Handmade Monday: More poppies and Autumn colour

As it gets closer to remembrance day, I keep getting new ideas for poppy jewellery.  This week it's chain maille again.  The little poppies that make up the links take a while to do, so getting seven together for the length of the bracelet and earrings was quite a challenge.  In a way, it's a good job it was quiet in the shop this week, despite me listing a few new bag charms.

Apart from that, we've had this stunning Autumn weather, with the colours so fabulous and the sun shining on them like the middle of the summer. The park looked amazing the other day.

 Christmas themes are starting to creep in to my makes:

Isn't he cool?  I added the little daisies because the contrast between his size and theirs just seemed right!

and the stars always remind me of singing children's carols at school.

I've been working on my website too.  All will be revealed soon...

Here's the link to see what others have been making this week.

Have a great week,
Alison x

Handmade Monday: mostly chain maille but some bag charms too

I'm still obsessed with chain maille (is there treatment available?!) but I did take a bit of a break to post some new bag charms in my Folksy shop.  It's been a good week for sales, and people seem to prefer the multiple purse charms without beads, so I've concentrated on that.  Now which do you like best...

This one is for when you need a bit of luck...

For lovers of emo, goth, steam punk etc,

For lovers of shoes, handbags etc,

For anyone with a dog.

Is that almost everyone covered?!

And this one is chain maille and a bag charm.

Here's a link to see what other crafty people have been up to this week over at Handmade Monday.

See you soon,
Alison

Recent makes

Some recent makes from me. Let me know what your favourites are. 

Flower cuff links

Melting heart bag charm 

Glass bead earrings

Stranded chain bracelet

Affirmation bag charm with glass flowers

Memory wire bracelet in vintage style

Handmade Monday: Thank you blog readers!

I wanted to thank everyone for the feedback you gave me the other week on the bag charms 'with or without beads' issue.

Most people said they liked the non-beaded flower version best so I've been busy putting together some non-beaded examples and should be able to show you some more soon.  Just to add to the consensus, I had a custom request on Etsy for five bag charms without the beads.  So there we go.  The jury has spoken. 

I guess that the colours and combinations of the beads won't always appeal to everyone, and just having the charms it will be easier to appeal to more people.  So I'll list, sit back and wait for the rush!  (Well, I can live in hope ;-)

In the meantime, here are some new beaded bag charms and a couple of other pieces listed this week - see what you think.

Two little owls with hematite stars and crystals

Deco style dragonfly with glass beads

Filigree peacock with crystals

Steam punk style bi plane earrings

Sari silk and heart charm bracelet

Bird cage charm necklace with pearl

Hope everyone in the UK is wrapping up warm against the cold and reading lovely blogs.  Here's a link to see what others have been doing this week for Handmade Monday. 

Alison x

Handmade Monday: February?

Well, I'm not quite sure what happened to January - it must have passed in a blur of being busy, but here we are early at Valentine's Day so I'm saying an early 'I love you' to my blog as apology for neglecting it for a month!

One lovely bit of news is that Pearl from The Beading Gem's Journal contacted me to ask if it was OK to feature one of the beading tutorials on the site.  As I keep a permanent bookmark on that site and worship at the feet of its bloggers, this made me a happy bunny!  In March I'll be shouting even more about it.

I was lucky that my sales continued into January and folks again voted with their pockets for cord bracelets and bag charms.  These will be the focus of all my shops in the coming months, so naturally I've made more, and found some beautiful charms on the way.  I've also been improving my stamping skills, so expect more personalised and hand stamped items on the way.

Here are some new additions.

These two have already been popular, with a couple of sales on each from Folksy and Etsy. 

I love the love birds on this bag charm - they are a nice antique gold colour too.

This one's an experiment with no beads, just charms.  What do you think?

And a bit of wire work, not yet listed, with bronzite and white and yellow howlite.

Here's a link to see what others have been doing this week for Handmade Monday. 

Alison x

Wordless Wednesday: Cute dogs!

Handmade Monday: Jigging about a bit!

I've been very lucky as it's been really busy in my Folksy shop this week.  Packing all the orders doesn't leave a lot of time for making, though, so this week has been time to list some simple makes.  Inspired by some of the guest designers on JewelleryMaker TV, I got my jig out of the drawer, dusted it off and had a play.  For the non-jewellery makers, a jig is simply a plastic grid that you can put peg in to wind wire around.  It's great fun, plus there are endless puns to be made on the subject of jigging about!

 Jig patterns can get complicated, but I tried to keep it simple.

The pearls were shining a little and refusing to cooperate with the photographing, but you've got to love them all the same!

These are with peachy bamboo agate beads. 

A delivery of new charms is always a cause for excitement in the house - not least for Lucca the labrador who likes nothing better than an empty used padded envelope to rip apart!  When these connectors came, I had to make a bracelet for myself first, then get them in the shops where one sold within a day - well, they are cute.

At the moment, I'm in a huge dilemma as to whether to have a go at Kumihimo braiding.  I've ummed and ahhed about it so long, it's ridiculous.  So next week will either see a blog about braided necklaces and bracelets or something else, and you'll know I've finally made a decision!

Here's the link to see what other crafty folk have been making this week.  As ever, there are already some beautiful makes.

Alison x

Handmade Monday: lots of creations

Hi everyone,
I've been away for a week in S Pembrokeshire, visiting the family.  Have to admit, we had some traditional seaside weather - torrential rain, thunderstorms, hail - but luckily most of it was in the night or at times when we weren't walking on the beach!  And the rest of the time, the sky was pretty blue and there was some extraordinarily warm sunshine.  Lucca the dog found time for some digging, as usual!...

 ...chilling out in the sun room...

 ...and a little ice cream - well, he has lost over 5 kilos, so he's allowed one!

Anyway, what about making things?  I made 12 items, so quite a productive week.  A bit of intricate wire work on this cherry quartz pendant

Something festive and something autumnal

And some new style multi charm necklaces and bracelets on faux leather cord

...to show but a few.  Now there's the marathon of listing them all in the shops!


Here's the link to visit other crafty folks' blogs

Handmade Monday: that time already?

So, this week I've sold some snowflakes

and some snowmen

and not to the same person.  I guess someone is trying to tell me it's time to get organised for the big shopping, eating and relative visiting event at the end of the year.

Seriously though, I was quite sad to see the snowman off on their way to Scotland.  I haven't got anymore of the blue keishi pearls that are suitable for scarves waving in the breeze, so they won't be repeated.  I've got some more in the Folksy shop but done with gemstone chips and howlite beads - they look a bit more like they've been made by a professional snowman builder.  Last year, I tried to rebrand them as 'snowpeople' in the interests of equality and diversity, but it didn't seem to work.

While it's moving towards winter for some, lots of folk are still in summer festival mode, and these little cord and charm bracelets are still proving really popular.  I had a custom order for two at the weekend.

I don't know if people will still want to buy them after the summer festival season is over.  What do you think?

The butterfly is my favourite.  I've never seen a stressed butterfly, so I reckon they must be quite wise!

Here's the link to see what other crafty people have been up to this week.

Alison x

Catching up

New on Folksy - heart charm necklace

This poor little blog has been neglected recently and I keep promising tutorials that don't materialise!  I must be more strict with myself.  I've missed handmade Monday for a couple of weeks too.

Wire woven leaf earrings

Mostly my excuse is restocking my Folksy shop, when I've now got a substantial number of items back for sale and have had a good number of sales.  Etsy is good too at the moment, with a recent big order for bag charms and my lovely wire work dragonfly has flown away to the US too.  Here are a few things I've put in since.  Weaving, charms and wire work continue to be themes.  I went a big paisley crazy with the earrings - they are quite big and bold.

Paisley earrings

Quartz swirl earrings

Vase bag charm

Next week I'll be a better blogger.  Already planning a tutorial, and hoping to show some more metal clay creations.  Honestly!

Fanatical Friday: Bronze bag charms

Somehow I can't stop making these bronze steampunk-style bag or purse charms!  Is it a recognised illness?  Can I get treatment?!