Commission

It isn't something I do an awful lot of these days. I found myself making a lot of jewellery in the run up to Christmas last year.

Jewellery is one of those things that I don't mind making in small quantities, I'll make a few things for myself or as gifts but it isn't something I enjoy enough to do it full time.

However, a friend asked me if I would mind making some for her to wear to a wedding at the end of July.

Luckily she's quite specific in what she wanted because with me being no expert on jewellery making if her instructions had been at all vague I'd have been completely stumped. She'll be wearing a pale blue maxi dress with a halter neck and a slight plunge to the neckline so she asked for a very simple chain but with something a bit more elaborate at the end than a single pendant and she wanted a bracelet and earrings to go with the necklace but didn't want everything to be too matchy matchy.

More importantly though, she's pretty much tapped herself on the dress so the jewellery couldn't be too expensive or overly dressy that she wouldn't be happy to wear bits and pieces of it on your average day out for a walk in the park with the kids.

She called yesterday to collect them and I'm glad to say that she was really happy with them.

I used nickel free silver plate for the findings and chain and sterling silver for the ear wires. She's one of the lucky people who doesn't seem to react to nickel at all, but I just prefer the nickel free stuff, it seems to stand up to a bit more man handling if I'm honest, regular silver plate seems to chip quite easily, or at least it does in my hands. I was lucky and able to pick up some clearance beads in colours she loved from Jillybeads and the little jewelled disc which the beads are suspended from on the necklace was harvested from some old jewellery.

All in all, I'm really pleased that I was able to give her something nice and still have it come in under budget for her too.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've been missing my sewing machine something awful.

Brave or Foolish?

In April of 2010 Rosie of Brave or Foolish will run the London Marathon. Rosie will run the grueling 26 miles in aid of The Miscarriage Association.

That's only seven short months to prepare. Seven short months to get ready for something she has never done before. Rosie isn't a marathon runner. Rosie has been bed bound and wheelchair bound due to a difficult pregnancy, although she's one of the lucky ones;


More importantly though, Rosie has seven short months left to raise the £1300 needed in order for her to run the London Marathon for The Miscarriage Association.

You can visit Rosie's sponsorship page at JustGiving.com to help her on her way.



Alternatively, or as well as, Veryan of Beady Pool has created this one of a kind bracelet;



This gorgeous bracelet is being auctioned on Ebay and you can go now and bid for a one of a kind bracelet for yourself or as a gift for someone else.


In addition to this, for the duration of the auction Beady Pool is also donating 10% of all purchases. All you need to do is just enter MARATHON at the PayPal checkout on the website or mention it in your email if buying direct. Veryan will honour the 10% of takings on both the website and also on her Folksy shop.

As will I.

My Latest Addiction

Meet my latest addiction.


Yup, earrings!



Because heaven forbid that I could ever just find one thing to do and spend the rest of my life learning how to be really, really good at it.




I have to say I quite enjoyed making these. The gratification is almost instant for a start. I get to reuse all those lovely beads and shiny bits from the broken and busted jewellery I've been collecting for years thereby giving them a new life and finally, its the colours. In one short hour I can have a complete table full of different colours and lengths and sizes and....

I needed something quick and distracting, you see at the minute I have three pairs of fingerless gloves all in varying stages of doneness all still on needles. One pair only lacks a thumb at the minute for crying out loud, but I do bore quite easily, which is why I end up with so many little projects on the go at the same time. I fancy a different colour or a different stitch pattern and I set one thing down and wander off aimlessly in another direction.

I do come back again, although its usually once I've successful got my "fix" for change from something else and when knitting that can be anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks.

I'm hoping this new little obsession will help me along the way in completing some of my larger bits and pieces, because they are so quick and I'll get that buzz that only comes with finishing a project. I'm thinking (likely quite wrongly) that I'll get back to the things I should be doing a lot quicker than I have been lately.

Or so goes the plan anyway!

A couple of these earrings will make their way to my shop, but I think I'll wrap a few up and set them aside for presents.

The one where she rambles on and on and ...

Houston we have confirmation.

The cat is a girl.

The husband took a deep breath and went outside to check.

I asked if he was sure.

He looked insulted.

The weather here the last couple of days has been out of this world. It shortly after 9am at the minute and absolutely cooking outside. Which is exactly where I am by the way. Sitting on the deck with a good cup of coffee, I actually put the percolator on this morning. So I'm sitting on my deck with my lovely laptop, my coffee and kitty purring away happily beside me.

Cat sounded far too manly for a girl and I'm pretty sure we have a pet cat now. The husband's even in the garage as we speak building her a little outside house thingy. Is it still a kennel if its for a cat. I should really buy a book shouldn't I?

My mum's complete inability to read the size of something clearly printed on the side of the box continues. Yesterday she arrived home with a "paddling pool" for Toots which turned out to be an above ground swimming pool. Seriously this thing is huge, it covers her entire deck and we can all fit in it. Not that we all tried mind you.

Also, she didn't buy a pump to inflate the thing. Have you ever got high huffing on kid's inflatables. Anyway, one last minute, blue in the face, completely knackered run to Argos later and we had a fully inflated pool and no serious cases of oxygen deprivation.

My dad also dug out the old swing ball. People outside the UK might know it as tether ball, I'm not sure.

Now swing ball might look like a nice innocuous child's game but that's where you're wrong. At least if you were raised by my dad, you are. You see to my dad, swing ball is a vicious blood soaked battle and his early teachings wore off on both my brother and I.

Toots looked a little concerned to begin with when confronted with this side of her mother. Teeth bared and angry glare on her face as she smashed the ball back at her own dad, who in turn hammered the ball right back at me.

My dad was never a big fan of the whole "kids should always win" idea. As far as he was concerned you had to WANT to win and be willing to fight for it. It's a fair point really. Imagine your kid grows up and wants to become a surgeon. Is it ok for them to step up to the table every day and have patients die left, right and centre as long as they at least tried. Not really.

Anyway, most games of swing ball between my dad, brother and I usually ended with either the ball flying off the end of the tether or one of us breaking a hole in the centre of the plastic bat.

Good times.

I spent yesterday afternoon making some new jewellery for the shop







I wanted something nice and light and summery for myself, so I decided to make a few extra at the same time. I seem to get stuck in the rut of always wearing the same jewellery, but yesterday in the heat I just couldn't do it.

I'm planning on putting the finishing touches to a few things for a giveaway today. It won't be here, but don't worry I'll tell you where it is once its up and you can run over and get your entries in.

First things first though. I'm off out the garage to make a new scratch post for kitty.

See you all later.