Bird in the window

It was delightful, watching through our dining room window, a pair of pigeons building their nest, and tending their eggs. More delightful still were the set of photographs I took of this, with my camera passed out of the catchment (to avoid the glass and insect screen affecting the photograph) set to macro. I'm thrilled with the detail, detail I couldn't see through the window, screen and trees and branches.

Custom Order

I had this custom order last week, to be completed over the weekend.I'm waiting for a wire order to arrive, so I had time to relax and enjoy designing and making this pretty bracelet. I've been looking forward to using some of my stash of turquoise 'drum' rondelles too, and they are truly gorgeous! What a colour! Turquoise, tiger eye, a touch of smoky quartz and one tiny Czech bead, all wire wrapped with copper. And of course the order wouldn't be complete without my favourite Paperino tag.

My Studio

'Studio: The workroom of an artist....' (Unabridged Random House Dictionary online)

Lots of artisans post pictures of their studios, and themselves in their studios, on their blogs. Recently my family grew in size, and my work space changed (from one room to another). Now that we have a baby living at our house, I've had to draw on memories of myself twenty five years ago, with babies, studying classical singing. I could do that, and I'll do this too. Gated into the kitchen (which is, interestingly, the place I find I'm most creative) making jewelery! The gate protects my grandson from things I'm using that he might cut himself with, swallow, stick into an inappropriate oriface or 'put away' (in a shoe, shelf, drawer, cupboard, or other likely seeming nook).

Here I am, in my 'studio'! A picture which tells me my kitchen needs renovating...

At times our own words seem inadequate

Alexandre Dumas said;

'There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state to another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness. We must have felt what it is to die, that we may appreciate the enjoyments of life.'

I know that he speaks the truth, without one, the other would be meaningless. Without sorrow, content would seem dull. I will be content, when the sorrow that my child is suffering, is eased, and healed. That will be my hope and prayer for her, and my expectation for her future. New joy. Happiness surpassing the happiness she thought she had, because she knows now that such happiness is a rare gift.

Truly Scrumptious

My grandson passed judgement on my photographs several days ago. I had these (above) on my screen, editing them. He stood at my elbow and said; "ooooOOOOoohhhhhhhhh nuuuUUUUUuuuuuum!" My grandson pretends to pick food off pages and screens, then he pretends to eat it, and feeds it to his toys also. So he reached for the screen, and began playing 'eat the picture', and he continued providing sound effects as he ate; "nuUUUUuuuuuuuuuuuuum! NUM! num!num! num! num! NUMINuuuums! nuuuUUUUUuuuuuum!" Therefore, I take "Lollyshop", to be a suitable name for my jewelery label. And my store. And any yummy food item I refer to in the names I acribe to pieces of jewelery is probably justifiable also. If a two year old sees it, it's gotta be there!

Value and the hand made Movement

Angelene Fay, Etsy seller and artisan, offers what I think is one of the best explanations I have read, of the value of hand made goods. Hand made goods are valuable, she says, because of the person involved in their creation and the love that contributes to their production. Love of mastering or seeking to master, each step required to create an object. Of the artistic satisfaction that is obtained by the creator in the act of creating. Of being so contented with the act that one is in a 'happy place' while working. The joy of doing something that one excels at, and of sharing that achievement with others.

Angelene Fay offers wonderful tutorials, relevant to the wire worker-beader-jewelery maker. They can be found at her Blog address linked above ... just click on her name!

The cookie and the slipper

I babysat my grandson today. This little soul is the age at which little boys and girls like to play with shoes. The boys I've known have become skilled wearers of shoes both far larger than they are, and (as an aside) with far higher heels than any human should attempt to sprint in. Yes, the boys in my family, at the age of about two years, love to sprint in heels. There, it's out in the open. I don't pretend to understand the need, but need it seems to be.

Today, the little peanut I was caring for sailed forth from the grandparental bed room, wearing grandad's slippers. Black, fluffy, warm things that would fit the feet of several little boys at a time. Then the slippers vanished. In order to locate them, I kept a quiet watch on my grandson. Soon after he crouched for a moment over something beside an armchair, then rose with a cookie in his hand. He ate. Then he returned the cookie to it's designated safe place (this child likes to keep things in place, although 'in place' doesn't always mean 'where they belong'). I moved a little, not appearing to peek. I watched him carefully replace his cookie, with a neat crescent bitten out of it, into ... Granddad's slipper! Gag if you must, but it seemed really cute to me. So tidy (this kid attempted to push the top of my bulging washing basket into tidiness beneath its lid recently and then gave up in disgust, he appreciates order).

This evening I took pleasure in announcing to Granddad, that the slipper he was about to wear had been a child's little treasure trove. He seemed somewhat ... disgusted ... although I'm not sure whether it was the idea of crumbs in the slipper, or the idea of a munchkin eating out of his shoe, that disgusted him most. I just LOVE grandchildren!!

Sweet chilli ....

Or Siam Rose ... I love the rich colour of this earring and bracelet set. The red cloisonne beads have been sitting on my table, asking to be set into something, for ages. Everything I began with them seemed insipid, until Australian Craft Supplies sent me a free sample, just a little bag of silver lined seed beeds, but the gold and red colour mix seemed perfect for my waiting beads! I love the result!

Photographs new method new samples

I'm still not quite satisfied with my photographs...I wonder if anyone really is? I've seen some astonishingly good pictures of jewelery, on the Internet. I find really beautiful pictures of jewelery encouraging. They tell me that I can do better, that nicer photographs are possible. I'm not whistling after the wind! Anyway, here are three pics from my latest batch. I think these are my best yet. The greatest change is that I've learned more about using digital cameras on Macro mode (thanks pinklizzy and kind husband!), and I"m using the tripod less. A tripod is great, it eliminates almost all movement blur from photos, but a hand held camera allows far more control over the picture set up ... how close the photo will be, from what angle etc. I like playing with odd angles, and I'd lost that so I'm enjoying doing it again.

Where I am now

Recently I found a lovely stock of faceted red agate ... just beautiful! Like rich, dark cherries. And the facets make them sparkle delightfully. I love these stones, and they look amazing mixed with copper. Lovely, warm colours. I am planning to use them with silver too but at the moment I'm captivated by the lushness of copper and red agate. Here they both are in a necklace and earrings.

Where I've been where I am now

I was looking back at my earliest jewelery and pics ... oh my goodness! I seem to me to have come a fairly long way! 'Developed', might be the best word? (no, not just a big behind from eating vats of chocolate!) I've been thinking about doing a post that traces the development ... for example, I posted this jewelery very early ... it's pretty basic, and the picture is blurry. Just a stack of beads on an eye pin. I think at the time I hadn't even come across wire wrapping!

Winter, baby blankets and throw rugs

Just a small part of my knitting list at the moment. The baby blanket is just because I wanted to play some more with Berries 'n Cream. The throw rug because we need one and I wanted to make it rather than buy it ... I was looking for a mix of textures and colours particular to my taste and our living room. I have a strip and a half left to knit and I'll sew it up and photograph it. I have a few other things on the needles too, these two are the knits I'm focusing on. I'd like to give all my knitting attention to the jacket I'm knitting with the 'astrakan' yarn my Mum gave me. It's knitting into a most beautiful, soft fabric ... the colours more vivid than I would normally choose, but in a casual 'throw it on over anything' cardigan/jacket I think that's ok. I can see this being worn with PJs to be honest, now the Winter 'comfy snuggle in PJs and warm ts' chill is on us. My favourite weather!

Setting my Sharon Tracey Bead

I posted pictures of this bead a few posts ago (Beadsmart post) ... this bead will work with so many different settings, colours, shapes etc. I've had a hard time choosing which one to settle on. At the moment, it's on a wire wrapped pendant with kambhala jasper, swarovski crystal and copper. Before I chose this setting, I had my bead sitting on a design mat, with a bunch of other beads that I changed from day to day. I had intended bright colours, reflective of the iris blue swirl at the top of the bead. But they seemed to me to overwhelm the bead, and I didn't want to do that. I want this bead to stand alone. Softer colours or basic framing seem to do that best.

New Camera Post

Now and then, my family have suggested that I buy a digital camera with more pixels, mine had 3.2, which is a little low for photographing jewelery. Recently I knocked over my camera ... and it died. So I finally had a good reason to buy a new camera! Above and below are photographs taken by each camera, above is the cocoa and cream bracelet, photographed with my old camera. I like the picture, it's soft. But I think photographs of jewelery need to be sharp, clear. Showing every detail. Especially if I'm hoping to sell jewelery, people need to see the stock they're browsing through. So, below, is the same piece taken with my new camera ... which gives the picture greater clarity and depth.

I've been working on photography for a while now, each step takes me closer to where I want my pictures to be. I think that this change, moves me far, far closer to my goal. I hope so, anyway. Let me know what you think, I'd love feedback on the pictures!

BeadSmart.com

Last week I paid my first visit to BeadSmart. Walking into BeadSmart is like walking through a space hung with deliciousess. Bright, translucent glass and resin, ropes of gleaming pearl and shell, trays full of softly sparkling semi precious stones, all make an irresistible invitation. That's not surprising, owner and glass artist, Sharon Tracey, understands that beads cry out to be tasted!

BeadSmart offers a useful range of the things jewelery makers really need, along with a great selection of beads. Having traveled as far as Murano, Italy, in her quest for knowledge and skill in glass work, Sharon is eager to share what she has learned, with other artisans. BeadSmart offers classes in various kinds of glass work, as well as a place for artisans to meet and share their passion. Sharon also offers a gorgeous selection of her own handmade beads for sale, some of which are available through her online shop. I indulged in a beautiful bead that will blend with a wide range of the semi precious beads I have in stock (see pictures above) ... I'm very much looking forward to using this bead, at the moment I'm enjoying imagining what I could do with it!

Button bracelet by PinkLizzy

The button bracelet is a quirky, fun idea, and a clever use for buttons and fabric. Pinklizzy brings her own special sense of style to these delightful pieces. This is my own button bracelet, made with floral scraps and embellished with an adorable button and metal flower. I love it!

(I took these photos this morning, using my 'just revised jewelery photography' set up. I'm out of the light tent, using the lights, a tripod and gorgeous, scrap booking paper in the background. My Grandson advised me regarding the use of props that might lend themselves to the 'lollyshop' concept ... see the result below!)

Monte the kitten ...

From this ...

To this ...



to that!

Remember the cute little fluff ball (first pic) who took possession of my knitting basket? He's grown, into a large, mischievous kitten who not only prefers to have possession of my knitting basket but also my favourite chair, along with any affectionate person he finds in his vicinity! He's a handsome, hunting cat (sadly, for him 'hunting' often consists of attacking the scratches on the living room door and de-tailing little geckos that stray too near) with the habits of a 6 month old human. Eat, drink, sleep, wake mummy. Some nights I promise him swift death or at least swift tossing out the door, if he either breaks into my bedroom or jumps on my bed to miouw pathetically in or on my face because he wants company, food, water or entertainment. Other times I sit in my chair, and he drapes himself all over me, and I think, "Ah, this is the life! Me, and my cat! Heaven!" Cat ownership is a peculiar sort of joy!

Smoky quartz wire wrapped pendant

My mum gave me a stash of lovely beads for my birthday, and amongst them was this beautiful, faceted, smoky quartz bead. I've wire-wrapped it with 26 gauge sterling silver (I'm experimenting with different gauges but I'm staying with 26 for this bead), and attached it to hammered sterling silver, to make a pendant. I really love the finished result. It's rough, but that was deliberate. I tend to wire wrap so tidily, I've been trying to be more casual.

Yippeee, got new beads!

I'm a bit sick today but a bead order delivery cheered me up and got me moving. I haven't photographed them, but I have made earrings and begun a sterling silver, garnet, garnet Swarovski crystal and pearl necklace. This looks delectable, one of my favourite bead mixes, the rich red of berry and the creamy white of cream. Lovely.

'Buy handmade', enriches our daily lives...

...and adds unique detail to our special occasions. Handmade earrings purchased from Etsy and DUST artisans (the 'down under street team', Australian Etsy sellers) worn by my daughters when their sister was married, recently.

Earrings by: Munkee Jewelery & Princess Allure

Pearl bunch earrings ... winter wardrobe Treat

I made these earrings recently, wanting to practice putting bunches of bead 'dangles' onto things with head or eye pins, and wanting a pair of earrings to wear this winter, with blues, blacks, whites and neutrals. I used fresh water pearls (I've had these in stock for ages, they have a lovely, multi-hued glow in the light,) Swarovski crystal (to give myself a treat) and onyx beads with a couple of sterling silver daisy spacers. I really like these earrings, and I predict they'll last me the season (without being re-modeled.) I think the dangles would be easier to do now that I have looping pliers, although I have to admit that at times, when I'm 'looping', I reach for my round nosed pliers ... I'm used to using them now and I've kind of mastered looping with them. So my loops are fairly uniform. Whereas with the looping pliers I don't always have my grip right for looping, and I stuff the loops up (that's when I impatiently reach for my trusty round nosed pliers ... especially if I've used a few pins or wires and want to not waste any more!)

New Tool Package Arrives at the Lollyshop

Yes, I'm that excited! I've been wrapping and looping madly since my tools arrived the other day, haven't even had time to take pics of my work yet. How much easier a 22 gauge sterling silver wire is to loop and wrap, with a pair of looping pliers! My loops are tidy and my wraps look and are neat. And my ends are neatly cut flush to the wire with my flush cutters. My insides are bubbling with idiotic joy! This must be the kind of 'productive labour' Karl Marx referred to, the kind where we get to own the means of production, do the producing and keep the fruit as well! Or give it to someone, or sell it. Hold it in our own hands, rather than taking part in only a tiny portion of production and being paid for that repeated, tedious labour. It's a uniquely satisfying thing to experience, and I suspect this is why hand making things we need, is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Which takes us back to the political. Life, is political.

Wire wrapping requires the right Tools!

Whilst practicing with wire (see samples of my work above) I've also been learning about the properties of wire and the tools best used for wire work. I've found many useful online tutorials, but I think at this point, far and away the best have been the articles and tutorials at Eni Oken's website, Jewelry Lessons by Eni Oken and Friends. A good number of these don't require registration, so are easy to access. They provide clear instruction and best of all, clear explanation for the use of specific tools and materials in wire work. For example, I've been wrapping merrily away without the benefit of either flush cutters, chain nose pliers or round nosed looping pliers. I can say with experience now, that having the right tools is going to make wire work far easier. Waiting eagerly for the arrival of my new swag of tools!

Check out Eni Oken's fabulous website at (http://www.jewelrylessons.com/jewel/home)

Realisation: Treasure in the Mail

Recently and at last (after much drooling) I ordered beads/gems from Realisation Creations
I bought some smoky lemon quartz briolettes and took advantage of this amazing artist's Swarovski de-stash, and received an extra bead treat in my parcel, as well! As well as gems and beads, Realisation sells hand crafted silver and gem jewelery, each piece a work of art in itself. Browsing there is a treat, planning to buy something to be savoured to the full. Of course, once I got the beads, I had to incorporate at least a couple of them into a piece of jewelery. I added sparkling lemon quartz and a gorgeous AB Swarovski tear drop to a bracelet, attaching them with wire. Yep. I can now use wire to attach and cap beads. YAY!

sadly offline

I'm feeling a bit frustrated and sad about my currently hardly ever online state. It's just that my darling husband is on holiday. And when he's on holiday he needs me to at least attempt to be on holiday with him. This usually involves going out a lot (which is fun). It also means not working much (less fun.)

I just joined a few online things I'm very excited about, Etsy, The Dust Team (Australian Etsy sellers.) I'm getting ready to set up a permanent photography studio in my house. And my husband is brandishing a new sanding tool and a bunch of other stuff with which we're going to fix our kitchen ceiling. It's our holiday project, well, actually a 'getting ready for family wedding' project. The children and grandchildren who are staying with us next week probably need to not get the impression the kitchen ceiling is flaking and disintegrating into their dinners!And I have a cold. Generously shared by other family members! So, I'm sadly offline, or at least hardly ever online. I hope I'll be back next week, and pick up where I began over a week ago.