More hammering

Ancient II

I seem to be stuck on creating for my Simply Heaven Range at the moment ~ I suppose while pieces are selling I have to redo them for the shop, both on my website and Etsy ~ while in my workshop I always get waylaid into creating something new ~ which is great fun and its usually while I redoing a piece these ideas flood in. Ancient II is a remake of my other earrings this time with five recycled silver pebbles adorning each hammered ring. These will be going up onto my website very soon.

Curly Ribbons ~Sold

These beauties came from another session in my work room, they sort of just happened but I think I will be making more and these sold really quickly ~ they were also featured in a treasury on Etsy as they were being sold in my Simply Heaven shop. But fear not there will be more I promise you .
And finally I have one of my signature bracelets to show you ~ made with Claire Morris of Rowanberry Glass Arts fabulous boro beads and mixed with blue opal, Chalcedony, Iolite and peridot and of course wire wrapped to creat a stunning bracelet in blues and greens.

Obscured by Clouds

This bracelet is available on my website in the Glass Gems section.

A new Section

Simply Studs

I've been really busy over the weekend trying to finish my stock for a new section of my website called Simply Heaven ~ I wanted to do some simpler pieces for Christmas shopping as I always get asked about what I have for less than £20/£15/£10. Hopefully this new section will help you all not only with your Christmas shopping but also if you want to buy yourself a little treat without breaking the bank! Each piece instead of being boxed up will be placed into a simple organza bag, because of this I can offer first class posting (Instead of only registered which my one of kind pieces have) ~ I promise you'll still see the gemheaven touches and as soon as the my delivery is here in the next couple of days I will show you how you will recieve your piece of Simply Heaven.

Wave pendant with Flourite

The main difference with the new section will be everything can be remade ~ nothing is one of a kind but I can say pieces will be limited (until the beads run out for example) but everything is also interchangable ~ so say you like the Wave pendant above but you don't like Flourite gemstones ~ tell me what you would like and I will make it up especially for you. I have had so much fun creating a new line of simple but fun jewellery I really hope when I launch it you will enjoy it to.

Simply earrings with Turquoise

Any questions then feel free to send me a email ~ have a look at my website for more information and check out Flickr for more pics! The lovely Sharon of Manamoon Studios is creating my new Etsy banner and avatar which I will show off once its all up and running ~ can you tell I am excited ~ the preview is stunning!!

No Love Too Small

No Love too Small

Sometimes I just play around in my workshop, seeing what shapes I can make and how I can incorporate them into my designs ~ No Love too Small ~ was just a heart commission I had last Friday, I made half a dozen hearts in vary sizes and showed the customer concerned. These were left over and I thought they were soo cute I had to use them, a 3mm rondelle in Ruby finishes them off perfectly I think. Measuring about 30mm {1.25"} approx they are small and dainty!

Cranberry

I must be in a red mood this week, with the ruby earrings and now these with Rubilitte garnet wire wrapped onto them ~ I love the effect though and these would make a perfect Christmas Day pair ~ eeeek did I say Christmas Day? haha today is my older Sister's birthday and mentally I don't even think about Christmas until after today so I am a little ahead of myself :)

Happy Birthday ALi!!

My Eyes

Aurora - SOLD

I think my eyes are starting to complain about all this close up work, I need nagging to go to the opticians! Years ago, and I mean B.E (Before Elli) in fact B.M (Before marriage) I had my eyes tested as my Auntie was diagnosed with Glaucoma, I need glasses for close up work, I had them as a Birthday gift (very expensive) and I hated wearing them. At the time I worked as a photographers assistant - setting up lights, booking in clients, sorting through the photographs, adding client base to computor, loading film etc. My head was up and down and I started getting headaches from glasses on and off, or in my case not taking them off at the right moments. So guess what I gave up wearing them.....

Tundra - RESERVED

Of course I now need to be rechecked and my eyes are so sore in the evenings, I think they are crying for help. I'm just so bad at gtting myself checked out for some reason... you'd think after all my health scares I would be the opposite, sadly anything which is slightly invasive of my person I run screaming for the hills. WEll I suppose there's always more valium ....

ANd yes I am joking ;p

Wire Boutique

Today the Wire Boutique was launched!! All the designers on the Boutique are from within the UK - using fine quality gemstones and wire in precious metals to create exclusive pieces of Art. You may recognise some of the names on there (me!) - all the designers have their own unique style and you will definitely get an exclusive piece of jewellery. I have become officially obsesses with wire at the moment - thick or thin everything has it on ;) I would even cover my dh in it - but he is a faster runner than me ;)
Here's one of my pieces for sale on WB - Apple Blossom - with beautiful Prehnite, Rose Quartz and peridot - this is one of my favourites. Luckily all the blossom on our apple tree seems to have produced apples so a bumper crop this year!!

Take a look and let me know what you think!

Ooops I did it again

Honestly I think the week is just two days long here - mind you the year is only 4 weeks.... I just can't believe my daughter will be going into the Juniors (Uk we have infants from 4yr-7yrs, then juniors 7- 11) it only seems a year ago I left her in Reception class age 4 - I cried - Elli barely waved!!
As you can see I have been creating - so I'm making the most of these very short weeks ;) I've also had a few commmissions I have been getting on with as well as getting prepared for a brand new website that will be launching very soon - very exciting :)
All these pieces are available on my website or Etsy from today complete with all the other new pieces I have made.

Back into jumpers

"WARM HEART"

So I added a warm pic!! Maybe its just me, I've had this awful cold, but today and last night I have been freezing. The sun is warm but the wind has a bit of a cold freshness to it - I suppose after the balmy weather we had it just feels a little chillier!!

"DRUANTIA"

More silver work today to show which I did mean to show you last week, I also have some lampwork pieces to show - hopefully if my brain is in gear tomorrow I can show you some more. I ordered some new saw blades which is why I made these two pendants - It was definately the right decision as it was an far easier then before.

"GROW TALL"

This last picture shows my latest earrings - they are long yet I think extremly easy to wear! I enjoyed the experiment though with the vines twisting around the square silver. Watching our honeysuckle go wild was the inspiration - its taking over the top garden but I can't wait for the flowers!

Where the week went!

What fabulous weather we have been having - ok its not going to last (in the southwest at least) so of course I've been making the most of it! Monday, a bank holiday or May Day as we call it, was really warm and we (the family) went to TRerice, owned now by the National Trust, a beautiful Elizabethan house and gardens. Elli and E even had a go at playing Cornish Kayling - a game of skittles, and ELli tried her hand at brass rubbings. LOts of sunshine and a run around the maze - great fun. Mamma, Gump and Nanny came to - so cups of tea and slices of cake finished off the day!
Of course when the weather is fine my designs tend to turn blue don't they and this one is no exception - named Arethusa after the NYmph who who turned into a fountain - these turquoise briolettes are gorgeous!
This bracelet is named Rioja and is garnet, crystal quartz and bali silver - all wound onto dainty chain for a really slinky feel - I'm working on a kyanite, iolite and moonstone one at the moment and have slightly pink arms from sitting outside this afternoon!!

Wire

I am so enjoying wire work at the moment and the above piece "Artemis" was a real labour of love - one of those projects that seemed to click even though it wasn't exactly what I started out to achieve. I definitely had aching hands by the end but am so pleased with the final outcome I am hoping to attempt another at some point.

Gorgeous boro beads by Claire of Rowanberry Glass - amazing colours to pull out - my favourite type of beads - someone on Flickr (sorry if its you) said it looked "appley" and I think they're right - like apple blossom - maybe I should photograph the blossom on our apple tree for comparison?
Finally some earrings I created with beautiful apatite, Iolite , aquamarine and gorgeous smooth rock crystal .
And thank you Hannah (Of Kutuu) who checked up on me this morning - she was worried because I have been a bad, neglectful blogger recently!! May, I promise will be an improvement :)

On strict orders

My lovely Dad has been complaining that I'm not updating my blog enough so here I am as promised (well I promised my Mum ;0) ) The above pic is from Pentewen , a beach not far from us - the weather was quite rough as you can see - there was even surfers in the water - which you don't see much on the south coast - the waves are usually too small to be any good - but obviously the wind was in the right direction!

I've also been making lots of pendants too - this one is lapis lazuli and the blue is beautiful with oxidised silver on chain. I love the simplicity of pendants.

I promise to be back tomorrow with more...

Rolling In Gemstones!

Today I had a meeting with a lady from a gemstone suppliers - a lovely lady - who fell in love with my cat! She had so many gemstones I was in heaven. I even held in my hands a strand of th most beautiful diamonds which cost nearly as much as my lampwork collection :) Keishi pearls with an incredible luster, rubies - oh I could go on but I would get all you gem lovers drooling over your keyboards!!! Sadly I'm too busy pooling all my money into silver at the moment for my party on Friday!

I've also being doing some mor wire wrapping - I love this one with the ethereal blue of the Chalcedonywith ros quartz, pearls , crystal quartz and more Chalcedony all oxidised. It was a lot of work but well worth it - well I think :)

Numb fingers

MY fingers are numb and my s isn't working properly because I have been playing with wire - a lot!! There is little pieces of wire under the s on my keyboard so I have to press really hard - so if anything doesn't make sense - add an s ;)

The earrings I love I made myself some a few weeks ago and haven't yet changed back to my other which is a good sign - with little teeny weeny seed pearls - let me know what you think won't you ? The necklace is with 'Autralian Opal' which is actually IMpression Jasper - its a beautiful oft bluey/green so with added aquamarine and fw pearls in bronze and ivory I thought she looked very ocean like.

and finally some more earrings with rose quartz on a twisted ring - I love these and plan on more in the near future!! Now before you nag I am still making with my lampwork beads so to finish some lampwork earrings - fun and beach themed

OK I know

where have my blog posts been - well I did warn you - blog posting with a six year old is hard you get to the middle of a post and get called away - then you come back and forget where you are - I have quite a few unfinished ones in draft this week. I also would like to apologises to my blogging friends for neglect ;)

Part of me is looking forward to normality when Elli goes back to school but she is such good company too I will miss her loads! Yesterday we went shopping - I love shopping but I don't do enough of it (contrary to what my E says!) She is such good fun and loves looking at clothes as much as I do - especially if they come in her size - yes I have a real girly girl :)

I'm down to 40 sets I think (although bad girl that I am I've recieved another 2 sets in the post - do I have to count them lol) I'm working on getting down to 20 arghhh but its hard!

Good Friday!

Well I've had my Hot Cross Buns for breakfast - yum and now we have a lazy day ahead - the weather here in the UK is wintery - last easter was so much later and we had beautiful blue skies and hot sun - in fact there are photos of us in t-shirts enjoying a Easter egg hunt! Why do they change the month Easter falls in? I have been told its something to do with the moon and would love to know if this is true - maybe a google is in order!
OK this is what I have found out

Easter Sunday is the Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon (PFM) date for the year. In June 325 A.D. astronomers approximated astronomical full moon dates for the Christian church, calling them Ecclesiastical Full Moon (EFM) dates. From 326 A.D. the PFM date has always been the EFM date after March 20 (which was the equinox date in 325 A.D.).

But next year apparently it falls on April 12th so I think a picnic will better be saved for next year!!

I haven't a great deal to show as my dizzy spells are still happening - I think I may have to brave the dr next week. FIngers crossed I will be able to still create something this weekend ☺

Spin me round

So sorry - I fully intended to post on Sunday evening - then MOnday but I had this weird dizzy thing - just like when you have had to many drinks and the room spins round except I hadn't had anything stronger than a cup of tea. Even with my eyes closed it felt like I was being spun around - and with that headaches and nausea - yuk. I managed a few moments yesterday on here but not enough to post.

I was busy making though - so I have lots of new things to show you in the next few days - a couple of commission need sorting too - being off doesn't work when you have work to do!!

Jump!

This bracelet is one of my favourites at the moment (I know, I know I say that about them all!) but I think the colours in this one are just fantastic. This is actually boro glass - which is not that easy to come by in the UK sadly (hopefully that will change soon) - boro glass has lots of silver in it and has to be treated in a whole different way (my source on the subject hopefully will be playing with her new glass real soon ;0) ) I adore boro, the colours are fantastic - these are actually from the US by an artist called Cory Walker.

I added little glass spacers (Shirley Giles) Green Kyanite, Rubies, Moonstone and Teal apatite - I just love how the colours pop! I have a few other sets of boro here waiting to be played with so expect more soon.

Two in a row!

I am doing well - two posts in a row!! I have to show you Elli's pasty she made on Saturday - being Cornish we love pastys - lovely beef, potato and turnip with lashings of pepper, a pinch of salt and a knob of butter - all wrapped up in short crust pastry! Elli decided she wanted to make her own - and I was extremly impressed with her heart pasty! She ate the lot to!

Another reason for todays post I wanted to show you something my two fab friends are doing at the moment. Allison Raposa of Msbaubles and Angela Mckenna of AM Designs have both entered into the new volume of the Etsy promo book (see HERE).

TimothyAdamDesigns says: With 140 etsy artists featured in 4 volumes, the handbook to handmade is a small cut of very talented artists from around the world. "the handbook to handmade" is a monthly volume of 36 ETSY artists and their shops...this is a promotional tool that is used to help promote artists and etsy. the first volume was a success, with a great mix of artists from 36 different cities from around the world.

I love Etsy and have bought a few bits and pieces on there - more and more UK artists can be found on there - really there is worth a look - everything from Knitting to canvas's, soaps and pottery! I really hope Allison and Angela get to show us what the finished book looks like with their pages! Allison and Angela both have unique styles which I admire greatly.

The first picture shows the latest silver necklace I have made - simple and sweet with that dark edge ;) and the bracelet is a birthstone commission I had with my customers childrens birthstones - I love the mixture of the stones - peridot, Amethyst and Topaz.

Oh I say!

The saga of the missing gemstones continues - day 7 and counting :( The above pendant was made with my rather large already collection ;) Wire shaped into this leaf shape and wire-wrapped gems oxidised and hand-polished.
Guess what I have won something - I don't win much if anything but I had a comment left by the lovely Cindy of Jewellery Tales telling me I was a winner and woohoo HERE I am! Winning Art bead Scenes prize is fantastic - I'm so excited!! Many of you may remember seeing Trelissick on my blog a few weeks ago - although now she is in a new home!

The above necklace is Baltic Amber - this is the most fantastic Amber I have ever had the privilege to hold or even work with - the organic nature is perfect to me - and I kept this design simple - who need to complicate such beauties?? The beads are incredible and I finished her off with a pretty sterling silver leaf clasp.

Have a good evening