Ashes of Roses, one of my favourite charm bracelets, inspired by Ada Monroe in Charles Frazier's novel 'Cold Mountain', has sold!
"The dress the figure wore was the color called ashes of roses . . . Ada realized that it was herself she was admiring, the mirror having caught the reflection of an opposite mirror on the wall behind her. The light of the lamps and the tint of the mirrors had conspired to shift colors, bleaching mauve to rose." Fabulous book!
Having enjoyed half term it's about time for a new to do list to keep me on track. So by March I want to have:
1. Finished the samples for the two Birthday commissions
2. Completed set up on Art Fire - I've started this evening but photos are taking an age to load!
3. Photographed and listed at least one more jewellery piece for jewellery. I'm not going to go on to a second shop page until I've got at least six more pieces.
4. Started second ttv painting
A picture of Florence to reward you for reading a boring list! Ahhh, Florence!
Pancakes today: Lent begins tomorrow.
If you are interested in going further than celebrating how good you are to give up chocolate, have a look at Tearfund's Carbon Fast which is 'a practial step towards a fairer world'.The list of daily actions provide you with practical steps which will reduce your energy consumption and challenge you to reflect on how we look after this world.
This week hosts my Dad's Birthday and as the low-cost airlines weren't so low cost, a wee trip home wasn't affordable this time, boo. So I thought I'd post a photograph for him which I took last May featuring my Dad, Mum and sister. The eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed a bit of a gap between the figures and I must explain that this wasn't due to me shouting instructions through a loud hailer or a huff situation! The reason demands a closer look between my Mum and sister you might just spot a little black and white fellow named Shadow; my Dad is the king of tennis ball chucking and thus becomes the one and only focus of Shadow's attention here!
Not long until beach days - Happy Birthday Dad!
For the first time since setting up on folksy I have a full shop page and I'm feeling happy about it. That is all.
Today is the day I try using resin for the first time.
I am excited and indebted to Skinner Studio for a fantastic tutorial on how to get started - there was a recent thread on a folksy forum about using resin and I highly recommend Skinner Studio's blog. Last night, after school, I sealed some Japanese paper my sister brought me back from one of her many stints in Asia - she teaches English as a second language and left for China on Sunday, happy adventures lovely lady! I'm also going to try using some of the champagne coloured beads and something sparkly for my first set of samples, I've been asked to make two significant birthday gifts and, if I get the hang of resin, how cool would a personalised resin bangle be?!
Stumbled across a lady on flickr (she sells on etsy) who makes gorgeous resin jewellery and kept coming back to stare in admiration at this. Wow.
Like so many we've had plenty of snow which has been beautiful and given me loads of time away from school! There has been loads in the press about over reactions by the public and county councils however, I have to give it to our Head teacher: there was no safe way of keeping our school open as it is on a split site divided by a hill, lots of slopes and steps and a very steep main drive, not safe for over a thousand teenagers.
So, snow day it is! Was delighted to get the message this morning that, having re-opened yesterday, the school was closing again today! I've been using my extra time wisely and have an update on the ol' list:
1. Stocked my shop with at least 12 listings only got 11 but I ran out of daylight, hopefully tomorrow I'll get another piece photographed
2. Ordered some pmc ordered a host of basics to get me started from Art Clay Suppplies who have been great, they were out of stock of two items and phoned me to see if I wanted an alternative and as I was happy to wait a few days they included the large size resin at no extra cost, how lovely! I yipped joyfully at the arrival of the box and then felt the fear over the size of the pmc, a small amount still costs a lot and I can't afford to mess it up!
3. Registered my business name - depending on advice on Friday
After my meeting with the advisor last week I decided to trade under my own name in an effort to be more recognisable, as, at the start those who know me will look for me by name rather than the business name I was going to register. Much simpler and removes the need to register a business name so I have now filled in and sent off the self-employment forms.
4. Finished the 'heart' range I've started the range and perhaps "finishing" was never the right choice of word! I decided to put items together into sets so my planned full shop looks a little less than full as six items are only three listings. There are more heart designs ready to go and this might be an ongoing theme beyond February and 'Heart Month', have an idea for silver clay involving hearts if I ever pluck up the courage to open the packet!
5. Upload an image to redbubble Yet to do this - we went up to Cannock Chase and I have a load of snow photographs still to go through so should get something up before the end of the week. During the walk I spotted a robin posing on a branch and he let me step in to take a photo, just as I did he launched himself straight at me in a brave bid to move us off his patch!
I'll leave you with the new sets listed today:
It's the first of February so Happy Heart Month to you all!
Fret not I have not gone overly giddy due to anniversary celebrations (aaah!) or succumbed to St. Valentine early so there's no need to urgently contact those responsible for me with dire warnings of commercialised love stupor.
No, I am simply drawing your attention to the British Heart Foundation's National Heart Month with the hope that you may click on the link below, read some incredibly useful, life saving information and forward it on to those you care about. If your wallet hasn't been too crunched there are plenty of opportunities to join the campaign and donate to this fabulous organisation on their own website. During this week you will start to see some heart jewellery appearing in my folksy shop and £2.00 from each item sold from this range will go straight to the BHF.
Please look after your heart.
xo
Yesterday morning I had my introductory meeting with a Creative Launchpad advisor: a very knowledgeable-without-being-patronising man called Andy. Having been previously told the meeting would be approximately three hours I was imagining this to be excessive, but as it turned out three hours was very much required and packed full of information for me to digest. Bizarrely nervous about the whole thing, mainly because I didn't really know where I was going, I hopped on the train, as hoards of my bemused students flooded off the opposite train on their way to school and wondering loudly why I wasn't! It was bitterly cold and lashing down with rain in Birmingham on Friday morning and in my explorations to find the Custard Factory (where was Mackay when I needed her!) I got drenched and any prior attempts to look composed and in control washed swiftly away. There was no need for the apprehension, some kind passers by pointed me in the right direction and the meeting itself was hugely helpful. Got me thinking about a host of things from how on earth to fill in a tax form, e-commerce, marketing, insurance, networking, an artist called Robert J Ennis, whose work is stunning, websites, receipts, press releases and a stack more! Glad I went - even managed to pop to the shops on the way home and bought a new pair of shoes. Plain, black, flat, for school, not very exciting.
Today, I've made some more teal and silver jewellery but haven't got good photographs yet as the sky was dull by the time I'd finished and the photos were a bit pants. I love teal. It's a beautiful colour. We went for a dander to post a manuscript off to an agent (fingers crossed) and it was very chilly, this Siberian cold snap is clearly on it's way. Have been back in for hours and am still wearing my hat and scarf, brrrrr. Checked flights for Florence - we are planning to go back this Easter - and prices look good, phew, so we should be booking tomorrow, yay!
. . .
I want to have:
1. Stocked my shop with at least 12 listings
2. Ordered some pmc - you guessed it I got paid today!
3. Registered my business name - depending on advice on Friday
4. Finished the 'heart' range
5. Upload an image to redbubble
I've got school and my first private tuition session this afternoon so I best put down the beads and wire and bits and go prepare.
Today is my first Tuesday not at school for ages, hooray! My new timetable kicks in this week and having two whole days to devote to getting this creative venture off the ground is very exciting. I've been fidgeting around wanting to get on with making and listing new jewellery items on my folksy shop but never had enough time. This turned out to be a good thing as I've had a chance to scribble a few ideas and sketches and give some thought to what order to list new items to fit in with what I've already listed.
Over the last few weeks I have made a few things and now I have the time again (joy!) I've set about photographing a few new pieces and listing three jewellery sets. I'm pleased with how they have turned out and if you fancy a look just click on the mini pic below.
As for the other lists . . .
Last week I planned to:
1. Arrange a meeting with a Creative Launch Pad advisor
This is the one I'd already done! Ha! Got a meeting this Friday morning and I'll no doubt be posting about how it went, what I learnt, what I need to do ya de yade!
2. Order necklace chains
Done, and I resisted buying a load of silver clay and resin stuff, must pace myself and wait til pay day (tomorrow, phew!)
3. Organise the studio - well the jewellery bit to start with
This was a joint effort and it looks great now. A proper working space and as I type R is in the corner at his new table (a lovely pine job we got from ebay for £13, score!) working away. Might have to take a few pictures for you.
4. Finish unpacking Very nearly, almost there! I have one box of school files in the boot of my car which might just have to find a drawer in a classroom for! Apologies in advance to GEM for messing up her room!
I've a few ideas already for what the next week's list, but that can wait until the next post.
The folksy forums are jam packed with blog links and whilst having a peruse through some of them I stumbled across an etsy seller who has started off 2009 with weekly goals which she has been reviewing every week. So thanks to the author of Moon of Glass I feel inspired to do something similar.
My goals for this week are to:
1. Arrange a meeting with a Creative Launch Pad advisor
2. Order necklace chains
3. Organise the studio - well the jewellery bit to start with
4. Finish unpacking
A lovely list I can come back to a confess to what I haven't done or celebrate what I have! I've actually done one already today but wanted to put it on the list just so later I could go 'yay me I did something brave which involved phoning strangers!'
An unexpected day off thanks to a water pipe problem in town meant school had to close on Tuesday so I've managed to do the tedious address changes and a few other moving type things so hopefully by next week everything will tidily have a place and I'll be able to get making again!
All sorts of newness! I started my new teaching timetable which will be a handy two and a half days a week for the next two terms but for the first three weeks I'm doing a bit extra taking it up to four days a week, so not much making getting done. Over the weekend I moved house and am so happy to have done so! My sister and best friend's hyper sense of organisation must have rubbed off on me at some point when I was home for Christmas as I got everything packed, boxed, transported and cleaned so efficiently that I was able to hand my keys to the old place over on Saturday instead of tomorrow when my tenancy ends. The superbly energised organisation hasn't quite continued as I'm still not quite fully unpacked and arranged and my car might still contain just a few small things I have yet to find a home for. . .
In celebration of the move and whilst lamenting the passing of Christmas lights for another year we have been looking at the beautiful ceramic burners created by Lauren Ceramics and might just have to purchase one as a little house warming gift for ourselves. But which one? Oh, have a look they are gorgeous!
More new news comes in the form of my very talented mate Andy, otherwise known as Pagan Wanderer Lu, who is releasing a new album 'Fight My Battles' which you can buy early here!
Happy New Year!
All the very best to you all for 2009!
I'm looking forward to silver fossils, blow torch and pmc experiments, circles and hearts, getting out with the camera, moving house, ribbon, silver wire and a knitting nancy (found that while 'tidying' my stuff in my parents' roofspace!), reading my new books, meeting Rosetta and celebrating with R by booking Florence in a month's time - and that's just the first few weeks of the year!
And just how cute is Marley?! The latest addition to the family, rescued by the lovely people at the Dogs Trust, he is only ten weeks old and is settling in really well with his new doggy family Shadow and Jilly. Not to mention the humans who are all doting on him! One more week to go and he'll be finished his jabs and will be able to venture into the big wide world outside the garden and I'll miss it as I'll be back in England! Though I am positive there will be photos of his adventures winging there way over the interweb and I might just post some here.
Once again Happy New Year!
