Still Romancing the Wire

This is just a quickie update because it’s really, really late and I’m quite tired, but I want to share a few new things. I seem to have become fixated with spiral earwires and long dangles. I never really cared all that much for long earrings before, but I am completely enamoured at the moment.

Enough of that; here’s the ear candy:

Faceted Citrine teardrops and honey-coloured Czech glass beads wrapped in warm, Red Brass.

Red Brass spiral earwires wrapped with tiny, white pearls.

Lovely, long dangles comprising white pearls in two different sizes and dramatic garnet Czech glass beads.

Delicate, long dangles comprising white pearls and small chocolate-coloured Czech glass beads – wrapped by hand with Red Brass wire.

Sweet and sophisticated, with just a little bit of drama. Lovely, blood red Czech beads dangle from hand-crafted, red brass spirals

Lovely bracelet featuring stunning aquamarine coin beads with scalloped edging and a picasso finish.

As always, please feel free to browse the store to see more photos of these and other lovely pieces.

Adieu.

Wonderful Wire and going back to school?

This week I dragged out the wire again and started working on some wrapped pieces. Since I discovered wire-wrapping early in this jewellery making adventure, I’ve desperately wanted to get some pieces into the store, but I just haven’t felt as though the wrapping was neat enough to ask people to pay for it. You know what they say though, practice makes perfect and though I am still a long way from perfection, I think I’m almost to the point where I wouldn’t feel bad about putting a price tag on my work.

I don’t have a picture of the ring and earrings I’m working on yet. One thing about wire wrapping – it takes a long time. I do have these though -

I know, not technically wire wrapping. Well, not wire wrapping in any capacity really but they’re wire and they’re pretty and I wanted to show them off anyway. I like these a lot. They’re simple and stylish, and I’m thinking about possibly packaging them up with a selection of three different drops, creating something of a three-in-one interchangeable earring set.

The other thing on my mind this week has been school, mostly because my son has been wading through the paperwork and requirements for enrolling in tertiary study, which every (involved) parent knows means lots of work for you. The curious side effect of being involved in the process has been the realisation that I might like to go back to study myself. I did a bit of looking and found a few things of interest, one being a Diploma of Engineering Technology (Jewellery). After reading about it, it looks wonderful and fascinating and exciting and a whole host of other words that make you go “ooohh!!”, but there is a downside. A $24, 000 downside. Ouch. On the brightside though, one institution offers short courses for a much more manageable fee, and whilst I would love to do the diploma, committing to three years and that kind of money is probably a bit much for this fickle creature without some kind of (almost) try before you buy scheme.

Well, that’s it from me for tonight. I will leave you with a preview of a few new items that have gone into the store over the last few days. Cheers.

Thanks for making my day

Over the last week, two pairs of my earrings made it as feature items, one on the front page at madeit.com.au as part of the Beads and More Beads Finds display, the other in the Craftumi newsletter. Subsequently, both pairs of earrings sold, which was wonderful. My thanks to the lovely people at Madeit and Craftumi for showcasing my items.

If you were interested in either of these pairs of earrings, both are back in the store today. Well, not the exact same pairs, obviously .. but identical pairs.

Other than this nice little boost to my ego, things have been pretty quiet around here for the last week and a half. With an empty house, I have had no distractions (apart from the resident moggy who just will not leave me alone) and very few excuses for inactivity at my desk. There are a couple new things in the works which will be making it to the store soon, including some lovely wire-wrapped bead necklaces and bracelets. My proudest achievement though has been this:

I know, I know .. it doesn’t look like much, unless you focused on the piano which unfortunately I cannot really play, let alone create. No, I meant the ring. The One Ring. My first soldered piece (and do forgive me my massive nerd girl moment there).  Me, with flame and flux and solder and everything .. and I didn’t even burn myself or set the shed on fire. Most amazingly of all, there is no discernible gap; not even a dent where the join is. I am pretty pleased with that, and you know what this means? It means that I will be testing and honing my skills and if my luck holds, soon enough there will be some soldered pieces making it to the store. You know, if I don’t set the place on fire first.

Cheers.

How to fill in your holiday break – with pretties

So, what do you do when you have an empty house, lots of time on your hands and all manner of beads and wire? You fill your evening with pretty things, obviously. Sitting on the couch last night, watching Mythbusters with my bits, bobs and tools strewn all around me, I put together these pictured pieces.

The first picture is of a lovely pair of antique-look silver earrings featuring brilliant faceted crystal beads in a champagne colour and a tiny amber coloured Czech rondelle. I really like the look of these earrings, and as I always I am fighting the urge to keep them for myself. The hooks are hand-crafted and the spiral bead caps are a perfect finishing point to these lovely dangles. Perfect Pearls are next, and what else needs to be said? These earrings comprise pearls of two different sizes, embellished with tiny silver beads and hung on hand-crafted hooks. Lastly – the silver wire wrapped rainbow bracelet. I used lovely cathedral beads in seven different colours representative of a rainbow to create this piece. It is delicate bracelet, all wrapped in silver artistic wire and closing with a silver-toned lobster clasp.

As always, these items will be available in store shortly. Please feel free to wander over and check them out.
Cheers.

Finally – in the store today

Please forgive me for being so slow in getting these pieces to the store. I’m blaming Christmas and all the associated festivities, although that probably isn’t really honest. I just haven’t gotten around to it.

Anyway, this is just a little update. The two pictured pieces made it to the store today, so if you are interested in having a closer look, please wander on over there.  Both are hand-crafted by me, as always. I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and for those lucky ones like me who are still on holiday from their real jobs, I hope you are enjoying your break as well. Cheers.

New Pretties for the New Year

Today I was rather industrious at my desk, and with my camera. That’s one of the great things about doing this jewellery thing; I get to combine complimentary interests and keep myself entertained at the same time. So, to stave off the boredom of another day on the couch, I decided to sort through the piles of beads and findings I have accumulated over the last two-ish years to see what I could put together that would please me. I came up with the first of the three attached photographs .. the Blue Lagoon Necklace.

I have had this lovely blue dichroic glass cabochon stored away with two other similar cabs in slightly different colours for a long time now. The intention when I purchased them was to turn them into woven wire necklaces of some variety, but as I rummaged through my odds and ends I found a striking frame that I had forgotten I had. The Blue Lagoon Necklace  was born. I incorporated some bronzed, blue 3-cut beads that I received as a gift from one of my suppliers into the chain and finished the piece with a drop bead wrapped in a lovely antique spiral beadcap. All in all, I am pretty pleased with how this one turned out.

Shown with the Blue Lagoon is a wrapped pearl bracelet and my antique-look Love Lies Bleeding necklace. Neither of these are new pieces; they simply got their photographs made over today, so I thought that I would include them. All three pieces will be making it to the store over the next few days, so if you are interested in the details, please feel free to browse.

Upon returning to my desk ..

So, it has been a really, really long time since I posted anything here. I knew that was the case, but I was most surprised to find that it had in fact been more than a year. Well, I did warn you that I am a fickle creature. It’s right there in the title of this blog, and indeed this entire creative venture.

Today I’m not going to write a lot; I’m kind of pressed for time here. I will include a couple of pictures of my newest creations which are about to go into the store. If you’re even vaguely interested in further updates or more general rambling from me, do feel free to wander back this way again soon.

Cheers, and do remember that all featured items are available for purchase from my store.

Fickle, indeed ..

Oh, what a rollercoaster this creating business can be. Frantic, overwhelmingly busy days followed by the eerie quiet of .. errr .. nothing. But it’s not all bad.

This week I’ve been industrious, which has been a challenge in itself in light of a change to my “real job” and it’s hours, which has kept me away from my creative desk for more hours than I’d like. The mailman has brought a cornucopia of delights to my door, day after day, but I haven’t had the time to unpack and marvel, much less discover what these new additions want to be.

When I get something new and amazing to add to my ever-growing stash of goodies, I like to hold it and look at it under different types of light. Lay it out on my desk with whatever strikes me in an attempt to find the perfect setting for it. Some of my latest acquisitions are just stunning on their own, thus they have become simple, elegant and uncluttered pieces .. showcasing the beauty of the singular bead.

With a cluster of earthy-toned beads and flowers, together with some particularly beautiful, swirly pinks and greens, I seem to have been severely bitten by the bugs of Spring. Flowers, blossoms, blooms and gardens have overtaken me, and I have created a store filled with sweet and girly things that are not like me at all. Still, they are quite beautiful, and so I will leave you with a couple of my favourites.

Do remember that all featured items are available for purchase from my store.

Until next time ..

The next step ..

Well, it’s been awhile since I last spent any time here in the blogosphere, and much has been going on whilst I’ve been AFK. Most exciting of all has been a development in the last couple of days which will hopefully see Fickle Fancies branching out and working with a Perth-based retail shop to create an exclusive product line for her store. We’re working on the nuts and bolts at the moment, but I am quite excited by the prospect, and the associated opportunities this collaboration might bring. Keeping my fingers crossed!

We have now officially passed the four month mark over at madeit, and sales continue to grow. Things have gone so much better than I ever dared hope, and I continue to be surprised by, and most grateful to, everyone who has purchased items and passed on details of Fickle Fancies to others. It has been great this month to see some new buyers, as well as continuing to build on existing relationships with our regular customers.

As is my wont, I have meandered through techniques, materials and styles, learning and evolving as I go and this is reflected in the ever-changing pieces in store. It has been most gratifying to receive positive feedback from buyers and browsers alike, and I thank everyone who took the time to let me know what they think. I’d also like to thank the people who have listened to me, offered thoughts and advice and helped me to move through the more tricky stages of this process. Without your faith in me and your willingness to help .. well, I’d likely be sitting on the couch staring at the tv and thinking, “I really should make something ..”.

Finally tonight (or this morning, in fact) I would like to share a couple of my latest creations. If you are interested in any of these pieces, you can find them in store here.

Cheers and see you next time.

Romantique – Fickle Fancies finds it’s direction

Since I started this jewellery venture, I have been on a steep learning curve. Looking back over my inventory I can see a real progression in technique, and I seem to have arrived at a definitive style which suits me. I’m calling it “Romantique”, but spell check says that’s not a word. If it wasn’t before, it is now .. in my dictionary anyway.

So, I have decided that although I have enjoyed the exploration of different ideas and techniques, Fickle Fancies will be a showcase of what appeals to me most, and right now that is Romantique. Beautiful, feminine jewellery with an antique feel. To that end I will be going through my previously sold and currently available pieces to create a core catalogue that will best represent the Romantique style, as I see it. Some of my most favourite pieces were snapped up so quickly that there was little time for anyone else to see and appreciate them. Whilst it is fantastic that people have purchased from me, I would also like to give others that opportunity.

Over the next week or so you will see some previously listed pieces back in store. This will be the start of the Fickle Fancies catalogue. Of course, this doesn’t mean there won’t be new and unique items too. My unquenchable thirst to learn and progress will not be easily pacified, and I will continue to explore new ideas and styles. I am hoping, however, to establish a line of jewellery which will become distinctly Fickle Fancies, whilst also giving everyone the opportunity to grab that special something that got away.

To finish up tonight, here are a couple of new pieces to get things started.
Au Revoir!