Stumbles, Tumbles and get's back up...

Summer has arrived here in Wales (about time)...It's great...I'm sweating through my eyeballs! 
I'v had a creative block the last couple of weeks - then a few days of making and what do ya know it all fell into place.

Here's the kiln in my kitchen, what could be inside?

...what else? Beads galore...

Fired the kiln and been painting beads while basking in the glorious sunshine. Alas the gilders wax keeps going too smooshy and slippery for my liking so have retreated indoors. 

A plate full..

This pate full is a mix of custom orders and things yet to be listed in my etsy shop so pay attention - there is this and more to come.

There's loads of woodland here and behind the fairy tale castle (Castell Coch) there is a hill that I cant work out -my sense of direction is terrible.

So we are lost among millions of muddy paths heading in every which direction, we pick one at random and end up staring at this...

No signs or anything about what or why, we creeped tentatively down the hill towards the dwellings below...

These caves just go on forever, my guess is water corrosion. With tree roots and the pretty stone arch I wonder if any outcast's from the nearby villages sheltered here in bygone years? I can imagine talisman's and trinkets hanging from the stone walls.

Made me think of the book 'Witch Light' by Susan Fletcher - one of my faves!! Based in Glencoe (Scotland) a must read.

A Cornish friend later informed me "Oh yeh, South Wales is full of holes, it's like a honeycomb".

Inspired by woodland walks in the Welsh countryside, peppered with natural caves full of fern plants, tree roots and trickling water - Jurassic? 

The posty brought me wire so I made some beads with wire loops as well as my usual style with the holes...these are in my Etsy shop...

SOLD

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All the above in my Etsy shop

I'm featured in this fab new glossi - have a read of my Q&A's 

The legend that is Odetta...

....everytime I watch this I get goosebumps.

Oh and have you all seen beatnheart's polymer beads!?! Wow get over there and have a look at those precious gems!