I don’t! Or skin on fingertips! So, that can only mean one thing 🙂 It’s that busy time of year again! I’m furiously working to get an order ready for the fantastic Shops at Dartington – only a couple of pieces away now and then I can send everything off. In the process of making that order up, I’ve made some earrings which turned out a bit too small, so anyone for seconds?

I’m selling these diddy earrings at a discounted price. They are sterling silver and measure approx 6-7mm and are very shiny 🙂 They cost £24 – their slightly bigger counterparts are £30 and £33. They would make a lovely pressie; dare I mention again that Christmas is coming… They’re for sale in my online shop.  When they’re gone, they’re gone!

I’m also starting to make up the Christmas orders, other orders are coming in and I’m conscious I need to make more stock for the fairs in November and December. If you want to see me, I’ll be available in January! 🙂

In the meantime, I thought I’d share with you a couple of recent commissions.

A little silver shiny angel made for someone special.

A lovely couple of friends of mine got married recently and I was honoured to be asked to make my friend’s wedding ring (the one on the top in this picture).

More to follow…

Well, I think Autumn is definitely here. There’s a chill in the air, everyone is starting to wrap up and I’ve had my first Christmas order (sorry to mention the C word!).

Since my last post, I’ve been a busy bee. I’ve been at the Crocadon Farm (St Mellion) Food and Producer Craft Fair selling my wares – what a super venue and up to Widecombe in the Moor National Trust Gallery demonstrating my craft and meeting some lovely people.

I’m hoping to be at Crocadon Farm again in November and December and I’ll be back at Widecombe in November too, so if you’re in the market for some unique Christmas presents, then do come and visit.

I am very excited to be working with the shops at Dartington too, where my jewellery will be for sale soon.

I’ve had various commissions to do including designing and making two wedding rings (one lady hasn’t got married yet, so I can’t show you that one!), a couple of pairs of earrings and a very unusual necklace that I absolutely loved making. It was an emotive piece, meaning a lot to its new owner, made in the memory of her Nan and their time making patchwork together. I’ve added a new ring to my flora collection and some new earrings too. I’ve also made myself a new thumb ring. Have a look at everything below and let me know what you think.

Recent commissions.

My new thumb ring and new pieces for sale in my flora collection.

So, Christmas is coming and I’ve already had my first bulk order for that, so I’d better get making!

On 15^th August 2015, from 9am-3pm, I’ll be at Crocadon Farm (St Mellion) Food and Producer Craft http://www.crocadonfarm.co.uk/#!producer-fairs-/c1klw and I’ll be doing another meet the artist day at the National Trust gallery in Widecombe in the Moor http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/church-house on 28th August from 11-4; so do pop over to see me if you’re in the area.

Oh! So, you know I’ve said previously that I need to make a concerted effort to keep you updated more regularly, well, go me, I’ve gone two months since my last blog! New record! I just don’t know where the time goes! To excuse myself slightly, I’ve had a 40th birthday to contend with…mine! And then I’ve had a bit of a break and, well, life just takes over doesn’t it!

I’ve been at the kiln, making more hearts and flowers (I’m afraid I just can’t help myself – I guess you could call it ‘my thing’) which are now for sale in my shop. I’ve been negotiating with galleries and making wedding rings. My new flora bangle is also for sale now, and I shall be introducing a new marine themed bangle within the next few months.

I’ve been asked by the lovely Pam at the National Trust gallery in Widecombe in the Moor http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/church-house/ to do another ‘meet the artist’ day, so I’ll be there on 28th August from 11-4; pop in if you’re in the area.

Well, back to my trusty bench…

Phew! I’ve had a busy few weeks and I’ve come to the conclusion that I need another Friday to dedicate to my jewellery passion! You know, an extra day on top of the one I have already that I can devote to the cause. Just call me greedy!

So, what have I been up to? Well, last Friday I spent the day driving around Devon visiting people in their galleries, so I’m hoping to be selling with a couple of them shortly.

Last week, I dropped some of my lighthouse cufflinks off for a very lovely customer who had them made for a wedding anniversary present. Her and her husband hold Plymouth Smeaton’s Tower very dear and it means something very special to them. The stories behind the commissions help make them even more special when making them.

I’ve made a start on my new bangle collection and have to say, it’s my favourite piece ever! I’ve done a country themed one to start off with. See what you think. The finished product is the shiny one at the bottom of the image. I will be adding this to my shop shortly. The plan is to make a marine themed one also.

I’m working on some other little bits and I’ve just got myself some photographing tools to help when taking pictures of my jewellery and I’m hoping it will improve the quality somewhat. Only time will tell…

The ‘teaching myself to enamel’ is going well – I’ve only had one minor hiccup, which doesn’t involve the actual enamelling, just a case of melting the cover on the temperature gauge slightly – oops, but all in all it’s working a treat, so now all I need to do is start designing some stuff! I’m working on a little project at the moment, but can’t share that with you just yet, as it’s a present for someone.

Don’t forget, I’ll be at the National Trust gallery in Widecombe in the Moor on 22^nd May from 11-3pm http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/church-house/so if you’re about, pop in and say hi.

Here I am again! Sat in disbelief that my last post was over a month ago…again! I can see a pattern emerging! I have been trying (very trying) to keep up with Facebook and Twitter, but taking the time to write a blog post is a little more tricky, even if I am now only working 4 days a week in my day job.

The lovely Pam up at the National Trust gallery in Widecombe in the Moor is setting up a Meet the Artist weekend from 22nd May, and that’s the day I’ll be there to meet and greet visitors to the gallery and maybe even show a few new pieces.

Mother’s Day and Easter have been and gone and Spring has properly sprung. Not only has the weather spurred me on to start making some new pieces…the ideas are spilling out right now, including a new bangle collection, which I am very excited about, I also have a new toy!

For those wondering, its a kiln! An early birthday pressie from my lovely Sis. So, operation enamel experimentation commencing this weekend! And I’ll keep you posted…well, you know, probably in a month!

Happy weekend people!

I can’t believe it’s been over a month since I did my last post. I’m going to make a concerted effort to get better at this…the thing is, I am now working only 4 days a week in my “what-pays-the-bills” job, which means I now have a day to dedicate to the jewellery and I intend to start making the most of that by not only make more sparkly things, but getting on top of blogging, twittering and facebooking.

So, what’s new? Well, apart from dedicating a whole day a week to the jewellery cause, my wares are now for sale at the new National Trust gallery at Widecombe in the Moor. The gallery opened on 9th February and I’ve already sold some pieces in the first week of trading, so this bodes well.

I’m still working on some new countryside pieces and I’m also working on some jewellery inspired by the recycling exhibition From Trash toTreasure that CALMARE at Exeter University are running from 27th April-22nd May 2015 at the Enviro Hub in Exeter. I’ve been using old parts of clocks and copper piping to work into marine style necklaces. Here’s a sneaky peak…

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, so if you would like something special, why not take a look at what’s in my shop..perhaps some flower or heart earrings, or a necklace. And as Easter and Spring aren’t far away either, here are some of the countryside related pieces I’m working on:

Always partial to a hare!

Hope you like them.

Well, its starting to look busy for me already this year and its only the end of the first full week of January. Excitingly, I’ve just finished an order for the new National Trust gallery that’s opening at Widecombe in the Moor at the beginning of February. They’re lovely people up there and it’s looking to be like a fab showcase of wonderful artists of the local area, so do go and have a look when they open. New to my bangle collection and newly available at Widecombe, I’ve made some copper bangles to compliment the copper jewellery and to go with the silver ones I already make. I’ve also made some drop ripple earrings to go with the ripples collection.

Visiting Widecombe and living right on the edge of Dartmoor has given me the inspiration to make some Dartmoor/more countryside related pieces, so I am working on those at the moment.

In other news, I’ve just finished a resizing and resetting of a beautiful opal ring that a customer wanted making smaller and I’m just about to replicate some old earrings for a customer who wants them replaced. My jewellery is still available for sale at Cotehele Gallery too.

Lastly, having been to a brilliant workshop at the end of last year run by CALMARE at Exeter University encouraging artists to recycle/upcycle, it got me to thinking about what I could make from recycled/upcycled materials, so I’m having a little experiment and to start with I’m making a necklace out of these…what were they in a former life?!

I’m also hoping to exhibit at a recycling exhibition CALMARE are also running following the workshop using some of the perspex/test plastics that are left over from their laboratories, so I’m now considering making a recycled collection.

All in all a very busy and exciting start to the year!

And I’ve been busy making lots of nice sparkly jewels for people and getting ready for a couple of craft fairs. The next craft fair I’ll be selling at is the Christmas Craft and Gift Fair run by a fabulous company called Bow Events and will be held at the Mount Batten Watersports and Activity Centre, 70 Lawrence Road, Plymouth, on Saturday 6th December 2014 between 10am-4pm. Along with my Christmas Trees below, there will be lots of other pretty things for sale and not just from me, but all the other lovely stallholders, so why not come along and see if you can grab yourself something handmade and unique. I’m continuing to sell at Cotehele Gallery and will be there again next year and hopefully, will be selling at some other galleries next year too, so watch this space for more information. In the meantime, I hope you all have a really special and sparkly Christmas.

More new stock going off to the lovely people at Cotehele Gallery; more to follow as fast as my little fingers can make it! Cotehele Gallery is dedicated to exhibiting and selling the work of West Country artists and craft makers. It is set within the historic Tudor mansion at National Trust Cotehele in South East Cornwall, just a few miles from Plymouth.  Go and take a look; it’s a really beautiful place to visit.