Phew!
I have been very busy beading and finally managed to finish Geometric 2-8-5 and am now merrily working away on 2-8-6 as I loved one of the designs on 2-8-5 so much I wanted to make a whole necklace using it!

I've been run off my feet recently: as well as being away it was the release of the new issue of Bead Magazine and I'm now also working very hard on my recently given the go-ahead third book.
Add to all that a visit to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, a trip to Loughborough to judge the Beads Direct competition and attempting to gloss paint all the woodwork in my house and there's not much time for anything else!

Judging the contest was great fun, and I really enjoyed going to Beads Direct and seeing all the wonderful, amazingly well organised, beads, and beads, and beads. I just had to choose the winner in each category and luckily only had 3 to choose from in each. I don't know how I would have got on if there'd have been more.
I have to say I liked all the pieces I saw and all were capable of winning but in the end it came down to the two which I would gladly have stolen and worn home!
Look out for full details of the winners etc in the next issue of Bead and also on Bead Direct's website.