They're here, they're here!!

Hooray, I'm so excited!!

Sorry to disappoint you if you thought it was a minor celeb or aliens from Mars but finally my petite jump rings have arrived from Texas. The reason I'm so excited is that I really struggled to get the size that I wanted so I could make the elusive byzantine bracelet I've been desperate to create. So difficult to get, I had to get a custom order from a lovely couple called Ralph & Karen, who also gave me some fab advice too. I love you guys.

So, what's so special about this byzantine bracelet, I hear you ask. Well, to some, not much really but for me it the relisation of a beading dream. I saw one of these bracelets on Etsy and just fell in love with it! I couldn't work out how they had managed to get the rings to twist and turn. I found the an online tutorial and with some very inferior rings I tried to do it. I tried, and I tried, and I tried until one day I threw it across the room. I couldn't work out why I couldn't do it.

But now I know why I couldn't. Essentially, the technique I was doing was correct but the rings were the wrong guage size. In lay mans term, the wire wasn't thick enough to hold the shape.

In some ways, I'm a bit disappointed in how easy I'm finding it to construct. I expected it to be much fiddlier (is that a proper word?) So after getting this done I'm going to do another one, but this time in silver, as a special gift for me for hanging on in there.

Can't wait til E is back to work tomorrow so I can show (off) her all the things I've made whilst she's been away, like the Breaking Waves bracelet (above). I made a beautiful set called Delicate Darkness which was baby tourmaline rondelles with black ceramic beads but I managed to fall in love with it so had to keep it myself. G told me off, saying that wasn't the way to get things made. I also custom made and sold a pair of orange Tropical Trumpets to Melissa who works across the hall from me!

Hey ho, off we go for some more jump ring jinks!

Dragonfly Jewellery Designs

A while ago I said I was opening up an Etsy shop to sell some of my jewellery. So I've been beavering away, looking at my beads and seeing what I can come up with. I'm not opening the shop until I have at least 20 items and I'm now half way through.

So here is a sneak preview of some of the things I will be selling. These aren't the final photos, as I can see that they need to be set up better and with better lighting. But hey, it's all a learning curve!

How to get ideas?

I've been a busy bee this week, frantically trying to make things to put on my new Etsy shop. But it's really difficult to suddenly come up with ideas on demand. Quite often ideas come to me whilst relaxing in the bath or sitting in the garden, just generally daydreaming about beads....like you do! So far I have made 6 items to sell. That doesn't sound very much but I am trying to make things that I like, that I would be happy to wear, which also includes making sure the findings look good and fit well; jump rings that are closed properly and things generally look of a good quality. All too often I see hand made jewellery which looks un-professional and cheap. Handmade can be quirky and is the main reason people buy it but that doesn't mean you have to skimp on quality of finishing. My biggest nightmare scenario is that people will look at my items to sell and will say, 'oooh, look at those rubbishy jump rings' or words to that effect. Ok, so I'm not going to hear it but it will speak volumes if nothing sells.

I've also tried to get my head around photographing my items. I'm sure there's a tutorial somewhere on Etsy but looking at other sellers I've noticed that items in bright natural daylight look better than just rested on a laminate desk. I've been taking some photos of my existing jewellery to form a gallery so that I can look back and be proud of what I've done but also use it as a catalogue for ideas for the future. The pictures featured today are some things I made back in the beginning of my beading journey, and it's amazing to see how far I've come. I'm so much better at it now but I guess that just comes from practice. So be kind, and ignore the dust!If this all fails, I can at least say I had some fun making some jewellery and I can wear all my additional pieces. Hmmm, how about wearing all my chain maille items and doing my best Mr T impression? Fool!

A Lovely Weekend

I'm back from a lovely weekend away with G. It was one of those weekends where everything felt perfect, even if in reality things weren't. I know, I know, I'm being a bit cryptic here.

We drove up to Oxford on Saturday afternoon. It was very warm and the Lions were playing the Springbok. G has just put me on the insurance of his car so he took the opportunity to shout at the radio whilst I drove and prayed I didn't scratch his little Merc. We pulled into the hotel car park and I knew we were about to step back in time, circa 1967 I guess.

The hotel had that sort of carpet which makes you go dizzy when you look at it, the pattern sort of rushes up to meet you. Mein host was affable enough but when asked for a good restaurant in the area he couldn't help and wasn't really sure about getting a taxi. I would have thought they were pretty easy things to help with. The room was clean but the bed was solid. G started to apologise but it wasn't his fault.

We ended up at The Trout (a pub) for dinner which was beautifully set on a river, with ducks begging to be fed and in fact flying up on the wall really begging to be fed!! G turned out to be a 'twitcher' and had useless facts on the plumage of the drakes (!) We had a lovely meal, great wine and the company was just perfect.

Pity I was awake all night due to a hard bed (I know I've mentioned that already!) and only one window that we could open. Oh yes, and the heating was on, barely, but still on.

The next morning we got up and had the most dreadful breakfast. Dirty cups, orange squash instead of juice and sausages which could easily pass as dog turds. I kid you not! We floated around the city until it was time to meet his cricket chums for the afternoon match against The Heartaches, a team lead by non other than Tim Rice. I could try and tell you I watched enthralled, but I sat watching for when G was batting and bowling. Unfortunately, but probably not unexpectedly, the Allstars lost. So time for a quick drink and then the drive back. I was so tired but very happy & I fell asleep the moment I was cuddled up with G.

What a lovely weekend, even with the dog turd sausages!

I've been adopted!

Yes, sorry Mum & Dad, I've been adopted by someone else. It's a big black cat called Thomas.

A few months back I noticed that Charlie's food seemed to be going down alot quicker than normal but he didn't seem to be getting any fatter! Then one evening I went out to the kitchen to grab a cuppa and there he was, scoffing Charlie's food! I shooed him back out the cat-flap and hoped that he'd be afraid of me and not come back.

The next time I saw him he was sitting in the upstairs hallway, just having a lay down (like you do).

Then after that he was in the kitchen and when he saw me he nuzzled up against my leg. To this cat I'm obviously as scary as a big, squidgey marshmallow.

So I thought I be clever and shut the cat flap so he (and Charlie unfortunately) couldn't get in and this worked until I left the upstairs bedroom window open! D'oh! Charlie & Thomas could BOTH get in even though I thought Thomas was far too fat.

I had my bath replaced and E's boyfriend was taking the old one away for me, but Thomas found a little home in the shelter of it. Anyone would think he was a stray but he has a collar with a tag and phone number on it and his owners are probably wondering where he goes and what he gets up to.

Last night I came home and found Charlie & Thomas in the garden, catching the last of the suns' rays. Thomas saw me, no fear and continued to lay there. He even looked up obligingly for a photo call. So I guess he's definitely adopted me. Can I help it if he loves me???

Beautiful Flowers

In the calm before the storm on saturday morning I took some pictures of the flowers in my garden. I just love flowers, all flowers, I don't discriminate!

The red roses are only short lived but they smell so beautiful and it takes me back to the days of my childhood when I spent alot of time with my Nana who had rose bushes growing in her garden. The other childhood smell is of Lilac. It instantly transports me to evenings in their garden, having fun and generally no worries.

The fushcia managed to survive the winter and is back with a vengance. Just look how gorgeous it all is.

The 'storm' was my neighbour knocking nails in the party wall so that the cats can't walk on it and make his dog bark. The 'storm' continued when he soaked me with the hose when I got the nails out, and finally ended when I called the police and they cautioned him for assault! Peace appears to be prevailing and Charlie & I have been back in our garden.

The 'storm' yesterday was speaking to PC World & HP regarding my printer which has already been replaced once. HP don't have a Customer Service department, only a Customer Complaints one, at least it was in the UK & not South Africa where their techy people are. PC World are the biggest waste of time and if I can find a way of never using them again, I will.

Zen thoughts, zen thoughts! Think of my garden to calm me back down!!!

Thank Crunchie It's Friday!

Hooray, it's friday! Which means a lay in tomorrow morning before frantically tidying my house for a barbecue tomorrow evening. It's going to be a small event, just the 8 of us but then, my garden is only small. But you never know, there may be a surprise visitor or two. It's amazing the amount of people who say 'I might come, depends'. Depends on what? Whether it's raining? Whether you've got something better to do? Depends on the fluctuation of the pound against the yen? Who knows! Anyway, it just gives us more to drink and eat and enjoy.

Apart from that, I've just finished making a new chain maille called Scherzo, fashioned into a lovely silver bracelet. And just had my first order to make one for someone, how cool is that!

So that's it for this week, short and sweet today I'm afraid!