Learning New Skills

I have had a fantastic couple of days annealing, bending and soldering silver.  My hubby bought me some vouchers for birthday and christmas to use at Urchfont Manor.  We are so lucky to have such a wonderful facility on the doorstep.

I signed up for the silver jewellery making course with the brilliant Pauline Payne.  We started by learning how to make a ring.  How to anneal the silver, add texture to the silver, bend it into shape, get a good join and solder. 

Next lesson was how to cut a shape from sheet silver.  I cut the flower shape to mount on my ring.  I also mounted the turquoise in the centre, so I made a bezel etc.. I have always wanted a couple of silver bangles so they were my next project.

I still had a morning to fill so I decided to make something for my little ones and came up with an initial pendant each.  (I did one for Fay too but she was out wearing hers when I took this photo).

I learned so much I can't get it all down in words.  Pauline was a fantastic tutor, so patient with us, and has a style of teaching that made us all feel at ease.  The company also made for a very enjoyable couple of days, with 9 other ladies to chat to and compare notes with.

I'm going to start saving for another course next year!

Have I Been Cursed?

I only ask because nothing seems to be going right at the moment.  This isn't going to be a 'woe is me' blog entry but my oxycon still isn't fixed, which is so frustrating.  So, I decided that I could use up beads I have already made and get busy with some more work on Etsy BUT the camera decided to break - some problem with the memory card.  We have ordered a new memory card, which was despatched over a week ago and we still haven't received it.  I know we have had a bank holiday but there are other letters we should have received by now but they haven't turned up either!

We had a lovely Easter break but that wasn't without drama.  My 3 year old son Reuben fell over during a walk in the woods. He was clutching a handful of leaves in one hand and so fell right over onto the other hand.  It turns out he has a green-stick(?) fracture on his right wrist! 

I'm not even going to go into the trauma with the two cars - brakes, tyres, exhausts and the MOT's are due soon...... did I mention redundancy?

Anyway, that's it, rant over now.  It's not all bad.  It's great to have hubby home to take over with the school run.  And I'm off to have coffee with friends later this morning, the sun is shining STILL so life aint that bad...

I hope to able to post some good news soon, with photos!

Target Update

Things went a little quiet last week....  But, I have added two new Beau Bangles to the shop today.  I am also encountering a slight techincal hitch - my oxycon (very important piece of kit in bead making for all the non-lampers out there) is broken.  Hopefully not beyond repair *puts hands together for a little prayer*.  I have opened it up to see if I can see anything untoward... who am I kidding?  As if I can work out what does what.  I am really hoping this doesn't hamper progress towards the target as I do have a stock of beads I could be using.  Its typical of me though, when I can't do something I want to do it all the more.....

Something for the Men

I was recently at a pamper evening being held for a local hospice when a chap came over to the table looking for something for himself.  This has never happened to me before.  He asked if I have anything for men, which I didn't, so I duly scurried into my workshop (read work area, workshop sounds grand) and came up with this

It is one of my 'Beau Bangle' designs using a pvc bracelet which slips over the hand.  Alternatively it can be trimmed for a more snug fit.  The clasp is a pull apart connector which is surprisingly difficult to pull apart.  The beads are made on 5mm mandrels.  The larger beads on this one have a  clear base with some murrini, or twistie for decoration with some plain black spacer beads.  I haven't added any of the charms or ring clusters to this one for fear of making it too feminie. 

I would appreciate any feedback from any blokes out there as to whether it is something they would wear.  My husband thinks its great but he isn't jewellery wearer.

 

Mine, All Mine....

I don't know if you remember but a little while ago I posted a little blog about these beads 

Which I made to go with this fabric

Well now I have a set of jewellery, I don't think I have ever had a necklace, earrings AND matching bracelet.

The necklace is made with a combination of medium lentils and spacer beads connected with sterling silver wire wrapped links.

One of my favorite 'Beau Bangle' style bracelets with a good and chunky big hole bead.

To finish the ensemble a pair of earrings with ear wires I made myself!  I was so pleased with how these turned out.  I followed a tutorial in Kerry's book Totally Twisted

A quick update on my Etsy is that I reached my target of 14 items by Sunday! But I sold a pair of earrings so I am down to 13 but that's ok because I have few things lined up to go on at some point today/tonight. 

Hope you had a good weekend x



A Mini Celebration

Hooray I am 1/5th of the way to meeting my Etsy target!!!!  Ok so this week was easy because I already had some items in my shop but nevertheless it is great to see the number of items reach the double figures.  Here are the items going online for today.

Commission for my lovely friend Michelle

A Target

It's been while since I posted.  We've had a few things going on and then Reuben had a really nasty tummy bug for all of last week!

I thought I would share with you all that I have decided to set myself a target.  For quite a while now I have had the intention of listing items in my Etsy shop on a regular basis.  I have been reading around the different blog entries on Etsy and I'm sure I read somewhere that the magic number of items to have listed in the shop is 50 or over.  So, I decided to make it my mission to list 2 items a day!!!!! or if life gets in the way to have 14 items listed by each Sunday evening.  There, I've said it and it feels good to share it because I will stick to it.

So the first item to today is the daisy necklace and earrings that featured in my previous post.

I have got lots of other goodies lined up to come on stream so keep looking!

Here's is a little taster of the next item