Treachery hurts .....

I sort of got pooped on from a great height yesterday by a colleague.  It was really shocking but as the kids were at home I didn't want to make a big deal out of it but all I wanted to do was cry.  The job I got on Saturday is no longer mine.  It was casual and part time and  a bit flaky but it was a job with good money and it now belongs to someone else.  Someone who has that butter wouldn't melt in their mouth kinda persona.  Anyway you live and learn so I will move on.

I have been planning my exhibition stand at Harrogate British Craft Trade Fair at the beginning of April.  I am going with picture frames on the wall to display my jewellery in.  I am not sure whether to go vintage or contemporary.  My jewellery is contemporary so that might win but then vintage is really big at the moment.  I think it will come down to money and which will be the cheapest option.

This is my Luna range which will be going with me to Harrogate.  The pendant and the ring are most popular, they are on my website http://www.thejewelleryroom.co.uk/






I need to make some of the jewellery that I am taking but I have most of it already done.

I have 2 orders for my Mother's Day pendant (blogged on Monday 21 February 2011) so I am sorting that out today.

And I am going to bake, it always helps me chill and makes me feel good.

Sunday 28 February 2011

I saw the sun yesterday, yes I did.  And I dried my washing outside for the first in ages, isn't life exciting sometimes?

Yesterday was very eventful.  First I saw my sister, I haven't seen her since Boxing Day even though she only lives 25 miles away.  She is always very busy.  So she came over, I helped her with her computer and we had a good old chat.  Then the estate agents phoned up with a last minute viewing so I accomodated that, they seemed very keen but it is always difficult to guage. Then I went and got myself a part time job that is only a few miles away and far better pay than I am now and less hours so I can focus more onmy jewellery!

I have a lot to do to prepare for Harrogate BCTF in April so I really need to get on with designing my display.  But I feel like baking today so I am going to do that, I already have some bread rising in the airing cupoboard.

Monday 21 February 2011

Its Monday again already!

This is the Mother's Day pendant I have made for April 3 2011.
It is approximately 44cm long and has Mum stamped on the back.
And it is made from recycled silver.  I recycled the silver myself by melting it down and reforming it.  I have made some stud earrings to go with it.  Price is £35 for the pendant and £14 for the earrings.  You can buy it from my website http://www.thejewelleryroom.co.uk/

I have been working on my website, it is not getting any easier!  Just when I think I have made progress it all goes wrong again.  But I shall persevere.  However when I have made enough money, I will change it completely and I will never use Actinic ever again.

I spoke to UCAS this morning about me dropping out of uni last year.  I did complete the year but decided not to go back.  I was wasting my time really, there were many factors involved in my decision but I still want to do continue with design work so they looked in to it for me and came up with some good ideas.  I am looking into doing some modules over the next few years until the girls have gone and then I can do full time again.

In the meantime I am still doing a part time job which has its highs and lows but mainly lows!  I am looking around for other work but there is not much out there.  If only people would buy more jewellery off me ........

Its only Monday ........

I need this rainbow to cheer me up.

It has been an arduous day of working on my website.  In fact it I wasn't even working on my website, I have been trying to interface Dreamweaver with my website software so that I can actually work on my website.  Things have been going wrong ever since I had to upgrade my software ...... damn Actinic!

Anway I have managed to do some changes but only by default.  I do not know how I managed to do it but I have and I know its probably wrong and will end in tears but it made me feel better that I have actually achieved something in 7 hours of looking at a computer.

Enough already.

I will have a Blondie * and a cup of tea  (better than hitting the bottle at 3.30pm).

I have done some work today, I have added a Flickr photostream and clock to my blog.  Hope you enjoy them.
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*Blondie is a cake/biscuit thing from Nigella's Kitchen recipe book.  It is a firm favourite in our house since I started making it last year, try it.  It's worth buying the book but you see the recipe on this site http://en.petitchef.com/recipes/baking-from-kitchen-again-fid-1046619

Silver prices

This graph explains why silver jewellery prices have increased quite a bit over the last 12 months.  This has been going on for a few years, it reached a high in January and then dropped a bit.  The general feeling is that prices will stay high and continue to climb. 

The prices on my website are based on the price at the time I bought so fluctuations do sometimes occur in a price for the same piece.

Progress ..........

I am currently working on some new designs.  I am recycling some of my scrap/old silver and also looking in to a supplier of recycled silver in this country.  I want to use recycled silver but there is only one supplier here and they do not supply all shapes and sizes so it is restricting.  There is a great supplier in America but what is the point of all those air miles etc.

So .... a new range.  I am melting down silver in to blobs and hammering them out to thin disc shapes.  I have soldered one to a chain, it looks good, dainty (not my usual style at all) and I will post an image when I can find my camera.  Think my daughter used it over the weekend and hasn't put it back in its place.  I am also going to put names on to the discs if people want them, was thinking about Mother's Day and putting Mum on the back of the disc?  Will see what people think.

Anyway, progress report.......... website is going very slowly.  Every time I try to something I come up against and a brick wall.  I am in conversation with the software people at the moment, they are trying to remotely do some work for me .... very weird watching your mouse on your computer when its not you moving it!

All in all I am moving in the right direction so I am happy ..... the bangles in the image are my favourite at the moment and I am just working on a ring to match!  Watch this space ............

It's a learning curve ...........

Although I have blogged before I have started again with this new blog as I feel that after doing a blog workshop for a day and reading many other blogs that I need to do things differently.
My reason for doing this blog is primarily to share and promote my work and jewellery.  However I do feel that something else will come from it but I am not sure what that is.  It will develop a long the way.

Last year due to lack of funds I started working part time (3 days a week temporary) for a company called the Bath House.  The work has nothing to do with jewellery so it was a complete change for me and great fun working with other people after working solo for years.  However I am now finding it difficult to give it up as it is a regular income so as a compomise I have cut it down to 2 days so I can work on my plan.  My plan is to promote my jewellery and increase my sales so that I can give up the part time job.

Plan:
1 Sort my website out.
2 Increase trade sales.

Number 1 is under way.  After months of faffing and trying to sort out my site (it went hay wire last summer) I have finally handed it over to an expert.  I am not a web site expert, I am a jewellery designer.

Number 2 is also under way.  I have applied to exhibit at BCTF in Harrogate in April.

So I have started the ball rolling and hopefully it will get me back on track to earning a living by doing something I love.  Keep reading my blog to see my progress ....................

This is what my website looks like now http://www.thejewelleryroom.co.uk/