Blue Forest Jewellery's blog

Happy Friday: Hand stamped dog charms

2015-06-12T11:01:00.001+01:00

I promised you dog-themed, hand stamped bag charms last week, and here they are.

Just listed on Etsy here...

I hope they are going to be popular. I've tested them out on dog walks and can confirm they are quite sturdy!

So which is your favourite? Let me know.

Lucca says he likes them all, but it's been so hot, he has mostly been concentrating on paddling and sleeping in the sun.

Alison x

Happy Friday: Cute puppy pics and some stamping

2015-05-29T10:25:00.001+01:00

This week I needed to sort through my dog pictures to pick one for a competition in one of my Labrador groups on Facebook. This is quite a task when you have thousands of photos of your dog - I'm sure I'm not the only one! - and you're asked to pick the cutest one, so took quite a while. In the end, I narrowed it down to these three.

On the mat - this was Lucca's first day at home.

Waiting to go in. This one really melts my heart!

I love the expression in his eyes here!

Now it will be interesting to see if you think I picked the right one. Which do you think would get the most likes on Facebook?

On another part of planet Alison, as well as sorting some sales from my shops, I've been enjoying some stamping with a new font.

I'm now working on a range of dog-related sayings for bag charms and key rings which is keeping me busy. Perhaps next week I'll be ready to show them.

What have you been making, or enjoying, this week?

Alison x

A milestone to share

2015-05-22T13:56:00.001+01:00

Just a quick post to share this little milestone - 500 sales in my Folksy shop https://folksy.com/shops/BlueForestJewellery

It's been a while coming, and it was reached at 1.15 am with the sale of a pair of earrings. I love it that sales can come at any time of the day and night, and go anywhere. Yesterday, three bracelets set off for Stockholm, and we all wished we could go with them!

Thanks to all my blog followers and commentators who have kept me at it over the years. Overall sales reached about 1,000 a couple of months ago. It's great that people like things enough to purchase them, and it's always a lovely surprise to get a sales notification.

Please pop along to have a look at the shop if you're interested. There are some new key rings, in vintage bronze and antique silver, and until the end of the month, you can use the discount code Celebrate 500 to get a 20% reduction.

Here are some recent makes. Which do you like best? And what are you making at the moment?

Alison x

Happy Friday: Mostly chainmaille

2015-02-22T13:59:00.001+00:00

Hi everyone,

The week's seem to fly by, don't they? Now that it's getting towards Spring, we have been taking advantage of some sunny but cold days to get out and about and do some swimming. That's Lucca swimming, not me or Phil!

This was great fun and Lucca got a good workout for his dodgy elbow. Then one of those swans that you can just see in the background decided to swim over to remind us whose territory it was!

Amazing what you see when you're dog pulls you to every available river. From the distance, we did wonder out loud whether this was a toy helicopter! We all thought it was a bit showy to have it on the lawn, but I suppose if you've got one, it's a challenge to find parking spaces big enough. Not a problem I think I will ever have. The chickens seemed to be quite happy with it there.

Jewellery wise, still mostly chainmaille. How long can this obsession last? Some of these bracelets are quite heavy - it's amazing how the weight of the rings builds up.

I love that this one looks a bit like knitting.

The weave here is held in place with faux brown leather cord.

This one is my favourite, with a rainbow of faux pearls.

Which do you like best?

Here's the link to see what others have been creating this week at Planet Penny .http://planetpenny.co.uk

Alison x

Handmade Monday - more of those tassel necklaces

2015-01-11T17:54:00.001+00:00

Happy New Year blog followers. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year break. Here's a quick pic of Lucca the dog enjoying the beach at Broad Haven on Christmas Day, when it was bright and windy.

I kept crafting all the way through the break, and I'm still a bit obsessed with making dangles for the interchangeable chain necklaces. Because I always want my jewellery to have a touch of the ancient world about it - I like things to look like they could have literally been dug out of the ground! - I always love to use pearls, glass pearls in this case.

That one is a bit Cleopatra, don't you think?

Five pearls in a row.

A lovely textured ring charm.

And some chainmaille with green Quartz beads.

Would love to know which you like best?

One of my New Year resolutions is to do more tutorials on this blog, so please make sure you nag me if they don't appear, won't you?

Here's a link to Handmade Harbour where you can see what other crafty people have been making this week. http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk

Alison x

Handmade Monday Long Necklaces

2014-12-14T17:27:00.000+00:00

Apologies for the gap in blogging. I've been busy, both with crafting and with other less fun stuff including poorly relatives. I always find crafting relaxing, though, so even if I'm a bit stressed, the Blue Forest Jewellery production line is never quiet - in fact, it often gets more efficient! There is so much jewellery in our house now, I have to look through my photos before I make something just to check I haven't done the same thing before!

One thing I really love is a long, tassel necklace. So I've made a lot, but it always seems wasteful to be using so much chain. I've tried to solve that now by using a large textured ring on a long chain and adding the bar of a toggle clasp to the dangle so as to make that bit interchangeable. I made a long version of the chain, and then an even longer one so I've got a choice to suit whatever neckline I'm wearing.

It took a while to convert all the ones I'd already made...

And some of them are not quite tassels either...

And a slightly different toggle clasp used on some of them...

Anything that saves room in my clutter is a good thing, IMHO. This one is my favourite...

And it's nearly Christmas. How are your preparations going? I haven't done as much as I should, probably because I've been messing around with necklaces!!

Here's a link to see what other crafty folk have been making this week. http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk

Happy Christmas in case I don't get chance to blog again before.

Alison

Handmade Monday: More poppies and Autumn colour

2014-11-02T10:43:00.000+00:00

As it gets closer to remembrance day, I keep getting new ideas for poppy jewellery. This week it's chain maille again. The little poppies that make up the links take a while to do, so getting seven together for the length of the bracelet and earrings was quite a challenge. In a way, it's a good job it was quiet in the shop this week, despite me listing a few new bag charms.

Apart from that, we've had this stunning Autumn weather, with the colours so fabulous and the sun shining on them like the middle of the summer. The park looked amazing the other day.

Christmas themes are starting to creep in to my makes:

Isn't he cool? I added the little daisies because the contrast between his size and theirs just seemed right!

and the stars always remind me of singing children's carols at school.

I've been working on my website too. All will be revealed soon...

Here's the link to see what others have been making this week.

Have a great week,
Alison x

Handmade Monday: Poppy

2014-10-26T17:35:00.001+00:00

If the clocks have gone back, then it must be close to Poppy Day and a really special one this year. I love poppies, but I did struggle to convert my chain maille flower into a poppy, as I couldn't find the right colour in 6mm beads and had to use rondel crystals instead which meant adjusting the weave a bit. Are all us crafters a little bit perfectionist? I must have undone this a good few times, but I think I'm happy with it now!

A short post this week, but do hop along to http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk to find out what other crafty people are doing this weekend.

Alison

Handmade Monday: lovely beads and lovely customers

2014-10-19T18:23:00.001+01:00

Since I last blogged, we've had the pleasure of my nephew's wedding at which my homemade jewellery was admired. You might remember a slightly anxious post about whether I should whip up a fascinator or not. In the end, I made one but didn't wear it. Good choice, I think, and I did notice some of the ladies were removing theirs as the day wore on!

Last weekend I had a visit from a regular customer to my Folksy shop. It's always great to know people like your jewellery enough to come back for more, and this particular lady shares my love of bronzite. A while ago, she bought a little delicate bracelet with drizzled glass beads in deep blue, gold and red, combined with bronze swirls as connectors round each bead.

It took quite a lot of time and effort to make those connector links, so when the lady came back asking if I could make a matching necklace long enough to wear as a double strand, I was kind of glad that the nights are drawing in,and there are stacks of TV programmes we watch which you can still follow whilst shaping wire! I have to admit to having sore hands from gripping the pliers,and I won't be rushing to recreate this one in a five strand version, but I'm quite pleased with the result.

This time I added other glass beads with different combinations of the same colours. The effect is a bit Venetian, I think, don't you? It's been delivered now and hopefully being enjoyed. We had a lovely sunny Autumn day today, perfect to see these colours at their best.

Visit http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk to see what other crafters have been up to this week,

Alison

Handmade Monday: Wedding jewellery

2014-09-28T13:11:00.000+01:00

This week I've mainly been making some jewellery for me to wear to a family wedding. I can't reveal the pictures as it's a family secret until next weekend, but I'll just say that my dress is bottle green and the statement necklace involves deep green and purple glass bead chain maille flowers, there's a lapel brooch, a bracelet and some tiny bead earrings.

I started, and then stopped, making a fascinator, as my OH said it looked like a helicopter propeller, and I have to say, he is always an honest and very good critic and I could see the resemblance myself as soon as he said it. So no fascinator, or hat, or tiara - just bare hair! The other pieces do meet his approval, but I'm not sure whether I should wear all of them together. Hopefully, I won't be looking back on the photos in a few years time and wondering what on earth I was thinking!

I thought I'd show you my other wedding pieces in the meantime. These always sell well in my shops, and it's lovely to have something, in some cases personalised, to celebrate your special day.

This one has all the elements I think you need for the special day and the marriage afterwards - luck, love, a posh dress, the right shoes, and the key to your beloved's heart. Have I missed anything?

There are some couples who, dare I say it, need a bit more luck (!), so this one has a four-leafed clover and a guardian angel too.

This one is personalised with a rustic style stamped charm, and has a traditional pearl for the wedding - and a bird, as the person receiving this one has a particular love of them. I hope they had a lovely day on Friday.

This one was intended for wedding favours, or bridesmaid's gifts with their initials.

I was once the bride, but a long time ago now, and before I made jewellery myself. I would probably choose pearls if I was a bride now, and this necklace is my favourite piece of wedding jewellery.

It's a metre long, with luscious vintage faux cream pearls and rock crystal cubes. It would be great for a twenties, flapper style wedding. The camera doesn't really do it justice.

This one was bought by a lady for her daughter's wedding. It was lovely and delicate with the coin and potato pearls, and I think a surprise gift.

Which do you like best? What is your favourite wedding jewellery? When have you successfully pulled off the fascinator/big hat/no hat/tiara/discreet hair comb look?! Share with us.

Have a great crafting week. Here's a link to see what others have been making.

See you soon,
Alison x

Handmade Monday: Chain maille flowers tutorial

2014-08-31T11:54:00.001+01:00

What a lovely week it's been since the weather got over itself on Monday. We had a great walk yesterday at Wixford, followed by a delicious lunch at The Fish pub there. It's been a good week for sales in the shop too, especially for bag charms, and I've made some progress updating my web site so people can design their own charm bracelets and necklaces. The wild flower strips in the Coventry parks make you think you're in Italy!

They are actually not sunflowers but loads of these lovely flowers. Do you know what they are called?

They've inspired a tutorial this week. Partly because I've not done one for a while and partly because I find it so easy for me to forget how to do things these days, it's handy to write them down on my blog. Also, unlike the other chain maille designs I've done, I'm not sure if anyone has done this particular flower design this way before. You usually find there is nothing new in the world of craft, so apologies if I am unwittingly copying! Here's a daisy version of the watch style bracelet.

You'll need 11 beads and 51 jump rings for this design. The tutorial is just for the flower - if you want to turn it into a watch style bracelet you'll need a few more jump rings in different sizes and to learn the butterfly chain maille weave. I can cover that in another tutorial if you want. I'm using 6mm beads and 50 5mm jump rings, and one large 12mm jump ring for the centre. You need a bit of fine gauge wire too (0.4mm is good) and some beading thread. I like to use very strong jump rings, the ones I'm using here are 1.2mm gauge - Fabfifi50 on EBay is my favourite supplier for these.

Start with the 12mm jump ring. Close it and use the fine wire to wrap one of the 6mm beads in the centre, then add 10 of the 5mm jump rings to either side of the bead.

It looks a bit messy at the moment and the centre bead will be quite loose. Don't worry about that - it will all tighten up soon.

Next add 10 jump rings to link up in pairs the jump rings you've just put on.

This is a very easy design but the next bit is where you could do with counting out 10 of the remaining jump rings and making sure you keep stopping to check that you're adding the jump rings on the same side of the flower. This time you link two of the original jump rings again, but alternate ones from last time so that the next layer of jump rings lays on top of the last one. It's hard to explain, but hopefully clearer in the photo.

The design will be really loose at the this point, so watch out for naughty jump rings trying to flip over and confuse the pattern! The next step is to tighten the whole thing up with jump rings linking the last two layers:

Use 10 again and make sure you always link two jump rings but never go through the same jump ring twice.

Now it's time to add the beads. Put one as a stopper bead on a long length of beading thread and then begin to sew them on, picking up one jump ring from the last layer between each bead as you go:

I find I need to go around with the thread several times to get the flower really rigid. The advantage is that you then don't need to tie or crimp the ends of the beading thread, they can just be cut. You can see the beading thread a little but I don't think it detracts too much from the flower.

Once finished, you can add further connector jump rings as you need them.

There you go.

Here's a link to what other crafty folk have been doing this week.

Alison x

Wordless Wedneday: Wild flowers

2014-08-20T11:27:00.000+01:00

The parks in Coventry have a new initiative this year to designate an area to wildflowers. The results are stunning. I hope the idea lasts.

Handmade Monday: Getting the big cats mixed up

2014-08-17T11:25:00.000+01:00

I love my charms, as most of you know. It may be that outside of actual shops that sell charms, I have the world's biggest collection of bronze charms. They are very popular in my online shops. I'm thinking of putting a facility on my website for Chritmas so that people can design their own charm bracelet by choosing combinations of charms - do you think that would work? It will take a lot of organising and I haven't started yet, although I have discovered a lovely little app (Framemagic) that lets me make collages like this really easily.

So browsing charms a couple of weeks ago I came across a lovely leopard head. Great, I thought, it will make a pretty bag charm with a glass animal print bead I've already got. So the charm came, I put the bead with it. This is the result:

Spotted the deliberate (not) mistake (excuse the pun)? Do leopards have stripes? No, they do not. Should I have thought of this before? Yes. Am I going to change it? No. It will have to be the big cats bag charm instead... Doh!

Here's a link to what other crafty people have been doing this week.

Alison x

Handmade Monday Flowers and more flowers

2014-08-03T18:04:00.001+01:00

Perhaps it's something to do with the lovely sunny weather? Some of you might know I often demonstrate a bit of obsessiveness in my crafting life. At the moment, and for about eight months now, it's been chain maille that I've turned to in every spare moment, and for the last few weeks, since discovering the inspirational work of Scott David Plumlee, I've been making chain maille flowers like there is no tomorrow. Some of them are quite dainty like these Celtic flowers:

Some are more robust like these Byzantine flowers:

And then there are real whoppers like these 11 bead flowers. When you put them together in a bracelet, they are a real statement!

Some might prefer just one in a watch-style bracelet:

I'd love to know iwhich you like best?

Here's a link to find out what others have been crafting this week http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/handmade-monday-179.html

Hope you're enjoying this lovely summer,

Alison

Handmade Monday: mostly chain maille but some bag charms too

2014-04-06T14:27:00.002+01:00

I'm still obsessed with chain maille (is there treatment available?!) but I did take a bit of a break to post some new bag charms in my Folksy shop. It's been a good week for sales, and people seem to prefer the multiple purse charms without beads, so I've concentrated on that. Now which do you like best...

This one is for when you need a bit of luck...

For lovers of emo, goth, steam punk etc,

For lovers of shoes, handbags etc,

For anyone with a dog.

Is that almost everyone covered?!

And this one is chain maille and a bag charm.

Here's a link to see what other crafty people have been up to this week over at Handmade Monday.

See you soon,
Alison

Handmade Monday: Right angle weave

2014-03-09T18:12:00.001+00:00

It's been a lovely day here - the first day of the year I've been sitting out in the garden to bead which is always a treat. I've been experimenting with bead stitching and had a go at a simple right angle weave (or RAW) bracelet.

The bracelet is made of crackle glass beads which are half purple and half brown, and the beads pivot on the string so it never quite looks the same twice! It's actually the second version because rather-clumsy me dropped the bracelet on the floor and smashed quite a few of the delicate glass beads in the process!

Being challenged in not being able to tell left from right, it was quite a task to find a tutorial I could follow. So I'm recording some pictures here of how I constructed the weave, using different coloured beads to record the steps.

I found that if you remember you are always making a diamond of four beads, that helps in knowing how many beads to add and what direction to weave in.

The needle here is getting ready to form the next diamond, this time adding two beads...

...and going through two existing beads.

One more diamond takes me to the end of the row....

Then it's starting again with another three beads.

Will I ever go beyond basic bead weaving? Not sure, it's a bit fiddly and I need more sunny weekend days when there's plenty of natural light to work by. Here's hoping!

Look, I've made the dog yawn! He would rather I was paying him attention than working with beads.

Here's a link to what other crafty folks have been doing this week: http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/handmade-monday-158.html

Alison x

New year, new jewellery

2014-01-12T18:59:00.001+00:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had lovely holidays and are starting the new year with lots of creativity. For myself, I've mostly been making flowers recently - and why not? They are always cheerful and popular, aren't they. Let me know which you like best. Alison x

Handmade Monday: Jewellery for the coming season

2013-11-03T12:43:00.001+00:00

I love that it's November, so I can start showing some Christmas makes. Only a couple, then I promise to shut up about it!

The snowman charm is quite big and looks so cool with the white beads and crystals.

And this charm is double sided with the tree on one side...

...and the deer on the other side. Bag charms were popular in the shop last Christmas and I think they are good presents for people who love jewellery but just have too much!

Apart from that, I've been in an amber and brown mood

This is a memory wire bracelet and here's a lariat

And some simple glass bead earrings

So which do you like best?

Here's a link to what other crafty folk have been up to this week.

Recent makes

2013-10-06T13:32:00.001+01:00

Some recent makes from me. Let me know what your favourites are.

Flower cuff links

Melting heart bag charm

Glass bead earrings

Stranded chain bracelet

Affirmation bag charm with glass flowers

Memory wire bracelet in vintage style

Handmade Monday: What a holiday!

2013-08-11T13:24:00.001+01:00

Hi all, I've been on a break from blogging but back now and ready to show you all what I've been doing in the meantime.

One thing that happened was the most amazing holiday - we caught the start of the heatwave in the UK, with the result that it felt like being in the Mediteranean even though it was the north east of England.

The sea and the sky were mostly these wonderful shades of blue. Of course that meant that a certain brown labrador spent a lot of time either in the blue sea or digging in the sand near it!

What a perfect holiday. And of course, such a fantastic time was really inspiring so lots of jewellery was created in the sunny garden. Here's a selection.

Starting with the blues, a goddess bracelet and some earrings:

Some flower pieces - the bracelet sold to a fellow jewellery maker - what a compliment that was!

More bracelets:

And so on...

And that's just a few of them - I won't bore you with the rest. Always good to know which are your favourites though, so please do leave a comment.

Hoping to be back soon with more tutorials.

Here's the link to see what others have been up to on Handmade Monday.

Alison x

Handmade Monday: Tree of life

2013-04-21T13:17:00.000+01:00

This week I've mostly been experimenting with tree of life pendants. I've not tried them before, but I know they are popular, so thought I'd have a go.

My first attempt with lapis lazuli chips and bronze wire.

Hubby pointed out, after admiring it, that there aren't many bright blue-leafed trees around. I think that is now it's unique selling point! I just like blue and brown myself...

Then this one is a little more experimental

I wanted to set the glass beads in a sort of bezel of wire, which kind of half-worked. The finished piece is very delicate, and I had to add lots of scaffolding at the back to reinforce it. I need to work on the idea, so watch this space for more mutant trees in weird and wonderful colours!

Just as a PS: A few crafty folk and blog readers have bought this bag charm in the past, and it sold again last night. I have more of the beads on order, so it will be back, but is just available for pre-order at the moment, with an estimated mid-May delivery.

Here's a link to see what others have been doing this week for Handmade Monday.

Alison x

Handmade Monday: Kumihimo again

2013-04-07T17:35:00.000+01:00

So, I've been playing with the Kumihimo disc again. This time I thought I would have a go at seed beads, as I've never tried that before. Some hours later, with my eyesight probably deteriorated considerably, and the air blue with my swearing at the cord and the beads, and after I'd managed to unstick the underside of my finger nail from the skin underneath, here's the result.

I now have 'total respect' for the seed beaders, as the young folk say! It will be a long while, if not never, until I try this technique again. The bracelet has some gaps where the little beads weren't placed properly, even though I really really tried my best! Oh well, I always like a new experience.

Decided to stick to the cords instead and made a couple on the drive up to see relatives over Easter weekend. Hubby was at the wheel so there was no risk of accident. The intention is to turn all these into tassel necklaces like this one...

I love a long necklace, but often find that a chain irritates the back of my neck. The cord is perfect as it's so soft and smooth, and I luuurve the cobalt blue with the antique bronze findings, it's my favourite colour combination (today!) Front fastening toggles are easy to do when you're in a rush too.

The little glass flower beads are new. Pretty, aren't they?

Here's a link to see what others have been doing this week for Handmade Monday.

Alison x

Handmade Monday: Fame for my little blog and dog pictures

2013-03-24T12:00:00.001+00:00

This week I'm excited to report that this little blog was reviewed in the April edition of Making Jewellery and Handmade Monday was mentioned! Just pardon me a moment while I quote the whole review in full, and my head swells to the size of a football!

"Alison is a self-confessed jewellery addict, and she shares this with us at her blog. This down-to-earth, funny and creative blog is all about making jewellery, dogs, literature, travel and other interesting stuff. With the regular feature Handmade Monday, Alison shares with us what she's been making, and her thoughts on these. The blog is full of inspiration and interesting titbits, such as Wordless Wednesday, which often involves photos of dogs!"

How cool is that? And I have to add I didn't pay for it, or submit the blog to anything or bribe the editor or anything like that.

Anyway, better show some makes otherwise I won't be fulfilling my remit. I haven't made much, and you'll see why in a minute.

Here's a little bag charm covering dogs, jewellery and my new attempts at stamping. I do love these little doggie charms - I think they are supposed to be spaniels but it could be a Labrador with short legs if you squint a bit in a low light.

My own real life dog had an exciting day last week. The poor boy has been limping for a while and our vet has been trying 'conservative' methods of managing what he diagnosed as elbow dysplasia. Nothing seemed to be working, and although Lucca was still as keen as mustard to go out walking, we felt we couldn't go on like that with him in pain, and us worrying ourselves silly about him. The vet referred us to a specialist orthopaedic hospital, and to cut a long story short, Lucca had a consultation, scan and operation there all in the same day.

He is recovering well, and fingers crossed, hasn't limped since the op. The short walks he needs for the next month are quite frustrating for him, so he's having lots of extra stimulation to tire him out, including drives in the car, frozen kongs and lots of training - all of which is exhausting the humans!

Here he is falling out of his bed with exhaustion at the end of a busy day. Check out that shaved patch - it looks like a baboon's backside. I hope it grows back soon.

Hope everyone in the UK is wrapping up warm against the cold and snow and reading lovely blogs. Here's a link to see what others have been doing this week for Handmade Monday.

Alison x

Handmade Monday: Thank you blog readers!

2013-02-24T13:40:00.000+00:00

I wanted to thank everyone for the feedback you gave me the other week on the bag charms 'with or without beads' issue.

Most people said they liked the non-beaded flower version best so I've been busy putting together some non-beaded examples and should be able to show you some more soon. Just to add to the consensus, I had a custom request on Etsy for five bag charms without the beads. So there we go. The jury has spoken.

I guess that the colours and combinations of the beads won't always appeal to everyone, and just having the charms it will be easier to appeal to more people. So I'll list, sit back and wait for the rush! (Well, I can live in hope ;-)

In the meantime, here are some new beaded bag charms and a couple of other pieces listed this week - see what you think.

Two little owls with hematite stars and crystals

Deco style dragonfly with glass beads

Filigree peacock with crystals

Steam punk style bi plane earrings

Sari silk and heart charm bracelet


Bird cage charm necklace with pearl

Hope everyone in the UK is wrapping up warm against the cold and reading lovely blogs. Here's a link to see what others have been doing this week for Handmade Monday.

Alison x

Handmade Monday: February?

2013-02-10T15:09:00.001+00:00

Well, I'm not quite sure what happened to January - it must have passed in a blur of being busy, but here we are early at Valentine's Day so I'm saying an early 'I love you' to my blog as apology for neglecting it for a month!

One lovely bit of news is that Pearl from The Beading Gem's Journal contacted me to ask if it was OK to feature one of the beading tutorials on the site. As I keep a permanent bookmark on that site and worship at the feet of its bloggers, this made me a happy bunny! In March I'll be shouting even more about it.

I was lucky that my sales continued into January and folks again voted with their pockets for cord bracelets and bag charms. These will be the focus of all my shops in the coming months, so naturally I've made more, and found some beautiful charms on the way. I've also been improving my stamping skills, so expect more personalised and hand stamped items on the way.

Here are some new additions.

These two have already been popular, with a couple of sales on each from Folksy and Etsy.

I love the love birds on this bag charm - they are a nice antique gold colour too.

This one's an experiment with no beads, just charms. What do you think?

And a bit of wire work, not yet listed, with bronzite and white and yellow howlite.

Here's a link to see what others have been doing this week for Handmade Monday.

Alison x