My 'Normandie' collection

When I knew that The Zone Creative in Sourdeval was interested in taking a range of my jewellery, I thought that a Normandy inspired line would be a good thing to do.  

The first thing that I made was a set of necklace and earrings called 'La Pluie Normande'  inspired by the constant rain that we'd been experiencing since spring.  The focal stone is a labradorite,  which is naturally a blue/ grey colour, perfect for the subject haha. For the raindrop effect, I used some tiny faceted labradorite beads, wirewrapped to be free falling.

Luckily, by the time I finished the first set and was looking for something different, the sun had appeared, so I was thinking about stones with warmth and sparkle when I fell upon these citrines that we've had for a lifetime.  I'd always loved them, but never been moved to make anything out of them....until now.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you 'Eclat Du Soleil'

Born from the Normandy sun with a hint of Etruscan.

'Libellules'  or dragonflies are not peculiar to Normandy, but I love to see them in the warmer months around water. Also, I really wanted to try my hand at a technique of enamelling called 'plique-a-jour'  which is enamelling without a backing, leaving the enamel suspended between the metal frames for a stained glass window effect.  Dragonflies seemed like a good choice of subject for this project.  

I am pleased with how they turned out.

The next photos are not from the Normandy collection, but were added to my general collection headed towards the Zone Creative.

These earrings are made from a pair of ultra sparkly, micro faceted amethyst cabs, hanging from a stylised heart, on a pair of my handmade ear-wires. 

This next set features a stone not seen too often, golden rutile quartz, which looks like threads of gold trapped inside ice crystals, they catch the light every time you move. Sadly, the camera has a hard time picking up the detail :(

This is a set with a leaf design, the silver lines of the leaves echo perfectly the flavour of the stones. Also, because the stones are predominantly colourless, they can be teamed up with your wildest colour combinations .

If you find yourself in Basse Normandie during the summer, maybe you would like to drop by The Zone Creative in Sourdeval and see their range of artisan made arts and crafts they stock, or treat yourself to a cup of tea and a slice of cake in their newly opened tea garden.
You can find them on the high street in Sourdeval,  at No. 5 Rue General Millet

Day 23

Today I've reached day twenty three in my 'A thing A Day' personal pledge and I must admit that  I have missed a day or two already , but I don't see it as a big problem. Other days are more productive.
I am not a person who needs a drawing to work from before I begin,  in fact,  I love to evolve my ideas as I go. I have made many of my best pieces in this way.
Each day I have been arriving at my work bench not knowing what direction my thoughts will take me, taking inspiration in the precious stones themselves and the things which lie all around.

A few weeks ago I decided that I would make my version of the famous Anne Boleyn necklace, the letter B with three pearl droppers which is so instantly recognizable. This is a period in history which I find intriguing and at the same time so cruel.  Day 16 I could put off the project no more. I made the B in silver with discreetly hidden loops on the reverse side to take the pearls. A neatly drilled hole would do the job just as well, but it's something that I can't bring myself to do lol. The necklace itself and the drops are cultured freshwater pearls in subtle tones of pink, silver and beige.
I have listed this necklace in my Etsy shop as being available in any letter as I designed the whole alphabet.

I made another pearl pendant on day six, this time using a mabe pearl. A mabe pearl is a curiosity in the pearl world, they can be cultured or natural, but the foreign body implants not in the flesh of the oyster/mussel but on the shell wall. this results in the pearl being part of the shell and being a concave pearl which they cut from the shell.
I think this pendant needed to be quite simple in order to complement and not detract from the pearl, so I made a smooth silver bezel to hold the pearl and added a touch of detail in the twisted and hammered wire link above. This I oxidised for definition

The third 'thing ' I will share today is a big, bold, blue labradorite ring. Again, simply set to emphasise the fabulous stone. The stone is so dramatic, it's almost like a piece of the rainbow is trapped inside, it's stormy colours searching for a way out.
 Lots of the names that I've called my jewellery have been taken from a favourite film of mine and this one is no exception.
Meet 'Welcome To Waterworld Kid'

A big shining hunk of labradorite, what could be better?

Newbie!

Just thought I'd give you a sneak preview of the pendant I finished yesterday. This one is so 'me' and I will have a hard time letting it go. The biggest stone is a labradorite, the paler one a rainbow moonstone and the faceted one an amethyst.
There are two little copper flowers to the side of the main bezel.

I think I can feel matching earrings coming on...

...and Van Gogh thought HE had a blue period!!

Let me show you a couple of the new things I have just listed in my Etsy shop...there seems to be a blue theme going on. I have to laugh at myself sometimes, if you were to ask me which colour was my fave I would name all the other colours of the rainbow before I got to blue, yet when I'm in the 'zone' creatively speaking, blue is one of my main colours. All of my paintings seem to be essentially blue?!

Anyway, back to blue jewellery, I have had a weakness for labradorite(blue) and rainbow moonstones(blue) for ever. Take a look at my labradorite ring, made in silver with a touch of copper to emphasise the labradoressence.





On a square note,this ring is a smaller version of the celeste coloured one I made in the summer. Don't know whether I like the one inch square or the 3/4 inch square best, I just know that I'm so in love with the depth and vibrancy of coloured enamel.
See what you think