Cinnamon Jewellery

It's such a lovely bright day today that I thought I'd make the most of it and take some photos of my new jewellery and redo some of the photos of my Folksy shop jewellery. Anyway.........several hours later.........  It always take me ages to do the photos, I must take at least 8 of each item. After transferring them to my computer and editing them and thinking of inspiring names for them, I've finished! I think I lost my inspiration for names when it came to the Carnelian earrings, I couldn't think of anything so called them "Three" as they have three silver dangles! Here's some of my new stuff ~ Ooh! Nice earrings! I had a nice suprise through the post today. A Giveaway prize I won recently arrived from America. I received not one but two pairs of vintage style earrings from Tara Henderson and they are lovely. Tara has a shop on Etsy  and will soon be opening a second shop there too. I'm wearing the green pair as I write this! Chocol...

Today the postman brought me two nice things ~ my wage slip meaning I get paid tomorrow :D although it's actually the last one as I left the job on January 6! I've decided I want to work part~time and as the care company I worked for wouldn't let me I decided to leave. Brave or stupid??! I have some private carework which is keeping me going and most importantly I am A LOT HAPPIER! AND I have more time to make jewellery so I don't regret my decision at all. The other nice thing from the postie was the Giveaway prize I won recently! These lovely beads came from Sue of Blue Box Studio on Folksy. Thank you Sue! I love beads, especially free ones! Yesterday I had the urge to do some baking ~ something else I now have more time to do ~ so I nipped to Sainsburys for eggs and marg so that I could make a chocolate cake today. Of course it had to be chocolate, it's The Law! Here's the finished cake, it's from a recipe my Mum gave me (thank you Mum x). I ...

Sweet Inspiration is my latest article on IndieSmiles  and features four Folksy jewellery designers ~ Lorraine of FairlyGirly , Jean of Talking Beads , Amanda of Chicita  and Becky of Red Bird Jewellery . In it they discuss how they started making their own jewellery and what inspires their designs. It's well worth reading! A big thank you to the above sellers for taking time to answer my questions and to Folksy seller  Arts & Candies  for the fab Iced Donut Bracelet photo also used in the article :D I've also been given my own category ~ Folksy Favs, which is pretty cool as I have a lot of Folksy sellers wanting to be featured in future articles. Guess who's going to be pretty busy for a while............ Here is some of the lovely jewellery featured in the article Red Cascades Heart Bookmark ~ FairlyGirly   Sea Ring ~ Chicita Autumn Days Pendant ~ Red Bird Jewellery Pearl Slices Necklace ~ Talking Beads

A fellow Folksy seller emailed me yesterday  (thank you Quernus Crafts!) to say that she was unable to leave a comment ~ I wasn't aware there was a problem, I just thought you'd all gone off me! :D Anyway...... I checked it and she was right, the comment box wasn't coming up. I looked on the Google Help pages and it's quite common apparently. I changed my template last week and so I'm wondering if that had anything to do with it ??? Quite possibly. However it's now sorted. The help page told me to go to "edit HTML" and tick the box for "revert widget templates to default" which I did and it's working again. So now you can all add those lovely comments you were going to leave can't you........can't you? Please? (only kidding)

I've seen these cute little people and creatures a lot on Folksy and often wondered what Amigurumi actually is. Well, it's the Japanese art of crocheting small animals and toys. Here's a very cute selection I found on Folksy. Links to sellers can be found under the photos.......... 1. Limited Edition Momo by MoMoaby   2. Dreamy Giraffes Amigurumi Pattern by reeneegurumi   3. Little Crochet Mouse by Blue Fish Handmade    4. Jade HooterNinnies by oddsox   5. Cavebear by Treaclezoo   6. Caramel The Amigurumi Bunny by SophieCat

Attention Folksy Sellers! IndieSmiles  now has a section called Happy Giveaways  where sellers can advertise their giveaways, normally for a small fee. However if you contact Sue at IndieSmiles and mention me (Tracy, Cinnamon Jewellery) your giveaway info will be listed for free! The IndieSmiles site is undergoing a revamp (it looks different and better everytime I visit!) and the number of people visiting is increasing everyday so listing your giveaway there will definitely increase your exposure ~ always a good thing!

I spent most of Friday making them, Saturday morning oxidising and polishing them and this morning, as it was a lovely bright day, photographing and editing them. And here they are ........................... MelonHeart Twist Pacific Drops PassionFlower My Blue Heart WaterMelon Heart Frosted Copper And they'll all be listed on Folksy in the next couple of weeks

The second in a short series of useful tips, this time ~ Oxidising Sterling Silver & Copper jewellery Whether you oxidise your jewellery or not is a personal choice. I prefer the look of oxidised or "antiqued" Sterling Silver and copper wirework as it adds depth and highlights detail. What you will need ~ Liver of Sulphur You can buy Liver of Sulphur in liquid or solid form. I say "solid" but it's really powdery chucks. I prefer the solid form as it is more economical. I buy mine on eBay and it can also be found on jewellery supply sites. Steel/Wire Wool 0000 or 00000 Grade which can be found in DIY stores Oxidising your jewellery Before you start, close the kitchen door and open the back door (wide!) Yes the clue is in the name Sulphur and it stinks like rotten eggs! Dissolve a small piece of Liver of Sulphur in hot but not boiling water in a small bowl. I keep a bowl especially for oxidising. Avoid touching the Liver of Sulphu...

That's the title of my latest Folksy article on IndieSmiles ! It features mini interviews with two Folksy sellers ~ Christine of Planet Events  and Danni of nelli D . Planet Events sells trimmings and accessories and nelli D is home to quirky resin jewellery and handbags. If, like me, you like to know a bit more about the seller behind the shop, or if you're just plain nosy(!) go and have a look, it's an interesting read! Cute dog photo courtesy of Much In A Little , another Folksy seller, specialising in porcelain

I've listed a couple of new pairs of earrings on Folksy ~ my first listings since before Christmas! Not that I was getting withdrawal symptoms or anything! Night Bloom ~ Lucite Flowers & Copper Green Seas ~ Seaglass Coins & Sterling Silver I've spent a very pleasant few hours this afternoon "playing" with my new website . It's on spanglefish.com  and it's free! As you can see I've still got a lot to do, lots of pictures to add, plus links to some of the cool blogs I like. I'm using it mainly as another way to get my stuff "out there" at the moment, but you have the option to add PayPal buttons if you want to use it to sell which isn't bad for free. You can also add pages, change page names, do whatever you like with it really. I think it looks quite neat for a freebie and who knows, it might generate a few sales :D I really should go and have a shower now, but I can't decide whether to watch the Liverpool game .....

Today I'm very happy to say I've been awarded a blog award by Karen at Blonde Design ! I feel very honoured! The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity & creativity inspires others in the blog world. The rules for accepting the Sunshine award ~ Put the logo on your blog or within your post ~ Pass the award onto 12 bloggers ~ Link the nominees within your post ~ Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.   I follow lots of interesting blogs so it was hard to narrow my choice down! Here are my 12 nominees ~   NRjewellerydesign nellieD Trinket Box Widget and Friends Wisdom Of Woody My Pearl Box Patchwork Butterfly Designs By Tara Gooseberry Moon Cowdy Calling Seventyseventyonedesign Quernus Crafts

This morning I ventured out in the car ~ the first time for about 4 days! Happily my poor snow~covered Fiesta started first time and I pootled into a fairly quiet Eastbourne town centre. Did a few errands ~ the bank to pay in a cheque I got for Christmas(!), posted a letter and had a look at the bead/jewellery mags in WH Smith. Now normally I buy every jewellery/bead magazine I come across (apart from Beads & Beyond, seen a few issues and don't think much of it) but today I exercised supreme self~control and WALKED AWAY! I also put down a cute little owl notebook I found in Poundland after deciding I didn't really need it as I have two brand new notebooks at home. I really think there's something wrong with me. I was going to buy myself some chocolate too but decided I could do without...........now I know there's definitely something wrong with me! Or maybe it's because I know there's still a big box of Ferrero Rocher in the cupboard........... I love yo...

Yes, I've resisted so far but thought I'd like to make a bit of space for new stock.............. ...........so I've reduced half of my Sterling Silver earrings and bracelets in my Folksy shop  by up to 25% AND everything is still with FREE postage in the UK! Here's some of what's in the sale ♥ Indigo Spirals ~ Sterling Silver & Glass Bead Wirework Earrings ♥ WAS £12.00 NOW £10.00! Chocolate Champagne ~ Sterling Silver, Faceted Glass Bead, Freshwater & Swarovksi Pearl Earrings ♥ WAS £15.00 NOW £11.00! Sweet As Sugilite ~ Sugilite Tubes, Freshwater Pearls & Sterling Silver Bracelet ♥ WAS £15.00 NOW £12.00! And last but not least....... Purple Pendulums ~ Crazy Lace Agate Bead & Sterling Silver Wirework Earrings ♥ WAS £12.00 NOW £10.00! ♥Lots more reductions to be found in my Folksy shop!♥

This is the first in a series of handy info and tips for anyone interested in making Wirework jewellery. First of all let me explain that I am by no means an expert in Wirework! I've been making Wirework jewellery for nearly three years and am self~taught: everything I have learnt has come from the internet, books and DVDs. But I have so much more to learn and so much more practising to do! First things first ~ Tools There is a wide variety of jewellery making tools available for Wirework, some are absolutely necessary, some you can live without! Pliers You need several different types of pliers for Wirework ~ these are the pliers I use everytime I make a piece of Wirework jewellery ~ Roundnose Pliers ~ for creating loops and round bends Chainnose Pliers ~ for creating bends, tucking in ends of wire and holding the wire Flatnose pliers ~ for creating bends, holding the wire whilst making spirals, flattening wire Wi...

Here's my latest Folksy pick and it's an antidote to all that white stuff we're all seeing everytime we look out of the window.................. The Folksy sellers featured this time are : Lupin Handmade , Asking For Trouble , Tias Glass , Sew Christine , Adorn Moi , Karen Hilton Designs , Zoe Woods , RachelCreative  and Emily Pickle Bring on the Pinks and Oranges! 1. Prints Of bunny feet RachelCreative , 2. Happy Orange Notebook by Asking For Trouble , 3. Pink And Orange Entwined Heart Copper Necklace by Adorn Moi , 4. Park Slope basket style bag by SewChristine , 5. Origami Ring by Tias Glass , 6. Pink Ring ZoeWoods , 7. Cushions by Karen Hilton Designs , 8. Retro Patterned Pink Purse Emily Pickle , 9. Pink Poppy hairband Lupin Handmade I particularly like the Origami ring by Tias Glass, just looking at it makes me feel warmer!

Here's a photo of my latest pretties :: I bought these with Valentine's Day in mind ~ some pretty little Czech Glass hearts, faceted Amethyst hearts and some lovely Lucite flowers in red, pink, white and black. I praise the clever person who thought to christen them "Lucite" as it sound so much better than plastic or acrylic! Although they really are acrylic (I can't bring myself to call them plastic!) they are very pretty and well made and combined with other beads and Sterling Silver or copper, make a lovely pair of earrings. I'll post the photos of my finished creations in a few days.............. The dreaded sort~out At the latest count I have 7 boxes full of beads and the time has come to have a sort~out. However I can't decide how to go about it. Do I organise them so I have the same colours together, the same shape, the same type ~ Crystal, Semi~Precious, Freshwater Pearl, Copper, Sterling Silver, Glass?? Just the thought of it makes me want ...