SP Jewellery

2011-11-20T18:07:00.002Z

So I am slightly obsessed with pinning things at the mo, I have to try and stop myself otherwise I feel like I am spamming everyone LOL, can I ask what others do with regards to pinning your own items? I want to pin the occasional piece of jewellery but not so much that it annoys? If you want to find me on there HERE I am :)

I haven't pinned this yet but these are the latest listings on my website -

Lilac Beady Bracelet

Pink and Purple Beady Bracelet

I've been making alot of these bracelets recently and having added quite a few to my ebay, etsy and folksy shops I am now adding them in all colours to my website :)

I've done well, this blog post was written with a puppy sat in front of me - she is obsessed with the computer screen and blocking my view!

Pasta and Potato Soup

2011-11-19T15:45:00.011Z

I'm not a natural cook, I like things that can be chucked in the oven for 30mins and ta da - we have a meal! But, this week I thought I should really think about our diets, although it is difficult as I live with the fussiest man in England - but here is a recipe he did fancy, so I cooked it - Pasta and Potato Soup.

The ingrediants - 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 110g diced bacon, 1 diced carrot, 1 diced onion, 2 diced celery sticks, 1 fresh chilli, 2 peeled, seeded and diced tomoatoes, 500g peeled and diced potatoes, 500ml of water, 250g pasta.

first you fry the bacon

then add the carrot, onion (I used leek instead of onion) and celery and fry till onion starts to brown

add the chilli and tomato and cook over a low heat for 10 mins

add the potato and cook for a further 5 mins

add two thirds of the water, cover and simmer till the potatoes are cooked

add the remaining water, bring to the boil and add the pasta, stir and cook

add more water if necessary, season to taste

it looked nothing like the pic in 100 Great Pasta Dishes by Ann and Franco Taruschio but it was very tasty! Rup had 3rds!

Now off to take the dog out to distract her from pulling all the washing off the dryer!

Google +

2011-11-16T15:22:00.003Z

I've been trying to work out my Google + page today, somehow I started a business page (at least I think that is what it is) and now rather than being Sharon Perry I am SP Jewellery - don't know if that is right or not LOL. Can anyone give me any words of wisdom? I'm here if anyone wants to come find me - and I'll add you to my circle too (seriously is that what I do?).

Oh dear, fortunately I don't mind sounding really dim here, I just need help!

My favourite listing that I've added today is this bracelet I've added to Etsy, click on the pic and it'll take you right there :)

I know, I'll go add the link to this bracelet to my new page on Google + LOL

The Chihuahua and the toilet roll

2011-11-12T21:40:00.001Z

Meet Ivy, our new addition, she's a little nightmare but we love her. I thought it would be good to have a dog to walk - to get me out of the house - but I've managed to find a dog who is quite happy staying indoors and making a mess LOL...but she's learning and I am walking her further everyday, although she likes to wait until we are home from the walk before she goes to the toilet!

And I'm back....

2011-11-11T12:58:00.003Z

So I stopped blogging over the summer because I couldn't leave comments on other blogs and I was a bit bored with it, but now I've changed browser (gasp) which is super technical for me and blogger seems to work again!

Below is a picture I thought I had lost, 5 years ago me and Rup went to Bath for our 10th anniversary and we had a beautiful view over the whole city, we were trying to get a good nighttime shot but it was a little windy and the tripod was wobbling all over the place, this is the best photo we got and I love it, now I've found it again I might get it printed on a canvas...

I started a new course of CBT this week with a very nice lady, and hopefully my life will start to calm down now so I can bore you all with regular blog posts! I've even started updating my website today after months of neglect, it's too easy to get caught up in folksy, etsy or ebay and forget that my website is the best place to be....I think I need to learn a thing or 2 about websites so I can manage it better.

Anyway, that's all for now :)

Miss Scarlet with the Revolver

2011-07-27T16:00:00.003+01:00

Here are 3 of my latest creations, Cluedo was always a favourite game of mine (I always had to be Miss Scarlet), here we have Reverand Green, Miss Scarlet and Colonel Mustard, all with the revolver. These pendants will be appearing in my Etsy shop in the next few days.

My cough is getting better so it is back to work listing new items everyday, soon to come is my new Lego range!

Embarrassing School Photos...

2011-07-25T21:11:00.004+01:00

We all have them, hidden away somewhere where we hope they will never be found, but I bet your most embarrassing school picture can't be as bad as mine...

I actually quite like this picture, I know it could be alot worse! I came across it while sorting pictures out for my sisters wedding magazine which is currently being made up for her wedding in a couple of weeks.

I am recovering from one of my coughs, I've not been very well today and am not able to eat much but as long as I am better for the wedding it will be ok, I'm a bit behind on my listing schedule due to coughing - I am still trying to get to 365 listings on ebay, etsy and folksy - but I will catch up!

Social and Agoraphobic Anxiety Disorder.

2011-07-15T15:22:00.002+01:00

Well the title says it all, that is my diagnosis, I have been told I suffer from Social and Agoraphobic Anxiety disorder, I am not 100% convinced that that is all that is wrong but I shall go with it for now.

I am slightly disappointed though, I thought knowing what the problem was would bring me some sort of peace of mind, and help those close to me to understand me - perhaps I was being over optimistic but that hasn't been the case. I am sure no one would tell someone scared of heights to climb a ladder, or someone who was scared of water to jump in a pool, but I have had a few people tell me to go for a walk - I wish it was that easy and I wish others would understand that it isn't...but it's something I have grown used to.

I have decided a dog would do me good, I would have to take it out - one of the problems I have is that I have no reason to go out, and no money to pay to go anywhere, but I think I would be all right walking a dog - although we only live in a flat I have been doing some research and I think a Chihuahua would suit me!

2 new additions to the family are Bobby and Psycho (pictured below, Bobby is blue, Psycho is white), I used to have Budgies when I was young and fancied keeping them again...I'm slowly getting them used to me although Psycho has quite a bite on her!

Still not able to leave comments :(

Back to daily goals...

2011-06-01T15:17:00.002+01:00

I've been on this round of pills now for nearly 3 weeks, it's back to the Dr on friday, but I'm not sure if they've made any difference, I am certainly calmer now that one of the weddings is out of the way (not that I am wishing them away - it was a beautiful wedding) but I'm tired, I'm taking regular naps which I didn't before, I get easily confused and am finding it hard to concentrate...so, to try and test myself I am back to daily goals as that seems to be how I work best...firstly, to get myself outside I am doing half an hour everyday gardening (I might increase to an hour if all goes well), so far I have done 2 days!

My other goal is daily listing of jewellery on my website, ebay, etsy and folksy.
I'm aiming to have approx 365 items on each site (with the exception of my website where there is alot more) so that means ebay - 12 items a day (30 day listings), etsy - 3 items a day (4 month listings), and folksy - 2 items a day (6 month listings)...it's a very good way of motivating myself - and motivation is something that I seriously lack...so hopefully I will be able to keep it up. Maybe soon I will feel well enough to catch up with my paperwork!

Pictured it Scratchy, she's not really that fat - she's all hair!

Hopefully blogger will be fixed soon - I've given up trying to leave comments for now :)

Ultimate Dog Tease

2011-05-29T20:30:00.000+01:00

so funny!

Big Sis got married!

2011-05-25T09:27:00.002+01:00

My sister Juliet got married on Saturday 21st May! She looked absolutely beautiful and the day couldn't have gone better. Pictured below - Bride and Groom, Best Man, Bridesmaids and me...

The Bride and Groom....

My Sister with my Dad before the wedding...

It was such a lovely day for everyone, Mum and Dad were really happy. I of course had been a nervous wreck but my other sister (the blond bridesmaid) looked after me and even got me to dance!

My Brain, my brain, and oh, my Brain!

2011-05-16T11:18:00.004+01:00

To people who know me it is no secret that I have struggled with mental health problems all my life, I have up periods and down periods, but it has always been a bit of a mystery. I was always told I was being treated for depression and anxiety - my Mum was once told by one of my psychologists that I had a personality disorder - and yet on my medical notes it has bi-polar recorded.

So what is wrong with me? That is the question that has been going around in my head for a few months now - I feel a strong need to get to the bottom of it. Whenever I do read about people with depression I find it hard to connect to their stories as although I do get depressed there is a reason for it - I feel different.

A few weeks ago I was reading an article about Aspergers and it completely surprised me - it was almost like this article was written about me - of course there were differences but so much was true to me - the social difficulties, the difficulties I have with rejection, the sleep pattern, the obsessions, just everything about me...

So I went to the Dr, I walked all the way down my long road - the first time in over a year that I have been further than the letter box by myself - panic attack all the way, and I am now being referred for further assessment (for the 3rd and hopefully last time).

At 32 years old am I finally going to find some answers?

On a lighter note, pictured is Rup with our new washing line, we're very proud - it is our first experience with concrete and so far it is still standing (it's pretty straight too)! Spot the mess the badger has made of the lawn!

Living in the pockets of others.

2011-05-03T12:11:00.003+01:00

We have a noisy neighbour problem.

We live in a block of 4 purpose built maisonettes, ours is one of the 1st floor properties. In the other first floor property is a family of 4, the parents and their twin boys who are coming up for 3 years old. I must say that I have nothing against children, but I do have a problem with bad parents.

The main problem with noisy neighbours is that there is not much to protect or help the sufferers, all advice on the subject I find says that there is nothing you can do about the noise of children - I understand that, but what about parents who never take their children out, and the children want to go out so they scream out of their first floor windows which for us, if our windows are open is deafening. Or what about the parents who keep their little children up until 1am so that we cannot go to sleep because all we hear is crashing, banging and screaming...and what about those who live in upper floor properies who have tiled floors so their neighbours can hear their every move (including the children running about until 1am)? And should you pay VERY loud music with small children around because our neighbour does?

When you live in a flat or maisonette you will never have silence, this is our 2nd maisonette and you always hear noise, doors shutting, water running, voices, tv, and we are always conciderate, our tv gets kept low and turned down in the evening, our music is never too loud - we treat people how we want to be treated but we are fast learning that the majority of people do not give a damn about the people around them and that is quite upsetting.

We put up with babies crying in the night - always knowing/hoping that over time they would start sleeping through, but the noise is so much worse now, and we have no rights because they are children and children make noise - I almost feel sorry for them as they can go for weeks without being taken outside - even though they have a garden, so what can be done about the parents?

Once again, it is those of us with no children who have no rights.

Mum is 60!

2011-04-05T14:54:00.004+01:00

Last weekend I had 2 much needed days off - I usually work 7 days a week and I didn't realise quite how much I needed a break! So, me and Rup headed off to my sisters house in Hove where my parents and my other sister and fiance all planned to stay and celebrate my Mums 60th birthday... the place was well decorated...

and my Grandpa came (pictured below with my Mum), my Aunt and Uncle also came along...

and various pets also attended...

it was really lovely, we had so much food -I didn't really do it justice as I am not eating after 6pm at the mo so I didn't really eat much, and my Mum had a good time!

OMG it's more scrabble jewellery...

2011-03-29T13:35:00.003+01:00

I've been so pleased with how well my scrabble pendants have gone, I had considered them to be one of my silly experiments so to have them be so successful has given me a real boost! However, I was left with a problem, while some letters are really popular (I can't get enough Js and Ks and there is only 1 with each set of tiles) other letters are not so in demand so I needed to find something to do with them, so I came up with these items pictured below which are all now listed on Etsy, just click on the picture and it will take you straight to the listing... I have more in the planning if these go well, such as FYI and BTW...I need to do some research...

Social Outcast!

2011-03-28T12:53:00.003+01:00

Today I was sent an email with pictures to my sisters Hen do. I had really wanted to go but it was too far away from home - if I had had a panic attack and been unhappy it would have been a real downer for everyone. So now I am being silly and tearful because I feel like I have been left out and forgotten - in the pictures it looks like they had a great time and I wish I had been there. I miss out on so much, everyone goes out and has a good time and to be honest I don't really feel like a fully paid up member of my family, I'm certainly not missed when I don't attend events! I think loneliness and not being included is one of the hardest things about depression, in general people get bored of it very quickly so if you know anyone who does suffer with it just think about giving them a call, it might make the world of difference to their day :)

Obsessed with memory wire!

2011-02-16T17:19:00.003Z

I really am obsessed with memory wire at the moment, I sit at the table with all my beads and findings in front of me wondering what to make every evening....then I pick up my coil of memory wire and say 'I'll just make one more memory wire bracelet'....they look good, are affordable and I really like them!

Red Tiger's Eye Bracelet on Folksy

Horseshoe Bracelet on Etsy

Goldstone Chip Bracelet on Misi

Glass Pearl Bracelet on SP Jewellery

4 Leaf Clover Bracelet on Ebay

Game Piece Jewellery

2011-01-29T21:33:00.002Z

For a while now I have been working on a new range of jewellery - I am still developing it and there are more items so be added over the new few weeks but here are a few bits...

So far items are available in my ebay, etsy, and folksy stores.

Facebook and Me.

2011-01-24T11:47:00.003Z

Some years ago I had quite a good facebook page, I had over 500 'friends', I was a regular game player - mostly scrabble and reversi - in my networking quest, I had an SP Jewellery group with 50 or so members, and I even had a few sales.

I deleted my page 2/3 years ago, I had become unhappy with several things and it became hassle.

So anyway, I keep being told I need a facebook business page, that it is good for business, that everyone loves facebook. So yesterday I started a new page, with the intention of only spending a few minutes on it daily so it doesn't become too much like last time. I joined up, thinking it would take me about 30 mins or so to get it all set up, this was at about 9pm. After alot of stress (and more than 30 mins) because they didn't like any of my emails, I added Rups instead and I got my new profile - and then the real stress begain...I found it so hard to navigate, even simple things like how do I get from my profile to my business page? I still haven't found the way...

By 2.30am I found myself playing scrabble with a girl called Melissa from Australia, I had thought it would be fun, I'd requested a casual 7 day game and she was being rather pushy if I hadn't played a go in 2 minutes so I told her sorry, I would continue tomorrow but I had to go...don't think she was too happy because over night she deleted the game but where do I draw the line? it has to be somewhere?

So I'm not convinced yet that I should be on facebook, I'm happy on twitter, and I've just joined Pinterest now that Folksy folk don't have to wait for an invite...so I will take it slow, and not stress about it - I'll add some pics and just see how it goes - but if I disappear suddenly you will now know why :)

if, after my rather misterable ramble you fancy being my friend, or look at my page, or if you want to find me on Pinterest you can find me here -
Facebook Profile,
Facebook Page,
Pinterest.
I look forward to seeing you there!

The Washing Machine!

2011-01-17T15:17:00.003Z

I know that is not the most exciting title to draw you all in and read my first blog post of 2011, but unfortunately it is my washing machine that I am writing about!

I bought a washing machine in December, my last one had lasted so long, it was so noisy and had started making very disturbing noises, I often thought when it was spinning that it was going to fall through the floor into the maisonette downstairs...so as I said, I bought a new one - online - easy - well it should have been...

Some of you may know this already as I posted it on the folksy forums, but the men who delivered the machine accidentally knocked my cooker on, unfortunately for me I had the washing bowl on it as I had not been able to clear the kitchen the night before as I had my old machine unplumbed and in the middle of my very small kitchen floor. My wash bowl melted causing alot of horrible smelling smoke - I saw my smoke filled kitchen and assumed my brand new washing machine which had been fitted for 10 minutes was on fire and so I called 999. I had 2 fire engines at my house in under 5 minutes and the result was alot of blushes and I admit a few tears due to embarrassment!

But, I'm over it, the delivery company wouldn't accept any responsibility - we didn't think they would, but I am left with a problem...

Every time I now put a load of washing on I am scared it will break, I am scared I will have to call the company up - I put all my washing on low temperatures and quick washes so it isn't on for too long...I listen out for odd noises - I never realised how many funny tapping noises come from a washing machine until now!

My washing machine is now a month old, and I now really miss my old machine which I cruelly discarded for a younger, pretty model, it never did anything wrong and was always good to me...so what if we couldn't hear the TV, or speak to each other while it was spinning, it got the job done - our clothes were always clean...perhaps it liked to take it's time and have a good old moan while doing it but it was always loyal and I knew it was always there for me.

I miss my old washing machine!

From now on nothing gets replaced until it is falling apart.

Slowing down for Christmas :)

2010-12-22T13:49:00.002Z

Now that the mad rush to list everything for Christmas has finished I can start planning for next year, I've been busy preparing for the massive sale I am going to have on my website. And I have also started a sale in my folksy shop .

The December Eleves has really quietened down with everyone being busy for the holiday, but here are few picks from the people still listing... as always, click on the picture to take a look at the listing on Folksy...

A Present and a Prize!

2010-12-09T15:47:00.004Z

I've been very lucky this week, firstly I found out I won a blog competition by Jacqueline at JAustenJewelleryDesign. I was able to choose anything to the value of £20 so I decided on these beautiful Lapis Lazuli earrings...

I am so imressed by the quality of the stones and workmanship, and they came packaged so beautifully, so to say thankyou here are a few things from Jaquelines folksy shop which I think are worth taking a look at (click on the picture to see the listing).

Also this week, I was a bit cheeky and wrote a post about how I had helped Chrissy at Chrissysforcards with an idea, I was just being silly but she has been so lovely and sent me 2 free Christmas cards! They are absolutely beautiful cards, simple but effective designs. Chrissy is quite new to Folksy so do take a look at her shop - it's worth it! Here is a small selection from her ...

So a huge thankyou to both of you, these things are appreciated :)

Our Anniversary!

2010-12-05T18:27:00.004Z

The 4th of December was mine and Rups 14th anniversary of going out - well we're not married so we have to celebrate something, although actually we didn't do much celebrating at all after we spent the day helping out Rups parents and then I was in bed by 10 as I didn't feel well....but oh well, maybe next year!

Noone thought we would last, we met at college - we were studying art and design and were friends throughout the first year and got together in the second, I was 17, he was 22...we don't do presents to each other due to budget cuts but here is some stuff from the December Elves that I would have liked him to buy me!

I've had a go at doing an ACEO, in fact I have done 2 and I have added them to my folksy shop.
I've got alot more ideas in my head so I will hopefully do them soon, but here are my first 2...

happy Christmas selling and shopping everyone :)

Great time of year for orchids!

2010-11-30T14:36:00.004Z

For any orchid growers like myself this is a great time of year, I only have 1 left that is still flowering from spring, but I have 6 that have jumped into action and are due to flower in Jan / Feb, every day their spikes have grown even more and I love helping them to grow straight up their cane...I know alot of growers document their plants appearance but I don't because I really enjoy waiting for a plant to reflower because I have forgotten what it looks like - it's a lovely surprise every time lol!

To celebrate my orchids, here is a selection of floral items from the November Sparks on folksy - tomorrow it will be called something else as it will be December! To see each item just click on the picture and it will take you to each shop...

and although my listing today wasn't floral I will add it anyway because I love my little dice beads...they're just fun :)

now I'm off to call Rup to see how he is, he has been stuck on the M25 for hours due to heavy snow!

Cats are Nuts!

2010-11-24T13:10:00.003Z

Yesterday I recieved my long awaited domino beads from China, they came in a very shallow cardboard box, as with all boxes we get it got left in the corner of the living room for the enjoyment of Itchy, Scratchy and Quentin, as you can see it was enjoyed, but little Itchy (the 3rd picture) was the only one who actually fit!

Today I've added domino bracelets to my etsy, misi and folksy shops and I am having fun thinking up different ways to use them, they're absolutely brilliant!

On a roll...November Sparks

2010-11-23T23:31:00.003Z

I've had a rather busy few days, I've re-opened my Etsy shop, and I am now listing 1 item a day there as well as on Folksy and Misi....as well as adding new stuff to the website :)

On Sunday I went over to Henley to fill a shelf space I am renting in The Vintage Look which is the most gorgeous little shop which is just off the Waitrose carpark.

And I have spent all my money on some new materials as I have had a brainwave...I'm not sure if my new ideas will work or even sell but I feel motivated, I feel like I have direction, and I am excited about it - which is all very good for me so I am going with it! LOL

I am still keeping up with the November Sparks on Folksy, I'm so glad I joined, I feel like I belong, and that I am one of a community - it was the best thing I have done in a long time. Pictured below are some recent listings from other 'Sparks' (just click on the pic to see the listing on Folksy)...

and last but not least are the onyx butterfly earrings I listed earlier...

Ever have so many ideas in your head that you are buzzing? Not sure I will get any sleep tonight.....

My purchases from the Carousel...

2010-11-16T13:39:00.005Z

Last week I decided to have a go on the Craft Carousel, I know it sounds silly but I am always nervous to join in with these new things that have a social edge to them - I am not good at putting myself out there at all, but I was having one of my good days last week so gave it a go, my first purchase was from the very talented MrsGKnits, I bought one of her beautiful corsages

My first go only lasted minutes as I sold a bracelet, I was so pleased that I had a second go, buying from the equally talented Deviant Panda, I bought a really cute rainbow skull mobile charm

I am so pleased with both items, I will be wearing them together (pictued below) as something a little bit different as I never like to blend in!

Unfortunately my second go on the Carousel is lasting a little bit longer but I am so glad I joined in, it's a brilliant idea! And since joining views in my folksy shop have jumped right up! I just need to get past this problem I have of not being able to connect with everyone...

My Latest Craft Fair and November Sparks...

2010-11-15T18:44:00.005Z

We did another craft fair on Saturday night -well I thought it was a craft fair, out of 15 tables selling I was actually the only handmade stall, there were 2 other jewellery sellers but they were both selling bought in jewellery and there was the usual toiletries and jamie oliver which to me is just a little bit dull! Rup came along and so did his Mum (both pictured) and I did sell a few things, I was quite pleased with how I did, even though hardly anyone came, everything I sold was to other stall holders and the lady who was doing the refreshments - but that's ok with me! When I got home I emptied out my jewellery onto Itchys table - she was not pleased so sat on it all and spent the rest of the evening every so often kicking it all on to the floor!

I think that might be it with me and craft fairs (or just fairs!?), I did make money on Saturday but it is alot of effort for not much return and they are so hit and miss as to whether they are a success...but I will say never say never lol.

Today I have decided to feature some of my jewellery rivals from the November Sparks, there are so many of us jewellers on folksy and it is all gorgeous :)

Circles Pendant by WellyDog Designs

Glass Droplet Necklace by Esme Dodsworth Design

Green Glass Earrings by Infiniti Jewellery

Long Blue Earrings by Iyobo Design

Flower and Leaf Earrings by Bessie Loves

Turquoise and Bronzite Necklace by Unique Beaded Gems

and here are a couple of my recent listings on folksy...

My Bright Pink Folksy Friday!

2010-11-12T09:59:00.002Z

I'm not really a pink person, but sometimes it can be quite uplifting, so here, to celebrate pink is my folksy friday :)

click on the picture to get taken to the item on folksy...

and I'll just add my pink bracelet which I have listed this morning...

My Sunday...

2010-11-08T15:04:00.002Z

So we did our first craft fair in over 5 years on Sunday, we had a small table, it was simple and colourful but I think it looked good. That's Rup in the picture, he wasn't keen on going but wanted to support me as he knew how nervous I was. He would rather have stayed home and watched Liverpool beat Chelsea! It did seem to get quite busy but unfortunately noone seemed to want to buy, alot of people liked my jewellery, tried it on and commented on it but noone wanted it! I now remember why I used to hate doing the fairs, I'm not sure I have ever done a really successful one and it leaves me with a slight dilemma as we were planning on doing them regularly from now on...

Cheering me up has been the November Sparks on Folksy - what a really great bunch of people, I wish I had joined the listing club months ago as without it I think I would be quite depressed right now as things are so slow, it's hard to stay motivated, here are a few purple picks from them today...

just click on the picks to see each listing :)

Today I re-listed a greeny blue pearl bracelet - I think it is really pretty but noone wanted it the first time round...

I'm now spending the afternoon making more jewellery and listing a few things in New For November on my website :)

A Sparkling Folksy Friday...

2010-11-05T20:57:00.002Z

well, it is bonfire night, and as I am joining in with the November Sparklers here are this fridays offerings :)

Black and White Button Earrings by Damselfly Gemma

Funky Fluffy Wrist Warmers by Eccentric Ella

Stars, Moon and Rock Crystal Necklace by Putting on the Charms

here was my listing for today (not in-keeping with bonfire night I am afraid!)

Onyx Butterfly Bracelet

I am nearly all set for my craft fair on Sunday - I am terrified, it's been so long since my last one, please cross for fingers that it is successful - I need it to be :)

Joining in with the November Sparks...

2010-11-03T22:48:00.004Z

So I have finally decided to join in the listings club on folksy, I'm still not very good at joining in on forums (I just feel awkward) but I will throw myself in and hope for the best! Here are 3 items from others which I think are really nice / pretty...

I had a good day, I will be selling in a new shop soon, details will come shortly :)

What a Great Day!

2010-10-29T10:45:00.003+01:00

So for a few months my website has just been ticking over but doing nothing special, no records have been broken in ages so I was thrilled yesterday when for the first time ever I got over 200 unique visitors, not only was it over 200 but way over at 232! Then this morning I found that I had broken my record for the number of unique visitors in a month - I am so happy as they seem to have been the same for months now...

I have also been featured in Sketchstitches beautiful Pretty Pinks and Purples Folksy Friday - or rather my Rhodonite, Sardonyx, Rose Quartz and Onyx Necklace was :) I don't get featured much so it was a pleasnat suprize!

Now I'm off to make some more sixpence jewellery....

New Stuff!!!

2010-10-27T17:31:00.003+01:00

Today I added new items in my folksy shop, I have used beads that I bought when I was down in Cornwall a month ago....
Take a look at them here, I've been making similar stuff for the craft fairs I am going to, but I might keep a pair of the button earrings for myself because I love them!

IF you like what is here but want a different colour let me because I might have it...

Thankyou Folksy People :)

2010-10-18T15:00:00.002+01:00

I've been feeling so down recently but I am now on a high. I have been emailed recently by several people asking me to do craft fairs but I am just not brave enough to do them - but I felt I was really letting myself down. Plus I really need money!

So I asked for advice on the folksy forum and the people who replied were so so lovely, supportive, encouraging, motivating, and understanding. I feel 100 times more confident now, they pointed out such obvious things such us how a fair could be fun - something that due to nerves I couldn't see.

So I have booked a fair, just a small 2 hour evening sale to start with, Rupert and his Mum are going to help me and I feel ok about it at the moment, I am sure there will be a time when the nerves kick in so I will just have to ask on folksy again for some reasurance.

To everyone who answered my thread - you have no idea how much you have changed my day, THANKYOU :)

Monday morning blues...

2010-10-18T11:27:00.003+01:00

I feel like all I do is moan, but perhaps if I blog about this I might feel inspired to start work (well I can hope)!

We have spent another weekend with Rups parents, not that I begrudge it and it is good to see Rups Dad slowly getting better (although there is a long way to go yet), but I am finding it dragging my mood down and it is becoming harder everyday to pull myself up again. But because it is someone else who is now ill it sounds very selfish if I moan that I am not feeling good as this situation isn't about me...but I have to admit that I don't think I am strong enough to listen to someone elses problems daily - every day is an effort for me anyway even without this. How self obsessed am I?!LOL

I have decided to change all my pictures back to bright white backgrounds, I had backgrounds like this in all my pics for a few years and sales were growing and I was doing ok, but after reading the forums I was convinced I had to make them more 'arty', but I am not sure it has worked, in my pics you can't see the jewellery as well as you could - although stones like rock crystal look better but overall I am not happy with it, so just by making that desicion I have given myself weeks of work :)

I promise I won't whine in my next post :)

Persian Chainmaille Necklace

2010-10-14T14:13:00.003+01:00

I'm still practising the chainmaille even though I haven't mentioned it in a while, I am mostly learning through Youtube as I can't afford any books, to learn how to make these necklaces I had to watch the videos quite a few times as they are so fast moving but once I got it it was worth it. I am so pleased with them - they look fab :)

Purple and Black Necklace

Pink Necklace

Blue Necklace

I now have to save up for more jump rings so I can move on to my next chainmaille project :)

A good cause :)

2010-10-12T10:25:00.003+01:00

I meant to do this yesterday but got caught up in other things (see last post), I'm missing this blogging business :(

What I wanted to write then but am doing now is a plea for a good cause. Joy from Joyknitt is raising money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal by giving 10% of all sales. See her post here to find where you can buy from her to help with this very worthy cause.

Today I am trying to relax, I have a horrible cough which doesn't want to go so I am going to sit and make jewellery - I'm not planning on talking to anyone as that sets me off so it should be a quiet day :)

A difficult week

2010-10-10T17:15:00.002+01:00

It feels like a long time since I have read anyones blog...and it must be weeks since I have commented on one.

Ruperts Dad is very ill, I've spent alot of time helping look after him as it is just too much for his Mum, and with Rup and his sisters working that leaves me. So far he only seems to have got worse and recovery is a long way off - we are having to help them downsize too which is adding to everyones stress levels. So I haven't had time to read blogs, there are some I usually read weekly, and there are a few I check daily but now I am completely out of touch! I feel quite left out of the crafting world lol.

Tomorrow I have got a little time so I am planning to sit down and make some jewellery. It is so hard looking after someone who is ill and I need to keep an eye on my own mental health so I think I shall enjoy that - especially as I have just bought some beautiful lapis lazuli beads....then hopefully I will have enough time to add it all to the website as I am sure everyone is starting to look towards christmas shopping.

I am hoping to catch up soon *sigh*

Seals Galore!

2010-10-03T20:42:00.004+01:00

Well I haven't been around for a while - for the last week I have been in Cornwall doing a bit of Seal spotting as it is at this time of year they breed! I've never seen them pupping so we planned this holiday especially and it was definately worth it....

It's very hard to tell but there were over 40 seals on the beach in this picture and at least 6 playing in the waves just off the beach - but their colouring keeps them very well hidden! The little pale blobs are the cute little babies, it was slightly bigger young ones that were playing in the waves and the adults are quite easy to see :)

I think after cats seals are my fav!

The Artist in me....

2010-09-16T09:36:00.007+01:00

I'm feeling so tempted to start painting again, I really miss it but don't have anywhere that I can safely make a mess....I was looking through my favourite college project yesterday.... the title we were given was 'Idols and Icons'

I had just come back from a holiday in Crete - so started looking at Greek Mythology, then moved on to Christianity from looking at Icons in art work

this was in 1996, at the time crop circles was huge which led me on to aliens

I re-wrote the Christmas story, I imagined the star was actually a UFO (it was all good natured, I come from a religious background), I created patterns, at the time I was thinking of either going into textiles or graphic design so that is the direction the project took me

I love using colour, and when playing with my UFO patterns I used alot of metallics to keep in with the gifts from the 3 wise men...

did anyone else make this marble paper (pictured below) when they were younger, we did it all the time - I thought it was go much fun. For those that didn't do it, you got a big bowl (big enough to lay your paper in) with a small amount of water in it, you mix power paint in it along with washing up liquid, then blow bubbles in it, lay your paper on the bubbles and it makes the bubble pattern....you can let it dry then repeat the process with a different colour to build up the pattern....

the pattern below was good 0ld fashioned potato printing!

Unfortunately I haven't got the final piece - that was broken a long time ago but I will always keep the sketch book from that project, the pictures are just a few of the pages - the project is a whole bookful of work. I don't have much old art of mine - which is odd as I was always painting/printing something when I was younger.

I have ideas for pictures in my head so I might have to give something new a go, it's funny how hard it is to get started when it used to come so easily to me...maybe it is the artists form of writers block :)

Copying / Coincidence and worrying too much

2010-09-07T12:19:00.004+01:00

There has been so much on the forums lately about people copying other people. It is a rotten, lazy thing to do - I'm not denying that, but there have been some cases where I think people are far too quick to accuse.

7 / 8 years ago I was accused of copying, it was someone who I knew and I was baffled as my jewellery looked nothing like. It turned out she was unhappy that I had used a similar bead, I hadn't even realised and it turned out she complained about anyone doing anything remotely similar. After that I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt - I do think that with beads designs will often overlap, especially if you use the same suppliers and read the same books / magazines.

About a month a go I read a thread on a forum where someone was complaining about being copied. She was using a certain bead in a way that turned it into a shape. But the thing is - that is what it was designed for - and I know someone who has been doing exactly the same thing for longer than the person complaining - I didn't comment on the thread.

On folksy I have seen a pair of earrings exactly like ones I make. I've been making the same design for several years - but I know this other person didn't copy me as lets face it, there are only a certain amount of ways you can use round gemstone beads!

It was very hurtful when I was accused, and it is damaging, but the complaints on forums seem to be increasing - and only a few of them seem to be actual designs being ripped off!

Be back soon...

2010-09-04T15:18:00.002+01:00

Hi Folks, just a quick sorry for not commenting on blogs like I usually do. Every so often I go though a period where I can't communicate much - it's all part of the depression and I will get over it so it is nothing to worry about but I might not be around much for a while....on the other hand I might suddenly wake up tomorrow with alot to say!

so please just watch this space :)

btw, it is business as normal on the website.

Wire Wrapped Pendants

2010-08-31T20:50:00.003+01:00

Here is a selection of my new pendants, I made a few a couple of months ago which I listed on folksy and etsy and although I haven't sold any the feedback I've had for them has been great, I didn't really expect to sell much over the summer so I'm not dissapointed....I thought seeing as people were saying they liked them I would make some for my website and Misi, the ones on Misi have already been added - pictured below are a couple I listed on my website today and others that I will be listing tomorrow...they can been seen under New For September.
I still need practise but I'm happy with my wirework so far :)

Am I being rude and does it matter?

2010-08-31T16:01:00.003+01:00

There were 2 occasions over the weekend which made me think about my manner.

But before I start though I would like to say that I am happy for customers to call me over the weekend, I had an American call me at 7am and that was fine - people do call me over the weekend but I work 7 days a week and I am always happy to help with anything - I'm not talking about normal people calling me here...

On Sunday we had just got home from shopping, I was busy putting the food away when I got a cold call, it went like this...

them 'hi, I'm such and such, how are you today'
me 'do you realise it is Sunday'
them 'yes I know it is Sunday'
me' oh, so you think it is OK to cold call people on the weekend?'
them ' yes I do'
me 'well I don't'
and I hung up - is it just me? I get so fed up of calls when I am eating my evening meal or when we are relaxing...and I get really annoyed when they ask me how I am as it is just to get you talking to them - I never tell them how I am, I always answer with 'what do you want?'.

then yesterday, bank holiday Monday, I was in the garden de-weeding my patio. To get to my garden you have to walk up the driveway, past our house, past the guy downstairs garden, up some steps, through a gate and there it is....so I was quite surprised when a guy walked in, past the shed, under the arch right into the garden and just stood looking around, when I asked him what he was doing in my garden he said 'is this driveway' 'no' I said 'it's my garden please leave', but he didn't! he asked again if it was the driveway then went to give me one of the cards he was delivering...at which point I said loudly 'I don't want your card I want you to get the hell out of my garden!'

I really don't know how he ended up in the garden - through the gate - past our house - but I was really angry that he didn't leave as soon as I told him his mistake...

I don't know if I am being unreasonable, am I allowed to be crabby with these space invaders?

And one last thing, as I often mention, we live on the first floor, we have quite steep concrete steps to get to the front door - and I am sick of people leaving their leaflets / menus / charity bags on the bottom step - it is amazing the amount of people who won't deliver up to the door - and we have slipped on ones we haven't noticed, so our policy is anything not bought up to the door goes in the bin and looses our business.

Anyway, glad I've got that off my chest LOL

A few of my Orchids

2010-08-30T10:11:00.003+01:00

Here is just a few pictures of my orchids...

I didn't know what this first one would look like as I bought it cheap from a garden center after it had flowered - but it was definitely worth it, it's the only one of this kind that I have and it has doubled in size in 6 months!

This one had root rot when I bought it - and within days of getting it home had only 1 leaf, it is now going strong with 5 leaves but only has one flower but at least it is re-flowering...

This one was a gift from Rups Mum 8ish months ago, it is currently re-flowering with only 2 flowers.

This white phal is one of my favourites, I bought it about a year ago, it was reduced to £1 because it was severely dehydrated and its flower stem was snapped, it is now happy and healthy and has a full stem of beautiful flowers!

This was the little one I bought from the fair - hopefully I will get some flowers on it next year - it has joined my main collection of orchids in the kitchen.

I walked around the fair 3 times trying to choose a flowering plant to bring home and this orange one is what I chose...

This is my kitchen windowsill where I keep most of my plants - I have a few scattered in each room though...they like this window where they get plenty of light, and there in the sunshine is my garden :)

Apologies for lack of names and stuff - I do know them but I am not a good speller...it doesn't really matter though - I just think they are pretty :)

Nothing crafty here & watering orchids with ice cubes :)

2010-08-29T23:41:00.003+01:00

I gave myself this weekend off! I usually only have a day here or there off so it has been really nice.

Yesterday we went to an orchid fair - we have very limited space here so I only bought 2 but I am really pleased with them as they are not ones you would find in a supermarket or garden centre...the best one has flowers which look like dandylion seeds (the white propellors) - unfortunately I couldn't afford a flowering plant so I bought a baby one for £20 and have to wait 18 months for it to flower!!!!!! But it will be worth it :)

I've been neglecting my orchids of late so I repotted 4 of them today that have been waiting for me to do it for a couple of months - I love the look of a freshly potted orchid...although I also love an orchid with roots hanging out all over the place LOL...

For the last few weeks I've been watering my orchids with ice cubes, I thought it might be a great way to not over-water which I am in the habit of doing...and it really is a great way to control the amount of water so I will keep it going for a few months and see how they hold out - but so far so good!

We're staying at home tomorrow, all the festival goers (Reading festival) will be making their way home so the traffic will not be moving around Caversham (where I live and where the festival is) I am tidying the patio up so that I can re-point it (not sure that's what you call it) next weekend, plus I have weeding to do so that should stop me getting bored :)

I'm really sorry - on reading back this is so dull - I will take pics of my orchids soon to try and be more impressive haha :)

Typical!

2010-08-27T09:15:00.002+01:00

So to block out our noisy neighbours we have a fan on constantly in the bedroom (it used to be a mini DVD player but it broke), we don't have a TV in there because of my sleep problems - I don't need the distraction...

Our neighbours went on holiday yesterday, we'd been told by someone else this year that they weren't going so we were so happy to see they had gone - last year they were away for 5 blissfully quiet weeks.

So now, to make the most of it, I was in bed 2 hours earlier than normal so that I could do something I haven't been able to do in such a long time - READ IN BED - it was lovely, I am reading Persuasion again - my favourite Jane Austen book, but when it came to turning out the lights it was really strange, usually at this time of year we hear all the campers at the Reading festival (and get to enjoy the smoke of thousands of bonfires) but due to all the rain there was silence - and I got really spooked, I was overwhelmed by the silence - and the only way I could relax was to turn the fan on!

Busy Busy Busy and Gardening in the Rain

2010-08-26T23:55:00.002+01:00

I've been so busy working on my website for the last week, I've neglected it for a few months which isn't good - so I've been making up for lost time, I've now added a Charm Bracelets category - I just have to make plenty of bracelets to add to it now...I've been so busy I've barely even twittered!

This afternoon I finally had enough of looking at a screen so I went out to do some gardening even though it was raining, the lawn is far too long for my little push-along mower but as it is so wet I can't cut it - but it is the same for everyone....the only thing is it is very patchy - where I filled in the badgers snuffle holes with new compost it has lovely long green lush grass so it is looking rather odd! I planted the last of the plants I bought back from Cornwall and did some pruning. When we moved here 2 and a half years ago the garden was very overgrown, I've been cutting things back very slowly so as not to kill them, I think next year I will finally have things cut back to the shape and size that I want them.

I have a second lot of raspberries and rhubarb doing well, so that is my breakfast tomorrow, I don't think there is much better than going outside first think and picking your own :)

On edge...

2010-08-25T16:41:00.002+01:00

So after alot of umming and aarring me and Rup wrote a letter to our neighbour. We have a few problems with them involving tiled floors / children / fences....I'm now on edge to see what the effect is. We haven't known what to do for a long time, but after another night of noise - continuing until after we were alseep last night we decided to go for it.

I'm not a child hater, it's the parents are that are the problem, I think we are not being unreasonable when we get annoyed that the toddlers still aren't in bed gone midnight and are charging about on a tiled floor in a first floor maisonette...

Why do these problems always crop up, I want and wish for a quiet life, we moved from our first property because there were problems there.....we keep ourselves to ourselves, we don't make much noise, we want to get on with everyone - but there is always someone nearby who doesn't care and ruins things!

Anyway, our letter was polite but to the point, I included paperwork which shows a broken fence to be his - he has been telling us it is ours so he doesn't have to repair it, so now we will wait and see what happens.

I would like a good releationship with them, but perhaps that is not always practical and possible with neighbours.

Drum rolls please....

2010-08-24T22:59:00.008+01:00

I am pleased to announce after 2 days of solid hard work my Shop by Colours page OPEN! (Queue round of applause and major celebrity cut the ribbon) :)

Shop by Colours!

Thankyou to everyone who answered my questions on this blog and everywhere else, the majority of people said they shop by colour and while the page I have created isn't much to look at each colour category has plenty of jewellery in it.

Unfortunately I have broken my home page tonight so sorry to anyone who tries clicking on it, I was fiddling and don't know what I have done and now have to wait for office hours to get support to fix it :( but that will teach me to play with things I don't understand! The rest of the website is working fine though :)

I've had another sale on Misi today - that is my 3rd this month making it my most successful month there yet - and admin is back - Emma is better - so hopefully Misi will begin to pick up again, I do love it and really want it to do well.

Please help me with your opinions...

2010-08-21T19:37:00.003+01:00

Hello everyone, I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend....if there are others of you about who like me are still on the computer even though it is Saturday I would really appreciate your opinions.

I'm having a think about categories, as I've always mostly used gemstones that is how I have sorted my jewellery so my questions are -

1. do you shop by stone or colour?
2. do you shop by theme?
3. do you like stretchy bracelets to be separate from clasp bracelets?
4. If I added 'themes' and 'shop by colour' to the left hand column with the other categories on my website would it be too many?

Don't worry, I don't expect answers to everything but some answers would really help me out as my head is whizzing at the moment! Thanks everyone :)

Driftwood Pendants

2010-08-20T14:18:00.003+01:00

Already I am seeing the benefit of avoiding internet forums (see last post), it's 1 morning on and I have finished my driftwood project and listed the finished pendants in my folksy shop! This has taken me weeks for no other reason than that I am good at wasting time....I'm really pleased with them and am now impatient and growing restless as I want to go to the beach and find more - but Rupert says I have to wait for the end of September when we are off to Cornwall again...how am I suppost to wait that long? I'm going to find smaller bits - nuggets - as I think what I have done with the pendants would look really good as beads and then I could make bracelets and earrings :)

I love the cone in my pictures - it was from ebay, advertised as a bracelet display and I think it is quite effective in pictures...

Now I am off to make more fimo daisies as I have more charm bracelets on order......

I've said it before, I'll say it again...

2010-08-19T21:06:00.003+01:00

I'm going to try and stay away from forums for the next few weeks, I don't know if I will manage it but I am determined.

I want to try and concentrate on making and listing, and that is all...except for the odd tweet and blog post of course! I keep getting new ideas, and I start them and it takes me days to finish because I am not concentrating on making, just because I have to keep checking in case someone has replied to me on the thread I posted on......

I have gardening and housework to do, and none of it gets done because someone might have written something really fascinating and I must go check....

I have photos to take but I don't want to go outside and take them because I have a question I want to ask...

Well you get the gist, it can't just be me? So a few weeks away will do me good I think...I might finally finish the driftwood jewellery I have been working on - it's still not quite right but I am getting there :)

anyone want a lucky sixpence? no, how about 25?

2010-08-18T22:30:00.006+01:00

Daisy Charm Bracelet

I've just added these bracelets to folksy, I especially love the sixpence charm bracelet as the coins were my Grandpas...he was a collector...of EVERYTHING! He died in 1995 but my parents still have boxes and boxes of coins / stamps / cigarette cards and more that was his...he left thousands of coins including an awful lot of six pence pieces so what to do...I'll tell you - you drill a hole in them and make them into a beautiful piece of jewellery!

Lucky Sixpence Charm Bracelet

BUNNY CONCERT

2010-08-18T10:02:00.001+01:00

Cat drinking from...

2010-08-18T09:40:00.003+01:00

New For August...

2010-08-17T16:44:00.003+01:00

I'm currently busy adding about 25 items to my website, you can see them on New For August...I am so pleased with these 2 bracelets I made, I think the kyanite and mahogany obsidian work really well with the copper :)

I'm having a new front page soon which is exciting, it's about time as it has looked the same for 3 and a half years - so watch out for updates :)

Internet Forums

2010-08-17T15:12:00.002+01:00

I feel like giving up on forums, in some you have to walk on eggshells so as not to offend, others are way to clicky and it is too hard to get 'accepted', on some you just get ignored....and others you just get misunderstood.....it's just not the same as a face to face conversation where you might make a throwaway comment and it will be accepted for what it is but if you do it in a forum it is there for people to pick holes in when it doesn't mean anything!

The thing is though - I don't have face to face convos much as I rarely leave the house, and I don't like chatting on the phone....so forums are my only outlet...*sigh*.

just had to get that off my chest.

What I've been up to...

2010-08-15T00:28:00.003+01:00

My living room floor is a mess at the moment with beads/wire all over it, I have been experimenting...following on from my copper wire jewellery is my hammered copper wire jewellery, I've tried a few shapes - I was quite pleased with the swirls pictured below -

And after coming back from Cornwall a month ago with 2 books about button jewellery I have finally got around to it, here is the first pair of earrings I have made from buttons...
I've made a few bits of button jewellery but so far I have put it all in my cabinet in the Emmer Green Post Office.

I came accross this necklace with my name on it, it is actually the first piece of jewellery I ever made - I must have been about 12/13 at the time and I am rather impressed with myself that it is still in one piece...it needs cleaning up a bit but other than that it is ok although I think I might be a little old for a name necklace now!

Ever get frustrated because you have too many ideas? That's how I am at the moment, the button jewellery was bad enough having to wait a month to start it but I have had 2 ideas in the last few days and I can't afford new materials at the moment - it is so frustrating...so...deep breaths...I am trying to control myself :)

If I was to make mens jewellery does anyone know how long I should make necklaces?

Tomorrow I carry on with the making - although I will only be able to make a couple of pieces before I run out of clasps and earring hooks so I had better pace myself :)

The Wonders of the Ladybird...

2010-08-09T23:27:00.002+01:00

If you have read my blog post Poor Old Scratchy and her 9 Lives you will know why I never spray anything on my garden - well that and I do like to be green! We do get alot of insects - quite a few that I have no clue what they are...last year we had a slug problem and all my strawberries got eaten but this year I've hardly noticed any, I got to eat most of the strawberries and I wonder if that is due to the badger and his/her large appetite? My nasturtiums were absolutely covered in little black insects, they haven't flowered as a result but with this way of gardening I always expect a few losses or duds, so I was so happy today when I noticed nearly all the black insects gone and 5/6 ladybirds having a feast! I was able to sit and watch them as they moved from leaf to leaf eating all in sight - it was amazing, I have never seen them so hard at work! With any luck this means now the plants might flower :)

A few weeks ago my Grandpa started to squash the caterpillars on my redcurrant bush, I asked him to stop because I didn't like it - my redcurrants had finished so I didn't mind them eating the leaves but my Grandpa really didn't understand, if he had his way he would kill all insects (including the ladybirds) but you know what, I don't care, I like my way of gardening :)

Thought I had started to figure it all out...I was wrong!

2010-08-09T14:46:00.004+01:00

Regular readers will know that I often set myself listing targets...

For my website I try to add 100 new items a month, that never changes although I don't always reach 100 but I do try.

For everywhere else the number is always changing, back in May / June my targets were daily, it was something like 3 items for etsy, 2 items for folksy, 1 item for misi, 1 item for dreamaid...

I managed these daily listings along with craftjuice and twitter for a few weeks but soon realised I couldn't keep it up at that rate...

So I then decided to set myself Total listing targets on each website...Firstly I thought I would stop listing on Misi and Dreamaid for now as they were so quiet (and I admit I was influenced by the forums on misi and folksy).

Then I decided on a listing limit of 600 items for etsy - that is approx 5 items a day, I thought if I list as many items as I can, then on days I don't list I will renew 5 items...then once I am up to my target I can renew 5 a day and just add and replace where I have to.

For Folksy my target is 365 - that is approx 2 items a day but etsy was my priority as it is so hard to be seen on there so I would add items here and there to Folksy.

I was happy with this, and that's the way I've been working since June - I am nowhere near my targets but I am working on it!

For the past few weeks I have been wondering whether to close my dreamaid and misi shops, with dreamaid I have not sold anything and I don't even know if anyone has looked - I don't care if it is free, it still takes up time. I know it is for a good cause but I'm not giving to their cause anyway because I am not selling there and I have jewellery sat there doing nothing...with Misi there is alot of negativity there - it was always kind of my favourite just because I have been on there for nearly 2 years and I love it, but there have been so many people leaving and so many negative threads on various forums about it and with talk of it being sold I wondered whether to sell - I had had 4 sales there in total and considered moving everything to Folksy.

This week though I have had 2 sales on Misi, one was for a £50 necklace - sales of that value don't come often for me so I was really shocked and I am now having to re-think my whole system!

I wonder if it is that so many people have left Misi there just isn't as much competition anymore? Are people still joining up? I am now thinking I will need a listing limit for Misi and add it to the list...LONG LIVE MISI :)

I would love to hear peoples opinions on the various sites?

New Folksy Shop

2010-08-08T22:34:00.002+01:00

Reading back on my blog I'm quite suprised that I didn't blog about my bead haul last December. We went to an auction not expecting much - it said in the booklet they were selling stock from a bankrupt jewellers, so we thought there would be alot of costume jewellery going cheap....but Oh My...I was speechless when we got there as there were 20ish boxes of fantastic quality strings of gemstone beads.

We went completely overboard and spent way too much money that I didn't have on 10 of the boxes, I ended up with 500 strands of beads.

It has taken me this long to work through them - I think they will last me for a long time yet - and there are some beads where there are so many strands that I am just not going to use them all, so I have opened a new Folksy store Beadingshaz is selling beads, all the beads are being sold for much cheaper than the shop that went bust was, over time I will add more - this is just a taster :)

I really hope there is something there that will appeal as I really need to make some money to pay for my fillings! LOL

Rupert feeding Foxy!

2010-08-06T14:05:00.001+01:00

My First EVER Folksy Friday!

2010-08-06T10:16:00.007+01:00

So I have finally decided to join in and do a Folksy Friday, choosing a theme wasn't hard - I have done it in honour of our nightly visitor - the Badger!

Woodland friends covered buttons - set of 5 by Buttons and Birdhouses

Badger woodland resin necklace by PennyDog Jewellery

Bernie the Badger by One shy Elephant

Badger, Felt Brooch by Lupin Handmade

Pulling Strings - BRUCE a print by Blackoutwell

Another blog to check out is Blue Forest Jewellery's blog, where todays Folksy Friday is all about sellers with less than 5 sales, it's a great idea -one which I may have to do something similar to in the future LOL!

Copper Wire Jewellery

2010-08-04T21:54:00.005+01:00

I'd like to say a huge thankyou to everyone who left messages on my last blog post, you made me feel so much better. This is how I am - I have ups, and I have downs. The last few days were not fun but I'm moving on!

Making jewellery is such good therapy (well any crafting is) so for the last few days that is pretty much all I have been doing. It took me a day just to strip some earth wire, when I had done that I had 70 metres of copper wire to play with! Pictured are some of the things I came up with...
I am toying with the idea of opening a supply shop on folksy, I have alot of beads all the same which I can't see myself using so watch this space :)

you still doing the website?

2010-08-03T15:51:00.002+01:00

I have decided that people who say 'so, you still doing the website/jewellery' or 'hows the website going' are people who are not actually interested. I always thought people cared when they asked this, that they did want to know how it was going, but I have realised recently that the people who ask this are the people who NEVER look at my website, the people who look see for themselves how it is going and tend to ask something different.

The thing is though only a couple of people who I know actually look at my website regularly - there are ALOT who never look - even those who are meant to care! Even people who like wearing my kind of jewellery! And I don't understand it, I try and be nice, and listen to people...

My neighbour said to me the other day 'you should sell in shops and do craft fairs'....yeah, thanks for that - do your research!

I don't mean to moan, but I was at a family gathering at the weekend when someone said to me 'so you still doing the website?', so she hasn't looked and that's all she can think of to ask me, she then went on to tell me about someone who she knows who is making jewellery - shes just started! Now I have nothing against someone else making jewellery - there are thousand of us after all - but I don't want to talk to someone about their friends jewellery making when they are so clearly uninterested in my jewellery! And I know it makes me sound selfish and whiny, but it really bothered me.

Why do people think they can say 'oh you should do this' and 'you should do that' when they know nothing about my business....I give jewellery as gifts and I know there are only 2 people who actually wear it!

I wouldn't usually blog about this kind of stuff but it has really bothered me for days now and I needed to get it off my chest. I'm feeling very unloved and lonely :(

Why different is always better

2010-07-28T14:20:00.005+01:00

I'm writing this post after reading in a few different forums people asking opinions of favourite metals/colours/gemstones, for me personally this kind of information doesn't work. I do it myself, I have a poll on my website asking what everyones favourite stone is (you are welcome to go vote) and if you look at the results you can see that there are not many votes but amethyst wins as most popular.

But popular for me does not mean sales! In the 3 and a half years of having my website I have only sold 1 or 2 pieces of amethyst jewellery even though there is plenty on there - my customers do not want it!

My theory for this is that amethyst can be found everywhere, and because it is a fairly inexpensive stone it can be bought very cheaply in manufactured jewellery which means I cannot beat the prices. In google you cannot find me by searching for amethyst jewellery as there are just so many sites selling it. And here is an example on etsy - if you search amethyst jewelry it comes back with 31,469 results, but if you search zebra jasper which was a best seller for me last year it comes back with only 526 results (I was actually quite surprised here as I didn't expect it to be that low).

The same kind of results can be found everywhere, on ebay last year I couldn't get enough peridot and mookaite jasper (even though I have been told by so many people they don't like peridot) but again, the common stones didn't do well.

I have quite good google rankings for some stones, page 1 on a few which is great, and this is mostly where I get my sales, my best seller this year (a closely guarded secret of course LOL) has accounted for 80-90% of my sales for some months this year even though I have for sale 70 different types of gemstone! Of course it changes, last year I was selling loads of zebra jasper, the year before was dalmatian jasper, this year they are not so popular, and some stones are more popular at certain times of the year - for example I had quite a few custom orders in March for aquamarine jewellery but it is not a good seller at other times. I also let my customers guide me, I had a request for a bracelet last October which the customer wanted to be made from seraphinite - I had never heard of it but now I stock it all the time and it has gone down really well - this particular customer had a seraphinite pendant and wanted a matching bracelet - she could not find one anywhere and was really pleased with what I made her.

My point is, don't be afraid to be different, and listen to the individuals - not the masses - it really does get you seen!

Quentin Knocking at the door

2010-07-27T15:23:00.000+01:00

5 things I've hearted recently...

2010-07-27T11:26:00.003+01:00

Like many of you I often brouse etsy and folksy wishing I could buy everything, unfortunately until sales pick up I can't afford anything so instead thought I would share a few of the items I have hearted recently with you...

Happy Frog crochet amigurumi by gettinghooked
Eco Cute Ballerina Flats in Lime Green by TheGeneration

Raspberry Marshmallow by sweettreatsbakery

FAIRY GARDEN SIGN PLAQUE - Don't Piss Off The Fairies by PhenomeGNOME

Stack of eight colorful prep bowls by LynnCardwellPottery

I have everything crossed that I can start buying soon as just brousing all the time is so painful!

Scratchys Foot Fetish

2010-07-26T22:04:00.001+01:00

Just a little video I made of Scratchy - full explanation as to why she is licking my toes on youtube :)

A Bit of a Wobble

2010-07-24T22:12:00.002+01:00

I had a small crisis this week when I decided that the people who own the Post Office where I sell my jewellery probably don't want to sell it anymore because I am so rubbish at keeping it updated (I just struggle to keep up with things at times). So we went up there today fully prepared to empty the cabinet.

When we got there I asked him if he would like me to take my stuff home, then he could use the cabinet as he wishes, I said I know I am rubbish at keeping it nice and perhaps he would like something new....he said, 'no, it is fine, it's up to you how often you refill it - if you have nothing in it you are then one who misses out and by selling your jewellery I don't have to invest in stock'! He was completely understanding as he knows I don't always find things easy.

It just goes to show how wrong you can be when you get paranoid...I was convinced that I was an inconvienence, but it is yet another side effect of depression, even in times like these when I think I am doing ok it rears it's ugly head in some form!

So I felt much better when I came home, I had a wad of cash from the PO because of parents buying presents for teachers and we went and spent alot of it in the garden centre on new plants and some compost (I can't use mine as there are bees in it), I then spent most of the afternoon in the garden. After two and a half years here I am finally getting the garden to how I want it (when we moved in it was overgrown, with no flowerbeds and there was rubbish and rubble everywhere), if I feel bad I struggle to get out into the garden so I feel quite proud of myself having it look so good...

So all in all it's been a good day :)

Something else new for me...plus something OLD!

2010-07-23T14:06:00.005+01:00

I have been making jewellery since I was in school (I know you have probably read that before but I love repeating myself LOL), I used to make jewellery then give it to family and friends - I used to use old electical wire which I would strip down to the copper - that way my hobby hardly cost me anything. I asked my Mum recently if she still had anything from back then and she dug out this pendant from the back of the drawer -

I have to say, looking back I am amazed at how perfect that spiral was - there are no marks on it and the spiral is pretty even / professional looking....it makes me tempted to have a go at the spirals again but I'm not sure how popular they are now, at that time they were quite trendy, maybe if I get a spare few minutes I might give it a go but it was certinly not bad for a 13 / 14 year old :)

Below are some experiments which I am really pleased with, I have used sterling silver wire to shape beads into flowers, I made some smoky quartz ones last week which I made into a pendant and earrings and added them to etsy, and these are ones I made yesterday which I will add to folksy later as I have been neglecting my shop there. I really hope they are liked as I like them and want to make alot more!

I went for my first proper walk in 6 weeks today and I am so unfit...I was up to 7 miles before but only did 3.5 miles today...and really disapointed in myself but have another walk planned for next week so will build it up again!

Chainmaille Jewellery

2010-07-22T10:00:00.007+01:00

Oh dear, I have been neglecting my blog this month...I admit that I do struggle to keep up with everything, I manage a few weeks of listing, blogging, twittering - then I loose my way a little bit and have some down days, when that happens it is always difficult to start back up again! I have made quite alot of jewellery though - I decided I wanted to try something new and chainmaille caught my eye so here are some of the results -

I also had another go at polymer clay and the results were not as rubbish as last time, I had some success making little daisys and discs. I'm really happy with the results, I got to the stage where I felt I had been making the same jewellery for years and I needed something fresh. All my new jewellery has been split between my website, my etsy shop, and my folksy shop.

Going to Cornwall was great for me, I came back so inspired so we have decided to go back at the end of September - then I will be able to come back ready and all set for the Christmas rush!

Back From Cornwall

2010-07-11T13:42:00.007+01:00

We are back! And once again we want to move to Cornwall...I'd love a little gallery there, my new favourite place is Marazion.

I have come back with loads of new, fresh ideas so I have to get working...I need that once or twice a year to go and get inspired...I guess it is something about working from home and being by myself all day every day - I think I get a little stale after a while. Only bad thing is my nose is peeling (got burnt by the wind when seal spotting)!

Exhausted!

2010-06-27T20:36:00.003+01:00

This heat is so draining - but for anyone not enjoying it I am going on holiday next week so I am sure it will rain then, I'm looking forward to a soggy week in Cornwall :)

I have reached 100 listings in etsy - I will keep going, my aim is 600 which I think is approx 5 a day ish, I will get to my linit, and then give it probably 6 months and see how it goes, if it doesn't take off no problem - I will put that jewellery elsewhere (and yes I do always go over the top about things).

I was picking fruit in the garden this evening when Foxy wandered in - we haven't seen her since last Sunday so it was good to see her, she followed me up the driveway when I went to call Rup as I have forgotten to put her eggs down and was carrying them away lol. The poor little thing has a weeping eye and she was really panting - I don't think she is enjoying the heat and we suspect that is why we haven't seen her even though the eggs have still been going.

I think, on my return from holiday I am going to run a giveaway, I've been taking a look at other peoples and they look really fun, so I will have to decide how I am going to do it...

The fairy house of my dreams!

2010-06-25T22:50:00.002+01:00

I love my garden, it is my little space where I can do what I like, there are a few frogs out there, and I have some little gargoyles...I like my garden to be interesting, I want people to spot something new everytime they visit - little things that might have been hidden away behind a flower on their last visit....

For a few years I have been looking for a home for the fairies, I do like the little fairy doors that are quite easily found but I want something different...and I found them...

fairy houses set of 3 handmade wheel thrown

by SuzannesPotteryFarm on etsy

my only problem now is that I have no money so I will be saving up for them...all going well I might buy them a whole villiage!

I feature on the mary elliott jewellery folksy friday blog today so a big thankyou - it is the first time that I know of that I have been on a folksy friday blog so I was really happy, and am now thinking about doing my own :)

A Good Couple of Days

2010-06-23T16:53:00.002+01:00

Just a quicky...

Firstly, I'd like to say thankyou to all of you for such a great response to my twitter blog, over all I was amazed at the positivity. I'd like to say to the few who wondered how it brings in sales, the way I twitter is about raising my overall online profile and that is what my blog on twitter is about, I don't tend to worry about getting actual sales from twitter as I am looking at the long term effect. And it does work - well it does for me :)

I would like to say thankyou to Lynwoodcrafts as I have been featured in her beautiful blog again, this time it was my Zoisite earrings from folksy which have in fact now sold.

And now onto my etsy shop Handmade in the UK - Gemstone Jewelry, I have been listing jewellery on there since the beginning of May and I was starting to think it wasn't going to take off as I had had few views and hearts, but I have had 2 sales in 2 days now, the second just coming in a few minutes ago and I can't tell you how pleased I am - so off I go now to get listing :)

Thankyou again to everyone for being so supportive :)

How twitter works for me

2010-06-21T10:43:00.004+01:00

I've had a few people ask me how I managed to get so many followers on twitter recently and how I manage my account so I thought I would write a blog about it. Although I would like to say I am in no way an expert on the matter...I just enjoy twitter :)

I've been on twitter now for approx 18 months, I joined up as I was told what a useful business tool it was and all businesses should be there. So I signed up but didn't know how to go about getting followers, in real life I only know one person who is on twitter and they are not a regular twitterer, I also at the time did not write on forums as I was too shy...so I started looking round the site trying to find how to make it work when I stumbled apon users such as allfollowback. I followed them and looked for others like it to follow, my numbers then started to creep up - it was easy to unfollow people who didn't follow back then as I only had a few pages to check...

But then I starting hitting my following limit, I thought twitter was broken at first so went to read up in the help section and found out about following limits which you can read here, so then I had to find an easy way to unfollow non-followers so I could follow new people...so I twittered asking for advice and was sent a link for friendorfollow.

So once I got over my shyness of following people I started following right up to my limit, then once a week I would go to friend or follow and unfollow non followers....I would do this weekly until I got up to about 10,000.

Now I just follow a few hundred here or there using the same system but I now notice that if I follow a few people I get alot more people following me in return so it is much less work now...

I make use of the lists, I do follow spammers as I think they have their uses but I put them in a spam list (which isn't named as such and is private), that way I don't have to read their tweets but we have helped each other out.

I tweet links to new listings, but it is important to know that the views you get immediately after posting a link are from robots roaming twitter - they don't count as proper views, but over all I have seen a huge traffic increase to my website and the craft sites I sell on so it is worth it in my opinion.

I also like to retweet fellow crafters and chat (although I still struggle with shyness so be patient with me) as it is important to help similar people - what surprises me is the amount of crafters who don't do this...they don't even follow you back - but I guess that is their choice :) and btw, if you are a crafter following me and I am not following you - that is my mistake, just let me know and I will fix it :)

My last tip is about people who follow you - so you follow them - then they unfollow you...when you look on friend or follow you can easily spot these people, they are the ones with 1000's of followers but are only following a very small number of people themselves....in my opinion they are not playing fair so I block those people as they are time wasters.

Lastly, you can follow me here

I really hope this is useful to someone :)

So cute...

2010-06-19T23:16:00.003+01:00

I was going to write a blog today about twitter, I had it all planned out, but have badly hurt my neck and can hardly do anything so I will just post our newest video of Foxy instead which is far more interesting than what I was going to write anyway lol...

Poor old Scratchy and her 9 lives

2010-06-17T19:59:00.003+01:00

Today we took Scratchy to the vet (in a proper carrier - not in the box above lol). We have been noticing some bad breath recently and were worried she had a bad tooth.

Poor Scratchy hasn't always had it easy, in her first year she took a liking to eating very large earth worms and slugs, unfortunatly at the time our neighbour where we lived then liked to have a perfect, insect free garden and one day in the early hours (2am) she was very ill so we had to rush her to the vet, she had to go on a drip and stay they for a while and fortunately she got through it ok! It was the result of eating something with pesticides on it.

Just a few months later she went missing for 5 days, we thought we had lost her forever but she did turn up, but with a poorly tummy, so again she was rushed to the vet who gave her some medicine. She was very jumpy after her 5 days away and just hid in the bedroom. After 3/4 days we noticed her cleaning and having mouthfuls of hair so we had a look and her tail had been snapped and was dead so all the hair was falling out, it was so hairy that neither us or the vet (who had lifted her tail to take her temperature) had noticed. She had to have it amputated. We strongly suspect (because she became VERY nervous of anyone who wasn't me or Rup) that it was the result of someone hurting her.

So anyway, poor Scratchy is sick alot, which we have always assumed was the result of being poisoned and we thought it had left her with a delicate stomach, and the vet today agreed, she says she probably has some kind of inflamation which then leads to sickness and bad breath! Scratchy has medicine which she could be on forever if it works.

Poor Scratchy, she is 8 now and very lucky to make it this far :)

The last few days

2010-06-16T22:53:00.003+01:00

I've been doing ok recently, but the last 2 days have been a real struggle, I know how bad I am when I get up in the morning and even a shower or brushing my teeth seems like too much work...and the trouble is, I don't know why I feel like this.

But I know it will pass, it always does, I just wish I knew why I was so up and down. I haven't had such an extreem downer for quite a while so I guess I am doing ok overall.

And it's not much fun for Rup just having me staring off into space like a zombie (thats without medication). I'm not on the happy pills anymore, I haven't taken any for about 2 years, I've tried a number of things over the years, anything prescribed by my GP I was 'unresponsive' too apart from one which made me suicidal (was in the news but can't remember the name off the top of my head), I was on pills from the pyschiatrist for a while, they really did make me zombish...but the problem with that is that while you no longer feel bad you also don't feel good, you just feel nothing...but I stopped taking those, partly for that reason but also, everytime the dose was put up I would put on a stone in weight, when I told him he told me to 'use will power and stop eating', I didn't go back after that and took myself off the pills which was naughty as you are not suppost to do that!

Anyway, that's my little moan for tonight, I'm sure I will feel better tomorrow :)

Too many pies - not enough fingers!

2010-06-15T22:30:00.002+01:00

I have decided to cut back on how much I am listing daily, I just can't make enough, plus for some sites I just don't think listing daily is worth it - I'm not giving up on them though, just cutting back.

I was listing daily -

4 things on my website
2 things on etsy plus a renew
1 item on folksy plus a relist
1 item on misi
1 item on dreamaid

I have now changed it to -

3 things on my website
2 things on etsy plus a renew
1 item on folksy and a relist if there is one to do

I'm still listing on dreamaid and misi but am only going to add a few items a month as I think that is all they need.

I think I have it all well planned but I will problably change my mind again next week as I always do!

I've added a new category to my website called stud earrings, while they are perhaps not strictly speaking handmade jewellery I have glued in the stone myself so I think I can get away with it :)

Yay! I'm in someones blog!!!

2010-06-15T10:49:00.003+01:00

I'm so pleased, I have a pair of earrings featured in s blog today!

lynwoodcrafts is doing a special series of blogs on gemstones with todays being kyanite!

here are the Kyanite Double Strand Earrings on folksy

they are finishing in a couple of days...

More (yes I know YAWN) pics of Foxy (but we love her!)

2010-06-13T17:22:00.006+01:00

I know you are probably all getting bored of fox pictures but we are really enjoying having her around (we're pretty sure she's a girl), yesterday Rup went and sat out in the garden with her and rather than grab her eggs and run she sat down with him (as you can see from the pics).

She is now having bonios daily, as well as eggs and peanuts, yesterday we had to put out 2 lots of bonios though after a crow flew away with the first lot!

Today we have fitted a retracktable washing line and I have some washing on it....I am really hoping she doesn't pull it all down as she is quite distructive lol but it is all good fun. I am going to refill the badger holes for the 3rd time tomorrow and I hope this time they will not be dug up again :)

Apples!

2010-06-12T14:51:00.003+01:00

I found this skirt on etsy this week and I love it! I was thinking of some kind of fruity head piece for one of my sisters weddings next year but now I'm thinking I will go for this brilliant apple skirt...

apple pickin skirt granny smith

by madewithlovebyhannah

I'm gonna have to have a think about this...if I go for such a loud skirt will I have to tone down the head piece?

My Garden, My Jewellery and other stuff...

2010-06-11T22:31:00.005+01:00

No new posts for a few days, mainly because I haven't had any news...but also my Mum (hello mum) has managed to find and read my blog...which is somewhat off-putting as it takes me back to the days when she would read our diaries! lol....well at least I can't get in trouble now!

I've just sent Rup to bed as he was snoring in his chair, I asked him quite a few times to stop and he would just fall back asleep, so I've kicked him out of the lounge....he said 'fine, I know when I'm not wanted', I said 'it's just your snoring that's not wanted', he said 'we come as a package' as he huffed off!

We are really getting into the bird feeding, after a week of doing it we have had in the garden magpies, crows, jackdaws, blackbirds, pigeons, doves, a pair of jays and most exciting of all - a goldfinch which I have never seen before. We also have a bird feeder which we have on the living room window (we live upstairs) but so far only a big fat pigeon has managed to find and squeeze on - it was meant for the bluetits which are plentiful in our front garden.

Foxy is getting earlier, yesterday she turned up at 4.15! she seems to like just hanging out in our garden - I assume it is because it is one of the few round here that is completely enclosed and it is not even attached to a house so she doesn't get disturbed, she watches us put food down, then we go and she is happy being left alone. Rup bought some bonios which have gone down VERY well lol.

Jewellery wise things are going OK. While all the various craft sites are quiet, I don't know if this is because I struggle to mix well in the forums due to my difficulty in communicating (yeah, that's right, I get depressed incase you missed that haha), my website is going from strength to strength, I have had 3 sales on it today which equals my current daily sales record so I am really happy as it is only the 2nd time I've had that many there....2 sales in a day is more common....but 1 is the norm lol....but there is growth which I get so excited about. It is starting to catch up (well, almost) with what my eBay sales used to be in the glory days before all this blasted recession business!

Oh my goodness, scrap what I wrote above - I've had another sale, so that is 4 today! A New Record!!!!!! :)

This was a mismash blog bought to you by confused@spjewellery :)

The Sue Ryder Walk

2010-06-07T10:20:00.008+01:00

I did it! and it felt like alot more than 5 miles, but that was probably due to all the hills - one of which was practically vertical!

The countryside was beautiful - anyone local to the Sue Ryder home I recommend a walk on the local footpaths if you haven't already.

We saw a Monk jack, that was our only wildlife, it came trotting our way but caught our scent so legged it and I was not quick enough to get a picture.

I'm glad I did it, it is a brilliant cause. And it all goes towards my wedding weight loss plan (not my wedding, both my sisters are getting married next year).

My knees are feeling it today though which is a good excuse to relax and do no housework :)

A Beautiful Bracelet...

2010-06-05T17:12:00.003+01:00

Thank goodness today is starting to cool down, I'm not usually so bothered about the heat but as I am doing the Sue Ryder walk in Nettlebed tomorrow I don't want it baking hot as I will really stuggle to make it round...cool with a spot of rain is perfect while I am walking! But it is only 5 miles so it should be quite easy - next year I will do the full 13 miles :)

Looking on dreamaid today I found this beautiful bracelet, it is just my cup of tea as it is full of gemstones and pearls, and blimey, what patience you have to have to thread all those beads onto headpins...

Mega Blue Charm Semi Precious Bracelet

made by Blue Forest Jewellery who will donate 5% of the sale of the bracelet to dreamaid!

Noughts and Crosses

2010-06-04T17:32:00.003+01:00

I know I've already blogged today but was just brousing Folksy and found this great noughts and crosses set made out of felt...I love it so had to put it on my blog :)

Noughts and Crosses

by Made With Tender Loving Care

I hope you like it too :)

A Summers day Walk...

2010-06-04T10:39:00.007+01:00

I went for a 6ish mile walk yesterday, and blimey was it tough going...and for various reasons it ended up a long, slow struggle through the English countryside...we were out in the full sun in the middle of the day (we had meant to go first thing but I had to wait around for people)...but enough of my moans, here are some pictures of where we went :)

I am so fortunate that I have all this just a short walk away :)

It was a warm up to the 5 mile Sue Ryder walk that I am doing on Sunday in Nettlebed, fortunately the forecast for then is rain so it should be quite easy!

Er, sorry that's Foxy!

2010-06-02T22:29:00.007+01:00

My neighbour (I live upstairs, he lives downstairs next door) knocked on the door today to talk about some problems we are having with the people who live above him. We'd been talking for a while when he asked if I'd noticed anything odd lately...I said no, nothing except all our new wildlife...he said, oh, we are worried someone's coming in the garden, we keep finding eggs on the lawn....I had to explain Foxy lol!

Foxy is becoming very cheeky, he is not shy of coming in the garden now as I put food down...but what amazes me most is him and the cats - I think from how they are together that he has been around for alot longer than me and Rup realise...

I've been having items on folksy finishing this week, which means I have been on there for 6 months now...it somehow seems alot longer so it must have been a very long 6 months for me but I really like it there!

I'm really enjoying my new etsy shop, I'm finding it really easy to use...but no sales yet, fortunately I am patient and I don't give up easily...plus I am still finding my way around - I only found out the difference between relisting and renewing today which had been puzzling me for ages :)

Pinch Punch :)

2010-06-01T21:22:00.006+01:00

Well, apart from having a bad back I have nothing much to report today, I completed my listing quota for the day for the first time in 4 days (tut tut) and I think I am back on form. Things have been getting me down I have to admit - it happens and I will get over it!

While brousing Folksy today I found the most beautiful jewellery that really does put all my work to shame :) here it is -

Amethyst spiral earrings

Daisy earrings

Pearls Citrine flower earrings

this jewellery is by Alicias Stones - I'm not often tempted by other peoples jewellery but I definately am here :)

The Adventures of Foxy and Badger...

2010-05-31T10:35:00.004+01:00

It's been an interesting weekend -and I haven't got anything jewellery wise done!

On Saturday night I saw the badger, I was turning everything off to go to bed and just happened to look out of the front window at the moment it ran across the road and up our driveway...so it is him digging up our lawn and not poor old Foxy who has been getting the blame! It seems Foxy only started turning up when we started putting food out for Badger.

However, Foxy is not completely innocent, twice now I have gone out and filled in the holes, and they have then been dug up again...and last night I caught Foxy in the act - he was rolling around playing and pulling all the compost out lol...so I will just have to keep filling them in and eventually, hopefully, he will get bored (although he was having a great time last night).

Foxy is really tame, as you can see from the video, I was metres away from him and once he saw me take a step backwards he was quite relaxed...

So my wildlife garden continues to grow, I'm going to plant some plants over the next few weeks to keep the bees in the compost bin happy, and we now have a wasp nest hanging off from the guttering of one of the garages!

It certainly makes the garden much more fun - Rup, who never usually takes and interest and leaves all of it to me is in the garden daily keeping an eye on things which is nice for me :)

And now I have to get back to work and list some jewellery!

Enjoy the Bank Holiday everyone :)

Rocket!

2010-05-29T19:07:00.005+01:00

I don't usually bother growing anything that needs daily watering as we live on the 1st floor and have no easy access to water in the garden making it too much bother. So I stick to fruit bushes which seem to like my garden, the strawberries grow like weeds and the raspberry canes are the best I've ever managed to grow!

Rup's a really fussy eater, I can never get him to try anything, but recently - after telling him how peppery rocket was (he likes pepper) he tried it and now eats it everyday, but it's a waste buying those salad bags from the supermarket, they only last a couple of days and we only go shopping once a week, so Rupert decided I should grow some - he's nice like that...I've been sowing seeds once a week and this is the first pot ready (I've been growing them out the back but moved it to the front door for easy picking)...

I have to say, I am rather proud of myself as I have managed to keep the watering up even on my bad days! I've now talked Rup into trying watercress - and although I can't grow that myself I am going to grow american land cress, plus, he likes lemon and heard sorrel tastes of that so now I am growing that too!!!

My website continues to grow, I now have my highest number of monthly visitors ever and May hasn't even finished yet...I'm not quite sure what I am doing right so I guess I shall just continue doing what I am doing. Sales have been better than April which was such a depressing month and I am so so grateful to all my customers - you are keeping Rup in rocket!

Introducing.....

2010-05-28T22:56:00.004+01:00

Foxy!

So, it seems we have caught our culprit! We suspect that he is used to being fed by humans as this pic and video were taken by Rupert in the garden at 6.15pm and Foxy knew he was there but was not bothered (was just slightly wary)....the cats weren't bothered by him and he didn't mind them...

It's a little disappointing that there is no badger, but I am happy to have a fox instead as he is very cute!

I spent a few hours in the garden this afternoon weeding, and I thought I should fill in some of the fox holes, I was emptying the compost bin and there was an angry bee flying around me so left it and just took the compost I had, then a while later I went to get more compost and was attacked by 3 angry bees!!! So, after hiding in the shed for a few minutes I gathered that we have bees in the compost bin - I guess I have got what I wanted - a wildlife garden - I just didn't imagine the destruction of my lawn and unusable compost!!!

On the jewellery front today all has been quiet but it was busy yesterday so that is OK, things have definitely started to pick up from page views, visitors and sales so all is good...and I have a few ideas I am mulling over (I hate it - I ALWAYS have some silly idea I am mulling over)...i daren't mention it to Rup as he calls them my 'wacky ideas' but he won't be saying that when I am paying for him to be a kept man haha!

I took over 200 pictures of jewellery today and now I have to edit them - I think taking and editing photos are one of my least favourite things of doing this but off I go....

Wish me luck :)

page views

2010-05-28T00:21:00.003+01:00

just a quicky as I must go to bed.

the 27th May has been amazing, I now have a new record number of daily page views on my website - not only is it high but it is more than double the last record! I really love things like that as I find it a real boost for my morale (which as you know runs seriously low at times).

My kitchen is a mess, I have lots to do, but I am behind as me and Rup spent most of the evening watching Foxy out of the kitchen window, he turned up at 6.15 tonight and is almost tame as he stayed in the garden even when Rup went down there, he stayed for ages just trotting around the lawn, and he had a bit of a sit down (Foxy not Rup) and Quentin was on the roof shed keeping an eye on him, . Anyway we got some good pics and some videos so I will post some tomorrow and add the vids to youtube :)

night!

fox / badger / fox / badger...let's find out!

2010-05-25T19:53:00.004+01:00

well a few days ago I was convinced our nightly visitor was a fox but after talking to a few people and doing research on the internet I think it now is a badger - can I still call it foxy? badgy doesn't work so well....

anyway, Jeanie (see comments on fox blog from 2 days ago) and her husband are coming round to give me their opinion on the damage and tonight I am going to try a little trick I read about, it involves putting tape covered sticks next to the hole it dug under the fence and catching hairs....if they are red its a fox, if they are black/white it's a badger, if it's ginger or brown the cats are screwing with me!

so hopefully I will know tomorrow :)

on another note, I closed my ebay shop yesterday. I did have 400 listings on there a few months ago, 2 months I reduced it to 50 listings as I was making no money, but sales have almost stopped dead and due to the shop fee it was no longer a viable selling option for me. I will go back to it and try again when the recession is over. It's a shame, but I still have plenty to do :)

My twitter friend Laura!

2010-05-24T13:16:00.006+01:00

You may or may not read my twitter ramblings (todays are about getting up at 5am to watch the lost finale - yes I really did!) - it doesn't matter whether you do or not but the point of mentioning twitter was to create a lead up to the introduction of my friend Laura Yamada who I met there....she is a brilliant artist, here is some of her work on etsy -

lying tiger pebble / paperweight

a pair of funny bunny pebbles

bee pebble / small paperweight

she also has her art on redbubble and madeitmyself

she is a lovely, very talented person, who listens to my moans and deserves a shout-out :)

Who's been digging up my garden? :)

2010-05-23T22:33:00.009+01:00

I love gardening, as I've mentioned before the inspiration for it comes from The Secret Garden which I used to love when I was young...our garden is set away from our maisonette as downstairs has the plot directly behind the house so when you take people out they are always surprised it is there and often say it is just like a secret garden! I believe gardens are for wildlife so I let nature takes its course...and if any of the fruit I grow is left for me then that is a bonus :)

So 2 weeks ago I found a hole in the lawn, I filled it in and a week later a few smaller holes appeared, so we assumed it was a fox and put a couple of eggs out to confirm it - the eggs went so now I think we have a new friend, a tunnel has appeared under the fence which seems to get a little bigger every night, but up till now we had not had more than one or 2 holes a night.

Then, this morning, Rup was in the kitchen looking out at the garden and called me to say he could see a dug up bit of grass, and well, see the pictures below to see what I found...

So Foxy was busy last night, about a third of my lawn is ruined, having researched I figure it was after earthworms...but if a fox needs to eat it needs to eat eh?

I can fill in the holes, and the grass grows back, the damage doesn't bother me (in fact it is giving us alot of entertainment) - but what I wondered, what I don't know is that if a fox needs to do all that digging for a few worms it must be very hungry - so should I feed it? and would that bother my cats (they seem OK at the moment)? does anyone know or have an opinion?