Handmade Monday time again!

I've been a bit rubbish at keeping everyone updated lately, partly because I've been so busy and partly pure laziness! In an effort to get a bit better at it I've set myself a reminder every week to take part in handmade Monday...you'd think I'd remember with it being the first day of the week but I usually forget until at least Wednesday!!!

I'm focusing a lot on chainmail at the minute and I'm very pleased with myself this week for managing to get the hang of the full persian weave :) and completing a bracelet...it's made from 6mm Sterling silver jump rings and only took me about 4 hours once I'd got into it!

I had some really pretty pink anodised aluminium rings delivered last Friday and have made this pretty charm bracelet, I've haven't found anywhere that I can get coloured clasps from yet but as the charms are sterling silver I don't think the clasp looks too out of place?





If you have an interest in chainmail keep an eye on my facebook page The Silver Shack, I've got a couple of fairs coming up in the next two weeks so I'll be making like crazy and updating details of where I'll be!

All pink and sparkly!

It's been a bit of a hectic week again but thought I'd give everyone a quick update on what I've been doing the last few days...basically I'm too excited and have to share it with someone! A friend of mine asked me if I could decorate a phone case of hers with Swarovski crystals, not something I've done before but I could get all the bits I needed to do it so said I'd give it a go, before I'd even finished she had an order for a second one for me!! The first one was the name in shades of pink and it was delivered today, the scotty dog I finished tonight and she'll be going to her new owner tomorrow...I'm especially pleased with how the dog turned out, might have to do one for myself now!!

The second picture isn't great but I'm too tired to do it properly, will re-take it tomorrow in daylight!!

Finally back :)

Well where to start? I won't go into all the details or I'll be here all day writing this and anyone attemtping to read it would be asleep before the halfway point! Basically between the part time job I started a while ago and a very bad eye infection which at one point had my thinking I was going to be blind in one eye permanently, very scary at the time but thankfully on the mend now, I've done almost no crafting since my last blog back in February...for the last few weeks my eye was that bad that I couldn't look at a computer screen for more than 30 seconds without being in agony so couldn't even keep up to date with things on the forum...I thankfully just about managed to hang on to my sanity somehow and I can finally start putting some of my ideas into practice!!

I picked up the pliers last week and went a bit chainmail mad, my hands are suffering for it now but it felt so good to get a few pieces made up. I've been trying to wait for a nice bright day to take the pictures in the garden but mother nature obvisouly has other ideas as it's been miserable here since Sunday and I had to resort to taking them indoors, they're not great but they'll do until I can get some better light to re-take them...knowing my luck that will be next week when I go back to work (which I'm surprisingly looking forward to, although not quite so much now I can make things again!)

Off to update the website and Folksy shop now, got a business plan to re-write as well but I think that will be getting put off for another day, maybe even two!!

  

 

Amazing what you find in the bottom of a box...

I have a bit of a space issuse (putting it mildy!!) and I have boxes everywhere full of beads, findings and pretty much anything else you can think of, anyway, was having a rummage through one looking for some elastic thread for a bracelet...which I still haven't found of course, no idea what I've done with it so looks like I'll have to order some more!...but I found this copper chain mail bracelet that I made a few months ago. I made it using 6mm copper rings in a tryzantine pattern, it's a lovely looking chain and makes the bracelet almost square, I really want to make a Sterling silver one for myself when I have the cash to spare!!



I haven't really had the time to do any chain mail for a while but I think I may have to get the jump rings out again, not quite sure what I'm going to make yet so will just have to see what happens...some of my favourite pieces have been made that way!!



Handmade Monday :)

Ok I know it's still Sunday I'm not going mad, I'm taking part in the amazing Handmade Monday started by 1st Unique Gifts...if you want to know more click on the link and check it out!!

I'm going through a faze of simple, understated pieces at the minute and found these Swavorski crystals buried at the bottom of a box earlier so I had to do something with them, all the pieces are made with Sterling Silver and the bracelet I made from scratch using 6mm jump rings...not quite as productive as yesterday but I thought I'd allow myself  half a day off this week for being so good!

I made this set yesterday







Anyway, best go and get myself sorted out for my 'proper' job tomorrow :(

A very productive weekend so far

For once I seem to have got huge amounts done over the weekend, and with a few hours to go still!! I went to a fitness class yesterday morning and ended up talking about my jewellery making and it looks like I've sold a fascinator and a jewellery party...nothing confirmed yet but I'm still excited...and I managed to get two new pieces made in the afternoon plus re-take a lot of my photographs as the lighting was terrible. Oh, I started on a new tiara too!!

So far today I've added 6 or 7 items to my Folksy shop http://www.folksy.com/shops/thesilvershack I'm still very new to Folksy and really need to do some work on my shop but I have no idea where to start so I keep putting it off...any hints or tips would be greatly appreciated!! I've also updated my facebook business page and put some washing on so I think I'm going to reward myself this afternoon with making some more jewellery as I have a few ideas forming at the minute, just need to decide which one I want to start with...should probably finish the tiara I started suppose but it jut doesn't feel right to only have one piece on the go!!s

My helpers are of absolutely no use to me today (probably why I've got so much done!), they are firm believers that Sunday is a day of rest....

Really need to win the lottery...

I've finally found somewhere that not only offers an affordable Silversmithing course that's not too far to travel but offers courses on a Saturday and Sunday and has spaces available as early as March!! I'm so excited, got to wait until Friday to see if I can afford to book it or if I have to wait until next month but as it's my birthday in April I've already started on getting an early birthday present!! They do all kinds of jewellery making related courses and I've seen about 15 that I want to have a go at, most are just 1 day and the longest is 3 days so I should be able to fit them in, just got to find the money to do them all, going to be an interesting year for me I think :)

What have I let myself in for!!

I had the bright idea today to offer even more help for my friends wedding in September...because I have so much spare time on my hands at the minute!! I've already made a tiara each for her and her youngest daughter, will be making another for her older daughter once we've decided on a style, and I made a butterfly to go on a headband for her stepdaughter to be...

After my extremely generous offer today I'm now also making the table decorations and sorting out the wedding favours and place cards...I should have been a wedding planner!! I'm not complaining though it's nice that she thinks enough of my crafting ability to trust me to be so involved.

On top of all this I set myself up a folksy shop yesterday...I'm feeling very organised this week didn't realise how much I've done and it's only Tuesday. I have loads of work to do on there, at the minute there are only 2 items in my shop but I've decided I need to re-take some of my photographs and I want to take them in daylight so unfortunately that means waiting until the weekend...although I am getting tempted to see if I can book a days holiday on Friday so I don't have to wait quite so long!!!

Oh well, suppose I'd best stop writing about what I need to do and get on with it, I have a few ideas for the table decorations just need to see which ones works best in the budget I have...can see a few nights trawling the internet coming up!!

Easier than I thought!

Well I finally got round to starting a blog, now I realise how easy it is I kind of wish I'd done it sooner! Just need to get some people to follow me and remember to update it now :)