Jenni's beads

A Novel Jewelry Box

2012-03-01T13:00:00.000+11:00

Hello dear friends,

Thought I would share with you a wonderful and easy, yet very effective tutorial for a jewelery box/gift box that was shared to me by Sharon Tomlinson. Thanks Sharon.

The base of the box is the little box from Laughing Cow Cheese. I intend to make quite a few of these boxes over the coming year, so it looks like I will be enjoying lots of this soft, creamy cheese. Actually, it only has 50 calories per wedge...so that's a bonus given the amount my family is going to have to consume!

Here are a few photos of the two boxes I have made, so far.

Two boxes almost complete.

I love the egg design and colours on this one.

Gold paint is painted inside. I didn't use quite the same colour as Sharon, but it still looks good, I think.

I can't put the labels on yet...the jewelery still has to be completed before the box is sealed!

How easy is that! Head on over for a look at the tutorial......it's a lot of fun!

Hope you are having a good day,

Cheers,

Project 2012/Develop...a Few favourites

2012-02-29T18:21:00.001+11:00

Hello friends,

A quick post today where I want to share with you a few of my iPhone photo 'snaps' from the Flickr group - Project 2012/Develop . The group is hosted by Tiffany Dahle.

In case you have never heard of this....Project 2012/Develop, is where you take a photo every day for the whole year...366 days for this leap year and show the photo to it's namesake group on Flickr. ( By the way Flickr is free to join up and super easy to do!) Most contributors are just like me...wanting to record a little of their everyday moments. Some are very good photographers and others, like myself, just people who love to take photos but are not necessarily fabulous photographers technically.....for me, it's all about the fun of the moment and just capturing a little part of my day.

Today is Day 60...I am pleased to say I have come this far and not missed a day yet.....yes I know it is early days yet!! I really want to make it to the end of the year and not miss a day..that is my challenge to myself...got to have those.....right?!

It's very hard to pick favourites...I have so many already! Here are a few from the last 2 months.

L to R

Row 1. My Hairdressers, Morning tea with a friend, Materials for an on-line course
Row 2. My backyard deck - early morning, Working on a Heart Bezel, Butterfly
Row 3. Some finished bezels, Melbourne Tram, Sunlight on a wooden floor

I am seriously not very good at this collaging caper..there were meant to be 3 other photos here...where did they go!!

If you wish to see more photos you can click on the Flickr logo on my blog side bar...or why not join up yourself. Sure, the year is well under way.....but there are still 301 days left to participate! I try to be a half FULL girl!

Until next time,

Have a great day,

Be Still My Heart

2012-02-26T13:45:00.001+11:00

Hello dear friends,

I am so excited to finally show you the (almost) completed products I have been working on these last weeks.

Finally the heart is filled. I was unsure weather the resin would colour well with the addition of the oil paint, so to make sure it was lovely and red, I added a paper layer at the base which was also painted with the high pigment oil paint I used to tint the resin. This was then sealed before pouring the resin. I am glad I added the painted paper layer as the resin, when stirred, was pinkish-red and not really a deep red - the combination of the two gave a delicious deep red which I am very pleased with. ( sorry about the dust on the heart ...it is lint and not in the resin itself...the resin is shiny and clean..oh how I love this Ice Resin...magic stuff! Now to drill a hole through the resin for a tube rivet (gulp!)...

I am pretty happy with the clock bezel, too...no bubbles and no overflow ( the heart flowed over a little at the junction of the two lobes..but was fixable) I did seal both paper and metal additions inside the bezel, however a few little rust -type marks have been added to the paper, presumably from the metal...which gives it a bit more character and I love that.

Time for my Heart!

I did do make one other heart bezel, but it overflowed and I left it too long to remove the resin..aargh...a lesson learnt!

Today, I am linking up to Studio Waterstone for 'I Heart Macro'......a place for those who love close up and Macro photography...click on the photo link to take you there and see contributions from other photo lovers.

Have a great day whatever you are doing,

Cheers,

A Heart to Heart Giveaway

2012-02-25T09:23:00.000+11:00

Hello friends,

Thought I would let you know there is a wonderful giveaway over at Diana's.
In celebration of her first on-line tutorial, Diana is kindly giving away a tutorial for free....soldering, patina, cold connections and etching...sounds like heaven to me!!

So head on over to her blog and take a look...I just love those hearts...and etching...now that I want to try!

Bye for now...and good luck,

Playing with Pixlr

2012-02-23T18:49:00.000+11:00

Hello Friends,

Trying out a few effects at Pixlr.....it is a lot of fun...I am pretty sure I will use this free editing/effects program when Picknik disappears. I like some of the effects...but still need to give it a more in depth look before making too many comments.

Here are a few effects applied using the same photo.

Original

Adding a rainbow effect and cornered frame.

Adding retro vintage effects, Ground Frame .

Trying to remember what you did to the photo is a problem ( for me anyway) I really need to explore more

and see what other effects are available...today is just an initial explore.

So for those who have used this program....how are you finding it......is there an easy way to remember and document what you have done?.......what are the editing issues you have come across and what do you love the most?

Bye for now....

Going to do some real research!!

Jenni

Bead Table Wednesday - 22 February

2012-02-22T15:04:00.000+11:00

Hello dear friends,

Following on from last Wednesday, I am still continuing to work on bezels... and planning to fill them with resin.
One heart has text in it...but I feel it needs something else...and haven't quite decided what yet...some extra colour is needed, I think. Any ideas?
The other heart I plan to fill with red resin and drill through the resin to put in some kind of hanging/hole arrangement.

The largest of the three, was going to have a Jasper cabochon in it (my first) but I am not happy with the way it sits in the bezel..a little piece of solder is in the way and tilts the stone so it does not sit flat...I have tried to grind it away.....but just cannot get it right......so think I will add some image/text and these clock parts with resin instead....I rather like that idea....got to be flexible!

I am linking up to the Bead Table Wednesday Flickr group... please do come and have a look.

Until next time,
Have a lovely day,

I Heart Macro - Glass Shell

2012-02-19T20:56:00.000+11:00

Hello friends,

Today was a day for a Sunday drive...so we went to Drysdale to see the Glass Festival held there.
Some of my bead -making friends were there selling their lovely glass beads and glass items.

I couldn't go past this gorgeous stylised glass shell made by Jacquie.....I just love it! I love the soft colours and patterns from the glass twistie and the wavy hole with the contrasting colour inside.

Soft glass blown shell

The day had been quite sultry, but on the way home I noticed these wonderful clouds and took a quick photo......my day 50 of 366 photos for the year. If you wish to see the other daily photos please click on the flickr logo on my blog sidebar. ( I am part of the Project2012/Develop flickr group) I hope I can continue this project to the end of the year! Actually it's a lot of fun..and very easy to take a photo of something in your day..especially using a camera phone!

Today I am linking up to I Heart Macro hosted by Lori at Studio Waterstone.....a place for those who love close up and macro photos..head on over for a look!

Have a good day,

I Love Rain!

2012-02-16T17:41:00.001+11:00

Hello friends,

The rain has finally come...drenching the garden, cooling the air, bringing the rumble, overflowing the gutters and sending the dog to hide in her bed.
I feel like I can breathe again....with my own internal heater, sultry weather is not my friend...it sits very heavily with me, zapping my energy and giving me headaches.

This feels like the tropics...but isn't!

I went out to the garden to take it all in....the house is still steamy and probably will be for another day or so. It was good to feel cool air on my face and hear the wonderful noise of the storm.

I certainly don't mind a few drops on my head or shirt... the camellia will be loving this.....preparing herself for Autumn.

The path is overflowing with miniature rivers of water.

And the ornamental grape is almost visibly growing after this satisfying drink!

Are you a rain lover like me?

See you soon,
Jenni

Bead Table Wednesday - A New Love

2012-02-15T12:30:00.000+11:00

Hello dear friends,

It has been quite a while since I have posted...either on btw or on my blog.
So, I am trying to make up for a little lost time today!

Over the last 6 weeks or so, I have been participating in an on-line course called Of Towers and Turrets, hosted by the pairing of two creative, wonderful teachers...Deryn Mentock and Sharon Tomlinson.
Before I go any further, I do wish to say that, if you ever get a chance to work with these ladies, grab it....they are both very giving, gifted women. They work well together, they are funny at times and very easy to both listen to and to understand on the videos.

In the Towers and Turrets course, Sharon helped us create art with painting and collaging...that was new to me....and a wonderful introduction in to the world of mixed media. Some of us had never painted before, others were very proficient...it was not necessary to have had any prior experience to be able to join in.
I posted a few collage and painting photos on this previous blog post if you wish to take a look.

Deryn taught the metal working and resin component. She was always helpful in giving tips and potential ideas along the way. Both teachers were always available online and always offering encouragement and answering our many and varied questions! It was so great to have that participation.

I just loved the metal element of the course.. probably because I had previously dabbled with metals. Overall, the course has really taught me so much. I can't wait to introduce some of the new techniques into my future work.

One of the other extra benefits I must mention is the wonderful camaraderie between the participants. I just loved seeing their comments and ideas flowing, the many and varied approaches to the work taught and the inspirational photos posted online. Goodness, it was fun! I now have 'friends' in places I had only ever heard of before. What a gift. Here are a few photos of other students work.

So...getting on to my bead table this Wednesday!

I need to put in a tube rivet for hanging this copper and brass, heart-shaped bezel that I made and then adhere the printed paper to the inside...little jobs for today.

Here are my finished bezels from the Of Towers and Turrets course. (Sorry this is not the clearest photo...must look at my camera ISO.....it looks a little 'grainy'.) 'DEVELOP" is my word for the year, so I chose to add that to the bezels in a few places.

The progress of the towers at the rear of the photo can also be seen here.

The 3 smaller backless bezels were purchased, but the images are mine.....they also have images on the reverse.

I am so pleased with this bezel which I made. The resin looks awesome as it has domed so high.

The image could be more exciting...I'll improve on that next time! The little 'sparklie's are cubic zirconias....great to insert into resin as they have no holes that could potentially generate bubbles in the resin.

Well, that's your lot for today...

I am linking up to Bead Table Wednesday flickr group.

I hope you are all having a wonderful Wednesday,

The Home Stretch.

2012-02-05T15:29:00.000+11:00

Hello dear friends,

Sorry my blog is becoming the weekly I Heart Macro post.....I have had illness in my family and it has both consumed my time and energy....hence my infrequent posts! Sorry...will try and step up a little!

I have been slowly getting these metal bezels together...popped them in the patina today ( I used Liver of Sulphur Extended Life Gel. I find this very easy to use...only a teaspoon is required...and although still a little smelly it is not as bad as the hard form. It works quickly and in my opinion gives a good result.
I still have to put the images in to the bezels ( at least I have them ready!) and then pour the resin over them...so, if all works out and they look ok..I can show you in a few days or so.

Lovely brass filigree ( from Vintage Jewelry Supplies ) soldered to copper and attached with flat wire rivets, tube rivet for stringing.

Quirky pendants with mixed metal. A process learned from on-line course with Deryn Mentock

and Sharon Tomlinson which has been a fun and fabulous course with so many talented participants.

Today I am linking up to I heart Macro...head on over for a look at some inspiring up close and macro photos.

Click on the above photo to take you straight there!

Hope you are all having a great weekend...thanks for stopping by...and see you soon,

Jenni

Flea Market Purchases - I Heart Macro

2012-01-29T10:40:00.000+11:00

Hello dear friends,

I do apologise for my absence...my darling Dad who is 91 is battling pneumonia....and even though he is quite an amazing fighter, he is slowly losing this last battle.
I have been trying to spend as much time with him....so this is a very brief post before I head off to the hospital.
My head is really unable to get around doing much else. ( Combine this with my husband having an operation and my dog being diagnosed with diabetes..and you can see it has been a rather horrible week!)

I walked in the early morning sun to our local flea market...getting out in to sun and fresh air was lovely.
I drifted a bit aimlessly around the market...I really just wanted to find something nice and was really on the hunt for some metal bits and pieces ( no luck)...but of course when you are looking for that specific thing...you don't always find it!
But I did find these two lovely bakelite boxes and a couple of old boot button hooks. The boxes have perfect little compartments ...just right for jewellery. I love the aged yellow colour too. The photos show them a lot paler than they really are. They are a gorgeous buttery colour. One box has a softly rounded lid and the other is flat. I am pretty happy with this little find!

Today, I am linking up to I Heart Macro over with Lori at Studio Waterstone.....so head on over and take a look at other photos by macro and close - up - photography lovers. Always a good browse!

Until next time, jenni

Playing with Metal

2012-01-15T22:23:00.000+11:00

Hello dear friends,

Well Sunday ALMOST got away from me ...without posting to I Heart Macro! Can't have that!

I have been enjoying playing with metal ( a few frustrations, of course!) on and off today...Here are a few little things...still to be completed.

I am linking up to Lori's for those who love to take up close and macro photographs...go check them out!

Cheers...have a good night,

Faces and Collage - working on "DEVELOP"

2012-01-12T19:09:00.000+11:00

Hello dear friends,

I have started the new year of 2012 participating in an online course where both paint and jewellery making techniques make a lovely marriage of ideas. Here is a peek in to the first area.

Having never painted a face.....or anything for that matter ( unless school art counts... and I wasn't any good at it that either!)...it has been a wonderful challenge and fun as well.

I am most definitely not a budding painter, but I am pleased with my first efforts. ( I can only improve!)
DEVELOP is my word for 2012....so I included that in the story.

I am still working on the finished pieces......adding words and decorative elements......I will post a full finished look when I am happy with the finished product.

I hope you have started your year well and are working on your dreams, too.

Cheers,

I Heart Macro - Beads and Gloves

2012-01-08T23:25:00.000+11:00

Hello dear readers,

After our holiday away, I returned to the inevitable pile of mail. Amongst the bills and junk mail were two lovely surprises for me......two packages.
The first was a knitted pair of fingerless gloves that I had been lucky to win from By Sweet Mom after commenting in the Virtual Craft Show in Nov/Dec 2011. How lucky was I ...and all the way from Turkey. Thank you Sule, I love them. ( so do my daughter's, so I will have to hide them this winter!)

In the other parcel was a gorgeous lamp work bead from Carli at Bead-Licious. Last Christmas the small lamp work group I am a member of, The Flaming Matilda's, had a bead exchange and I was the lucky recipient of one of Carli's luscious beads. I love it Carli, thank you...it is stunning.

This beautiful floral lamp work bead has many layers, including dichroic, butterfly murrini and hand made caps and core.

From this angle you can see the little bee murrini and cubic zirconia in centre of flower petals.

Today, I am linking up to Studio Waterstone . Please hop on over for a look at some great up close and macro photos.

Jenni

A Photo a Day

2012-01-07T14:26:00.000+11:00

Hello dear friends,

This year, as a fun way of becoming more observant with life around me and to learn to use the amazing amount of "instant" photography that can be applied to the iPhone and the many apps that are available to download to it, I joined up to the 2012/DEVELOP Flickr site for those who wish to participate by posting a photo a day.

The "developer" of this group is Tiffany and you can see her site at Develop Tiffany Dahle Photography.
You can choose to use a traditional camera should you so desire. I just thought I would look at the world of iPhoneography .... yep, that relative new word that is becoming the catch cry of all those who love their iphone and camera.

At the moment, I am a bit of an Hipstamatic fan, but am looking forward to buying more photography apps (most apps cost only $1 or $2 ... so they are very affordable).

Courtesy of Tiffany's site, here is a list of the Top 7 Must-Have iPhoneography apps. I can't wait to try out a few of these:

- FX Photo Studio
- ScratchCam FX
- Diptic
- Hipstamatic
- CameraBag
- Camera+

There is a lot more information on this site including links to free pdf downloads and to other photographers who have also captured photos in a creative way over the course of a year.
So, head on over, take a look and join in if you wish.
It doesn't matter that a week of 2012 has passed - there are many more days to go .... 259 to be precise (we get an extra day this year as it is a leap year)

As well as posting on the official Flickr site of Project2012/Develop, I have also added a photo roll to my blog side-bar if you wish to see my daily photo posting, as I certainly don't intend to bore you stupid by posting a daily photo on my blog! Just click on the flickr logo link on the left.

So, here are a few photos from the first week of 2012. Both are taken using the Hipstamatic app, but varying the lens and film, giving two totally different, and yet aged, looks.

This clock was taken using the Hipstamatic app with a John S lens and a Blanko film

This photo was also used with the Hipstamatic app but with a Jimmy lens and Ina's 1969 film.

What do you think? ... do you want to join in the fun, now? By the way, you do not have to have an iPhone to join in!! Any camera or camera-phone will do.

Cheers for now,

Jenni

It's Almost Time!

2012-01-02T10:43:00.000+11:00

Hello dear friend,

Just a small reminder that the 5th Bead Soup Blog Party organised by Lori Anderson will be opening for registration on the 7th- 9th January.

If you have ever wanted to join in to a wonderful jewelry, worldwide event...then this is the one. It's lots of fun...you get to meet and be inspired by an amazing array of artists from around the world.
This year numbers are limited and participants will be chosen by lottery...but give it a go anyway...you never know your luck!

I hope to meet you there,

Cheers for now,

Jenni

I Heart macro - Magnolia

2012-01-01T15:09:00.001+11:00

Hello dear readers,

I think this is a type of large Magnolia...the flower is as wide as my outstretched hand; so beautiful.
If you know it's real name can you tell me?

Linking up to I Heart Macro..for those who love close up and macro photography.

Hop on over to check out the other participant's photos.

Cheers,

Jenni

Bring It On!

2012-01-01T12:31:00.000+11:00

Hello dear friends,

As much as I enjoy the holidays, both Christmas and New Year, I do look forward to getting back in to the swing of everyday life again ... and all the fun and challenges to be met along the way.

As you know, we have been holidaying in Sydney this year. Much of that time has just been spent relaxing, with some sightseeing and a little shopping.
We caught up with friends from years ago and were welcomed in to their family for both Christmas and New Year's Eve .... now that is a gift so precious that can't be purchased.

Last night we had drinks overlooking the lovely manicured lawns of the Royal Sydney Golf Club and then progressed along to N's apartment for a meal and further celebrations.
Her charming apartment is right on the water and looks north-west across the waters of Sydney Harbour to the Harbour Bridge and the city lights.

The tide was out, the moon was shining and a cool breeze floated in through the dining room windows. As we sat at the table, we could see lights twinkling on the boats and in the city.
It could not have been any more perfect.

The tide is almost completely out here. Just on sunset.

The water is so close! Windows in the dining room...can you feel that gentle breeze?

Beautiful chandelier in N's dining room. Lovely washed green walls.

After our meal, we strolled down to the beach for a closer look of the fireworks. What a beautiful display. Of course, it is always difficult to capture the thrill of a good fireworks show on camera. I used the iPhone app "Hipstamatic" which gives a slightly aged appearance to the photos.

The crowd gathered on the beach for a closer view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge fireworks.

Today, as I get slightly back to normality, I have joined up for a fun photography project, PROJECT 2012, taking a photo a day for the coming year. I chose my iphone as my camera of choice for this project as I really wish to explore the amazing capabilities of it, including the many fun apps that can be purchased to go with the iphone camera.

On the sidebar of my blog, I have started a folder for my daily photos, which will be posted to the Flickr Group, "Project 2012". It's a very easy process to join in, if you are interested - you just have to sign up and get a Flickr name etc (free) ... and away you go. It is also particularly easy to post directly to Flickr from your iphone.

Today will be spent recovering, tidying and starting to pack a little for the road trip back to Melbourne in a few days.

Whatever you are doing on this first day of 2012, enjoy.

Jenni

The Word!

2011-12-31T11:45:00.004+11:00

Hello friends,

Last year, I noticed that many blogging friends chose a word that spoke to them and was pertinent for their journey for the coming year. I thought I might join the party and try and find 'my' word for 2012.
I have been mulling over this for weeks.....choosing and re-choosing yet again. Thinking each time I had it, but feeling not entirely positive about my choice.

But this morning while browsing the internet ( not for words, just general stuff!) a word jumped from the page and in to my brain and heart and I just knew it was for me.

You might think "what is all the big deal over a word all about?!", but for those of you who join in this bit of fun, I am sure you understand how important it is to have just THE word that you know to be right.

The word that chose me really, is "DEVELOP"

-to bring out the capabilities or possibilities of
-to cause to grow or expand
-to bring into being; generate; evolve. This meaning of the word was sourced from DEVELOP - Tiffany Dahle Photography

Why this word? Well, this is what this word spoke to me about....I will...
- continue to develop my bead and jewelry making skills,
-to develop a style that speaks to me...maybe even begin to sell beads/components, etc
-to further develop my blog, including computer and photography areas,
-and of course to develop and evolve in all areas of my personal life.

So, tell me..."Have you chosen your word yet?"

To see other WORD choices, I have linked up to My Heart Art....pop by and check them all out.

Cheers for now on this last day of 2011,

Jenni

Sydney- A Trip to the Pittwater

2011-12-29T19:43:00.000+11:00

Hello dear readers and friends,

Not long ago I read two books that I enjoyed immensely. They were "Salvation Creek" and "The House", both by Susan Duncan.
Susan was previously the editor of two of Australia's top women's magazines.
However, after experiencing the death of beloved family members, she changed her life course and went to live in the Pittwater region of Sydney. Susan wrote both of these books while living there.

The Pittwater region north of Sydney is truly unique. Pittwater is an inlet of the Pacific Ocean on the Northern outskirts of Sydney. Australian bushland, mainly National Park, comes down to the waterline. The land is steep and densely forested with occasional pockets of housing, not always accessible by road. The houses are sometimes almost lapped by the water and some are built perched in a somewhat precarious manner against the hillside. In some instances, access to the house can be so steep as to warrant a little elevator or an airial cable to help take up shopping etc up the incline.

There is an island (Scotland Island) surrounded by many little picturesque bays . To get around, you can hop on a ferry which goes around the island every hour or use your own boat. For those living in this region, access by boat is often the only choice. All furniture and shopping has to be transported by water. (I have since heard there is a communal car on the island .... I was told there is a roster for people to drive the car and it is used to go to the ferry etc ... if you have car access to your house.)

Each of Susan's books describe the amazing community of people she met in the region, and how she was drawn back to the enjoyment of life by their warmth, humour and love.

While at Pittwater, we decided to take the ferry around the island. The ferry 'conductor' pointed out houses of interest ... some had once belonged to some Australian actors (iconic Australian actor, Chips Rafferty, Noni Hazelhurst and also an Australian infamous Madam, Tilly Devine, who was recently featured in the Australian television series, "Underbelly-The Razor Gang).

One house that I really wanted to see was the pale yellow house on a hill called 'Tarrangaua', which was the former home of the Australian poet, Dorothea Mackellar. It stands high on a hill and is surrounded by tall eucalypt trees ..... and unfortunately, I could not get a decent photo of it. This is "The House" which is the subject of Susan's second book.

Local transport- the "tinny"

Main wharf on the mainland at Church Point

Back of the Church Point restaurant/general store/post office

Scotland Island is in the distance.

Houses close to the water and going up the hill.

The Lovett Bay Boatshed which features quite a lot in Susan Duncan's books.

Lovett Bay Ferry stop.

Hope you are not getting too bored! This is a bit of a long post.

The last bit of information I wish to share with you is this poem by Dorothea Mackellar....

Dorothea wrote a poem " My Country" when she was 19 years old. The second verse of this poem has become probably the best known stanza in Australian history. Here is the poem in it's entirety.

"My Country"

The love of field and coppice

Of green and shaded lanes,

Of ordered woods and gardens

Is running in your veins.

Strong love of grey-blue distance,

Brown streams and soft, dim skies

I know, but cannot share it,

My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country,

A land of sweeping plains,

Of ragged mountain ranges,

Of droughts and flooding rains.

I love her far horizons,

I love her jewel-sea,

Her beauty and her terror

The wide brown land for me!

The stark white ring-barked forests,

All tragic to the moon,

The sapphire-misted mountains,

The hot gold hush of noon,

Green tangle of the brushes

Where lithe lianas coil,

And orchids deck the tree-tops,

And ferns the warm dark soil.

Core of my heart, my country!

Her pitiless blue sky,

When, sick at heart, around us

We see the cattle die

But then the grey clouds gather,

And we can bless again

The drumming of an army,

The steady soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country!

Land of the rainbow gold,

For flood and fire and famine

She pays us back threefold.

Over the thirsty paddocks,

Watch, after many days,

The filmy veil of greenness

That thickens as we gaze ...

An opal-hearted country,

A wilful, lavish land

All you who have not loved her,

You will not understand

though Earth holds many splendours,

Wherever I may die,

I know to what brown country

My homing thoughts will fly.

That is the end of my post for today, hope you are enjoying your day whatever you are doing.

Jenni

A Creative Fusion.

2011-12-28T20:04:00.001+11:00

Hello dear friends,

Prior to Christmas, I joined up to participate in an online course, "Of Towers and Turrets" created by Sharon Tomlinson and Deryn Mentock. I did wonder if I would have the time to do it ... but decided I wanted to do it so much I just HAD to make the time!

The course is described as "An exquisite Fusion of Mixed Media and Mixed Metals".
There are many elements about this course that are brand new to me and consequently, it will be a challenging and yet an exciting process.
I have never really used paints (I guess I did in my school days ... but that was SO long ago it doesn't count!)

Sharon's expertise and input is in the painting and collage area and Deryn's speciality is as the metal and jewelry teacher. I am hoping that the combination will lead me to a more artistic approach to jewelry-making.

I have only recently started to apply myself to beginning the course.
I bought the requisite paints etc, with me to Sydney while I am on holidays and have had a bit of fun playing around making some stencils and word stamps.
Here are a few of my beginners efforts...still a lot to do!!

Stencilled color paper

stencils

and more!

Hand made word stamps.

I am looking forward to the next step ... more play with the paints!

I hope you are all enjoying your holiday break as much as I am.

Until next time,

Jenni

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T10:40:00.000+11:00

Hello dear friends and readers,

Just a short note to wish you all a Merry Christmas, wherever you may be around the world.
I know the year is not quite over yet....but I just want to say how much I have enjoyed my first year of blogging and meeting such a lovely lot of people from both near and far ; it has been such fun.

I wish you all a happy holiday time with lots of fun, family and friends.
To my followers, both old and recent...thank you so much for dropping by and commenting on my blog..it has been a thrill and a privilege to get to know you.

I am holidaying myself at the moment in Sydney (Australia)......blog posts may be a little far and few between....however I do want to show you some of this lovely, vibrant city....so will be sharing a few photos...

Cheers for now,

Jenni

The Finished Bed Head

2011-12-16T10:53:00.000+11:00

Hello dear readers,

As busy as this time of year can be, I somewhat rashly also chose to do a little home decorating.
In a previous post, I mentioned how I had been painting my daughter's bedroom while she was away overseas.
I decided to also make a padded headboard for her bed ... something I had never done before .. but after some internet research, thought it was within my capabilities!

These are the steps I took, if you are interested:

1. Measure width of bed, add some extra for overlap on each side. Measure hight of bed & mattress and determine a suitable hight for the bedhead.

2. Purchase wood (we used MDF), upholstery foam, buttons and material, cut it to size or get it cut for you.

3. Mark a grid for placement of buttons (if you want the buttoned down look).

You can see the grid marks and the slight overlap ( a few inches each side) on sides of the bed.

4. Drill a hole at the junctions of the lines for placement of buttons. Make sure your drilled holes are large enough to fit your (upholstery/long) needle.

5. Using spray adhesive, (best to do this outside or in a well ventilated area) align foam which has been cut to size and attach to the board making sure it aligns perfectly. We used 2-inch thick foam (which may have been either too thick or too dense as it made the buttoning quite difficult).

6. The foam is then covered with quilting batting (use spray adhesive again.) The batting should be pulled quite firmly and the edges wrapped over and attached to the back of the board with staples.

This step softens the edges of the foam. Make sure there are no creases.

As you can see, I chose to pad the board only as far as the start of the mattress. This then allows for the bed to sit a little further back. ( it's also less work!!)

7. Cover your board with material. I attached my material horizontally across the board, as the width of the material was insufficient to cover it in one piece vertically and I did not want any seams to show. I did join and double sew the seam at the point where the padding and board line meet.

Joined material pieces. The joined area was then stapled to the board under the lower edge of the foam and the join was not visible to the eye at all.

8. Staple the material all around the board working from the middle on one edge to the outside edge. Pull it firmly but not excessively tightly. Make sure you do not distort any pattern. If you are not going to button the head board you can probably make it a little tighter ( I found this out as I had pulled one side a little tighter and the fabric is a little distorted after buttoning. However, because it is a plain fabric, the distortion is a lot less obvious to the eye than if it had been a patterned design.

Covered upholstery buttons.

9. After looking at pre-made button kits which looked a little flimsy, I decided to get the buttons professionally covered by an upholstery supply company. This was very good value at a $1 a piece .... well worth it!

To attach the buttons was a bit tricky. This is what I did....

- use upholstery cotton with a very long needle.

- I double, doubled my thread (make your thread quite long)

- poke needle through hole, foam and material, leaving a tail at the rear.

- measure to see if in correct spot. (Not so important with the first button but becomes important later when you want all buttons to align well ... sometimes you can actually angle the needle and the placement can then be a little off.)

- bring the needle all the way through to the material side

- wind your cotton 4 times through the shank hole of the button. (Using needle to go through the hole only)

- Remove needle and tie a knot (I did 4 for security) where the two ends meet at the shank. Cut off excess.

(this was just a way I worked out .... other information I had read said to go back through the foam using the same hole and tie at the rear. I found this impossible to do.)

- With a willing helper (e.g. a caring and sharing husband) ... one person pushes the button in from the material side while the other staples the cotton, hammers it down securely and then tapes over the staples with duct tape.

- work from centre to outside, smoothing material, if needed, as you go. Try and make sure the buttons are evenly indented.

9. The very last step was to spray the bedhead with some fabric protector. I had previously done a test patch with spare material making sure the fabric was colour fast (wet a spot with the fabric protector and rub with white cloth -- if cloth remains white, fabric is color-fast). I lightly sprayed two coats allowing time to dry in-between coats.

Finished bedhead, showing the rows of buttoning.

You can see the mattress fits well at the junction of board and foam. I was going to bolt the board to the base of the bead. But, when I pushed the bed against the headboard, it was extremely stable so I am going to omit this step.

It worked out well and I am so pleased with the result - I hope my daughter likes it.

Well, that's it for today...and now to get my act together and go and do some Christmas organisation!!

Cheers and have a lovely day,

Jenni

I Heart Macro - flowers from the cake

2011-12-11T11:29:00.000+11:00

Hello dear friends,

It has been a while since I posted....this time of the year is a little crazy....so much happening.
Today I am linking up to I Heart Macro...a lovely site for those who love up close and macro photos.
Lori also makes stunning re-purposed leather bags...so take a peak while you are there.

My submission today is a little floral cake topper from my wedding cake....26 years ago!!
I keep it under a little glass dome...but, of course it still has deteriorated...looks a little grungy in the photos!

I am thinking of weddings today..as I am going to the wedding of a niece later this afternoon...hoping the rain stays away for her! It has been torrential overnight. It certainly will not dampen the occasion if it is though!!

A little faded and battered ....but it is 26 years old!

Little glass dome protector... I think it is actually a butter dish?

Please click on the photo link above to take you to Lori's site and other participant's photos.

Cheers for today... I am off to get ready for this lovely event

Jenni

I Heart Macro - Up Close Today

2011-12-04T18:55:00.000+11:00

Hello dear friends

I have no 'macro' photos today......just a few up close photo vignettes from around my home - I lent my camera to my daughter who has gone to a wedding...totally forgetting I had not taken any photos for today's post...running a little behind this week...it has been a busy one.

These photos were taken a little while ago using the 'Hipstamatic' app on my iPhone. It's a lot of fun.
I love how they make even the most mundane photo look old and interesting...wish someone could do that for me!!

Hats and shopping bags in the hall.....also left over streamers from last New Year's Eve!

An old tin...it is a Bushell's 'Tea of Flavour tin' and has a koala, emu and kookaburra on the other sides.

Old wooden shoe lasts.

Pink lamp..a family heirloom.

Italian and French pots.

Linking up to I Heart Macro ...fun for all those who love up close and macro photography. Head on over to Lori's and check it out!

Cheers for now,

Day 7-- Virtual Craft Show....Head on Over.

2011-12-02T19:53:00.000+11:00

Hello dear readers,

I am sure most of you know by now of the Virtual Craft Fair. Today is Day 7. There are 9...yes 9 wonderful giveaways today...so go to Lori's blog and check them out.

Here are two that I particularly love...

Beautiful Lampwork Pendant by Manuela Wutschke

Manuela was Lori's Bead Soup Blog Party partner and here is the link to the necklace Lori made with the beads Manuela sent her.

Thumb ring by Catherine Pruitt- simple and lovely!

So head on over, make a comment, blog, Facebook, Twitter or all...and good luck!

Cheers,

Jenni

Painting

2011-12-01T12:58:00.001+11:00

For CHALLENGE of COLOR BLOG HOP , please click HERE

Hello dear friends,

I wish I could say I was painting something artistic and fabulous, but no,...this last week I have been painting my youngest daughter's bedroom while she is away in Europe studying and travelling.

I always forget how HARD painting really is! The ceilings are 12 foot high....... so that's the first challenge.
My husband really wasn't interested in doing it...so I somewhat rashly said "I'll do it...you don't need to help!" Hmmm.....!

Three (!!) undercoats were needed to cover the aqua paint in the cornice followed by 2 top coats and the same (one less undercoat) to cover the pale green.
That is a LOT of time up and down a ladder...my legs certainly got a bit of a work out!

While the aqua and pale green combination was very pretty...it was just a bit too "teenage' for a young woman, I think. ( By the way she does know I was probably going to do this!)
So, as much as the look is terribly neutral...it matches the rest of that portion of the house....and besides neutral is good as you can change linen etc!!

Colored cornice

The aqua wall!

A very neutral palette now.

The main walls are still to have their top coat, the woodwork still to be sanded and painted...but I finally feel like the end is in sight. ( dear husband has started to help..think he saw I was starting to struggle a bit!)

I have got lovely new linen bed set and I am going to try and make a padded head board....wish me luck with that one.

Has anyone had success with headboards...if you have I would love to hear.

Ok...have had my little break...now back to the paint!

Hope you are all having a great day.

Jenni

It's a Day of COLOR - 2nd annual Challenge of Color Blog Hop

2011-11-30T21:18:00.001+11:00

Hello dear friends,

A week or so ago, I mentioned that I was going to be participating in a Challenge of Color Blog Hop, hosted by the lovely Erin from Treasures Found blog.
Erin has used 12 colour palettes in her own design challenge...take a look...they are stunning!

Just to re-cap what we did - all participants chose a color and were then allocated a colour palette by Erin which came from Jessica at Design Seeds. Jessica has some very unique colour palettes...take a peak; they are gorgeous.

I chose the colour Gray and was allocated "Paw Tones" It is just so soft and pretty...I love it.

"Paw Tones"

As soon as I saw the palette colours, I knew I had the perfect focal bead for it. My friend, Georgie, gave me this wonderful lampwork owl bead and I have been saving it for just the right piece - and this was it.

The gorgeous greenish base of the focal bead is made with glass from CIM, called 'Kryptonite' which has been etched giving it that soft beachy-type of look.

Owl bead focal.

In the past (not that I have done many!) I have challenged myself by learning something new for each design challenge. This time, I added a partial coil 'frame' to the bead to give it some weight for hanging purposes and to add additional depth and colour to the area. It also ties in with the use of copper throughout the necklace. Shaping the coil was a little tricky as you can see the bead is irregularly shaped. But I am happy with the result.

This is the first time I have made all my own copper elements from head pins to clasp, coil and tag.... so I feel I have been true to my own design wishes.

"Owlet"

I added Peruvian Opals, glass daggers, Gray Quartz in light and dark gray, small, matt labradorite beads, tiny metal beads and gray Sari silk. (This is the first time I have used Sari silk ... I am loving it and know I will be using it again.)

This shows the interesting glass daggers that I bought recently... they reminded me of feathers on the owl. The triangular design on them is silver. I love the variation in colour in the Peruvian Opal. One colour was a little darker than in the palette range, but I left it in as I felt it gave an added colour depth that was needed.

Sari silk and hand-made copper hook and eye clasp. All the copper was darkened with Liver of Sulphur.

I called my necklace "Owlet" as the little owl on the bead really reminded me of an owlet about to leave the nest. (I made a little copper "Fly" tag, too ... yes, a bit corny, I know, but: Oh well!

So that is the story of my palette challenge.

Below is the list of all participants .... have fun blog hopping.

1 Norma Turvey ~ Teal ~ Color Crave

2 Jeannie Dukic ~ Green ~ Mineral Tones

3 Mary McGraw ~ Teal ~ Embellished Hues

4 Jo Tinley ~ Red ~ Decadent Tones

5 Rebecca Anderson ~ Pink ~ Tulip Tones

6 Kristi Jaro ~ Red ~ Temple Entrance

7 Stephani Gorman ~ Green ~ Dew Tones

8 Melissa Meman ~ Green ~ Fruit Star

9 Kathleen Lange Klik ~ Teal ~ Silk Hues

10 Cynthia Riggs ~ Red ~ Autumn Comfort

11 Heidi Post ~ Teal ~ Flora Bright

12 Cece Cormier ~ Teal ~ Merino Teal

13 Amy Freeland ~ Gray ~ Cultured Tones

14 Alice Peterson ~ Blue ~ Island Play

15 Rose Noble ~ Gray ~ Autumn Stacked

16 Kristina Johansson ~ Yellow ~ Sunny Flower

17 Kirsi Luostarinen ~ Teal ~ Dragon Hues

18 Tari Kahrs ~ Orange ~ Citrus Tones

19 Mallory Hoffman ~ Purple ~ Petaled Dark

20 Molly Alexander ~ Brown ~ Peppered Tones

21 Regina Santerre ~ Red ~ Frosted Berry

22 Emanda Johnson ~ Teal ~ Color Purl

23 Amy Severino ~ Orange ~ Winged Tones

24 Bobbie Rafferty ~ Teal ~ Lime Hues

25 Tanya Goodwin ~ Gray ~ Pecked Tones

26 Lisa Lodge ~ Blue ~ Nocturnal Tones

27 Hope Smitherman ~ Blue ~ Bloom Tones

28 Linda Landig ~ Green ~ Cacti Dark

29 Ambra Gostoli ~ Teal ~ Perched Autumn

30 Lori Bowring-Michaud ~ Blue ~ Sharpened Blue

31 Pippa Chandler ~ Teal ~ Hungarian Hues

32 Keirsten Giles ~ Purple ~ Mineral Brights

33 Jennifer Justman ~ Blue ~ Autumn Rays

34 Sandy Richardson ~ Purple ~ Moroccan Brights

35 CJ Bauschka ~ Teal ~ Teal Air

36 Shaiha Williams ~ Teal ~ Sushi Hues

37 Kay Thomerson ~ Purple ~ Autumn Spectrum

38 Sally Russick ~ Purple ~ Golden Gate Tones

39 Cilla Watkins ~ Purple ~ Autumn Infused

40 Shirley Moore ~ Purple ~ Frozen Heather

41 Jenni Connolly ~ Gray ~ Paw Tones

42 Tamara Soper ~ Green ~ Field Tones

43 Sharyl McMillian-Nelson ~ Blue ~ Nested Blues

44 Jen Velasquez ~ Pink ~ Sweetened Tints

45 Maria Grimes ~ Red ~ Bright Bloom

46 Elisabeth Auld ~ Gray ~ Petaled Tints

47 Susan Kennedy ~ Pink ~ Zinnia Tones

48 Shannon Chomanczuk ~ Gray ~ Autumn Leaf

49 Holly Westfall ~ Yellow ~ Sprinkled Tones

50 Patty Gasparino ~ Red ~ Color Carton

51 Angela Little ~ Pink ~ Singapore Brights

52 Lizzie Zawinski ~ Green ~ Budding Hues

53 Kristen Stevens ~ Pink ~

Goodnight (yep, night-time in Australia)

Jenni

Virtual Craft Show - A Give Away from Sally Russick

2011-11-26T12:56:00.000+11:00

Hello again,

Told you there would be more posts about the The First Annual Craft Show.

And now here is a lovely give away and discount offer from Sally Russick at Wire Worked. It's a good opportunity to start early Christmas shopping. Buying hand crafted is the way to go in my opinion.

So, head on over for a look at Sally's lovely Christmas ornament and discount offers in her etsy shop.

Good luck to you all,

Jenni

Virtual Craft Show - A Give away from Kristi Bowman

2011-11-26T10:50:00.000+11:00

Hello dear friends,

Just wanted to tell you about a great event starting today. The First Annual Craft Show...where 70 artists over a 7 day period are GIVING AWAY 70 hand crafted and related items. Amazing isn't it.
I am not a participant of this wonderful event ( I thought you had to have an etsy shop to participate....!

Anyway, while not being a participant, I am going to support the event by blogging about all these wonderful give aways...and probably drive you crazy with the posts!

First one I have read about is Kristi Bowman Design.

These are her gorgeous copper clay component earrings with Pink Jade briolettes.

Head on over to her blog for a chance of a giveaway...good luck to you.

Cheers,

Challenge of Color - A Sneak Peak

2011-11-25T10:06:00.000+11:00

Hello dear friends,

Thought I would tempt you a little with a quick "sneak-peek" of my piece I made for the Challenge of Color Blog Hop hosted by Erin from Treasures Found.

Please come back for the Blog Hop reveal which will be on NOVEMBER 30th.

Cheers for now,

Jenni

Bead Table Wednesday - Perseverance is Required!

2011-11-23T12:08:00.000+11:00

Hello dear friends,

It's a gorgeous sunny day here in Melbourne. There has been so much Spring rain recently, my garden is running rampant. So, today after this post..that's where I will be...trimming and weeding, cutting and planting. Sounds like fun...yes I love it....although have to pace myself as my back doesn't!

This week I have continued my love affair with copper...bashing and beating it...and doing my best to solder with it. (You Tube has been a great learning tool in this regard...years ago, I did a little bit of soldering..but have really forgotten how to approach it.....so I refreshed my memory on line...you can look anything up there these days!)

Here are a few attempts.

I love my bird house which I textured with hammers etc, however when soldering the second roof line...the copper edging moved. There was actually meant to be a bigger gap where the roof line crossed and I had planned to put a jump ring in there so I could hang it on a cord or chain.....foiled with that idea! So, I drilled a hole...but really, the hole is too far down in to the body of the roof....will have to try it again I guess....patience and perseverance is required!

I am loving this leaf..."smooth and rough" I am calling it...I believe I was definitely thinking about life and all it's variances when making this one.

It still needs a bit of Liver of Sulphur Patina...and hopefully, I can drill a hole in the little stalk at the top.

I like the rustic effect of the torch-fired patina in the first leaf I made (Top photo) but it looks more like a pair of lips than a leaf!!

I have also been attempting to learn how to do tube rivets, too...you can see some extremely bad examples in the first photo.....lots of practise and patience required to improve there, I think!
Perseverance required for all.

Part of my front garden and lush Spring growth.

Today I am linking up to the Flickr site of Bead Table Wednesday..... hosted by Heather at Humblebeads. You can check out what other people have on their bead table's this week.

Cheers for now,

Swap Beads from Singapore.

2011-11-21T13:27:00.001+11:00

Hello dear readers,

Lori Anderson, of Bead Soup Blog Party fame, has organised yet another wonderful beady delight in the form of a mini- bead exchange. Participants are paired up and swap...about ...a cup full of beads with their partner.

I was paired up with Viv from Vi Ve Creation in Singapore.
Vivian has a wonderful blog and shop. She sells beads and supplies and teaches workshops in Polymer Clay and jewellery making techniques. I love the fact she teaches children, too. So good to start the beading addiction early!
I was thrilled to be paired up with a polymer clay artist...something very different for me.

I picked up my parcel this morning and was a little shocked at how weighty it was! Viv...you have spoiled me with these lovely beads...I think there is way more than the cup recommended..but hey...I am not complaining...thank you so very much!

Here are some photos of the lovely beads Viv Sent me.

Lovely tag on Viv's package - and it matches my flowers on the table!

Sweet, sweet polymer clay flowers - these look good enough to eat. Can't wait to use these.

Resin cabochons - these will be a challenge for me, but aren't they gorgeous!

Lucite flowers...so dainty and delicate. Love the soft colors.

These are just a few of the gorgeous metal elements Viv sent.

Gemstone chips....love these colors.

Well that's it. Viv did send some seed beads and more metal components which I haven't included.

Thank you again, Viv.

Cheers for now,

Enjoy your day,

I Heart Macro- A Different Era.

2011-11-20T11:53:00.000+11:00

Hello dear readers,

Welcome to my Sunday post of I Heart macro - hosted by Lori from Studio Waterstone.

Did you guess what it was?

Just noticed there is a dead spider attached to the ribbon!

Partially exposed on the left is my computer wireless system...talk about juxtaposition of old and new!

This lovely old typewriter has seen plenty of work and love over the years, and remarkably, still works.
No, it was not mine...but a gift from an elderly friend.

I did once learn to type...at school.....and I was terribly bad at it.
The teacher, in desperation put paper over the keys so I wouldn't look at them! That worked well!
I then typed total drivel...and still didn't remember where the keys were located. I just don't think my heart was ever in it....and I still type with 2 fingers and look at the keys to this day!

My father was a journalist and I remember the constant tap-tap of the keys at home....he had one like this once.....it was much quieter when he became all modern and purchased an electric typewriter. I missed that re-assuring sound, but I think my Mother was glad to hear the end of it!

Please head on over to Lori's for a peak at other photos by those who love macro and close-up photography. Click on the picture logo above and it will take you straight there!

Hope your weekend is a good one.

Cheers,

Challenge of Color Blog Hop - my colour palette and information.

2011-11-19T14:44:00.000+11:00

Hello dear readers,

To challenge myself to make an article of jewellery ( something I am gradually improving at...but still very slow at !) I decided to sign up for the Challenge of Color over at Erin's blog, Treasure's Found.

Participants nominated a color preference and were then assigned a colour palette created by Jessica Colaluca of Design Seeds that included their chosen colour.

I chose gray....no particular reason apart from the fact I am just loving the shades and tones of gray at the moment. ( I even went so far as to install a gray glass splashback in my kitchen renovation recently!

I love grey so much I also created a board on Pinterest for those who are interested, called In Love with Gray

So, here is my pretty palette assigned by Erin - "Paw Tones." Thank you, Erin.

Paw Tones

Isn't it just the sweetest!! I am loving all the colors you see in this palette.

Please drop by on Wednesday November the 30th, to see the reveal and do a bit of hopping through the list of participants.

Until next time,
Have a great weekend,

Cheers,

Bead Table Wednesday - My Sari Silk Order Has Arrived!

2011-11-16T14:32:00.000+11:00

Hello dear readers,

A lovely package arrived today...some beautiful sari-silk that I purchased online from Design Talent on etsy. She has a wonderful shop, so go and take a peek!

I have seen lots of wonderful designs using sari silk and really can't wait to give it a go. First up are wrapped beads, which I have learnt how to do in the last month or so and really want to elaborate on the very basic ones I have made.

Just look at these gorgeous colours!! I chose mostly colours with an antique-type of appeal. My very generous supplier, also included a few extras for good measure. Thank you Lashell! I actually love the grey, olive and blue you sent as an extra.

How gorgeous are these colours!!

Don't you just want to pick them up?

The beautiful pile.

Hope you are all having a good day...I am off to my bead table... sari silk will be spread far and wide pretty soon!

Today I am linking up to Bead Table Wednesday - Please click on the Btw picture logo on my blog sidebar and it will take you straight there... you can check out all the delights on the bead tables there!

Cheers,

Patina Experiments

2011-11-14T10:28:00.001+11:00

Hello dear readers,

You all know by now, that I am developing a bit of an obsession with copper.

I think it is a natural progression to want to start playing with the effects that copper can give - particularly the 'patina'.

Actually, the meaning of 'patina' is really something that results from usage or corrosion over time, usually a greenish layer (basic copper sulphate) that forms on copper or bronze. So, technically, some of the patinas I am about to show you are more of a chemical reaction than a patina ... but none the less, they look great ... so please come and take a look.

Copper dipped in vinegar, sprinkled with course salt and sat on a bed of paper towel wet with cloudy ammonia. Left, covered, for 24 hours.

As above, (no vinegar) but suspended in a coffee can on a wire above a 1/4 cup of liquid ammonia - result shown after 24 hours.

As above, after 48 hours.

Colored effect after heating with a soft torch. Do a section at a time. When you see the color emerge, dip it in cold water and then move on to another section until you get the result you want.

The copper was covered with flux on both sides and then heated to a dark red glow on each side.

Immerse in water and repeat. The photo shows the result after two coatings.

The reverse side. I may have over heated this piece as I do not think it is really meant to go as black as this.

The copper was coated with a thin smear of Gilder's Paste, Patina.

Color using Liver of Sulphur.

Top row: L- rich brown, R- some "oil" type effect.

Bottom row: L- Dark grey, almost black. R- Dark coloration left in an imprint after removing some patina with fine steel wool.

As you can see, I have had a bit of fun with this. If you try it yourself, just make sure the lids on those containers seal well ... the ammonia is very strong .... have good ventilation or go outside when opening the container/tin.

As you can see the patina effect on the first 6 photos is a little crusty ... I will need to lightly brush it off a little more and then seal it with a spray for it to be usable in jewellery

That's it for today, folks,

have a good day,

Jenni

I Heart Macro - Bead Love.

2011-11-13T12:30:00.001+11:00

Hello dear readers,

A few days ago, I went to the Melbourne Bead Expo. This annual event is one of two annual bead shows held in Melbourne, Australia.

This particular show is run by the Bead Society of Victoria.

There were lots of bead suppliers from around Australia, many locally talented lampworkers, classes available and a wonderful exhibition of jewellery items as part of the Challenge Exhibition. ( all competitors had to use the same beads as part of the challenge)

I was fairly restrained in my purchasing this year, mainly buying strands of smaller beads and gemstones that I could incorporate with a few pieces I am working on for Christmas presents and on-line beading design challenges.

The blue ones are Peruvian Opal, coloured pearls, Hessonite Garnet, and Grey Quartz to name a few.

Wonderful glass daggers...fabulous aren't they?

Today, I am linking up to I Heart Macro. Please click on the photo link below to take you to see other 'I Heart Macro' photos at our host, Lori's site - Studio Waterstone.

Cheers for now,

I Heart Macro - Book Love.

2011-11-06T13:44:00.001+11:00

Hello dear readers,

It has been a week of "firsts" for me...a 'first' at making quite a few metal jewellery components......this has been a stimulating, exciting task for me..I am loving it and can't wait to make more!
I find I wake up in the night thinking about it...planning designs and thinking how to achieve that design. I haven't been that excited about jewellery making since I started glass bead making years ago.

Another 'first' has been reading a book on my iPad. I have read articles before but not a full book...it was 'The Help'...for those who want a good read...lots of human drama, humour and sadness mixed in with this one.

The next 'first' is I have downloaded on to my iPad an audio book to read while I make jewellery.
It is a lengthy historical saga recommended by a friend... thanks Belinda.
I hope I like it as there are 140 hour of listening time on it!! I will let you know how it goes.

I know there are many people who stoically refuse to embrace books downloaded on to e-readers. That's o.k. I do understand the reasons. I have been a book lover my whole life and see the iPad as just another way of accessing a good book. I will never give up my 'real' book favourites. And I do still buy hard copy books, too.

Here are a couple of old books from a collection I have on my bedroom mantle shelf.....some were old ones that had belonged to my parents, some were mine. They are a thing of beauty in a way that e-books can never be!

Beautiful patterns on the spine.

Titles...remember these ones?

An old family bookend.

Today I am linking up to I Heart Macro...Up Close Photography for Macro makers and the Camerologically Challenged.

Click on the photo link below to take you to Lori's site at Studio Waterstone to see other participant's photos.

Cheers for now,

A Glass Blue Wren - From Venice

2011-11-04T20:06:00.000+11:00

Hello dear readers,

A few days ago, I came across a wonderful photo of a Blue Fairy Wren on Carole's Creative Corner.

Now for those that don't know, the Fairy Wren is my little blog icon that I use when chatting on various forums etc... the female Blue Wren (commonly called a 'Jenny Wren') in particular is my icon. She is the little brown bird and the male has the intense colorful blue plumage... as is so often the way in the bird world.
The Jenny Wren can also be seen on my blog header.

Seeing those wonderful bird photos reminded me that I have never shown a photo of the gorgeous sculptural Blue Wren I purchased from Vittorio Costantini when I was in Venice earlier on this year....so here he is:

This little bird is so beautiful ...the markings and delicacy of the legs and feet in particular are truly spectacular... this is glass remember! Isn't he divine... Vittorio is a Master at his work and it was a real privilege to talk to him and watch him work for a while.

And now to a few more copper photos!!... I just can't seem to keep away from this metal lately. Here are a few things I have made over the last two days. I can't believe how I am loving working with the metal... the glass is getting a little dusty!

Silver and copper bead, deliberately textured with a dremel bit.

Copper leaf, cut from 24 gauge sheet metal, the word "HOOT" is stamped on it. (My husband said this leaf shape looks like a Christmas tree... I was going for an oak leaf!)

All metal beads so far.... still to be darkened in Liver of Sulphur.

Copper lentil beads and a little wire nest with pearls (I learnt this from a tutorial by Sarah Ortega.)

Hope you are all having a wonderful day...I know I am!! Hoot!

Bead Table Wednesday - 2nd November - Fun with Copper

2011-11-02T16:27:00.000+11:00

Hello dear readers,

This is what is on my beading table at the moment...excuse the fluff and debris in these photos!
I have been working on wire working basics the last couple of weeks and this week have been brave enough to try and make a few metal components from copper tubing...it has a been fun..I have even done a little soldering on the big bead...originally I had caps on the end of this larger bead but I just couldn't get it to sit right..so decided to solder some flattened jump rings to the ends of the tube...you can see the solder..I am not very practised in this technique at all!
It is amazing how long these little things take to complete...I have been at it most of the day!

I still need to put these in Liver of Sulphur and then polish them up. The corrugated beads are brass.

The two beads on the left are copper tubing hammered with a ball pain hammer for additional texture.

The long one with beads was originally a round copper cut-off, hammered in to a flatter shape. The dangles are very fine tubing that the Italians use to build their glass beads on (They then soak them in acid to remove the copper) This was VERY tricky to cut..using normal cutters flattened and closed the hole...eventually used a little saw to cut it.

I have had a lot of fun making these elements...still have a way to go...they are a bit rough! Today I am linking up to Bead Table wednesday...please click on the Btw log on my blog side bar to take you to the public flickr site for lots of beady fun.

Cheers,

Jenni

I Heart Macro- Wood Love

2011-10-30T13:17:00.000+11:00

Hello dear readers,

Goodness...Sunday seem to come around quickly these days! I often look back on the week and wonder about what I have really achieved.

Since retiring from paid employment, the days somehow seem to go so quickly. With no real structure to my day, it is easy to 'waste' hours of time on no real thing......a little extra sleep in...a little extra time browsing blogs...you know how it goes! Before you know it.....it is nearly lunch time and the day is disappearing before 'things' have been started!! (or before I am even dressed!) Every day is like a Sunday, really.
I have GOT to get more disciplined if I want to achieve more in my day!

Anyway... on to Macro Sunday....

I love wood. All sorts of wood. Both new and old.
Our house is full of many varieties of wood.....the old part of the house has Baltic Pine floors, the newer part, have Blackbutt floors. The piano is Burred Walnut, the inherited sideboard and formal dining table is Cedar. The new table is made from Tasmanian Blackwood.
Sounds like a real mish-mash when I read that back..but somehow..it all seems to fit together.

We have been wanting a narrow side table to sit at the end of the dining table in our family area and I have been wondering about what could fit in well with this melee of wooden styles and colours. Should it be a solid colour... could I be brave enough to have red or aqua (If I could find an aqua one of the right size, I would not hesitate!!)

Yesterday, we found a bleached wooden one which fitted the dimensions and some of the style requirements... so we have bought it home for a few days to see if we like it. The side table is a good match with the lighter tones of wood colour found in the floor.

It is made from elm and has been bleached..so is quite rustic in both appearance and finish. The drawers are deep enough to hold napkins and cutlery which is a real bonus.

It is not quite as pink as this in real life. The large pot is an old French olive oil container.

Handle detail up close.
This photo reminds me of I Heart Macro - Door Knobs of Florence post.

Full handle up close.

Wooden dowels have been used instead of nails...love that!

It sits not far from the kitchen which is quite modern...glass, stainless steel and off-white stone benches.... but I am a person that loves a combination of old and new, so that's o.k in my book.

What do you think...should I keep it or continue looking.......!!?? ( my husband groans when he reads this line!)

Please check in to Studio Waterstone to see more up close photography "for macro makers and the camerologically challenged".....you will love it! Click on the photo below to take you to the site.

Until another day,

Cheers,

Bead Table Wednesday - 26th October

2011-10-26T15:32:00.002+11:00

Hello dear readers,

I wish I could say there is something stunning and outrageously beautiful on my bead table today......!!
No.....I am STILL working on my basic wire skills and will be for some time to come, I think!

This week, I have been going through a few jewelry books and have been practising a few elements from them.

I love the book "Bead on a Wire" by Sharilyn Miller and from it I have been making "easy links" with the idea of making a chain.

These are made from 15-gauge copper, as that is what I had on hand. In the book, it says to use 20 gauge wire for these links......so this will end up a little chunkier looking...but, hey..that's o.k....it will just be extra sturdy!

"Easy links" - the start of the chain.

Little Gem

2011-10-25T19:33:00.001+11:00

Hello dear readers,

No, I am not talking about gems of the sparkly nature but rather a quaint wooden ferry.

This sweet wooden boat was built in 1947 and originally plied the waters between Palm Beach and Patonga and the Hawkesbury River (Sydney, Australia)...serving the "Riverboat Mail Run"

Originally called "The Westhead", she is now berthed at Gem Pier, Williamstown, Victoria...and has been re-named "Little Gem".
She still goes out on half day cruises for those that love to experience the charm and romance of a bygone era.

Today I am linking up to Texture Tuesday with our host Kim Klassen
The challenge this week was to include two of Kim's textures in our photo...I included the rustic crackle of "Crackerjack" and "Vintage" textures.

Head on over to join in the fun.

Cheers,

Jenni

I Heart macro - a cold day at the beach.

2011-10-23T08:37:00.016+11:00

Hello dear readers,

It seems that Spring has flown ( I am in Australia) and in it's place Winter has returned......today has been grey and raining.
However, that did not stop me venturing out.....looking for some interesting Macro shots.

I am not a beachy type of person. Saying that, I do wish to clarify and explain that I love WALKING on the beach or sitting on the beach on a nice (not hot) day....I just loathe going to the beach with the masses and roasting in the sun...getting all hot and sticky and burnt is not my type of fun.

So today was a good beach-strolling type of day...perhaps a bit cool...but fine to get outdoors for a while and also take the opportunity to find something a little different for my Sunday post!

I was a little disappointed...even the sea life was sheltering from the grey day.....but I did manage to find many different varieties of sea-weed that looked just right for I Heart macro!

Love these green fingers! Look at that texture, too!

There are about 5 varieties of seaweed in this photo.

Love the pretty pink!

Nice contrasts.

Popped bubbles!

And a dash of my favourite aqua.

It always amazes me just how much beauty can be found when you take a look up close!

Please join in and take a look at I Heart Macro for all the other participants photos....

Until next time,

Cheers,

A visit to Cloudhill - Nursery and Gardens.

2011-10-22T22:04:00.000+11:00

Hello dear readers,

Last week, I made an excursion to 'Cloudhill', a stunning garden and nursery.
'Cloudhill' is located in Olinda, 36 kms east of Melbourne, (Victoria, Australia) in the area of the Dandenong Ranges.

'Cloudhill' was originally a working garden pioneered by the Woolrich family during the 1890's. At one time, it was a plant and flower farm.

Now it is a garden, nursery and restaurant combination and a wonderful place at any time of year for both a meal and a day contemplating the beauty of a unique and historic garden.

Here are a few photos of my time spent there...I could give you more...the beauty of the plants and vistas there are astounding...every time I turned a corner I found something new and breath-taking.

One of the many walk - through garden areas with a view to further afield. The gardener is trimming one of the many hedges and sculpted plants.

The white Viburnum is stunning next to this old wall. Beautiful Japanese Maple (on the far right ) grow well here in the cooler climate of the mountains.

A path meandering down to the woodland area. Bluebells and Solomon's seal grow prolifically in the meadow and underneath this old tree.

An old fashioned Columbine (or Granny's Bonnet) also likes the dappled shade of the woodland area.

This is a Waratah, the floral emblem of New South Wales, an Australian state.

A beautiful old seat in the shade.

Sweet Apple blossom...can you see the tiny insect on a leaf in the middle of the photo?

Quirky and colourful garden ornaments at the shop.

Beautiful isn't it!?

Hope you are all enjoying your day,

Cheers for now,

Color Time - the 3rd Color Palette Walk.

2011-10-21T08:46:00.000+11:00

Hello dear readers,

As I mentioned in previous post, today would be the day of the Color Palette Blog Walk.....hosted by Brandi. This is the third colour palette walk organised by Brandi...and my second.

Come along and join in for a colour feast for your eyes.

As it is Spring here in Australia, my garden is overflowing with colour and perfume. Here is a small
offering of that beauty found there...it definitely brings me so much joy to be out there amongst it all.

Just look at these pretty colours!

Here are the links to the other participants. Have fun!

Francesca at Francesca Watson Designs -- http://www.francescawatson.com

Lori at Pretty Things -- http://www.PrettyThingsBlog.com

Marsha at Marsha Neal Studio Blog -- http://www.marshanealstudio.blogspot.com

Cindy at Sweet Bead Studio -- http://www.sweetbeadstudio.com

Kerry at Kab's Concepts -- http://www.kabsconcepts.blogspot.com

Cynthia at Ornamental Style -- http://www.ornamentalstyle.com/blog

Linda at Linda's Bead Blog & Meanderings -- http://lindalandig.wordpress.com

Emily at Good Things* -- http://jorpins.blogspot.com

Erin at Treasures Found -- http://treasures-found.blogspot.com

Brandi at Brandi Girl Blog -- http://www.brandigirlblog.com

Jenni at Jenni's Beads -- http://jennibead.blogspot.com

Shari at Exploring the Wonders of Life -- http://exploringthewondersoflife.blogspot.com

Enjoy your day,

Color Palette blog walk - It's Happening again!

2011-10-13T18:06:00.001+11:00

Hello dear readers,

I love colour.

I am learning about my likes and dislikes in regard to color. I am learning there are no colours I truly dislike... even the colors that may not be favorites can look great mixed with others that are right for it.

One of my biggest problems with color is that I really like so many different colours!
I confuse myself with color choices at times....so sometimes I find it is good to step back a bit and consciously think about color and color combinations and why they work together (or not) instead of always being reactive with the ones I tend to favour.

So for the above reasons...and because it is fun, too, I have signed up for the Color Palette Blog Walk, round 3 at Brandi's blog.

This time around the topic is "What's the Color of Your Joy?".

It will all be happening on Friday October 21st...so please come back then for a bit of color love!

The list to participate might be closed, ( you can always message Brandi about this..I was a lucky late entrant) but if you are wanting to learn how to make a colour palette regardless of participation to the walk, there is a free template on Brandi's blog...as well as many other wonderful tip share ideas.

This was a photo and palette I did in a previous color palette blog walk ..."What inspires you?"

My garden is a definite source of inspiration, so this was an easy choice.

If you want to learn more about color and the color wheel, another fantastic blog is The Kat Eye View

The link I have included will take you to Kat's Color Wheel article, part 1.

Check it out..there is SO much information there for all you color lovers!

And remember to come back Friday 21st...there will be a list of participants blogs for you to check out and enJOY!

Cheers for now,

How to take a screen shot of a layers panel

2011-10-12T10:03:00.000+11:00

Hello dear readers,

I just love the blogging community.

Elaine from Pink Tree Studio sent me the information how to make a screen shot of a layers panel in Photoshop. I had seen these before, especially on the Texture Tuesday link photos and wondered how it was done. Thank you, Elaine. This week I lost my photo edit list......no trouble with that now!

So, I am passing the information on to anyone else who would like to know how to do this..I couldn't believe how very easy it is!

The photo below was just a quickie edit to see how it worked. ( I am on a Mac, by the way...so these are the mac instructions)

1. Do your usual edit in photoshop.
2.Press Command + shift + 4 and a little target icon appears
3.Drag it and select the area you want to take a picture of, on your layers panel
4.It will magically appear on your desktop.
5.Add to your blog post...I added it to my Blog pics, then uploaded in the usual way.

Here is Elaine's link on how to take a screen shot for those on a PC.
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=screen+shot+pC&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Cheers,

Bead Table Wednesday - The basics!

2011-10-12T08:48:00.000+11:00

Hello dear readers,

As some of you might know, I am participating in an on-line jewelry making run by Deryn Mentock. It is called "The Build Zone - solid foundations in mixed media jewellery." I am enjoying myself immensely and have been practising a little most days since I started.

Like many courses, it starts with the basics and that is what I have been working on all week. So, needless to say that is what is on my bead table this Wednesday.

Copper hooks, love the cherry red ends. These have had Liver of Sulphur treatment

Copper S- links

Twisted jump rings

Some basics ( carnelian beads)

More copper clasps and connectors.

The growing pile.

Briolette wrap with chalcedony - I am finding these very difficult to get neat. ( 24 gauge copper wire.)

And that's it for me today folks,

Enjoy your day.

Texture Tuesday - a Touch of Red.

2011-10-11T11:27:00.000+11:00

Hello dear readers,

Today I am linking up to Kim Klassen - Texture Tuesday. This week is all about the colour red....I chose to have just a "touch of red" in my contribution this week.

My parents in law had a great selection of slides of their 8 children.
To make better use of the slides, my Mother in law, Molly, had a lot of them transferred to discs and then gave a disc to each child. A much better idea for the preservation of those treasured memories.

I really love the old pictures.....it is so great to look at the young children in those photos.... children who I have only known as adults.

This is Greg.....having fun on his large 3 -wheeler.

This was a' pre - training wheel' type of bike, for the young children not quite ready for the 'danger' of a two-wheeler! And just look at those cute, red, short overalls!
By the way, Greg is now in his 50's and doing a PhD.

I used 2 different layers from Kim Klassen to texture and age this photo. ( I have mis-placed the written list of the textures I used - sorry- will need to be more organised in future!)

The original...I cropped it a little...goodbye large pole and most of the house roof!

The other family slide I have used in this way, was the 'Yesteryear' edition.- Kangaroo Feeding Time.

Have a look if you wish...

To see more photos of the red edition, please click on the Texture Tuesday picture on my blog side-bar and it will take you direct to the cafe at Kim's site. ( photos may not be up yet...just keep looking!)

Cheers for now,

Patty's Giveaway

2011-10-10T10:18:00.000+11:00

Hello dear readers,

Just check out this lovely blog. Patty at My Life under the Bus is having a giveaway of a custom etched brass plate and charms and beads.

They are beautiful and so uniquely 'her.'

So pop on over and take a look!

Just look at these beauties.

Have a great day,

Spring Joy

2011-10-09T12:59:00.002+11:00

Hello dear friends,

My garden is delicious at the moment.

Heavy Spring rain (It is Spring time in Australia) has brought about abundant growth and it seems like the garden has sprung to life almost overnight.
I love this time of year.....the weather is just right for gardening, not too hot or cold.
The earth is easy to dig. Colour and fragrance abound. A delight to the senses all round!

Today I am linking up to I Heart macro...hosted by Lori at Studio Waterstone....it's a feast of photos for the lovers of close up photography.

Check it out... maybe join in....you do not need a fancy camera......just a love of taking close-up photos.

Here are my contributions for this week.... what else but garden love of course!

Lavender is always so reliably beautiful. I added a texture to this photo from Kim Klassen and text for the fun of it.

I love the color variations in this gorgeous rose.

Cheers for now,

A Gem of a Day

2011-10-08T12:24:00.003+11:00

Hello dear readers,

Sorry it has been a while...I have been a little" under the weather" as they say, with a sore back.... and had to spend the better part of the week resting. Ah... the joys of ageing!!

Anyway, I am up and running now and want to show you some of the lovely gemstones I recently purchased at a local supplier, Ajit. I was lucky enough to walk in to their shop in Swanston street, Melbourne, when Ajit was having a huge sale, so, of course had to make the most of it!

Unfortunately, I was told their retail shop was closing, ( last Friday) although I do not know anything about the on-line business. For those that live in Melbourne, I was also told they will still be at The Melbourne Bead Expo, which is on 11th-13th November.

I have been looking for some beads that would go with a stunning lampwork focal I bought recently, when I went to the Flame on Glass 2011 at Kirra Galleries, Melbourne.

I think some of these will definitely fit the bill.

Left to right...labradorite, carnelian, ( forgot to write the name of this one down...it's a very pretty pale blue...looks way too grey here) faceted labradorite again, citrine, moonstone, labradorite again, tanzanite and garnet.

Just look at this delicious mix! Garnet and Carnelian.

The beautiful jumbled pile.

Those who know me, know that Garnets are special to me for sentimental reasons.

My Mother's name was Garnet as was her Mother.......you can see more about my love of Garnets here if you wish.

That's it for me today...hope you are all enjoying your weekend....

Cheers until next time,

How to make a Jewelry bench pillow....

2011-10-03T13:04:00.004+11:00

Hello dear readers,

Just recently I started an on - line jewlery making course with Deryn Mentock.

I actually already had some of the tools required...but decided I needed to upgrade from a small towel under my metal bench block to something a little nicer and hopefully, better.

Yesterday while I was at my local flea market, I purchased some scraps of leather for $2.00 which I thought would be ideal to use to make a bench pillow.

Here are the steps I used to complete my little project -

1. Scraps of leather. ( Those scissors could be a little more attractive! )

2. Leather needle. $6.00 for the pack of 5 needles. I used size 90 (14)

3. Baking paper sewn to the leather .This helps grip the leather to the machine 'teeth' and propel it forward.
The stitch size was set on large. (Any thinnish paper would do) It has been recommended that two rows of stitching next to each other be used for greater durability.

4. The pillow was filled with sand (free).

The sand was then put in to a small plastic bag, prior to inserting in to the pouch and then the last side was sewn up.

5. Finished Pillow... (Paper removed) total cost - $ 8.00. ( AUS)
Pictured here with steel block and chasing hammer.

For those who do not sew or do not wish to make their own, a selection of bench block pillows are available (from the U.S.A) at The Antique Palette on etsy.

Cheers,

A STUNNING GIVEAWAY

2011-10-02T19:00:00.001+11:00

Hello dear readers,

If you haven't already seen this Riki Schumacher has a new blog called E-workshops and is beginning with a STUNNING and very generous giveaway!

Please go and have a look for yourselves....the items are truly unique and will be very inspirational. Thank you Riki for your generosity.

Beautiful bling, buttons, heart lockets and a copy of a 16th Century hand written letter!

Riki's video on "How to wire rubber cord and make a clasp" listed on etsy.

And still there is more....so head on over and take a peep!

Cheers,

I Heart Macro - Market Love.

2011-10-02T13:06:00.000+11:00

Hello dear readers,

On a Sunday I often go to our local "trash and treasure" style market, located close by in Camberwell.

Today I found a 'J' stamp for stamping metal. I do already have a full alphabet set of letters for stamping on to metal...but they are only about 4mm in height, from memory.

This letter is 12mm, so I decided to risk it. I say risk it.......as I was a little unsure if the letter was actually going to be a good, clear imprint.

I raced home to give it a try.....stamped it on some (unannealed) copper.........probably could have got a better result on the softer metal.
Anyway, further play will probably tell me it is o.k....but possibly not fantastic!

Metal 'J' stamp

A quick stamp on copper shows me the curve is a little thin! What happened to the J's "hat?"

Old bottles at the market....Orangeade and Sarsparilla.

Today I am linking up to Lori's I Heart macro at Studio Waterstone.

Check it out for photos of a macro nature...it's for "up Close Photography for Macro Makers and the Cameralogically Challenged!"

Cheers for now,

Friday Blues....

2011-09-30T20:45:00.002+10:00

Hello dear friends,

It has been a gloomy and rainy day here in Melbourne.
I couldn't finish painting the fence or get into the garden.....
Beads could have been made but it was too windy.....
The studio needed tidying but I just couldn't get the energy to bother...

You know how it goes...!!

So what did I do...spent a good part of the day on my recent obsession....Pinterest

What is pinterest?
Well, Pinterest is a virtual pinboard........... a place where you can 'take' photos and 'make a board' of your own.
"Why would you wan't to do this"...I hear you say -

Fun.
Inspiration.
Organisation and planning.
Sharing.

All good reasons.
I am still learning and working my way around it.

So far I have put together 16 boards with 52 photos that I like...just a beginning really.
They cover all subjects...jewelry, home decorating, photography, fashion, cooking... ...just select topics you are interested in and way you go...!

I have come across some blog friends from the beading and photography communities... and linked in to some of their boards. Which is really nice and part of the whole process and fun of it really.

I am yet to 'take' a photo from a website and repin it...pinterest allows you to do that.
Any photos you use on a blog, need to be acknowledged, of course.

Anyway, here a few from today.

I LOVE this fabric...would like to put it on a real board and use the covered board as wall decoration...grey and yellow seem very popular at the moment. ( this picture is from Pinterest (Joel Dewberry) I put this one in my 'Style for the Home' board.

This wonderful necklace is originally from Birgitta Lejonklou. (Birgitta was a recent Bead Soup participant...see my picture link at the top of my blog side bar to read more about this wonderful event) There is an amazing story behind this necklace....

This photo, of course is on my 'Jewelery and Gem Inspiration' board on Pinterest. I might have to separate these in to two separate board categories eventually.....there are way too may beautiful jewelery pieces and, separately, lovely gems to have them together on the same board.

So far, the only difficulty I have had in using Pinterest, is that some photos, when attempting to transfer and enlarge them in size on my blog, are very pixelated with resultant poor quality and image. I am not too sure how to get around that...choose other photos, I guess!

( I actually had a few more photos to show you...but came across this problem...any hints from those more experienced than I at using Pinterest would be welcome)

If you wish to check out Pinterest for yourselves, click on the red Pinterest Logo on my blog side bar. This should take you to my boards where you can see a little about it. ( I THINK you can look without signing up...although not entirely sure..anyway give it a try...and then let me know!!)

Cheers for now and

Goodnight,

jenni

I Heart Macro - Calligraphy brushes and box

2011-09-25T20:21:00.000+10:00

Hello dear readers,

It has been a busy week.

I have been steadily working my way through the very large list of Bead Soup participants blogs...I think I am up to no. 111 on the list. It is a massive task...but I am determined to visit each of the 362 participant's blogs. I have been working my way through the list.....slowly but steadily. There is an awesome amount of beautiful jewellery to see. Come and take a look if this is new to you.
(If you missed out this time...take a look at the Bead Soup link, above, and you will notice the 5th Bead Soup is due to start in January....all the particulars are there.)

My partner and I are no. 82 on the list ...here is my submission and here is my partners submission
I have been reading the Bead Soup submissions at night, as I have been busy in the garden during the day.

Spring is here in Melbourne and the days have been glorious, so I have been trying to get some work done in the yard. There is always so much to do in a garden at Spring time!

Over this last weekend I have painted a paling fence which divides my property with a neighbour. In keeping with the grey that I have painted on my new deck surround, I have painted the fence in a charcoal colour.....and it look awesome. There is a lot more to do and of course, once you start you need to do all of the fence...both sides front and back will be tackled throughout the week.
Then of course, there is the selection of new screening trees, herbs etc... and so the list goes on!

Needless to say, I have not been the most prolific blogger this week!

I do, however, always love to link up to I Heart Macro ( No matter how busy I get!!) and here is my submission for this week.

These are the handles of the two calligraphy brushes I own. The lower one could possibly be a carved Jade...not too sure of the top one...but I love it anyway! I just love the hint of green with the speckles.

Close up of the brushes.

This is the sweet little antique Japanese box, which I was told is a calligraphy box. The little drawers were used for storing the ink stone..the larger drawers were used for the papers and brushes.

For joining in with all the 'I heart Macro' fun, please click on the photo below to take you to our host, Lori's site.

Cheers,

and goodnight,

I Heart Macro - Lily Love

2011-09-18T10:43:00.000+10:00

Hello dear readers,

Time for a little macro love....
As per usual I am linking up to Lori at Studio Waterstone today for I Heart macro: close up photo fun for macro makers and the camerologically challenged!

Come along and join us for all the fun...there are a lot of interesting photos on I Heart Macro.
Or come and join in...It is not hard and you do not have to be a fantastic photographer to give it a go!

My contribution this week is a collage of lilies photographed over a 6 day period.....as they arrived in my home in tight bud....until they opened in to full bloom.

I absolutely adore lilies, they are one of my favourite flowers...apart from the annoying brown stamen which stains if you get it on your clothes, etc. I have been known to cut them off, but I do find the flower then looks a little strange and naked.

Does anyone else do this to their lilly stamens??! I left them on for the photos..they do look better in their natural state!

Click on the link above to take you you there...

Cheers for now,

Apology!

2011-09-17T10:27:00.000+10:00

Hello,

Whoops!! I do apologise...scheduled my soup post for saturday 17th my time here in Australia and totally forgot about time difference! I should know by now! Didn't mean to jump the gun. Apologies Lori.

Jenni

New Books

2011-09-17T10:12:00.000+10:00

Hello dear readers,

Last week I received in the mail 3 lovely books. Here is my quick 'review' of each of these outstanding books after a first read-through.

1. "Handcrafted Wire Findings" by Denise Peck ( Denise is editor in chief of Step by Step wire jewellery and has also written three other books) and Jane Dickerson ( also author of Chain Style: 50 Contemporary Jewellery Designs)
I am totally loving this book! The many step by step photos with each project are clear and just so easy to understand... I know I will be using this book a lot to teach myself how to make jewellery components like clasps and connectors etc. I already have had a small attempt and made the Tumblweed french ear wires on page 34 (plus assembling Jennifer Jangle's ceramic beads for my bead soup project - see previous posting).

2.The second book is "Jewelry Designs from Nature"... woodlands, gardens and sea by Heather Powers. This too is just so inspirational. Gorgeous, interesting projects combine with great art beads and really different components at times, making this book a visual feast. Full page photography with each project and interviews with artists make this a must-have book for anyone interested in jewellery.
A sources list for each project at the back of the book for all those lovely art beads could be positively dangerous to my purse!

3."Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry" is a "workshop in painting with fire" says Barbara Lewis the author of this book.

I have never done enamel work with my torch before, but thought I might try it. This book gives lots of step by step details in how to do exactly that and much more...like how to cut metal discs and shape them, how to knot cord and incorporate fabric into your designs, to name just a few of the many and varied techniques in this wonderful book. I can't wait to give them all a go!

Hope you enjoy them too,

Cheers,

Jenni