Another Etsy Treasury!

Checking my emails this morning I saw I had a message from Etsy seller Pam of P W Originals telling me she has picked a pair of my earrings for her Treasury "Im Feelin' In The Pink" ~ a lovely pick of pinks and greys. What a nice way to start a Sunday!

Check out Pam's shop for her very pretty handmade purses, totes and cushion covers.

Etsy Treasury! "Softly Speaking"

Wenche, a jewellery maker friend of mine from Norway very kindly picked my Pink Jade and Sterling Silver earrings to go in a Treasury she recently made on Etsy! She called the Treasury "Softly Speaking" and chose soft pinks, greens and blues. It's a really pretty pick and I was thrilled to hear from her. Fingers crossed it might appear on the front page..........

Thank you Wenche!

 

Look out for one of Wenche's necklaces that will be appearing in the July issue of Bead magazine!

Finally! I'm Happy With My Photos!

After much experimentation : white backgrounds, bright backgrounds, subtle backgrounds and many visits to my local ESK to buy far too many scrapbook sheets and different coloured paper, I've finally found a background that I'm happy with! And I had it at home all along.

I've started using the back cover of an old Reader's Digest Univeral Dictionary - a sort of silvery~grey colour which I think works ok. I know lots of people prefer a plain white background for jewellery but I found I got a lot of glare from the white especially with silver jewellery and it sometimes looked a bit off white. I think the grey sets off the colours of the beads well and makes them pop and I haven't had to edit the photos as much which saves time.

I've also started using a mini tripod I bought from eBay a few years ago which was immediately shoved into a draw when it arrived. I took one look at it and thought I just couldn't be bothered faffing about with it but I've now started using it together with the timer on my camera so I don't have to worry about having the shakes when I'm taking photos. Those photography guides do make sense after all!

Now I just have to find something I'm happy with for my copper jewellery as the grey is a bit dark for it sometimes depending on the colour of the beads. If any of you have any tips for backgrounds for copper jewellery I would be very grateful!

 

Horrible Cats, Grasshoppers And Free Moo Cards

Aren't cats horrible sometimes?

Earlier today when I was engrossed on the computer ordering my 50 free Moo business cards, this horrible creature on the left, who goes by the name of Eddie ("do my eyes match this cushion?")  appeared in the dining room with a sparrow!

After 5 minutes of me running round the house after him shouting "Out, out!" he then ran back outside and proceeded to devour the poor sparrow. After much crunching all that was left was a pile of feathers and a claw. I was going to take a photo but thought that would be a bit unsavourary!

Click HERE for the 50 free Moo cards. When you get to the ordering page it says the offer has been extended to February 2010 but it still worked ok and I only had to pay £3.00 for postage!

Backyard Wildlife

I heard it yesterday but didn't see it, but today I heard it, saw it and photographed it! Yes it's a grasshopper with a missing back leg!

My other cat Charlie was very interested in it but as he treats insects as snacks I made sure he couldn't get to it. I also saw a bright green one earlier today which I'm assuming was a younger one.

I don't think I'll win any prizes for my spectacular wildlife photography though!

Handmade And Fabulous! A Brand New Blog

Handmade And Fabulous is a new blog recently started by Susie of Folksy shop Lynwood Jewellery.

In Susie's own words Handmade And Fabulous is "a blog dedicated to hunting down the best that handmade artisans have to offer in the world of fashion, accessories and homewares. The blog has no global boundaries; it looks for inspiration from all corners of the globe. It presents some of the wonderful clothes, design, fashion, home wares and accessories that humans are making across the globe now!"

Susie will be regularly showcasing beautiful handmade items from online venues such as Folksy, Artfire and Etsy. If it's handmade and fabulous I'm sure she will find it!

Handmade And Fabulous also has a Flickr group. Why not pop over and add some of your photos? Each week Susie is hoping to pick the three most popular items and include them in a blog post for all to see. What a great idea!

This week's picks were this lovely clutch bag from Urban Knits

And this cute Owl Cushion from Linziloop, both Folksy sellers

A pair of my earrings were also featured!

I want to wish Susie all the best with her new blog and Flickr group ~ helping to increase awareness of the beautiful items that are made by artists and designers everywhere can only be a good thing!