Jewelled Web - February 2015 - Link Love

January has been a cold month and February has started just as cold. I've not had much snow in my part of the world but this last weekend the skies opened and were full with it, for an hour anyway. Photographic proof above.

The sun may be out now, as I type this, but I'm still having to resist the urge to retreat into hibernation and emerge again when the daffs do. Or sometime after that, just to be sure.

Here's some of what I've been reading lately, and some things I've found and bookmarked to read later this month.



~jewellery links~

Such beautiful and romantic colours and designs, for this month especially, from Samantha Braund ...

Not many insects to be found outside right now, but for a colourful fix take a look at this page of jewelled delights.

Ancient jewellery techniques on video.

If you've ever wondered how to make your own jewellery stamps, this this post is very helpful.

Those exquisite curved triangular stones are officially called a trillion cut and this shows you how to create a setting for them.

Confused about the difference between rolled gold and gold vermeil? Check this out for some guidance.

Slightly tongue in cheek, but it's always handy to know your soldering torch has a multitude of uses ;)



~non-jewellery links~

The Design Seeds website is full of beautiful images and colours - this is one of my (latest) favourites, but to be honest, I can't find many I don't like...

Everyone must have some kind of morning routine - this site allows you to look at how other people wake and get going each day.

How not to lose things in your computer. Wise words. Just need to follow them now...

Underwater photography as you've never seen it before.

A fascinating review of one of the books in the School of Life series - how to be alone.

I adore seeing how creative people work so this series of studio tours is a wonderful indulgence.

~~~~

Keep warm and keep looking for signs of spring!

Jewelled Web - January 2015 - Link Love

How odd it is to write 2015 in the title to this post, a little belatedly too... the last year has dashed by on winged heels... But it's the start of another year and some people are making vague new resolutions, and others are creating detailed plans of how their lives will unfold, and yet others are just winging it, as per usual... I'll leave it to you to figure out which category I'm in and which I'd rather be in sometimes...

I hope your Christmas and New Year celebrations were what you wanted them to be. Mine were that seemingly perpetual combination of quiet and incredibly busy, but I enjoyed them all the same. I'll do a post soon on some of the goodies I received from those I love but, for now, here's what I've been looking at on the net last month (when the online shopping wasn't going so well) and the month to come (when I'm so glad the shopping is done for another year...).



~jewellery links~

Concrete heart necklaces DIY - so sweet and simple. If you have some concrete handy, of course.

A handy visual guide to different types of chain and their names - not sure the names are identical on this side of the Atlantic but this is a good place to start.

Making a simple toggle clasp in silver - lots of photos to make it easier. I love making my variations on this theme.

If you love to collect jewellery as much as you love to make it then one of these ideas for storing your jewels may come in handy: this idea is great for bracelets; this one is for necklaces; and this one is ideal for rings and earrings.

A neat and simple trick for removing bits of fluff from polymer or precious metal clay when it's still soft.

Simple wire gauge chart, listing the gauges and what size the wire is in mm and inches. V handy and always impossible to find when you need to know.

A new year (and new fashion seasons) are always good hunting ground for inspiration and this visual list of trends for the coming year has some beautiful examples.



~non-jewellery links~

I'm not one for 'defacing' books as a rule but these creations are simply works of art, created around the books they're based upon. Beautiful.

Fancy an educational new year's resolution? Try a free course via edx or the OU. Genuine education, included with your internet.

For the first time in over 60 years, a new cloud type has been (nearly) announced...

Some wise words from Zen Habits about fear, overwhelm, and how to get the best out of 2015.

Also about 2015 - if you're trying to plan your life (!) for the next year then this is my favourite free e-guidebook about just that.

Some round-ups of the best book covers of 2014 - yes, I have judged (and bought) a book by its cover and many of these are equally hard to resist.

Some free printable calendars for the next year; this one, this one, and this one are top of my list to print.

Decluttering seems a natural thing to turn to after the excess of Christmas so these articles are on my to-read list - this one, this one, and this one too.

~~~~

Do hope your January is filled with fun and is a great start to your new year :)

Jewelled Web - December 2014 - Link Love

As you can tell by the tardiness of this post, December/Christmas/the end of the world year has caught me a little on the hop this time around. It feels like everything I do is pretty much playing catch up. But I figured a little respite through blogging would serve me well, if only in creating the (entirely false) impression that I really am on on top of things...

So, if you're feeling a little like me, put aside the online shopping, cast away the pile of Christmas cards to write and post, and entirely ignore the pile of bags that contain numerous gifts that needed wrapping... and take a look at some of these links instead...


~jewellery links~

A wonderful collection of stunning rings. (Be careful with the Bored Panda site as it's addictive. It's also got the kind of name that makes people wonder just how bored you were to find it...)

Searching for a genesis moment to define what you make?

A couple of great photographing jewellery posts, here and here.

Beautiful bird earrings!

It make feel quite wintery now (i.e. cold, dark, grey) but the thought of making sea glass jewellery takes me straight to the summer again...

I also must must must make one of these wrapped bead rings - I just love them.


~non-jewellery links~

Every year I get out a small plastic bag which contains a knitting pattern, wool, and a pair of needles. And every year I am yet again bested by yarn crafts. If I could knit, and well, I would knit these beautiful Mermaid gloves.

See how dangerous Bored Panda is? Check out these video-camera-toting squirrels. Also, fantastic DIY Christmas trees. Also, amazing photos that look like dreams. Also, the memories this little boy will wonder why he hasn't got when he looks at these photos in twenty years time. Also - okay, I'm stopping now.

What would your four-year-old self do?

Such a pretty notebook.

How to keep your arms warm in winter (and feel like an elf!).

Too many choices can be worse than not enough?

And, finally, I shall be listening to my wonderful digital radio this month, mainly tuned to Smooth Christmas - well worth a listen if you love Christmas music.


~~~~


Enjoy your December as best you can - I will try to do the same! Now, where are those Christmas cards...?

Jewelled Web - November 2014 - Link Love

Such a mild and sometimes sunny October we've had in the UK! It's been quite wonderful. A couple of days were so mild it was t-shirt weather and I dreamed of how much nicer the colder months would be if the temperatures were only just that little bit warmer than it really is... I know, I know, be careful what you wish for or you end up with climate change and the seas covering the land...

I'm a little late with posting my Jewelled Web links this month - unfortunately I've been spending some time at hospital with family lately and it takes it toll in lots of ways, but it's good to be able to float around the net, when I can, all the same.

Here's some of what I've discovered on the web and what I'm looking forward to reading this coming month of fireworks and frosts...



~jewellery links~


 Nice, bold and bright beads create a simple necklace from polymer clay and cord.

3-D jewellery printing sounds exciting and ambitious. And if this algal bloom pendant and these bird and cage earrings are examples of what can be created using computers then it must be worth keeping an eye on. This starfish necklace is also pretty amazing...

If it isn't wrong to buy yourself a Christmas gift then I may have to treat myself to this bronze fox ring...

although I also love these Steampunk rings...

and I'm rather partial to a unicorn pendant as well...

Some great ideas for making your own earring cards - my personal favouite is the paint colour cards; look out DIY shops!

Pricing jewellery? These two features here and here both look interesting and helpful.

A great tutorial on making simple hammered hoop earrings.

More stone setting. It's on my list. I think these posts and pictures might inspire; here and here and here.



~non-jewellery links~


I love this map of the constellations of autumn...featured on this great web site They Draw and Travel.

A list of Google's easter eggs. Ideal for a rainy afternoon if you've nothing else to do...!

How to turn a day from a snail into a hare. Metaphorically speaking.

I reckon batching might speed a day up as well, productivity wise...

Very handy (and pretty) infographic cheat sheet about photography and what all those numbers really mean...

How to empty the container; wise words indeed.

What fragrance does the moon have?

The About Page. Does your need work? Mine does so I'm collecting advice about how to re-do it. Here's where I'll start reading... Then I'll visit this article... and then I'll stop off here too...


~~~~


Hospital visits aside, it's an exciting month coming up as I'm featured in a magazine, Make and Sell Jewellery (I've yet to get my hands on a copy but I will very soon!), and I'm also starting a series on my blog of interviews with other jewellery makers...the first feature should be appearing perhaps later this week.

And, as an aside, if you regularly read the Jewelled Web posts and wonder if the photo I've used this month looks familiar, then it is... trawling through my archives I discovered I used a similar image for October 2013... obviously those leaves in the garden persuade me to get my camera out every year...! I'll have to check the dates of the photos to see if I took them at around the same time, or if autumn really is later this year...

Jewelled Web - October 2014 - Link Love

I hope you've had a good September. Mine has been full of sun and mists, not too bad a combination really, although I do prefer the sun far more than the mists...

I'm not looking forward to the long and cold nights of winter, so am hoping the mellow (and currently mild!) early autumn days stretch out as long as possible.

Hope you enjoy catching up on what I've discovered this month on the net...

~jewellery links~

On my list of things-I-really-should-try-doing-one-day is how to make a hinge from silver. This tutorial looked very helpful.

A wonderfully simple way to hold/display/just show off your jewellery.

How to make safety ear wires.

Problems with solder not flowing? Check out this long and detailed forum post from Etsy. So much good advice and help.

A hint of autumn is in the air so how about making jewellery inspired by it -
an acorn pendant from an acorn,
leaf earrings from polymer clay (and eyeshadow!),
and a ring from (imitation) gold leaf (ahem)...

And something else in gold leaf, a wooden pendant tutorial.

More autumn-y jewellery items, already created, and this time with a hedgehog theme -
I love this brooch in polymer clay and paint,
this pendant in broken china,
and this brooch in felt.



~non-jewellery links~

Inspiring art for your desktop (or to print) showing up in your inbox once a month? Yes, please!

I adore these DIY vases; copper and glass is such a wonderful combination.

Social media tips from the Folksy blog.

How to speed clean your home. Seriously. I always change the duvets to music...

Great ideas from the Design Trust about selling online.

Gorgeous shoes... here and here. And amazing slippers...

This may come in handy if you spend too long every day hunched over a desk making jewellery... three simple exercises to improve posture... I personally would be lost without Pilates.

Make your own foaming facewash - I've yet to try this but I love the idea!

I also fancy making my own lip balm, so have bookmarked this page of links.

And I can't help feeling this wonderfully sweet way of storing flowers seeds would make a special gift for quite a few people in the upcoming festival of Chr- erm, giving presents (it's just too soon to say the c-word yet...).





Hope you enjoy exploring the links and have a good month online and off...

Jewelled Web - September 2014 - Link Love

August has been a month of highs and lows, many of them weather related. I was fortunate enough to enjoy some wonderful summer sunshine, and then I also experienced the tail-end of Hurricane Bertha...which was certainly an experience...!

I have a pile of silver close at hand (a very small pile, admittedly!) and am hoping September will also involve some solder, a pickle pot and near-endless tumble polishing. And no hurricanes of any kind.

Here's some discoveries from the net to peruse as the leaves start, just a little bit, to think of changing their colour... yes, I've already noticed this happening...)



~jewellery links~

This must be one of my favouite ever Pinterest pages - I see jewelry  - a wonderful board of those little things you spy that spark some jewellery inspiration.

A collection of DIY jewellery tutorials - I know these might be a little simple for some jewellery makers but I love to look at these...either you gain some knowledge you didn't have before, or you at the very least gain some inspiration.

Despite not having done a craft fair for a good long while now I still love ideas for creative displays like these here and here. Both links from a neat American site about crafting businesses.

A couple of free tutorials on working with polymer clay. I've not experimented with clay for ages but I'm very tempted by translucent clay when I see designs like this, this and this.

Two of my favourite jewellery bloggers have both been featured in Making Jewellery magazine this month - well done to both Cinnamon Jewellery and KS Jewellery!

Have a magpie's collection of pretty stones and sea glass, and not sure how to turn them into jewellery? Take a look at these hints about drilling holes in them, here and here.



~non-jewellery links~

Such stunning photographs and a beautiful, honest explanation behind them... my favourite might be this one...or perhaps this one...

More beautiful photographs, full of imagination and wit.

Free tutorials covering everything from Photoshop to painting to sewing.

I sign up to far too many interesting and free web apps designed to make your life easier, which I then forget to use, but, still, I'm intrigued by Trello. I've not signed up just yet though...

I love how generous the net is, and full of tiny pieces of useful information that people are so willing to share - like when to use an 'a' and when to use an 'an'.

Someone forwarded me this quiz - ten simple questions reveal whether you're in the right career or not... erm...

For a more ordered life, organise like a chef. Seriously. 



Enjoy the links and have yourself a good September :)

Jewelled Web - August 2014 - Link Love

It's the middle of summer, weather permitting as always, and it feels like the perfect time for all things flowers, hence my favourite photo of my favourite flower (this week anyway!), a simple poppy.

The light shining through its delicate petals kind of sums up how fragile and fleeting summer can be, how we should enjoy it while we can... If you know anything about poppy flowers, you'll know how brief their life is, their paper-thin petals falling to the ground within days of blooming... but they're beautiful all the same.

Hope you enjoy the links I've collected from my travels on the web lately.


~jewellery links~

Easily made mistakes that are made when photographing your own jewellery. And how to avoid them.

This applies to any small business type set up, but also to selling jewellery - (deep breath) how to create a simple and streamlined order processing system. This is a long one so worth bookmarking and giving it time and thought.

How to get somewhere fast with your jewellery.

From horticultural supplies to faux gold jewellery - a how-to necklace in leaves.

More faux gold, more leaves, but this time with an owl as well. Seriously.

If you're doing any shows this summer then this list of different ways to display your wares may come in handy.

46 simple DIY jewellery makes. Enough to keep anyone busy through the holidays. Also nicely inspiring even if you're a dab hand. This is one of my favouites as the matt muted colours are just gorgeous...

A Folksy blog guide to customer service - not just for jewellers...




~non-jewellery links~

Paper-cutting as you've never seen it before.

Very scary images from the 70s as photographer Arthur Tress brings children's nightmares to life - I'm so glad he didn't do mine...

Speaking of photos, share your own images this August on Susannah's Summer Break

Have a coffee break to fill and fancy some ultimately pointless online quizzes? Check these out:

Can playbuzz website guess your age? Well, they failed to guess mine, but since they shaved well over a decade from my real number, I'm not complaining ;)

Which generation do you belong to? They got me right on this one...

If you were a classic children's book describes your life? I know, slightly unlikely question, but it turns out I'm Pat the Bunny. No, I've not heard of it either...

And another time-waster/article of irrelevance - famous people who look like historical famous people, or just historical unknown people...

Get your brain back into gear and discover why we like to name things we own or use.


Do enjoy and savour the rest of your summer...

Jewelled Web - July 2014 - Link Love

June has gone by so, so fast this year. I seem to have been running to catch up with myself, and not quite making it, nearly every day.

And here I am, at the end of the month, with a cold. In summer. That just seems wrong.

I hope you like my links for July though - don't worry, you won't catch my cold just by clicking ;)


~jewellery links~

Wire bead tutorial, courtesy of Blue Forest Jewellery. Lots more tutorials dotted around this blog too...

Making domed shapes in resin, a simple tutorial I'm filing for future reference.

Cozy Sister is a great web site full of information and tutorials about wire jewellery.

Great post by Nan Fan about choosing the props she uses when styling her jewellery photographs.

Some help on how to make faceted polymer clay beads - with some links to more help.

I didn't know it was possible but it seems you can make your own metal clay. Here's a tutorial on making bronze and silver clay, and here's one for copper. I haven't tried this, and may well not do so (toxic chemicals and all) but the fact it's possible is fascinating.


~non-jewellery links~

Silversmithing is dirty, messy, and carries with it the perpetual risk of setting the table on fire but despite that I hanker for any single one of these tidy, bright and non-burning creative work spaces.

Such sweet illustrations - could anyone not love these?

Amazon reviews with just a hint of humour to them...

I like this formula for looking after yourself, something we should all do more of, I suspect...

Which browser do you use and just how out of date is it?

I don't think I use the net as efficiently as I could or should. I often feel like I'm 'wasting' time, even when I'm trying not to, if only because download speeds are painfully slow more and more frequently. So here's a little list of web tools I either use, have signed up to, or (most likely) think would be great to use if I ever got round to figuring out how they work - 

Dragdis - A neat tool for simple bookmarking - I overuse both Firefox and Chrome's handy drag-the-address-to-the-toolbar ability way too much and would like something with the same speed and ease of use, but Dragdis hopefully means that I can impose a little more order on my new bookmarks. The old ones are just a jumbled mess unfortunately...

Flipboard - Create your own 'magazine' from everything that interests you on the net. In theory, should save you having to hunt around for that same 'everything'. And it makes it pretty.

Feedly - seems bit similar to above, but perhaps more of a feed reader. This needs a bit more exploring.

Simplenote - A little like Evernote but perhaps more simple...? And it's free.

Instapaper - I've heard good things about this as a way of saving things from the net to read later. I'm guessing it's not that free though as it says you can 'try' if for free... hmm

Do let me know if you use any of these and they're worth taking the time to learn and use, or if you find anything else makes the web a little easier to navigate and explore.



Hope your June has been long and leisurely and that you have a good July...

Jewelled Web - June 2014 - Link Love

If you've read any of my Jewelled Web posts before then you may have have noticed that I normally create them for the month that's just passed - in other words, this post, appearing around the end of May, should refer back to the May we've just experienced.

But I've changed things around a little, and have decided to look forward instead... so while I'll still mention the past month, and share links to things I'd discovered and read, I shall also include links for posts I want to read and study in more detail, and things I hope to explore in the future generally, and in June specifically...

It's a slight change, perhaps largely unnoticeable other than to me, but I thought it worth a mention... think of it as a mind shift as well, a way to look forward, focus on what's come, positive vibes etc etc...


Enjoy the links!


~jewellery links~

How to photograph small things (i.e. jewellery!)

A great collection of tutorials about making jewellery from spoons and forks - if I ever get my hands on a stack of silver spoons, this is where I'll start.

Beautiful drawn brooches.

Neat solution to resizing costume jewellery rings - and perhaps even metal ones if you don't fancy the drama of cutting, soldering, checking, cutting again, soldering again (ahem)...?

Such sweet origami earrings, and with a tutorial too.

Fantastic necklace for anyone who remembers, and/or loves, typewriters...


~non-jewellery links~

Folksy blog interview with Gilbert and Stone, maker of pretty and quirky ceramics.

Still baffled by twitter? Here's some basics to start with (or refresh yourself on); how to reply to just one person, or everyone.

A new find - if this then that - aims to streamline all your social media connections, and more...I've only just started exploring this.

Atmospheric, and slightly spooky, photos of trees. Reminds me of the cold winter days to come, which in turn reminds me to enjoy the warmer weather right now, even if it isn't that sunny!

Ever fancied learning how to paint digitally? Check this link out for (nearly) endless tutorials...

A handy video tutorial on taking Instagram photos.




Hope you had a good May and have an even better June!

Jewelled Web - April 2014 - Link Love

Another quiet month in blog-land - in terms of posts, and also being on the net in general (bad reception, slow web connections...) but I've still found a few items that I think are worth sharing. And, look at the photo... sun! Hope you've had some sunshine this last month, of all kinds.

Enjoy the links.

Here's a few ~jewellery links~

Thoughts on reticulating silver...

And an experiment in fusing fine silver and argentium

And some words about silver tarnish and whether it's good or bad... or both...

I do love seeing what people can make from 'waste' silver (and gold)...

Great tutorial on how to make moulds/molds for polymer clay jewellery using seeds and flowers.

Speaking of polymer clay, love this grinning cat earring - makes me smile!


And some ~non-jewellery links~

Informative and helpful post on Folksy about photographing your crafts, with equally helpful before and after photos.

Great collection of DIY goodies to make or just dream of making...

I've only just found this blog, Three Beautiful Things, but love its simplicity, honesty and reminders of not only the beauty around us everyday, but that we need to remember to notice and be grateful for it...

How blogging can change a life.


Hope you had a good April, and an even better May.

Jewelled Web - March 2014 - Link Love

 

March has been a busy month in the 'real' world, but less busy for me virtually, hence my shocking lack of posts. I am pleased to report my jewellery-making muscles have been exercised though, and with the normal result of satisfaction and frustration... I was also fortunate enough to wander through a daffodil field, when the sun was shining - and warm! Photographic proof of the former, at least, above. And I've still made time for a nosy around the net ...

~Jewellery links~

Amazing bangle, just love this, and a beautiful ring.

Texture ideas for metal clay (and polymer too). They're everywhere! So much info here I've not yet read it all...

Photos and photos and photos of stunning wooden jewellery.

I love how simple and effective these earring cards are.

A photo of a cat's paws can inspire some very nice jewellery indeed... how playing with colour can work.

Simple guide to ageing copper - both ways smell though... and more on copper, how to create head pins. And some info on soldering with copper solder paste here too.

Quirky recreated vintage jewellery.



And some ~other links~


I love these trompe l'oeil pillow covers.

Great hints on product photography here and a simple idea for backgrounds here too.

Ever fancied learning more about printing, and being inspired as well? Check this out.

Enough audio books to keep anyone happy - 550 free to download and stream

I love the colours of this simple painted bouquet.

Something to read and think about...

Beautiful, creamy and so relaxing just looking at these images...


Hope your March was good, and your April even better.

Jewelled Web - February 2014 - Link Love

February has been an odd month for me, one where I simply feel I haven't had a chance to get going. Which may go some way to explaining the lack of posts on my blog this month... I still like to think I'm coming out at the end of the month knowing more than when I started it... hopefully... and I hope you enjoy checking out some of the reading I've done online this wet and windy February.

First up,

~Jewellery links~

Sweet little knuckle rings, simple to make and customise.

A tutorial for a paper necklace...

and a silver-coloured necklace DIY. With some gold too.

I love discovering these jewellery maker interviews on Etsy... this one is via Australia. (Also, check out where Maria is storing her hammers - I love this!)

The competition attached to this post may have ended, but I'm still fascinated by the photos of polymer clay beads that has something of the quality of sea glass...

Or how about some craft or polymer clay for personalised pendants, made with love.

But I do still love silver... and this bunny especially.

Ideas for how to display and organise jewellery, and a whole pinterest board of inspiration on the same topic here. And some more to ponder here too - including a nice idea for a business card holder.


And now for some

~Other links too~

Wonderful photo, no photoshopping required...

I would like to make these tea light holders, this (sneaky) letter holder, these gift bags.

This interview, and photos, are beautiful enough to make me give up silver and turn to wood...

I also love this clay creation..., made with "clay, kiln, patience, feelings, emotions, turning wheel, clay tools, knife, mould"

Neat and simple printable goal-setting sheet.

It's easy to feel life is passing you by but this set of interviews shows you can create at any age.

Love this print - makes me dream of summer and hazy sunshine... more beautiful art here.

A beautiful studio to dream of designing in...

Full-time artist interview via Folksy's blog? Yes please.

Time management hints and some of those wonderful pictures made up of words (and design too...;) 

Hope your February has been a good, if short, month, and that spring is on the horizon for you - I took the photo above just yesterday, dodging bumble bees as they hunted down any and all available flowers... the air feels mild and soft - and I'm going to stop now as the forecast says snow...!

Jewelled Web - January 2014 - Link Love

The first Jewelled Web of 2014 and I've found the internet to be no less distracting and absorbing than I did in 2013... to that end, here's some more goodies I've found these last few, and new year, weeks...



~Jewellery links~

Measuring up for rings, never an easy task, but made simpler after reading this...

Fantastic tutorial/personal experience on how to combine soldering and enamel by Tracey from Cinnamon Jewellery, one of my favourite haunts for down-to-earth blogging and beautiful jewels.

Jewellery tutorials coming out of your ears... this site also has tutorials for pretty much every other craft in existence. Well worth a browse though.

Branding your jewellery ranges - how to and why.

More magazine fame for Rachel Lucie - well done!

Neat tutorial on just how to make ball chain look a little more hand-crafted.

Pretty wire designs.

Interested in making wedding jewellery?

Limited time only - reduced price on wirework tutorial by KS Jewellery



~Other links~

This may be a couple of years old now, but I love this post about the sea, such a wonderful place to be at the start of a new year...

How-to calligraphy by Mo.

Where people craft - photos of real work spaces, reassuringly normal, so you don't wonder how anything creative can happen at all... unlike these photos which is, of course, exactly how crafting work spaces should look.

If you're ever not busy (!) then you can take a look at these ways to pretty up your work space.

Inspiring website of art which often features a monthly desktop calendar, free to download...

Pretty freebies - in exchange for a tweet or FB mention, you can have a calendar and some beautiful illustrated flowers.

Getting serious about your crafting business this new year? Check out some of these articles, a great resource.

Blogging tips for arty/crafty bloggers. And some more from the same site... And just one more...

Great photos and interview from the Folksy blog.

Oh, okay. Yet more blogging resources. If you ever read all these articles then you deserve a nice cup of tea. And probably a lie down in a darkened room.

Try this one out too - words of wisdom on how to write engaging, crafty blog posts.


Hope your January was a good one - the photo at the top was taken when the waves were well past their worst! Here's a to a less blustery (and drier) February.

The Jewelled Web - December 2013

It's been a busy, busy month in the-run-up-to-Christmas, and I know that once it's done it will then be like a huge intake of breath before the new year (with or without big celebrations) begins, and it'll feel as if the pressure is let off, just a little, tiny bit...perhaps.

I'm doing an early web round-up this month, it seems a little easier to do it now when I've got time, rather than just schedule it to post later on - and it means I can combine it with a wish for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ;)


~Jewellery~

Great looking guide to setting a stone in a bezel - lots of lots of detail in this tutorial.

Working with copper and silver - hints and tips galore.

A good advert for investing in a disc cutter on this blog post...

More bezel info...

This fishing rod ring (at the top) is just so, so beautiful, both in design and execution.

Simple but effective wire-wrap earrings.

Beautiful gems and a gratuitously sweet photo of a puppy.

Q and A about opening a bricks and mortar gallery.

Cuttlefish casting. Love the use of something so organic to create something so beautiful.

Stunning buttons made from polymer clay and transfer paper.

Made from one piece of copper - inspiring and beautiful.

Jewellery from concrete? I love these.



~Other things~

I have never been organised enough, so far, to do this type of beautiful but simple gift wrapping, but I wish I was...Instead it's just a case of double-wrapping in whatever flimsy, reindeer covered 10 metre wrap the local supermarket has left by the time I get to the aisle...

Free printable, and editable, calendar.

Tiny, Christmassy-spiced cookies.

Stunning leaf bunting.

Love this blog - wise words, great photos, and wonderful Folksy Fridays.

Download, print, and organise the whole next year... well, that's my plan anyway.

Something else to download, print and fill in...

A truly wonderful Christmas tree - but too late for me to build for this Christmas.

Something else that's too late for this year, a sweet gift for those separated by the miles

A nice and brief post about images on the net - what can you use without upsetting anyone?

This is sad and beautiful. And this is amazing and transient.

How to make your photos better by using the scary manual button on the camera.

Inspiring feature about making a living from selling crafts online.

If you come across any fallen branches from the gales currently sweeping the UK, then consider browsing this collection of what to do with wood to make it into, well, anything and everything.

You can't have enough lip gloss - tutorial on how to make your own.




Hope your year has been good, your Christmas is wonderful, and 2014 is even better for you - thanks for reading :)

The Jewelled Web - November 2013

Another month, and ever, ever closer to Christmas...that kind of sums up how I'm feeling right now, and also slightly freaked out at how few weeks are left on the calendar until the new year. As ever, I'm wondering just where the time has gone...

I started off this month with a productive, and early, Christmas shop extravaganza, but am ending it in my usual manner of casting around anxiously, and trying to guess if I've enough wrapping paper for the presents I've not yet bought...

At least the web is a place of shopping and making opportunities so this month's roundup may well reflect that...

For a start, how about these sweet hand-crafted necklaces as stocking gifts?

I suspect if I bought this fox ring, I'd only end up keeping it for myself...

Great tutorial for using up old eggshells and making jewellery. Seriously.

Another polymer clay tutorial; a method for adding a photo to clay.

Five gold rings...
1) Dramatic and dazzling
2) Reticulated and beautiful
3) Indulgent and stunning
4) Simple and delicate
5) Five gold rings...

Love this idea for recycling old silver spoons.

Beautiful necklace, and a tutorial that shows you how to (half) create it.

Simple yet striking gold earrings.

A new shop to rival Folksy and Etsy?

If you do craft fairs then you might find this post about jewellery displays inspiring

How to sell more on Etsy (but much of it applies to any selling platform)


~A few non-jewellery bits and pieces~

These vases are gorgeous and inventive but not something you want to rush making for Christmas, given you need to use a rather scary electric saw...

I must knit more... this hat should inspire me, along  with the cold temperatures...

Fantastic, and free, way to make your own calendar (using any version of photoshop) for the new year... which isn't that far away *gulp*

Looking to get away from it all over the holidays?

From cereal box to art journal.

These photos are nearly as good as actually going to Norway...

Amazing calendar, especially if you love owls - you chose your favouites, then download and print the resulting PDF. Wonderful.

Lots of free collage sheets.

Wonderful list of blogging resources, like a little gold mine of blog goodies.

Unless you're super-fast it may be a little late to make your own advent calendar but, ah well, always next year...

Beautiful image, beautiful poem, beautifully matched.

I'm thinking this could be the most helpful post ever if you've had someone to stay and they left a unattractive mug ring on your chest of drawers... ahem...


Hope the run up to Christmas isn't too hectic, and you get some moments to just enjoy the time of year, the winter season, and whomever you love that you are fortunate enough to be near to.

The Jewelled Web - October 2013

It's Hallowe'en... and the end of October, month of falling leaves, gales, and surprisingly warm temperatures this year.

Life has got a bit hectic towards the end of this month but I've made a little jewellery, and also pushed on with some alterations to my blog design, so I'm pleased enough. I've also spent time browsing around the net in search of goodies to look at, and read, and share...hope you enjoy too.


Velcro necklace? An intriguing make-your-own-jewellery idea...

How to clean gemstones without destroying them.

On the subject of cleaning, how to clean silver without any really scary chemicals. An old post but a good one.

Wear the universe (OK, a galaxy) around your neck. Another make-your-own-jewellery post.

Fantastic youtube silversmithing tutorials (link via K S Jewellery Designs - thank you!)

A fascinating list of the top 100 jewellery sellers on Etsy. It may be over a year old now but it's still guaranteed to make you feel inadequate!

Yet another make-your-own-jewellery tutorial. This time a ring. I'll stop now.



And now a few non-jewellery links...


On the subject of blogging, a great set of simple design hints.

Some beautiful photos on a beautiful looking blog, from Folksy sellers organdie.co.uk

Wonderful desktop calendars are found here each month, although November's has yet to be revealed as I type this...

Speaking of desktop wallpaper, these floral Vera Bradley ones are stunning.

Also, via the same blog, a wonderful idea for creating a kind of pinterest for an individual museum.

More free desktop wallpaper? Okay!

Fancy a new font? This llama one (yes, you read that right) is quite the most unique I've ever seen...

Amazing styrofoam cup art. I thought it was a hoax at first...

Sweet (and reusable) gift tags tutorial.

Want to kind of spooked and entranced all at once? Go to the Land of Oz theme park, open for one day a year only...

More spookiness at a Bolivian witch market.

And one of my most practical finds so far. If you run Windows Vista then follow this simple tutorial to remove red eye on photos - so, so simply. Also, try this neat online gadget which does the same thing. Masterful.

Hope your month has been good. Feel free to leave any excellent links in the comments below.

The Jewelled Web - September 2013 - Link Love

Perhaps it's a sign of impending autumn (and winter), and less outsidey-weather, but I've found lots of goodies to share on the web this month...

Sweet little bracelets to make with great photo instructions. These bracelets are great too, from the same blog.

Wonderful solution to keeping dust off your work surface, however long it's neglected for!

Ways to package jewellery, this and this.

When I finally get round to digging my polymer clay haul out, this stamp and roller DIY may come in handy. I am also a sucker for anything about handmade tools...


Questions to ask yourself about your newly crafted jewellery. Or anything.

If you can get to London between this October and April next year, then consider checking out the Cheapside Hoard, an amazing collection of Elizabethan and Stuart jewellery, and the mystery of who buried it centuries ago.

Such pretty beads!

Fantastic website and slightly unnerving jewellery by Julia Deville. Also check out this short feature about her in a great looking new Australian magazine (not sure if it delivers to the UK yet).

How wallpaper can look even better when squashed by a jewellery rolling machine.

Clever earrings made from paper.



And in non-jewellery news...

Love this tutorial for a beach hut cushion... it's like summer all over again...

Beautiful images, colours, and ideas - illustrations by Sanna Annukka

News via Folksy about the Post Office's Drop&Go service... not so good for those who live in the sticks with just the one counter in their local branch but still worth a read.

This print actually makes me look forward to winter and being cold and all that. Seriously.

I'm not sure what the taste of honey lavender macarons would quite be like, but the thought of them (and the beautiful photos) sounds pretty great right now.

Brr. Have you dug out your jumpers yet? A great selection of photos here to make you like the cold. Kind of.

Some rather pretty flowers made with old eggboxes, paint, and imagination/talent. (You can translate the site but the photos are very good and self-explanatory.)



Hope your month was good :)


Linking up with Handmade Harbour's Handmade Monday

The Jewelled Web - August 2013 - Link Love

August was a busy month for me off the net, so my on-the-net life has been a bit quieter. I've still found a few gems (forgive the pun) that are worth sharing though... hope you enjoy clicking through.

Love this idea of make-your-own jewellery, by way of downloads and DIY construction.

Day Four from Create and Thrive's mini course in how to Grow Your Profits in your online handmade business. This part is about making items that are easily reproducible to help save time in terms of relisting, photographing, etc. The other days of the course are well worth reading too (follow the links within Day Four).

Beaded fairies and sweet photography. Aww...

Jewellery you can eat. It's made from chocolate. What more do you need, really...?

Indulge in Lorelei's big jewellery components buying spree - it's almost as good as doing it yourself!

Great post about exactly where to sell your jewellery online, good and bad, richer and poorer...

Beautiful resin jewellery, and a great blog find.


And a few non-jewellery-but-no-less-interesting items...

Stunning creation of a Green Man mask in glass... Check out the first part here too.

A handy collection of internet hints - a few I didn't know, and no.3 has been my lifesaver for a while now.

Love how sweet and inspiring this DIY calendar is, and how useful!


Also, have discovered and joined the Handmade Monday link-up  - well worth a look if you're seeking new craft blogs to read.

Hope your August was good too.

The Jewelled Web - January 2013

Brr, but it's been a cold month. The post-Christmas-lag has hit me pretty hard this January, but I'm battling through, pushed on by the fact that it's nearly a twelfth of the way through the year already ... I have enjoyed being snowed in by the weather last week ... although the novelty wears off fast!

Snowfall on ice

Searching for inspiration on the web this month, it's partly been an exercise in procrastination (see above re post-Christmas-lag) ... but if you also fancy a little break from your normal reads, then click on the links of some of my favourite finds this month (but not all from this month!)


Ever have trouble fixing posts to the back of earrings? Then check this post out, by Jibby & Juna

Beautiful earrings created from metal forged to look like birch bark. And a poem by Robert Frost thrown in for free.

A hint or two on where to find inspiration when it seems to have not only hidden but left the country ... I know that feeling!

Ethical Metalsmiths - this seems to be a US only site but it still makes fascinating reading when you care about where your materials come from.

Fancy having a go at Steampunk? Take a look at this tutorial. I've been collecting any and all broken watches for a while myself now ...

Beautiful and inspiring metal keys.

Fancy being adventurous this weekend? Make your own Shibuichi.


And a few non-jewellery items ...

In the middle of a fifteen piece series that aims to help you get organised - part three looks at organising your home HQ.

A beautiful new year resolution.

Cornwall in the snow - click on the images to make them bigger and enjoy the beauty.

Need inspiration for a gift for your loved one? Only just Remembered it's Valentine's Day very soon? Take a look at this.

Hope you've had a good month, snow or sun.

The Jewelled Web ii

If you're ever stuck for a way to display your jewellery, this is something to try out, and also doubles up as a bit of wall decoration too...

The vintage (antique) pendant in this post is simply beautiful. The Past Era Blog has gone a bit quiet of late but has heaps of archives to delve into.

Free silversmithing jewellery ebook (sign-up required).

The Huffington Post has a few ideas on making jewellery from things that other people may overlook.

In my never-ending quest to take better jewellery photographs, I found this article, with a great set-up for a light box.

Utterly beautiful beads.

Full of helpful links, a feature about selling on Etsy (much of it relevant to Folksy and selling online generally).

and on a non-jewelery theme...

Last minute gift crisis? You should find something to make here...

And a discussion about Instagram's new policy ideas. Interesting reading.


Hope you're lead-up-to-Christmas-week is a good one.