I've been accepted as a teacher!

Yay! - my application to become a teacher on JewelryLessons.com website has just been accepted. Funnily enough I am actually a primary school teacher in 'real life' (!) but I had to work for 4 years to get that qualification!

If you don't know about JewelryLessons.com click on the link above to enter a world of sharing. It's a great forum for jewellery artists of many different media and experience to 'Learn, Teach, Share, Earn'. I have been a member for about 6 months and I love seeing and reading about the wonderful creations others have made. The site and its users are very friendly and supportive. Feedback is encouraged where users can 'rate' the projects they see and leave comments if they wish.

Over the last few months I have posted all of my Little Flowers designs as I have created them. I have had some lovely feedback, not only from followers of this blog, but by users on JewelryLessons.com where I have also had quite a few requests to write a tutorial on this design. I have pondered over this for a while and have decided to do it. I think what has held me back before has been a combination of shyness, insecurity and probably laziness! Anyway, I've decided to overcome these and give it a go. I'm not sure how long it's going to take. I think it will be the photos that will give me the most challenge - how to set up my camera and lighting, etc. I would certainly appreciate any advice from anyone who's written a tutorial before.

Oh my, I've just seen the time - must go to bed!

Battling the elements

I found an hour this afternoon to photograph my latest Flower Earrings. Although it was very chilly outside, the sun was shining so I decided to venture outside, as ever looking around my garden for new backgrounds and textures for my photos. To start with I was getting frustrated because the sun was just too bright, so I moved under the gentle shade of my willow tree which is just starting to shoot. Here I discovered some moss mottled paving stones. They have a great rustic feel to them.




I then looked at the tree trunk and wondered how that would look as a background. I decided I wanted my earrings to be hanging off a twig so had to construct something for the twig to be supported on. I created a very temporary structure with a vase and a box and was able to take these 2 photos just before the cold wind blew, the twig slipped and the earrings fell off!





I tried a few more times but the weather was having none of it and kept blowing my earrings around so I couldn't get a clear focus. Shivering and stiff from lying on the ground, I gave in and went inside to download my photos and have hot drink.

I got a Lemonade Award!

Thank you to Perri at Shaktipaj Designs for giving me a Lemonade Award. She nominated 10 bloggers who she felt showed 'a giving and sharing attitude'. I feel very humbled and honoured to have been given it in the company of the other 9 she selected as I admire many of them.

Here are the rules for the award:
1.Put the logo on your blog or post
2.Nominate at least 10 blogs that show great Gratitude and/or Attitude.
3.Be sure to list and link your nominees within your post.
4.Let them know they have received this award by leaving a comment on their blog.
5.Nominate your favorites and link to your post.

My Choices for the Award:

Hot Rocks

Shay Stone

Mel P

Jelveh Designs

Beverly Ash Gilbert

Amanda at Little Foodies

Sheridan Joslin

Swiss Side Jewellery

Kathleen, a Glass Artist

Perfectly Twisted

I have selected these ladies because I feel they have a great positive attitude towards others and their blogs - I appreciate their regular contributions to my blog and comments/feedback on my work.

I made it into an Etsy treasury!

It's been good morning so far and it's only half past eight! I turned on my computer this morning to find two nice things had happened. Firstly, I had sold my Blue Kyanite Spiral Earrings on eBay and secondly, my Peridot Flower Earrings have made it into an Etsy treasury - my first ever inclusion!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=47534

That's me - top right

I love spirals

I am loving spirals at the moment and can't get enough of them! Back in February I posted pictures of some earrings that I had made with sterling silver spirals over gemstone beads - both of those sold really quickly, so I made some more.






Then I got thinking about gemstones over spirals and came up with my 'Wonky Spiral' design (some more wonky than others!).

The aquamarine spiral earrings here were my first attempt and, although I hammered the wire for strength, they are still a little delicate. I've kept these for myself.









My second attempt with ametrine included some wire wrapping at the top. I found this gave the earrings much more stability. However, in finalising the design, the spiral shape became quite wonky, hence the name. I've kept these for myself as well!








And here is the third attempt with sparkling faceted amethyst rondelles secured in the centre of the spirals. These are definitely not so wonky and I am happy how they turned out.

They are up for sale in my Folksy shop.

The winner's earrings

Here are the winner's earrings - Turquoise Hammered Circle Earrings (very textured).

And the winner is...

Thank you to everyone who entered my first blog giveaway of some custom made 'Hammered Circle Earrings'.

I put the names in my little pot and pulled out.... Tina. Congratulations to Tina. She chose her earrings to be made with turquoise beads and very textured. I will make these earrings later today and will post a picture of them on my blog before I despatch them.

(Tina - please can you contact me and send me your address)

Sorry to those who didn't win but I will be doing another giveaway next month so please stop by my blog again.

Spring Sparkles - the perfect background

What a beautiful spring day we have just had. The sun shone all day and I couldn't resist getting out in the garden with my latest jewellery pieces in search of different backgrounds for my photos.

A tub of daffodils proved to be the perfect backdrop for my Spring Sparkles Earrings - the brilliant bright green of the daffodil stems really brings out the green in the peridot rondelles and the sunshine made the earrings sparkle and shine.

My first blog giveaway!

I have been blogging for a few months now and am really enjoying feeling part of a little online community. I love reading about other people's lives, seeing their pictures and learning about their different projects. I have also really appreciated any comments I have received about my jewellery and pictures..... so I thought it was about time I did a 'giveaway'. Here is your chance to get hold of a pair of my Hammered Circle Earrings that will be especially custom made to your taste.


The gemstones you can choose from are : garnet, amethyst, kyanite, amazonite, fluorite, rose quartz, carnelian, moonstone, turquoise, natural aquamarine, labradorite, green aventurine, jade and jasper.

The textures you can choose from are: smooth, brushed, gently textured or very textured.

All you need to do is leave your name and a comment below this post telling me which gemstone and texture you would choose for your custom pair of earrings. I will be drawing a name out of the hat a week from today (that's Wednesday 18th March).

Thanks for reading and best of luck, Kristin :)

Hammered Circles

My 'Hammered Circles' range of earrings, pendants and bracelets have proved to be some of my best selling jewellery pieces and the design offers itself to so many different gemstones (a different colour for every different outfit!). Recently I made this set in amethyst (one of my all time favourite gemstones as I adore purple).

Then last night I made this bracelet and earrings set using the most beautiful kyanite beads I have seen for a long time. They are a blue/green colour with amazing lustre and colour changing inclusions.

I took the above pictures outside to maximise the colours shown in the beads and discovered a great texture background in my garden bench. I tried lots of areas in my garden to explore different types of natural background. It was pretty cold outside and I wonder what my neighbours must have thought seeing me lying on the damp grass - oh, what you have to do for a decent picture!

Matching bracelet

Here is the bracelet that I made to go with the Fluorite necklace. It has a handmade silver spiral charm at the end of an extender chain. Both bracelet and necklace are now listed in my Etsy, Folksy and eBay shops.

Finding the right angle

A while ago I wrote a post about how difficult it was to photograph bracelets and this morning I have had the same struggle with my latest necklace. It is made from beautiful fluorite nugget beads with a handmade spiral clasp. I wanted to make sure I was showing off the amazing range of colours found in the fluorite beads.

To take these photographs took ages to find the right angle and I've still got a lot of other jewellery to photograph (as well as a load of housework!). Oh well, tomorrow is another day!