Beautiful beautiful Wales

Have had the pleasure to potter around the Brecon Beacons today, WOW, sometimes I do forget just how beautiful my home country is! We stumbled across a fantastic Garwnant woodland walks today, where they are currently building a new visitor centre. http://www.breconbeacons.org/visit-us/easy-access/places-to-visit-with-easier-and-disabled-access/garwnant-visitor-centre
....... but the walks are open and well marked, and the scenery is stunning. We will definately be adding this to one of our favorite places to visit.
A short drive north brought us to Brecon Town, a quaint little town with some quirky shops. After thoroughly boring my dear OH buy looking in each and every one of these shops, we drove homeward, passing through Bwulch, and Crickhowell, and many other very pretty places.
Home now, cooking bolognese ready for dinner after tomorrows outing........just need to decide where in Wakes we will visit tomorrow!!!...xc

Yes you guessed it......

...... more earrings, I do love them so.

Challege Makes.

On a forum at www.makingjewellery.com we have started to challenge each other. The first challenge was to be inspired by a photo I had taken at our local Wetlands, the second was to make a wearable jewellery item from recycled materials.
Here are my entries.
The first is a silver and copper necklace from my now newly christened On The Wing collection, and also a silver pendant.
The second was more of a challenge for me, as it took a while for me to come up with something I LOVED, and not just a make for the makes sake! I have melted a pile of scrap and then added a few AMAZING beads handmade by Caroline at craftedgems.blogspot.com.
I have now got about an hour of polishing to do, and will of course be back to show off the new makes!!.

Busy Busy Busy

..... have been to busy to update blog, replenish website, make many important appointments, and some days even stop and catch my breath!
Have been working, making selling, taking pictures, and all the other things one has to do running their own business, however small...
Have just managed to finish some new bits, I am really pleased with these, especially the earrings..MUST NOT KEEP!!
I managed to get published last month too, and hoping that I will make the cut for this months Making Jewellery Magazine.
...That's all I have time for, now getting ready for Caerleon Arts Festival, fingers crossed the weather will hold for us... will be a more efficient blogger once this week is over and life becomes calmer...xc

.....and just a few more of yesterdays creations.

New Makes, now I have to decide what to keep!

I had a rather nice commission order to create yesterday, the lady in question is off to Ascot for ladies day. Whilst busy making her jewellery I managed to knock a few more out beside......a thoroughly creative day in all!

I expect at least one pair of earring will stay with me......but which ones???

A few more of my holiday snaps...

I can not wait to return to France and am already considering my retirement there.....although that is a few years off yet!

Ma Nouvelle Maison française dans Grande Madieu. ...Heaven

A week in rural France, was just what I needed to recharge my creative batteries. A week of sun, baguette's, cheese, and my wonderful family. As with my life in general, it was far from boring, what with a snake attack (OK I may be being slightly dramatic) a poor frightened snake (possibly grass, possibly a aesculapian snake) tried to cross mine and my daughters path....not sure who was more frightened!!
I also had a cheeky capuchin monkey pull my hair at www.la-vallee-des-singes.fr, a naughty spider monkey also tried very hard to pee on my daughter. Needless to say we had many laughs, a few tears and a thoroughly wonderful time. The adventure did not end on our arrival home, where I found out my credit card has been used in Spain and some one thought they would take over £4000.......hopefully the nice people at the credit card company will sort this out in the next week or so.
So now back to school runs, rain and house work, also back into my work room, where I hope to use all my french inspiration and create some goodies over the next few weeks.

Copper and Silver Brooches.

I have been having fun trying my hand at making new items to add to my collection. Here are two brooches that I have created from silver and copper.

Floral Inspiration

I always try to take my camera with me where ever I may go. That way I can always capture images that may inspire future collections.
I also get to take a lot of pictures of my beautiful family!

Raglan Earings

...and here they are.

Raglan Earings Step 3

Step 3.

Assemble, all parts. I have used three links to attach the beads, then eight links to the earwire.

As I have used an open link chain I did not use jump rings, the same method applies to both. Gently open the link/jump ring using both the needle nose and flat nose piers just enough to link to the head pin/ eye pin loop, then using the same motion carfully close, making the joint as flush as possible. Finally add the earwire, and thats it.

You can experiment with the length of the chains, the colours of the beads, and earwires, to produce a wide variety of looks from the same basic pattern.

Raglan Earings Step 2

Step 2.

This time thread your bead selection onto the eye pins, then finish in the same way as the head pins, by creating a loop and winding excess wire around (I have had to trim my wires as they were a little to long, be careful of winding to much wire as this can put pressure onto your bead and the loop of the eye pin).

Raglan Earings Step by Step

Raglan Earrings.
These are a variation of a pair of earring inspired by a visit to Raglan Castle.
They are incredibly easy to make in only a few steps, they are however very comfortable to wear and will be noticed.

Materials
A length of Antiqued copper chain (I have used one with open links so ther is no need for jump rings).
A selection of beads of your choosing.
2 x head pins
2 x eye pins
2x earwires (bought or handmade)

Tools
Round nose, flat nose & needle nose pliers
Wire cutters/snips.

Step 1.

Thread chosen beads onto head pin, using round nose pliers create a loop and wind reaining wire around, making sure this is pushed in neatly with the needle nose pliers. Reapeat with second head pin.

Wire Earring Variations.

The finished earrings.

This basic pattern can be used and by altering the length of the wire, the number of wires, the size or shape of the jump ring, the tools used for texturing, and polishing methods you can create numerous variations.

I hope that this will be the first of many step by step projects.
Have fun creating and let me know what your finished earrings are like..x