Welcome 2015!

So it's the New Year, and we're already racing through it! This year I'm hoping to focus on growing the online side of my business. Alongside my own website selected items are now available through Folksy, and I'm also starting to get the hang of Instagram!

In terms of new products, I'm focussing at the moment on The Big Three for Spring: Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and Weddings. My new line for Mother's Day is my first made from silver art clay. I really enjoyed experimenting with this, and I'm super thrilled with the pendant that I made. It is embossed with lace and aged to bring out the pattern. I love wearing mine, which has my children's initials on it.

My 'Message in a Bottle' range is perfect for Valentine's Day. They're totally unique and I'm taking bespoke orders for that super personal gift. I've used resin to set the items and message and they're available just as they are, to use as a keepsake, with a coordinating chain, or with a large clasp to use as a keyring or bag clip. These three are ready to post. One has a paper white rose in shimmer resin with a Victor Hugo quote: 'Life is the flower for which love is the honey'. The middle bottle has sand and blue tinted resin, with the words: 'You're the only fish (a picture) in the sea for me'. Finally with gold glitter & pearl hearts is a metal script 'Love'.

I'm hoping to attend a few wedding events this year, so I've been developing my range of suitable items. These wine glass charms are perfect for the top table as they double up as place settings and favours too. Each one is handwritten so can be done with any lettering.

I've also been experimenting with polymer clay as I think it's so perfect for wedding jewellery because of the amazing array of colours. I already use it in my Rose Collection, and now I'm developing these initial pendants which I think would make amazing keepsake jewellery for bridesmaids, what do you think?

I'm so bubbling with ideas for this year, its so exciting! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and all of my best wishes for 2015.

Roses Roses Everywhere...

One of the things I find interesting is repurposing, whether that be items, or in this case skills. A while ago I attended a cupcake decorating course with a friend of mine. One of the techniques we learnt was how to make beautiful roses from fondant icing by creating individual petals and layering them together. This looked very effective, but I'll be honest, my children demolish all cakes icing first within seconds. Such time and effort for me seemed wasted on something that's beauty is so shortlived.

So when I started experimenting with polymer clay I attempted to transfer the technique over and I found it worked quite well. What started as roses for pendants soon escalated and I now I offer various jewellery items with roses, including cufflinks and hair grips. They make beautiful sets for wedding jewellery as I'm able to make them in absolutely any colour scheme, and offer something for all of the bridal party.

Most recently I've been making some teeny tiny roses for these pretty personalised bracelets, fiddly but very worth it! I think they'd be just perfect for flower girls!

The items start from just £6.50 for stud earrings or a pair of hair grips and are available to suit every colour requirement!

Poor Neglected Blog! New Products and Upcoming Events

Poor poor blog, how I have neglected you! Lots have happened since my last post. I am now stocked in a real bricks and mortar shop! Ragdoll Embroidery & Gifts in Arnold have a lovely range of handcrafted gorgeousness and are having lots of fab crafty events too, including an upcoming Pattern Swap for charity, check it out!

My new jewellery range is the Rose Collection. These handcrafted polymer clay roses are available in all the colours of the rainbow and can be ordered as pendants (£16.50), hair grips (£6.50), cufflinks (£10), stud earrings (£6.50) or a brooch (£15). Until Saturday there's also a giveaway on this range to enter via my Facebook page.

This week I'm building up to the Furthest From the Sea festival in Derby. I'm taking part in the craft fair around the Guildhall area, but there's also comedy, music, street performances and craft workshops taking place all over Derby Cathedral Quarter.