Wow I won!!!!

I have never won anything before, but this lovely decoration arrived in the post today from

Eidelweiss on her blog

Thankyou so much

aceos

I have just discovered ACEOS , apparently these are highly collectable pieces of art, a way of being able to collect original art without having to find the wall space.They can be drawings, paintings, prints, collage anything goes as long as they are 3.5" x 2.5" They are called aceo (art cards, editions and originals) So I thought I would have a go, its been a while since I got my paint brushes out, so I am a bit rusty, but I had fun, what do you think??

Handmade Xmas

I have just been Xmas shopping, its been very tough I just browsed through Folksy and then when I saw what I wanted, I just clicked a couple of keys on my trusty laptop and like magic it's done.

So far I have managed to buy most of my pressies on Folksy. This year it was important to me that we tried to buy as much handmade as possible. I also will be adding a touch of Homemade to my pressies by making some home made sweeties or biscuits.

With this in mind then I thought it would be good to let the recipients of my gifts know that these were handmade items they were lucky enough to receive.

So this is what I came up with, a gift tag wishing everyone a Happy Handmade Xmas.

Hope you think they are good, I am wondering whether to add them to my folksy shop for other people to purchase, let me know what you think.

Moving forward....

I put in a complaint about my silver jewellery course, so I have decided not to go back for the last 2 weeks. I doubt it will do any good but at the very least hopefully it will make the tutor aware that just turning up is not enough to qualify you as a teacher.

So I am moving forward, I am practicing my cutting and soldering skills. Having not learnt what I wanted from my course I have bought myself a good book, and have been watching utube videos, it seems to me you can learn just about anything from these, I would not advocate just learning from them and I would still like to do a good course as I think practical help is something worth getting.

The first one is all sterling silver it is based on a

buckle that I found in my button tin. The second is a copper base with a sterling silver top, that is bent over to make the bale. I am loving putting copper and silver together, and it again is influenced by the mayan carvings I saw in Mexico. I will have to photograph this better as it doesn't show the contrast that well.

I hope you like my new pieces x.

BAG ***SALE****

As my jewellery is moving on , I have no more time for the other crafty bits so i am starting to hav a bit of a clear out, So I have just reduced all my Bag to £3.50

Take a look >>>>>>>>>

Doodle heart

Doodle flower

Brighten

Shallow

All Sort

New jewellery

New jewellery

I am pleased with the pendant and so have listed it on Folksy, I think I need a bit more practice on the stone mounting, so I made this one for me.... any excuse for yet another piece of jewellery

Circles pendant

Remembrance Sunday PTSD

My Dad survived WW2, but none of his friends did.

He talks very little of his war time experiences and we don't press as he becomes very distressed and angry. We have gleaned odd bits and pieces over the years , he was an Engineer and was in Nowra, Australia for some years with the MONABS, and we also know he was in a glider, on or around D Day that landed behind enemy lines and he had to guard an ammunition store.

Over the years as we have got older, we have come to accept that he has suffers with what we would now call, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I love my Dad with all my heart but he can be a difficult man to live with and deal with.

On Remembrance Day I think and honor all those that gave there lives for us, but today I think of my Dad and all those who have survived but have suffered and still suffer from the after effects of war.

x

Sunset.....

.....was beautiful tonight

Arrrgggggggg Silver Jewellery course week 7 & 8

I was fairly pee'd off last week so didn't blog about my course. But it got even worse this week so I just need to vent.

After half term we were told we told we would finish our rings and start to learn about setting stones in week 7.

I had just about finished my ring, I had been told we would straighten it after the problems I had placing the top on, but it became apparent he felt it wasn't worth the effort to try. So I thought, Oh well at least I get to move on and learn how to set stones. But No! there were no stones and no advice on how to set them, I couldn't even polish my ring as he still hadn't brought the polishing equipment in. I asked what I should do and he said, design a pendant to set a stone in, I was ignored when I asked what size stone and any guidelines. To be honest I just felt he was fed up with me!

I played with some copper wire and came up with the a set of wires soldered together, as shown here. He showed no interest in what I have done all evening and gave it a quick look over at the end and just shrugged. Then in the following week I played with the design and made the copper maquette shown here .

So with maquette proudly in hand I went off to week 8 hoping to make it in silver and learn how to mount a stone.

So what actually happened - I polished my ring - actually I watched him polish my ring!! Yes after 2 weeks of promising to bring in the polishing equipment he actually did. For some reason we were not allowed to do this ourselves and we all watched while he did it!

That took up the first 10 minutes and then I sat on my backside and did sweet FA. I showed him my maquette and he said "Oo look at you". I asked him if I needed to use a jig to help get both sides even, he then went on to explained what a jig was !!! In retrospect I should have just left, as the longer I sat there listening to people chat the angrier I got. There were only 2 people still working on rings , I got frustrated when I found out the the stones we would be setting were 5mm big and so no way could I make the design I had hoped for as it is much bigger. He really could have told me that 2 weeks ago and not got my hopes up.

I have gone ahead an mounted a stone of my own already.

It may not be perfect, but I learnt a lot from doing it and feel the next one will be spot on.

So here is where I need your advice! We have 2 weeks left, I don't feel in that time I will learn anything new.

I don't want to go back, I feel its an utter waste of my time. My gut reaction is to complain, and never see him again. But, should I just shut up and get on with it and finish the course and then put a complaint in after?

What do you think???

A Trip to the New Pier

I LOVE MY HOME TOWN...............

Commission

*******************Fairy Wings *******************

This was a commission I did for a little bridesmaid. The bride to be had seen my Angel wings pendant ( currently for sale here) and wanted it for her little niece, but it was to big, so I made a little version that became fairy wings. I put her name on the back and she loved it.

folksy friday

I haven't done a folksy Friday for a while as things have been very hectic, but I have been ill this week so I thought I would do one.

So my folksy Friday is a virtual shop of things that I would love to have now to help me get well........

BEE MUG

Julia Smith Ceramics

HANDMADE BLOCK QUILT

Quilting Demon

GET WELL SOON CARD

Pointy Pix

PEBBLE HOT WATER BOTTLE

Petal Textiles

AMAZING SLIPPER SOCKS

flirty gertie

LAVENDER AND BE

RGAMOT HANDMADE CANDLE

the lime garden

Look what I made...

.................

Three little kisses

Copper maquette

I wanted to know if the design I showed you in my last blog would work, so I have made a copper trial I am quiet pleased. I have soldered it and pickled but I haven't finished it off and obviously there is no stone in it.....but I can definitely see that it is working, I think I need to make a jig or something similar to twist the wire round so both side match better. I will have to speak to my tutor next week to see what he thinks is best.

Design process

I played with some copper wire pieces, I curled a few pieces and put them together arranging them on the table until they made some sense, then I soldered them together.

I then photographed it using my phone and e-mailed it to myself. I don't know why but I always see it better in a photo rather than in real life !! So then I printed out a few copies and started to draw over them to start to make it flow better. I started to realise it needed more curves especially to get rid of the straight top so it would curve around the neck with more elegance.

The it was just drawing and redrawing the shapes until I got to what I think will be a finished piece. I suppose the next step is to go back to the copper and make a maquette and see if it works

Hopefully eventually it will be made in silver with a nice stone set in the middle circle.....watch this space