Custom Silver Mini-Bee Bracelet

Given all my recent witterings about furniture and fancy gardens, you may have forgotten that I do actually make the odd shiny thing.

Had a recent commission to make one of my mini-bees into a bracelet with a little yellow citrine gemstone honey drop.

And here it is!

A little close up:



Not terribly good pictures I'm afraid, I just took them in the workshop without using my usual lighting or diffusers, but you get the idea.

Another custom thing coming very soon....

More Shiny Moustaches!

I've been wittering on about shiny moustaches for a long time now, and finally I've got them all finished, hurrah!

Some of them I designed and made a long time ago, like this moustache charm:

And this rather fab chunky moustache ring:

And others are brand new designs, like my mini moustache necklace...

...my little mini moustache post earrings:


Also, a little moustache charm ring:


And some dangly moustache earrings with gemstones. The boy thinks these are a bit too mental, but I rather like them!


So, there you are then. Cute and shiny silver moustaches.


Now available here on my website...

Custom Shiny Skates

So, I mentioned that I’d been working on a couple of new personalised derby skate necklaces recently. Well, here they are!

Silver winged skate with a little shiny 23 and black and white gemstones:

This was made for a rollergirl from New Zealand – I wonder which league/team there skates in black and white...

And another custom skater number, this time on a separate chain from the skate:

I do like making the little numbers – they take a while to cut out by hand, then curve all the edges and engrave the detail, but it’s so worth it when they’re finished!

Now onwards! I have more moustaches to finish, a flamey heart to make a master for, and some pearl stringing to learn about.

Best get on with it then...

Shiny Moustaches

You've been asking for them, and here they are! (Well, almost...)

Ever since I made a pair of custom moustache wedding rings way back in 2010, swiftly followed by a little moustache charm and a ring, I've been meaning to make more things with this little 'tache design as they're so cute!

I've had a moustache charm here on my website since its launch, which has been pretty popular, and a ring, but I also fancy making some earrings and maybe some cufflinks and anything else I can think of putting moustaches on really!

Recently I've been getting a ton of requests for more moustache jewellery in silver and gold (it's weirdly been one of the top search terms on my website for the past year or so). So, I'm finally getting off my bum and making some more things with the designs that have been living in my sketchbook forever!

Here's a couple of work in progress shots of my moustache castings - the finished shiny moustaches should be ready for photographing soon....

Check back soon for more moustaches!

Sparkly Things!

Hello!

So, I've not updated this in a while, as I keep forgetting to take pictures of stuff. I shall now, however, tell you what I've been up to.

Firstly, I have mainly been making skate necklaces. I had so many orders I ended up with an actual waiting list. Check me out with my exclusive jewellery pieces! I have to say they are rather a pain in the bum to make, and I could quite cheerfully never look at one again.

I've also been making new stuff though, which is quite exciting. I sent off my little pieces to a new mould maker I'm trying out, and I now have a little pile of vintage wallpaper inspired swirly things.

I also managed to spend a quite alarming amount of money at the IJL show at Earls Court at the beginning of this month. I've been there every year since college and I think this is the first time I've ever turned up with purpose and actually knowing what I wanted. Managed to come back with a lovely haul of sparkly things.

Also bumped into my old college tutor, Brian, which was really nice. Am always amazed at the ability of tutors to remember their students, even years later!

So, that's what I've been up to. My plan for the next few weeks is to finalise my new stuff, make a tiny crown for my bumble bee (which is going to be very cute), take more photographs and update the website. Oh, and make more skate necklaces...

Old Project, New Photography - Silver AFI Jewellery

For many, many years I have been terribly fond of a band called AFI. I made these silver necklaces some time in 2003, inspired by the gorgeous artwork on the cover of their album, Sing the Sorrow (one of my favourite albums of all time). There was a whole collection of symbols and I originally planned to make a necklace for each, but I imagine my short attention span got distracted by some other shiny thing, so only ever got round to making these two.
Silver AFI Jewelry Davey Havok
The inside shapes of the necklaces were pierced from sterling silver sheet, then soldered into a large ring hammered from silver wire. I remember them taking rather a long time to make!

Haven't worn them in forever, but came across them in my jewellery box and thought I'd take some pictures, which came out rather well. Here they are:

I'm still not entirely sure about using this acrylic star as a photography prop. I rather like it as a way to display necklaces, but worry that the lights and shadows detract from the jewellery.

Anyway, must wander back to current shiny project, namely making new collection with which to wow Liberty's buying team...

A Halloween Weekend

I do love Halloween. How could you not? There are ghosts and pumpkins and bats and dressing up and much silliness.

This year, we had a bit of a dinner party on Saturday – it wasn’t an actual Halloween party, but obviously this didn’t stop me from adding pumpkin lights and spooky candles and dancing about in a sparkly spider necklace and glittery bat tights. Apparently one of my dinner guests described me as a cross between Kylie Minogue and Marilyn Manson!

Anyway, here are my pumpkin lights:

I actually want to keep them up all winter. Could I get away with putting them on my Christmas tree I wonder, in a Nightmare Before Christmas inspired fashion? Maybe I’ll sneak them on and the boy won’t notice...

My ludicrous bat candles:

My fabulous sparkly spider necklace:

There would also have been some Halloween inspired cupcakes, but sadly my mixer suffered a rather dramatic death half way through dessert making. I had made some rather distressed looking sugarpaste ghosts that were going to hover on spooky graveyard cupcakes, but sadly it was not to be.

See...

All in all, it was rather fun. We made Spanish food, drank wine and played on the Guitar Hero game that had been delivered that morning. I discovered I am very bad on drums, but much, much worse on vocals!

So that was Saturday and then on Sunday night we went to see ALICE COOPER!!!!!! Amazers! He was doing a 2 night Halloween show at the Roundhouse, which is such a small and lovely venue. It was brilliant fun.

Usually my weekends are spent quietly ensconced at my work bench or watching Come Dine With Me, so it was all a bit hectic and I am sleepy today.

Much work needs to be done this week though. I have two orders for silver crash helmets from the US, plus a further enquiry this morning, so I need to get making things. Exciting!

Roller Derby Charms - New Photography!

Unhappy as I was with my recent photography exploits, my lovely friend Dan arranged for his photographer friend, Paul, to come over and take some new pictures for me. And he was happy to be paid in beer! I wish more people would work for beer, it would make my life much easier. Dear Mr Website Designer, please could I have a website? Here is some beer. Sadly, things don't work like that in real world. Sigh...

Anyway, I digress. Paul turned up with a massive camera (it turns out that yes, size does matter...) and a ton of flash guns.

And here are the results:

Much better, yes?

So, now I just need to get me one of those big cameras, some photography knowledge and learn how to build a website and I'll be sorted. Simples!