The most horrible feeling lately is sitting there with a pile of beads and other jewellery bits and having a completely blank mind.  It's to me what writer's block is to a novelist.  I had a little breakthrough today - I felt like doing something a little exotic again, I'm seriously loving brass tone jewellery, alas I've run out of bits!  Perfect excuse to top up the stash no?  Here's my latest, you can't really appreciate the colours of the beads until you see it up close, the colours are so rich.

I'm quite pleased that my photography is coming along nicely now, and in a natural way, I've learned simply by trying, trying and trying again - I've never read a tutorial or done a course.  This one was taken with natural light from the window and my humble point and click Sony Cyber-shot and a bit of tweaking in an image editing to get the colour levels right.  I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm using that flower prop quite a lot - it's a fake flower from Ikea!  Must visit again to get some variety - it's actually meant to be ornamental and lives in a little vase!

I've become slightly brass jewellery obsessed.

My latest!  I have a thing for owls, bunnies, and keys when it comes to jewellery. I couldn't resist this pendant when I was getting the supplies for my last bracelet (the penny farthing one).  I've still got another that I'm thinking about wrapping with a couple of beads.  Still can't get enough of those gorgeous blue beads either!

It's been in the works for a while, printers misbehaving and resizing images and printing things wrong.  But finally got it finished and perfect, my new packaging for glass tile pendants!  Simple plastic with card, but takes ages to design, perfect, and put together!  I think they look fab :)

Here's my latest work!

See what I mean?!  Ten days it's been!  I made this bracelet late last night.  I've always worked with silver or silver plate but I absolutely adore brass.  The "steampunk" label is applied to way too many things now - far more than deserve the label but I guess this is along those lines!  It's got that customary brass look, with teeny penny farthing charms!  The beads are a favourite of mine, they catch the light amazingly.

Tom spend a little time this morning photographing a single bead and the way the rays of light shine through and around like little shards of colour.  I'm still twisting his arm to do my jewellery photography for me :)

It's hard to fit in making jewellery around being a mum and working, but here's my latest creation!

You can't really tell from the picture but the red beads are really chunky, there's something about chunky round plastic beads that I love!  It's quite a long necklace finished with a decorative clasp.  I've had these beads for absolutely ages and finally got around to using them in something!

After months of waiting, I've finally opened for business!  I've been making jewellery since 2004 and have finally made my dream come true by launching my own jewellery brand - Firelily Jewellery.  I've made a couple of sales already, so fingers crossed for success!  You can "like" Firelily Jewellery on facebook by clicking here.

Hope you're prepared to see updates of everything I'm making!

We went off to Stourport again last Wednesday.  The UK has been having the most unusual and amazing weather in the past week with temperatures hitting almost thirty degrees, probably higher than during the actual summer!  It's such a weird picture with the brown leaves all over the floor of Autumn starting but people walking around eating icecreams and the sun blasting down.

I think I'm actually getting quite good at this photography stuff, it's more like one in three photos comes out well than the old one in twenty!

Lonely flower by the side of the river

Look at that sun!  The weather was amazing!

But this is the pile of leaves beneath each tree!

Absolutely beautiful scenery

Look at that for a picture, quite proud of it if I do say so myself!

Katie was really feeling the change in weather, she's not been too well lately, but she's on the mend now!  She's doing all sorts of toddlerish things now, like clapping her hands, crawling and pulling herself up to stand!

Beautiful

But oh, look, winter's on it's way, and it's going to be a harsh one :(

In the process of finishing all those half finished projects that I seem to have everywhere! (I'm a serial non-finisher)

This is Hans, he is an amigurumi bear and he's all wonky and mis-shapen but I'm quite proud of him! Definately not child safe, I'm expecting his limbs to fall off shortly.

Decluttering.  Oh such slow progress huh?  It's like the more I declutter the more stuff amasses.  I am such a hoarder it's untrue.  I've had unopened Christmas crackers since two Christmases ago, it's ridiculous!

Preparing for Halloween :)

We went for a little picnic the other day, to Baggeridge Country Park.  It's a massive wooded park with loads of trails, but not so good for a pushchair even though there are "accessible" routes!

Getting ready to go, Katie was so tired already!

Tom is amazing with a camera, I keep telling him to take up photography but he doesn't think he's any good!

A fun day had by all.  We'll be returning and hopefully the heavens won't open on us again!

Things I love Thursday

The Mamas and Papas Sola in Truffle which I'll be ordering soon for the lil lady!

And a few others: Japanese sweets, trips to Birmingham, the idea that Christmas is around the corner, feeling snug on a cold day, Burger King (haha)

We got our wedding photos back today.  We've been married for 5 weeks now :)

I've started a sort of challenge where I have to make a bit of jewellery each week!  Here's week one!

So I guess I promised some more action on this blog right?  Sorry guys!  Here's Monday's post!

We went off on our travels to Stourport.  Can you believe there isn't even a McDonalds there?  It's kinda pretty down there but the weather was a bit on and off (England right?)

Some beautiful views to be had, alas not pushchair friendly so we didn't get very far!  Check this out though.   If you know me at all you'd know this view is just awe inspiring.  If you don't then you ought to know I'm a massive fan of Silent Hill, and this is a recurring setting.

And then look what I found in the arcade!

It was awesomeness, I've heard that these are Japan only!  Of course I gave it a go and was killed off by some ample busted nurse.

I'm completely addicted to those coin pusher machines that you always see and of course there were some there.  I've never managed to actually win anything on those things (aside from more 2p's) but I got some stuff!  A lollypop, a keyring and an annoying frog charm.  All sucky but still, I won something!!!

Oof.  I've not blogged for a while again have I?  I'm hoping to be better at this blogging stuff, I like to have posts with less yap, more pretty pictures ;)  We're off to Stourport tomorrow, so hopefully will have some lovely pics to share, and I may or may not be joining in with a make-a-week challenge, so watch this space for tons more jewellery :D

I've been busy designing jewellery for my soon-to-be-launched jewellery brand Firelily.  I make everything by hand and design everything myself.  I even do the photography!  Being a one-man-band is sometimes exhausting but it's well worth it when you can sit back and say you've done it all on your own.  This is a necklace I strung with three kinds of gemstone (don't ask me which because I cannot for the life of me remember... oh ok, one's Carnelian I think and I know one's olive jade but I haven't the foggiest about the other.  It's written down somewhere.)  

Love elephants!  I absolutely adore these figures, they have square bases that fit alongside each other - I've been eyeing up the cat ones for ages but my lovely friend got us these as a wedding gift.  Elephants, giraffes and owls - I'm a sucker for them all.

I've decided to start incorporating my jewellery blog into this one, so watch out for some updates with stuff I've made :)

Ooh, I guess I've not blogged for a while have I?  Well, I got married, and as of yesterday we've been married for three weeks.  That really is a long time not to blog.  I'd like to start blogging every day, would that get boring?  Anyway, here we are:

It was an amazing day, I really couldn't have asked for much more than that, it was so perfect.  

Cath Kidson

I've been looking around for a while now for a nice changing bag, I like the look of the Pink Lining bags, but I absolutely love the Cath Kidson style.  I love vintage floral (am I so cliche?) and decided to take the plunge in Selfridges at the Bull Ring today!

Forgetting what's important

It's easy to forget what's important... I've felt lately like I've lost my jewellery designing mojo and that everything I've made has not been quite up to scratch.  I've been making designs so that they're new and different, but I've forgotten exactly why I started making jewellery.  My Mum and I were looking through her jewellery box, picking out a chain to go with my Granny's pendant that I'm going to be wearing at my wedding (in four days).  I remembered that I started making jewellery because of my jewellery addiction - at one point I'd buy something new from Accessorize every week.  I think I'd forgotten that I was at my best when I was making things that I wanted to keep, and so that's what I'm going to start doing.  Making jewellery for me, because that's when I pay the most attention to detail, that's when things come out great.  Crafting for commercial purposes can be calculated, especially when you feel like you need to produce something that will be popular, something that you won't necessarily like.  Crafting should really be about doing something that you love.  I think I'm going to make something soon :)

Photography

I've always been awful with photography, hand me a camera and I automatically start shaking!  I seem to every now and then get the perfect shot by fluke, and today I got a good one :)  It was taken with a simple Sony DSC-W130 and probably the best picture of Katie I've taken so far!

Oh my carpet!

It's true what they say, your little baby soon grows up.  This is my little girl Katie - she's just learned how to scoop food from a bowl with a spoon and eat it!  She gets such an accomplished expression on her face when she feeds herself a spoonful, it's so cute!  It feels like only yesterday my little pudding was a tiny newborn.

Favour boxes

I'm getting married in ten days, and I'm still putting the final touches on all the arrangements.  I decided I wanted to make my own favours and have chosen Hershey's Kisses to go in the boxes.  Wedding planning isn't really that fun, more stressful than anything and I'll be glad when we can finally enjoy the day!

Gingerbread

I suddenly got a case of the frugal (hate that word actually) when I was pregnant, shopping around for the cheapest things.  I had a look in Mamas and Papas and turned my nose up at all the prices, even though I'd seen a lovely blanket.  Fast forward about 9 months and I bought it for £17.50, down from £35.  Patience pays.  I'm always beating the system like this :D

Coral hairband

Another go at a hairband, this time using Czech glass and coral.  I think I prefer the shine and sparkle of the Swarovski, although I'll probably end up paying the earth for materials!

Another First

I've always wanted to try brass for my jewellery, and I finally got round to it!

Tomb Raider

The new Tomb Raider trailer is out.  F. yes!  Apparently all the fanboys are outraged at Lara's daintiness, but what you forget is that this is an origins story!  Looks a-may-zing to me.  It's out in the last half of next year, but I wouldn't hold my breath.  I'll bet it will be around 2013.

Swarovski Hairband/Tiara

My first ever attempt at a hairband/tiara.  It's silver plated with Swarovski pearls & crystals.  Making jewellery is so addictive.

McBranching Out

I'm a lover of junk food, it's no secret - but I tend to have the same things whenever I'm eating out.  Anytime McDonalds has a weird new burger on limited edition, I never try it, I never even consider.  But I've tried 4/5 of the new Great Tastes of America burgers... I thought McDonalds was American burgers anyway?  I'm branching out, yeah!

Clean House

God, call me obsessive, but I'm really getting hyped about getting my house clean.  Seriously, you'll have never seen anything like my house, it's full to the brim and there is clutter everywhere.  It's nigh impossible to keep on top of the cleaning for all the tidying things away you have to do every day.  Sometimes I just feel like selling all my things :\