In Good Company

I was going to write about copyright and image/design theft for today's post, as it's something that's becoming increasingly relevant to me - but I've decided to go with a more positive theme, and save the legal stuff for another day.

I'm very flattered to have been invited to join a whole bunch of talented sellers in a Facebook market night event on Saturday.  Online markets are becoming quite common - it's a great way for buyers to see the things they like all in one place, from the comfort of - well, wherever they want to be, these days.

This is only the second one I've participated in, and for the occasion, I've offered my new pieces, including this Sunset Tree, at special prices just for the event.  Please do pop along if you're able - there really will be some beautiful work there.  And I may even pluck up the courage to do one all by myself one day.  Although it is fun being part of a group of sellers for a change, so maybe not ... ;)

Structure and a self-imposed challenge

As someone who currently works from home, I find that a certain amount of structure to my working week is necessary.  If you follow me on Facebook, you'll know that I spend Wednesdays in my hubby's workshop, wrestling his and my paperwork into shape and doing all the other admin tasks I put off during the rest of the week - listing in my online shops and writing this blog among them.

During the rest of the week, I start work by 9, make sure I take a break for lunch and work through until at least 5.30 (and usually later in the evening - you know what it's like when you work for yourself!).  This works for me.  I don't allow myself to get tempted by that book I'm dying to finish, or wander off to play cook in the kitchen.  That's not to say I can't if I really want to (and I'm not under pressure with commissions), but I generally don't.  This is a job - one I love, I can't deny it - but one that needs to pay my bills or I'll have to give it up.  So I'm utterly committed to making it work. :)

I'm interested to know what your own work ethic is, if you work from home?  Do you work 'office hours', or have a more relaxed schedule?  What works for you?

Along the theme of self-discipline and having daily/weekly tasks, I'm going to set myself a mini challenge - I'm going to make one pair of earrings every (working) day for the whole of April.  Would anyone like to join in?  It could be any task you'd like to set yourself daily, and you can share the results here or on my Facebook page if you'd like to.  :) 

Something tells me I'll be sick of the sight of earrings by the end of April ... nah, that'll never happen. ;)  I'd best get making earwires in preparation, though ...

Thank Flux For That ...

By Jove, I think I've cracked it!  If you follow me on Facebook, you probably know that I've been trying for months to make ball ended brass headpins with my torch.  I've mastered bronze and copper and I'm happy to buy proprietary silver ones, but I so wanted to make brass ones!  Unfortunately, every attempt I made involved spitting and smoking and charred remains - and let's not even talk about what happened to the wire ... ;)  It didn't seem to matter how I treated the wire or where I held it in the flame - same result.  Burnt offerings and a nasty smell.

However, after some time spent Googling the problem (again) and generally doing a lot of whingeing about it, I saw someone mention way down one of the pages I was poring over for help, that they used flux on their wire.  I can't remember where I saw it, nor can I find it again (naturally) or I'd put the link here.  But 'Aha' I thought - flux.  So I looked up flux on some of my supplier sites, only to realise there are lots of different types, and I couldn't find one that suggested it could be used on brass.  I asked on my Facebook page, and a very kind follower advised that although she used it for silver, her preferred flux was borax.

I figured it was worth a try - at the very least, if it didn't work, I could try it on my sterling wire.  So, one borax cone and a dish later, I sat down this morning to experiment.  Painting the wire with the flux paste is fiddly and time-consuming, but when I put my brass wire in the flame, expecting a mini fire again, it was not so!  A teeny tiny ball formed on the end of the wire and did its fascinating spinning around and crawling up the wire thing.  It's going to take some practise to get the balls a bit more central, and it's not as easy as bronze - but yay!  Result!  :)

Do you believe in fairies ... ?

Remember when we were kids?  Every time a wish was made - when blowing out birthday candles, puffing the seeds from a dandelion etc - I had two alternating wishes.  The first was the (still unfulfilled) wish for a puppy, the second was for a pair of working fairy wings.  It's an age old desire for humans to be able to fly, so it's not really that surprising.  But imagine the delight of sporting a fluttering pair of delicate shimmering wings that could actually lift you off the ground.  Let's be honest - I'd still wish for that if I thought it was remotely possible, but I think my belief in magic may be just a tiny bit tarnished. However, a little of that belief in magic must linger in many of us, because the allure of fairies never completely diminishes.  As evidenced by this recent artwork commission - a set of Four Seasons fairies.

I enjoyed working on this so much, it inspired me to make a wire fairy pendant, using my original goddess design and a dash of seasonal magic.  So here is my Spring Fairy.

Of course, I'm slightly more obsessed with merfolk than fairies, so I'm still trying to work out how to make a mermaid pendant, but in the meantime, don't stop believing in fairies - I may still get my wings! ;)

Romantic?

Following on from my Valentine's post from two weeks ago, and my subsequent contemplation on whether or not the whole hearts and flowers thing is indeed romantic (I was given a huge bunch of daffodils - which I love - and no, I did not complain!), a conversation with a friend had me recalling what to me is the most romantic thing my hubby has ever done for me.

To me, part of the beauty of being human is the diverse range of emotions we experience in response to different factors.  So I'd like to hear about the most romantic gesture you've ever received - traditional or otherwise. 

Here's mine:

A few years back, I was having a clear-out.  There's rather a 'situation' with cuddly toys I've accumulated over the years in my house - I find it very difficult to part with any to which I have an emotional attachment.  Anyway, the time had come for a cull.  I was ruthless (sort of) and filled several bin bags with old and falling-apart well-loved creatures - most of which had been residing in the loft since we moved into our house.  Included among these was a green teddy bear my Dad had brought back from America when I was about four or five.  Green Teddy (inspired name, right?) had somewhere along the line been involved in an accident with some shocking pink paint.  So he was included in the cull.

Hubby dutifully trekked off with the bags of rejected toys (no, I don't still feel guilty - of course not) and deposited them in the industrial wheelie bin where he was working.  All fine.  I'd let them go, and I was so over them.  Right.

The next day, my long-suffering hubby was upside down leaning right into the wheelie bin, sorting among all the other refuse to find the bag with Green Teddy in, while I panicked at home that the bin would have been emptied and Green Teddy would be forever lost to me.  Did he find him?  Yes, he did, and Green Teddy (after a trip to the washing machine) is still sitting in my bedroom, resplendent in pink.

This may clarify to you both that I'm a little cracked (as if you didn't know, if you've been following me for any length of time) and why I consider my hubby to be a keeper. ;)

So tell me what's the most romantic thing that's ever happened to you?  I realise not everyone places importance on slightly bonkers events like I do, but tell me anyway.

Oh, and here's a picture of my beloved and tatty Monkey (see - I lack no originality with the naming of my cuddly toys), as I'm currently in hubby's workshop and Green Teddy is safely at home, far from the camera and the enormous skip we now have way too close to our unit for his liking. ;)

Colour Rush!

If any of you reading this have been following my blog for a while, you'll know that making jewellery has kindled an interest in colour for me.  I'm much braver with colour than I used to be, and I get a lot of enjoyment from 'painting' with my spectrum of coloured wire.  My favourite colour has always been green - the colour of trees and new growth - but in recent years I've become especially fond of zingy, spring-like lime green.  As the snowdrops begin to push through the soil and my house is brightened by sunny daffodils, it feels like spring is finally on its way.  What better time to celebrate my favourite colour?

 

One of my favourite local places.

 

Spanish Moss Pendant

Local woods.

Druantia bracelet.

So, what's your favourite colour?  And do you have a reason, or does it just resonate with you for no particular reason? :)

Hearts and Roses ...

So it's nearly the middle of February - which means the slightly bizarre tradition of Valentine's Day is almost here again.  I can never decide whether I think it's all a load of hokum or whether actually I find it rather romantic to be treated to a card and - if I'm very lucky - a flower or two.  Regardless of my personal feelings (which I can't even pin down, as you can see!), I have very much enjoyed making Valentine-themed pieces this year.

Along with hearts and roses jewellery, I couldn't resist making the vibrant red roses with heavier gauge wire and adding them to a suncatcher/ornament.

And of course I had to sneak some romance into my artwork ...

Whatever your feelings about Valentine's Day, I hope you all have a lovely weekend, whether you're single, attached or something else (I'm not sure what 'something else' is, but if you're it - hope you have a fab weekend too!). :)