Amuse Your Muse Monday with Rebecca of Songbead

Happy Monday everyone! Another Monday, another week - and another selection of beautiful handmade beads. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the wonderful readers that shared their beautiful beads and jewellery with us last week! It is so wonderful to see your creations and the art beads that have inspired you. Keep 'em coming!

This month, our theme is 'bird beads', and last week I shared my favourite 'bird' poem with you all. Claire Lockwood of Something to do beads (I have a feeling she knows a thing or two about poetry...!) shared another 'bird' poem in the comments, and I thought you would all like to read it too. 

The Darkling Thrush

BY THOMAS HARDY

I leant upon a coppice gate

When Frost was spectre-grey,

And Winter's dregs made desolate

The weakening eye of day.

The tangled bine-stems scored the sky

Like strings of broken lyres,

And all mankind that haunted nigh

Had sought their household fires.

The land's sharp features seemed to be

The Century's corpse outleant,

His crypt the cloudy canopy,

The wind his death-lament.

The ancient pulse of germ and birth

Was shrunken hard and dry,

And every spirit upon earth

Seemed fervourless as I.

At once a voice arose among

The bleak twigs overhead

In a full-hearted evensong

Of joy illimited;

An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,

In blast-beruffled plume,

Had chosen thus to fling his soul

Upon the growing gloom.

So little cause for carolings

Of such ecstatic sound

Was written on terrestrial things

Afar or nigh around,

That I could think there trembled through

His happy good-night air

Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew

And I was unaware.

I know I am not the only jewellery designer reading this blog who is also a little bit in love with words. Do you have a poem to share with us? We'd love to read it!

Claire also shared some of her favourite bird beads...

Slate Studio Supplies

...and also one of hers, looking for a home. Will you adopt him? Look at his sweet wee face!

Something to do beads


Monique shared some wonderful finds as well:


Too Aquarius

J Perala Designs

Menagerie Studios



Divine Spark Designs


Liona shared bird beads from 2 familiar faces...

Tesori-Trovati - otherwise known as our very own Erin :-)

 Humblebeads - or, editor-in-chief of ABS, the amazing Heather!


Not only that, but she shared how she used them in her own designs:

Liona has just started her own blog, so hop over to 'Confessions of a Bead Addict' and take a peek.

Like Monique, Liona is also a fan of....

 Too Aquarius

Sweet, sweet sweet little birds from Too Aquarius, in either shade!


Last, but not least, Caroline (whose birds I shared last week) shared her favourite bird bead ~

Deborah Lambson

Wow! A stunner, I'm sure you'll agree - love the swirling detailing. And the colour.....well, needless to say, aqua and I get on rather well :-)

Get sharing in the comments! I can't wait to see your beads and jewellery. And now poems too, if you feel so inclined.....;-)

And now for the BeadBlogger Links:

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew was recently interviewed by Jennifer VanBrenschoten for Beading Daily. The article is the first in a series called, "Boys Who Bead". Check it out!

Stamped Valentine's Day Card Tutorial 
Hurry! You still have time to make a few of these for your loved ones. 

Craft Instantly
For those who love immediate gratification type projects, this new book published by Ulysses Press gives you lots of fast and easy crafting options.

Art Bead Scene
Check out this month's new challenge artwork - The Rose Garden by Paul Klee. You will not fail to be inspired! 

Mixed Media Artist
Cyndi FINALLY got around to finishing up a photo quilt that she started...*years* ago!

Beading Arts
Cyndi set off in search of a way to combine the "charm" of a charm bracelet with the control of a cuff.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
jean reviews a great jewelry book compiled by Karin Van Voorhees: STYLISH JEWELRY YOUR WAY. There is even a super DVD which comes along with it! You will love it! 

Anniversary Quilt - The Middles
Cherie works on the middle squares of her mixed media quilt project.

Rebecca is a Scottish jewellery designer, currently living in Belfast, Northern Ireland. You can read more about her and her work at her blog, songbeads.blogspot.com and see more of her jewellery at songbead.etsy.com. She also has a supplies shop at thecuriousbeadshop.etsy.com.