Monday 16 March 2015

Half a moon and a whole Pearl


Silver half-moon and pearl pendant - SilverMoss Designs
The moon often seems a little bigger in the winter months... when it's not obscured by clouds or fog, that is. I suspect this has much to do with leafless trees and the coldness that descends on clear, dark nights. It's inspired me. The big moon, either full or waxing or waning, and my sooper dooper ever-increasing mandrel selection, got me thinking and experimenting, and this is one of the items that I came up with...

The pearl is such a lunar colour, and it also reminds me of those evenings when the moon has just risen and so has Venus, small but bright on the horizon. It can look a little like the moon also has its own satellite and so is a little less lonely in the massive evening sky...

This necklace is now, with a little regret, in my Folksy shop.




Sunday 1 March 2015

Jewelled Web - March 2015 - Link Love


Jewelled Web March 2015 SilverMoss


Oh, February does seem to have been a long month this year; despite noticing the days getting longer and the nights shorter, the days have insisted on being mostly sunless and the nights heavy, if you know what I mean. I'm looking forward to March and the promise of spring starting to kick in, the green shoots becoming flowers and the sun burning the cloud away... hopefully.

And hopefully too, you'll enjoy the links I've rounded up for the coming month. Do let me know!



~jewellery links~

A great selection of ideas from Kernocraft for when you're stumped as to what to do next. Includes inspiration for bead, metal and clay.

From the same site, a handy and simple list of the different gauges of wire that are suited to different pieces of jewellery.

Measuring for bracelets made easy.

Nice and simple recipe for pickling copper after soldering - I also like the idea of just putting the pickle in the microwave, rather than the old slow cooker pot I use. Which is massive. And slow.

Bezels for square or rectangular stones.

The basics of using stamp on metal. A simple idea for getting the stamping straight.

I have been thinking about clouds a lot lately... none quite as elaborate as this one though.

Ever get complaints about how much noise you make when hammering? Or do you even put off doing it for the sake of other people? This blog post comes up with ideas to minimise the noise.

Wooden jewellery is just so beautiful.

Spare zips? Spare hours? One amazing necklace.



~non-jewellery links~

You may have heard about #thisdress lately... I love this page of Amazon reviews for whatever the colour it is (I saw very pale blue and gold).

The most amazing bird house, made from copper.

I love this blog, nearly as much as I love the Moomin mug.

How to credit images on your blog - a simple guide to doing it right.

Amazing photographers - squirrels playing in the snow and just seeing the world through different, and magical, eyes.

'Easy' ways to start decluttering. Hmm...

Perhaps the miserable weather and the long nights have helped, but I've been reading more this last month, an indulgence that feels like it has a lot of value as well. My own personal 'book of the month' has been David Mitchell's The Bone Clocks which was engrossing, sweeping and a wonderful combination of make-you-think and just-enjoy-the-ride. I read it on Kindle, but read it on whatever - it's worth it.

Speaking of books I have never read - a huge pile, it has to be said, I found this great page of quotes from Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (of course, I'm not suggesting it's better/easier/more helpful to read quotes pages rather than read the book itself ;) but it is interesting to give you an insight into the book as a whole. Given the quotes run to 20 pages on the Good Reads site it might be quicker to just read the book anyway...).

Yes, I do love books/reading and yes, I can identify with many things in this post...


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 Enjoy the links and have a good month :)



(Please note - this post contains an affiliate link - which means if you click on it and then buy something Amazon will give me three pence or something. It might be four pence. They can afford it ;) For more info about me and affiliate links, please click here, and scroll to the bottom of the page.)