The swallows have arrived!

A sure sign of Summer is the arrival of swallows in Ashgrove.  I was speaking to my mother earlier in the week and she told me they had made the long flight from Africa and have returned to Cobh for the Summer!

I had just finished making some bird rings and I thought that it was a good omen.

 

No pictures of the swallows I’m afraid as they are SO fast.  But last time I was home my sister and I met a beautiful Swan down in Cuskinny.  So here is a few pictures of Cobh with the lovely Swan that me met.

It is the first Brighton Artists Open Houses for me this year.  Eeeek! That starts tomorrow for the month of May. Check it out! http://aoh.org.uk/artist/pauline-morley/

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.  It is a Bank Holiday here in the UK. So one extra day. Yay!

Thanks for reading.

 

Stacking Rings

I have been a little lax on my blog posts recently. I had a very busy Christmas season and I am only just now recovering! I have been posting pics on my Instagram (@fancypantsjewellery) with stacking combinations of my jewellery, mostly rings.  But with a few necklaces and earrings thrown in for good measure.  I will have to start doing more earrings and necklaces and I think adding bangles to the mix.  But that will take time.  For now I will begin by properly introducing some rings here.

I started used eco sterling silver for my rings back in June 2015. EcoSilver is an eco-friendly alternative which is produced from 100% recycled scrap silverEcoSilver is an eco-friendly alternative which is produced from 100% recycled scrap silverEcosilver is an eco-friendly alternative to newly mined sterling silver. It is produced from 100% recycled scrap silver. It is both an ethical and ecological choice.

This stack has a total of four rings. Two made entirely in eco silver, the other in a combination of eco silver and recycled 18 ct gold.  So again a completely ethical and ecological choice.

There are two medium pebbles – one gold and silver and the other silver which I then oxidised and brushed back to show the shiny silver underneath.  The other two are small pebble rings, again one a combination of gold and silver and the other made entirely in sterling (eco) silver.

I wear them on their own, all together, or in numerous different combinations (which you will see in later blog posts). I sometimes add “spacer” rings between them to make them sit better on my finger.  Depending on how I want it to look.

I love jewellery, ALL jewellery, but rings are my favourite. I guess that’s why I make so many of them!

Find them here!

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/217705035/alternative-engagement-ring-recycled

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/238561904/gold-and-silver-ring-handmade-engagement

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/217694215/sterling-silver-ring-unique-handmade

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/217692185/sterling-silver-ring-silver-pebble-ring

Every Cloud has a silver lining (or in this case a solid sterling silver core)

 

These little silver and golden clouds were a complete experiment.  The original design came from a ring that I thought I ruined.  So I decided to try and put it back together.  And the result was a pleasant surprise!

Little clouds floating.  Ethereal, silver and gold plated clouds.

So far I have made earrings

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/242287940/sterling-silver-earrings-stud-earrings

and tie pins.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/250028013/sterling-silver-tie-pin-handmade-cloud

I plan on making necklaces and cuff links and whatever else works with these designs.

This was the original ring.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/238455781/sterling-silver-ring-silver-ring-lava

And this is the second ring I made with this technique.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/252712745/sterling-silver-statement-ring-chunky

I wear the earrings most days.  And the lovely big chunky rings sit nicely on my fingers with a wonderful weight.  I love chunky rings.  They have always been my favourite.

I am looking forward to conducting more experiments and seeing how they turn out!

Thanks for reading.

Connected – Personalised jewellery without the stamping

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We all have connections. With our families, our friends, our pets. 🙂

I love the idea of personalised jewellery.  Jewellery that MEANS something to the owner or gift giver.  I do a little bit of stamping letters etc, on jewellery but my hearts not in it.  I prefer more of a simple symbol.  A representation of someone or a group of people that you love. Be it your siblings, parents, children, partner or pet. That’s where this line of jewellery came from. I thought how can I represent my loved ones in a piece of jewellery that I would wear every day.

For me the 5 piece necklace represents my siblings and I.  All five of us! (how did my parents do it).  We are all living separate lives in different countries but we all love each other dearly.  Each one sits on the chain unique and different but similar in many ways.  I cut the pieces from the same piece of silver, which means each piece was once joined together.  I think that makes it mean that little bit more.

I also have a pair of earrings representing my parents and a bangle representing myself, my husband and our daughter.

It’s a very lovely way of remembering your connections.

I have a ritual of choosing jewellery in the morning.  The finishing touch to getting dressed.  I would feel naked without it.  I always choose my jewellery depending on my mood. I have been particularly missing my siblings recently so I wear that one a lot.  It’s a way to keep them close. Really I should call or Skype more often. But this is my way of keeping them close to my heart.

If you would like your own little something to represent your friends or family you can find the listing on my etsy shop here:  https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/248579717/sterling-silver-silver-necklace-silver

Thanks for reading. 🙂

 

Triquetra Necklace

I first made this necklace as a commission for a member of my lovely family.

I used to draw these a lot in primary school. When we were studying the Book of Kells or Celtic drawings.  Trying to get it to cross over the right way at each point was REALLY tricky.  I seem to remember it was mostly with Mrs. Spicer who was a sub teacher we had every now and again.  I went to a small country school in Cobh, Co. Cork.  A total of 72 pupils at one stage!  Mrs Spicer used to tell us stories of when she met the fairies in the fields around the Cunninghams.  (One of my neighbours across the fields) She even produced a little pair of shoes to prove to us she met them.  What a GREAT story that was.  She was a real Seanchaí. (Irish for storyteller).  I digress…

I have since done a little more digging to find out a bit more about the triquetra.  And here is what I have found out.

The word itself Triquetra comes from the latin for “three” and quetrus “cornered”.  (handy having a mum who speaks Latin!) It has evolved with the addition of the circle. Which made it even trickier (but more enjoyable) to make.

It is also known as a “trinity knot”, or the Celtic triangle. The design is used by Christianity as a symbol of the “Holy Trinity” (God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit).  And in Pagan religions as the “Triple Goddess” (Mother, Maiden and Crone).  It is similar to Odin’s symbol, the valknut, which is three interlocked triangles.

In some modern traditions, it represents the connection of mind, body and soul, and in Celtic-based Pagan groups it is symbolic of the three realms of earth, sea and sky

There is also a tradition for a loved one to give a gift such as a necklace or ring signifying their affection. The triquetra, is believed to represent the three promises of a relationship such as to love, honour, and protect, similar to the Claddagh design of the crown (loyalty), heart (love) and hands (friendship).

So no matter what your beliefs this necklace is a powerful symbol of love and unity.

If you would like one for you or someone special it is available in my Etsy shop here:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/248794766/sterling-silver-necklace-triquetra

Thanks for reading.

A Yellow Rocking Chair

My earliest memory of this rocking chair is sitting in it with my sister in the kitchen.  We both had one of the many childhood illnesses maybe it was chicken pox, I’m not sure.  It’s more of a feeling than an actual proper memory I think.  I know I wanted to be near my mum in the busy farm kitchen rather than in bed.  We were well enough to be up but not well enough to be running around obviously.  We sat in the chair all bundled up gently rocking whilst my Mam got on with the business at hand.  I felt comfortable and safe.

Thirty years on and the chair is still going strong!  But it is in need of a little TLC.  It now sits in the sunniest room in my parents house – the porch.  It is used to drink a morning coffee or read a Sunday newspaper, or relax and enjoy the view of the garden (and the sun).  Which there actually was quite a bit of during my visit in August.

Following on from the living room makeover the porch was my next port of call and the rocking chair is the fun bit!  I decided to add a little glass of wine to the 2nd coat proceedings, as the majority of the painting was now being done in the evening after I had finished work and Madam was in bed.

I have had my eye on English Yellow (Annie Sloan chalk paint) for a while now.  My husband and I hope to use it for a project at home in the future.

The chair needed a good scrub.  It has several little annoying crevasses where you just know are going to be tricky to clean.  It didn’t take long and I was able to build it into a game my daughter and I were playing.  Double whammy.  Get some work done while entertaining a 5 year old.  A morning well spent. We had set up a fruit and veg shop in my mums garden.  We expanded to selling furniture and plant pots.  My daughter decided to charge €50 for a banana.  And my mum ‘paid’ it! I don’t know if I should be proud of my daughter for selling a banana that must impart the eater with everlasting life at that price, or disappointed with my mother that she would pay that much for a banana.  Although she did get a bargain on the carrots….

ANYWAY! Once the cleaning was done the painting could begin.  Two coats plus a varnish and Voila! I LOVE this colour. It is bright and beautiful. A perfect colour to reinvent an old friend.  There is a piano in my life that might get this colour too.  Time and energy is all that is needed!

River Rings

If you have been reading my blog for the last couple of weeks you will already know that I went home to Ireland for the month of August.  I am VERY lucky to have a job that allows me to work remotely.  If you haven’t been reading my blog.  I GOT TO GO HOME FOR A MONTH AND IT WAS AWESOME!  Now that I am back in my second home Brighton, it is time to share a few lovely experiences and the inspiration for my next collection.

My sister lives in a remote area of West Cork.  We went to visit and she made us TASTY soup and took us on a little trip for a wee walk afterwards.  We went to Roberts Cove.  It is a beautiful little cove in Cork.  Probably perfect for smuggling whiskey or laying the anchor of your pirate ship in the old days.

This is where I got my inspiration for these River Rings.  The channels of water going through the sand.  The mini rivers making their way to the sea.  And the larger river at the back with all the lovely rocks making the water fight it’s way to the sea.

These three rings have the river channels running through them.  I made one wide chunky ring (green) one with a slight arch and one with a little seat for a stone.  I have also made a skinny version of the wide chunky one.  But I don’t have a picture of that yet.

I really like the different channels of “water” going through the wax.  They will be cast in silver and I am hoping to get very good at setting stones so that the River Ring with a Stone will be EXTRA sparkly.

I am looking forward to making some earrings and necklaces in the same style.  A little work in progress to get me through the winter.

h

Thanks for reading.

Making a room cohesive

Following on from my first post about my parents living room.  I now give you – how to bring the room together!

I basically painted the majority of furniture with one colour – Annie Sloan Old Ochre chalk paint.  Once the end cabinet was done it was obvious that to bring the room cohesivley together what it needed was more painting!  Cue MASSIVE groan.  That’s where the snowball began.

Thank GOODNESS the paint is so easy to go on.  When doing the larger pieces of  dark wood furniture I did end up using an undercoat first.  As for the end cabinet, I had to do three coats of paint and then one coat of varnish.  So that was a LOT of painting, my poor aching arm. (SO worth it though)  As long as the surface is clean and dry before you start, you are good to go.  And when I say a layer of undercoat it isn’t like a very nicely perfectly painted piece.  You are literally just using it to take the harm out of the dark wood so that it doesn’t show up through the paint.  A VERY rough coat indeed.  It’s still the same number of coats but you get to save a little on being so precise with the chalk paint.

So in the Living Room I painted:

The marble fireplace and wooden surround (painting marble who knew!  LOVED it)

A large mirror

2 tables

2 stools

A cabinet

2 light fixtures (who knew – my Dad was the one who wanted those and as he wasn’t objecting to the rest of it so I got right to it!)

and 4 wicker baskets

Here is a little sample of what I was working with.  Mostly dark wood and a fair amount of varnish.

So the majority I covered in Old Ochre. The fireplace surround and the mirror were both done in Louis Blue. A really lovely blue, a lot paler than the other Annie Sloan blues that I have put in my house.  There is a little of it in the carpet so it looks GREAT!  A really beautiful pop of colour I think.  The entire room was lifted.  You now walk in and take a big sigh and chillax into one of the sofas to watch the Bake Off, or Countryfile whichever is your fancy 🙂

Unfortunately, as it was not my intention to paint the whole bl**dy room, I don’t have a great before shot.  BUT this is the after shot.  It looks GREAT though doesn’t it!  (Note my daughter was in the middle of organising a sports club hence all the cuddly toys at the back)

I do have a before and after of the fireplace.  Now THAT looks great.  (Those tables are now Old Ochre also)

Next Stop…. The Porch, which includes, a hat stand, a rocking chair, another chair, a wee table (with a little Calvin & Hobbes decoupage) and a bookshelf.  Oh and the DOOR!  SO pleased my Mother and Father let me paint their door.

Thanks for reading 🙂

My Mams Living Room Cabinet

My parents have had this dark wooden cabinet ever since I can remember. I think it went in at some stage of the mid 80s. But I’m not sure.  Mam has been saying how much she would like to change it.

It definitely could do with a little TLC.

Before I go any further, a foreword is required.

I went home to Ireland for the month of August (which was heavenly) and let me tell you I had no intention of doing anything other than hanging out with my parents and daughter and catching up with as many friends that were around. Somehow I ended up painting 14 pieces of furniture…  I still caught up with some friends and got to hang out with my parents and daughter a lot.  But talk about the snowball effect! The cabinet was the start of the whole thing.

So I myself have painted almost every piece of furniture in my house with annie sloan chalk paint. I LOVE the stuff.  It will go on anything and look beautiful!  Although I have previously tried it on shiny leather and it wasn’t so good.  I put it down to inexperience.  I digress…

I thought it time to introduce my mother to the delights of chalk paint.  After discussing it we decided on a mixture of old white and henrietta.  I Googled Annie Sloan Cork.  As this paint is only available in the smaller retail outlets.  Buy from the smaller suppliers when you can peeps!

I was hoping there was a local stockist and ta daaaa! I found ‘The Paint Pot’ (http://thepaintpot.ie/) on St. Patricks Quay in Cork City.  I headed on up there and spoke to Jackie who THANKFULLY talked me out of that and INTO Old Ochre. I hadn’t used it before.  And boy am I glad I changed the plan.  So is my mother! The Henrietta would have been too much pink for that room.

The cabinet was an absolute MONSTER to paint.  All those different compartments and corners.  And to add insult to injury my little roller broke half way through.  But I ploughed on and boy am I happy that I did. Dogged determination. I get that from my Dad I think.

Ta Daaaaaa!!!!

That is where the snowball started. The end cabinet was done and the TV cabinet started shouting at us. I think that is 40 years old and also in dire need of a lick if paint.  So that went old ochre. Jackie also had these beautiful handles which with the help of my wonderful father we also changed. The TV cabinet needed a couple of new holes made and a few holes needed to be filled. The end result is a beautiful cohesive unit that actually matches. It makes the room feel lighter and more pleasant to sit in and watch The Great British Bake Off.  WHAT a difference. It took me the guts of two days. 3 coats plus a coat of varnish.  I would normally use wax but thankfully Jackie introduced me to varnish which gives a great finish and is a LOT quicker and easier to apply.

Then the fireplace started shouting at us, a combination of DARK wood and marble.  BUT I’ll leave that to another post…  I needed a rest in my Mothers amazing garden

and a giggle with Calvin and Hobbes before I did any more painting.

Personal jewellery as a special wedding gift

I recently went to a wedding of a good friend of mine.  We had lived together in a flat in Sydney, Australia together with 3 other girls about 10 years ago now.  Doesn’t time fly!  It was a two bed flat just back from Bondi Beach. Five Irish girls having the time of our lives. We spent Christmas 2004 together. (A total of 37 people at a restaurant at the beach on Christmas day, complete chaos and carnage) good times. We met our partners at various stages of our travels and we were there for each other when it was tough.

I didn’t know what to get Rachael and Peter for a wedding present.  My husband suggested I make them jewellery.  It seemed obvious as that’s what I do.  But I hadn’t really thought of jewellery as a wedding present.  Up until now I have (rather traditionally) thought that the only jewellery involved in a wedding is bought before the day to match the Bride and Grooms outfits and as gifts for Groomsmen and Bridesmaids.

I thought about it for a while and figured if I could think of a way to make matching jewellery but not making it naff that would be a great personal gift.

I have been really into customising tools recently so I thought I could use the same texture but a different design for his and hers.

I used a customised hammer to texture the jewellery. Same same but different.

I made Peter personalised cufflinks with R&P stamped.

And I made Rachael a pair of earrings and a necklace using the same hammer and a design that I really love.

I thought it important that they both come from the same sheet of metal.  Maybe that’s me being sentimental. But I like the idea of jewellery that was once one piece of metal becoming separate pieces for people who want jewellery to link them.  I did something similar a few years ago for a friend.  She wanted to give her sister a ring for her 18th birthday.  She wanted the same ring for herself. I made them out of the same sheet of metal so that no matter how far apart they are they still have the rings that were once one piece together.

The wedding was held at Castle Leslie in Co. Monaghan. What a venue!

Lord Leslie is a cousin of Sir Winston Churchill and Churchills Christening gown is actually on display in the castle. A wonderful member of staff took the time to show me the paintings and connections and then pointed me in the direction of the gown.  I had been taking photos all over the place so it was fairly obvious I was interested. I LOVE history and seeing pieces of history and being in those rooms is an amazing experience.

Winston Churchills Christening Gown

I had an amazing day at the wedding and I was really pleased that I had taken the time to make a personal gift for the bride and groom.

They had a beautiful day and we rocked the dance floor. What a day.  Weddings are a great reminder to us all of the love in the world.  And my only chance to dance the night away these days 😉.

If you are interested in buying that special couple something they will treasure this set is available here:  https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/244526256/silver-earrings-necklace-and-cufflinks

Or I can customise something just for you.

Thank you for reading