Waste not, want not! The bead challenge begins!

Hello, my name's Tallulah and I'm a beadaholic...

As a mum on a limited budget, I hate throwing out food! One way I've cut down on our bills is by trying to use up ingredients to make yummy meals and finding creative ways to feed my young family.

I appreciate that in the same way that a girl can't have too many shoes, a beadaholic can't have too many beads. But even I must admit that my bead problem is getting out of hand! (Sometimes I lie awake at night, hallucinating about all that gorgeous eye candy and thinking of all the different things I could create with beads, wire, crystals, gemstones - you name it!)

Anyway, I've decided to give myself a bit of a challenge - to use up some of the beads I've made to create hopefully stunning pieces!

Let me explain. Just over a year ago, I was heavily pregnant and about to pop with my second munchkin. Munchkin number one had recently turned two and had the good grace to nap during the day - which left me with a bit of time to do creative shizzle.

About to pop!

While other mums-to-be blitz the house, paint the inside of wardrobes or sort out their pantries during this "nesting" phase, I went through a frenzy of making polymer clay beads. Vibrant rondelles, chunky, funky statement beads, twisty psychedelic beads, spotty dotty hotties... You name it!

Beads, beads, glorious beads...

I painstakingly created clay canes, worked them into the clay bead shapes, baked them, glossed them... These babies were a true labour of love (hey I was almost in labour by the time I made them!). I think subconsciously I must have known that when bubs number two decided to grace me with his presence, spare time would be as precious as a blood red ruby - and I was right!

So my mini Hobbit turned up - and as I suspected, I was knee deep in nappies, cluster feeding and all the rest (while also trying to maintain an extroverted two-year-old's very active social life!).

My poor handmade beads sat unloved in their boxes, crying out to be nurtured and strung! Just as the cake in Alice in Wonderland cried "eat me", these babies silently begged me, "bead me!"

Lonely, I'm so lonely...

Fast forward almost a year - and I've set myself the challenge of incorporating my clay creations into eye catching, original statement pieces, some of which I'm selling on my Etsy shop. I'm enjoying mixing up my handmade feature beads with sumptuous crystals, gorgeous gemstones, glass, copper - whatever catches my eye!

Translucent beads mixed with hematite rounds, copper and glass.

One of my favourites! Beads made from extruded clay canes star alongside ruby pink chalcedony, turquoise and glass.

Although I'm loving our Indian summer, this autumnal necklace incorporates leafy clay beads with chalcedony, copper and glass.

I do love a challenge!