New Cherry Blossom Bud jewellery

I haven't stopped wearing my cherry blossom bud necklace that I made for myself. I hung it on a really long 70cm chain. Although I can slip such a long chain over my head, I finished the chain with a catch and one of my teeny logo tags.

I am also wearing one of the rings made from a twig cast from my tree.

A longer set of buds worked beautifully as a bangle.

There are a couple more pieces to come, some hallmarking to do, and I will be getting this collection in  my Etsy shop soon.

Country Living Spring Fair.

Such a treat to get up to town for a day out with a friend. We visited the Country Living Spring Fair at the Business Design Centre. I didn't take too many pictures. Here's a few to give you a taste.

There was a whole indoor garden.

Spring lambs.

Pretty, quirky goods by Ashley Thomas Ltd.

Find her website here.

The typewriter cushion can be personalised with your own message.

Gorgeous handmade ceramics by Rachel Dormor. 

I wish I could afford a cupboard full of these.

A perfect cream colour, a perfect blue, and such attractive shapes.

Rachel sells on Madebyhandonline like me, you can see her page here.

You can visit her website here.

Beautiful subtle and neutral crochet and linen by Namolio 

(who said I could use her lovely images).

You can find her Etsy shop here.

and there is lots to see on her Facebook page here.

It was nice to catch up with some jeweller chums, and get a feel for a different kind of show. Doing a five day show is a huge commitment, financially,  stock preparation wise, in terms of time out of studio, and in my case with childcare to consider.  It's the last day of the show today, I bet there will be some weary makers heading home tonight. I will think long and hard about this one!

A special place in my heart

Some of you folk that follow me on Facebook and via my blog, might remember that I had my house on the market last year. Divorce forcing a reluctant sale of somewhere I love so much. I found some buyers, but frustratingly because of the Mr., the sale could not complete. Nearly a year later, the divorce is buttoned up and the sale can finally go ahead. The buyers were still waiting, with their fingers crossed, and now my home will become theirs and I am sure they will have some very happy times here with their brood as I did.

One of the many things that I will be sad to leave, is my ornamental cherry tree. I have always loved cherry blossom and look forward to the time of the year when it bursts into bloom.

When I moved to this house, it was on my wish list to have a tree that once a year would get covered in beautiful blossoms. When we bought the house it needed lots of work. One of the last things we did was to re-do the front garden. Finally I could get my blossoming tree. The tree is extra special because it was bought for me for my birthday by my brother and his family.

Here it is going in the ground. It was a big event. Happy memories.

Here it is in full bloom.

Right now the buds are just getting ready to burst forth. I love the fact that each year there is often one day when you go out in the morning and the tree is bare, but if the sun is warm and bright all day, you can come home in the evening to lots of beautiful, palest pink, blossom.

I'm moving on from a big part of my life. This house holds so many memories. The buds and branches of my beautiful tree have been cast in solid silver so I can take a piece of my blossom tree with me and treasure it forever. 

Don't the silver buds look beautiful?

When I move to my new nest with my two boys, I will be sure to plant a new tree. A symbolic putting down of our roots.

i gigi

I recently treated myself to a new book.

It's a coffee table type book, full of lovely muted images of beautiful and interesting objects. It's called 'a life less ordinary' and it's by Zoe Ellison and Alex Legendre.

Zoe and Alex are the founders of i gigi General Store, a lifestyle store in Hove on the South Coast of England. I have been a fan of their style for sometime, following them on Facebook, and especially on  Pinterest where their many pinned images really inspire.

As you can see, the inside of the book is a visual treat. It's hard back and printed on matt paper. Some pages of text are printed on are tracing paper, and there are a few small envelopes that open to reveal a tiny card inside. 

 

For me it's all about the images. The narrative takes second place.

Found, sourced, collected, vintage, beautiful things.

From the book...

'Renowned for their unique and stylish interiors and for giving vintage and reclaimed products a new sense of purpose in life, Zoe Ellison and Alex Legendre are the founders of i gigi - an inspirational lifestyle store in Brighton, on England's South Coast. A chance encounter brought the two together and, although from very different backgrounds, they became friends immediately, sharing a passion for the beauty of everyday objects and design. A life less ordinary takes you into the authors homes and their store, to share their thoughts and inspirations, and their creativity.'       

You can find a copy here on Amazon. I feel inspired to do an i gigi style photo shoot, with some of the lovely things around my house. 

Lists

list of things I love

my children

the sound of blackbirds at dusk

cherry blossom

sunshine

warm sand

laughter

my parents

snowflakes

friends

making jewellery

my studio

running

the smell of cut grass

tiramisu

being outdoors

robins and wrens

the northern lights

sunsets

list of things to do in 2015

run a marathon

stitch a quilt

get divorced

move house

teach more workshops

improve my photography

go to the beach

smile lots

laugh lots

have fun

create happy memories

work on new designs

make time for my friends

invite people over lots

take a holiday

journal

January's bite

The temperature gauge tells me it's minus four and a half degrees today. The air is biting, but the sun is fighting through and it will probably be a glorious day.

It's been an impossibly hard week here. The first bit waiting. Trying to be patient. Waiting for promised news to coming. Hoping it would be good.

The news arrived. It wasn't good. There had been hope. Hope for good news. Hope that I could draw a line. Hope that I could move on.

Then decisions. Huge decisions. Life changing decisions.

In some ways it was easy to pick the path to take. I am a mother. Mothers will understand that ultimately all decisions are made based on what's best for your children.

And so it's not over, and I couldn't draw a line, and I am not free just yet to move on. But it won't be long now.

Spring is just around the corner. Brighter days. New life.

It was nice to blow away the cobwebs and breathe in the frosty park this morning. Creativity is easily crushed under the pressure of stress. But you know me... 

... I'm a glass half full girl. The sun will shine bright again soon.

Homemade gifts are the best

I was lucky enough to receive lots of handmade loveliness at Christmas from my nearest and dearest. There were...

A pair of knitted boot cuffs made by my mum.

A paper cut made by my dad of some deer in the forest.

My big boy (11) had made a stencil of trees and etched the glass on a jam jar with etching paste. He twisted wire for the handle and put a little tea light inside.

My small boy (9) produced this tiny canvas of our little family. Mummy, Ollie and Jasper. A sunny day and snow covered mountains in the back ground.

It felt so lovely to know such though and effort had gone into my special gifts.