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So I finally saw a real blue-banded bee! 🐝
OK…it was in a museum. And it wasn’t alive.
But still, it happened.
My version? Slightly bigger, slightly brighter and very much buzzing with joy

I put a small collection of work together this week. It’s available at @tartscollective now. A beautiful mix of blues and greens. They won’t help you feel cool, but they look cool.

Silver prices have more than doubled in the past year. This increase is due to rising global demand (especially from renewable energy and electronics), higher mining and refining costs and ongoing supply pressure.

Sterling silver is an important part of my work, so you may notice some price adjustments as these costs continue to rise. I’ll always do my best to keep changes minimal while continuing to make pieces that are built to last.

Thank you for supporting handmade.

I went through my collection of old beads over the weekend. And I managed to make a few new necklaces. They are on display at @tartscollective now.

Watching the blue-banded bee jewellery find new homes has been such a joy. A handful of pieces are still available in my Etsy shop.

Silver scraps. Every pair of earrings needs a tiny snip to get the length just right and over the past few months those snips have added up to quite a pile. I’ve experimented with recycling silver before without much success, but after more research (and a lot more play), I’m getting closer to turning these offcuts into something useful. With silver prices so high right now, it feels good to be learning how to waste less.

Changeover day at T’Arts yesterday ✨ My cabinet got moved, so I gave it a little refresh while cleaning. Such a lovely morning catching up with other artists and my shift flew by with people coming through the shop all day. A few pieces are still on the sale table (forgot to take a photo!).

They are here! The blue banded bees are now available in my Etsy shop. The release includes colourful necklaces, bee pendants, bee earrings and some super cute mismatched bee + flower earrings too! I am also taking some earrings to @tartscollective tomorrow when I do my shift there. Oh and if you prefer the yellow bees, I have some of them available too.

Buzz buzz. It’s been a hot week here, but the bees are nearly ready to fly out into the world. I will be listing some one-off pieces on Etsy tomorrow. Earrings, pendants and a couple of necklaces. Stay tuned.

Hi and welcome. I thought I’d take a moment to re-introduce myself. I still love this photo taken in my studio in 2018. Not much has changed, except my hair is a bit pinker these days!

I’m Julie, and I make glass beads. I’ve been working with glass for a long time now (let’s just say I first learned around 2001). Since my daughter was born in 2009, I’ve been using recycled glass, feeling more and more drawn to creating in a way that’s thoughtful and sustainable.

Over the years, my work has been part of many exhibitions and featured in various magazines, but what I love most is still the same: experimenting, trying new things and getting completely mesmerised by the flame. When I’m at the torch, ideas seem to arrive out of nowhere, it feels a bit like meditation.

Last year I began making flower sticks, and they’ve opened up a whole new world of possibilities. I have so many ideas I’m excited to explore this year.

I’ll be doing regular one-off releases on Etsy, with T’Arts as my main brick-and-mortar home. I also love creating custom pieces, so please reach out if you’d like something made especially for you.

Here’s to a creative, generous year ahead 🌿