Rings, re-organising, giveaway and donation!

I've got a lot to write about this time, I haven't stopped in the last few days!! I had a moment of inspiration on Thursday and decided to make a chainmaille ring...I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, or even if I'd be able to get it finished without getting annoyed and giving up but I'm really pleased with it...so pleased I made another one on Friday!

The second one is more intricate and was definitely more diffcult to join together! I've ordered some smaller silver and aluminium jump rings so I can try out some new designs, just got to think of something else to do in the mean time :)

I had a very productive day yesterday, after seeing comments on one of the forums I'm on about how people store their jump rings I remembered I had some test tube style pots I'd acquired from somewhere so I dug them out and I can finally see what I've got...well some of it anyway I need to order some more!



Got another exciting week coming up, the giveaway finishes tomorrow and I can't to pick the winner and see what they choose for a prize!! I've donated a bracelet today to be auctioned off for Chelsea's Angels, a charity that supports children diagnosed with rare cancers and their families, visit their Facebook page Chelsea's Angels to find out more about the work they do. The auction is running until 12pm, 29th January, I've added a link to the auction here

Facebook giveaway and Valentine's design...

I'm doing a giveaway on my Facebook page at the minute, I was at 178 likes and 200 seemed a bit of an easy target but I wasn't sure if 250 was too many too expect...so I decided to make a bit more interesting and give a prize of up to £15 if I reached 200, but if I get to the higher target I'll put it up to £20...I'm even going to let the winner choose what they want as a prize! I'm at 213 so far with 5 days to go and getting very excited that I might make it to 250...I think I'm probably more excited than anyone who might win a prize! :)

 Amongst all the excitement I've somehow managed to remember that it's Valentine's day next month, I don't tend to make heart themed jewellery specifically for this time of year but I did make one piece yesterday...I used 1mm sterling silver wire and shaped the heart by hand, it's not perfectly even but I think that gives it more of a handmade look to it, and I attached two swarovski crystals to the top of the heart so that they hang down the middle. I got some Fimo clay a while ago and haven't had much of a chance to use it so far, may be a good excuse to have a play! :)

First day back to reality...

Well the first day back at the full time job is over and done with, getting up this morning was not at all fun, especially after being kept up half the night because of the noisy weather, and it feels like I've never been away! I kept thinking about all of the crafty things I could have been doing instead of sitting in front of a computer...but of course now I'm home instead of doing any of those crafty things I'm sat in front of a computer!!
 I did manage to sneak onto one of the forums at lunch time and post about my Facebook giveaway...I'm trying to hit 200 'likes' by the 16th January, I'm at 182 so far so I'm pretty hopeful I'll get there and when I do one lucky fan will get to pick a prize up to the value of £15, if I manage to make it to 250 I'll be even more generous and make it £20 :)
 I've also set up a deal through the shop on the page that everyone who likes it automatically gets 20% discount, and everything is set at free postage - if I'm honest though that's mainly because I can't be bothered to weigh everything to set the charges up properly, it takes me long enough as it is to keep everything online up to date as I don't like making the same thing over and over again!!
 Oh well, I'm going to be good and make at least one thing tonight, I've got a few events in the pipeline and possibly one big one this summer so I'm going to try and get ahead of myself now so I don't have a big panic in the last few weeks to make lots of stock...wish me luck!!
 

Here's to 2012!

I've had a bit of a hectic 6 months, unfortuantely not for good reasons, so haven't had time to post anything in a while, well actually I haven't really had time to do anything much craft related but I'm making up for it now! I've made that much in the last couple of days I've had to put the pliers down because my hands are really starting to hurt...got lots more ideas ready and waiting so I'm quite pleased with how the year has started so far!

I've gone a bit made for twists at the minute so I've been playing about with different colours in aluminium, I really like the rainbow ones and I might have to treat myself and keep one for a change!!

The sterling silver ones are the same weave but come out completely differently because they're much looser, I've done pendants and earrings to go with them too and I think I'll do the same with the rainbow ones

 

I'm going to try and carry on the rainbow theme in some other pieces, I like the bright colours and I hope it'll do well as we're coming up to spring...ok it's not that close but I'm trying to think positively, I really don't like the winter!!

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!!