New year, new jewellery

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope you all had lovely holidays and are starting the new year with lots of creativity. For myself, I've mostly been making flowers recently - and why not?  They are always cheerful and popular, aren't they. Let me know which you like best. Alison x

Handmade Monday: What a holiday!

Hi all, I've been on a break from blogging but back now and ready to show you all what I've been doing in the meantime.

One thing that happened was the most amazing holiday - we caught the start of the heatwave in the UK, with the result that it felt like being in the Mediteranean even though it was the north east of England.

The sea and the sky were mostly these wonderful shades of blue.  Of course that meant that a certain brown labrador spent a lot of time either in the blue sea or digging in the sand near it!

What a perfect holiday.  And of course, such a fantastic time was really inspiring so lots of jewellery was created in the sunny garden.  Here's a selection.

Starting with the blues, a goddess bracelet and some earrings:

Some flower pieces - the bracelet sold to a fellow jewellery maker - what a compliment that was!

More bracelets:

And so on...

And that's just a few of them - I won't bore you with the rest.  Always good to know which are your favourites though, so please do leave a comment.

Hoping to be back soon with more tutorials. 

Here's the link to see what others have been up to on Handmade Monday.

Alison x

Handmade Monday: end of the year

Well, Christmas has really crept up this year.  It seemed to be November for ages, then December has flown by in a flurry of sales and busy-ness. I can't complain, and the thought of literally hundreds of people opening Blue Forest Jewellery handmade presents on Christmas Day all over the world really makes me proud and happy.  Sometimes selling online seems like such a slog, but at times like this it all seems worth it.

For me, creating something beautiful (hopefully!) that lasts and has meaning for the person giving it as a gift and for the person receiving it, is very satisfying.  I always remember listening to a radio programme where people were phoning in to talk about the objects which meant the most to them, and for the women ringing in, it was almost unanimously pieces of jewellery that people had given them or they had bought for themselves to mark significant events which were talked about.  Jewellery is more than something pretty - it's a little shared luxury that says something about the taste and personality of the person wearing it.  And it has the permanence that a bunch of flowers or a box of chocolates can't compete with.

When I was a child, jewellery was much more of a luxury.  Women saved for items like 9ct gold gate bracelets, or waiting until significant events or anniversaries for them, and cherished the relatively few pieces they had bought or been given.  Nowadays you can easily buy a pretty pair of earrings with your weekly supermarket shop, and the relatively low cost of pieces means that far more people can treat themselves more often.  I love that.  Little luxury treats make difficult times more bearable, whether it's the effects of a world recession, or a personal or family crisis, there is meaning in people, especially women, stopping amidst their busy and difficult lives to say 'I want to get myself a little something to wear that looks good and makes me feel good.'

Enough of the philosophising, I hear you cry.  What have you made this week?

Well, there is a bag charm from beautifully carved tigers eye Lily beads and freshwater pearls.  Very delicate!

More earrings with drawbench glass beads.

A lucky lady will be receiving this statement leaf charm necklace for Christmas.

And these birds nest bracelets were listed and started to sell.

Very please to appear in the January edition of Bead Trends too with my field of flowers pendant

Happy holidays to all my blog readers and especially folks who take the time to leave comments, to customers, fellow sellers and even the spammers!

Hope to see you all again in the New Year - although if the spammers want to target someone else, I don't mind that at all!

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

Alison x

Folksy Friday: Christmas swaps

I've had the pleasure of doing lots of swaps or trades on Folksy and Etsy recently, and got some beautiful handmade gifts in return.  I can't posts pictures of what I've received, as they are mostly Christmas gifts for friends and family who might just see this blog!  So I've picked some random but stunning creations from each of the shops I've traded with.  Thanks to everyone who has agreed to swap with me - it has to be the best way to shop.  Click on the picture or the shop link to visit.  Enjoy!

Art in Wax on Folksy

Girl of the Sixties on Folksy

LittlemouseLilly on Folksy

KnitwitDesignsUK on Etsy

Hopeful Hare on Folksy

AdienCraftsandGifts on Etsy (it's just the bandana for sale, not the gorgeous Schnauzer!)

Handmade by Edwina on Folksy

Fabulous shops, aren't they?

Alison x

Friday feature: This week's makes

Blue and brown tassel chain earrings

Blue and brown glass bead bangle with bronze wire wrapping

Tiger striped glass beads with mookaite and carnelian

Filigree leaves purse charm/ bag charm

Filigree bird bag charm/ purse charm

Flower connector charm bracelet with faux suede cord

'Love' vintage style cord bracelet

Picture jasper carved roses and chocolate pearls

Wire rose ring

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

The dog's blog: All four paws in the air

This may be my last jump now that I have been diagnosed with arthritis.  I'm trying to get used to a quieter life!

Handmade Monday: Dragonfly

Last week we were away visiting family, so I had limited access to my beading stuff - always difficult to decide what to take, knowing that you'll have some time but can't take the whole stash as we'd need two cars for that!  Anyway, I had some wire, some glass beads and some sunshine, and this dragonfly was the result! Hope you like him.

It was a bit of a strange holiday.  Normally we spend a lot of time with the dog charging round the beach, chasing balls in and out of the waves and playing football with my OH.  The week before we went away, Lucca had a limp and went to the vets, and to our horror was diagnosed as having arthritis.  At 3 and a half years old, that was not good news.  So restricted walks on the lead on the beach, and the poor boy looking at us so confused.  Despite the limp, he still wants to do everything he always did.  Today he's at the vets for x-rays, so more worry and a house that feels so quiet and empty.  But at least we should know more this evening.

Much better news - a jewellery magazine in the US is going to feature my wire flower necklace in September!  This will be the first time Blue Forest Jewellery has been in print.   How exciting is that!  It's a long time to wait, but they need it sent in the next couple of weeks, so that's something else to distract me today, which is what I need.

Here's the link to see what other crafty folk have been making this week.

The dog's blog: In training

This is me at the end of the Pennine Way in Scotland.

Just a quick blog from me - I've been in serious training since I got back from holiday for my assessment tomorrow and not had time to blog much.  I've never had an assessment before and tomorrow someone will decide if I'm suitable to be a Pets as Therapy dog - there's a link there if you've not heard of the charity which arranges for dogs (and cats) to visit hospitals, hospices and care homes.  Mum thinks I might be suitable, and that having a 'job' would be good stimulation for me.  I don't mind at all, especially if it involves more fussing and petting and lots more people giving me treats. 

So wish me luck.  I've been practising the tasks really hard and the only one I'm really struggling with is not mouthing my brush.  It would just be so much fun to get that brush in my mouth and run like the blazes away from mummy and have a really good chew of it...

Love Lucca  x

Worldless Wednesday: Such a good holiday

Here I am digging a moat for this great castle!

Folksy Friday: Holidays are here

School's out soon so maybe you need some of these items from Folksy sellers if you're off on holiday or just hanging round the garden hoping to see the sun!

This holiday aceo by Ghost Goose brings back some memories

Soap flip flops - what a great idea! - by Just Bev Soaps

For those of us who dream of owning a boat or a beach hut, 

recession-beating options from Buttons and Stars and Charlotte Hupfield Ceramics!

Bluebells and Oystershells (fantastic name!) will help you remember your passport 

and Cherry Tree Handmades will keep your souvenirs together in style.

What else do you need for the perfect holiday?