Setting the Scene...

This week there has been a lot of setting going on... stone setting that is. Here's what I've been up to:


For those that don't know, stone setting is quite a tricky business... First you make the bezel (the bit that goes round the stone) - this has to be a good fit, you cut it to length then solder it to make it into a continuous piece. Then you solder the bezel to the back plate and then spend hours filing and sanding to get the bezel and back plate to be flush. Then you attach the bail or the ring or whatever you need to make it into a functional piece of jewellery and then, and only then, you put in the stone and rub the bezel over the edge of the stone to hold it in place. Phew! You can see why it's taken so long for me to make these pieces!

I'm really pleased with them. The rings won't be on the website for a little while as they are going off to be hallmarked (my first hallmarked items! - very posh!).

Talking of posh, I've also completed a commission this week for a spectacle chain, bracelet and earrings set... but this was no ordinary set. Have a look:

Yes, lots of freshwater pearls and loads and loads of Swarovski Crystals. Very, very twinkly!

This one was the one the customer went for, the one below was my first attempt which wasn't quite right. The spectacle chain and the bracelet will be on the website shortly.

On the home front, Martha got excellent results in the GCSE modules she took in January. Tom didn't do quite as well as he hoped, but hopefully this will encourage him to work really hard for the summer exams.

I heard this week that a friend had died from a brain tumour. She was way too young and full of life to be taken. A beautiful, vivacious lady with whom I shared many, many laughs. Rest in peace, Polly.

Tomorrow is the first of the new craft markets in Weston Super Mare. I'm doing that one with Brian and Tom while Sarah is doing another event in Nailsea. This is one of the very few times that we've split our stock and done separate events. Fingers crossed it will work out well!

Then straight after the market, we're up to Leicester for the rest of the weekend. Out with friends on Saturday night and then with my mum, brother and sister-in-law for Chinese on Sunday lunchtime to celebrate Mothering Sunday. If you are celebrating, I hope you have fun!

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Much love to all.
xx

Recyling, Repurposing and Re...er... Sunshining!

I've been waiting a couple of days to show you this... the light has just been awful here, so dull, but I couldn't wait any longer. Look at this!


Can you guess what it is? It's a cabochon of Fordite, a remarkable and rare material. It is solidified car paint from the Ford plant at Dagenham. Can you believe it? When the paint shops were closed there was a huge build up of paint on the walls and floors and it was found that this compacted material could be cut, shaped and polished like a stone. The colours and patterns are just fabulous.

I have set the cabochon in Sterling Silver.

So, that's the repurposing, here's the recycling:


These lovely lampwork beads by Tania Grey, of Tan, Of Course, were made into another set, but I wasn't happy with it, so that was taken apart and I've made this new one. The lovely Swarovski pearls compliment the lampwork beautifully.

I've added a few new spectacle chains to the website today too, here are two of them.

And last, but certainly not least, my love and thanks go to Maz Simpson of Amari gems (do pop over and have a look at her blog: here - she makes the most amazing jewellery) who has given me the Sunshine Award. This has really brightened my day, which outside was cold, wet and misty with low lying cloud.

The rules for accepting the Sunshine award

~ Put the logo on your blog or within your post

~ Pass the award onto 12 bloggers ~

~ Link the nominees within your post ~

~ Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

~ Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

My nomiated award winners are:
(please do go and visit their blogs, they're all really interesting)

Beady Pool
Behind the Scenes at Jewelry Tales
Chameleon Designs
ChatElaine Jewellery
Cristina's Jewelry
Eve's Gems
Fired with Imagination
Kiamyka - Now and Then
Little Castle Designs
Lush Blogs
Made by AnnaK
The Makings of Beads by Clare Scott

OK, that's it for now.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Much love,

Lesley
xx

Brrrrrrrrr!

Blimey, wasn't it cold!!!

Hope you've all survived the snow, ice and fog! The snow here has now all melted and I can't say I'm sorry to see the back of it. It has made getting around very difficult and I've been going a little stir crazy!

And it was SO cold! My workshop is in a single story extension at the back of the house and although it has a central heating radiator, it was just too cold to work in there. I moved my computer onto the dining room table and I've been catching up with admin and stuff all week. However, a new oil-filled radiator was delivered this afternoon and hopefully that will mean I really get down to work next week.

I do have some photographs for you. These are things that were made before Christmas but which I didn't have time to photograph or get onto the website. They will be available on the website by Monday.

First up is a ring. I love rings and hope to be making lots more.
This one features a squiggle of hammered silver and then a plain band at the back. Two of my very favourite people already have one of these... you know who you are!

There are some new squiggle pendants too, this one I really like... well, of course, I like all of them, but some shout louder than others!

This rather dramatic set features some black agate beads which have these circle on them.

They're rather lovely, aren't they? This is a real statement necklace and so I've used some very special Sterling Silver beads which are mini-masterpieces in their own right!

I love turquoise and especially when it's teamed with silver. Cerrillos is the name of a town in New Mexico where they still mine turquoise.


Amazonite is the stone here and it's such a gorgeous colour. I find it very calming.

There are some other sets too, but I'll let you see those when they're loaded.

Several people have asked about the reunion with my brother back in July... It was just wonderful. Emotional, of course, but totally joyous. And, even better, he's promised to come again... soon! I can't wait. Here's a photo of us all...

From the left, my youngest brother, Martha - my daughter, me, Tom - my son, my sister-in-law, my Brazilian sister-in-law, my lovely, lovely Mum, my long lost brother and his daughter.

Right, I'm about done for this week. Time to put the feet up, order the Chinese and open the wine. I hope you all have a great weekend and I'll see you next week.

Take care,

Lesley
xx

Ring-a-ding BLING!

Been making some rings recently - bling rings or cluster rings. I was inspired when I found these rings - when I was buying something completely different!

I'd not seen this shape before and thought they were really unusual and desirable... I made a couple using the wrapped loop method, but when I was trawling about looking at other people's rings, I found the suggestion of attaching the beads to the ring with jumprings. Well, that was it, I was off! Here are two of the first ones, along with a wrapped loop one with Swarovski crystals:

I really like this method. It is quick and gives a different look to the ring. And I can use my Miyuki drop beads, which are some of my favourites in the seed bead department. Lots of these on the website now.

The Christmas weight is slowly shifting. I lost 2.5 pounds last week, stayed the same today. Will try and have a good week this week, but we're away at the weekend which is always a challenge!

Am extremely happy to report that Tom got an A* in this GCSE Maths which he took in November and also that he passed his Grade 5 keyboard exam with distinction. Am thrilled for him.