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Day 6. One of the benefits of having made lots of beads over lots of years, is having beads laying around that might come in handy! I love the mis-matched look of these earrings! 

Day 5. First of all, thanks for all the well wishes for my brother. He is safe and has returned home now. Recovery on the island will take a long time though. Now, can you guess where this purple glass is from? Keep scrolling to see where it is from, and the earrings I made today! So exciting, purple glass is so rare! And purple glass that melts like this feels like a unicorn! I can’t wait to make more things with this gorgeous glass. Cheers!

Day 4. It was quite surreal on the torch yesterday. Kept thinking that this flame that enables me to make beautiful beads, is also causing such widespread devastation in my country. My brother was evacuated from his home on Kangaroo Island yesterday, making the situation feel even more awful. So many people are impacted and yet there I was, on the torch, making beads. The earrings I made today are another response to these horrific fires. I hope everyone stays safe and things are contained soon.

Day 3. Up early today, struggled to watch the news, headed into my studio to make these earrings. I made the beads last year, they were leftover from a custom order and seemed to be a good fit for this day of more extreme heat.

Day 2. Long, rectangle Bombay Sapphire Gin recycled glass bead hoop earrings! And a sneak peak at my super tidy workspace. Not sure how long that will last!

Happy 2020! Three years ago I started a daily creative project, to draw a pair of earrings every day. It was simple, I got behind, I got back on track, and by the end of the year I had more than 300 drawings of earrings, plus I really enjoyed the attempt at a daily creative practice. In 2018 I took this idea a bit further and made myself slightly more accountable by starting a new daily challenge and posting the results online! That was my year of making a piece of recycled glass jewellery, and it was awesome to make something nearly every day! In 2019 I tried to do a similar challenge, but it was slightly less successful, because life kind of got in the way a bit more. And that was OK, that was 2019. But as I reflected on my practice and my creative journey, I decided to take on a new daily challenge for 2020. Introducing….my year of making a pair of earrings every day! I am excited about this challenge. It’s going to be fun because I am not limiting the type of glass I can use. This year you will see a mix of recycled and Italian glass beads. And you will also still see some necklaces and bracelets along the way! I look forward to seeing where this project takes me. Today on day 1, I have made a pair of earrings featuring beads made from gin and tonic bottles.

Thirty years ago I made my first pair of earrings! I wore them out in my small town, got compliments, was asked if I could make a pair for someone, made them, and so it all started. It’s a tale that is similar for a lot of makers, and it has defined me and my life ever since. I tried to “give up” making jewellery when I travelled to London for two years in my 20’s, but one of the first things I did when I got there was to find a bead shop and purchase new tools and beads. I told this story a lot at markets this year, it reminded me of why I am so incredibly hooked (pun intended) on making jewellery. It’s a huge part of me, and I love the creativity that comes from making things. This year I tried to make something every day, but it didn’t work out, life got in the way (too much), but that was the reality of life and this year in particular. I can still look back on this year and see some awesome things happened…I had an exhibition at the Murray Bridge Regional Gallery that I designed, made and curated! My work is stocked in several new galleries thanks to beautiful people finding me online. I met new customers at the markets and I made some beautiful jewellery! Being able to still do this, and still loving it, makes me feel so grateful. I am excited about next year, I have a new creative project that I will share with you tomorrow. For now, let’s just enjoy this last day of the year, and I will see you all next year!

It’s sale table time at @tartscollective again! I have all sorts of discontinued and very discounted jewellery on the table this year!

And that’s a wrap! Thanks for all the support and likes in 2019. Your comments and encouragement help me to keep on making glass beads and jewellery! This photograph represents your 9 most-liked photos from this year! Wow, look at all of that recycled glass jewellery. I feel grateful every day that I get to do this! I am looking forward to 2020 and I hope to see you in the new year at some stage. Enjoy the festive season for whatever it is for you. For me it’s about family and I can’t wait to spend time with them all this week. Stay safe wherever you are. Thanks and farewell 2019.

Actually it kind of feels this hot in the studio today! Luckily only a few beads left to make for this super busy festive season and then I get to relax! I also made a pair of earrings today, they kind of match the day/season.