Handmade Artisan Jewellery

almost there..... Wednesday.

2012-02-01T15:45:00.000Z

Things have progressed rapidly since yesterday. I have a feeling of excitement welling up in my tummy.

All the bits and pieces that I painstakingly prepared yesterday are soldered into place......

Nearly there............

ahhhh..... all the lose ends tied up. An hour in the tumbler gets any left over dirt off.........

Looking good so far......

I will be working tonight too when the kids go to bed at 8pm. It's Luke's birthday on Saturday and we are having a birthday party for all the boys in his class. So I need to have all these pieces ready to photograph by Friday Lunchtime at the latest, so that I can bake and wrap the parcels for 'pass the parcel'........ or they won't be listed this weekend.

Left to do.....

Make Jump rings

Attach chain

solder jump rings

Make hook clasps and fit them

Oxidize the silver

Polish the silver

set the stones

polish the bezel

Then.......

Take photos and list on Etsy...............

More Tomorrow!

bits and pieces....... Tuesday.

2012-01-31T14:41:00.000Z

Tuesday morning is my Monday morning. After feeding and dressing the kids...I make them a packed lunch (generally speaking there are no such things as canteens or cafeterias in Irish schools.) The farm is not busy this morning, it's too wet to work the land, so David brings them to school and creche to give me an extra half hour in the studio.....

Yes my bench is messy.... I work this way, I work better this way. A creative mind is a messy one LOL!

Make bezels for all the stones I will be using. I had some correspondence from one of my clients during the night, and one of the bigger pieces planned for this week has been cancelled. So I have far less to do this week than I thought (I might have to slip in an extra piece in lieu of it.).

I find that Tuesday morning is a good time to get the tedious fiddly bits done as I am fresh and less likely to destroy things.

Evidence of Tedium............

One of the nice things about all this piercing work is the smell of bee's wax that I use to lubricate my saw blades. I adore it, and I associate it with being happy and productive.

The pristine silver sheet is marked out with enough space around the stones for the designs I want to fit in.

Chop chop chop.

Work ends at 1.45pm for me to collect Ruairi from Creche at 2pm and then the older children at 3pm. I haven't had lunch so I'll grab an apple to eat in the car.

Tuesday evening is completely opposite to Tuesday morning. There is a sense of anticlimax. I have been working hard all day and have very little to show for it. Nothing finished and just bits and pieces that are ready to be soldered.. but nothing finished and no sense as to if my design will 'work' or not.....

I feel slightly despondent.....

the process.........Monday

2012-01-30T12:11:00.000Z

This week I am going to attempt to show you my weekly process of work......

It will be a daily post.... with photographs of what I do day to day in my Jewellery designing business. Hopefully it will give you a small insight into what efforts go into making pieces for my shop.

Monday!

I have Ruairi at home today. While he watches 'Dora the explorer' I alternate between designing and cleaning the house. An idea might strike and I rush to my breakfast counter where I have this weeks 'work sheet' laid out.

This weeks work sheet.....started!

The Fedex Man has also been this morning with my new silver sheet and supplies. We are on a first name basis now as he has had the same route for a couple of years :-) It's a larger delivery as it's the first of the year so far.....

There is nothing more inspiring than a pristine sheet of sterling silver............. ready to be cut into and made into ......something? That will have to wait until tomorrow though, Tuesday is the first day of the week for me to work at my bench!

striking the heart.....

2012-01-28T18:07:00.000Z

.Somethings just strike deep in the heart, and when this happens it MUST be shared with friends......

This quote was taken from a book about Indian adornment, motifs and designs (as you know my eye has been stiring in that direction recently..........)

"It has only been when the craftsman has had the right to work faithfully, a right to the reward of his labour, and at the same time a conscious or subconscious faith in the social and spiritual significance of his work, that his art possessed the elements of real greatness."

..........Coomaraswamy

Paisley with brass accents...

Nouveau inspired pendant.

Kingman Mine Turquoise, paisley Necklace.

New Year......... New Drama?

2012-01-05T16:50:00.002Z

Life has been dramatic since the summer. Some 'major' dramas...... some not so major...... Some of the dramas were life changing (RIP Aunty Trisha) some where steep learning curves....... like Ruairi's developmental delays. some are still ongoing and are heartbreaking and stressful and distressing (cursed Cancer).

My shop has been closed for a little while..... I just haven't had the 'brain space' to deal with designs, photographs and metal. I will however be reopening next week..... once the children are gone back to school. I hope to be able to find my balance again, in the hammering of metal and my equilibrium in the polishing of silver and the setting of gorgeous stones.

One thing that has been semi resolved is Ruairi's developmental delays....... rather the search for answers has reached a dead end for the moment. All the test results came back clear...... you might say WHOOOOP! I did for a day or two.... and then the questions started coming.... why isn't he talking? Why does he walk with the balance of baby taking their first steps? etc. etc. etc.

'He is Himself'............

The paediatrician says 'he is himself......' he has his own IQ and will reach his own potential..... whatever they may be are just not clear at the moment.

I was told by various health professionals that 50% of children with learning/developmental difficulties or delays remain undiagnosed..... Medicine just simply does not know.........

I found it hard to accept... How could medicine 'Not know'? I was finally counciled by a doctor that I attend for my own depression. Because he is a specialist in mental health problems he knows the system. He advised me to stop looking for a label or a reason. A 'name' won't help Ruairi..... there is no medicine that goes with developmental delays..... only treatment. And Ruairi will get ALL the treatment he needs, regardless of diagnosis or not....

He will attend physio therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy for his sensory issues, and closer to school going age he will be re assessed for his needs..... we had a developmental test yesterday which shows that he has the communication skills of an 18 month old and the phyical skills of a 24 month old (he is 35 months old and will turn three next month.) Heartbreaking..... but he is himself......... :-(

Meanwhile the other children are steaming ahead with life.... the tooth fairy had to visit twice this week!!!

Merry Christmas......

2011-12-23T16:15:00.000Z

Peek-a-boo!

We are fostering Charlie, the blue fronted Amazon Parrot.

His last owners were an elderly couple. The wife was admitted to hospital and the husband felt that he could not longer care for Charlie...........

I was in the Pet shop during the summer on the day that he landed back in, and asked a few questions about him......... and then forgot about him :-(

I was back in the same shop earlier this week, to buy supplies for the tortoises that aren't hibernating..... and noticed Charlie again..... only this time he was a shadow of himself.... lonely and depressed. Parrots mate for life, and the only mate he had known (his former owner) had left him.

Now the pet shop is very nice.... and the people working there are lovely but it's in a big warehouse type building that never gets very warm and gets positively freezing at night. Parrots are intelligent and sociable animals and like to have a 'flock' around them...... the pet shop closed in the evening, re-opened in the morning......... and it was closing for 3 days over the Christmas.

Soft touch that I am, I agreed to take him home over Christmas to see how he fitted into our 'mad house'.

I came home this morning from doing the Christmas Grocery shop to find the clever bird had opened his cage and was roosting in the Christmas tree....(probably the only tree he has ever seen.)

So from Charlie Bird and the O'Dwyer Family,

We hope that you have a very Merry Christmas............. or whatever holiday you celebrate........

and a very Happy New year!

xxx

Sunny Sunday afternoon.....

2011-11-27T18:37:00.000Z

Together.... on a Sunny Sunday afternoon.....

In Waterford's People's Park....

Ruairi in the Toddler's Playground.

And Luke and Grace in the 'Bigger Kids' playground....

Swinging with Daddy......

With Mammy behind the lens..... ;-)

Happy and tired on the way home................

Sometimes the best times are the simplest ones.......

saturated....

2011-11-25T16:55:00.000Z

Well...... as it turned out I was being 'a bit' over enthusiastic about the amount of work I would get done this week and the amount of those luscious stones I would use..... Monday night saw a major panic episode when I realized how 'blah' I felt about the work I had planned for the week...... I had one custom order to make for my lovely friend 'L'. She wanted a sapphire ring made for Christmas and I decided to work on that and see how it goes.....

When I had ordered the sapphire for 'L' I also ordered a canary yellow sapphire and dark grass green sapphire to 'play' with. I made the ring and was delighted by the finished product...... (actually I was beyond delighted and puffed up with pride when I gave it to her over coffee!) So Thursday saw me sitting down at the bench with the ring design still itching at my brain..... So out came the other two stones and I made rings with those aswell......

Now before I show them to you I want to say a few things if I may? :-).....

1....I know that the market for this 'type' of ring is saturated on Etsy at the moment. So the chances for actually selling rings like this regularly is probably not that high. The market has already been cornered by a couple of sellers.... but...... the simple lines and the 'prettiness' of them made them a joy to work on....

2....None of the parts of the rings were bought already made..... each ring was made from scratch from sheet silver and wire. They were hammered, sawn, measured with a digital calipers, soldered, filed and polished by hand....... EVERY SINGLE PART!

3...... they were not cast, or carved in wax and then cast.... each was made individually and painstakingly by hand.

4.......they are not spoken for and would make a couple of ladies VERY happy this holiday season ;-)...

A canary Yellow Sapphire and a Grass Green Sapphire, both set in silver!

I love 'em........... seriously!

How pretty are the colours of these stones?

Made entirely from scratch from sheet silver, wire and tools that have been used for centuries.........

for a piece of jewellery that will last a lifetime, and be cherished forever......

a bit of fire and a lot of love and care.....

nice clean lines with my initials stamped inside to remind the wearer that they were artisan made....... by a person, and NOT mass produced in an anonymous factory........

what do you my lovely friends think of them? 'Sweet' or 'Meh............'

Personally I am in loooooove.

better........

2011-11-20T21:20:00.000Z

I would like to thank everyone who read, commented and contacted me about my last post. I was truly touched by your concern, kindness, and friendship. I think it was a turning point for me.

I had the knowledge that we were testing our baby for possible life changing medical disorders crushing in my chest for a month. It was a secret so big that I felt like I could hardly swallow.

But like any fear.... once shared, it became far less powerful. Once uttered aloud some of it's power and ferocity disappeared.

Resolutions were made with myself about the future and a stronger me has emerged. I will keep you all up to date about any results etc....

Now......... as this is a jewellery making blog, I would like to return to the subject that has you all here in the first place...... jewels, stones, designs, metal and all things wonderful to do with fire, making and dreaming.....

How to get my creative juices flowing again in the studio.... For a little while I feared that the desire to make had left me..... (this has happened before.... ) when I was pregnant with Ruairi I was sick for the whole 9 months. Before the pregnancy I had been working with wire and was doing pretty good too. I was stocked in a gallery in a nearby city and was starting to sell a few bits on Etsy (look at my sales figures on Etsy and you'll see that the first few things sold were wire wrapped).    Anyway, anybody who has suffered morning sickness........ all day.... for nine months will tell you that it is hard enough to get the little things done. All your energy is concentrated on keeping body and soul together...... and wire wrapping took a backseat...... (a veeeeery back seat.)

When baby Ru was born and I tried to get back to work, I literally didn't have the stomach for wire wrapping anymore (pardon the pun.)   It was like I was allergic to a craft that I had spent hundreds of hours previously mastering..........
nothing...........

I wanted nothing to do with it. Picking up a spool of fine wire immediately brought back memories of intense pregnancy sickness. Wrapping was O.V.E.R.......

I was terrified for a few days recently that silver-smithing was too. Nothing could drag me into the studio. When I forced myself, I sat at the bench touching my tools and sighing.

Never fear dear readers.... if there is anything that that can be relied upon to get me going......it's stones .....

Happy Dance......YAY... a little spending spree.... here......... and I am itching to get back into things. I have my sketches done already and they are waiting on my breakfast counter for me to pour over
everytime I'm cooking or just having a cup of coffee......

Look at these yummies.......

of course there HAD to be turquoise (kingman mine)......

or several....................heheeeheeheeeee!

all the way from Arizona.......

a graveyard point plume agate.........

that is semi transparent........... (swoon)

a pair of Phosphosiderite.......No? me neither but I LOVE it. I could immediately picture these two as a double paisley... can you?

There wasn't much online about Phosphosiderite.... but I found this:

"Phosphosiderite is unusual in that it is an iron mineral, and these seldom show purples, though it also comes in more usual red, brown, or yellow colors too, as well as colorless. Phosphosiderite is an excellent healing stone, so it's often called the "Stone of Healing and Hope". It is used to assist with finding balance and stability, which can help one in everyday life as well as in healing. Phosphosiderite is also used to access and work with past life memories, and the third eye chakra."

yummzers..........

a tasty, orbicular ocean jasper.... which would also be a great paisley!

HHHmmmmmm......

okay..... my creative juices are flowing again.... and I for one am sooooo relieved and thankful........ NOW..... role on Tuesday when I can get back to work.

Smiles and waves to everyone..............

faking it..

2011-11-15T12:23:00.000Z

I can't really fake it. If I don't 'feel' it, it's hard for me pretend that I am. My metal work is an outpouring of myself rather than a financial resource, and....... at the moment I'm just not 'feeling' it.

I haven't fallen out of love with metal.... rather my heart has been frozen with fear and like a rabbit in the headlights, I cannot see or feel anything except what is glaring me in the face, and temporarily blinding me.

My baby, my darling Ruairi, is missing all his milestones......... He was very slow to reach them physically, but after numerous trips to my G.P. I was told he was a 'large lazy child' who would walk in his own time. I told myself several lies.....
1. he's a boy... boys are always slower to do things than girls.
2. he's a third child, why should he bother doing anything for himself when he has an adoring brother and sister who run around after him, fulfilling all of his needs.
3. He's easy going and laid back....

These little lies were easy for me to believe..... very easy...... especially when my GP backed me up.

In the meantime my Mother in Law has been fighting a battle with cancer, as has my favourite Aunty, my mother's only sister...... I am ashamed to say that I took my eyes off the ball a little..... If it wasn't for the wonderful community nurses in my local clinic I would have continued blithely on my merry way.

Then he started missing his speech and language milestones, and it became a little harder to convince myself that things were okay.... I did have my head buried in the sand..... I know I did......

The economic climate in Ireland is as bad, if not worse than alot of places at present. Greedy bankers and builders gambled and lost, and now 'we' are paying the price for that greed. Services have been cut and appointments for specialists are few and far between. By he time his appointment came up it was obvious that there was a problem (lie number 4. perhaps he needed grommets in his ears.) He wasn't saying Mammy or Daddy...... he had no names for his brother and sister, he had never even uttered his own name. There were no nursery rhythms, counting to 10 or the 'I want' that normally arrives with the terrible twos.... (yet still I toted a 2 stone 8 pound boy on my hip as if he were a baby, and still got up every single night to give him the three bottles of milk that he cried for.......)

I still don't know what is wrong with him...... That day in the doctors office changed the game for good.... words were thrown around like.... chromosomes, fragile X syndrome, mucopolysaccaridosis, huntingtons disease, autism, and on and on and on.......

We still don't know what is wrong with him..... Chromosomal tests take along time.... but I am no longer lying to myself.....

I am in agony with 'what ifs'...... I am in tears over the 'coulda beens' and I am dreading the 'definitelys'...... I am losing sleep, and when I do sleep it's a nightmarish sleep..... I am distracted and on edge.. My shoulders are hunched with tension and I am constantly battling headaches.... all the while I am loving my happy, loving, affectionate Ruairi and trying not to despair when we cannot communicate and I cannot fill his needs......

Little wonder that my attention span is difficult to hold at the moment. Added to the grief that I am feeling, is a sense of guilt over my shop.... over not making enough coming up to the festive season, over custom orders that have been delayed waaaay beyond reason. It is a burden that is showing in my lack of work..... and I just can't fake it. Fake work would be a waste of silver, a waste of my time, a waste of my customers time. If I don't 'feel it'....then nobody else is going to either. Every piece I make has a little bit of 'me' in it.... and at the moment I have no ME to give..... sorry.

Sorry for the lack of blog posts, sorry for the lack of work, sorry for the lack of attention that I have been paying you. I am so sorry..... I JUST CAN'T FAKE IT.

My darling................

disaster........ and a secret ring......

2011-10-07T10:57:00.000+01:00

Okay.... there is no hiding it. This week in the studio was almost a complete disaster. On Tuesday everything I touched was destroyed and had to be scraped. So I went to bed mad at myself and annoyed that nothing has been produced....

Wednesday wasn't much better. A little nugget of silver 'jumped' off my soldering table and fell into my lap. It went straight through my cords and when I jumped up quickly it made contact with the back of my leg just under my bum... ouchie. It was quite funny though and I shared it with my facebook friends..... but still a damp squib of a day........

Thursday I sat down at the bench. I was antsy and disconcerted. I made an executive decision there and then to make something fun. Something completely self-indulgent..... I don't usually indulged my own whims at the bench. It requires a strong measure of discipline not to. I have to consider my customers, the price of silver, the price of the finished piece, the wear ability of the piece and the general saleability of the piece, the beauty of the piece..... and it goes on.....

But yesterday I decided to make whatever took my fancy.......

and ended up with this..................

Its based on a poison ring design. I wanted to stretch my wings a little and make something techniquely new to me..... so a hinge and clasp was in order!

Every single bit was made from scratch with precision. I used my digital calipers to take exact measurements. Every fibre of my being was absorbed in the task and the morning flew by.

While making it I fantasized about what would be kept in the ring, if it turned out right and if it was sold. I decided that it wasn't a poison ring but a wishing ring.... or a secret ring...... I thought about a wish, written down on paper and tucked into the cavity for safe keeping. Then, because I am the mother of three young children, I thought of keeping a baby tooth in it or a lock of baby hair (or a lock of hair from a lover). I thought about perfume, a pebble from a magical day out at the beach. A photograph cut to match the rounded bottom of the locket and kept there as a reminder....... A holy medal, relic or talisman to make you feel strong and protected, I even thought of a piece of soil or 'homeground' that a young person emigrating or a homesick ex patriot could keep close to them.... a 'bit of the auld sod'.

But realistically, the ring is pretty big, and wouldn't be suitable for everyday wear (it weighs 1.5 ounces in pure silver... without the stone)..... so I told myself that if I sold the ring I would include the little black velvet 'witches hat' ring stand, so the ring could be displayed on a dressing table or beside locker and admired daily.

The Amethyst is stunning and shines an ethereal purple light from it's facets. Shining outwards but also inwards bathing your precious item in magnificent faceted light..............

Self indulgence is the best way to break the 'disaster' voodoo in the studio I think. I will go back to work next week re-energized and revitalized... knowing that I can stretch my technical abilities to the limit and knowing also that the odd 'flight of fancy is good for your heart and soul (even if it is no good for the blister on a burnt bum!!!!!)

Shop update!

2011-09-29T15:44:00.000+01:00

Nouveau Wedding.....

2011-09-16T15:48:00.000+01:00

One if the loveliest thing to happen recently was to receive these pictures in my 'in box'.........

These are the wedding snaps of one of my customers Julia. Julia contacted me about making a piece for her wedding that would be 'Nouveau' inspired...... which as you all know is completely up my street. Julia is a geologist and the only criteria she set for me was that she wanted an 'interesting centre stone'. I choose a pyrite fossil of an ammonite that was approx. 195 million years old!!! It was so crisp and perfect that every detail and fissure on the shell was preserved perfectly.

I am a sucker for wedding day symbolism, so around the fossil I added hand sawn Ivy tendrils. Ivy represents fidelity, wedded love and friendship. I also included a lovely little fire opal to represent the warm of a loving home...........

The ivy theme even extended to the back........

As always I like to add an extender chain to bespoke listings so that the customer can wear the piece with different necklines for different occasions. At the end of the extender chain I added a little heart charm with a tiny sapphire to represent 'something blue'.

and a pair of Ivy earrings to complete the set............

Delicate and elegant on............

You can imagine how thrilled I was to see the pictures of the day itself. I was so honored to make these pieces for Julia's 'big day', and completely delighted that she choose to share the pictures and happy memories with me also...............

Oh my Gosh!

2011-09-14T18:04:00.001+01:00

Oh my Gosh, has it been 2 months since my last post? Reader, I am sorry for abandoning you. I had reasons..... serious, not so serious and stupid reasons, all at the same time which became overwhelming. (Reasons nonetheless.) Please forgive me?

I have procrastinated for days. How do I re-start? What is sufficiently exciting to tell you, to mark my return to blogging world? Nothing and everything all at the same time.......

So I will just show you pictures of what I made today in the studio and hopefully it will be easier to be sparkling, funny, witty, self depreciating, wise and clever the next time I post (yikes!). My brain is still rusty and tired from only speaking to children all summer (nappy brain :-).
But it's really my hands that concern my customers, and they have not become rusty and uncommunicative! Rather they lifted my tools on my first days back and set to work by themselves................

Paisley pendant with Kingman mine turquoise........

Made in a size that will make a statement.

Low on the breastbone or high on the collar.....

Where even the back is beautiful and interesting...............

I wish I could claim the same for my blog posts :-(......................................

On a cute note.... Ruairi is really coming into himself and has improved greatly. He has transformed from an almost mute child in May..... into a chattering, independent toddler. So much so that when I dusted off my camera to take these shots he stood beside me the whole time saying 'CHEESE'..... and grinning up at me toothily :-)

New team!

2011-07-03T19:12:00.000+01:00

I am so happy say that I've been accepted into the Etsy Metal Street Team! They are one of the longest running street teams on Etsy and have an amazing collection of members. I first got the idea to try and join when I stumbled across their blog when I was search for tutorials on how to heat colour copper......

You can see the blog for yourself here!

I knew and admired most of the members from various 'Flickr' groups and other blogs that I follow.

Personally one of the reasons I joined is that it is quiet an isolating life being a metal smith. My studio is at home and I sell online. So besides the contact that I have with other artists via convo and email I have very little 'real' contact with other people with the same interest. Also, because I am self taught it takes a lot of drive and discipline to continue learning and trying to improve my skills.

I am hoping that the team, (which seems very warm and welcoming) will be a place to learn, discuss, get advice and to challenge myself. The team hold various challenges throughout the year and I'm looking forward to stretching myself, to become a better metalsmith.

Maybe I am expecting too much from the team... but time will tell. In the meantime I am grateful that I was accepted and am full of optimism about where it can take me.....

new work and a flower.........

2011-06-30T13:21:00.001+01:00

Good afternoon everyone...... thanks for stopping by! What I had been dreading all winter happened at the end of last week. I knew this time would come, but I wasn't mentally prepared. Yes, Luke and Grace got their summer holidays..... I know, I know...... it's not a catastrophe a on ANY level, but last summer was sooooo hard! They needed constant entertainment and refereeing, so much so that I couldn't find the time or mental reserves to work and had to close the shop. I spent the whole summer obsessing about how my shop was stagnating in vacation mode, and worrying about how opportunity could be passing me by.
I have tried to organize things so that I can continue working this summer..... and this week went well..... so I'm crossing my fingers that the next 10 weeks will go as smoothly.

Here is what I made this week:

A new style of Necklace that I call 'Babylon' after the hanging gardens.... (more about that in another post.) One is Dendritic Agate and the other Kingman Mine Turquoise.

The chain is a little shorter that usual to compensate for the extra length in the pendant. The pendant is articulated too, so that it swings and moves and flows.

Each one has the same idea, but no two are alike.

Two custom orders.........

One in Turquoise.......

and one in watermelon tourmaline.

Blueberry Pie ring........

With a large raw Dark purple Amethyst.....

and a little pair of flower earrings with luxurious 18 carat gold centres..........

light and airy and perfect for summer...........................

Life is continuing on the homefront too. The hens are laying... the vegetables are growing. The animals are getting along. The children are fighting one minute and best friends the next....... nothing changes..........Except........ this plant:

I have had it for nearly 6 years. It has sat in the window of our living room all that time, and now........... after six years........... it decides to flowers for the first time EVER!

No flowers for 6 years and then two come along together! Amazing. Does anyone know what kind of a plant this is?... I'd love to learn how to take care of it properly, but can't do that without a name...........

Thank you so much..............

Penthouse living.........

2011-06-27T19:25:00.000+01:00

There is a lull on the farm at the moment. The last few weeks before the harvest.

The farmer decided that the hens accommodation was not up to par.. so set about designing a new loft apartment for the 'ladies'.

Two of them are laying already and I cannot tell you how nice it is to go out to the garden in the morning and collect your breakfast.

This lady rules the roost. She is the prettiest hen with black feathers that are iridescent in the sunlight.
She is 'in charge' of all the other hens and always gets the best nesting box etc. She is the BOSS!

Dukey is fascinated by them too.......

Pretty birdie...... Couldn't you just smooch that face? er.... ok maybe not.

and their penthouse living quarters..... made by David, Johnny, and helped by Mossy.

I know their ladder seems long but they've gotten the hang of it and are up and down it now.

This is the access at the back for cleaning and collecting eggs........

There is a door on the inside that slips down on a pully-`rope for locking the hens in at night and when the weather freezes.

A nesting box with a loft above it.

X 2!

The straw that is used to bed the ladies down is Barley straw that was grown on the farm...... there are some advantages to being married to a farmer :-)

and one last gratuitous hen picture!

woof love.....

2011-06-06T12:22:00.001+01:00

The end of last week was a pretty rough one for our family. As it turned out David was wrong about where the little Jack Russell was from, and through a friend of a friend on facebook, we discovered who owned the pup (I can't believe that those little legs took her so far!)

When the children arrived home from school there was tears and questions...(but WHHHHYYYY?)
Grace was inconsolable. She was happy that the pup was home with her owners, but was lonely for her.

Dukey (our other dog) moped around the house as if someone had stolen his favourite bone, and hadn't a wag in his tail..... he missed the company.

David and I discussed things that night and decided that there was a dog shaped hole in our hearts now. (One that we hadn't even know was there until the little lost puppy turned up...) We asked around and found a litter of Jack Russells locally. Grace and her Daddy collected her on Saturday evening and she is adorable..... only 7 weeks old and full of mischief and fun. She has the same downy belly that longs to be rubbed and the same melting brown eyes... but now we don't have to worry about anyone knocking on our door and claiming her as their own.

Grace named her Daisy... and she is a little flower :-)

So happiness reigns supreme in our house again and it has been a wonderful (warm) bank holiday weekend........

So after a weekend of Pups (lost, found and regained), and the lovely warm weather which was perfect for bar-be-qued food and sitting in the sun, I hardly got a chance to photograph this weeks work.

So I remedied that this morning :-)

and a final family shot!

These will all be in the Shop this evening!

out of the blue......

2011-06-02T15:57:00.000+01:00

I worked all morning and coming up to lunchtime my tummy rumbles caused me to start planning dinner for the brood. It's very warm here today so I decided on a homemade quiche with fresh salmon in it...... all very normal and routine so far.....

Off I went to Tesco and bought the supplies I needed, I collected Ruairi on the way back and drove into the driveway of the house. Now, we live very rurally, the nearest shop is about 3 miles away. With nothing but rolling fields between our house and my Mom's which is the other side of the farm.... it gets pitch black at night as there is no light pollution and we can hear foxes bark and pheasants calling out because it is so quiet. So the last thing I was expecting to see greeting me in our driveway was this.....

A little miniature Jack Russell Puppy (bitch).

Teeny tiny and small (much smaller) than the cat.

Eating like a ferocious beast......

or as if she hasn't eaten for awhile

Making friends with our other rescue 'Dukey'.

You will probably say I am mad....... probably pity 'the farmer' for all he has to agree to. But she is such a joyful little thing with the boundless enthusiasm of a puppy. She has a downy belly that begs to be rubbed and the soulful brown eyes of a homeless dog. David has a good idea were she came from..... and is going to square it with them.... they were probably selling her anyway, and she escaped.... what a serendipitous afternoon.......

feelings.......

2011-06-01T15:32:00.001+01:00

Last week I became a little overwhelmed. I was putting enormous amounts of pressure on myself and was suffocating under the weight of it all. I went to work (the attic!) as usual on Tuesday. I burnt a few things.... melted more things, and then had a mini melt down myself. The response to the previous weeks work and the giveaway (thanks btw!) were so amazing that I panicked doubting if I could live up to all the praise that was heaped on me on Facebook and here of course. I completely froze and remained paralyzed creatively for a couple of days...... until I decided to just give up and take the week off.....

It was lovely..... I gardened, I crocheted and I had THE biggest surprise of my life when my lovely female tortoise Eleanor laid two smooth white (slightly glowing) eggs. I don't know they are fertile yet..... I won't know for another 10 days or so, but I am fussing and clucking over them as if they were my own (tortoises leave their eggs and never return to them so I took them out of the enclosure to incubate them )

Here I am 'candling' the first one. There may be signs that it is calcifying, but again, I won't know for awhile....

So I did go back to work this week and after day of altering chains and rings yesterday, I was inspired to 'make' today.....

This is the result 'straight from the Studio'......

Sorry about the grubby fingers..... they got dirty making this beauty!

Size R with sterling silver and copper (no copper touches skin so no green or allergies.) and a slice of watermelon Tourmaline.

I have to learn to control my own thoughts an not let them take over. My feelings are my own worst enemy and I can drive myself to despair (and truly believe my despair) in a matter of hours.......... The only one standing in my way is me..............................sigh..

and the winner is.........

2011-05-26T14:58:00.000+01:00

So this is how I did it....... I assigned everybody's comment with a number. Each person only got 1 number no matter how may times they posted (my comments of course did not get a number!)

I entered the amount of entries into www.randomizer.com and pressed 'Randomize' (very tense moment.)

The number that came up was number 30, which corresponds to DL Gray-Wurz ! Well done Deborah... I am delighted for you!

I'll be intouch for details on where to send this beauty!

The rest of you can have 15% off in my shop for the weekend! Code: 15percentblog as a consolation prize..... and rest assured that I will do another giveaway again soon.....

Thank you all for entering, I was overwhelmed and touched by your comments, and kindness.....

L.xxxx

100th Post and a giveaway!

2011-05-19T13:18:00.001+01:00

Well, this is my hundredth post. I never thought that I would stick it out this long.....

Reaching a milestone like this has had me thinking for the last week or so..... I have been assessing my business, my work, my friends and my customers in my head. Taking stock of my life..... and deciding if it's working?
I don't know if you've noticed a shift in my work? I feel like I have a new found confidence. A slight swagger if you like. I finally feel that I belong.

In a way that has never happened to me before I feel comfortable. I feel like I 'fit' my own skin and that I have found my niche.

I have always, always felt like a fish out of water. Never quite comfortable..... Embarrassed and apologetic......

Thanks to Etsy, I have been able to create my own world. Built around me, to fit me perfectly. Only choosing the paths that suit me and dancing to the beat of my own drum. I have found were I 'fit' and it feels great! It feels like home.

I have hundreds of people to thank for this new found 'settled' sense. My customers on Etsy who make this way of life possible. Who support my work and my endeavors and whose never ending enthusiasm, encouragement, praise have buoyed me onwards when my steps faltered. My Friends online.... some of these are customers that I've become 'close' to, and some are fellow metalsmiths who always have a ear to listen to me and support when I need it...... who comment when I write a silly status on Facebook or who offer me real, well thought out advice, when I agonize on my blog or indeed on Facebook again.

I am so grateful to you all...... for it all....... and I wanted to show you!

I have taken THE prettiest sugilite and set it in a pendant with the specific aim of giving it away!

YES it's a giveaway..... Yippee..... and this is the piece up for grabs!

Sugilite, amethyst, sterling and copper!!!

Me lookin' scruffy straight from the studio.....

oooooh.....

Sigh..... :-)

and the back is a bunch of flowers to say THANKS!

To enter all you have to do is 1. be a follower of this blog and 2. to comment at the end of this post to let me know that you want in............simple!!!!!

I will randomly pick a name out of a hat this day next week (Thursday 26th May at 12pm GMT).
and this beauty will wing it's way to a lucky person completely free of charge...FREE......

Just to say.....

THANK YOU xxxxx mwah.

Polishing........

2011-05-17T18:42:00.000+01:00

Straight from the studio.... typing on my WHITE MacBook with grotty dirty fingers... eek.
It wasn't a very productive day. I was waiting all day for Fedex to deliver a supply of silver, so I was limited in what I could make. (They never turned up..... it might have something to do with HRH Queen Elizabeth visiting Dublin and the city being on security lock down.)

Anyhow.... I'm polishing the couple of bits that I did get finished. Steel wool, liver of sulphur, polishing pads, elbow grease, dirty fingers and chipped nail polish........

(Magda, if you're reading this, here is a little glimpse of your earrings :-)

Will someone PLEASE remind me to order silver earlier next week as President Barack Obama is visiting......... (honestly!) For such a small little country we're very popular at the moment :-)

Paisley part two.......

2011-05-12T08:01:00.000+01:00

After promising 'spontaneous' posts straight from the studio I am already failing miserably. I usually come out of the studio zombified and have to head straight into making dinner for 'the brood'. Yesterday was a seafood pasta.... but that had to be cleaned up quickly too....... Have you ever wondered where farmers have their business meetings? Let me tell you...... at the kitchen table. So I switched on 'assistant mode' and supplied biscuits and fresh coffee.......... ah.... the life of a farmer's wife.

I did, however, in the middle of my farmer's 'wifely' duties manage to take some 'fresh from the studio' photos .... I hope that you like them......

Rhodochrosite and 5 x 3mm faceted labradorite gems.

I am so contrary aren't I? The price of silver rises and what do I do?..... instead of working smaller and conserving silver I splurge. If someone tells me I musn't do something.... the first thing I do is go against the grain......... how annoying am I? I am annoying to myself so goodness knows what I must be to everyone else. Anyway this baby weigh an eye watering 1.6 ounces.
It is not just silver for silver's sake though. Every element was drawn first, sawn out, filed arranged soldered etc.. do you like it? do ya?

and the two paisley pieces together...............

and the sugilite on now that it's been separated from it's brother:

Hurrah for Paisley!!!!

indeicision......

2011-05-11T09:57:00.000+01:00

Did you ever wake up in the morning wrecked with indecision? I couldn't decide how I felt about anything. I usually LOVE going to my studio but for about 10 minutes while I lay in bed in the early hours I contemplated playing hooky..... and going somewhere.... anywhere instead.

I photographed my paisley necklace for all my facebook friends (because I said I would :-) but I can't decide if it's finished or not. I'm thinking of eliminating the turquoise altogether and splitting it into two pieces? I don't know if the asymmetry works? I'm not sure if I like the patina or whether it should be polished more..... See how hard it is this morning being inside my head?

I don't not like it (do two negatives make a positive?) It feels lovely on and I love the reassuring weight on my breastbone. I like that it's completely different from my usual work yet I think it would still be recognized as a LOD piece............ but that is as far as I've decided.

better get to work now and stop gabbing on my blog.... I still have to decide if I'm going to use the rhodochrosite or the orangey agate (that will take at least another coffee I think.)

So I will leave you with a few picture of the Paisley that I made yesterday (one necklace or two????) sigh.....

The Sugilite is much more purple than the picture show....

keep it as one or break into two????

Fresh from the shower with wet hair....

the back.....

The mini turquoise paisley.

Et Voila......

better get going...stones aren't going to set themselves :-)

Mixing my metals.....

2011-05-07T12:40:00.000+01:00

In order to try and dilute the price of silver, this week I mixed metals and added copper (and even gold in one piece.) I like the quirkiness of the mixed metals (and materials.) I love the rosy glow of the copper against the cool silver. I love the 'workability' of the copper and am enjoying my new adventure.

Crazy lace agate with copper and silver and a lovely faceted ruby.

Back of the Crazy lace pendant.

Chrysocolla, iolite, sterling and copper ring. Size Q 1.2 (UK) 8 1/4 (USA) .

I love the way the blue looks next to the rosy copper.

Back of Chrysacolla Ring.

Royston Ribbon Turquoise with 9 carat gold flowers. Size N 1/2 (UK) 6 3/4 (USA)

Leather cuff with picture jasper set in sterling silver.

This cuff can be made to fit by gently squeezing it around your wrist.

Copper Oak leaves......... hand-sawn and then soldered onto sterling silver.

mixed metal Oak Leaves.

Will I also include just the regular sterling stuff that I made this week? What the heck..... I will!

Custom Order.... Wild Rose Pendant!

Monsoon ring made from Ribbon Turquoise that was mined from the Royston mine ( The Royston is a mining district in Nevada outside of Tonapah that originally consisted of four old Turquoise claims: Bunker Hill, Easter Blue, Oscar Wehrend, and Royal Blue. Size R 1/2 (UK) 8 7/8 (USA)

A lovely Olive coloured turquoise with brown matrix from the Kingman Mine in Arizona. Size Q (UK) 8 (USA)

Here is a picture of the Kingman mine..... see how the turquoise is found in 'Ribbons' in the stone......... fascinating!

How I would love to visit Arizona and actual see this in reality. It seems magical doesn't it?

A productive week spurred on by the joy of being back to work!!!!

Snuggly...........

2011-05-02T11:49:00.001+01:00

What do fidgety hands do when they are not making jewellery? What do you do in your downtime when all your hands, eyes and brain want to do is create?

Well....... you create something different!

Last summer I stumbled upon this blog..... Attic 24

It inspired me to take a trip to my local yarn shop. (I didn't even know where that was and had to Google it!!!!) and watch loads of crocheting tutorials on Youtube........... Many, many blankets later this is what I am currently working on:

A Granny Square Picnic Blanket made from DK Stylecraft Acrylic Yarn which can be bought here.... Masons Needle Craft

My Stash of yarn. This is the second blanket that I've made from this stash. It lifts my heart to peer into the basket and see all the yummy colours and imagine what they will become.......

It's a 'work in progress' but already shouts 'SUMMER MEMORIES' to me...........

Random colours with no particular plan!

Suggly in my Jim-Jams this morning......

Waiting to be picked up again.

and a little bragging.........

This is a blanket that I finished during the winter for Ruairi....... its made from Rico Creative Cotton! Isn't it a happy blanket? I've made this one for my little niece Katie too!

What do you do in your spare time to relax? Do you have fidgety fingers????

casual blogging.............

2011-04-28T17:25:00.001+01:00

Forgive the casual nature of this blog post. The photos are not the 'official' shop photos. But I find if I think too much about blogging and save it for something deemed 'worthy' enough.... that not a word gets written in months......so....

I'm going to blog straight from the studio from now on. As soon as a piece is polished and while the initial excitement is still fizzing in my tummy.... no more... 'I'll write about it in the morning when I take the good pictures' or 'I'll include it when I have something interesting to say'..........

It's going to be immediate from now on.......

So I am going to show you this immediately!

It's a necklace and bracelet set with Kingman Mine Turquoise in the most glorious olive colours. I know that the phrase 'heirloom' is bandied about on Etsy alot when it comes to handmade jewellery. But this I can say, without being trite or disingenuous is truly heirloom quality..........

I tried not to think of the price of silver whilst making these so I wouldn't skimp..... and I didn't.

The necklace alone has 1 ounce and 7 grams of precious sterling. Besides the chain on the neck piece every element was made in my attic studio including the clasps, jumprings and all the links. It was a labour of love and I do...... REALLY...... love this set....

thanks for reading..... you're all wonderful.......

kisses..........xxxx

teaching a silver dog copper tricks.........

2011-04-27T20:02:00.000+01:00

The rising price of silver has me heartbroken..... Illogically or not I feel like everything I have been working towards is slipping away. And it's a terrible feeling. I have invested in some books and tools to try to transition my work away from relying solely on silver...... but until now my heart hasn't been in it.

I gave it a go today and am happy enough with the results.....

I've used a lighter sheet of sterling silver than I normally would but this has been counter balanced by the copper...... I was conscious not to have copper touching skin, as I know that some of my customers have issues with allergies etc.... and the last thing people want is for their jewellery making their skin go green.

Did I manage to balance it? I'm not sure......... but I sure would like some opinions...

The pendant has been coated in 'renaissance wax' to slow down the tarnishing process, and that's a little sliver of Kingman mine turquoise!

(forgive the bedraggled appearance.... I'm fresh from the studio.....and it's 7.30 pm so the light wasn't great.... but I couldn't wait!!!!)

What do you think?

Sprouting........

2011-04-20T16:11:00.000+01:00

Seeds are sa....sa....ssssssssssprouting, the sun is shining. The Birkenstocks are on for the first time this year. Aaaaahhhhhh my feet can breathe. It is 20 degrees celcius here today.... in April..... and it feels heavenly. The tortoises are outside soaking up the rays and the budgies are spreading their wings in the unseasonable sunshine!

I'm feeling snap happy and am loving the way my house looks in the sunshine! 'thought I'd share some some of the images with you..................

Seeds.........

In a mini Terrarium on my kitchen table......

Seeds are.......

SSSsssssssprouting!

These are 'Night Scented Stock' which smell glorious in the warm long evenings.... Can you see the tiny hairy little sprouts???

My Pride and Joy..... my Franke Coffee machine! Cappuccino anyone?

The ubiquitous orchids!

My kitchen Window sill is lined with bonsai trees..... some which I have had for years!

Where ever I throw my bag..... that's my home!!!!!

Do you like the bag? Do you? It was a trade from this magnificent shop:

Moxie and Oliver!

When Caitlin approached me about a trade I was over the moon........ Now that the bag has arrived I am super-excited. I love it!...............

Thanks for looking!!!!!

Weekend Sale!!!!

2011-04-15T15:36:00.000+01:00

On a whim and completely out of the blue I have decided to have a Spring Clean Sale! If you've had your eye on ANYTHING in the SHOP this weekend would be a good time to snaggle it up! Prices will go back to normal on Monday!!!

Hurray!!!!!!

since I saw you last.....

2011-04-11T15:17:00.000+01:00

a few things have happened...... I reached 500 sales in my Etsy Shop, and because of my wonderful customers and all the orders I had last week I was flung beyond 500 and now rest on 505!

I knew this milestone was coming for awhile. I was on 497 sales for Aaaaaaaages. I decided to treat myself for all my hard work. I don't ever keep anything for myself from my shop and I hardly ever wear anything I have made.... but I came across the most gorgeous Vintage ring on Etsy, and it just felt 'right'. This would mark my milestone..............

It was bought from this lovely shop and arrived in what felt like a heartbeat. It is marked 'Harvey' on the back... a Navajo silversmith? probably. I love and adore it... and don't have to be mortified if someone asks me about it. (I usually stare at my feet and mumble something about 'making it myself'....)

Life is pretty good at the moment! The weather has dramatically improved and I feel my spirits are much brighter as a result. I am looking around my surroundings and am starting to appreciate colours, textures, smells far more than I have all winter. I know its bad for my health but I think I will take a few 'sunbed sessions' next winter.... not for vanity reasons but to give myself this mood lift more often...

All these pictures were taken in my kitchen about an hour ago... and the weather was as unpredictable as always. In the middle of taking my 'Sunshine Happy Colours' pictures it started to HAILSTONE... I kid you not........

Yet two minutes later it was sparkling sunshine again.........

Whilst snapping my orchids I had a sudden thought..... how come I love orchids sooooo much. I grow them all year 'round. I nurture them and they lift my spirit on a daily basis.... YET... I have never crossed this inspiration into my silver and translated them to metal..... hmmmm... something to think about for future designs...... Do you like orchids with your silver??????

15 working hours later........

2011-04-09T13:53:00.001+01:00

this is what the stones became.... 15 working hours later (although it's ALOT more that the official 15 hours with me popping up and down to the studio every chance I get.

A custom order..... Ocean jasper and citrine.

I love sentimental jewellery, and this really brings it home just how 'heirloom' handmade jewellery is.

another custom order for the same client... but a different recipient. Just look at that Baltic amber.... the hue of good quality aged brandy.

The heart stone (brecciated Jasper) turned into this.... another custom order that I am COMPLETELY thrilled with. I hope the lady is too.

A handful of things that weren't custom orders and will be available in my SHOP over the next day or so.

and back to custom orders:

A cuff for a trade that I am SUPER excited about......

a rainbow ring with a matching pair of 'Made for an Angel' stud earrings..... custom order

an finally... (Phew) the last custom order..... a Monsoon Ring in a size 8.5

Delish......

I even surprised myself with my productivity this week. I think buying that big sheet of silver frightened me into working as hard as I could so that I could actually pay for it! by the way silver is now $40.41 per ounce!! I was complaining about $36.46 in my last post. I wish it was still $36......... sigh.

My wrists and fingers are aching me and I'm going to chill for the rest of the weekend..........

I just wanted to finish this post with an attitude of gratitude.....

I have THE greatest customers that anybody was ever lucky enough to have. Your support, custom, friendship and your constant constant presence have allowed me to forge this path in life, and for that I am eternally grateful............... I will hammer silver to the ends of the earth for you.........

and thus starts another week..... just a glimpse......

2011-04-05T16:04:00.000+01:00

My Tuesday morning is the equivalent of everybody elses Monday morning. It's my first day of the week in the Studio. I never sleep well on a Monday night because my brain is running around and around thinking of the things I HAVE to make for customers, things I WANT to make to scratch my creative itch and things I MIGHT make if everything is going well.

My creative process always starts with a stone. It's what it's all about..... the stone. The stone is my muse and my inspiration.

Then there is the drawing, sketching and figuring out sizes etc. By Tuesday morning I usually know exactly what I am making and have a rough time-table in my head for the three blissful days I have in the studio.

This weeks stones....

The last time I posted a picture like this a customer with very little English asked me to make a custom order with one of the stones..... I tried to explain to her that by the time a picture like this has been taken, there is already a design worked out, a pricing card made up and at least an hour of designing and drawing done, and anyway....the stone was already spoken for.... I lost a customer that day....... which I am very, very sad about...............

Two hours later the stones all have bezels.................

Next....... how can I bring myself to cut into a pristine sheet of silver.... especially at $36.46 an ounce?

My Precious...............

I use a sharpie to section off the amount I need for each piece.....

Leaving enough space around the stone for the design... the left over silver is for next weeks work!

The sections are sawn out and then each piece is weighed so that I know how much sheet was used in each piece!!!!!

Then it's off to the post office to post anything that sold over the weekend and then to the school gates to collect the children............. phew!

Then my Mommy work starts :-).......................

This Weeks Work....

2011-03-31T15:25:00.000+01:00

There are some of this weeks work. I say some, because I managed to mangle quite a bit this week. I think that it maybe tiredness. I will have to think about taking some time off to refresh my hands and renew my inspirations.... it won't be next week though as the custom orders are coming in thick and fast.

A lovely Olive Green Tourmaline... my favourite this week (it helps that this is my favourite colour!)

Rhodochrosite Pendant

Azurite, 'made for an angel' Pendant

Larimar from the Dominican Republic.

Montana Agate

Azurite from Arizona......

These are two custom necklaces for two lovely ladies on different side of the world! Aren't the quality of the stones Divine? Almost like strawberry jelly?

I may go now... I have a very exciting day tomorrow..... which I will tell you about in due course......

Who said being a farmer's wife was boring (just a little clue :-)................

Playing with my saw........

2011-03-11T11:09:00.000Z

I was inspired to play with my saw after ordering and receiving some wonderful Art Nouveau design books from Amazon. There are only so many things and shapes that you can make with wire, so I decided to try and 'Draw' with my saw.

Trying new designs keeps things fresh and interesting for me (I have a short attention span, and get bored easily..... LOL)
and hopefully keeps things fresh and interesting for my customers and those visiting my shop.

Here are a couple of new pieces call 'Wild Rose'.................

Azurite and Malachite in sterling silver..... all hand fabricated.

Plume agate ring.... size Q UK and 8 USA

While I was making them (the best part of the week) I had this song in my head, and like an ear worm it repeated and repeated in my brain...... I could only sing one line though so I'm sure I drove everyone BONKERS! LOL

Very Dark.... but very Beautiful..... Nick Cave and the Bad seeds featuring Kylie Minogue.

Busy Monday Morning.....

2011-03-07T10:32:00.000Z

....................packaging up orders!

the busiest weekend so far! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all my wonderful customers. Without whom I would not be living my dream of making jewellery for a living........................

sneakity peek

2011-02-17T17:20:00.000Z

It's Thursday afternoon which generally means my time in the workshop has ended for the week. As Ruairi is not in Childcare on a Friday it would be impossible to spend anytime in my attic. I am always totally exhausted by this time on a Thursday after working so intensely for the past three days, sometimes not even stopping for lunch, toilet breaks are a nuisance, and God help any caller if the phone rings! LOL

Its time for me to step back and clearly view the fruits of my labour. Sometimes my heart skips and I get a breathless feeling..... other times my heart sinks like a stone, especially if I feel an idea hasn't worked. This is enough to throw me off for the weekend...................

Anyway, today is a good one, and I'm happy with what my hands have made this week!

This was my first attempt at etching silver. I used a ferric Nitrate Mix, which made be super nervous :-) I hand drew a free hand design of an Art Nouveau inspired pattern with a sharpie pen. I placed it in the acid for 2 hours and then cleaned off the black lines....... then I used the silver in the same way as I would use any sort of back plate..............

I have mixed feelings about the results. I definitely have things that I will do differently the next time.... but generally I feel very positive about the results.

A vintage unused cameo set on layered silver with Arizona Turquoise

A hand sawn Nouveau inspired necklace inspired by Murrle Bennett

A beautiful faceted Citrine Tongue......... I will photograph this on a white background before listing it in my shop.

'Carrig' ring with large natural nugget of turquoise

Another 'Carrig' ring with Kingman Mine Turquoise

Natural Apatite hollowform ring.

Three of a kind!!!!

Well I'm off now to make the family dinner (pork chops in an apple and mustard sauce). Then I will look forward to a long bubble bath and an early night :-)

Thanks for reading....... (I'm still amazed that you do! )

St. Valentine's Day..... my other love.

2011-02-14T12:41:00.001Z

Good morning everybody! It is a beautiful morning here in the south east of Ireland. The sun is shining brightly and it's not too cold. I thought that I would drop in to wish you a happy St. Valentine's Day.

Did you know that St. Valentine's bones are kept as relics in a Church in Dublin City centre? When I lived in Dublin I often went to visit on the 14th February to say a prayer..............

Anywhoo....... Because it's a day all about love, I thought that I would share some pictures of another love of mine........ of the shelled variety. 'The Farmer' knows me well and knows the quickest way to my heart. And when I saw an advertisement for an adult female Hermann's Tortoise in our local small ads. paper, (about 10 days ago), he immediately stumped up the cash and told me it was an early Valentines present. What a gift. Better than any ole stinky roses any day........ and certainly longer lasting.

Any of my FACEBOOK friends will have seen a brief picture her. But I thought I'd show her off a little bit more here. She is a beauty! Her beak is a little overgrown (she lived in a tank and didn't have anywhere to naturally file it down) but that can be resolved easily by feeding her on a piece of rough slate. But her shell is hard and healthy and her eyes are bright, shiny and alert...... She is going to make a magnificent girlfriend for Jeremiah.

Hello Bright eyes!

Yep! she's a girl alright!

Eleanor!

Also you may remember (or not ) September 18 months ago, 'The Farmer' brought me home another little shelled creature. He was waiting for a tool-hire shop to open after lunch. He had Luke with him and to keep Luke occupied they went into the next door pet shop for a look around and came home with 'Sonny'.... (told you he knew the quickest way to my heart!)

Well Sonny has grown exponentially!

Old picture:

New Photos:....................

Growth rings

Still a shy Juvenile

Er.....hello!

Does my bum look big in this shell?

Still only small.......

Do you have any other true loves?

BARE

2011-02-10T14:39:00.002Z

bare ¹ (bɛə)

— *adj*
1.	unclothed; exposed: used esp of a part of the body
2.	without the natural, conventional, or usual covering or clothing: a bare tree
3.	lacking appropriate furnishings, etc: a bare room
4.	unembellished; simple: the bare facts
5.	( prenomial ) just sufficient; mere: he earned the bare minimum
6.	with one's bare hands without a weapon or tool

— vb
7.	( tr ) to make bare; uncover; reveal

::Bare::

::BARE::

un-embellished, simple, unfurnished, to uncover, to reveal.............

Simple, stunning, elegant,

No frills.

Natural.

Beauty.

Unadorned stones. Surrounded by gold, and set on sterling silver......

Polished to a high shine...................

Modern, yet classic......

Contemporary and different..................

Comfortable and easy to wear.........

Rose cut Tourmaline.

Pink tourmaline.

Rose cut Pink Tourmaline.

Special wear for everyday.

Bezel set for no catching or scratching.

New Range of 'Bare' Rings in the shop tonight.

This range will be 'ready to ship' and 'custom made'. It will also extend to pendants and earrings eventually.

Please let me know what you think of them?

Too much of a departure for my regular work? or refreshing change?

Personally I love and adore them and will be keeping one for myself (a first for me :-)

I am also photographing more new pieces at the moment..... I will show you them tomorrow...... promise!

New work 7th Feb.......

2011-02-07T14:30:00.000Z

I've been a very bad blogger..... very very bad. I have excuses...... but I won't bore you with them (they include the H1N1 Virus!!!!). Needless to say I've miss blog-land and all my blog-friends terribly.

Since this is a jewellery blog, I'll get back on track by showing you some of my new work..... It is such a relief to be back with a hammer in hand......

Imperial Jasper Nouveau ring

Mmmmmm.....

Prudent man Agate and Baltic Amber.

With the light shining through this magnificent stone.

Extend-able chain with a handmade clasp and a peridot charm.

Prudent man agate on copper and Sterling

Sigh......... just gorgeous!

also with a handmade clasp and a teeny charm at the clasp..........

Azurite and green onyx bullet cab.

Ocean jasper pendant with an extendable chain, handmade clasp and peridot charm. It also includes a lovely smokey quartz faceted gem..... my first attempt at flush setting!

Ocean Jasper flower garden.........

Sterling 'Viola' flowers studs with 3mm faceted tube set labradorite.

look at the schiller............ FAB!

Picture Jasper earrings..............

They with be in the shop later today!

Snowy Goodness....

2010-11-30T14:36:00.000Z

BBBrrrrrrrrr!

Holy Crap.........everything is White!

2010-11-28T10:21:00.003Z

We woke up on Saturday morning to discover the heaviest fall of snow in 17 years. I can't remember it ever snowing in Ireland before Christmas. The kids were ecstatic! Luke was outside by 7 am, bundled up like a Eskimo. Actually, he dressed himself so he looked like he had fallen into the laundry basket! ....but he was warm!

The snow makes everything so pretty. But Every event that was going to be held (indoors and out) this weekend was canceled. School will probably be canceled tomorrow too... We are just not a nation used to snow!

This was the farm at first light this morning!

The light was beautiful with the white reflecting light everywhere, so I decided to photograph my new work this week....... Here's a quick glimpse. They will all be in my shop later today..... if there is anything that catches your eye, just convo me!

Sugalite and faceted Amethyst..........YUM.

Charoite.......delice!

Jasper and 6mm citrine..... Zooweeee.

Turquoise Wreath Ring........inspired by jolly festivities (in the snow :-)

This lady ROCKS!...............Vintage unused cameo.

Off to make some Green and Blacks hot chocolate for my little frozen Popsicles.................

Happy Saturday Part Deux.........

2010-11-20T12:37:00.000Z

Saturday is a very homey day in our house. We lounge around in our P.J.'s for most of the morning eating toast and watching cartoons. Even though is extremely ordinary and very far from exciting, it is my favourite time of the week.

My Orchids are flowering again in my Kitchen. They do so quite regularly with very little encouragement from me...............

This morning the children wrote their letters to Santa Claus. An Post (the Irish postal service) have a lovely scheme going for the last few years, whereby the staff of An Post give their time voluntarily and answer every single letter to Santa that has a return address (absolutely Free!......... So magical for the Children and done with such a lovely warm Christmas spirit by An Post.

David was nominated by Glanbia for an award. He is a progressive and ambitious farmer (yes, there is such a thing!) Everything he does is done well and to the letter! He works extremely hard. We went to a Swanky lunch yesterday in Kilkenny where there was a mulled wine reception and a beautiful meal, good company, inspiring speeches, and alot of pride in the Irish farming sector.

You can imagine how exciting it was when David won first place in his category!!! I felt like I was going to BURST with pride. He is now officially the best Oat Grower in Ireland!

Yippeee!

and I will finish off this post with some little pictures of work that I have completed this week. I tried to work a little smaller this week, as I am aware that not everybody likes HUGE jewellery. I had mixed results and must say that I really do prefer to work BIG!!!!! If there is anything that you are interested in here, just convo me in my Etsy Store! There are also several pairs of studs that still need to be polished, but will be in the shop early next week.....

Chrysoprase and Amethyst Pendant. Available!

Cobalto Calcite Pendant. Available!

A Pair to Wear............

A Raw Slice of Amethyst Custom Order... Sold......

Kingman Turquoise mine Charm Bracelet, Adjustable. Available!

Plume Agate Ring Size 'O' Available! (This is my favourite piece that I made this week!)

Amethyst Art Nouveau Ring Size M. Available!

Apatite and iolite ring, size 'O 1/2'. Available!

Dendritic Agate pendant. Available

Thanks for looking everyone, and have a good week! Mwah! xoxo

Christmas Shipping dates....

2010-11-17T16:49:00.000Z

Well, it's that time of the year again. The Television commercials are already driving me nuts and the children are changing their minds every 10 minutes about what they want Santa Claus to bring them.

Its also time to give you the 'Last shipping Dates' for the holiday period....... These are the very last days that you can buy items in my shop and be guaranteed delivery for Christmas. You can still buy away after that, but unfortunately I won't be able to promise that they will arrive before Christmas.....

Ireland.............................. 18th December
United kingdom............... 17th December
Europe............................. 12th December
The Rest of the World.........5th December

The dates are probably conservative.......... but its better to be safe than sorry (and in BIG trouble!)..................

I'm gonna party like it's my Birthday!!!!!

2010-11-07T10:01:00.000Z

Today is my Birthday! I am turning 35 today and to celebrate I would like to offer my lovely customers 35% off lots of things in my shop......................

Now's the time to stock up on those pressies for Christmas!!!

HURRY this sale only lasts 48 hours.......(until the cake and champagne run out!!!)

Happy Saturday......

2010-11-06T12:46:00.001Z

Thank you all for Buying, hearting, commenting and liking my shop update last night. I went to bed totally frazzled and fed-up though. I don't think that I will be doing huge bulk updates like that anymore. I rather prefer to slowly slip items into my Shop one by one as I finish them. When the inspiration is still fresh and the excitement of the piece us still buzzing in my tummy!

I can't help but get bored when I'm on my 10th listing and I am trying to remember why I made the piece in the first place. It was an experiment and I learned lots from it!

Last nights Haul.....Golly!

So we are back to the Status Quo from now on.... (well until Christmas anyhow)

So the cycle renews itself again! I've decided to share some of next weeks stones with you today, as it was very popular the last time I did..... Not all of these will work....but alot of them will!

Stones are my muse.... these will be displayed in my kitchen all weekend.... I will hover over them mid chore, I will handle each one of them....several times maybe. If I'm heading out a couple of them might make their way into my pocket.... for inspiration on the go!!! and when I sit down on Sunday night to sketch out designs and organize my work week I will already have a good idea of what they will become..................

If anyone wants any details about my stone suppliers just give me a holler! Lapidary artists are very important people in my world and they should be share and appreciated......LOL.

have a lovely weekend Angels................

L.xxx

Shop update...

2010-10-31T18:22:00.001Z

Happy Halloween Everyone! D. has the eldest two children over the other side of the farm with his mother 'Trick or Treating'. Because we are so rural they have to be driven to each house to trick or treat. This week has been hectic and the children's social calender has been full of fancy-dress parties and Halloween discos.
Although life has been extremely busy I've still managed to hide in the attic and get lots of work done.......

Although I've probably bitten off more than I can chew this week, I thought that I'd give myself a deadline to work to. So...........

This gives me a nicely structured work week with definite goals to meet......

(I've been reading my 'Small Business' books ;-)

If you need to convert the times for your part of the world you can go HERE

So see you there at 6pm GMT

(p.s. I'll probably be back for a chat before then!)