Sprout Treasury

The new year is the perfect time to sow seeds,

to sprout,

and to grow.

Inspired by these thoughts, here is my latest nature-hued treasury...

'Sprout' by belindasaville

SALE 25% OFF - Little Mushro... NatureMandalas $18.75	dingle dangle necklace - han... XauXau $27.00
Seedling Pincushion frommyatelier $1200.00	Flat Notes - sprout wave EnidWilsonStud... $18.50
NOTEBOOK - sprout - set of ... storybymia $15.00	Antique Sterling Silver Thim... doodlebirdie $36.00
5 Green Leaves Gift Cards Novachix $5.00	Sprout diptych debbiecarlos $325.00
g.r.e.e.n.s daisychestnut $25.00	Sprout, for the Urban Garden... katrinarodabau... $15.00
Sprout 8x10 signed photograp... tooktothesky $30.00	Sprouting Seedling - Sterlin... metalsmitten $20.00
Sprout FetchingCheryl $4.50	Little Sprout Earrings - Fre... ChristineDoman... $16.00
Seed Pod Sterling Silver rin... novaofsweden $286.00	Amber Waves Moleskine . Pock... shoofly $12.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com.


This year I want to continue to grow my silversmithing skills, to continue to learn and jump in at the deep end, to create without fear of failure or making mistakes (there are NO mistakes, only opportunities to learn!).


How are you hoping to grow this year?

Red and Green

Mother Nature knows how to dress for Christmas.

Her reds are the sweetest scarlet,

fiery and festive...

...waiting to bloom, a blush of crimson...

Her greens are lush and verdant...

(and isn't cypress just the scent of Christmas!)

textural, tactile...

...perfectly draped...

She wears baubles of red...

...and bells of white...

She leaves seasonal treasures to delight...

waiting to be found...

...and brought home...

A wander through the garden has me feeling fine and festive!


~*~

What are you wishing for this Christmas?

Treasury Fun

Have you ever created a mood board?


A collection of images, textures, swatches, words and anything else that helps to create a 'mood' based on a theme, or for inspiration, when you are designing.  I enjoy creating mood boards when ideas pop into my head for a new creation, or a new collection.  They help keep me on track, because I have been known to lose my way and start travelling along a different path... ;-)


I have recently discovered how much fun it can be to create an Etsy treasury...it's just like creating a mood board, and just as much fun.

L'Absinthe

You can find this treasury here

Terracotta

You can find this treasury here

On The Spice Trail

You can find this treasury here

**Update - 'On The Spice Trail' made the front page of Etsy....wooooo!**


Every now and then, it is nice to take a step back from working on my own creations, and appreciate what other talented artisans are creating.  There is a wealth of beautiful, handcrafted goodies on Etsy, and in the not-too-distant future, my own creations will be available there too.


If there is one thing that I have learnt from compiling these treasuries, it is that quality photographs are essential!


Thanks for looking, and be well!

Ophelia earrings

I love creating earrings.  

They are a small enough project to provide almost instant gratification.

They give me the opportunity to test colourways, metals and materials on a small scale before commiting to a larger and more time-consuming project.

Oh, and I love wearing them too :-)

My 'Ophelia' earrings are one of my latest designs...

In shades of olive and sage, with antiqued brass findings and chain, they have a decidedly vintage look to them...just the look I was aiming for!

Ophelia was a character in Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', and the subject of a number of paintings by John William Waterhouse...the name seemed just right for my romantic, vintage-look earrings...

There is a matching 'Ophelia' bracelet and necklace to come.  And the set will form part of a future collection that I have planned.  Stay tuned!

Thanks for looking, and be well!

Daffodil bracelet

When I looked at the date that I had begun this bracelet, I was horrified to see that it was waaaaay back in March.  Really?  Surely not!  How on earth could this have been sitting on my desk for the last few months, untouched and unfinished?  


I'll tell you how...


I procrastinate!  In fact, I procrastinate so much that I have procrastination down to a fine art!


But anyway, I digress.  I'm good at that too.


So here *finally* is my completed Daffodil bracelet.  

It's not everything that I had hoped for.  My creative vision didn't manifest into the beautiful bracelet I had envisaged... 

My stitching looks a little wonky in places, mostly due to the memory wire I used as a base for the bracelet.  It was not the best choice of armature...it is so darn springy that it holds its shape which in turn scrunches up my beadwork (but can I plead ignorance because it was my first time using memory wire?!)

But you know what...it doesn't have to be perfect.  It is only a first prototype.


I realise that creativity is a process, and that it may take me many prototypes to perfect a design and create something that I am really happy with.  


And although this design turned out to be a dud, I'm very happy with the daffodil itself.  So Daffodil Mk. II is already underway in a lighter, softer colourway (see here for a sneak peek).  And Daffodil Mk. II will not be a bracelet, but a necklace.


And this time I'm skipping the memory wire.


Thanks for looking, and be well!

My creative space...

During my recent online travels, I came across Kirsty's blog.  Apart from creating cool stuff, taking gorgeous photos, and writing an interesting blog, Kirsty hosts 'My Creative Space'.


Every Thursday, artists and crafters from all over the world amalgamate on Kirsty's blog to show off what they're working on.  It's all a bit of fun, who doesn't love a sneak peek!  And I want to be part of it.  


So here is 'My Creative Space' today:

Now, usually I don't like to show you what I'm working on because (a) it may turn out to be a dud design, or (b) I may never get around to finishing it.  But by showing you a preview, I'm forced into (a) turning it into a success design, and (b) finishing it!  Win-win!


Pop on over to Kirsty's blog to see what other artists are creating today...


Be well!

From Bead Soup to Bracelet

I'm constantly amazed by the versatility of beads.  They can be manipulated into any look that your mind can devise and your hands can create.  They can be uniform, or they can be organic...they can be precise, or they can be natural.

I find the natural, organic look of freeform beadweaving so appealing, but it is not something which comes naturally to me.  In fact, it makes me feel rather uneasy.  My brain seems to skip the 'free' and instead focus on the 'form'.  How can something that looks so natural, feel so UNnatural?

Having recently acquired the informative, inspiring and visually stunning 'Beaded Colorways' by Beverly Ash Gilbert, I set off on a journey of free-spirited discovery.  I enjoy pushing my creative buttons whenever possible, and this exercise pushed them unmercilessly!  My orderly brain fought the randomness every step of the way, but I got there in the end.  

I began with a pile of warm, earthy bead soup:

And ended up with a bracelet...'Whisper of Autumn':

Hmmm...

Thanks for looking, and be well!