More fun with wire...

I just love working with wire! I made 3 new pairs of earrings and 2 new bracelets this weekend, all using wire as a major design component, and it was so much fun (really! Kinda sad isn't it?!). Coiling wire is definately something you will be seeing more of - I find it actually very relaxing, and I don't have to be surrounded by beads to do it, I can just sit down and work away at it, sort of like I used to when I did cross-stitch (which I don't do anymore cos I discovered jewellery making!).

I had a couple of lovely people email me via my TradeMe listings this weekend, giving me wonderful feedback on my designs, which is always marvellous to hear. One of them asked me if I'd had any formal training. I was almost embarrassed to say that I haven't - I've never even taking a jewellery making class (or any other class, for that matter, for any of the crafts that I do, sewing included). I guess I'm just one of those people who likes to try her hand at things without the confines of a "you must do this first, then this" kind of scenario (urgh! Fills me with dread!). But the feedback was wonderful, and it really did make me smile :)

Had a lovely quiet weekend at home with the family this weekend. Very relaxing, some time for beading and to catch up on some projects that I'm working on, in particular my entry for Fibre and Fleece, which is due to be submitted on 20th June (eek!). I hope to finish it way before then, although knowing my penchant for leaving things to the last minute, maybe not....!

Anyway, before I head off to bed, here's a couple of the new items I've just finished listing on the site...









- A

Snigger snigger

My friend Jamie just forwarded me this email and I had to share - it cracks me up!

-A


Sensible Observations

"When I die, I want to die like my grandfather,who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car."
Author Unknown

"Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar."
Drew Carey

"The problem with the designated driver program, it's not a desirable job, but if you ever get sucked into doing it, have fun with it. At the end of the night, drop them off at the wrong house."
Jeff Foxworthy

"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there is a man on base."
Dave Barry

"Relationships are hard. It's like a full time job, and we should treat it like one. If your boyfriend or girlfriend wants to leave you, they should give you two weeks' notice. There should be severance pay, the day before they leave you, they should have to find you a temp."
Bob Ettinger

"A study in the Washington Post says that women have better verbal skills than men. I just want to say to the authors of that study: "Duh."
Conan O'Brien

"Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant?? I'm halfway through my fish burger and I realize, Oh my God....I could be eating a slow learner."
Lynda Montgomery

"I think that's how Chicago got started. Bunch of people in New York said, 'Gee, I'm enjoying the crime and the poverty, but it just isn't cold enough. Let's go west.'"
Richard Jeni

"If life were fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead."
Johnny Carson

"Sometimes I think war is God's way of teaching us geography."
Paul Rodriguez

"Remember in elementary school, you were told that in case of fire you have to line up quietly in a single file line from smallest to tallest. What is the logic in that? What, do tall people burn slower?"
Warren Hutcherson

"Bigamy is having one wife/husband too many. Monogamy is the same."
Oscar Wilde

'Do you know why they call it "PMS"? Because "Mad Cow Disease" was taken.
Unknown, presumed deceased

"Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer."
W. C. Fields

Fun with wire/My new bench block

Wow, who knew how much fun could be had with a piece of solid steel and a hammer!? Certainly not me, or I'd have bought one ages ago :)

I recently purchased a bench block so that I could hammer the heck out of wire and make some new designs that I'd had in my head for awhile now, and that's basically what I've been doing this weekend. Great fun! I've been focusing on earrings this weekend, and have ended up (somehow?) with 10 new pairs, all not my usual style, which has been great, plus 3 new pendants.

Click here to see them listed on my site :)

I've been wanting to try out some new designs, something abit more elegant in the earrings line, totally different to what i normally make, and this weekend I've really had fun experimenting and have utterly enjoyed it!

Georgia went off with a friend on Saturday for the day, so we made a fuss of Cam and spent the day with him - took him out to get lunch then we all went down to the harbour to watch the boats come in, then we took him to the park to play (OK, I couldn't resist a play on the slide too - even though that scene from the movie "Norbit" kept running through my head - I thought I was gonna come flying down that thing like a torpedo!!! Happy to say that wasn't the case :)

Today (Sunday) Georgia had a tummy bug, so we couldn't have her friend over for the day as planned, to return the favour, unfortunately. Poor wee thing, she must've vomited about 8 times today and was not very well at all :( Thankfully she seems to be settled down in her bed and getting some much needed sleep as I write this, so hopefully she will be feeling better tomorrow for school.

I've been working on my entry to the Fibre & Fleece exhibition this afternoon, and it's coming along really well, much better than I expected (gotta love that!). The theme this year is "Four Seasons" so that was a challenge, but so far so good. Hope to finish it this coming week as I need to get the entry form in for 1st June and I want to also have it done by then, even though the pieces don't need to be in till 20th June at the latest. I will take plenty of pics prior to taking it in, so will publish them as soon as I can for you to see :)

I was thinking today, taking the 2 weeks to revamp my site as I did, which was full on and left no time for creating anything new, was really the best thing I could have done. Ever since then, the ideas have just been overflowing and I've tried and mastered so many different techniques and gotten so many designs out of my head and tangible, it's amazing! Long may it last, I say!

And on that note, I'm off to bed (I know - before midnight - first time in weeks!!). Last night I was up till 4am (or should that be this morning??). I'm suprised I lasted the day without a wee "nanna nap" :)

A

Happy Mothers Day!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY everyone! I hope all you Mum's have been thoroughly spoilt today - no less than you deserve :) I myself had a great Mothers Day - handmade cards from the kids, new PJ's (nice and cosy for winter, mmmmm!!!!) and breakfast in bed - can't ask for more than that really :)

I've also managed to have a really creative weekend - just one of those times when the creative juices were flowing constantly, and as a result, I've ended up with some beautiful new items to show you! Unfortunately, two of them are destined to be competition pieces, so I won't show them to you yet, but I can reveal my newest item to you, as it's just been loaded onto the website.

"Desert Bloom" is a gorgeous hand-wired floral pendant that also magically transforms into a brooch (or pin) due to the slide attachment I wired onto the back of it. You can also get further versatility out of it as I have also included not only a chain for wearing around your neck, but an additional "dangle" that can be added onto the bail when wearing as a brooch (it is worn inverted as a brooch, so the bail is at the bottom - it was just crying out for something to add to it!!).

I also created new earrings to match :)

Pics below - what do you think?



























- Amanda

New Brooches, Earrings, Rings and a Bookmark (finally!)

It's been pouring with rain here all day today - perfect weather for creating!

I've been busy (a few projects not finished, but when the replacement supplies arrive tomorrow or Tuesday, I will be able to finish them as well).

Here's a slideshow to show you the latest additions:

And now I'm off to bed....!

A

New Blog Address

Yes, yes, I know - "another change"! But, I really wanted to add this new blog to my new website (I know, I'm anal about having to have everything "just so" - ask my family!!).

Hopefully this new blog will provide me with the added extra's I'm after, and which Wordpress.com weren't really offering...fingers crossed.

Thanks for bearing with me. I'm off to bed - here's a couple of cute pics of my kids, just to say thanks for bearing with me, and all these changes :)

Here's a sleeping Cammie - too cute!

And here's Georgia, with a fresh, new haircut (no more tangles!)

More updates tomorrow, promise!

A

ps: CLICK HERE to go back to my previous blog, if you need to check anything.