Not The Year For Blogging

I really haven't kept this blog updated very well have I??

Truth is, I don't really think about it so much these days.
My girls both had their birthdays in May. The eldest now 7 and the youngest now 2!
I don't have a whole lot of time on my hands for 'me' anymore. And blogging has taken the last spot on the list for now.

Not a whole lot has happened since my last post in March.
Though I have been back at my bench a lot more. I feel that dabbling in Pottery somewhat helped me back to it. I definitely feel at home with jewellery making. Pottery is great fun and I do intend to keep up with it, but right now I just don't have the time.

With jewellery making you can begin something and then leave it for a while to see to the children, or dinner, or answer the phone etc. But with throwing clay, you have to be there for the duration and you have to see the project through and you can't leave the wheel - you must be really focused and almost fixated on the clay or it just doesn't work out. And I rarely get that kind of time, at least not until 10/11 at night and by then, I'm spent and ready for bed.

Here are some pictures of what I've made on my wheel at home:

So they are just a small part of what I have thrown on my wheel at home. My pottery teacher says I am ready to move onto glazing now, or I can continue to learn how to throw - I haven't tried to join two pots together or to make a teapot and so on. Right now I feel to move onto glazing would be the ideal thing. So that will be happening in the near future I hope.

I've noticed being at my bench certainly feels very comfortable for me and so I have been trying to spend a lot more time there - which means being there when my little one is running around. I have set up a blackboard/whiteboard in the garage where I work so she can draw whilst I try and get little things done. It never really works for long, but I try :)

Lately I have decided to try and push my designs further and I am constantly on the quest to be learning/teaching myself new things with jewellery techniques.

Pictures below are of things I have made in the past month or so:

The Turquoise piece above was for a giveaway I recently had on Instagram, which I will be sending off today if I get the time. Again I am playing with backgrounds for my jewellery. It seems to be something I can never settle on and am constantly changing, but I can't help it. I am probably going to change it again soon..........

I think we are looking to move again very soon. I would love to move to a single level home to make life simpler. There are definite postitives to having a double storey home, but there are many negatives too - especially for me. The one problem is getting a good home within our budget that has all the things we require and being able to be in a good area too. I love change, but I'm not a fan with all the work that comes with moving.

So that's what's been happening in my neck of the woods.
Sorry that I am not really here much anymore. It can't be helped right now.
Off to have a nice hot cup of tea - yes! it's actually a little cold here now!!  :)

Em ♥

Still here....

though it seems to have been a few months since I last posted (boy is time whizzing by!).

My new found interest (make up) is still with me and I am slowly getting back to the bench a little more consistently.

Below are the latest additions to my shop:

I've a few things on my bench that I am working on.
And I am back playing with enamels a little, but this time on silver.
The one thing I didn't realise, was that some opaque enamels do not turn out on silver like they do on copper.

Here is an example of a pair that went wrong:

 I began this pair with a colour called 'Clover Pink' - which on copper looks like a deep musky pink, but on silver, it became a green with pink blobs. So then I applied 2 coats of Marigold - which is an orange/yellow colour and it fired a yellow with lots of grey flecks.

This pair however were just fine:

They were fired using Mint Green and I love the colour against the silver.

Because I don't have much experience with enamels on Silver, I never thought to do the sample pieces. I have a board with all my colours fired on copper discs so I know just how they will turn out before I bother making them. So now I need to do the same with silver.

This is what I have sampled so far apart from the above, 2 opaques and 2 transparent.

I have a whole lot to go through, but on the Metalclay US site there are a few that have been sampled on silver, so I know of a few now that won't work, the rest I have to try out for myself.

In the picture above you can see the opaque Sapphire - it looks absolutely gorgeous on silver and next to it is Bitter Green and that is almost a neon green and it looks nice and bright against the silver.

Right now my youngest is napping, so I can't prepare any earrings as it means making lots of hammering noise and I'm also waiting on a supply of earring posts. I could make my own, but I can't be bothered.....

Hope everybody who reads this is doing well and having fun in their craft!
Em ♥

Blah

Blah is how I feel right now :(

The heat is still here and it just won't go away (to put it politely). It's kept me from my bench all week so far.... it is supposed to cool down by next week - one can only hope.

Just writing here to share my latest works, below is the biggest silver piece I have made to date, she challenged me, but I won. In the end. I think I am going to have to make myself something just like it - as my favourite kind of jewellery to wear is big chunky stuff.

Above is a ring with a nice chunky piece of turquoise. Recently I got myself a nice Snowflake Obsidian and a piece of Parrot Wing - sadly (as always seems to happen to me when buying on the internet - mostly on etsy!) the Parrot wing isn't half as nice in real life as it looked on the listing. It's not nearly as bright and colourful and I am getting really fed up with that happening. I bought a big piece of Sonoran Sunrise (on etsy) and it was $40+ and when I received it - well lets just say now I won't buy from that particular lapidary artist ever again.  They should know better.

This is why I wish we had good gem shows here, man I would even fly to one if there were any, just to be able to hand pick my own stones. That's just something I don't see ever happening :(

Well that was my whinge for the day - be happy you who have those nice gem shows to go to!

Em ♥

Muse

For once my creative muse is visiting.

I'm hoping this isn't a fleeting visit, that she will actually find a comfy seat and settle in for a while.

I think though I am filled with a new batch of ideas, I'm a little overwhelmed. I'm working on one of the largest pieces I have made (it really isn't that large, but for me it is) and of course, even though instinct told me to anchor things down, I didn't. And so now the bezel has soldered on slightly askew.

The perfectionist within says 'sorry, but you are just going to have to make it right, it's not good enough. Fix. It.' Though I worry if I do go in again and try to realign it, I might just ruin it altogether. I hate that part about soldering. I have some Yellow Ochre powder which I might have to slather all over the parts I can't have reflowing. Hoping with all hope that I can fix it, or it is going to be a very expensive scrap piece :(

Below are the latest things I have finished:

My favourite things to make would be the pendants you see above. I've always loved pieces with some weight to them and these all have just that. And the piece I am working on right now is even heavier, so I must make it work!!

Well that pendant isn't going to be fixed with me sitting here now is it?! Must get on with it :)

Have a wonderful day
Em ♥

2014

Well it's now the 3rd of Jan 2014 already.
I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year ♥

My eldest is away at her Nans for a few hours and my baby just fell asleep on the tiles lol, so I've just put her to bed. Now I can finish off my housework. So whilst I mop and wait for the floors to dry, I figured this would be a good time as any to do my first post for the year.

I don't do resolutions.
I do goals.
Usually I give myself 5(ish) goals to achieve within the year.
Mostly techniques to teach myself and one goal to reach for my etsy shop.
Just before the new year, I managed to teach myself one last technique:

Prong/Claw setting.
I haven't attempted anything like this before and it was playing on my mind for the last few weeks, so I jumped in head first last week and am super pleased with the results for a first try. I'm even wearing the ring right now.

It's a big ring and it's quite a 'bling' piece. I am very proud of it and absolutely intend to try to make another soon. I've had a few rather large stones like this for a few years now, never knowing if I would ever learn to set them. Now I now what I am doing, the confidence is there to do it again. (not a pink fan really though, but it is a pretty stone)

My shop was closed for a little while over Christmas and I reopened it on the 1st of January. I have 40 pieces listed for the first time ever! One of my goals for my shop is to get to 50 pieces listed and to keep it there....if not more. I have a couple of new rings yet to list, so I'm getting there :)

Again I have revamped my shop with new pictures of my pieces. I am never happy and never sure how to 'stage' my photographs. So I just went with what I personally like and I'm happy with how my shop looks. For now.

Below are a few new pieces I have made. The fox I am yet to list. 

I am working on a few heart pieces for Valentines day, got to get in early. And another enameled fox is in the works. Generally I'm not one to make things that are 'trending' but sometimes I feel it's necessary. My other goal for my shop is to sell 50 pieces this year. And that is going to mean I will need to make current trend items to help bring traffic to my shop. I intend to invest more into my shop this year, as last year I fell way behind.

Well the floors are drying very slowly as today it is expected to reach 37C and that dear friends is getting damned hot. Tomorrow it is forecast to be 40C, the plan for the day ...?... lock ourselves indoors and put on the airconditioning!

I hope the new year so far is treating you well!
Em ♥

More Enameling Fun

So yes, my latest love has to be Enameling.
I am having so much fun! I love that I can blend (sort of) colours together, to give the illusion of texture and I love that I can pair enameled pieces with silver. Below are 3 pairs of earrings I have made so far (available in my Etsy store).

My biggest challenge has been how to attach an ear wire that compliments the earring. I don't really want to do plain french ear wires, I wanted to do something a little bit more fancy. The Aqua blue pair of earrings have an enameled center ear wire, so they add to the look and the function of the earring.

I have just finished an animal piece last night, now I just have to work out how I want to attach it and then it's good to go too. I just ordered 2 liquid enamels yesterday to try and I have gotten some Cloisonne wire with my rio order last week, as I would really like to attempt torch firing Cloisonne too :)

The only booboo's I have encountered thus far, is when I don't balance my piece on the trivet properly and just as I go to fire it, it falls off and in the process, dumps half of the powder too :( But fortunately it's a pretty easy fix :) I really need to seriously consider a hydraulic press in the near future as I would like to be able to cut ovals, squares and circles quickly and neatly (which pancake dies are great for I hear!). As for flowers and animals, well I will continue to hand saw those.

I have just washed a nice Prussian Blue transparent enamel last night, I want to give it a go with some fine silver cups tonight at some point. When I get some time and some very fine tipped paint brushes, I will also give that Cloisonne a go too. And eventually when I get back to some etching, I hope to give Basse-taille a go as well :) So many techniques, so little time!! But I love having something new to try.

Hope you are having as much fun as I am?!
Em ♥

Aaaahhchooo

Yup, I'm sick. 

That's the one thing about having a baby in Winter time - a) you don't want (but would love) to go out in case of catching something, b) you can't do much about it once you have caught something!

I have been wearing a mask when I feed Poppy. I don't know if it would really keep much of my germs at bay, but I have to at least minimise them. I haven't been sneezing much and have only coughed a little, most of which I try to do away from baby and into tissues. I have the disinfectant spray out and ready to spray down the computer area etc when I'm finished here. I can't take anything to help with the cold either - neither can Poppy for that matter :( 

Anyway on a brighter note, I finally finished and listed my first collection. 

It wasn't an intentional one, it just sort of happened whilst I was making something and I couldn't really think of a cool name for the collection, so I went with 'Vintage Lace' as my work kind of reminded me of lace:

*Rabbit & Owl are sold*

Unfortunately the earrings I won't be able to list, as whilst setting the turquoise in one of them, a little piece broke off the top. It's very minimal, so it's not really noticeable, unless you were to say something. I was thinking of offering them heavily reduced on my fan page, as I would hate to see them go to scrap - they're still sweet :) or, I could just keep them for myself ...........

Poppy is now 5 weeks old and is alert and awake for longer periods of time. She isn't afraid of me when I wear the mask whilst feeding, so that's a good thing. She has a good stare at me, but there's no change in her expression. 

Summer starts back at school next Monday - thank goodness! So I may be able to get my creative mojo back on ... though I'm honestly not feeling it right now. I really hope this cold is over tomorrow (for more than the obvious reasons), I really wanted to drive up to visit my parents for the day, they haven't seen Poppy since she was a few days old. And once Summer is back at school I can't go up as it's too far away to get back in time to pick her up. Maybe I can go Saturday - here's hoping!!!! 

Time to cut my nails down I think ... they're getting to that 'could really scratch baby up' length lol

Em ♥

Not Cleaning Today :)

Normally Mondays are when I'd do some big house cleaning for the week. But today I have decided, I don't want to do that today :P

The house doesn't look any worse for wear because of that decision, so I figured I can probably get away with it today! I am going to try and work at my bench instead.

Below are a couple of pieces I've finished this past week:

♥ SOLD ♥

I am only working on 1 more pendant and a pair of earrings for my shop at the moment and a little brooch for my mother. So hopefully today I can get a few more pieces started. I also want to do something for myself. I don't really make things for myself, but I want something like the piece above, but without a stone and with a back. Hope I can have that done before baby arrives.

Above is the latest addition to my techniques 'to do'. I haven't ever attempted this wax carving before, but it is something I have been intending to try for about 9 months now, so finally with my latest Rio order, I got a box of wax tablets to play with. I also would like to pull out my repousse kit and give that a go too, but I think I need another kit with a different pitch in order to do a whole piece. So I have to investigate a little more into that and maybe order that with the next purchase from Rio.

Well I had better leave it here and get on with my day. I have to finish the chain on the owl piece above and get that posted out and it's nearly 10am, so only a handful of hours left before I pick up the kid :)

Em ♥

Not Long Now ...

I haven't been very devoted to posting of late.
So I thought I had better pop on by and say hello.
Not long now until baby comes. Under 6 weeks and it will be here! If all goes according to plan anyhow (not that that ever happens!) :)

I have decided to renovate my blog.
It's still simple, but I like the colour change and I have added my Etsy and Facebook and Pinterest to the links in the header and sidebars.

There hasn't been much going on bench wise lately. I'm just not feeling very creative - though I do have several pieces almost finished. It just takes me a lot longer to create at the moment. When I'm at my bench, I have been enjoying the show Downton Abbey. I'm up to season 2. It's funny how not much really happens, but enough goes on to make you want to keep watching :)

Below is a pendant I've recently finished and listed in my store:

And below are some earrings I've recently made and listed:

The pieces I'm working on now are all pendants.
Isn't it great news that silver dropped??!!!!! I was so happy. I needed to make an order and the price drop couldn't have come at a better time. I didn't go crazy or anything, but I ordered enough to keep me going for a little while. I don't imagine that I'll be making much for a while once baby arrives, but we'll see. Once in a new routine that includes baby and Summer, I might get more time to myself.

We have an inspection tomorrow. I hate them. But it does give us a chance to do a good ole spring clean. Which is exactly what I've been doing with my spare time of late. I have sold some clothes and books and stamps and have cleared out a lot of stuff from the spare room that baby will be eventually going into. It's a nice feeling downsizing things and even better if you can make a little cash on the way.

Well I have a hospital appointment this afternoon with an Endocrinologist. I'm hoping I don't have to wait around long. I'm tired of waiting around there.

Have a lovely day
Em ♥

I'm tired this morning.

But the house is fairly quiet, so I thought I would do a quick little blog post, whilst I can. 

Summers arm is finally all good to go. No more cast/brace. Which I'm sure she is enjoying. Baby is doing well. I'm doing o.k.

I've been getting to the bench a little - only 3 months till baby comes, so I really want to enjoy the time I have to myself before then. 

I have spent a little while searching for an anvil. 

I thought I had found what I was after, but it turns out it was Iron and not steel and that's not any good. Finally I decided to take the plunge on one from RioGrande. It's costing as much for the postage as it is for the actual anvil. Hubby has lovingly and generously offered to pay for the postage so I could have my anvil. 

Isn't he fab?!! ♥

So hopefully some time this week I will get that :)

I know I don't overly NEED an anvil. But a steel plate isn't going to cut it for me anymore. It jumps around on my stump and it isn't big enough. 

I want to do some fold forming this year and the anvil will be great for that to begin with. I'm hoping it will absorb all the noise when hammering too.

Below are a couple of pieces I have finished recently that I had a lot of trouble with:

Sold

 

Sold

I have a few new things I am working on at the bench right now too. Just need to do the bails and clean up and set the stones etc. 

I did finish this on Friday:

 

Just felt like doing something simple and out of silver only. I'm not really loving my stone collection at the moment. I find it so hard to find really good ones. Everyone else seems to be finding them :(

Well I'm waiting on a friend to come over - but who knows if/when she will. Either way, I've got lots to get done today, so I should probably make a start :)

Em ♥

Wasting opportune time....

That's what I have done today. 

I took my daughter to her nan's for the day and I came back home and did ..... absolutely nothing. 

Actually I lie, I did do something. I lay on the couch and slept for over an hour.

Not something I ever normally do.

But I've been under the weather for a while now.

My brain is constantly on jewellery making. Constantly.

And I did intend on making something today, but just never got motivated.

I am SO motivated mentally. But so NOT motivated physically.

Nevermind.

Here are a few rings that I spoke about last post that I got finished and listed this week:

♥ SOLD ♥

Natural Garnet Druzy Size 7US

Laguna Lace Agate Size 7.25US

I have some new wires in to make a few cuffs and some wire to try my hand at making my own chain. I also really want to have a go at Etching. I've all the equipment now, though I'm not really sure on what I'm doing.

The year is almost at it's end. 

I'm almost at 100 sales.

I hope I can reach that before the new year!

Em ♥

A beautiful day.

The sun is shining and the air is cool. 

It's a beautiful day. 

I am spending it cleaning and washing. Blogging and finishing off some jewellery.

We went to some Farmer's Markets yesterday. I was contemplating selling at those particular markets, but since visiting yesterday, I have changed my mind. I just didn't like the vibe and there were others selling jewellery there - though we were pretty certain they were resellers. So we decided on some other markets, they're called 'Creative Markets' and they are held in a 'trendy' suburb near the water. You don't have to book for these particular markets. So I guess that means if it rains you don't really have to worry about losing stall fees etc. 

Anyway there is lots to do before I can go - besides making plenty of stock. I honestly don't know where to start. But I like that challenge. It gives me something to work towards and to look forward to.

I haven't been able to make much lately.

Summer only attended 1 day at Kindy last week, but this week she has 3 days. So I'm hoping that will give me a chance to work at the bench and get some new bigger pieces made.

I have a couple of pairs of earrings to finish off

And below are a couple of pairs I've finished.

 

The pair below are earrings that I changed up a little - I made the hooks from Gold filled wire to match the wrapped wire on the body. 

 

And here is another little ceramic bird that I bought from a sweet little boutique yesterday. 

I would have missed it, if it wasn't for my hubby who pointed it out. 

Well it's time for Summers morning tea, so I should probably leave it here.

Buh Bye for now

Em ♥

Grey Saturday.

It's a grey Saturday. Not great for photographing my jewellery. But I did it anyway.

I have spent the better part of the afternoon rephotographing my jewellery for my Etsy shop. I absolutely loved how it was looking, but I decided to have pictures that were more zoomed in than before. 

Hubs likes how it looks now as you can clearly see the items straight away....I'm still not so sure. But it will probably grow on me. I'm quite fickle and never satisfied with how something is .... I'm always changing my mind.

All my supplies came on Thursday and Friday and I'm very happy. 

I have a nice big sheet of silver and lots of chain and wire and findings etc. But I think my muse is on vacation now, as she had to wait too long before I got new silver :(

With my supplies came some new boxes for packaging. I love them. 

And last night I ordered some Luxe Business cards from Moo with matching labels. Can't wait to get those too! 

It seems like it's never ending, the things you need to make jewellery. I've been saving for a little while and just spent it all on supplies :( I look forward to the day when I don't have to spend all of my savings on more supplies/tools. But that day will probably never come, as there is just no end to the techniques to learn, meaning more tools to buy.

Kindy was back on this week as the school holidays are over. But I was bored out of my mind as I had no silver to make anything with. Next week will be better I hope, as Summer has 3 days at Kindy :p

so, please come back muse! Pleeeeeeze!

Em :)

Boring Sunday....

I don't often get bored.

Summer is spending the day at her nan's and hubby is out working. 

I am down to my last little square of silver sheet.

I asked at Rio when they were getting the particular sheet I want. They informed me it won't be until late July now :(

So, it looks like I will have to make the order for some here. But I have no choice. I want to make stuff and I can't, not even with that last little piece ... I just don't know what to make with it lol.

Yesterday wasn't much of a better day either.

Though I did get the dog groomed. I cut all his hair down very short (Took me forever) and washed him and now he's happy. As much as he doesn't enjoy his hair being cut, he definitely enjoys the aftermath. And so do we. If I ever have a dog again, I will never have one with long hair. Way too much maintenance. 

Last night whilst my hubs and I sat and ate dinner, we heard a huge ruckus going on out the front of our house. Hubs went to investigate and to cut a long story short, our neighbour (bout 50yrs oldish, very quiet family man) had been punched in the face by a friend. We were both puzzled as to what on earth had gone down, to encourage this mans friend to punch him. But the neighbour was drunk. So it could have been anything. We are surprised that this went down though, as to look at him, you wouldn't think he would ever go out and come home drunk. Ever.

So that's all that's been going on around here. Summer goes back to kindy next week (YAY!) and hopefully by the end of the week, I shall have some silver supplies?....

Here is what I finished this past week:

You can see most of it's metal clay as I had a couple of packets to use. So at least I got to make something. For the first time ever, I am over the 30 piece in my shop mark! I am thinking of making my own website/shop, but trouble is I would want to put all my work from Etsy on it and I'd want to leave my work on Etsy at the same time. I don't know if that would work? What if just by some random coincidence someone bought a certain item from Etsy AND that same certain item from my webshop??? Then what would I do?? lol

Em ♥

Fuzzy Hair & Rainy Days

Yes...that's my hair. Fuzzy. And it has been raining on and off for a few days now. 

Here is a picture of what it looks like outside my front door today

We have several of these pink plants out the front of my studio and the front of the lounge. They look awesome on a day like this with their bright leaves and raindrops decorating them.

 

Summer and I took the 4 hour round trip to visit my Mum yesterday and the weather was just as soggy. The drive there wasn't so bad...but the drive back home was terrible.

We enjoyed lunch at a local venue and it was very yummy. Then we trekked over to my favourite store 'Giddy & Grace'. I almost always come away with less money in my bank than when I arrive. And this time was no different. I bought myself some gorgeous Owl wrapping paper and this:

It's really heavy - it's made from stone. But I love Owls and knew it was coming home with me the moment I touched it. I also purchased a lovely white ceramic one from a fellow Etsian in Melbourne. I have used it as a prop for my Etsy shop too... Iove it. It's so cute and detailed.

My mother bought me these little bird eggs as a gift ♥

Now I just need to find something to display them in :)

I finally got my new dining chairs. Hubby was so helpful in taking the nearly 5 hour round trip picking them up in his new truck. Now we are back to needing a new dining table as the chairs really don't work with it :(

Below is what I am working on:

I have just oxidized those 2 pieces and hopefully will finish them off this afternoon. The metal clay pieces will have to wait another day or so to be fired as it's so damp I have to ensure they're properly dried out. 

This past week(ish) I've been on a roll with my muse. It has been a while since I've had this amount of pieces on the go - just finished these 2 below on Monday as well

Both are Ocean Jasper and I love these stones ♥ You can see the White Owl I bought too ♥

Summer is on 2 weeks school holidays now. It's going to be boring for her at times, but it can't be helped. When it's raining, indoor activities are it. I might be able to take the trip up to my Mum's again next week. It's such a hike, but it gives us something to do and gets Summer out of the house to visit her grandies :)

Okay I've rambled on long enough now. Might make myself a nice hot cup'a'soup!

Em ♥