The finished article in more detail

Here is the 3D triangular shaped beaded toggle clasp of said finished article, a bit closer up and a little bit more in focus (I think!).

At last - the finished article!

Here it is at long last! I apologise this pic is a little fuzzy to start with, my photographic skills are not the best and I'm just using my camera phone!
Anyway this is the finished pendant necklace I've been working on for quite some time (I dread to think the hours put into it actually), but I'm extremely pleased with the end result. With the fastening (close-up pic in next post) I decided I wanted it in keeping with the rest of the intricate and detailed beading in the rest of the piece so chose to do a beaded toggle clasp, using the same seeds (crystal and smokey grey) as used in the rest of the necklace. It's a 3D triangular shaped toggle, fastens very well and secure - I've been wearing it since I finished it at 4.30 today, hauling about my 2yr old twins and unpacking the car, and it's shown no signs of feeling like it's about to come undone - so I'm glad I took the time to think about what kind of fastening to go for and the end result; it has added to the quality of the intricate beading I think! Anyway, I hope for those of you who may have been watching for this, it's been worth the wait - I'd appreciate your comments. Thanks for reading! (Oh by the way this piece COULD be up for sale, the price tag has to reflect the hard work and time I've put in, but for the time being I'm going to enjoy it for myself!) Jo x

I've been on holiday!

Hey all my followers, just a quickie to say I've not been around for about 3 weeks, bn on hol for two of those; and the past week since returning home has disappeared and I ain't got much to show for it I'm afraid! I did however get to make a necklace while on holiday, but forgot to photograph it - hopefully I could pinch it back for a pic as it was for my bro's girlfriend's birthday! Plus I made 'half' a necklace last week (pic to follow) 3 strand on black cord and using 4mm cubes strung onto the cord, with a pendant of a beaded square using peyote stitch in the cubes. The pendant is lovely and I kinda like it being strung on the cord, but lost my way after that and can't decide how to finish it. It'll be for sale regardless!

Necklace progress part 2!

Here is the finished neck band which I finally completed last night! This goes with the previously posted red/silver pendant which I showed you a pic of last week, or so!
I've made it using tubular netting in crystal and silver/grey size 11s, embellished with a spiral of red size 11s. The middle section where the pendant will be attached, and the ends where the clasp will be, is even-count tubular peyote stitch, using the crystal and silver/grey beads.
I'm now trying to decide what kind of fastening I want to use - I'm thinking of making a beaded bead and loop; watch this space though!
I'm off on holiday a week tomorrow, in my parents' caravan with the family, down to a lovely site on the coast just outside Kirkcudbright in Dumfries & Galloway - will be away for 2 weeks; and thoroughly looking forward to a lovely break, doing some fun stuff and livin' it up all on top of each other - can't wait!!!!

8 things

Hi all, the lovely Rachel at www.jivesjools.blogspot.com (please go have a look at her lovely work) has so very kindly tagged me for this new post! She's asked me to fill out the survey below on '8 things', sounds like a good way to get to know everyone and promote our blogs a bit more! It'd be fab if you can read on to see my '8 things' and then everybody I've tagged give it a go too!!!

The rules:
Mention the person who's tagged you
Fill in the lists of 8 things yourself
Tag 8 bloggers of your choice
Let them know they've been tagged

Here's my lists of 8:

8 things I'm looking forward to:

1. my holiday in 2 weeks time - caravan holiday with my kiddies and parents, down to Kirkcudbright in Dumfriesshire
2. taking some of my jewellery to a newly opened art&craft shop in my town for her to try selling for me
3. my son's school show tonight
4. 6 weeks of not having to get up for school run
5. running my jewellery stall at a busy craft fair in november
6. finding out if a friend of a friend wants me to make her bridal tiara, plus another 5 for her bridesmaids
7. getting my twin daughters toilet-trained and out of nappies
8. my daughters starting nursery in January

8 things I did yesterday:

1. went to matalan for some holiday clothes for my girls
2. spent too much money!
3. had lunch at my mum and dad's house
4. organised jewellery to take to the local shop for sale
5. filled in a job application form online
6. had an MSN chat night with my very special group of babyloss friends
7. had peace from my girls for a bit as my fabby friend Emma wanted to have them
8. laughed at my husband, his brother and sister who played Rockband last night

8 things I wish I could do:

1. get a successful business up and running with my mum, designing and making bridal and special occasion outfits and jewellery
2. win the lottery (helps if I bought a ticket though)
3. be able to afford a 7 seater car
4. find my husband a job that makes him happy
5. get rid of the excema that my daughters suffer from
6. have somebody to do all the diy jobs round the house for free
7. find a prevention for babyloss
8. control the weather

8 things I watch:

1. Lost
2. EastEnders
3. The Apprentice (although finished now)
4. Big Brother
5. Britain's Got Talent (yep that's finished too I know)
6. Masterchef
7. Deadliest Catch (really my hubby who watches this, but I kinda like it too - strange aren't I?!)
8. In The Night Garden (can you see a pattern forming here? I don't get to watch much TV for myself! This one's for my girls, honest, I can't stand it!)

8 people I'm tagging:

1. Emma at http://mrsgiraffe.blogspot.com
2. Alison at http://amidesignsjewellery.blogspot.com
3. Gill at http://beadography.blogspot.com
4. Steph at http://honeybootique.blogspot.com
5. Aimee at http://teenyaims.blogspot.com
6. Jo at http://joliciousjewellery.blogspot.com
7. Kristin at http://ksjewellerydesigns.blogspot.com
8. Ana at http://anabaird.blogspot.com


Have fun and keep this going!

Jo xxx

Necklace pendant - work in progress!

This is the finished pendant of a necklace I'm currently making. It's a design from a Bead&Button book, called (something like) Stich Sampler Necklace - basically incorporating quite a few different stitches, hence the name! I chose to make mine using red bugles, plus 3 different colours of size 11 seeds - crystal, silver/grey and red. There's also 3mm and 4mm bicone crystals in there too! I'm now onto the neck band which is made with tubular netting and peyote using all 3 colours of the size 11s. It may take a while for the next instalment on here, as it's quite a time-consuming project, although luckily I'm finding it quite easy to do, and thoroughly enjoying! Please do let me know what you think, and thank you for your time. Jo x

Bracelet

This is a bracelet I made ages ago, in a wavy rope design, using size 11 blue seeds and 8mm faceted teal beads, the clasp is a silver toggle. A very pretty little piece, if I may say so myself!

A colour blend necklace

This is a necklace I made a while ago, 8 strands using 5 co-ordinating colours of size 11s, from dark blue through to lime green, threaded onto tigertail and the fastening is a multi-strand end-bar.

I've taken the design from a pattern in a Bead&Button book, and to be honest it took me longer to choose my colours and make sure I had enough of each, than it did for me to make the necklace! It was good fun doing this piece though, and I wear it quite a bit! Please let me know what you think, and thank you for your time.

At last - a new make!

I'm very pleased with how this bracelet has turned out - this is the re-make I'd tried on my loom a few weeks ago, but it just didn't feel and look right.

I used brick-stitch, with 4 colours of 4mm cubes, then with a rope edging using purple size 11s then added a beaded bead for the toggle to go through the gap - this was a little tricky working this but I got there! I'm not convinced however if I've attached the toggle securely to stay through the hole; I may re-think this and try another idea. In the meantime I'd love to hear your comments! Thank you for your time.

I'm so rubbish, me!

Sorry folks for not being about much recently - everything you could possibly imagine is going on, somewhere, somehow, in my life atm, it's crazy. Anyhow just wanted to say I am still here but hovering in the background atm as just so busy. Mostly with my best mate Mrs Giraffe helping her through her trials and tribulations just now; plus waiting for news on the job front. Had an interview last week which I don't think I've got as I would've heard by now; so hoping for news on getting my old job back sooner than planned to help with the flow of dosh (hubby made redundant but starts new job next wk, on less salary unfortunately).

Plus I've been busy sorting enrolment for my girls starting nursery in January (OMG!) plus my son's emergency dental treatment, poor soul. But hopefully it's fixed now and he'll be back to his normal self soon, been suffering with it recently. My hunnie.

Apart from that I'm sitting around twiddling my thumbs with nowt to do ... yeah right! I've got loads of jewellery makes (new and old) that I want to get posted on here and tell you all how I've made it and see what you think; but any time I try to sit down with a cuppa for 5 minutes, either I get jumped on by one of my little darlings, or the phone rings, or something is spilled, or I see (yet another) job I've not yet done ... then I get back to my cold cup of tea ... oh the joys of life!

PLEASE keep your faith in me - that is if you haven't already given up - I WILL post some new stuff on here as soon as I possibly can!!! Thank you all for reading anyway, Jo xxx

Another bracelet

This is a bracelet I made about a year or so ago, using brick stitch and teal/purple size 8 beads, then added some fringing to the edges using size 11s in same colours. The fastening is just a basic press-stud sewn on. I love this, it sits like a snug cuff bracelet, and of course with my two fave colours together! Another work-in-progress bracelet I'm doing now using lilac/lavender 4mm cubes will hopefully end up similar to this style, but with different edging. Watch this space! Please let me know what you think of this piece, and thanks again for your time! Jo x [not for sale]

A new make!

Finally, I've finished one of my many 'work in progress' pieces! Here it is - a jump ring bracelet with a variety of pink and purple beads on each jump ring; and using a silver toggle clasp to fasten it. Very pretty I think, and I shall endeavour to make more of these in different colour schemes to sell. Let me know what you think ... and thanks for your time! Jo x [not for sale]

Blog giveaway!

Just thought I'd draw the attention of my fellow jewellery makers to a fabby blog giveaway!

http://muranosilver.blogspot.com

Get over there, have a look and get your name in - it closes on 30th April. Good luck! Jo x

Some good news to add!

Just wanted to share my exciting news - which will bring me an extremely busy rest-of-the-year, esp if I've got to somehow fit in a return to full-time work ...

Anyway I've managed to book a stall at a Christmas Craft Fair (at the beginning of November) to sell my jewellery at!!! This is an extremely popular fair, barely room to move, and in aid of a local hospice (which is close to my heart as my grandpa was looked after by them before he died in 1992) which in my opinion is a very good cause!

So my mum (also a jewellery maker and VERY good dressmaker, specialising in bridal and special occasion wear using 100% silk - please get in contact if this is of any interest to you and you have a need!!!) and I will be getting busy making new items using our new semi-precious stones, and we also want to stock up on some lovely new lampwork beads we've been eyeing up on various websites - so going to be making some special stuff and bumping up our prices!!! Wish us luck ....

And fingers crossed that my fabby mate Emma (mrs giraffe's bloggy) will get a stall secured at this event too to sell her lush cards ... in case you hadn't guessed we live locally to each other ... as in 3 doors away!!! lol

Jo xxx

Several projects on the go!

Morning all! Sorry nothing new to post on here yet, I've been busy trying to sort jobs between myself and hubby (redundancy looming) - I'm quietly confident one, or both, of us will get something out of the many jobs applied for.

In terms of jewellery making, atm I'm trying to make several things, but nothing's anywhere near finished to post on here ... firstly there's my loomwork bracelet (in previous post) which I've now undone and re-making using brick stitch. Only a few rows done so far but colour scheme looking good and it's very tactile!

Then there's my necklace using blue size 12 delicas and crystal faceted 6mm beads made into a star shape - lots of these joined together using jump rings. One star made so far - I wanted to be sure I like the colour scheme before I continue ... I may even make a pair of matching earrings.

Last night I started a 'chainmail' bracelet - lots of jump rings linked together, with a small bead threaded onto each one. I'm using different shaped pinks and purples for this one. I've finished the length of it, now just adding more to bulk it out and make it chunky!

Lots more ideas being stored in the brain, but no time to jot them down never mind start making! What I often find easier when dreaming up a new creation is to gather the beads and findings together for a project (I use old cleaned food pots, i.e. couscous or marg tubs, to keep these all in one place) - that way if I run out of time, which is often the case, to actually start making it, at least I've done the choosing process of what I want to use - I find this takes me longer than I anticipate!

Hope everybody else is getting plenty beading time - child-free and no other distractions!!!

Jo x

Loom work

I started to make this bracelet on my bead loom using 4 colours of 4mm cubes in 3 rows.

Unfortunately when I took it off the loom after weaving mall sections of thread at each end, gluing, tidying loose ends etc, I discovered it was too loose and slack for me to be comfortable adding the clasp and wearing it.

So I've decided to undo it all and re-make by hand using brick stitch, wider than 3 cubes and a different fastening.

I'll be sure to post a pic of take 2!

After many failed attempts ...

I have finally mastered tubular peyote stitch - I don't have a clue what I was doing wrong all the other times, but it all just clicked into place last week!

So here it is, just a little sampler to get it going - I used cream, orange and brown seed beads in a section just over an inch long, trying to close it in at each end by decreasing by a bead for each row, finished it off and then wondered what on earth to do with it!!!

So I thought I'd try it on a memory wire bracelet with some colour co-ordinated beads either side - orange discs, two-tone cream/brown rounds and cream tumble chips ... and there you have it! I'm determined to master some more stitches in the coming weeks (a bit of a beginner at these) including African Helix and Dutch Spiral which have got the better of me several times now!

Please tell me what you think of this one though .... thank you for your time!

[this is for sale]

Some earrings!

These are what I call my octopus earrings, as you'll see! [These are for sale]

Oops I've not been on here for a couple of days, sorry! I can't even say I've been all that busy to stop me posting on my blog or having a look to see what fellow crafters have been doing; but at the same time I don't seem to have sat down and relaxed either!

I have however started making something in cream, orange and brown seed beads using tubular peyote stitch - I just haven't decided what it's actually going to be made into!

I'll get some more jewellery pics on here tomorrow hopefully for all to see, but I'll go browse thru my pics currently on laptop to see if I've got anything to post now...

I'm new to this!

Welcome everyone who has kindly chosen to come look at my jewellery blog - thank you for your time!
I've only just started my blog this week and still finding my way around here; and at the moment only have 3 pieces of jewellery for you to look at - but please bear with me as I will endeavour to post something new to see every day!
I've got masses of jewellery already made to show off, but have hit a bit of a mental block just now in terms of designing new pieces, never mind actually sitting down to make them - more to do with my 2yr old twin girls climbing on me even as I type this! Plus it's school holiday just now so I also have my 7yr old son at home to entertain etc etc! They're good kids really and well behaved so I can't complain too much! But why oh why can't SOMEBODY give me an extra day each week - child-free and housework-free of course - to devote to playing with my beads and being creative?! What bliss that would be!
Anyway I appreciate if you've taken the time to look me up and see what I've made here - please visit again to see more of my creations. By the way, most of my jewellery is on sale but I need to set up a PayPal account or something - but please let me know if you're interested in buying anything you see here! I'll comment on each photo to say whether it's for sale or not.
I'm also having great fun finding fellow beaders out there and adding myself as a follower to your blogs, and so far seen some fantastic inspiring work, so thanks to you all as well for giving me food for thought!
Jo xxx

My entry for the Jewellery Challenge

This necklace I made is a multi-strand with crystal, orange and red seeds threaded on white Nymo thread, with large chunky orange disc beads in between each section of colour. At the bottom is another large orange disc with red seed tassles as the pendant. The strands lead up into silver cones with a large patterned toggle clasp to finish.

I'm entering this necklace for the Jewellery Challenge #7 which closes on Sunday - fingers crossed!

[This is for sale]

Memory wire set

This is one of my memory wire sets comprising necklace with pendant, bracelet and earrings, all in co-ordinating amber and bitter chocolate seeds, cubes and larger beads for the pendant. [This is for sale]

First pic! This is my tiara I made for my own wedding last year! I used two colours (silver and purple) of wire wound onto a tiara band, twisted corkscrews and spikes with Swarovski crystals entwined into them - very asymmetrical and random (a bit like me!). For my first attempt ever at a tiara I was extremely pleased with the result and proud to wear my handywork on my big day! Look out for pics of all the rest of the wedding jewellery, also made by me! [This is NOT for sale]