Friday 26 February 2016

Pearls and necklaces

It is so cold today... and as I have been making some summer necklaces recently, its been a little bit surreal! Pictures have been done, so here is a preview of some of my upcoming necklaces and pendants, shown on our new sea-theme design board:



These will be added to my Etsy shop soon.

Gem Trivia

The largest pearl ever found was the Pearl of Allah – now known as the Pearl of Lao Tzu – and was discovered in the Philippines. It is not, technically, a gem but is instead a 'clam pearl' from a giant clam. The pearl measures 24 centimetres in diameter (just over 9 inches) and weighs around 6.4 kilos (14lbs) Imagine that on your finger!

Today's Quote:

Creativity takes courage – Henri Matisse










Creativity takes courage.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes_of_the_day_2.html
Creativity takes courage.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes_of_the_day_2.html

Monday 22 February 2016

Tranquil sea

Spaniel and St. Bernard dog earrings are now back in the shop, and some new breeds are coming soon, so watch this space! 

Because I haven't posted a local picture lately, how about this tranquil  beach hut scene from Rose Bay Country?




Gem trivia:
Did you know that the only gemstone found so far in meteorites is Peridot?

And I'll leave you with this thought:

If you do nothing, then nothing will change.

Sunday 14 February 2016

Hearts and Anniversaries

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I hope you have a lovely day!


Today, instead of some gem trivia I thought I would give you a list of anniversaries and the items associated with them.

The list came from here if you would like to read more about this subject.


Wedding Anniversary: Traditional Gifts by Year

Year of Marriage
Traditional Gift
Modern
1st
Paper
Clocks
2nd
Cotton
China
3rd
Leather
Crystal & glass
4th
Fruit, Flowers
Electrical appliances
5th
Wood
Silverware
6th
Iron
Wood
7th
Copper
Desk sets
8th
Bronze
Linen
9th
Pottery
Leather
10th
Tin
Diamond jewelry
11th
Steel
Fashion jewelry
12th
Silk
Pearls
13th
Lace
Textiles
14th
Ivory
Gold jewelry
15th
Crystal
Watches
16th
Silver Holloware

17th
Furniture

18th
Porcelain

19th
Bronze

20th
China
Platinum
21st
Brass

22nd
Copper

23rd
Silver plate

24th
Musical instruments

25th
Silver
Silver
30th
Pearl
Diamond
40th
Ruby
Ruby
50th
Gold
Gold
60 & 75th
Diamond



Saturday 6 February 2016

Bracelet yourself!

Some of my new bracelets have been posted on my Etsy shop, and have been garnering a certain amount of interest. This one is adjustable and went up today:



I have 100 posts on Instagram! Well, there were actually a few others but some of the early pictures weren't very good so I ended up deleting them. Don't tell anybody though...

Weekends are usually my best chance of making things, and so far I have made some blue necklaces, a pair of steampunk earrings and a cute summer bracelet for myself. Well, I need to be my own advert, don't I? :o)

Gemstone Trivia:
Painite was recorded by the Guiness Book of Records in 2005 as the world's rarest gemstone mineral. It was first discovered in Myanmar (Burma) in the 1950's by British minralogist Arhtur C. D. Pain.

I will leave you with this thought -

Follow your heart. But take your brain with you.


Tuesday 2 February 2016

Size does matter!

I have been working on some new bracelets and shall start listing them this week. I don't tend to make a lot of bracelets for online selling as I always find that size is an issue. You either have to choose a size to make, and hope the customer that likes your item also happens to fit that size – and many people don't even know what their size is! Or, you can use a style that encompasses several sizes, which is usually what I go for, but its a bit restrictive on originality. Sometimes, I make one style in two or three sizes, but you still have to hope that it will fit your customer, which isn't ideal, either. And that option isn't all that practical, since a lot of my items are one-off designs. Anyway, if you would like a little preview of the latest selection take a look at the picture below. 


These will be popping up on my Etsy page over the next week or so, and if anyone has any ideas for making adjustable bracelets, I would love to hear them!

Gemstone Trivia:
A diamond generally takes between 1 billion and 3.3 billion years to form. What a staggering length of time!

Today's Quote:
Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.

  – Vincent Van Gogh