Around The World Blog Hop - Little Cherry Hill

The idea behind the Blog Hop is for creative bloggers to write a post based around a few questions.  Their answers offer an insight into their creative thoughts and processes.  The blog ‘baton’ is then passed on to another artisan and so the trip around the globe gathers pace.

Kristen has passed this 'baton' onto me to continue the hop around the world :) I have been following Kristen's blog for sometime now and love to read her posts on her latest jewellery making ventures. She makes gorgeous pieces of wearable art and has some great wire designs incorporated into her work.

So lets start with the first question:


What am I working on?

I have several pendants on my bench at the moment - some only just beginning and another almost finished and some enamelled earrings.  I'm also working on a giveaway for reaching 500 'likes' on my facebook page. But seeing as the weather is so awfully hot here (early might I add), I am struggling to get to my bench to make anything - way to hot to wield a torch!

How Does My Work Differ From Others in it's Genre?

This is honestly a hard question to answer. When I look at my work, I want it to be easily recognised as my own. But there are so many of us out there with similar taste/style, that it makes coming up with fresh new ideas to represent my own style all the more difficult.

Being self taught means I can only go as far as my skills have and there are many other skills I want/need to learn to help my style grow.  This journey I am on is one for the long haul - my children/family come a solid first and so it takes me a while longer to get new skills in. So that being said - I am still trying to grow my 'style' and this will come with time - something I wish (don't we all) I had more of.

Why Do I Create What I Do?

My style when growing up, was always large statement pieces. Bags, shoes and accessories. I favoured things that no one else had, that were memorable, fun, stylish, but a little bit different. Perhaps pieces that were bold, pieces that others might not choose to wear themselves.

When I began Metal Smithing, it was for a means to an end. I needed to learn to solder to complete what I was working on at the time. But as my skills with soldering grew, I wanted to make those 'large, different, statement' pieces for myself and I have been enjoying trying to do that ever since. It doesn't always work out, but when it does, it's a real buzz!

How Does My Creating Process Work?

99% of what I do, comes from my imagination alone. I don't sketch - unless I absolutely must. I'm terrible at drawing. 

Most of the time I begin with the stone/s, I will choose the best type of bezel setting for it and from there the design will grow. Every now and then I will have a definite idea of something I want to make and I will try my best to execute it as close to how I've imagined it to be. 

Other times, it is just 'go with the flow'. I think for myself half of the fun is playing around with all sorts of components to see what I can come up with and if I can make it come to life. 

The picture below is a perfect example of that:

 

 

  





























I hope you have enjoyed reading my little blog hop post and now I would like to pass the 'baton' onto Mossy from Silver Moss Jewellery :)

Emma ♥

No Silver in stock arggh!

lol...I couldn't think of a title for my post, so I just wrote the above.

I want to place a nice big order with Rio, but they are out of stock of the particular silver sheet I want. Apparently it will not be available till early July :(

Bummer.

Now I could of course order it from the suppliers around here....but I find they don't keep up to date with the prices and it ends up costing me approx $20 more for a sheet. And that money could be spent on other things! So I guess I will wait  .....

Summer had Roseola a couple of weeks back. Her temps reached scary levels, but fortunately we were able to keep them down and we didn't have to go to the hospital. She also missed a whole week (3 day week) of Kindy. But she gets 3 days there this week and then it's school holidays for 2 more weeks again.

Her nanna is taking her to the Dora show on Sunday and I am finally picking up some new dining chairs. I can't wait. The ones I spent a whole week painting, are just falling apart and need too much work doing to them, plus they're not comfortable ... at all.

I haven't been well either lately and I am trying to get to the bottom of it. But the doctor I was seeing wasn't being very helpful. So I went to our family doctor a good 30 mins drive away and he's pretty decent at his job, so I might be getting somewhere finally. 

Not much else has been going on here apart from everyone being sick (flu as well). 

I did finish a custom order a couple of weeks ago and I sold a new piece that I'd only just listed, which was nice! Sales have been soooo slow. So. Very. Slow. I am trying to work on new pieces, but seeing as everyone's been sick, it's kind of put my bench to the background. But since Summer is at Kindy today, I am trying to finish some work.

 Druzy (this stone is sooo awesome!)

 Chalcedony Pendant (sold)

Custom order

For some reason my pinkie finger on my right hand is shaking like crazy.......not normal.

Best leave it here...it's almost lunch and then I have 2 hours left to myself for the day. Must not waste it :)

Em ♥

Come Back Winter!!!

I can't stand this muggy weather.....as I am sure I have told you that mannnny millions of times before lol. It's muggy/humid right now, but I know that down south they are getting it much worse than us. So I am grateful that we don't have a heatwave.

It 4pm and I am in the middle of making Bolognaise for dinner with Garlic Bread. I was going to cook a meat pie with mash n veg, but it's too hot to be hovering round a stove/oven, so I took the simple option.

I sent in my silver scrap to my metal supplier just before Christmas and it took soooo long to get it processed and for me to get new silver supplies (I received them this afternoon). So now I have loads of silver sheet, but no mojo haha...again.

I don't push myself when it gets like that tho...cuz that's how I end up making mistakes or making something I don't particularly like, so it ends up a waste and we all know that mistakes/waste is too expensive nowadays. Below is a picture of what I have made so far this year...it's not much.

I haven't listed any of them yet...but hope to soon, just have to pay my fees tomorrow and then I will. One thing I am finding frustrating about Etsy, is the lack of feedback I am getting from customers. I need that feedback. But I don't want to push people to leave it for me either :(

Below is the cabinet that my hubby and I finally finished a few weeks back. We love it. I am on the lookout now for a dining table and chairs (don't have to be a set) that I can do up for when we move this year. I am hoping for a dining table with Queen Anne legs and dining chairs that I can reupholster the seat part.


I am also on the hunt for a proper but basic jeweller's workbench. I know that RioGrande have them on sale right now, but I don't know if they will post it to me and how much it would cost if they do....so I've emailed, just waiting for a reply. I emailed a Jeweller's Supply shop in my local city too...I hope that they get back to me with something reasonable.

Well that's all for now. I really would like to go and play with my new supplies, but it's too darned hot and it makes me extra lethargic and I just want to flop in front of a fan and not move all day... :P

Hope you are all having a great start to 2011!!!

Creative Block, Unblocked.

Finally my creative dry spell has passed me by. The last 2 weeks I have been back at the bench having fun making new things. It was kinda boring there for a while....wanting to make things, but not being able to, for the lack of ideas.

It's 8pm here and Summer is in the lounge room playing a game, so I thought I would get this post started, then I will finish writing it up when she goes to bed.

(off to sit with my daughter for a while)

Okie dokie, below are pictures of what I made last week.

I'm having a blast using the new findings I got from RioGrande. I am going to have to order larger amounts next time...but the cart always mounts up so quickly dollar wise, I have to be careful not to go over the importing amount. Did that once and it wasn't very fun....

I have my eye on new tools and a nice script stamp set. I am also hoping to have a Rolling Mill by the New Year. Just have to stop buying anything else..but it's so hard...there is so much to buy for this hobby it's kinda hard not to spend.

I have made a few new things this week and over the weekend and have a nice shiny new tool to show off, but that will have to wait for another post, I'm still yet to take photo's.

I enjoyed a nice style cut at my hairdressers this afternoon, I got the 'relax' package. The hairdresser massaged my head and I got to sit in a massage chair whilst she did that. I was sooo looking like a dorky daggy mum and I'm so glad I finally got it all chopped off again! It was nice to get outta the house for a half hour by myself too :)

till next time....

bye :)

....No Title....

Right now, my daughter is running round and round making lots of noise and it's kinda sending me loopy. I just took her to the beach...but it was way too windy, so that venture didn't last long :(

Not a whole lot going on (as usual). I got some new small stones for once

I also got 'bout 17 more Turquoise Cabs this week, but I didn't get a piccie of them. Below is a piece I am working on and some earrings for myself:

I finally got myself an Apron to protect myself/clothing whilst I solder etc. Unfortunately, the weather is getting warmer....or rather, the humidity is back on the rise. Which in turn (same as last year) effects my desire to go to the bench and turn on my torch. So add to that now, wearing a heavyish apron.......yeah I can see I won't be getting much done. Though today is a veeerry cool breezy day, so maybe I should take advantage of that.
That being easier said than done of course, when you have a 2yr old on your tail to entertain.

*insert big sigh here*

Anywho, even with all the lovely new stones I've accumulated, my creating mojo has taken a back seat again. I'm kinda frustrated with lots of stuff right now, so I guess that's not helping.

I will leave it here, before I start whinging.

Finding Findings.....

So I have been searching the net on and off for some of the sterling silver filigree findings I see in so many other jewelers work. And I would like to incorporate them into my own work, to give me some more choice and variety. But I cannot for the life of me find the damned things!!!

It's really frustrating me. I have googled my butt off and have only found maybe one or two of them. If anyone out there feels generous, can you please share with me where you buy yours from?? Puleeeeaase??!!


Anyways, today's weather is really annoying me. It's that gloomy overcast drizzly weather. I did manage to get my floors cleaned, but it took about 40 minutes for them to dry, so Summer and I were confined to the lounge room whilst we waited.

Now I am sitting with a nice mug of hot tea and a shortbread biscuit. It's school holidays over here now for the next 2 weeks, which I am not looking forward to, for several reasons which I won't bore you with.

I haven't been making a whole lot lately, only small stuff, cuz it's quick and simple and I can make it affordable. I am waiting on a parcel of Turquoise cabs, not that I needed them of course.....I just wanted them!

Below is what I have made recently. Of course if you follow me on my FB page, you will have already seen these pieces.

I find resin loads of fun to play with. I hope to incorporate some with some of my PMC, or at least try to anyway.

K, well, I hope everyone is having fun and has their creating mojo with them. I don't at the moment...again....but I hope that will change soon :)

Unexpected Expense....but good all the same.

To the left is the latest piece I have finished. Ocean Wave Jasper Ring. I love it. Such a beautiful colour. I got 'bout 2 hours at the bench this afternoon, so I have another 4 pieces half done, one being a custom piece for my mum.

To explain the title - I went to check the post this afternoon (after popping out to get a Mcafe Coffee) and found an Express Parcel inside the letter box. When I looked at the senders address, I was immediately bewildered. It was from a Metal supplies company that I usually order my stuff from. My bewilderment? Well I haven't ordered anything from them in a week or more.

So I open the parcel and see inside, Round bead wire and some bezel wire. I check out the invoice and see that my husbands credit card has been charged $102. It didn't take me long to realise that all the items in the package, were items that I had previously ordered but never received as they were out of stock. Then I realised that I must have missed some small print somewhere, 'cause no one called me to confirm whether I actually wanted these items anymore, or whether they could go ahead and charge my credit card!

Cut to the end - I read on their site that when they don't have something in stock, they back order it and then send it out without charging for freight (this is not stated on their homepage or anything obvious like that). So that's all fine and dandy. But I would think that normal etiquette would be to call the customer prior to charging their credit card to double check they still want the items and whether or not they can afford them before going ahead and sending it out!

Well lesson learned. Now I know this is how they operate, I will call before making orders from now on to ensure that I am not going to be getting anymore surprise credit card expenses! The good part? It's stuff I really can use and was on the look out for anyway. So it's not a waste of money.

Hellooo.

Hello to anyone and everyone who pops in and reads this.

I already have a blog that I have been posting in for a long time...but in the last few months I have ventured into metalsmithing. So I have decided to create a blog that will be solely dedicated to this particular journey.

I am a stay at home mum of 1 little girl who is the best thing in my life, so it's a struggle to find decent time to practice my new hobby...but I get by. I also love photography, which will come in handy :)

Thanks for stopping by!