Gosh, has it been that long?

As I suspected I have been terribly remiss at keeping up my Blog - photos were promised back in July and never materialised!  Well I did make those Curtain tie- backs and the lady in question was so pleased she insisted on paying me extra!

 I also got the Silver clay out and made a ring and an acorn bead cap, both of which I was very pleased with. Now have another pack of Silverclay and will be making something else soon.

 On that front have decided I really want to do more Sterling Silver jewellery. I recently made 7 ear cuffs, sold all of them before Christmas & have interest in 2 more, when made. The cutting, shaping, hammering & filing that goes into creating something from scratch with sheet metal is extremely satisfying!

Sterling Silver Ear Cuffs

My aspirations for the New Year, therefore are to learn to solder, spend more time working with metal (and making full use of my lovely new Dremel - Thank You Hubby xx); also to try & sell some more of my pieces - which means actually putting them in my Folksy shop & not just keeping then in a box at home! As to the regularity of my Blog?........well you will just have to watch this space ;-)

A Quick Note

Soooooo busy with the children as it's school holidays so haven't time for much. Just want to quickly say you must check out THEAjewellery's Blog 'The Gossiping Goddess" and follow her blog. This lady makes the most beautiful jewellery and I find her work really inspirational, plus shes giving away a gift when 100 followers are secured!

The Gossiping Goddess: I'm giving my heart away...: "Well a very pretty lampwork one anyway... I've set myself a goal of reaching 100 followers for the Gossiping Goddess by the end of August..."

Nothing doing.......

Time is what we want most, but... what we use worst.  ~Willaim Penn


My good intentions for a productive week is not going well. I seem to be crippled by the strange feeling of a lack of purpose since my children have gone away. I know this is ridiculous - they are normally at school all day so this should just be like a school day but longer - free time until hubby comes home at 6:30pm.


I've sat at my beading desk & only managed to make the red earrings my mother in law ordered.  I've done all the washing and half heartedly starting sorting my daughter's room pending arrival of new wardrobe on Friday. 


Part of the problem is that I have a commission thats causing me a headache - 6 beaded curtain tie backs. In total they add up to nearly 5 metres of beading! Need to find the right colours - order in samples, then make up some examples for approval prior to ordering in bulk.  Trouble is customer lives some way away  & whilst curtain sample has been provided for colour all other correspondence will have to be done via phone/email. Not the easiest as I have not seen the tiebacks  she has in mind - apparently she saw some in Dunelm Mill but a  trip to the local store here revealed none in stock.  I have found some on ebay and etsy so have a bit of an idea! 

Hopefully the beads I've ordered will come tomorrow so I can make a start on some examples - although I fear I will have to use some acrylic beads (my snobbery over these will have to be overcome) otherwise they may be too weighty (& too expensive).  No doubt once I know exactly what I am going to do I will be more enthused.

It's Oh So Quiet!

My 2 beautiful girls have gone off with Grandma & Granddad for a week in Derbyshire leaving behind a very quiet house. Hubby & I thought we would take advantage & go out to the cinema...but here is nothing on!!! (Well there is Harry Potter, but we want to take the girls when they get back) So another evening vegging in front of the TV.

As Hubby is still at work this week I am rather looking forward to a week of uninterrupted beading. I have a couple of commissions to work on - 2 pairs of earrings for my mother-in-law & some beaded curtain tie backs.  Not sure what I'm doing with these - need to visit Dunelm Mill as apparently they do some but not it the required colour.

I may also use this week to get out my Silver clay as I bought a pack of PMC nearly a year ago & haven't had the time/inspiration/courage to use it. Several magazine articles have helped get over the courage/inspiration issue and now I will certainly have the time! Pictures will follow (I promise!)

Well I seem to have set myself up with a Blog!  I have read a number of other people's with interest and am always amazed and impressed by the witty, insightful and fascinating things they post.......I'm sure this won't be like that!

Still I'll give it a go and start by saying that I am still loving jewellery making after my first tentative steps taken last October.  Hubby is less keen - as he's seen parts of the house taken over, housework go undone and dinners not made.  No doubt he will change his tune when I start to make a financial contribution to the household.......probably by the year 2020!

On that note that is my biggest obstacle so far - I need to fund my passion and pass on some of the things I've made to appreciative homes, however, the sales side is the thing I am most uncomfortable with.  How do I reconcile the 'reclusive artist' bit where I can happily spend the day alone creating at my desk; with the salesperson - going out & showing off what I've done for (hopefully) financial reward!

Any advice will be gladly received (as would any offers to do it for me!) ;-)

Right, for my first foray into blogging I'll think that's enough. Still got to work my way round this dashboard & try to put some pictures on (if you can see some you'll know I've been successful). Thanks for reading.

Nicki x