Coming back!

Hello to all my followers :) Just wanted to do a quick update to say I'll be back into full blogging mode again shortly - sorry for the recent absence.

Hopefully I'll have lots to show, as my Mum has asked me to do a Jewellery party for her in July, so busy, busy, busy!!

In the meantime, please pop on over to 1st Unique Gifts and have a look at Handmade Monday and all the fabulous crafter's blogs on there. I hope to be taking part fully next week!

Thanks xx

It's a Button of a dilema!

I have recently inherited an absolutely fabulous vintage button collection. Great I hear you all say!! Well, it would be, but I haven't the foggyist idea what to do with them!

There is quite a selection of them, all lovely sorted into colours and then handsewn onto card to keep them all organised. I have taken a few photos of the best of them, but as you can see there are hundreds!

There are loads more pictures, but I don't want to block everyones browsers! Anyway, I am after ideas please. I would love to use some of them in my jewellery, but am lacking inspiration - also any other ideas I could use them for would be very gratefully recevied!

Some of them are pretty lovely aren't they - What's your idea???

Handmade Monday

What a lovely day it was yesterday here in the South West of England. I spent most of the day in the garden and pottering about outside. Luckily the previous days were miserable, giving me plenty of indoor time to make some jewllery!

Just a couple of quick makes this week, but I was struck with inspiration to make a fruity lemon/lime style necklace, well short of using real fruit I think these Murano style glass beads capture the 'taste' quite well!

 I can't wait for summer to come so I can wear it!

Having found my Murano beads, I thought I'd make another necklace for those not so sunny days..

Which one do you like best?

Please also pop on over to 1st Unique Gifts to check out all the other talented crafters' makes for this Handmade Monday, and don't forget the auction for Cancer Research UK at Angels and Diamonds - details in my previous entry.

Thanks for reading xx

Cancer Research UK Auction 2011

Lucie from Angels and Diamonds is holding an auction for Cancer research this week for some of her fabulous jewellery. Please pop along to her facebook page and support this cause by bidding on an item (or two!!). Along with supporting the charity, you'll also be grabbing yourself some beautiful jewellery.

Plenty of others crafters have also supported the cause by donating some very creative stylish pieces. I have donated this beautiful bracelet as my Grandad sadly passed away to cancer last year - I'm also seriously tempted by some of the other things in the auction!!

Full details are below - Good luck everyone!

CANCER RESEARCH UK AUCTION 2011 – ANGELS AND DIAMONDS

Start date: Saturday 12^th March – 9am

End date: Sunday 20^th March - 7pm

Where: www.facebook.com/angelsanddiamonds

Albums: cancer research auction

How it works.

On my Facebook page, in the photo albums there is an album called ‘Cancer Research UK Auction’ each item up for auction is listed here (this will be updated every day until the start date). The starting bid price will be listed under the photo, as well as details of the item and details of who donated it (if it’s not one of my items). Bids to be made in increments of 50p and £’s. not 10’s and pennies please.

When the auction ends I will contact each winner individually. If you haven’t heard from me within 24 hours then please send me a message (it may well be that you have high privacy settings set on your page which prevents me from emailing you).

My contact details:

My facebook page:  lucie porter (Simmons) http://www.facebook.com/#!/lucie82

My email address: lucie.simmons@live.com or angelsanddiamonds@hotmail.co.uk

My phone number: 07769166166

What will be in the auction?

There will be many items up for auction.  Mainly jewellery (handmade by myself).  Some items are custom makes so at the end of the auction I will contact you to find out your preferences.

35% of the proceeds will be donated to Cancer Research.

Feature item:

I will be donating a feature item of which 100% of the proceeds will be donated to cancer research UK.

Items donated by others:

100% of the proceeds will be donated. There will be a link to the webpage of the person who has so kindly donated.

Payment:

Payments made through Paypal to Lucie.simmons@live.com

Bacs transfer is also accepted. If you wish to pay this way, please let me know at the end of the auction.

Payment is to be made within 24 hours of the end of auction.

How can you help?

By sharing my page with your friends/family/colleagues.  The more people that turn up to the auction the better.

Any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks for reading xx

Handmade Monday

Hello lovely followers, it's Monday again so please pop on over to Wendy's blog at 1st Unique Gifts to have a read and see what other crafters have been up to this week.

I have been very busy this week making a gorgeous commission - however I cannot show it as the recipient has not received it yet and they might read the blog!! I promise to take pictures though and post as soon as I have the go ahead :)

I have found a tiny bit of spare time however to make the piece of jewellery that I plan to giveaway when I reach 50 followers, so if you're not following already then please do, and pass the word out so I can reach 50 as soon as possible and launch the giveaway for this beautiful Swarovski pendant:

This really is a sparkler of a piece and is finished with a sterling silver bail and chain. It's quite large as well, measuring 27mm. The shape is called Galactic and it is Aquamarine in colour - perfect for the spring season!

Please get following and not forgetting to have a nosey at 1st Unique Gifts blog for some Monday reading.

Thanks for reading x

Handmade Monday

Wasn't able to take part last week, but am back participating in Handmade Monday over at 1st Unique Gifts. Please pop over to Wendy's blog and have a read of all the other blogs taking part and see some of the fabulous work that has been created this week :)

I've been pretty busy this week and not had much time for jewellery, however I did have a go at a couple of things that are not normally my style. I love working with sterling silver and gemstones, but thought I'd have a rummage through my stash again and try my hand at some different styles.

Firstly I made this lovely necklace using some old pink and metal beads I had lying around, finished off with some beautiful stripey ribbon I found. I've never used ribbon in a piece before and am very happy with the final look of the piece - will be lovely for spring/summer!

The second piece I made was a two strand bracelet with freshwater pearls and Czech beads. I love the rose clasp on this which I bought ages ago and completely forgot I had! I think this looks quite vintage and hopefully it'll sell :)

I've got a few projects on at the moment with commissions and restringing for a colleague, but hope to have some more pieces to show later in the week.

Also I today ordered the centre piece of my planned 50 follower giveaway competition which will soon be launched - keep your eyes peeled for more information coming soon :)

Thanks for reading x

Handmade Monday

Handmade Monday is a lovely way to share what handmade items fellow bloggers have been working on all week. Wendy at 1st Unique Gifts started this a few weeks ago, and since I have this Monday off work, thought I'd take part :)

I've tried something completely different this week and am quite chuffed with the result! I was online buying some silver chain for an order I have at work and discovered at check out that there was a minimum spend! Normally I click off and find another site to purchase from, but really whilst having a mooch found something that intrigued me - so bought it!

What do you think of my very first watch...

The watch face is the item I purchased, and I have used some sterling silver chain with Swarovski crystals added along it for the strap. It does up with a lobster clasp and sits beautifully on the wrist.

It does slip round the wrist occasionally, so will have to try and find a way to counter this in future, but if I move it just below my wrist so it slightly sits on my hand, it doesn't move at all :)

While you're over at 1st Unique Gifts, have a look at all the other blogs taking part and add them to your blog reading list if not done all ready!

By the way, I plan to do a 50 follower giveaway when I get to that magic number, so watch this space for an announcement shortly :)

Thanks for reading x