Bumpy bead bracelet

How cute is this? The beads are about half of a pack I bought from John Lewis (I haven't linked to it because you can't buy them online) and they're strung on Elasticity (a special beading elastic which is not too stretchy and very smooth). I didn't have the same problems I had last time with tying it either, so that's good.

Those charity shop beads

I know I said I'd give the reworked piece back to the shop but I love this so much I'm not going to after all. The blue beads are the ones off that necklace I bought from a charity shop and they're threaded on a long bright pink cord, spaced in alternating singles and triples with knots. The pink bead is one I've had for years, just for some added interest. It was going to be a red star, but the damn thing had a blockage in its hole so couldn't be used. Bah. There's no clasp as it's a waist-length necklace.

Watermelon beads

Don't these look like watermelons? I'll have to make a watermelony necklace or something.

Plagiarising my childhood

When I was about 6 or so, we were on holiday in Brittany and we went to the festival of the blue nets (fete des filets bleus) at Concarneau. I bought a ring that was very simple, made of wire with a few blue rocailles as the decoration. I loved that ring, I really did, and of course it doesn't fit me now, having been bought for a 6-year-old's tiny little fingers.
But all is not lost - I have made myself a replica! OK, it isn't very neat, but it was my first attempt - I'll get better. I'm pretty pleased with the result, actually, so I think I will have another go. My original was silver with dark blue beads, not gold with turquoisey ones, as this one is. It probably would be worth getting some actual silver wire too, as this stuff is OK but it discolours quickly and smells metallic.

Modestly-priced expensive jewellery

You might have seen these glass beads with a silver core, which are sort of like charms - you pick a few that you like and string 'em on a chain. They're blimmin' expensive, generally up to a tenner a go. Well, while in Bainbridge's (yes, John Lewis) looking for a clasp for my grandma's necklace (which I got in Fenwick's in the end) I found the very same beads for £3 for a pack of two. They may not be sterling silver, but they look just as nice. So after much dithering, and a trip to Fenwick's to see what they had (I bought the chain there actually, as it was a pound cheaper at £2.95) I bought the bits to make this:

I strang it when I went back to uni, it was so easy - you don't need any tools, a moron could put this together. And I love it so much I think I'll be buying more and will make others. You can change it, of course, whenever you want, or if you want to make it more permanent you could put a jump ring through the hole and make it so the beads can't come off. I think I'll leave it and then I can mix and match to my outfits. Though I love this with its bright colours. I think a black and silver one would look nice, or perhaps with a bit of light pink in too. I'll be making my mother one as she'll love these nice coloured beads.

And I did check the price of ready-made ones after - one similar was £30 in a cut-price jeweller's. Mine cost £11 and about two minutes' work, and it's just the way I wanted it. Fab.

My grandma's birthday

It's grandma's birthday so she has been made a necklace very similar to the one I made my other grandma, but they don't know each other so it's OK, there will be no potential for necklace-duplication-related embarrassment.