Monday, April 25, 2011

Supermum Sale!


Because, 

really, 

EVERY mum is a Supermum!

To celebrate Mothers Day,

I'm offering 15% off everything in my Etsy shop

from now until April 30.

Simply use the code 'supermum' when you check out.  

Easy peasy!

This discount only applies to items already in my shop,

and NOT custom orders.


Happy shopping!!!

E is for Easter...and Earrings

Once upon a time, there were two bunnies...











And then there was one!
(Erm...minus a couple of ears...!)

I hope your Easter was filled with as much foil-tearing, chocolate-smearing, bunny-eating goodness as ours was! :-)

~*~

A few new pairs of earrings have (finally!) made their way into my Etsy shop...



and...

a ready-to-ship pair of *Lost Medallion* Earrings


I wear my own pair of these earrings ALL the time,

usually with my new vintage cowboy boots...


...which were a surprise 'just because' gift from my gorgeous husband.

What more could a girl want?! :-)

Monday, April 18, 2011

Jewellery for little girls...

Today I finished some personalised jewellery sets I started working on a few weeks ago for some adorable little girls...

Turtles for Maddi, and lilies for Kodi...


...every little girl needs jewellery with her name on it, doesn't she!


I even managed to get India to model for me...


...although trying to get her to stand still for more than 1.25 seconds was like mission impossible...


...until I realised that Easter eggs make excellent bribery...


...as does the promise of a turtle necklace of her very own...

Spoilt much!!

~*~

My workbench has been busy with custom orders, including a bejewelled version of my *Koutoubia* Necklace and a matching ring...

I wear the original necklace ALL the time, but I never did get around to making any for the shop...

so I'm thrilled that a lovely lady has asked me to make this set for her!

And funnily enough, a photo of my *Koutoubia* Necklace was published in the latest issue of Art Jewelry magazine along with a letter I wrote to the editor...


What a lovely surprise!

I hope your week is full of lovely surprises too :-D

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Freedom to create...

What happens when you're given the freedom to create whatever your heart desires...?


For me, it is an opportunity to spread my wings...




...to reach for the stars...




...to push the boundaries of what I thought was possible...




For me, it is an opportunity to learn...




...and to grow...




...and to fulfill a need deep within me to be more, to be better...




To be given this opportunity by someone who has utter faith in what I do...




...is a true gift.


Thank you for letting me spread my wings, Catherine...


Sunday, April 10, 2011

Fanciful facets...

I have been so busy with custom orders since opening my Etsy shop, that I haven't had time to add new pieces to the shop as often as I would like...


...but as I see it, that is a very happy problem to have :-)


I did manage to add this necklace to the shop a few weeks ago though...
(and COMPLETELY forgot about mentioning it here... *oops*)


Faceted gems are finding their way into my work more often...



...including this to-die-for Sky Blue Topaz which I could not WAIT to use...
(it really is just like a droplet of the most perfect blue sky!)



I cut out a teardrop shape from the back of the pendant to let the topaz really light up...



...and one of my hand sawn Moroccan motifs sways from beneath the topaz...




I don't usually leave my jewellery with a polished finish (I think a patina brings out all the lovely details), but this necklace needed to be shiny.  


Do you prefer polished or patinated jewellery?


~*~


Speaking of faceted stones, I fell in love with this enormous 27.5 carat smoky quartz the moment I saw it...




...and I bought it even though, at that time, I had no idea how to set faceted stones!  
(Sometimes my creative visions far exceed my abilities LOL ;-) But it's an excuse to learn and challenge myself, non?!)


Anyway, about a month ago I decided it was time to use this beauty...




...so I set about creating a bezel for it from scratch...
(because it was far too big to fit my pre-made bezel wire)




...you know how much I love sawing ;-) ...


(and yes, I saw barefoot - doesn't everyone?!)
...add a 'bearing' to the inside of the bezel...




...and some filigree to the sides...




...and a matching filigree-adorned ring band completes it!




...big and bold...




...delightfully detailed...




...heavy and hearty...




...and it's all mine, mine, MINE! :-)




It looks top heavy and I kind of expected it to swing around on my finger,


but it's surprisingly well balanced and sits perfectly.


I think I wear it just about every time I have to leave the house :-)


~*~


More fanciful facets coming soon!


And some new jewels will be added to the shop too...




Enjoy the rest of your weekend!