Wednesday 13 October 2010

Time is flying by, need to think about Christmas shopping soon and get organised.

I have been making some earrings which will be great as Christmas presents, priced between £12 - 20 so hopefully they will sell well. I am taking them to a few shops and galleries to stock them up for Christmas.

Went to London last week ....... the Ethical Fashion Expo was good but not for jewellery or materials that I use ...... I went to the Design Museum to have a look round but it was a bit disappointing, not much there. Dealt with a lady having an epileptic fit on the tube on my way home!

This is one of my first ranges, Luna. It is popular and I have rings, earrings to match. I am working on a new range that is based on Luna consisting of several small domes soldered together.

This pendant sells for about £85 www.thejewelleryroom.co.uk each one is different of course as I reticulate the piece of silver.

I was asked to quote for an amazing commission to make a typeof sword pendant which was line with diamonds. Way out of my league but interesting so I passed dtails on of people who might be able to make it.

Looking forward to watching Ugly Betty tonight .......

Simple earrings .... small hoops with leaf pattern discs.... in sterling silver ....

Had a curry night last night (well sort of, 4 of them had salmon as they don't eat curry). Hassle to cook curry for 5 and salmon for 4 but hey it was fun and there is leftovers which is great as curry tastes better second time around.

Have finished my new pieces so I can take it show customer tomorrow in Lancaster and Garstang and London next week ......

Saturday 25 September 2010

This is an image of some new sterling silver earrings I made this week. They came from some jewellery I saw whilst on holiday in Ibiza, we wandered around the market in San Antonio and there was some great contemporary jewellery ....... I am making a pendant to match but have to do some resin earrings first that a customer had ordered.

Its been a good week, some bright sunny days and I am getting back in to my running. Seemed to have slow down a lot but I am still doing the same distances.

Hoping to go to to the cinema this afternoon to see Grown Ups .......

Sunday 19 September 2010

I have attached images of the new range ... bit late but have been busy .... it is called Fickle ........... I am just in the process of getting it out there ready for Christmas.

Had a great break in Ibiza, will post some images.

My mother in law died over the summer so that was a sad occasion. The day before she went in to hospital was her 81st brithday and I made her ring that she had admired. She left me a phone message to say thanks and that was the last time she spoke to me sadly. She has a stroke and never recovered from it.

I did a couple of Art Fairs, one in Skipton which was great, busy, good people and lots of sales. The one in Shipley was also great, busy with goood people but hardly any sales! Some you win, some you lose ...........

Friday 6 August 2010

Made this sterling silver eternity ring pendant engraved for the birth of Jack on 16/06/2010 for his Mum or Dad to wear. A nice newborn gift.

I have been working on 2 new ranges which I hope to get ready for Art in the Pen in Skipton over the weekend of 14th/15th August. I love both of them, they look great. Will post images over the next few weeks.

I have been trying to lose weight for my holiday, I have 3 weeks, want to lose 2lbs per week, have managed it this week but have worked hard! And now I discover that Ben and Jerry's ice cream is on offer, 2 for £5 at Booths' supermarket! RESIST!

Thursday 29 July 2010

Been a busy week, finished earring commission, customer loved them ..... finished distressed crosses and sent them off, waiting to hear on those ...... mother in law is improving, conscious, can look at you and watchyou but cannot talk or move right hand side.

Should be getting ready for work now at The Bath House ......

EasyJet just changed my flight details to return at 12.30am ..... can change them but the alternative is a flight 2 days earlier ....... bummer .....

Commissioned earrings ........

Sunday 18 July 2010

Its been a busy and traumatic time. My mother in law went in to hospital with pneumonia and then had a stroke, she was in a coma for a few days but is showing signs of moving and trying to talk now so it is starting to look popsitive.

In the meantime I have been enjoying my work at the Bath House and working with my daughter, it has worked well. The other daughter is joining us this Wednesday for a try out!

Website sales are picking up and I have had lots of commission enquiries and a few have followed through and ordered.

The charm pendant on the wesbite has raised a lot of interest, lots of enquiries about charms and also a few sales.

I am in the process of designing some earrings for a lady who wants them to match a necklace she has. Beautiful necklace by Daniele Geargeoura, tempting to just make the same in earrings but have come up with another idea which the customer loves. Will post image when finished.

website www.thejewelleryroom.co.uk contemporary sterling silver jewellery

Friday 9 July 2010

What a week. My daughter has worked with me for 3 days this week at my part time job. This is her first taste of working full days in the real world and she has done really well. I wasn't quite sure how it would work out as she is not so quick to do stuff at home but she has certainly proved herself and they loved her and have asked to do more work. She is rubbing her hands thinking of the money she is going to make for her holidays! (and me too!). The other is going to come with us when she finished school next week and give it a try.

Going to the Youth Group BBQ tonight, in the rain of course!

Have an order to sort out and some jewellery repairs to get done but hoping to design some new pieces next week ............ have an art fair in August and then in September but want some new designs for Christmas.

Wednesday 7 July 2010

Its Wednesday already!
Took my daughter to work today (she spent 2 days glued to the TV, had visions of her being there for the next 8 weeks), they said they would give her some work so she has done her first full days work! Her sweet shop job only gives her 5 hours at a time so this is a taste of the real world!

Sunday 4 July 2010

Somewhere over the rainbow .................

Tuesday 29 June 2010

More resin ..... I have used clear resing and embedded the sterling silver chain in to the piece which has green swarovski crystal beads in it. I need to perfect this but I am quite happy with the results, it sort of offsets the brighter much louder pieces I have made!

Woke up during the night with the thunder and lightening storm, it was very loud and very bright. Our 15 year old got up and wandered around as she didn't like the noise and couldn't sleep ...... I feel knackered as well and its difficult to focus and get things done today but I need to crack on as I am at work tomorrow with the smellies!

Saturday 26 June 2010

Lots of sales going on this week (for me anyway).
A friend needed a 40th birthday present so I sold her a pendant, then there were some easy web sales, a quote to make a pendant with a diamond, some sales to a new shop and some sor sales from another shop and sold a couple of pieces to another friend!

Then things started to break ....... vacuum cleaner broke so bought another one, pump in septic tank broke so we are looking for another one to replace it .... hopefully nothing else for a while.

I messed about with resin today .... had some new ideas and tried them out but they are not quite what I was aiming for ....... will keep experimenting ....

Beautiful sunny day, great evening, husband is cooking curry so I am just going to chill now (kids are not here, both of them, how often does that happen?).

Wednesday 23 June 2010

Have been to work with smellies today. I love going there at the moment, the work is boring but it gives me the chance to think or totally switch off, the pay is terrible but its better than nothing and I can get on with my jewellery on the other days that I am not there .......... had a new shop buy (yes buy, not sor) a few bits from me so hopefully that will be a regualr thing. I have also sold a few bits to friends this week so I must be making things they like for a change.

I made a new ring yesterday, clear resin with green swarovski crystal beads in. I push the silver ring in to the resin as it was hardening .... got it slightly late but it worked, it could just be a bit tidier. Will post image soon.

Monday 21 June 2010

Lip brooch today ...... sold heart brooch and pair of resin earrings immediately they went on the website.
I opened an Etsy shop at the weekend www.etsy.com/shop/DellaC so I am slowly putting my pieces on there. Will let you know how it goes ........
Eldest daughter at home now, she has finished her exams so no school now until Sixth Form in September. She has a job but it will only be one day a week so goodness knows what she is going to do all summer ............... apart from drive me insane!

Friday 18 June 2010

Well this is my 3rd day of 'prettyfying' bath products and it has been interesting. The chat in the room has been great, mainly about the locals, they all know each other, of each other or they know someone who knows someone who knows them. The relationships are so confusing ..... he was with her but they split, they have 2 kids together now he is with whatshername etc etc ......... I love it even though I know none of the people they are talking about. The work is quite numbing but I just keep thinking of the holiday it will pay for and the extra's ........ I have seen a couple more jobs I will apply for but they are full time so less time for my jewellery .........

The image is a brooch I made from recycled materials ......... the concept was an identity tag style with a bar code to de-humanise as our information (like a finger print) is like a product code now ...... I am not a number I am a free man.

Wednesday 16 June 2010

Have been busy making resin jewellery for Saturday. I a doing an Arts Fair in Kirkby Lonsdale in the Institute from 10am to 4pm. Wanted to get a few colour pieces together, sells better and attracts people over to your display!

Have started work at the Bath House today ...... its great working with a group of women and chatting about all sorts of stuff but the work is quite boring ...... however its money and will pay for a holiday this year!

Monday 14 June 2010

These are some resin lips I made ...... not sure what to do with them, a brooch, pendant, key ring?
Went for a run this morning, it was like running through mud, not sure why as I had a good nights sleep ........
Working through some colours for the resin and liking the results, will post the finished pieces later in the week.
Watched a great programme on The Lady magazine last night ...... new editor trying to drag it in to 2010, quite entertaining. I remember looking in it years ago for au pair type jobs for the summer!

Friday 11 June 2010

These bangles are made from recycled sterling silver wire and are one piece of silver. I have made a fastening at the end and the beads are handmade glass and ceramic beads by Emma at www.beadenvy.co.uk

We went to look at some houses today ........ we need to move closer to civilisation but I am having second thoughts. All I could hear was the sound of traffic driving past and that was when I was inside the house!

I guess I will have to compromise but I will put a video up soon of where I live and then people will understand what I mean.

Husband is making me a ruby ruby tonight (a ruby coloured curry, its made with beetroot!). Kids are both out so we will watch a film and get drunk! So irresponsible .......

Thursday 10 June 2010

More resin pieces completed - this is a pendant in a lilac y colour .... think I will do a bigger version as well ..... still looking in to bio resin, need to make sure it is the same to use as my current resin and will react the same to colour etc ......

Wednesday 9 June 2010

So today have made several more resin pieces and now I am beginning to see what will work and what probably won't.

The piece above is a chunk of resin made in a mould that I made and then set in silver like a chunk of semi precious stone.

As I am trying to work with recycled silver (ethical, sustainable route) then I need to look in to bio resin. It is about 4 times more expensive than the resin I use but if my resin work sells well then I will start to use it.

Which leads me on to my little holiday that I have finally booked today. I go away every year with 2 old school friends and kids (my 2, and one of my friends, thother firneds has no children but she is great and really mucks in). We normally go for a few days camping but this year we are off to Ibiza for 5 days!!!!! One of the friends has a house there which she rents out but she is making use of it herself for a change for a few weeks in August and we are going to join her!

Seriously need to sell more jewellery!

These green earrings are made from sterling silver with green resin, there is a leaf print on the silver. The resin kind of spins out from the centre.

Monday 7 June 2010

Its the start of the weekand I am already behind in my quest to contact one gallery/outlet a day to show my new resin rocks range. Not a good start but I will make up for it, I missed two days last week, other things took over.
Last night my youngest daughter had a very high temperature and hallucinated so we all had a bad night. She seems better today but she will probably stay at home today to recover.
I have 2 job applications to fill in so hopefully I will get those done and sent off.
The ring in the picture is another resin one, I used opaque red and dripped blue in to it. I love mxing the colour but I really need to keep a record of what colours I am mixing and how much I am putting i so I can achieve it again! Not my strong point......
Hopefully tomorrow I can report I got my job list for today done ............

Saturday 5 June 2010

In laws are here, they stayed overnight but will leave this afternoon. It's nice to see them but they make such a mess that its always a big clear up when they have gone.

Went to see TINA - There is no alternative - exhibition at the Storey in Lancaster yesterday. I have to say I really didn't get it, if it is art then I am totally lost, I couldn't appreciate any of it!

Sun seems to have disappeared today but hopefully will come back, we haven't had enough of it yet .............

http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/home

I wanted to share this website with you. It is very informative, has constant news and keeps you in touch with (yes mainly the south) what is happening in the ethical fashion world. You just join up to become a member and get on their mailing list.

On the children front or should I say young adults as they are now 15 and 16years old, we had a slight panic last night when I got a call from a friend where my 15 yr old was sleeping over to day that they hadn't come home and it was 11pm. These friends live in the middle of nowhere, on the moors, and her daughter and mine had gone for a walk to the 'Big Stone' (local landmark) about 8pm. For some teenage reason it didn't occur to them to start walking back when it started to go dark! Its about a 2 mile walk but my friend is a single mother with younger kids and couldn't get out to search for them so she called us and we went out. Fortunately by the time we got to her house they were home .......... telling off from both sides about the time etc ...... lots of answering back from her daughter and an apology from mine ........ sorted, sort of!

Other daughter is studying for GCSE's in between Facebook, iTunes and TV.

I am starting to contact outlets about my resin, I want to get in to some better ones this time, ones with a higher footfall, more sales etc etc ...........

Will let you know what happens ........ in all areas ........

3 June 2010

I am really pleased with my resin work, I have attached some images for you to see so I hope you like them too.
I have just heard about bio-resin which is a natural non toxic alternative to yukky resin but the price is quite high, about 4 times more than the one I buy. Its rather frustrating that a more natural alternative so much more expensive. In contrast I recently came across a supplier of 100% recycled metals which I am now buying to make my jewellery which is exactly the same price as the supplier I normally buy from.

23 May 2010

Have applied for a part time job ..... definitely need the money but hoping that the combination of work will be good ...... what a gorgeous day yesterday .... we managed to clear our attic out and enjoy the rest of the day. A job well done, 15 years of junk now sorted.

Of to uni tomorrow, got a few resin things to do, need to take down my exhibition at Hoopers and see the tutor ......

20 May 2010

I have been working hard on new designs for resin jewellery ..... its still a learning curve but I quite like where I am going with it.

I have some great ring and pendant designs and probably a bangle but I need some earring designs ..... back to the sketchbook.

I am a bit clueless as to the difference btween polyester / clear / casting resin? I have bought polyester in the past. Does it make any difference?

Going outside to mow and chill with the ipod for some fresh air ........

20 May 2010

No blogs since last September!
The degree course, travelling to uni, family and holding on to the website has been all consuming .........I can't believe the academic year is almost over ..... really need to breath now.