Lovely hardware...

Not usually described this way but it very much explains my newest necklace.
I made the earrings above recently, Coal Earrings, and I loved how smokey and charcoal like they were, especially the great oxidized earwires and I really wanted to mimic this in a necklace to match.


I found these great horseshoe shaped findings, in a great shiny black steel - which looks just perfect against the grey lucite beads that I used in the earrings. I love this necklace (even if I do say so myself) its edgy, dark, wintery but also delicate, lustrous and feminine.

I've got more designs coming using the little horseshoes, including a snowy creation using little white flowers and rosey pink copper.

For now the Coal Necklace and Coal Earrings are in my Etsy shop, the earrings are also in my Folksy and now also my Coriandr shop.

I just opened my Coriandr shop today! It is a new handmade site, but based in the UK so all prices are in pounds sterling. I believe they are also working on Euros and US Dollars, I will update here when they introduce other currencies.

xx

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7 Things - Tagged!

I have been tagged by British Cream Tea (maker of calorie free felty cakes, sweets and biscuits!).


So I am now required to complete 7 things about myself ;)

The rules are as follows:

1. Link to your tagger and list all these rules in your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by including links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.


So - my 7 random facts about me:

1. I'm left handed and I have neat writing. I never understand why people assume that left handedness means that you have to have bad handwriting.

2. I have a horrendous sweet tooth. I love pick and mix, I'm a bit of a child about it. My favourites are foam shrimps, foam bananas and coconut rolls.

3. I haven't done any exercise for about 6 years but splendidly I'm still a size 10 (I'm sure it will catch up with me at some point).

4. I'm only on number 4 of this and I have run out of things to say that aren't totally embarrassing or boring.

5. I hate spiders, insects - any kind of creepy crawly. The thing I hate most about them is looking at them close up, there is a spider living outside our kitchen window and I have a very clear view of it every time I go in there and its gross.

6. It took me 4 attempts over a 4 year period to pass my driving test, I lost count of how many lessons I had.

7. I secretly think I am really bad at blogging, but I am trying to be better!

so now.... I tag:


Debsmuddle - www.debrasargeant.blogspot.com
Felt Me Up Designs - www.feltmeupdesigns.blogspot.com
Kala - www.karenjinks.blogspot.com
Incy Wincy Togs - www.incywincytogs.blogspot.com
The House of Mouse - www.fortheloveofcute.blogspot.com
Tina Mammoser - www.tina-m.blogspot.com
Angharad - www.angharadhandmade.blogspot.com


:)

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button update

Its been a while since I've mentioned anything about my vintage button adventures (if you count sitting on the bed counting out buttons into little bags an adventure!).

Being as I had such a large, random lot I have been uncovering some real gems along the way, which always makes it more fun. Amongst my favourite ones so far are these cornflower buttons - such a great shade of blue. They are in the shop right now, I only have what is listed so once they are gone they are never to be seen again!


My button stash is looking smaller each week so I am hoping to source some more vintage buttons for my shop, hopefully as great as the buttons I've already had.

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Inspiration

I've been creating a lot of amber coloured jewellery, quite a typical autumn colour, which I love.

I snapped this on a walk last week and I love the light yellow autumn leaves, which is not a colour I would have previously thought of as being very autumnal. It has given me some great ideas for new jewellery, I also love the contrast with the blue sky (which is sadly very grey today!)

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Caramel, Amber, Orange, Golden...

I've been very autumnal recently, lots of lovely amber colours are in my Etsy shop.
I have also made a nice batch of Onion Marmalade this weekend - which has turned out really well. Which is good because the last time I tried it turned out like pickled onions!


You need:
4 large white onions (you can use red)
20g butter
125g brown sugar
100ml cider vinegar

Chop up onions as finely as you can - I find it is best to cut them into rings so you get nice 'ribbons' of onion in your chutney, but you can also dice them too.
Melt the butter in a casserole dish or pan with a lid. The lid part is important so the onions can steam with the lid on and soften.
Add onions once the butter is melted and stir to coat the onions in the butter, fry for a few minutes and then pop the lid on and leave for 20mins to soften, stir a few times in between.
Once the onions are all very soft, fry for a few more minutes with the lid off to add some colour.
Add the sugar and stir, when the sugar dissolves boil rapidly for about 5mins to caramelise the onions.
Add the vinegar and continue to boil for about 5mins.
Season with salt and pepper (if you have white pepper this is better as it won't leave black flecks in your marmalade).
Leave to cool for a few minutes and then ladle into sterlised jam jars.
Keeps for about 2months, once opened store in the fridge.

I am thinking of using this as a base for chili marmalade once the rest of our cayenne chili peppers have ripened.

On another note I have some new earrings in the shop, some caramel coloured mini hoops and my newest creation (below) which is as yet unnamed! Both in a lovely amber autumn colour made from nuggets of glass.

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Red

I was pleased to be featured in this brilliant red Treasury which made it to the front page of Etsy this morning. My cherry frost bracelet was part of this lovely selection. Always a good start to the day!
*click on the photo to see a larger version

xx

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far away..

I've been admiring this Etsy shop for a while, whimsyandspice, and I don't know why I keep torturing myself by returning to it. Their products look fabulous and I am marvelling at their beautiful photography. I want to fly to the US just so I can have a parcel of their chocolatey brownies and fluffy marshmallows (it would also be an excellent excuse to go on holiday too of course).

I like their website too, a great example of perfect marketing which is something you don't see very often I think. And their products are just a little bit different too but without trying too hard, a black pepper cookie or a hazlenut chocolate whisky cookie sandwich anyone?

I urge you to order if you live in the US and relish in the fact that you can buy something, but just don't tell me about it because I will be jealous. ;)

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and relax....

We took delivery of our new sofa yesterday, and oh my its comfortable. I recommend that everyone buys a corner sofa, they are really really really comfy.

cushion by quiltification

Now we have a nice new sofa in the living room I have been thinking about the rest of the living room, I love interiors and I think these would be great for our cosy space.

Fallen by teaforbini

Autumn Maple Leaf luminary by paperplanet (I love that it is called a luminary!)

xx

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all new

Happily I've recently had a creative spurt and I've been creating new things for the last week or so, which is brilliant as I had a funny little 'jewellers block' before that, which was very frustrating.

I'm really enjoying getting stuck into the autumn and winter seasons now, and its even better now that its looking a lot more seasonal outside.

First of all I have a new website, here.
I'm really pleased with how it has turned out, thank you to my other half for designing it - please have a look at his website, sensesstudios.

New pieces are in my Etsy shop, among my favourite are these Coal Earrings made with dark oxidized silver and soft grey lucite beads. I have recently received some beautiful new earring wires from Metamorph on Etsy and they look just great with my vintage beads, I love handmade findings.

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