Special Award

OH a special early morning surprise from Jo of Daisychain designs and Mandie of Jewellery Craft - I had a Make MY Day Award - my first and I'm so chuffed - thanks Jo & Mandie :) SO I've popped it on the side but now I have a job to do :-
To pass the award on, here are the details :
1. Write a post with links to 5 blogs that make me think and/or make my day.
2. Acknowledge the post of the award giver.
3. Display the “You Make My Day Award” logo
4. Tell the award winners that they have won by commenting on their blogs with the news.


The blogs listed below are with some incrediably gifted people -

1 BetteJo of Beadcreations - she sometimes has me crying with laughter - such talent for writing.
2 Jo Rutter- of Joannarutter.com, her fabulous jewellery and lovely photographs are perfect!
3. Amari Designs - Maz makes the most wonderful, elegant jewellery
4 MsBelle - GInger is a fantastic writer and makes the most wonderful jewellery - I need to see her gemstone collection!!
5.Dawn Vertress - her silver jewellery is breathtakingly gorgeous - I'm going to be Dawn when I grow up!!

Enjoy everyone!!

Where's the week gone!

Hmmm not that Friday feeling - more a feeling of where has the week flown by too! Time goes by so quickly doesn't it - the good thing about school holidays is Elli and I become more in tune - of course normal school weeks I'm a Mummy who is always saying 'Homework' or 'Bed' or 'Swimming lessons' , but holidays we all become more chilled out and my sleepy 6 yr old really knows how to chill out!
Another wire wrapped bracelet to show you - again with Caroline's beads, the patterns in the glass sung tigers stripes at me, yet once I started playing the other colours just popped! out. I've used bronze fw pearls, prehnite, amethyst, garnet, green apaptite, and of course aa couple of charms, then of course she was Oxidised and hand-polished. Can you tell I love this technique!

Vita pendant

I was in a rut the whole week, doing nothing in terms of jewelry, so tonight while I was browsing a Show & Tell jewelry forum, I saw a pendant which brought back my creative spark. Thus the Vita pendant was born, based on the name of the person who made that particular pendant.
Sterling silver and a funky yellow-green agate barrel.
Available on my Dawanda shop.

Featured at Beading Gem

I woke up this morning at a message on Metalchasers from Beading Gem that she has featured one of my 'how to' articles. This is my second feature on her famous blog, I have already been featured before with one of my chainmail earrings.

Thank you so much Pearl, I love reading your blog, your writing style flows so nicely and your featured artists and jewelry are just superb!

Half way

I've been soldering - so I stopped halfway through 3 chains and made a couple of pairs of these earrings. I have kept one pair for myself - I need to test them out right?! They are so light , yet they catch the light enough for people to see them on - so I'm happy with this design - another I think which will be kept on.
I also made this necklace - these beads of Claire's, of Rowanberrys Glass Art, definately talk to me, they trully misbehaved and although were a bracelet in my head decided they wanted to be a necklace. Now most of you will probably read this and think I've completely lost the plot. BUt you see most jewellery designers will say the same thing, whether it our muses stepping in or whether these beads created by artisans carry some personality I have no idea. Claire thinks all beads have a fiery nature because they are born from the fire!!
I think I'm going to leave it there before I make you think anything else!! Hopefully will be back tomorrow I have lots more to show and all my delicious gemstones arrived - *sigh!

Bad experience with so-called "Stainless" steel shot

Ok so right now I'm pissed off!
I bought a few weeks ago stainless steel shot from a UK company to go with my tumbler and after tumble polishing my silver jewelry, I did as mentioned on the website, i.e. washed the shot with water to get rid of the dishwashing liquid, and then spread it out on paper towels to dry nicely. To my horror the next morning most of the shot pieces were rusted!! I didn't know what to do, maybe I did something wrong, however the always knowledgeable folks and friends over at the Starving Artists forum told me that I did nothing wrong, but the 'stainless' is actually not stainless, but I got myself the cheaper sort, 'carbon', which rusts very easily. This one needs some special packaging and taking care of to not rust, while the stainless steel should NOT rust at all.

Update:
I've been just contacted by the company in question after sending my second email to them, and I've been told that they will send me a second pack stainless free. Apparently they were not aware either that the supplier in India included also carbon steel with the stainless steel shot, which they have rectified now. I will keep you updated on the progress on this one!

I just love making jewelry!

Last night I was thinking what outfit to wear at work, and decided on a brown blouse that my parents bought me in Hungary while I was with them on holidays two weeks ago. But then I realised that I don't really have any earrings in brown, as the two pairs I had before, I left them with relatives as presents. So I thought to myself, hey I am making jewelry, so why can't I make a simple pair for myself to wear tomorrow? It doesn't need to be anything special or funky or expensive, just something for everyday that goes well with your regular brown outfit. And this simple pair of earrings was born :)
While musing on these things a warm feeling spread over me when I was thinking that other people have to buy jewelry for different outfits and occasions, but I can actually make them whenever I want, from the simplest to the most sophisticated ones!