New Etsy store

Well ... I've gone and done it!!!! I've opened up an Etsy store. I'm hoping that between this store and the new website I'm doing up at the moment, that I'll actually be able to get my business going. Hubby has agreed that I can now do all I can to promote my pieces - this includes the new website and attending more craft fairs (which we don't have alot of down here in Oz) and more markets.

If you 'd like to have a squizz at the store and let me know what you think, I'd be grateful. Obviously I haven't got every single thing on there like on my vstore site (which will be closing down when this new website is done up), but I just want to gauge if there is a market out there or not.

The Deep Blue

My newest creation - my first beaded collar.

This piece started off life as a pendant ... and silly me changed my mind and decided to make a collar instead. Hit me across the head now!!! LOL ... anyway, I set about designing the collar around the original pendant and this is the end result.

Representing the ocean and the reef ... The turquoise Lampwork beadies are by Jan CahillI, I also used lots and lots of seedies, Swarovski Pearls and Crystals. The fringing I have kept to a minimum (I'm not the biggest fringe person) 1. because I wanted to cover the join of where the original pendant and collar pieces meet and 2. the piece is fairly elaborate and I didn't want an over the top fringe to go with it.

Took over 30 hours to make over the last 3 months ... yes it took me a while .. with starting work and just generally being busy I could only get into it a couple of hours a week. Anyway I hope you like it.

The Deep Blue

New work

Well ... they might be simple, but these bracelets feature the gorgeous work of Lampwork Artist Jan Cahill. I love Jan's work and just have to have some of her beauties when I see them ... and these beadies are gorgeous.

Her triangle floral beads are to die for!!! Now I'm no an orange person, in fact its probably one colour you'll seldom see me work with. But these beadies, as I said, are to die for. Not wanting to overshadow the beads too much I've simply teamed them with Fire Opal Swarovskis and gold spacers.

Orange Delight

The colours in this next set literally jump out at you. Such a beautiful set and again I've teamed them with Caribbean Blue Swarovskis, sterling silver and amber crackle beads ... just to bring out that amber colour more.

Caribbean Florals

Love your work Jan. :-)

Very humbled

Well ... I was so surprised this morning to log into my blog and see my name in a header - being a new post from a lovely blog that I follow. The Gaffer Girls have featured my blog as their Thursday Talent Winner. A very humbling thing to read.

I've never thought of myself as being great at this game, but it certainly warms the cockles of one's heart to think that someone thinks such nice things about my work. So to Mona and the girls ... my heartfelt thanks go to you, you've made me a very happy woman today. :)