New Look for the New Year

Happy New Year!

Okay, I know it's a bit late and we're hurtling towards February, but better late than never. I've given my blog a makeover for the new year, and as I haven't had time to christen it with my first post until now there's quite a few new designs I want to share with you. More details can be found by clicking each link. So without any further ado..

First in line is a pair of vintage inspired earrings. I love the retro feel of these; I could almost visualise my mum wearing them in the 60's; a quick application of mascara... after spitting on the solid black block to soften, red lipstick, a light spray of Norman Hartnell's In Love, and she was ready to go.

Noir Earrings

Next in line is a sweet little pair of cream Czech glass flowers because Spring is just around the corner... wishful thinking!

Wood Anemone Earrings


I love the combination of colours in my latest addition to my collection; a charm bracelet of amethyst and peridot glass flowers interspersed with leaves, pearls and cute little silver puffed hearts for added tinkle!

Grapevine Bracelet


More spring flowers... ever hopeful that we've seen the back of winter, even if it is only January. These are from my popular lily collection with Swarovski tipped stamens.

Lady Grey Earrings
Following the same theme, here we have the same style of lily in a beaded necklace.

Nightshade Necklace
More flowers with these lovely Petunias.

Petunia Earrings

I have phases where I become slightly addicted to certain colours and they appear in my collection in increasing numbers. At the moment, just in case it has escaped your attention, it is purple and all it's variants; amethyst, lilac, aubergine etc.

Red is another big favourite at the moment, particularly bright scarlet red in opaque glass. I can't get enough opaque glass and seem to spend hours browsing suppliers looking for a shape I don't already own. Here I have teamed some rondelles with a bright red retro hoop to make this bold necklace.

Kiss Necklace
This next pair of earrings is a lovely shade of ruby red.

Very Berry Earrings

These blue Gentian buds are made from some vintage beads I have had for years and years.

Blue Gentian Earrings


And as it will soon be Valentine's day, I couldn't leave you without including a couple of heart designs.

Blossoming Love Necklace

Heart of Gold Necklace

Spring is in the Air

I seem to have been so busy lately that I haven't had time to update my blog. I'm about to put that right with a gallery of my latest Spring Flower Collection. My flowers seem to be my best seller and after a couple of them were recently featured on the Etsy Front Page interest has grown (no pun intended) and orders have increased. So I figured I'd extend my range with some new designs. I can't claim they are botanically correct, but I have so much fun making them, and it beats gardening in this chilly weather!

Daffodils:



Nightshade Lily:


Bluebell:


First Dew:


Springtime:


Passion Blossom:



Tiffany Fleur:


Spring Green:



Summer Sky:



Lime Blossom:

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

My first Custom Order

This week saw another first for me, a custom order! It came about as a direct result of my earrings featuring in a treasury on the Etsy Front Page. The customer wanted me to make a pendant necklace using the same beads. I'm delighted with the way it turned out!

Vintage Powder Blue Lily



In other news, I have had another pair of earrings featured on Etsy's Front Page. This time it was for my Dew-Kissed Blue Lampwork Earrings which were included in this gorgeous treasury.

Playing Catch Up

I've neglected this blog recently, so had better do a quick catch up of recent events/activities. First off, I finally made the Front Page of Etsy! A pair of my earrings were featured in CreamRose's treasury. I had been an alternate but she very kindly swapped me in at some point, and it made the front page. Thank you CreamRose!

It was my Maia - Vintage Green Lily earrings that were featured. I hadn't realised the impact a brief spot on the front page could have. I had an extra 560 views 17 shop hearts and 65 item hearts (25 for the lily earrings) and two enquiries about possible custom orders.

It took me a few minutes to make sense of the sudden increased interest. Admittedly, I hadn't been awake long and was on my first black coffee of the day. Then it dawned on me that I must have been on the front page. My Google Analytics visitor graph looks really weird; there's a little wavy line running all along the bottom of the graph, and then all of a sudden a witches hat appears as the line spikes upwards to the very top of the graph in a sharp point, and back down again to continue it's amble along the bottom.

I thought the witches hat rather apt... not because we're fast approaching Halloween, but because I had been moaning to fellow UK Etsian MoaningMinnie who is always on the front page, that I had never been on the front page. So she said she'd cast a spell to put me there. Low and behold that very night I was on the front page! How spooky is that!! MoaningMinnie makes hats by the way, not witches pointy hats, but beautiful vintage inspired cloche hats. Check out her amazing shop and see for yourself why she's so popular!

But enough of Minnie... this time it was my turn to be in the spotlight, albeit briefly, when the world and his wife was in bed.

Here is the treasured treasury:



In other news, recent items I have made include:

Vintage Plum Wine Bracelet

Chestnut Bracelet


Harvest Bracelet


Enchanted Whisper Necklace


Harmony Blues Bracelet