Shop update

I have added a couple of new things to my shop, my aim is to have 100 items listed and I am at 52 so er, it could take a while :)

Hope you like them.

Bloom necklace

Bloom post earrings

Tiny trios

Brooch a Week, the first month.

So I made my first 4 brooches/pins for January and it seemed to be a month of silhouettes and silver.  I don't mind though, this is what I like to make. I am just happy I have managed to stick to the challenge so far!
Next month I am hoping to use some base metals and maybe add some colour too.  I tend to settle on a design at the last minute so we will see.

Here is a mosaic for January.

New!

Just a quick one to show you a new pair of earrings I have made, I love them!

A new website....again

I decided to get rid of my Big Cartel website as I realised with my Moonfruit account (my cake topper website is with them) I can make up to 5 websites! I already pay a yearly fee for this so why am I paying again monthly for a Big Cartel site, doh.

So I have been busy working on this new website which is at www.peculiarforest.com and here is a screen shot of the homepage.

I really like how it looks so far, at the moment I just listing my items which I replicate a lot in my Etsy shop and then maybe I will add some more individual one off items too.

It would be great if you could take a look at let me know what you think :)

EtsyMetal team and a new piece

I am very happy and proud to say that I am now a member of the EtsyMetal team, if you don't know who they are they are a group of International metalsmiths from all over the world who create amazing work and have shops on Etsy.  Just put etsymetal into your search bar to find out about the Team.  You can also visit the EtsyMetal blog which is updated regularly, and also our shop on Etsy.

I also have a new piece in my shop tonight, it's the Tiny Heart necklace, perfect for everyday wear.

I hope you like it :)

Shop Update!

Hello all

I have had a little shop update these last couple of days, it was a bank holiday Monday just gone here in France and I managed to be quite productive!

I have stepped into the realm of rings and I quite like it.
First up I made an abstract poppy ring, I actually got the image from a fried egg but thought it look like an abstract flower once I had soldered in the central ball.

Next I made this rustic floral ring, I originally made it to fit me but as I am a large ring size and I wanted to put it into my shop, I re-sized it.

I have a couple more pieces which still need to be added, stay tuned!

A cuff!

Finally something new to write about! I made my first cuff, it is copper with silver flowers riveted to it, first time I have tried riveting which is exciting, definitely more to come.  I stamped, pierced, hammered and oxidized.

This cuff also won me Cookson Golds, design of the week competition so I was doubly happy :D

I hope you like it, it is in my etsy shop as usual.

A Bat Necklace

Another new necklace I have made, this one has actually been sitting around for some time but I have only just got the chance to photograph and list it.
This one is all sterling silver and the bat has a brushed satin finish.

A New Necklace

I have just finished making this new necklace.  It is a pierced copper pendant strung on sterling silver and it is now in my shop, hope you like it.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Hello all, I thought it was about time for another giveaway and to mark my celebration of getting over 200 followers, hurrah! (Thank you to all my followers :D)
As you have probably seen, I have really been practicing my piercing so I thought I would give away this cherry blossom necklace. 
Yours will be freshly made and lovely, all you need to do to enter is follow my blog if you are not already and leave me a message below.

I will randomly pick a winner this Sunday (27th) and I will post the necklace anywhere in the whole wide world! :D

Hand pierced copper necklace on a oxidized sterling silver chain.

Something New

So I finally made something new, hurrah! I love this little skull and I make have to incorporate him into some other designs too.

I think I shall add him to my Etsy shop this evening :)

Cows & Stamped

I thought I would kill 2 birds with one stone with this post and show what I have been making in both shops.

First up is a new little stamped custom necklace for my shop in copper. I think it is cute and great for everyday wear.  I got a set of letter stamps so looking forward to playing around with those a bit more.
I have also ordered some lovely gem stone briolettes so can't wait for those to arrive either.  I love getting new supllies delivered! :)

Next up are these cow cake toppers, more cows!  The dress was really big and princess like so it was quite a difficult one to make but I managed to get it right in the end.
Jewellery will be put on hold again as I have a last minute order to complete for 2 weeks time which I would like to get finished by midweek at the latest.

First piercings

I have been busy trying out my new saw, gotta say it's pretty cool!  First of all I made the above, the flower was the first thing I cut out of copper and soldered to some sterling wire and added the copper leaf detail.

I then made this cherry blossom necklace,  I like how this one turned out:

Finally I made a little hammered heart, well just because I love hearts, cute and simple.

Even though I have never used a jewellers saw before, I highly recommend this one, changing the blades is a breeze.  Out of all 3 pieces I only broke one blade and I wasn't even sawing, I was trying to lubricate the blade, haha!

I hope you like my new pieces :)

More toppers & beads

I have been working like mad to get this set of cake toppers finished, the customer loves in the States and it was a last minute order so I was very conscious of the time. Finally finished today and in the post.  This set seems to include everything but the kitchen sink! :)

I also got around to turning these older beads into necklaces and have got them listed now.  They are polymer and all findings are sterling silver.  I think I may have blogged about these beads a while back when I made them.  Even though green is my favourite colour, the blue and brown necklace has to be my fave.

New Shops

Today I have been busy opening up some new online stores for my jewellery.  I now have a Zibbet shop and a Coriandr shop. Of course Etsy will always be my fave but it doesn't hurt to get your product out there into the world for more to see.  I only have a couple of listings in the new shops so far which will be made to order items so I will just see how it goes.

If anybody is thinking of opening up a Zibbet shop please use me as a referral and you can also get a 7 day free trial by entering FREETRIAL in the coupon section.  You just need to follow this link, My referral link.

As for new work I have a few design ideas floating about in my head right now I just need to get them in my sketchbook but tomorrow is all about the cake toppers as I am slightly behind from being ill, boo!

Lou x

Something new

While working on my cake toppers I have managed to squeeze in a little jewellery making too :)
I have made another guitar pick necklace made from precious metal clay and also a pair of earrings using my own handmade polymer beads and ear wires.  I like how the earrings turned out so I will definitely being making those again with some new colour combinations.

Both can be found in my Etsy shop now :)

I'm in the Storque!

 A nice surprise to wake up to this morning, I wondered why I had lots of new shop hearts and a sale :)

My guitar pick necklace was chosen for the main photo on this weeks voter post, I am chuffed!
You can see the article here

For anyone that doesn't know, The Storque is Etsy's blog :)

2009 Recap

I thought it would be a cool idea to have a look back at 2009, a little recap if you like of what was happening in my world! :)

January
I had just opened my current shop on Etsy so I was busy getting stocked up and working on my photo's (always something to improve on there!) I also made a resolution to blog more, I think I stuck to it :)

February
In February I started to move away from polymer clay and work with silver clay.  I ordered my kiln which arrived the day I went on holiday ( I nearly didnt want to go but stay at home and play with the kiln!)  I went to visit my mum in France, very cold but a lovely break away from it all.

March
I returned from my holiday and got busy with my kiln, yeah!  I also took part in Earth Hour turning all of the lights out for 1 hour.  I am a bit scared of the dark so I was sitting in the pitch black on my own with a couple of candles, good times!
It was also the month I discovered the awesome Shay Aaron and sadly Jade Goody died from her battle against cervical cancer.

April
I left all my pals at Lloyds TSB and moved back up to Northampton from Southend on Sea.  We used to move a lot with my boyfriends job as a pub manager.

May
In May I gave my thoughts on Precious Metal Clay while beavering away on new designs.  I was also cut off from the internet for a while when my boyfriend reclined the sofa on my laptop power cord.  Expensive they are too!

June
I went to York for the first time and loved it! we had lunch in the most haunted pub in Europe (apparently) I took a few photos but didn't capture anything :(  I have a slight obsession with ghosts and love all the t.v programs about them.  It was also the month of the very shocking death of Michael Jackson.  I have been fan since I was child so this was tough, MJ was a legend. RIP
I also had my first go with bronze clay and I joined the Etsy Metal Clay team.  The best thing I could have done, I love my team mates they are an amazing source of inspiration and knowledge.  Go EMC!

July
I had a nasty bout of flu, eugh, I think I was ill for about 2 weeks, not good!  It was also my sisters graduation, Dani graduated with first class honours so celebrations all round.  I also re-designed my cake topper website.

August
In August someone crashed their car into our pub below our bedroom window, that was one hell of a wake up call at 7am!
I also went to visit my mum again in France this time we took my boyfriends son James and this time it was also lovely and hot!
I also participated in my first charm swap with the EMC team.

September
I was really busy with the wedding season making cake toppers.  It was also the month my boyfriend got laid off work and we decided to up sticks and move to France! (as you do) A big decision but a
very good one.  Road trip!

October
September and October was not very good for me creative wise as all my studio was packed up in boxes still.  I think I went without creating for about a month, serious withdrawals there!

November
We moved into our own apartment, yay! This meant I was able to get my clay out again.  I bought a new desk from Ikea and got cracking.
I was also on the front page of Etsy, in the gift guides, featured twice on craft gawker, had 3 sales, bought a mannequin head and I got an ad on Regretsy!

December
Last but not least, in December I made new pieces, discovered some new favourite Etsy sellers and got some awesome Christmas Presents.

I am now set up for the New year and looking forward to what 2010 brings :)

Im Back

After being ill for the last 2 weeks and being away visiting my sister for her graduation, I am now back working away, yay!
I have a couple of photos to share, one is a daisy ring I made for myself from PMC, which I love and I thought turned out really well. I also have a pic of the cake topper I made for my sisters graduation cake.
Now I need to get cracking on my charms for the EMC charm swap, I have decided to make mine from Copprclay combined with silver, just need to wait for the supplies to arrive now!

Something New..

This is going to be a really short post as I am just about to head away for the week. I just wanted to share these new earrings I made. You can find them in my shop, I hope you all like them :)