CREATIVITY

Creativity feeds the soul. One can feel this while one is being creative. One's mind switches off from all the stresses and stains of everyday life. I find even making the simplest of pieces relaxing and comforting.

These bracelets below are made from clay beads, wood beads, hand made and painted African Trade beads, with rhodinite charms and spacers. They are simply strung on beading elastic and have an ethnic look and feel to them. They also weigh nothing. I can happily wear all of them, not at once, although I could. I've kept one or two for myself purely because they go with so much and are great for casual wear. They don't get in the way. I named the range Mali and they sell for R100 each. (Excluding packing and postage).

Mine

Mine

Mine

 

 

Ione, a very dear and old friend of mine seldom wears costume jewellery. I always feel so bad as I make so many pieces but know that they really aren't her scene. I'd taken quite a lot of my jewellery with me on holiday. Mainly because I love wearing my jewellery but also as I wanted to show my sister Glynis what I'd been making. She's been a great supporter. Ione and her Mom dad a look at what I'd made but didn't comment much.

 

Ione and Norbert slept over on their way back from Germany to Port Elizabeth. I decided she had to have something I'd made and as we'd spent some time with Ione's parents in Kenton one weekend, I decided that Ione's also had to have something. I'm under that Uthene is more adventurous than Ione, below are earrings for Ione and a necklace for Uthene.

 

Ione's Earring's - sterling silver hooks, crystal briolettes and stick pearls.

Uthene's necklace - a resin pendant, glass beads and African Zulu teething beads.

 

 



I seem to have bracelet mania at present. Although, I must admit they sell and I also love bracelets. I've always worn plenty. The button bracelet, named Giggles went immediately for R150. The buttons are larger than I've used before. I tried to use "beigy" buttons with writing on. Hence the giggle button and the one with a dragonfly. The blues bracelet came about because of the cone shaped blue bead. The other beads in the bracelet blend in and the discs are from a disadvantaged community upliftment project. "New trolls", is a twist on the usual use of troll or Pandora beads.





Giggles - SOLD

Treasure



New trolls

I've keep so many pieces myself and sometimes, if I love something about a piece but am not wearing it much or ever, then it's time for re-cycling. This beautiful silver butterfly was bought from a store long since closed.

The original

Re-mix the updated version

When I'm scratching through my stash or tidying up, I pick out beads and other things. e.g. when we were away in November last year, Jocelynn picked up an old Saint Christopher charm. I added other pieces to the treasure jumble, a key, I'm partial to keys, (I bought a whole lot in Port Elizabeth one year) and a watch. I had to take in three necklaces with watches in recently to have new batteries put in. The storekeeper never said anything about the watch necklaces but I could just see she was dying to say something, either she was shy or just courteous.

Here are some earrings, just to prove that I make more than necklaces and bracelets. Earrings don't sell well, even though I have now started making them with sterling silver ear hooks. Most are fun and some are serious.

More soon and a bit on my latest craze.

THE BLOG

Why blog?
Reason - "why something happens, or why someone does something."
Motivation - "eagerness and willingness to do something without needing to be told or forced to do it. the reason why you want to do something."
Objective - "based on facts, or making a decision that is based on facts rather than on your feelings or beliefs."

I started reading blogs, probably in about 2007. I wasn't sure what blogs to go on and found a lot of them rather boring.

As my interest in beads and jewellery components grew, I started to look for blogs and websites on hand made and ethnic jewellery.

I now have favourite sites I visit for various reasons.

As the amount of jewellery I made grew I realised I needed a market. I didn't want to go into the traditional retail market, as I wanted my jewellery making to remain flexible. I never make exactly the same item twice, either, all pieces are once offs.

So I decided that having one's own blog was a good way to advertise. Mmmmm... I have 8 followers... So I blog to keep a record????????

Zelyne contacted me one evening and said she needed something for her heart. I made three different necklaces incorporating Rose Quartz and Amazonite. These were then presented to Zelyne who then chose one with some changes. The necklace is made of different layers using chain, charms and strung sections of Rose Quartz and Amazonite. It was difficult to present the piece in a photograph. Maybe Zelyne will model it for us one day.

For Zelyne - ORDER

This necklace has one of my first ice resin pendants in it. The picture is wary and brooding. I haven't marketed this piece as it often matches my mood.

Brooding

Bevan was at the Boere Mark one morning and brought me a few old pieces. Amongst them was this old Saint Christopher coin.

Time Travel

The is quite a demand for more feminine pieces. This was made with with glass pearls, shell flowers, opaque glass beads and silver metal charms and chain. It sold on first display. A matching pendant was also ordered by the same client.

White Garden - SOLD

Eastern Promise was made using turquoise, shell, glass pearls, bone beads, brass charms and chain.

Eastern Promise

This pendant has wire set in glass. The pendant is made by Martini Art & Design martiniglass@vodamail.co.za. The glass discs are from The House of Beads and were from a community project assisting the disadvantaged. I used gunmetal and brass chain.

Fenced

I love this bracelet and should probably keep it for myself. So much of this piece comes from old broken jewellery. To me a piece made from old jewellery is so special. Who knows the history it carries.

Turkey

This piece is based on a design seen in Easy Beading Vol 6. The designs all come from BeadStyle magazine. Another feminine piece that I thought would sell quickly.

Dream

Another of my ice resin pendants. This was made with such care and forethought.



Peace

An ice resin pendant made at the same time as Peace above. Also made with a lot of forethought and scratching through my bead and semi precious stone stock. This sold the day it went on sale.




Joy - SOLD

Mmmmm! I've made a similar design before and to me the other one was better or appealed to me more. But I love the mother of pearl disc and the tree of life charm poke to me. This sold very quickly. So it appealed to someone.

Life - SOLD

I found this pewter heart tile at Jimnettes mosaic department. Sometimes a piece takes days to evolve. Rich drilled holes into the tile for me. The little red glass studded heart attached to the tile cost me a lot more than I wanted to spend, but for me it finished off the piece. It's actually a charm from a range of Pandora lookalikes.

Lovey

I've been collecting these beads for ages. Every time I buy a mixed box from Beads Direct I get a few of these beads in the mix. I love buying mixed bags of beads. You get some rubbish or unwanted beads but it's like a lucky packet, you get some treasures. Each of these is wired with a head pin with some needing seed beads. At first I attached them to every link but the effect was spoilt as you couldn't see the individual beads. I had to remove them all and start again. Time consuming but worthwhile in the end.

Recall

These clay beads have been around for a while. I bought about six strings of multi coloured clay beads from Beads Direct a while ago. If I don't concentrate on a particular theme then the Africa in me comes out.

Lucki

 

I'd made Claire a bracelet like this. Her aunt saw it and ordered three for her granddaughters. I had to go out and buy mixes of buttons as I didn't have enough in pinks and blues. I made these happily but they are time consuming. Each button is wired and then attached to the chain with a jump ring. The are about 36 buttons in each bracelet. The result is so rewarding and they jingle softly. I hope the girls enjoy and love them.

Street Chic - For Margaret - ORDER

Street Chic - For Margaret - ORDER

Street Chic - For Margaret - ORDER

Some of these beads are from my lucky packet stash. To me they are so special. Like little works of art.


Greco

Well, there's loads more to show and say but let me get this published. You'll note there are some glitches in the type face but I'm publishing anyway.

MY MANTRA - TIME

Well, once again it's days and days since I've been here. I'm busy creating, reading and doing all those other things. Time or the lack thereof is my mantra.

I've made quite a bit of new jewellery.

My Garden

Claire's street wise bracelet

My charm bracelet insprired by the buddha

Little bird, one of my first ice resin pendants

Inspired by the sea

These are all fairly recent, with the button bracelet being part of Claire's 30th birthday present. I've used buttons like this before in a necklace but my memory got jogged by "street-chic jewellery" by Susie Johns. The bracelet with the bird pendant sold the day it went into stock. I'd made the ice resin pendant myself and it was one of my first attempts and is double sided. Don't know why I didn't take a photo of the other side.

I like to think, I do quite a lot of research. Mainly for ideas and also to see what's happening out there. I still find what's published in RSA a bit droll. I wish I could find more artisans in this country who made beads, pendants and charms. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough?

I love knitting and have managed to finish both Joce and Claire's jerseys that I started last winter. They got their jerseys in about March. Claire modelled hers for me, but Joce said she could not bear to put the jersey on in the heat we were still experiencing in March. I also managed to knit three jerseys for Liam. Not one the same size and generally all on the big side but Joce was very happy with them and Liam was warm.

Claire in her jersey

One of Liam's jerseys.



I also managed to finish a cardigan for myself, I forgot to make the button hole so I had to make a brooch to hold the jersey closed. No photo of the jersey yet just the brooch.

The brooch for my cardigan

I also purshased "Bohemian - insprired jewelry" by Lorelei Eurto & Erin Siegel. The piece below, although nothing like the pieces in the book, was inspired by the book.

Inspired by "Bohemian-inspired jewelry."

I don't, I think, have a parlicular style. Probably because I'm a self taught jewellery designer who hasn't found a particular style. It makes me happy when people buy pieces so I'm inclined to make more of what sells than anything else. Here's some more and most cerainly not all I've been doing.

The Blues

Be Yourself for Caron

Reminds me of caviar - no idea why

One big beautiful bead

Simplicity

Another little bird

For Fun

Hearted

Forever

I think that's enough for today or who knows when I'll be back.

I still have to record my current craze.

Going to cook a meal for supper out of "falling cloudberries" by Tessa Kiros. The most beautiful book, I have two others of her's. Wonderful stories and pics and the recipes are easy and fun.

TIME AND AGAIN

Time has never been a forte of mine. Unless I write down what's to be done and work off the list I'm usually all over the place. Time runs away from me constantly.

Being away from one's home gives time a new meaning. One's able to do and see things that can make being alive so special. We were on the East Coast in April. We went to the beach. Rich was fishing and I spent time inspecting the seashore, rock pools and just taking in the wonders of how beautiful and unstoppable nature is.

How long has it taken for the pothole to form in the rocks??

Aren't the colours just amazing. The sun shines it's hot, it rains and it's cold, the tides come in and out, nature carries on regardless of all our cares and concerns.

I had the most amazing peaceful and serene time on the beach this day.

 

  

I found this poem by Barbara Crooker on one of my most favourite blogs ornamental.typepad.com.








In the Middle

of a life that's as complicated as everyone else's,

struggling for balance, juggling time.

The mantle clock that was my grandfather's

has stopped at 9:20; we haven't had time

to get it repaired. The brass pendulum is still,

the chimes don't ring. One day I look out the window,

green summer, the next, the leaves have already fallen,

and a grey sky lowers the horizon. Our children almost grown,

our parents gone, it happened so fast. Each day, we must learn

again how to love, between morning's quick coffee

and evenings slow return. Steam from a pot of soup rises,

mixing with the yeasty smell of baking bread. Our bodies

twine, and the big black dog his great head between;

his tail, a metronome, 3/4 time. We'll never get there,

Time is always ahead of us, running down the beach, urging

us on faster, faster, but sometimes we take off our watches,

sometimes we lie in the hammock, caught between the mesh

of rope and the net of stars, suspended, tangled up

in love, running out of time.

BACK AGAIN

I've haven't been here for so long I've forgotten how. Everyday I think I should post and everyday I find some excuse not to. But I have to turn the page. Simon passed away a year ago and I've got to stop stressing about Joce and get on with life. I seem to have been in a state of apprehension. I've been making jewellery, knitting, reading, painting, I've even taught myself to crochet, but I don't seem to really be getting anywhere. My excuse is that I'm Liam's day time care giver or day mother.

So once again I've promised myself that I need to publish daily, even if its just a tiny post.

Adoration

This jewellery was a commission. Penny brought me some beads she'd bought while she was working in China. The greenish blue stones have brown and/or black veins. I've no idea what they are. Penny had a look at my various designs and chose two complety different styles. I had to dig deep as all I had were the beads and the designs she liked. The beads are heavy so I could never have used them all in a single piece. To my surprise Penny liked both pieces and took them both, as well as asking for a bracelet to match Adoration.



Adoration bracelet

To me this necklace has a North African feel about it. I used the beads and incorporated some Egyptian Silver as well as a number of charms that I've had forever. I enjoyed making the pieces and was thrilled with the results. The fact that Penny liked them both was very rewarding.

Nostalgia