Happy New Year!

Okay, so I know I'm a little late but Christmas and New Year were a little bit chaotic. We has some sad news in the family, and so I wanted to make sure I spent as much time as possible with them before getting back to work!

I also realise that December was not the best time to set up a new blog! However, it's the start of 2012, so hopefully, I can blog more regularly and keep you all up to date on what I'm doing.

I have already got my first jewellery party planned, so that is one thing I am really looking forward to. It'a a lot of fun to get together with friends, chat, drink and talk about jewellery. It's even better if I can make some sales lol!

I plan to get fully into making jewellery at the weekend, and I have to say, I am itching to get started! I have a lot of new beads on the way and my mind if overflowing with ideas! I hope to have some photos for you early next week. :D

5 Crafting things I've Learned

Before I begin - my London weekend idea of trawling craft shops didn't really happen, but that's okay, we went to Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park instead (pics to follow!).

But back to the title of this entry.

In my few short months of making jewellery, I have learned many things, and I figured it might be fun to note them down, and to share them with you!Here are the top five things I have realised.

1. I cannot go into a bead shop without buying something. Doesn't matter if I need it, I just can't leave empty-handed. I also try not to leave with a completely empty purse, but sometimes I cannot resist spending a small fortune!

2. I don't like cheap materials. This is unfortunate, because for someone who is just starting out, it's a great idea to work with less expensive things to avoid too much waste. Luckily, I learn pretty quickly, but again, this isn't so easy on my bank balance!

3. I think about jewellery making a lot. I get ideas at the most odd times of day or night. Even when I am doing something completely unrelated to crafting, I get ideas and inspiration from all kinds of places.

4. My house is not big enough for all my supplies!

5. My best customers are those who see my jewellery in the flesh. This could be partly to do with the fact that I have no photography skills whatsoever! Perhaps I need to spend some time learning how to take amazing photos for the web.

How to turn a disappointment into a crafting opportunity

Tomorrow, I am going to London! This trip has been marked on my calendar for over a month, the hotel booked and everything ready to go! The plan was to go to the BBC and catch a live recording of Not Going Out, which happens to be my favourite sitcom of the moment! However, today, I returned home after a day of haircuts, last minute shopping etc. to find an email stating that due to "limited seating," my tickets have been cancelled!

Could they be any more last minute??

I live in Devon, so a trip to London during the week means that I have to give up a couple of days work to get there in time, and pay for a hotel that I don't actually need anymore! I have emailed in the hope that they can squish us in, but I don't hold out much hope really.

So, now I am going to London simply to shop, which brings me onto the positive part of this story. I figure that if I can't get to giggle at Lee Mack and Tim Vine, at least I can use the time to seek out bead shops around London! I know there are markets all over the place, so hopefully I can find something suitable so the trip isn't a total waste of time.

A new design

So, I have only been making jewellery since last month, which means that I am very much still a beginner. Many of the items I've made have been variations on a theme because I haven't learned many new techniques. One of the things I have realized is that you can actually make insane amounts of things that look different just by using different beads and charms here and there.

That said, I was getting a little bored with only knowing one or two tricks. I have made up several of my own ideas, but over the weekend I found an awesome new pattern to make a bracelet. Technically, it is meant to be made from Swarovski crystals, but I don't have enough, and like any crafter with an idea, I couldn't wait so I made a variation using glass pearls!


These are the only tiny pearls I had, so I figured they would have to do! I also used larger white pearls, and here is what I ended up with:





Not to toot my own horn, but I think that turned out pretty good!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

No, I'm not talking about the weather! It is in fact bright and sunny in the South West of England today! I am talking about one of my favourite jewellery items to date. I invested in some Tibetan silver Christmas charms to make jewellery, and I put together some earrings and a few bracelets, some of which are available in my Etsy store. So far, these blue and white glass pearl snowflake earrings have been the most popular item in the store - but alas - I haven't made a sale yet!

To be fair, the shop has only been running for a week or so, and I am ecstatic that I have had even a teeny bit of interest because I guess it means I must be doing something right!

Because it is a holiday weekend for the U.S peeps, I have decided to get in on the Black Friday action, and there is 20% off all items in my Etsy shop for the weekend. Here is the link to the snowflake earrings, and the details on how to get the discount is on the main page of the shop! (There is only one pair of these earrings listed, but I do have more, I am just testing the waters at the moment!)

I will keep you up to date on all of my special offers, as there will be some different ones as Christmas approaches! Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

The one where it all begins....

Step 1: Set up blog

Step 2: Write something witty and exciting to attract the masses.

Write something.

So, I guess I should begin by introducing myself! My name's Karen, and I am just learning the art of making jewellery. It all began when I was out shopping in a town near to where I live, and spotted a bead shop. I was mesmerized by all of the colours, shapes and sizes of the beads, but I decided that I just didn't have time for another hobby.

Ha.

I couldn't sleep, thinking about the beads. A few days later, I went back to the town and picked up some supplies. It was a long time before I was brave enough to actually make something, but it turned out pretty well! Several purchases later, and I had the beginning of a brand new obsession, which has now spiraled into a huge obsession, so much so that all of my jewellery making stuff has taken over the laundry room!

My aim for this blog is to chat about jewellery making, share some of my creations and perhaps even share some tips - if I ever become skilled enough to be giving advice! I hope to engage with many other crafters, not just jewellery makers but anyone who likes to make things, so don't be shy! Leave a comment, because half of the fun of blogging is making new friends! :D