Busy, busy, busy

It's been a quiet month online for me so far... life has a habit of getting in the way and I've also been creating some jewellery for a special occasion that still needs to be mostly kept under wraps for now. I've also been experiencing the joys of the cold season; and by 'cold' I don't really mean only the weather...

Anyway, here's a photo of just one tiny (unpickled) part of what I've been making in my workshop.

It's been a very intense period of solder, flux, and a lot of butane gas, but I'm looking forward to sharing photos of the finished item(s) very soon.

Shhh...

Things have been very quiet on the jewellery-making front for me lately, and for a while really. A combination of factors - health issues, other commitments, downright bad organisational skills... I also made the foolish mistake of packing everything up in a hurry when family were coming to stay and now, naturally, most things are in the wrong place, together with other things that were already in the wrong place, alongside the remaining things which are just...well, I'm not quite sure where they are.

So, yes, the noise of making jewellery has been ringing very, very quietly...

But a while back I was given some gems, all ready with the tops drilled out and bails fitted in.

Gorgeous gemstones

I then, slowly, added to my pile of ribbons and stringing materials with a few extra pieces of cord and faux suede... and, of course, nothing happened.

Faux suede in autumn-y shades

But now I'm making a concerted effort to do something with all these goodies. To that end, they're sitting out on a  table, reminding me that they need putting together, making into jewellery, and then good homes finding for them.

That's all that's needed.

Nothing much.

Well, aside from time, inspiration, energy... and a little more motivation it seems.

It'll get done. And soon.

Definitely.

I hope...

Where I am...

It's been a quiet month for me, on the web at least. I've battled flu and am still battling general wonkiness of the back and neck. None of this in conducive to sitting down, bashing silver, and creating jewellery wonders. And it hasn't inclined me to spend much time on the net either, which doesn't help when that's where my jewellery, once made, lives. My Folksy shop has been a little quiet, although I am in the gentle process of remedying that...

But, thankfully, the sun has come out at last - it may make it even harder to do things in my studio (it's too hot, who wants to be stuck inside if you've got an opportunity to be outside, etc), but it feels such a relief after the wet non-summer of last year and the long, chilled winter the UK endured this last turn of the seasons. I love the warmth, how it seeps into your skin and bones, and makes you feel more alive. I hope, soon, I can try and translate some of that into my jewellery.

I've given myself a little summer treat (by way of Tesco Clubcard vouchers) and have signed myself up to a year's subscription of Making Jewellery magazine. I adore magazines (of many a subject) but have found the prices increasingly prohibitive, so this is a real indulgence for me - no many sneaky reads of this particular mag from the racks in the supermarket! For the other mags I'd love to peruse, well, for now it still won't be at my leisure, at home with a tall glass of lemonade... but hopefully a quick flick through can still reveal ideas and inspiration...

And because it's summer, and I love gardens, and gardening, and the blooms are just beautiful, I won't inflict a photo of the rubbish heap that is my work-table on you, but will instead share some wonderful flowers. I hope your summer is sunny and just the way you like it.

A quiet new year ...

I've been quiet for a while now. Something about Christmas and the New Year brings out the hibernator in me. Well, it could just be the cold winter weather that does that...

I know. I've not worked with you in ages...

But I've been quiet on my blog, quiet on Twitter, quiet on Pinterest, and quiet on Folksy.

I've also been quiet in my workshop, doing very little other than moving pieces of silver around, looking through bead supplies, and then wandering out again. And then I've been feeling guilty for only doing that.

Tiny things feel like huge mountains at the moment. I'm hoping it's the time of year ...

But I've also been mulling ideas over in my mind, and am hoping that I've got a plan of action brewing and building, and when I do go back to the work table (tomorrow, I hope!) I'll have a good idea of what I want to do. I've found that nothing stops productivity more than sitting around thinking "Now, what shall I do today...?" Having a plan can make all the difference. Again, I hope ...


In other news, it's snowed! I know, I know. For me and everyone else in the UK.
But, hey, it's snow and it always has the novelty factor here and, despite all the problems it brings, it's still always beautiful.

Hope you're having a good weekend.

Forays into clay, part two

A few more polymer beads I've created.







I'm going to buy more clay soon, experimenting with different colours and brands. I'm also hoping to get some liquid clay, at some point. But am trying to stay with the basics for now.

Bangle in progress

Back at my silversmithing class last night and ended up with some D-shaped wire (5.25mm x 1.25 mm I think) that was no longer to be used for what I'd originally intended it for. So I managed to fashion one half of it into this:



It's unfinished and unpolished but I love the ribbon effect and the satin texture is so lovely that I'm hoping to recreate that in the polishing process.