Long Time Gone

It's not for lack of work, quite the opposite in fact. I have been busy starting a new internship at Manchester Art Gallery and making a few new bits and pieces. Unfortunately saving to go to Spain has resulted in the lack of funds to buy materials. 

I made myself a watch on a chain, the retail cost would be around £20 and can be made to order.

I also made this brooch for my sister who has started working in a vintage style cupcake shop Queenies in Ironbridge, Shropshire. She's the biggest Marilyn Monroe fan so I thought I'd surprise her with a little vintage looking pressie. Ahhh nice sister!

I'm in two minds as to whether to list this for sale on Folksy but if you are interested I can make one to order for £4 with either a colour Marilyn (above) or a black and white image. There's also the option of a silver plated brooch. 

Last but not least, some beautiful jingly earrings that I have decided to list on Folksy. Again, these can be made with different colour combinations - just get in touch with me twentytonine@gmail.com.

So for now, that's all!

I'm looking into doing some letterpressing as a means of getting back into printmaking but you'll have to wait to see that!

Well It's About Time

 My new listings are up! Done! Finito! If you'd like to see my new jewellery, here's a sneak preview...

This is my first brooch, very colourful and just in time for spring. 

Ceramic Butterfly Brooch

And these are perhaps my favourite earrings I've made so far. I love the light quality to the doves and pale green. Very light and delicate but sure not to go unnoticed.

Ceramic Dove Earrings

And as promised, a picture of the amazing sushi bag made by my sister's own fair hand

Sushi Bag, Yummy

I am going to be getting started on some new designs next week, planning on using warmer toned metals and some beautiful vintage charms that I have sourced so make sure you check back! I also have an Alice in Wonderland themed piece on the way as a gift to my brother's girlfriend, who is an Alice aficionado to the extent that her recent birthday was a Mad Hatter style tea party. 

As always, all my jewellery is up for sale on Folksy, there are two other new pieces on there as part of my promised listings.

 

Productive / Unproductive

This week started with mountains of good intentions. I planned to make some new pieces with my sister of the last few days. I got four new works made and BAM! I get a bug. Grand. So now I have earrings, a brooch and a pendant all waiting to be uploaded and listed. This will be up and ready by tomorrow morning, or at least that's when I hope!

On another note, I am the proud owner of an almost complete sushi bag courtesy of my amazing sister who, despite almost stitching the bag to a pillow, hand sewed my bag over two days. She certainly met her 'quota' . Pictures to follow. And you'll love my choice of fabric it's sushi, I love sushi, especially the stuff on this fabric...think Ladybird illustrations then think sushi. Hot dickety dog!

I will be browsing Folksy over the next few days in order to buy myself a little something for completing my nine month internship, just a little something I like to do, normally takes form of a ring. If anyone has any suggestions on what I can adorn my little fingers with then suggestions are always welcome.

For now I leave you with this image of silly sushi. Silly but still intricate and most likely uber delicious.

February - Birthstones, Valentines and Beheadings

So February. The month that has the most romantic saints day in our calendar. Oh and it's also the month some people were most likely born in. For someone like myself who decided years ago to dismiss February as a non-month; it's the shortest month of the year and sometimes tricks you with an extra day but anyway, knowing that I have to potentially buy two nice presents in one month could be a mixture of confusion and pleasure of spending money on something nice for someone nice. Ah.

The name February comes from the word februa, meaning cleansing or purification. This would suggest that we should practice simplicity and modesty in the last month of winter before spring hits and everything becomes floral and confusing again. 

Oh no wait, everything is already floral and confusing, this Victorian card is proof. Why flowers? Why notes? Why the cherub postman?

The 14th of February, St Valentines Day was the day that Valentine became a martyr after he refused to give up his faith. He was subsequently beaten with clubs and beheaded. As the stories go, while awaiting his death in jail he cured the jailers daughter of her blindness and penned her a later on the eve of his execution signing it, "from your Valentine". He is the patron saint of couples, love, marriage, bee keepers, the plague, fainting and young people to name a few and is often depicted with roses and birds. This explains the cards, notes and flowers we like to give to the person we love, but not the cherub. That will have to wait for another day...

My work this week has focused on the celebration of Valentine's Day, for which I designed these 

And also, I wanted to create something for February's birthstone; amethyst.

This piece features a Swarovski crystal in amethyst and also one in deep violet - the violet being the flower for people born in February.

Both of these are available on my Folksy Shop if you're stuck for pressies. There are some great cards on their too. No postie cherubs here!

New Blog Feature

That's right! I am planning two new features sections in my blog. One will focus on fellow artisans- you can make anything talk about anything, I want to feature you! The other, equally as exciting, will feature things that I have seen. Seen you say? How horribly vague! Not so! Being a frequenter of numerous gallery previews and exhibitions I thought it might be nice to every-so-often reflect upon these. Just as a break from jewellery talk.

If you'd like to be featured then please get in touch! No exclusions, photographers, crafters, printmaker, contemporary artist, film makers, butter churners, whoever you are please give me a shout! 

Where did it go?

The weekend I mean, not my life! 

I've had a fairly productive weekend of making bits and pieces. I am looking to source some new interesting beads and also so gunmetal findings. 

My latest pieces reflect my obsession in pirates and all things Cuban. My friend left for a holiday in Cuba yesterday and with this in mind, I have made a necklace featuring the colours of their flag. Luckily our flag made up from the same colours so anyone who's feeling patriotic will enjoy!

New ventures this week include designing a necklace and earring set as a commission and hunting for people to feature on here.

Tonight I'm off to Manchester Art Gallery for a talk with Greyson Perry...so excited!

Valentines Designs

Today I have finally had the chance to make the jewellery I designed earlier in the week. I've been using the infamous jig and think have mastered it!  
I have made three heart pendants, all of which feature a Swarovski crystal, perfect for Valentines day or to give to your favourite cardiologist.
I wanted to make something that would be perfect as a gift for Valentines day - a heart design with something special like a crystal, but also wanted to create something a little different to what I have seen before. 
The Swarovski crystals used singularly have brought a chic feel to the wire designs. The luminosity of the crystals almost emphasise the simplicity of the wire. I always really enjoy working with both these materials.


You can see these new items on my Folsky page http://bit.ly/dLt8tn http://bit.ly/hocBqa. Enjoy!