Bit behind with my 52 Things Challenge -- Week 10 & 11

Yes I have gotten a bit behind with my challenge write up, I have been making things but just not had chance to do the writing up of it.  I can only write my blog on my laptop as I can't get pictures to load from my Samsung Tablet onto Blogger for some unknown reason. And as I am always on my tablet my blog gets a bit left behind because my laptop battery is completely fried and I need a new one, so my laptop is a bit of a chore at the moment.


So here we are then Week 10 first

I was actually off ill with a bit of a bug this particular week from work, but I did manage to put a pair of earrings together just before I was ill. I used some of my spiky pod like headpins in a deep dark blue CIM glass called Trade Winds, well originally I thought it was CIM Marine but when I checked the other day, I had it wrong, they are called Marine Spiky Pod Earrings, it doesn't matter as they are for me.

 

My own large earring hooks

I used black patinated brass metal bead caps and beads along with black patinated wire which I used for the hooks but I think it could be copper wire, these came from Fallen Angel on Etsy. I have others which I intend to use very soon as well.

I couldn't sell these headpins as I had dropped them after a photo shoot, so I just had to keep them for myself, not that you can see the tiny scratch on them.  Plus I need a pair of earrings in these colours for a top I don't have any jewellery for anyway!!  I do enjoy making jewellery for myself but I just never seem to get round to it much anymore!!



Right onto Week 11 then


I am getting to my torch at least once or twice a week now, as I really am determined to get more beads made along with new designs in headpins, cabs, well anything I can come up with.

I am still practising with my flowers and thought I would have a little go at putting one onto a cab, not sure if its quite good enough just yet, its a work in progress....

I will give it another go but maybe different petals next time, maybe a pansy!!!

I am enjoying my time playing!!


Oh and here is the rose bud you can see in the background

Its sort of between a full rose and bud really, maybe we'll call it semi-opened!!  Ha ha!!

Ta Ta

E x

52 things challenge

I've decided I need to get actively making again now my family seems to be well on the mend.

So I have decided to join in with the '52 Things' Challenge on the Craft Pimp forum.  

I will need to make something new each week and then show it on the forum -- whether its new beads, new jewellery or something completely new for me to try out. 

I have a number of new ideas of things I want to have a go at, I have just got some new materials to play with!  Also maybe doing some art painting which I haven't even attempted for years or just sketching in my sketchbook. There's quite a few to be getting on with ..

But firstly....

Torch needs to be fired up ....... working on that one --  sorted chair out so I can actually sit down!! (It had a pile of new glass sitting on it, now in a newly emptied drawer!!)

Then there is my new tools and some new equipment to experiment with, those I will show you along the way!

I also have some new books I received for christmas, so hoping to experiment with new techniques too.

I have to admit I really need to tidy up and move things around in my workshop as it needs a complete overhaul for it to work better for me. As, right now, it is very -- OVERCROWDED!!

Its driving me POTTY!!!!!!!  :-/


Now here is my first weeks' challenge make

 

Cracked Ice Copper Earrings

My cracked ice beads with copper findings and beads (my favourite I LOVE copper)
I know its late but we do have a little leeway for the first week.

So this weeks make (#2) will follow when I finish it ....  so will be back again soon with that.

E x

What have I made???

I have been trying to get back to making either beads or jewellery, with not much success so far!!!

I went to my bead group a few weeks ago now, it was great to see the girls as I hadn't seen them for a few months. There were a few new faces which is nice but not many of us turned up but it was lovely to be there even only for a short while!

BUT..........   wait for it .....................

I did actually make something while I was there  ----  Hoooooooray!!  Well I say make really it was alter ........    

one of my own necklaces -- steampunk in style --- I love it, but it had to be done, it was quite difficult to get on over my head because of some chain drapes which didn't leave me much room to get my head through the remaining space/gap!!!! 

I had previously removed a few charms and the locket watch which was the focal, as I had decided to use it on something else instead. So I thought I would dismantle parts of it to begin with, then I added a couple of steampunk charms here and there,  then I adapted the chain drapes so I could get it over my head easier.  Not sure if its quite complete yet, may need a tad more tweaking!!!

So I did make a little progress in the jewellery making department but not so in the beadmaking department, however! 

Getting out into my cold workshop doesn't seem very inviting, now the weather is chillier, may try now all the festivities are over and no more rushing about to do!!

I didn't get any of the gifts done, I wanted to do, at all, must get myself organised better this year!!  Ha ha!! Same old story!!

E x

 

Mothers Day -- Strange Day Ever

Yes it has been a bit odd today, I needed to get some things done but decided to start with a little lie-in, so I got my Lee Child book out and had a lovely relaxing read. Billie my daughter came in with my card, my flowers were already in a vase downstairs as she went out yesterday to get them. Beautiful they are too. ♥

We had a Sunday morning chat on the bed (well I was in it), we do this from time to time!  She was already dressed waiting for her boyfriend to come round for the day, he lives a little over 6 miles away so he usually gets dropped off by a parent. She hadn't seen him for a few weeks coz she'd been really busy with school work. 

We had a nice morning! 

I needed to get up and get on, so it was now afternoon and so up I got, reluctantly! Had breakfast, put washing out .... The first phone call came in, I answered it .... it was the boyfriend! He can't come over yet he'd been out last night and on the way home left his mobile in the taxi and needed to go and get it back. Probably be about an hour or so. So she waited!  Oh dear!!


I needed to finish Mum's earrings off, went up into my workshop to do some hammering on the earwires, finishing was going to be a bit of wrapping as the silver bead hole was a little large and it kept sliding off. Great one done .... other one I just needed to tuck in the loose end of the wire............. CRACK!!!!  The bottom swaro crystal split right done the middle and flew across the room!!!  Damn and Blast it!!!!  More like S**T and B****R!!
Thats them knackered , now what am I going to do!!   

I promised Mum a new pair to replace the pair she loved and took on holiday, she lost one of them while she was away, yonks ago, these were them!!!

Luckily I had a back-up gift but still I was very annoyed.  She would understand I know she will, I have a truely wonderful MUM! ♥♥♥

3pm 2nd phone call comes in ..... he's not coming now, getting a bit late ...... she's not a happy lady!!  Wasted day ...waiting,  when she could have got on with some artwork. Deadline and 3 day exam straight after Easter holidays!!

Pretty upset with him now!! 

I said go do some work so you don't waste anymore of the day!!
'Yep, I suppose I'd better' she said    80((

3rd phone call comes in 10 minutes later, he says 'I can come over if you still want me too.......'

'Don't bother I'm gonna do some work now'   phone goes down!!!

Now she is totally wrecked!!
Started doing some work but her heart wasn't in it.


I go visit my Mum.

Two hours later I come back, shes talking on fb to him, lots of apologising, not going down to well ....

We chat, she has a Mummy hug, I think its over!!!

She contacts him, this is the last time, she says Goodbye!!!!

Weirdest Mothers Day ever!!!

Now to make a new pair of earrings, no pics today, Sorry! 

Maybe next time!

E x

New Glassy Goodies

OOOO look at me 2 posts inside a week!!!

But I was itching to show you my new goodies, I've been looking to have a go at them for weeks now and finally got going! 

Here they are

Yes they are glass headpins for all you jewellery makers out there!!

The main problem was how to successfully make them without burning me!  So the first go was with the red berries/rosehips and the red heart, I thought I would try tapeing them to a bead mandrel with some duck tape.  It did work but was very messy and sticky.

So then I decided to try a different idea and thought why dont I just wire them onto a mandrel and that worked a treat, it was good as I could spin them just like making a bead and didnt burn my fingers which was great!!

The bluedrops I also added some frit and then pulled them into a lovely pointy drop shape which I think are so pretty.  So I will definitely be making more.  These aren't annealled yet as I decided to batch anneal them, then I hope what will happen is the copper wires will darken as they will get annealled as well.  I will need to hammer them to harden them but they will look antiqued, these then could be used as earrings by using the wire as the earring hook all in one piece.

I will show you how that goes once I have annealled them so you can see what I mean!!




I have lots on this week as its my daughter Billie's School Prom on friday and still haven't made her tiara yet along with some bobby pins for her hair.  And I am writing the next tutorial for Bead magazine as well ~~~ what am I doing now ~~ well writing this of course!!!!!


So better fly and get cracking with the tiara ~~~  like now!!!!!


Right bye for now

E x

Hi and Welcome

Welcome to my new blog. 

I have been blogging for a few years now at my other blog:  http://chatelainejewellery.blogspot.com  

it is still up and running but because of the technical problems I have been experiencing I thought I would give a new blog a try so here we are in 2012 and a new venture ahead!!

Now, time to find some of my friends which will take me a little time but I would love to collect some new ones along the way too.  So come one, come all!!


What do I DO, what shall I write ABOUT, who the heck am I???

Well, I am Elaine Thornton a Jewellery Designer/Maker, Lampworker (glass beadmaker), Wife, Mum (to one teenage daughter) and my day job is a School Lunchtime Assistant (or dinnerlady as you may know it!)  An all round ARTISAN!!  Ha ha ha!!!

Do I sleep ~~ NOT MUCH!!  
Am I busy ~~ A LOT OF THE TIME!!
Do I love to chat ~~ YEP YOU BET, thats how my business name came about!! 
Do I love to eat ~~ OH YES!!
Do I need to lose weight ~~ ABSOLUTELY!!
Will I ~~ I MUST!!
Do I HATE housework ~~ YOU BET I DO!!
Do I do it ~~ I TRY NOT TOO!!

80))

What else do I like to do?

I love to watch films (along with my family).
I love meeting my friends and CHATTING (having a few drinks too)!!
I enjoy meeting up with my family when possible (had a lovely Christmas Day with them!) Both my brother and us are having an extension on the house right now, so lots of comparing notes on how its progressing! (Thats a whole other story which I may fill you in on at a later date!!)
Plus my nephew has just announced his engagement and the Big Day has just been set in August! Wow! He only has 8 months to organise the wedding and getting a house sorted out for them.  Cant wait, I just love weddings!!  Maybe his fiancee will need a tiara and special jewellery made!!!  MMmmmmm, I think I might have a little chat with her very soon!! 80))

I also teach!! Jewellery making ~ beginners & intermediate along with wirework techniques and tiara making.  I love it, I do one-2-one, workshops and even jewellery making parties.  I have also started writing tutorials again for one of our UK bead/jewellery making magazines.   

All details are on my website:               www.chatelainejewellery.com

Good grief, its taken all this time before I give my website a PLUG!!

Ha ha!!

I also have 2 Etsy stores (US) ~ one for my jewellery and one for my beads.
One Folksy store (UK)  (Empty right now)
One Misi store (UK)  (A few items in there)

Details should be in my side bar!  If not yet it will be there soon!! 

So much to fill in, so little time!! 


So I think you maybe getting a bit of a picture on what I might write about here!!


Would you like a few pictures now?


Here are some of my wire hoop earrings ~ I do mean MINE because they are MINE!

Antique Jangles Hoops

with pearls on brass wire

Mary Q Hoops

these are black onyx and crystals on sterling silver wire

I've been preparing some samples for my first workshop in March. Gosh its coming up fast!!! Its a beginners course so some very simple stringing jewellery to show you!

Chunky Monkey Necklace

Mean Green Necklace

Love doing simple things sometimes, gives you a break from more complex stuff!! And I do love chunky too, very popular in the shops right now as well!! These are both made using ceramic beads with metal spacers and bead caps.

Well I am a bit 'pooped' out so best be off to bed and will check back later and get some more uploading of info. done!

Catch you all soon.

E