Oh So Quiet.

Peace and Quiet.
Doesn't happen often around these parts.
But when it does, I soak it right up.
My other half is working his day away.
My older daughter is at school.
And my baby girl is sleeping in the warmth of the sun.

And in the meantime, I am writing this post and doing lots of house cleaning.
I don't mind house cleaning. It gives me so much satisfaction (for the 1minute it stays that way) to see a clean house and everything in it's place.

My mother is coming to stay for a couple of nights, which I am really looking forward to. It's a beautiful sun shiny day here, but still quite cool. We are just over halfway through Winter.

I have ordered a bundle of new tools and supplies this week. Have been holding off for a while, but decided I needed some excitement injected into my week and waiting on tool/supplies parcels always gives me that! The anticipation of experimenting is always lots of fun too. I have some new ideas tumbling around in my head - I just hope that they turn out the way I see them .... it's probably about a 50/50 chance.

Poppy had her injections done yesterday afternoon.
I hate taking babies for that to be done. Fortunately, both of my girls cry for only a moment and then get over it quickly. I hate seeing them in pain, even if it's for a good reason.

It's nearly lunch time.
I have upstairs to finish off cleaning and then I have to tidy up downstairs and make a pie, pop on some washing and post off a parcel and then on to pick up my daughter.

I wish the days were longer.

Em ♥

Winters End.

It's lunch time and the last day of Winter :(

As I've been sitting here reading blog posts and oxidizing metal, I can't help but notice the birds are extra vocal. I haven't noticed it before, so I wonder if it's to do with the fact that tomorrow brings the first day of Spring.....or have I just been too busy to notice their constant chatter?

I am on my last sliver of silver.

My scrap has been sent off.

I have 2 pieces waiting to be polished and set. 

And I just had my 90th sale in my Etsy shop ♥

It may not sound like much. But when you consider that I hardly ever have more than 30 pieces in my shop at a time, it's a great achievement for me and I'm thrilled.

Whenever I am down to my last little piece of silver, I find I stumble and my ideas disappear. I know it will be a few weeks before my scrap returns some sheet to me, though I could just buy some .... I want to hold off ... but then again I don't want to be without sheet ...

I am stone hunting again. Though I really shouldn't be. But I look over my stash and feel bored with what I see. Stones I once couldn't wait to get my hands on and create with, stones that cost a small fortune. I wonder if this is why so many of us have such a huge stash of stones? Perhaps I should forbid myself from looking, hence to stop temptation. Honestly though, I don't buy that many stones, I spend a lot more of my time looking, than I do spending any actual money.

Here are a few things I have made lately:

The cuff is the first of it's kind I have made.  A little inspired by Amy who has been making lots of them lately. The stone is #8 Mine Turquoise and I have been pondering over what to make with it for months and finally I used it. 

Last week I had made a nice simple setting for a HUGE round labradorite stone. One of the ones I had to have ground down to flatten. It took a long time figuring out how it was going to be set, so it would be at it's best 'flashing' angle. Finally I sat down to set it and it not only wouldn't fit in - but it broke! I think somewhere along the soldering line, the bezel had gotten out of shape. It was only 1mm(ish) off. And I think perhaps because the stone had been ground down - that maybe it had been weakened - as it seemed to have broken on a fracture line. It was a small little crumb that broke off ... but enough to stop me from wanting to set it. 

I might see if I can't grind it down all the way around and reset it some day. But oh what a disappointing day that was. I was so excited to be setting it too :(

Well I am getting peckish, so I will head off to make lunch and finish some jewellery. I hope you are all having a lovely week so far :)

Em ♥