My blog is about everyday life and making jewelry. I've gone back to the beginning of my training and I'm now making wire wrapped rings. I've added some photographs.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Wire Wrapped Ring on Yatami
<!-- Yatimi posting code START --><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="500" style="font-size:12px; font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; color: #3E3D3D""><tr><td valign="top" width="140"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.yatimi.com/estore/view/wire-wrapped-ring-of-czech-beads%22%3E%3Cimg border="0" hspace="5" vspace="5" src="http://image1.yatimi.com/VOL4/e529/estore/26831/90549-lt.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td valign="top"><strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.yatimi.com/estore/view/wire-wrapped-ring-of-czech-beads%22%3EWire Wrapped Ring of Czech Beads</a></strong><br />Handmade Wire Wrapped ring in gold tone wire with nine faceted Czech Beads in jewel tones of emerald green, Blue, Red and Amber. Size 7.5<br /><strong>Price</strong>: $12.00</td></tr></table><!-- Yatimi posting code END -->
Sunday, August 28, 2011
The Last Sunday of August 2011
I've just read another blog where the blogger's intentions to blog more have resulted in her blogging less. Well, actually, her intentions were not the reason she is blogging less but the lack of time and other stuff that crops up and sends us off our planned course of action.
Sadly, we farewelled a relative this week who died too young in a car accident. The day was brilliantly sunny with a strong breeze, the service was held out in the open at his footy club. Somehow, the atmosphere was more charged than if the service were held in a church, I could imagine him spending many a day under this blue sky with a breeze kicking the footy around with lots of kids that he coached. His passing is so sad, he left a wife and 4 children, fortunately nearly grown up but nonetheless devastated to lose the dad that mentored them in so many ways. May God Rest His Soul.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Eureka Skydeck88, Melbourne CBD
It has been a beautiful day in Melbourne (Vic, Australia) for those of you who are not Melbourneites. We drove into the city to get a glimpse of Melbourne from 88 floors up, the highest public vantage point in the Southern Hemisphere.
I tried to copy some pics from the The Edge web page but it didn't work. I do have some pics I took whilst up there but not being an expert with my phone as yet, will have to upload them in a day or so. Here is the link so you can have a look for yourself, it really does give you a good idea of what it is like up there.
I hastily add though that I did not venture onto "The Edge", oh no, it was thrilling and scary enough standing at the floor length windows looking down from 88 floors on high. I had quite enough excitement from going up in the lift which only took seconds and shook a bit from side to side, yeah! Enough excitement already!
There were many people up there looking, and quite a few queued up to go out in that cage.
Skydeck 88 is the only observation deck in the world that can thrill you with 'The Edge' - a glass cube which projects 3 metres out from the building - with you in it - suspended almost 300 metres above the ground!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
My Thoughts for Wednesay
It's raining today where I live so I've been watching some Etsy online, very interesting stuff about photos, descriptions and tags. I need to catch up with these things, it has all changed in recent times and because I've been madly adding items to my www.madeit.com.au/SweetieYumYum shop, a handmade shop for Australians in Australia, naturally! I'm selling different things on madeit than I am on my Etsy shop, www.etsy.com/shop/JoolsToDroolOver.
This photo is of one of our poodle x dogs, her name is Missy and she smiles a lot. We have two dogs, Buffy is Missy's brother, I bought them both at the same time from a pet shop. Maybe they have different parents because Missy is a bigger dog, but I'm sure they were bred at the same place.
This is Buffy, the smaller dog, he had a little operation which is why he is wearing a plastic collar so he can't nibble at his stitches.
I hope readers are doggy inclined, I have other photos but I won't bore you too much today.
I'm off to see more Etsy online to brush up on my tagging etc.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Artistic Flair
I very much enjoyed talking to Sally Anna about her modus operandi in creating her scarves and other textile pieces. It seems we artistic people are prompted by the same stimuli to create.
In Sally's case, it is the textile, wool, fibre, etc that she first falls in love with and acquires in order to make something out of it some time in the future.
I'm exactly the same when I acquire beads, I initially fall in love with the bead, not knowing what I will make with it down the track, then when I take it out to create, the design comes in stages, sometimes I get something made straight away, other times, I have to pair it with other beads or vintage pieces I've acquired along the way before I can make a new creation.
Like Sally Anna, when I get round to using it in a creation, I love it as much as when I bought it. As any Artisan will know, it's a very exciting moment when you see your creation completed.
Again, I liken my creative endeavours to Sally Anna's, in that in the past, I have made other stuff such as soap, knitted scarves, embroidered cushions that I've made but jewelry is by far the most absorbing and enjoyable.
On the right here, I've added a pic of a jewelry collage necklace I made out of a lady's face brooch, such brooches were popular in the eighties. I was endeavouring to create something different and aiming to give a new life to a no longer piece of vintage jewelry. I'm not sure I like this piece now, I'm starting to think of remaking it but still use the original brooch.
Creativity is sometimes hard to come by, it comes and goes, I find, and one has sometimes to put the pieces aside until the creative bug strikes again. I have sometimes had to choose an entirely different piece of jewelry, bead or finding in order to create something I'm happy with.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
All About Sallyanna Scarves on www.madeit.com.au
Today I'm happy to be able to talk about someone else's passion, and that is Sally Anna of Sally Anna Scarves, who has kindly agreed to answer my questions about how she goes about designing and making her beautiful scarves. Find Sally Anna's scarves on Etsy, as follows:
The gorgeous green scarf on the left is one of my favourites and I love the little knitted wrap complete with a pretty feminine bow in the pic below.
Sally Anna tells me that she uses her own designs and patterns, something she has done since she was quite young. She says "I do have the occasional piece that doesn't work but the great thing about knitting is I can unravel it and start again. I use my children, husband and friends to try hats, jumpers, etc as I knit, so I can modify as I go. I used to first design on paper but now I just like to start with an idea and start knitting.
One of the reasons I love making scarves and shawls is because it is a beautiful way of showing off the yarn and the wearer. I'm inspired by the wonderful variety of fabulous yarns. I have knitted out of wool and most natural fibres, cotton, bamboo, ribbon, silk, recycled silk saris, recycled banana fibres, milk protein, a huge range of manmade fibres and many more. The variety of texture (which I Iove ) and colour is just amazing.
If I find a particularly beautiful yarn, I often knit it up in several different ways with other yarns and colour combinations till I find the next inspiration yarn. This is why nearly all my pieces are one of a kind. I am excited to get onto the next model!
I think of them as wearable art. I was delighted the other day when someone said every time she wears one of my scarves she feels like she has a beautiful art piece around her neck.
Sally Anna, have you thought about trying some felting and what are your thoughts regarding this method of making scarves, shawls etc? I've noticed quite a few people on Etsy are felting and making really fabulous scarves, shawls, etc.
"I love the look of felted scarves and shawls and it has been on my list of things to do for a long time. I have knitted and felted many handbags, bowls, hats etc. and look to do some more in the future.
Sally Anna, I see you are on Facebook, Madeit and Etsy, have you listed on Facebook's http://www.senseofashion.com/ yet? If so, what do you think about the site, have you sold anything there as yet? (I recently found out about it myself, it doesn't cost anything to list and is good for exposure, lots of Etsians on there too).
I have been on Etsy since early last year and http://www.madeit.com.au/shop/SallyAnnaScarves this year. Madeit is much quieter but I like the idea of an Australian store. Haven’t anything listed on http://www.fashionsense.com/ but am planning to look into it now you have mentioned it! year yand http://www.madeit.com.au/shop/SallyAnnaScarves this year. Madeit is much quieter but I like the idea of an Australian store. Haven’t anything listed on http://www.fashionsense.com/ but am planning to look into it now you have mentioned it!
On the left, a Photo of Sally Anna's beautiful Collingwood Football Club scarf!
I asked Sally Anna if she had thought about creating a themed range and if she would find this a useful marketing tool for her shop? I asked if Sally Anna had thought about selling at markets as another avenue for her scarves?
Sally Anna says "the only themed range I have done is designer football scarves. I have been making upmarket scarves in beautiful yarns and club colours for the footy. Love watching the footy but hate the attire!
I have done a couple of markets and probably should do some more. Another good outlet for me is when I am invited to people’s homes where I have an opportunity to get out about 150 pieces! I also have several pieces in a gallery in Fremantle. I think galleries are a good outlet for one of a kind pieces."
Sally Anna, you have had a lot of experience selling your wares, was it hard for you to break into the areas where you sold? Did you ever despair of your items selling. Did you have to change anything about your designs in order for them to sell, ie, colours, styles, etc?
"I have sold many different things. Fabric hats, hand knitted jumpers, homewares and cheesecakes. I have come to the realization I make my best pieces when I am thinking about creating something rather than worrying about sales. Of course I want sales, and it can often be slow online, so I do worry. I am still waiting for the millions to come in and my husband is waiting patiently to live surfing in the mornings and helping me run my textile empire in the afternoon. Any day now…."
"I think most of us who make things to sell feel confident one day and not so confident the next. If you want to sell online then just take the plunge as it is exciting to have an online shop. I nearly threw my back out doing the happy dance for my first sale. Other things can happen from online exposure. One of my scarves was in a magazine last year and the gallery my pieces are in found me on Etsy.
What gets me excited…textiles! When I look through my stash of yarn and fabric I get just as excited as I did when I bought it! Sometimes I keep yarn or fabric for quite a while until it tells me what to make it into!
I also love talking textiles with people. Have been into highschools to talk about yarn, how to use it and options for selling. As I sold my first jumper, full of ribbons and beads, to a boutique, I love to show teenagers that they don’t have to wait to start making and selling."
Who on Madeit is a favourite with you: Actually, I will mention that you are selling on Etsy also, so, if possible, name 3 Etsians whose work you love.
"There are so many beautiful stores on Etsy and Madeit. Very hard to choose just three but I love the following shops.
Etsy : Sesanarts, Threads of Gold and A Luscious Thing
Madeit : DKShopgirl, KathyPanton and Embraced Angel
I've really enjoyed talking to Sally Anna
about how she goes about creating her lovely knitted objects and I hope you have enjoyed reading about her too!
You will find my jewelry on Etsy
and
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