Cinnamon Jewellery

I felt like doing some torch enamelling recently so came up with these colourful pendants using sgraffito and enamel pens. Sgraffito involves scratching a design into the enamel, either the first layer to reveal the metal beneath or you can fire one colour, sift another contrasting colour on top then scratch out a design or just lines to reveal the first colour layer. I went for three different colours which involved using pieces of cardboard strategically placed whilst sifting! Fiddly but I love the effect. I used enamel pens to draw (I use the term loosely!) poppies onto pea green opaque enamel. After firing I added the brown dots to give the flowers a centre. More enamel pen circles and dots. I don't find enamel pens that easy to use, they can be a bit blobby and having to hold them perpendicular and squeeze quite hard at the same time is not condusive to drawing pretty designs! Circles and dots are fine though! I will be experimenting further and making s...

The mood struck me (and it doesn't happen very often) to have a bit of a sort out of some findings I've had for years and don't use. So I dug some pretty silver metal filigree beadcaps, connectors, Bali Silver spacers and sterling silver toggle fasteners out and photographed them while we still have this glorious sunny weather. Very satisfying! I've just finished listing them in my eBay shop Apologies for the blurry photos - Blogger strikes again!

Meet Tuppence. Also known as Tuppers. Tuppence likes to perch. It doesn't matter what it is - a pile of cushions, a suitcase on the bed, freshly ironed clothes or an empty plant pot in the backyard, Tuppence will sit on it. She's 16, has a heart murmur and I love her to bits :D

Browsing the internet a couple of weeks ago which I tend to do when there's something else I really should be doing (the ironing) but don't really want to do (the ironing), I came across some Ranger patina inks by Vintaj. They looked really interesting and a great way to add some colour to metal. Intrigued I visited the Vintaj site which in my head I now pronounce as "vintaaj" after hearing how the American lady on the Vintaj video said it as she was demonstrating how to use the inks :D It looked really easy to use - apply with a brush, let it dry for a few minutes then sand off. You can mix colours to create your own shades, add a drop of glaze to dilute the colour slightly and also use the glaze to seal the effect when you've finished. Of course I had to try them so I ordered the "Weathered Copper" turquoise/green set and the glaze from a UK website.They are designed to be used with Vintaj findings and filigree beads which look fantastic but you ...

After a few requests recently I've now started selling sterling silver headpins. Up to now I've only done earwires in sterling thinking the price for headpins would make people think twice but it seems people are prepared to pay a bit extra for something handmade. So I've now added bright and oxidised 2 inch sterling silver ball and hammered headpins in 20g/0.8mm, 22g/0.6mm and 24g/0.5mm. I've now finished adding them to my Folksy , Etsy and eBay shops!

A disc "thing" that is. The last few pairs of earrings I've made all feature discs in copper or enamel, with or without beads and with a central "dot". I'm always looking for ways to attach "things" to other "things" when I make jewellery - I think it makes things more interesting. You can do it with rivets, soldering (still learning!) or with wire. I fancied trying it with wire which is probably the easiest of the three and came up with these designs... copper and green impression jasper enamel and copper enamel and sterling silver I'm planning on making more of these with enamelled flowers instead of discs because I think they're quite sweet :D • • Fold Forming • • I felt like a bit of metal bashing the other day so decided on some very basic fold forming - annealing metal to soften it then creating a bend which you then flatten with a mallet or hammer, anneal again and open up to reveal a "fold" across the...

  The latest issue of Bead magazine is out today - 14 March! The theme for projects this time was "spring" so I came up with a pair of sterling silver leaf and curly tendril wirework earrings with a pretty yellow glass "flower bud" dangle If you look carefully you can spot them on the cover :D It looks like an interesting and colourful issue - the lampwork beads on the cover look beautiful and very appealing. I'll have to investigate further when I get my copy!