameoff but I am now stuck there although I dont post much.

Anyways, that's me done now and am away to tidy up my workroom, put away my beady stuff and return the table to some kind of order so I can torch!

Well having not posted for ages I have changed my blog over to blogspot where everyone else seems to be so here I am.
Having had a down spell with my illness (neurological) I am once again on the up thank goodness and am getting back into making jewellery, photographing them, well asking my lovely daughter to take my photographs, and do some touches to my banner and make leaflets etc, she's the graphic designer, redoing the website, well getting my OH who's the webdesigner to revamp the website as our jewellery site was the first one he did. I am very lucky to have both of them for this as I am totally untechnical with anything related to webdesign and graphics!
If you are interested they are at
rustyhalodesigns.co.uk and edmdesigns.co.uk
We have some new jewellery going into Green & Pink which is at the Elements Centre Livingston. This is situated between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
We are also now members of the Livingston Craft Association which holds regular craft fairs mostly at Christmas time.
I am still happily torching away and have just bought a kiln which means I can properly anneal my beads and will soon be able to incorporate them in my designs. Whohoo!
All in all things are going well and I should be back to regular posting and will be adding some nice pics soon!