Flower charm bracelet

I started this bracelet sometime ago but felt it needed something more, something to brighten it up. I had lots of great suggestions from arty friends and in the end I decided to add the yellow beads you can see to match the yellow of the flower centres. I would have put some little crystals inside the flowers but I had already wire wrapped them onto the bracelet by then and didn't fancy doing it all again!

I will show you my new matching pendant up close tomorrow and I've got some custom orders to show you too.
Till then...
Cara

Exhibition excitement!!!

I was very exited today to find out that a piece of jewellery I submitted has been accepted for an exhibition in a couple of weeks. It's the Totterdown lights exhibition which will showcase the 'cutting edge of what the Totterdown Arts Trail has to offer'. There is a private screening on the opening night of the exhibition for the press and 'key decision makers from within the art field'  to which I get an invitation plus one (trying to work out if I should take hubby or an arty friend - will probably depend on if I can get a baby sitter!).

I am then exhibiting as a part of the Arts Trail the following weekend. The arts trail is where different people within an area open up their homes to exhibit art. Often there are 2 or 3 different artists showing their work in one venue. There is a leaflet printed with a map showing all the different houses taking part and detailing who will be exhibiting.

This is the piece I will have in the exhibition

Another sale and my new pendant!

I have been busy with another sale and 3 more on the way! Here is a picture of most of my sale set up, there's a bit more on the left which is missing but you get the general idea. It was at a party of my sisters (slighty strange) but good fun as I got to go to a party and talk about my passion most of the night!

Sale table

 I bought myself a new top and couldn't resist making a pendant to match! I have just discovered making cabochons thanks to Donna Kato's -The Art of Polymer Clay Creative Surface Effects book. I'll take a close up photo to show you in the daylight tomorrow. didn't have time when I made it as I made it the morning of the sale - like you do! I think it was my antidote to the overwhelming amount of stuff I was trying to do - ignore it all and play with clay!

Me wearing the pendant I made to match my new top

Sale success!

I had a great evening, thanks to Kate and Sarah for inviting me along with my jewellery! It was a lovely evening where people were having their feet pampered and milling around with wine and nibbles. I think I will have to add myself as a client next time! There were about 12 ladies there and many of them had ideas for different colour schemes or slightly different designs so I have some custom orders to get working on!

Here is a small selection of my sold items

Mokume Gane pendant

Petal earrings

 

scrap clay lentil bead

Didn't sell all these tonight but I did sell quite a few

I have another 3 sales in the next 5 weeks and some custom orders so I had better keep playing with my clay - such a hard life ;)

First real sale tomorrow! Here's my new tags

I am doing a small sale tomorrow night so have been busy getting ready. It is as part of a small pamper night. I will probably be the only vendor and there will only be about 12 guests but it will be a good opportunity to see how people react to my jewellery and my pricing! I find the pricing difficult (well who doesn't!), I know how long it takes to make and don't want to undersell it but at the same time I want it to be affordable.

I have some great friends who have helped me whilst calling round for tea and we have made some cardboard busts and display cones (will tell you more about those later) and made some funky new 'mini business card' tags (my sisters brilliant idea!). I am putting the price on a little yellow dot sticker on the back - easy to remove in case it is a gift (easy for me to change too!). I had an idea about printing a flower and putting the price yellow dot in the middle but that's a job for when I too much time on my hands!

Front side of tag

Back of tag with contact details.

Here's a set with their matching tags and earring cards

Big business card to put hair slides on

 I'll let you know how it goes!

Polishing and buffing

I am trying to get ready for my first sale on Friday (my mum sold some bits for me at a charity coffee morning a few weeks back but I wasn't there and she did all the display etc). I don't have as much stock as I would like (where does the time go?) but I am working on it!

I have been polishing many of my beads in a rock tumbler recently. I half fill the tumbler with small smooth pebbles, bung in a handful or two of beads add some water and a drop of dish soap and leave them to it for about 24 hours. Thanks to Desiree for the information and friends on  PCC forum for their advice.  It's great, they buff up beautifully with little effort on my part! The tumbler won't smooth out scratches or bumps so some pieces I hand sand with coarse wet and dry first but it still saves me working through all the other grades of paper!

I am buffing with my home made muslin buffing wheel on the dremel and I can get a beautiful glass like shine on a well sanded piece. I was buffing round beads with a few strung on a wire which seems to work well. Tonight I decided to make a bracelet and then buff it (not sure why). Unfortunately I found out the hard way that it isn't a smart idea to buff beads on elastic! It all started off going well but just as I was getting round to the last few beads the elastic snagged on the wheel  and ping - beads everywhere!!! The elastic got wrapped round and round the spindle - probably could of saved it if I had turned the dremel off quick. Won't do that again!! I also really must set up a bead guard as I lost several down the back of my bench the other day whilst buffing.

I have been working on some labels and display stuff, will try and take some pictures and share them soon

Measuring spoons

I made these a while back as a house warming present for a friend. I am busy making some jewellery for a sale on the 15th so will try and share some more of my experimenting after that when I have time. The white flower cane has green packing which works well for covering objects. It's made from Fimo soft so doesn't polish up as shiny as the Kato.