Eeek!

After being nominated for a Stylish Blogger Award the other day by Nicola at Smitten Kitten (thank you, Nicola!), I have been thinking about what to write in my post.

Firstly, the rules:

Step 1 - Make a post linking back to the person who gave you the award!

Step 2 - Share 7 random things about yourself

Step 3 - Award 15 recently discovered bloggers with this award

Step 4 - Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won the award

Step 1 is done, so now for Step 2.  Seven random things about myself.  Hmmmm.

1.  I've been making jewellery in some form or another for over half my life - ever since I was about 14 when I started making earrings for my schoolfriends.  I also made jewellery as part of my GCSE Art exam, for which I got a B.
2.  I think I'm addicted to bead embroidery.  I find it incredibly relaxing stitching beads to fabric and have been making lots of bead embroidered pendants lately (but you probably already know that).
3.  I'm currently organising a Bead Retreat in Derbyshire in May this year for myself and 14 or so beady friends.  I also did it last year and we had a ball!  I hope this year's will be just as much fun!!!  More to come on that later.
4.  I'm a perfectionist.  I like everything to be in order, neat and tidy - not that you'd think that if you took a look at my house.  I have a husband and son, what more can I say...
5.  I suffer from panic attacks.  Thankfully they're much less common now than they were a few years ago.  I rub lavender gel onto my pulse points every morning before I leave the house and whenever I feel an attack coming on.  It helps, really it does.
6.  I don't drink tea, coffee or fizzy drinks.  I drink mainly cherry flavoured water - and the odd glass of wine.
7.  I've given up salt.  Well, at least, I've given up adding it to my meals.  I noticed I was getting heartburn every time I ate and finally realised that it was the excess salt that was causing it.  I have to say, I've not really noticed much difference in the taste of my food - except for chips!  Chips need salt!

Will that do? ;0)
Step 3, the blogroll, in no particular order:

1.   http://itbelongstoturtle.blogspot.com/  Turtle and friends are sooooo cute.  I love reading all about their latest adventures.
2.   http://aroundthebeadingtable.blogspot.com/  A great beady blog with fabulous patterns.
3.   http://spiderpixie.blogspot.com/  Another beady blog.  This time with lots of lovely lampies. :0)
4.   http://farfarhill.blogspot.com/  Lots and lots of gorgeous downloadable papercraft stuff.
5.   http://project1p.wordpress.com/  What would you swap for 1p?  And where will it end?
6.   http://laney-izzybeads.blogspot.com/  Another beady blog full of lampies.
7.   http://littlescruffsminiaturebears.blogspot.com/  If you're a fan of miniature bears you'll love Jean's blog!
8.   http://sewscrumptious.blogspot.com/  All things fabric/sewing related.
9.   http://soozintheshed.blogspot.com/  Jewellery, glass, beads...
10. http://ruthies-rambling.blogspot.com/  Beady chat.
11. http://daisy-sevenseas.blogspot.com/  She's not updated her blog for a little while but Daisy's sculptures
are amazing!
12. http://littlecastledesigns.blogspot.com/  Gorgeous lampwork beads and jewellery by Sabine.
13. http://djinrummy.blogspot.com/  I just love Lesley's writing style
14. http://jeantalkingbeads.blogspot.com/  Lots of jewellery related chat from Jean.
15. http://helen-mitchell.blogspot.com/  Fabulous glassy blog by Helen.  Mmmmm, beads.

So there you go.  Hopefully there'll be some blogs in my list that you won't have heard of.  I've tried not to repeat them from other lists but I'm sure I will have done somewhere along the line.



Onto other news.  It's demonstration day tomorrow and this afternoon I've written a tute for this bracelet:

It's based on one I saw on the net and is really simple to make.  Hopefully the girls at work will love it.  I'm off to make some variations now so I can show them all just how versatile it is.