Doesn't time fly.....

I was working at the Clocktower Market in Greenwich yesterday and had a gentle nudge abut updating my blog more often (hello Stephen *waving*) and I realised it had been more than 2 months since my last entry.

So what have been up to? I'd love to say "sunning in Sardinia" but sadly not this year, after our jaunt to India in January. Lots of things have been happening outside of my jewellery-world with family health, pet health, ceiling problems and the like, that are whole episodes in themselves and I won't bore you with, but they have been a distracting influence. I have continued to make jewellery and make my twice-weekly appearances at my Greenwich markets, but not made it onto the blogger....until now!

This week, I have been making designs with some lovely lampwork beads, handmade in the UK by bead artists.....

These two designs are made with lampwork made by Deborah Dew:



These two are made with organic focals by June Scott:



And finally, these black and white designs made with etched beads by Yvonne Johnson ~ the bracelet and matching earrings were inspired by a recent trip to Dublin and a pint of the black stuff...





I have even taken time this week to update my website so these designs are now included.

I'm now off to try and warm up a little....

Going green....

It's the start of August on Saturday and the birthstone for the month is Peridot so I thought I should make a couple of pieces that would make nice pressies for a birthday this week, including a pendant and earring set with simple beaten silver ovals and small beautifully faceted peridot kites ~ just a peek of peridot...

Then I realised I had some lovely green stones stashed away in box and got my silver wire and pliers out ~ a distraction as I really wanted to make a couple of beaded designs but my new supply of beading material is somewhere in the London mail system. I've made a long, monster size pendant with a pale green amethyst nugget and a rich green onyx focal complimented by a cluster of small stones of peridot, prehnite, green tourmaline and green onyx. A pair of simple green onyx leverbacks sets the pendant off beautifully.

Now I'm off to get all my newly made goodies ready for working at Greenwich tomorrow ~ hope the weather is a bit better than it's been this week otherwise I may need a cardi and stout shoes...in July ?!!

Knackered old turkey...

That just about describes me at the moment!

This weekend, I worked my first Sunday at Greenwich craft market and worked like the clappers last week designing and making jewellery pieces to make sure I had enough stock to cover the days I was trading. I worked on Friday at Greenwich craft market as usual, Saturday I worked at the Clocktower market in Greenwich and when I woke up on Sunday morning, every bone in my tired old body was screaming at me to go back to sleep....instead I crawled out of bed and into the shower to get ready to leave by 8am.

I had a great day, saw some of the Friday traders, met some new Sunday traders, chatted to customers and had some good sales to boot. What more could I ask for? Well, a new pair of feet would be a good start...

Nose to the grindstone....

Been a mixed bag of a week so far ~ on Monday the cat went to the vet with cystitis (poor old thing) and yesterday the car went into the garage for a new clutch (how much?!).

This weekend I'll be working 3 days at Greenwich Market instead of the usual two ~ I'm working at the craft market on Sunday as an additional day. I work every week there on Friday, but I've never done Sunday before, so I've been making sure I have interesting range of stock to attract the eye of passers-by in the crowded market. I've also been sorting out some orders that have been waiting in the wings ~ the "whenever you have time" repairs and redesign work.

I'm pleased to say I finally finished restringing an amethyst necklace and another one of multi-coloured beryls as well as lengthening 4 pairs of earrings and making another two, all for one customer! Then I set to making some new designs for the weekend....next week I am definitely setting some time aside to play with silver again!

Every cloud has a silver lining....

A couple of funny days ~ disaster followed by joy....

Friday evening, after a full day working at Greenwich Market, my car decided it didn't want to go home ~ right in the middle of the market the clutch went pop just as I was setting off home! What followed was worthy of a sketch from a sitcom ~ husband drove to collect me and waited with my car for the recovery vehicle; I drove home with son only to find we didn't have the house keys; husband argues with recovery driver; son climbs over wall to break into house. Oops-la!

One of the cats was unwell and had to go to the vet on Saturday, so with only one car available, I was unable to work at the market as normal....but the upside was that I could go to a family meal to celebrate the 18th birthday of my beautiful neice ~ I had a great evening, yay!!

Feeling a little tired today after a very late bedtime, but trying to sort out orders that I need to make for next weekend and take photos etc to update my website. I've been making more designs using my silversmithing skills and recently entered a mythology challenge in my group, End of the Rainbow ~ the piece was entitled "The Fall of Icarus" and I was really pleased to have won, especially as there was so many stunning entries and wonderful interpretations of myths.

All that glitters is not gold...

Getting things together for working at Greenwich Market tomorrow and Saturday, finishing orders and making some new designs. Had a minor heart flutter when I thought I'd lost half a pair of stud earrings that I'd just made ~ I'd spent an age trying to find the right size and colour of bloodstone gemstones. The cheeky earring was hiding under my mouse-mat, but now it's been reunited with it's sister and matching pendant..phew!!

This week I have been playing with gold-filled metal ~ also known as "rolled gold" which is nearly as hardwearing as solid gold but without the price tag. I have a sneaky suspicion that half my mind was on Christmas as I was making them ~ although it's only July some bright spark mentioned it was looming (urghhh!).

New Busts!

Now don't get excited, it's nothing to do with me having a boob-job, but I recently bought some lovely wooden jewellery display busts for my stall at Greenwich and I'm dead pleased with them ~ my chunky necklaces look sooooo nice...well I think so anyway.

It's been all quiet on the London-front since my last blog ~ last week was too hot to contemplate sitting over a soldering torch and besides, there was a distraction every afternoon on the TV from about 1pm. Almost glad the tennis has finished so I can get back to some work!

Back to work...hot and bothered

It's a beautiful sunny morning here in London ~ let's hope it's not as humid as yesterday!

I went back to work on Friday after missing two weeks through illness. It was so hot and stuffy, traders and customers quite listless ~ the forecast threatened thunderstorms in the afternoon, but these didn't happen. Exhausted when I got home, but had Saturday to look forward to ~ the Saturday market is outside so you get more fresh air and the famous afternoon wind of greenwich, off the river.

Saturday started well ~ another bright morning. By midday it was scorchio-hot, cotton covers up for some shade and loads of cool liquids consumed (no amber nectar unfornately). By 3pm, it was hot, humid and airless ~ where is the wind when you want it???? At 4pm, I had a "paddle" in a washing-up bowl of cold water...bliss. By 5.30pm I was soaked to the skin!!!

Flash thunderstorm hit as we were packing up ~ everything bunged under the table as no time to pack properly and load the car, then a sprint to the car to take refuge from the storm overhead. It was like someone had opened the sky and poured a bucket of water over us! After 20 minutes, the rain had slowed (not stopped) enough to pack the car ~ boxes and covers soaked. Drove 3 miles home and although they had a thunderstorm, not a single drop of rain....grrrrrrrr!!

Boxes now strawn on the floor with contents drying, ready to be checked and cleaned tomorrow.

Took a rough pic of my Friday stall at Greenwich Market ~ camera phones are not the best quality :(

Pink Beads!

I'm not really much of a pink girl, nor one for hearts, but I have fallen in love with some gorgeous lampwork glass beads in pink-pearl and just HAD to buy them! The set comprised of a focal heart, matching pink beads and coordinating black spacers ~ I've made them into a heart pendant and earrings which I am wearing as I type...these are not for sale and are mine, all mine, mwahhh!

The beads are handmade by UK glass artist Trudi Doherty, who is part of the End of the Rainbow Group ~ her beads can be found at Glittering Prize www.glitteringprize.co.uk

Slipping into the summer schedule....

A beautiful couple of days in London, as long as you ignore that flash-storm last night! It's now beginning to feel like summer and my mind turns to distractions such as Wimbledon, Pimms and the like. I can feel myself slipping into my summer schedule ~ up really early and into my workshop before 9am for a few solid hours of work until I break at lunchtime and settle down to a couple of hours of tennis....first the French Open, then the Stella Artois (or whatever it's now called) and in a week's time it will be Wimbledon.

On the subject of summer days, the group that I belong to ~ The End of the Rainbow ~ set a monthly challenge to come up with design(s) that reflect our feelings of summer days. One member came up with Pimms (yummy) and that got me thinking about Wimbledon and eventually onto strawberries, so my design entry is entitled "strawberries and cream" ~ pair of sterling silver earrings and pendant with red jade and cream freshwater pearls with a tiny splash of green to represent the stub of leaves in the strawberries.

A new dawn...for blogging anyway

Just moved across to blogspot as my main blogging area ~ previous posts can be found at http://www.kymbigwood.com

We've just had the nicest weekend weather in London for ages and I was looking forward to working at the outside market at Greenwich but some divine force(s) had other ideas, and I was struck down by my OH's "man-flu" on Thursday. I've been sweating, coughing and spluttering, unable to leave the house and definately not able to bear the sun. It just made me stay indoors and catch up on some work instead ~ no housework mind you ;)

Some new designs over the last couple of days, combining colour and texture ~ natural copper with fine silver detailing.