Ancient Broken Links

Sorting through an old jewellery box I came across this broken bracelet that appears to use the same link as demonstrated by Boo in her beautiful "loop in loop" pieces, but here it has been used as a connector.

Broken Bracelet


I vaguely thought I'd seen it somewhere before when I was reading Boo's blog, and as it's at least 3000 years old it's hardly surprising. That's the link that's 3000 years old, not Boo's blog, or indeed this bracelet. It's a little over 30 years old and was the first piece of jewellery my ex bought me when we were teenage sweethearts.

I must see if I can fix it, although it appears to be missing a link...either that or my wrists aren't as dainty as they once were!

Or maybe it should remain broken as a symbol of our relationship.

Christmas Round Up

I've had a lovely, relaxed and peaceful Christmas. We've had quite a lot of snow so I haven't used the car since last Friday. The steep hill leading up from our close to the main road is like an ice rink and I've seen too many cars skidding all over the road to even attempt it. So Bailey's daily walks have been limited to the green at the top of the road.

But today the footpaths aren't even safe to walk on, so the poor lad has only been in the garden. It has rained a little tonight, so I'm hoping it will help to melt the ice. My son very kindly did the food shopping at 7.00am on Christmas eve morning... he caught the bus there and back, so I really have had a lovely stress free break.

Snowy garden


Christmas tree and fireplace garland


Sepia Christmas


As far as my jewellery is concerned I haven't been very productive lately, but here's a necklace I made recently:

Lemon Sorbet Vintage Lily Pendant


I made these earrings today. Not very festive, and more reminiscent of balmy summer days by the sea. But I figured if exotic holiday adverts are shown on Boxing day, then why not. Anyway I have customers in Australia to think about!

Ocean Drops



Happy New Year to Everyone! xx

Recent New Additions

I've neglected my blog lately, along with several other little bits and pieces, so last night I wrote up a "to do" list, and writing up my blog was top of the list!

I've been busy increasing my shop inventory, and here are some pieces I made recently:

Pippin - Apple Coral Earrings


I love these earrings. They remind me of little apples, or maybe cherries? I was walking Bailey in the woods when I came across some lovely autumn leaves and decided to use one in the photos as it picked up on the colour beautifully. That's something that is becoming increasing natural to me since I started making jewellery and taking photographs; I notice ideas for props all around me.

Staging my photos has become one of the most enjoyable aspects of my hobby. They don't always work out how I had imagined; sometimes they look really awful, but every now and again I'm pleasantly surprised by the results!

Raspberry Earrings


These earrings use colour washed vintage lucite in a lovely shade of raspberry. I quite like the way this photo turned out. I laid a piece of plain card at an angle across the jacket of a book that matched the raspberry beautifully. I think the contrast works quite well.

Ebony Earrings


I love the simplicity of these black glass and silver earrings. I've recently begun to introduce simpler designs to my range. I particularly like the little silver bead caps. They are so versatile and are an effective means of dressing up an otherwise plain bead without stealing any of the limelight or making them appear over dressed. For these I have used a neutral background to help them to stand out.

Hearstrings Earrings


These earrings are fancier than the previous ones. They started off as a simple trio of glass hearts, but I felt they needed a little something extra, and I had a short length of delicate sterling silver chain that was too fine to use as a bracelet so decided to add strands of it as tassles which look rather festive. The background for this photo was a lovely bronzed marble effect from the inside of a book cover. It's quite reflective so I don't feel it's particularly suitable for use as a background, but in this particular shot it does seem to make the colours pop.

Harlequin Earrings


Back to my simpler style. Here are a cute pair of earrings with a twist. Each vintage bead is made up of two interlocking parts to form the whole bead. I think the effect is really striking! Again, I used the simple silver caps to finish them. Another plain background this time, photographed from directly above to show off the pattern of the beads.

Innocence Bracelet


Innocence Earrings


Here we have a matching set of bracelet and earrings using beads of the most gorgeous shade of blue. I used sterling silver wire to wrap couplets of beads together. Again, the silver caps have been used effectively in keeping with the simple design, as has the background for the photos.

Next we have a black and silver bracelet incorporating some pretty floral lampwork beads to compliment the focal flower bead.

Astrid Bracelet


Tangled Web Earrings


Admittedly there wasn't an awful lot of design introduced here. These were some charms I came across in a bead shop, and I fell in love with them! My intention was to somehow incorporate them into a more detailed piece with the addition of beads, but in the end I decided "less is more" so kept them as they were, nice and simple, hanging from sterling silver hooks. I suppose it is cheating in a way, but they look so effective I couldn't resist!

For these I felt a steel background tied in nicely so propped them against a solid steel bench block on a black background. When deciding what to call these earrings various thoughts came to mind; webs, lightening... even bicycle wheels. Don't think I'd get very far on them though! In the end I opted for tangled web.

"O, what a tangled web we weave
When first we practise to deceive."

I wouldn't want to unintentionally dupe anyone into thinking I had made these charms myself. I don't think there is anything wrong with taking a charm and making a piece of jewellery out of it. It's really no different to threading beads onto a headpin or a pendant onto a chain. But they have inspired me to have a go at making some from raw materials, so they have served a purpose. Inspiration comes from the unlikeliest places!

Weekend Round-Up

Members of the Etsy UK thread are running special promotions for individual members in the run up to Christmas. The lovely IslayBower has kindly volunteered to co-ordinate this mammoth task and is doing a fantastic job of keeping everyone up to date. The second half of last week was my turn to be in the spotlight. Members very kindly promoted me in various ways. QuercusSilver started a thread in the Promotions forum, other people tweeted my shop or selected items, some included my jewellery in their Treasuries, and BigBlueBed featured me in her blog, as did Angela Callanan in her Preciouslittlebirdy blog.

I was even asked to take part in an interview for Etsy member SnowdropAndDaisies blog. Snowdrops sent me a list of questions and I provided the answers which she turned into a lovely interview accompanied by a selection of jewellery photos from my shop. I think it fair to say she was a little surprised at my response, but very kindly took it in the humorous spirit intended. If you have time to spare, you can read it here. But you'd better make a nice cup of tea first... oh and a slice of cake... I do go on a bit!

It's been a lovely few days that's resulted in many views and hearts, and I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who took part. Apologies if I've missed anyone!

In other news, here are a few new pieces I've recently made.

Clementine Necklace:


Olivia Bracelet:


Honour Bracelet:

What's In Your Trolley?

Grabbing my Tesco trolley the other day, I happened upon a discarded till receipt the previous shopper had left behind. Picking it up, I popped it in my pocket; not because of an absence of bins, there were plenty of those, but because I'm nosy and wanted to read it over a cup of tea. I know, it's a bit sad, but you'd be surprised what you can learn from a shopping list. And yes, I know, wanting to learn anything at all about a total stranger is even sadder! But don't forget, I am nosy! Think of it as people watching from the comfort of my armchair.

So, back home, I unpack my shopping, pop the kettle on, slice the cake and settle down to inspect the shopping habits of my anonymous shopper.

Top of the list we have peach slices... oh wait a minute, they appear again a bit further down! Obviously likes fruit, particularly the kind that comes in tins!

When I was a child my nan used to serve tinned peaches with sterilised cream... also from a tin. The cream was thick, tasted of metal and separated slightly when dolloped on top of the syrupy juices. In the centre of the table sat a plate of bread and butter for dipping. Sounds disgusting, and it was!

But back to my shopper... there's more fruit with mandarins, plums, grapes and gooseberries. So I figure my anonymous shopper's preference for soft fruit indicates a problem biting into firm flesh... clearly not a vampire then! My suspicions are further aroused a little way down the list with the word Fixodent! Aha, thought so!

So, why do I think my shopper is female... well she likes baking; Stork margarine, bramley apples, treacle... unless the treacle is to keep her regular, hence the moist toilet tissues and quilted toilet tissues.

Moving on...

My shopper clearly likes to eat a well balanced diet; museli for breakfast with extra hazelnuts sprinkled on top... got to keep those bowels regular! Crumbed ham salad for lunch with baby plum tomatoes, little gem lettuce, radishes, red pepper and salad onions. Hold on a bit... red peppers! That's a bit exotic isn't it!! Afternoon tea... or rather percolated coffee...with a mince pie and dinner of Branston beans on toast (white sliced bread) or maybe broad beans, frozen peas and something from the freezer?

The trolley had been left next to the disabled parking bays, so I reckon she's got walking difficulties, probably on account of her arthritis. She really should lay off the acidic mandarins, they won't do her any good at all... neither will all that coffee (double purchase)... plays havoc with the rheumatism!

Age wise, I reckon she's in her mid 70's, possibly single, comfortably off, but makes her pension go further by doing most of her own baking, and cooking everything from scratch. Bet she drives a little Noddy Micra!

I would have loved to have found something a bit racy on her list, like an Italian ready meal, or a Vindaloo... that'd make her go faster than the treacle! Maybe a steamy paperback or CD of rock anthems. She could have made it a bit harder for me... I almost feel cheated!

So, what does your shopping trolley say about you? I daren't list mine. I'm having a comfort eating week, so lots of naughtiness; cake, choc and wine... with a bit of food chucked in for balance.

When I grow old I'm going to leave someone a really racy till receipt in my trolley! :D

Another First

Don't you just love first time experiences... providing they're good ones that is! But even bad experiences can teach us such a lot. In fact I'd go so far to say that it's the bad experiences in life that offer the most valuable lessons. I've certainly found I've had my biggest growth spurts during times of adversity!

But enough of bad experiences. This experience is a good one, and one that I hope will yield a growth spurt for my Etsy shop, because I've just discovered that I've been featured in my very first Etsy Gift Guide!

This particular gift guide features freshly emerging shops that have been open for six months or less and/or who have less that thirty sales. It was AMIdesigns who first brought it to my attention by telling me she had suggested me for it. Thanks Alison! I then popped into the gift guide thread and rather cheekily suggested myself too! I think one or two other UK members might have mentioned my name as well. So thanks to anyone who did that I haven't mentioned. They're a great bunch over on the Etsy UK thread, always supporting and promoting each other!

In fact we're having a special UK promotional push in the run up to Xmas where we are promoting two UK Etsy sellers every week, and the current lucky seller is none other than AMIdesigns so please do drop into her shop and take a look at her wonderful range of jewellery, not to mention her new line in Xmas decorations! They really are fab!

So, Etsy get to choose which particular item they feature, and they have chosen my Ruby Tuesday Red Czech Glass Bellflower Earrings:


You can also check them out here along with the other lovely items featured in the Freshly Emerging Shops gift guide.

SALE - 20% OFF EVERYTHING

I am having a sale of 20% off everything in my Etsy shop.

Sale ends Monday 9th November. Why not do some Xmas shopping and grab yourself a bargain! Pay the full purchase price and I will refund the difference through Paypal.

Happy shopping! :)