Chain of Fools........

Well, I've been at it again - the above are two bracelets and a necklace made out of Indian lamp work beads plus me, wire and pliers. The necklace has a couple of very old buttons as pendants - it actually looks very nice when worn. The green bracelet has been kept - it's a wonder I have anything to sell really!
The above is a necklace made from some old beads bought at a car boot sale, obviously a necklace at some point in their lives. They are quite heavy and chunky, so with the chain linking them,the necklace has a lovely rolling feel to it.
This is a little charm pendant I made using a vintage button that I discovered - if you look closely it is in the shape of a scallop shell. I've added beads and, of course, fish! I am determined that everyone like the fish motif as much as me - plus I have an awful lot of fish beads to get through.

I have tried crocheting with hemp - I made a lacy bracelet. It looked wonderful when it was finished but after a couple of hours wearing, looked like a bit of old rag. So it is back to the drawing board there - I don't know how to solve this one, but any suggestions would be gratefully received.

King Charles Spaniel

This sweet little dog is a commission, just completed today. I have painted this in a combination of watercolour for the background and Derwent Drawing pencils for the main animal. Hope the lady who commissioned this likes it - I'll find out tomorrow!

I'm in Chains!

I have had such fun this weekend - I discovered how to make chains using wire and beads, and these are the results. Making jewellery is a steep learning curve for me - I've never had classes and have basically taught myself from books, magazines and studying other people's work, so to achieve a new technique is very exciting! The above is a little cluster of fishes with green beads and pearls, which when hanging look very cute, like the fish are feeding. As I have a whole bag of these fish, I am constantly thinking of different ways to use them.
This is a pendant made with a vintage glass button from Ebay and some turquoise glass beads, chain all made by me - this is not for sale, it is mine, all mine! (Although I could be persuaded to replicate it .....)
Here are three little bracelets made with various glass beads and wire (and yet another fish...). I am now thinking of all the combinations of beads I could use to make more chain bracelets. These would be £10 each. Centre bracelet SOLD

I have a craft fair on Friday - hopefully some of the jewellery on this blog will then have a 'sold' sign on Saturday! There has already been some interest in the crochet wire/fish necklace and the little turquoise mother-of-pearl flower necklace, one of which will - fingers crossed - be gone tomorrow.

In the meantime, I am working hard on a commissioned painting of a King Charles Spaniel - a daft little thing but very cute. With luck, that should be finished by the weekend...if I can stop churning out chains!

Two New Pieces of Jewellery & Some Knitting

The first piece here is a bracelet made with red beads and pearls thread through a silver chain to make a chunky rope effect. This is £15 + p&p

Secondly is a necklace made with a sweet little flowery gold disc sent to me by Toby Atrill (Thanks Toby!) strung on gold seed beads and wire with a dangly bit made from the seed beads and little flower beads that I had which luckily match perfectly! This took a lot of thought and several attempts to find the best way to display the disc without over-shadowing it, but I'm quite pleased with the result. £16 + p&p

This is a little handbag knitted in cotton with crochet pansies, beads and ribbons appliqued to the flap. I must confess to not having made the pansies - I bought a huge bag of crochet materials at a car boot and found a bag of ready made pansies within - what a lovely surprise!
£20 + p&p
This bag is knitted in a Rowan tape yarn with crochet flowers, beads and ribbons sewn on the front. £20 +p&p
This bag is knitted in Noro Kureyon and felted, lined with blue cotton and has rope/wood handles. I thought it looked like a seascape, so have sewn on some little brass fish blowing bubbles and a seagull flying overhead. £25 +p&p SOLD
This is a lacy crocheted scarf in a soft pale green mohair-type yarn ( not too sure as I found two huge cones of this yarn at a car boot - it is fabulous but no labels on it anywhere). The scarf looks fantastic when worn as it makes a ruffle round the neck and looks like a Hawaiian lei or a seaweed garland - that's a good thing, I think seaweed is very pretty! £20 +p&p
Another crochet curly scarf made in mohair - I think this looks like a candy cane! £15 +p&p
This little knitted bag is made in pure wool from a ball of yarn I picked up at this years' Stitch and Craft Show. It has been felted and has a handle made by using a lucet to make a cord.
£15 +p&P
Here is a knitted lace shawl in pure linen - it really was a labour of love and took many weeks to make. It is rectangular with long tassles at either end and would look great over summer clothes - it is very fine and soft and hangs beautifully. £40 +p&p
Another knitted lace shawl, in the pale green mohair-type yarn. This is triangular with tassles at each corner, is simply huge and would look good with jeans. £40 +P&P
Two handbags made in a discontinued Rowan tape yarn, so they are totally unique. I have sewn on beads and shells to make the floral motif. Each bag has a zipper. This yarn stretches with use so the handles may look short but will end up making them shoulder bags with plenty of room - I have one and have managed to fit in not only the normal girly things but also my sketchbook & pencils and a picnic for three, so there is a bit of a Mary Poppins' carpet bag vibe going on! £25 +p&p PINK BAG - SOLD ORANGE BAG - SOLD
This bag is knitted in Noro Kureyon and felted, with a zipper and a little bead border. The yarn has stripes of orange on the reverse. The bag went into a bit of a wonky shape during felting, but I think this adds to the charm! £20 +p&p
Yet another lacy, curly crochet scarf in a beige soft mohair yarn. Very pretty when worn.
£20 +p&p
'Boing' hat - a Peruvian pattern apparently! This one is made in a thick multi-coloured yarn but I can make them in the tradional colours (Ecru, black & red) with the Peruvian motif. Very warm and look very funky on - my son wore his until it literally fell to pieces a year later.
£15 +p&p
Finally, just a scarf but look at the yarn! This is Sirdar's Zanzibar, which is an eyelash yarn incorporating soft gold tinsel. The finished article is unbelievably soft and looks very rich and eye-catching. There are different colours available - I am currently working on one in shades of blue with silver tinsel.

The above is a sample of my knitted accessories - I am willing to take on commissions, but the time taken to make an item must be considered when quoting a price, as well as the cost of yarn.

Tiger Head using Derwent Pencils

This is the picture I have been working on for the past two or three weeks - it has been great fun but took far longer than I thought it would, probably due to the incredible amount of fur and the concentration required to get those whiskers right first time, as with no background, one mistake and it would have had to be consigned to the bin. I will be entering this into the next Fleet Art Society Exhibition (Harlington Centre, Fleet on the 12th/13th May 2007) with a view to selling it. If it does not sell there, then I shall enter it into the Wildlife Art Society Exhibition in the summer at Port Lympne Zoo. However, if in the meantime anyone is interested in buying it, please do contact me - I never turn down a buyer!

Pearly Pendant

Here is a necklace I made yesterday using a large piece of pearly shell and two pieces of sea-washed glass (thank you Longis Beach, Alderney!), as well as reclaimed pearls, clear crystal beads and a pale green mother-of-pearl fish, all on silver wire hung on pale blue and white narrow ribbon. I have been trying to find a way to drill these pieces of glass for a long time but without specialised equipment and no guarantee it would work on bits so small, I have resigned myself to securing them with silver wire - I think it works ok in this instance. This necklace is £16 + p&p - look out for more now I have discovered the various findings I needed for this type of thing.

Yesterday I photographed a friend's greyhound with a view to painting a picture of it for the Greyhound Welfare exhibition in Boston next year - I'm looking forward to doing the painting but have about three other works to do first, which is frustrating. Ironically, while driving home I nearly ran over another young greyhound which ran out in front of my car - luckily I was already slowing down to turn into our road and braked in time, otherwise I don't think I would have been able to live with myself, let alone paint pictures for a greyhound charity!!