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SALA 2017

This year I am exhibiting in my 10th solo SALA exhibition!  I look forward to getting new work ready for August every year, it’s such a great opportunity to try new things.

This year I am teaming up with Bethany Wines in the Barossa, and recycling their beautiful wine bottles to create new beads and jewellery.  Trying new things….sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t….but I really like this new necklace.  I love the colours, and the sparkle.

Thank you Bethany Wines for hosting me this year.

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Colour Play – Earrings #4

Colour Play #1

Colour Play #2

Colour Play #3

And finally it was time to tweak a couple of pairs of studs just a little bit to make some new and (hopefully) interesting pairs.

The first pair of studs was made from a Banrock Station wine bottle.  I flattened the beads and also etched them.  I do love the soft etched finish!

The second pair of earrings was made from a Peroni Beer bottle, and I have used one of my favourite flower beads, and turned them into studs.  Transparent, shiny and sparkly, they are a bit different from what I have made in the past, as they are usually opaque.

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Warm colours

Oh boy, it has turned all cold here again!  I guess it is nearly winter, but….you know I kind of prefer it a bit warmer!

Luckily I had planned to make some beads and jewellery with WARM colours!  I have chosen this side of the colour wheel for the next Colour Play.  It should be ready soon.  If you are subscribed to my newsletter….you’ll be the first to know about it.

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New etched glass necklaces

I had “planned” to make these necklaces a little bit differently, but then I ran out of beads and had to dive into my stash of leftover beads to see what I could use, and this is how they ended up.  Actually….I think I’m pretty happy with them.  A bit more colourful, and a bit more fun than my original idea.  Funny how that happens sometimes.

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Colour Play – Earrings #3

Last week I showed you the earrings that I created from a current design that I have tweaked a little.

The week before that I showed you some new dangly earrings.

So this week I want to show you some really, really different earrings.  These are probably some of my favourite new earrings!  I can’t wait to take them through to production.  I’m still working out how to do that, and I’m hoping you will like them as much as me!

The first pair are made from a Skyy Vodka bottle.  Each of the sides of the square are 2.5cm, and they are actually really light to wear.

The second pair of earrings are made from a Bombay Sapphire Gin bottle.  A great colour, and the square hoops are super cool.

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View from my studio…

I have lots of little projects on the go at the moment.  Gallery top-ups, designing work for exhibitions, making test beads and jewellery!  It’s lots of fun, and a little bit hectic!

Today is my studio day, and I am trying to make the most of it.  Making beads, making jewellery, and making the most of my time!

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New recycled glass earrings

Oh gosh, I have been making new earrings, and I really, really like this style.  They look great!  Simple, but very eye-catching.  These earrings are made from a Peroni beer bottle, a Coopers Ale bottle, and a Banrock Station wine bottle.

Can’t wait to try some more different colours.

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Colour Play – Earrings #2

Continuing on from last week, I really loved taking one of my designs, and changing it slightly so that I was able to make two really different pairs of earrings.

I usually make the square earrings with both the front and the back the same length, being 5cm.  For the first pair of earrings – the ones made from a Moet champagne bottle – I made the front of the earrings 3cm, and the back is 5cm.  I love the colour of this glass, it’s perfect for winter, and goes perfectly with reds, blacks and greys.

The second pair of earrings were made from a Green Depression Glass plate.  Another great glass, this time I made the earrings at the front and the back 3cm long.  Nice for winter, they are less likely to catch on your scarf, if you are wearing one!

Again, feel free to check out my shop for more details.

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View from my studio…

Oh, hello!  I’m just finishing my coffee and social media obligations, and then I’m jumping on the torch to make as many beads in one day as I possibly can!  I’m always limited by the space in the kiln, and the number of mandrels I have ready to go…and sometimes, when both are running low, it can be frustrating when I still have lots of beads to make.  I hope to make a solid dent in the bead-making list today!

This is a busy week of gallery top-ups, and also playing with some more new ideas for an exhibition that I will be part of at Red Poles.  The exhibition runs through June and July, and I’ll have more information on it in a separate post soon.

Thanks to everyone who visited me at the Hahndorf Academy Market on Sunday.  It was a lovely day (a little bit cold at times), and it was lovely to see what items you were all loving.  It looks like I need to make lots more of the stud earrings going forward!

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Colour Play – Earrings #1

Last year I was thinking that while I love the earrings that I make, it was probably time to make some new ones.  I resolved to spend time every day drawing earrings, and in particular my goal was to draw one pair every day!

It has been a great habit to get into, and I have managed to draw at least one pair of earrings every day.  I know I’ll never make some of these earrings, but it has been a great habit to develop, and something I’ll be able to look back on for years to come (hopefully)!  I’m still going too, so who knows what else will pop out.

This series for Colour Play was inspired by my drawings, and the realisation that I actually needed to make some earrings!  I decided to make this selection with recycled glass, and I tried hard to keep the beads simple, and the earrings all a bit different.

This first set of earrings have a lot of movement!  The first pair is made from a Coopers Ale beer bottle, and the second pair is from a clear Banrock Station wine bottle.  Both earrings have one contrasting bead embellished with pixie dust.

Check out my shop for more details.  Please note the Coopers Ale earrings have sold.