Inspired: Scilly

Mothering Sunday

2012-03-11T15:36:00.004Z

Still need a gift for Mum? It's only a week to go now, but you can be sure of a speedy service at Inspired: Scilly! Just order any item on my Etsy shop, www.etsy.com/shop/inspiredscilly and not only can you get 15% off with the latest voucher code, but be sure of speedy service and a unique item to treasure. Use the code LOVEMUM for your 15% discount!

Here's some inspiration...

Going Blonde

2012-02-22T14:03:00.011Z

Nope, I'm not dying my hair (been there, done that...) I just wanted to introduce you to Inspired: Scilly's fabulous friend, Blonde Hair and Beauty Salon. Based in Hugh Town in the Isles of Scilly, this friendly and experienced salon is the perfect place for a pamper when you visit the islands! We are now gearing up to the bridal season, so to check out some of Inspired: Scilly's hairpieces shown in beautiful bridal hair on the salon's Facebook page, please click here.

Shell, Freshwater Pearl and Swarovski crystal barette clip and hair vine
Swarovski crystal hair comb

Don't forget Mother's Day is fast approaching... The perfect time for a spot of pampering for Mum! Be sure to check out my new knit wire brooches, a gorgeous and inexpensive gift, or splash out on a stunning, sterling silver cuff at Inspired: Scilly's shop!

Florence and the (sewing) Machine

2012-01-17T12:56:00.003Z

Happy New Year! The year has got off to a good start with a couple of sales already, which is not bad, post-Christmas! I've also been working on a really gorgeous tiara for a lady in the US. It's looking fab! I really don't know where the time went over the Christmas period!

As well as fulfilling those couple of orders, I have been having a bit of fun on the sewing machine (my Christmas present last year!) and made this lovely Suffolk Puff necklace, while listening to Florence Welch's latest album, 'Ceremonials' - bliss! The Suffolk Puffs are really fun to make and a great way to use up small scraps of fabric. As you can see, I popped a button in the centre of each of my puffs which looks quite funky, I think! I can see these necklaces could get a bit addictive...

Swarovski Sparklers for Xmas!

2011-12-05T13:46:00.001Z

I can't believe it's December already! If you haven't yet looked or are still searching for the perfect Christmas gift for a loved one, please check out the gorgeous new Swarovski Crystal Christmas Trees on the Special Offers page. It's really simple to design your own sparkly Christmas Tree earrings with the easy-to-use order form. You choose the colours you would like, press submit and then pay for your order via Paypal and a lovely pair of sparklers will be winging their way to you! They make a great gift, stocking filler or secret santa and will dazzle everyone at the Christmas party! They've been very popular this year, so don't delay getting your hands on a pair! Needless to say, I'll be making some for myself! ...Now, what colours to have...

Swarovski Crystal Xmas Trees in heliotrope with blue bicone crystal and vitrail cube.

Inspired... Scilly!

2011-10-27T15:02:00.013+01:00

We've finally got around to getting the holiday snaps printed! It's always lovely going through them by hand, but I thought I would share with you a few of those which really show some of my inspiration.

It's not hard to see where my colour inspiration comes from! Even the ducks at the tea gardens are sporting fancy feathers!

It's a great place to go rockpooling and there is a huge variety of seaweed.

The beaches are just astounding - yes, the water really is that colour!

Flare Christmas Craft Markets

2011-10-14T11:45:00.002+01:00

Etsy Treasury Finds

2011-10-07T14:15:00.003+01:00

Inspired: Scilly work has been featured in several Etsy treasuries of late which is great! The collection of items that have been put together are just gorgeous. Here is a few of the best to feast your eyes upon!

Lavender Relaxation - very calming!

What starts with red, ends with purple? - a rainbow of Etsy finds!

Pretty in Pistachio - ok, this is cheating as I collated this one but isn't it a gorgeous colour?

Much, Much Cooler - a stunning reflection on the changing of the seasons

Scilly Inspiration

2011-10-05T15:45:00.007+01:00

I had such a fantastic time on the islands this year, it still feels like a lovely dream! But, in between the reminiscing, I've been busy turning my gathered inspiration into a few new pieces for the autumn/winter season and upcoming Christmas craft markets. Here is a sneak preview of my lovely new wire knit brooches:

A fishy one, naturally!

I love the gorgeous peacock colours in this one - perfect for the autumn/winter season with lots of rich shades and a bit of lustre for the party season.

And something Christmassy!

All these and more will soon be appearing on Etsy and wil be available to purchase at the Christmas craft markets that I will be attending this year.

30th October 2011 - Flare Christmas Craft Market, 11 - 4pm at The Chapel, The Cemetery, York
6th November 2011 - Flare Christmas Craft Market, The Tithe Barn, Church Lane, Nether Poppleton
19th November 2011 - Coxwold Christmas Craft Fair, 10 - 4pm Coxwold Village Hall

Sand, Sea, Shells and... a lot of buttons!

2011-09-12T11:10:00.006+01:00

From crystal clear waters and sun-drenched beaches to a rather blustery day here at Inspired: Scilly HQ! My time in Scilly was simply magical and I am now in a bit of a time warp - did it really happen...?! It certainly feels like I've been to another world.

I'm pleased to report that there was much gathering of shells (watch this space for these swirls of natural colour and pattern finding their way into my work) and so much inspiration, I shall be busy writing it all down in my new notebook (which just happens to be illustrated with Scilly pictures - perfect). I was also delighted to discover a little craft fair that was on in the town hall on the day that I sadly had to leave and it cheered me up a bit buying, well, rather a lot of bargain buttons! I've just poured these into a big kilner jar and (rather sadly) I'm just rejoicing over the fact that they fill it up exactly! Of course, the idea is not to just gaze upon my gorgeously full stash of treasures but to use my Scilly finds in my next pieces of work. Expect to see shell hairpieces, 'buttoned-up' accessories and many more fishy finds!

To get started, here's my latest hair vine, adorned with shells, sparkling crystals and crystal pearls, all hand-woven with sumptuous sterling silver wire:

Watch this space for upcoming pieces of work inspired by my wonderful weeks away, snaps from my adventures and features on some of the places and things that I discovered on my travels!

Scilly, Here I Come!

2011-08-04T13:07:00.004+01:00

I'm bursting with excitement here at Inspired: Scilly HQ, because I have just 3 weeks to go until I'm in Scilly again and I can't wait! I've missed it soooo much and am so looking forward to being inspired again and hopefully picking up lots of new ideas and inspiration for my work.

To celebrate, I've made a very special bracelet that pays homage to the sea with a tangled mesh of hand knitted wire in a gorgeous petrol blue, adorned with luxurious Swarovski crystal bicones in bleached, beachy shades of white opal, sand opal, light grey opal, light azore, black diamond and pacific opal for lots of sparkle! In amongst the sparkling crystals are freshwater pearls in peacock blue and olive green. I've named this bracelet 'Jewels of the Sea' as it is very sparkly and sumptuous, with a gorgeous mix of shades reflecting the sea, seaweed, sand and shells. The bracelet is just £30 for a lot of Swarovski crystal and freshwater pearls in a carefully hand woven piece and is finished with a nautical style silver-plated toggle clasp so it is really easy to do up.

Jewels of the Sea:

To take a closer look at this gorgeous new design, please click here.

Another bit of Jetsam

2011-07-23T22:48:00.004+01:00

Have you checked out the new take on the fabulous Jetsam bracelet? Based on washed-up flotsam and jetsam, this bracelet features an assortment of beads in a whole variety of shades and shapes. This new version has chunkier beads for a more luxurious feel. It may include acrylic, wooden or crystal beads and they are all woven into the bracelet at random. This makes for a truly unique piece of jewellery for each customer that buys one and if you would like certain colours, you need only specify by sending a note via Paypal or Etsy. Purchase the current bracelet on display or gets yours made to measure!

Click here to see the fantastic new Jetsam!

Pearls and Apologies

2011-06-10T18:15:00.012+01:00

I have rather meanly neglected my blog of late so to make up for it, here are lots of lovely new things to feast your eyes upon!

There is currently a special offer of 20% off, exclusively on my website, on the gorgeous ivory 'Oyster Shell' hair comb (below) which is a fab accessory if you are attending a wedding this year. Better still, if you know a bride-to-be or are one, you can now save on this simple but stunning hairpiece. Now is the time to order in for all those bridesmaids!

Made with a flexible silver comb base and stunning ivory freshwater pearls with Swarovski crystal pearls in light creamrose (ivory), this is such a pretty and versatile hair comb. Get it now while the offer runs at www.inspiredscilly.weebly.com

Here is a sneak preview of my latest fishy bracelet - a gorgeous contrasting piece with black wire and lovely light pink shell fish pendants and sparkling seed beads.

It's a fun and quirky little piece for summer. It hasn't yet been uploaded to Etsy so keep an eye out for it over the coming week and be the first to get one!

Finally, here is a really pretty pale yellow cluster ring with a stunning mix of juicy yellow beads in acrylic, crystal and glass. An assortment of shapes make up this unique 'one-off' design, including a lovely flower bead.

The silver plated ring shank is adjustable and can be adjusted to fit if you give us your measurement! To take a closer look, click here.

Easter Special Offers!

2011-04-04T18:17:00.005+01:00

Click the link below to be tempted by a delectable charm bracelet for chocoholics, a stunning Swarovski hairpiece, inspired by narcissus flowers and a gorgeous butterfly wire knit cuff in 2 colourways to celebrate the arrival of Spring!

http://inspiredscilly.weebly.com/special-offers.html

Boatman's Button Bracelet

2011-03-30T13:06:00.005+01:00

Apologies for the delay in updating the blog! I've been busy working on a few new items for the website including this gorgeous new wire-knit bracelet design which includes an assortment of random buttons in different sizes and shades. You can pick from several colourways and the buttons will all be different shades of that colour, be it green, brown, red or blue. I hope to add more colour choices in future. Each bracelet is made to order and comes with seed beads in a matching shade and a handmade button toggle clasp. Check out our web page for more details - http://inspiredscilly.weebly.com/wire--charm-bracelets.html

Blackberry Brambles

2011-02-14T15:48:00.005Z

Just to prove Winter doesn't have to be dull, here's a link to a stunning collection of bare brambles-inspired beautys from Etsy, courtesy of Etsy seller K is for Kitty and kindly featuring Inspired: Scilly's Blackberry Brambles wire knit bracelet!

Etsy Treasury - Be Bare Bramble Branches

10% off on Etsy PLUS Special Offers!

2011-01-25T16:59:00.006Z

Use the code 'SCILLY' to get 10% off all items at www.etsy.com/shop/inspiredscilly. This offer is for a limited time only and only available on items purchased via Etsy. Please also check out our new 'Special Offers' page on the website:

www.inspiredscilly.weebly.com/specialoffers
This month it's our sumptuous Valentine's Specials!

January Blues!

2011-01-04T18:35:00.006Z

Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed Christmas. In order to beat the January blues, Inspired: Scilly have extended their offer of free delivery on wire-knit bracelets purchased via Etsy for a very short while longer. There is also a 10% off code: SCILLY (for use on all our Etsy items. Doubly delicious! Here's a couple of bluesy items to tempt you....

'Old Town Bay' Petrol Blue Wire Knit Bracelet

'Be a Little Shellfish' Turquoise Shell Wire Knit Bracelet

Star Necklace and Festive Wire Knit

2010-12-23T11:43:00.014Z

For the second part of my DT guest project this month, I have made a festive 'Star of Bethlehem' necklace and some wire knit goodies which will be available to buy on my website.

The necklace was made simply using a lovely piece of brown cotton thonging, onto which I hung a vial pendant in topaz, to look a bit like a star. You could fill the vial with a grain of rice, some glitter or oil. I then threaded festive green buttons in different shades and sizes from the 'emerald city' pack on at intervals along the cord - knotting roughly either side of the button secures each one into place. This is a nice project if you want to make a necklace for yourself or as a gift and have a few spare buttons, beads or other oddments lying around. It is especially nice if you use a whole variety of different things or at least different colours/shapes etc, as it gives the piece a unique and bohemian feel. Secure the ends by simply tying into a knot if the necklace is to be worn long or pick a fastening such as a lobster clasp or a toggle clasp. Either of those are quite nice and easy to do up and look good with the thonging. One tip for people who find doing a necklace up a little tricky is to put the fastening at the front - see my pirate charm necklaces for an example.

I also made these sumptuous berry-coloured Xmas tree earrings using some seed beads I had lying around and the gorgeous burgandy wire from www.alteredelement.co.uk.

I decided to use the remaining green buttons with some olive green wire for a cute, festive wire knit cuff and some of my own green seed beads. I'm really pleased with the result as the buttons make the piece look quite fun!

Materials:

Cotton Thonging
Buttons
Copper Wire

You may also need:

Beads
Adornments or focal pieces
findings, such as clasps
tools eg. wire cutters

Sadly, this is my last project for Altered Element but it has been great fun being part of the team, I've absolutely loved it! Don't forget, you still have until 01/01/2011 to place an order online at www.alteredelement.co.uk.

Happy Christmas!

Snow Bunny Project

2010-12-14T14:37:00.002Z

This month I am doing a guest project for Altered Element, so thought I would start by showing you my first festive offering! I'm actually a jewellery maker, but love to experiment with various mediums and try out projects using a variety of materials. I dressed up this cute calico rabbit to make a snow bunny to sit on my mantlepiece above the fire this Christmas.

This is such an easy project if, like me, you're not yet confident enough to make your own dolls etc and just fancy dressing one up!

To make the rabbit's beautiful little dress I laid out some angelina fibres in 'green pearl' in a fairly even layer rectangle onto a piece of paper on my ironing board. I added a couple of curled pieces of wire in the centre to make the pattern on the front and added another light layer of fibres over the top, to seal the wire curls in. If you're not sure how thick to make your layers of fibres, I recommend just experimenting with the product first - you can always use these experimental pieces on the front of Christmas cards! To fuse the fibres, I gently laid another piece of paper over the top of the fibres and lightly ironed over this to fuse them together. It's usually best to iron briefly and lightly and then peel the paper back carefully to see if the fibres have fused well. You can obviously repeat this step if needed.

At this point, you can trim any loose or unfused fibres from the edges but I left my edges as I quite like the effect. I then wrapped the piece around my bunny, overlapping the meeting edges and secured them with glue and left to dry. You may want to sew the dress into place if you have time.

I'm also a bit of a ribbon fanatic, especially if it is dotty! So, I tied a couple of apple green ribbons around the bunny's ears and used some jade green polkadot ribbon to make her a scarf. I cut the length of ribbon and glued together with a green button from the 'emerald city' pack, putting the finishing touches to a lovely Christmas decoration!

Materials used:

Calico rabbit

Angelina fibre

Copper wire

Ribbon

Button

You may also need: glue, sewing threads

Don't forget to take advantage of Altered Element's closing down sale! www.alteredelement.co.uk

Featured Blog!

2010-12-06T20:56:00.003Z

I'm always delighted when my work makes someone smile and it seems that 'Drawn to Scales' wire knit bracelet has made an impression on one fellow Etsy seller who has kindly featured it in this lovely blog feature:

http://threeoldkeys.blogspot.com/2010/12/mini-gallery-number-1-art-fish.html

Check out http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThreeOldKeys for a wealth of vintage finds!

Buy 'Drawn to Scales' and get it made to measure and posted out for free at www.etsy.com/shop/inspiredscilly

NEW Xmas gifts!

2010-12-06T13:29:00.006Z

Get into the Christmas mood and check out these gorgeous new Christmas tree earrings made from stunning Swarovski Crystal, for the highest quality sparkle! - available to purchase at www.inspiredscilly.weebly.com.

Clear Crystal

Volcano

FREE Postage!

2010-11-15T11:03:00.003Z

We've extended our FREE postage offer on all wire knit bracelets purchased via Etsy throughout November. Usually we ask UK and overseas buyers to pay £2.50 for 1st class recorded postage (which we use to ensure the items get to you quickly and safely) but this month they'll be sent by this same service for FREE!

- Each bracelet is made to order (size as requested by the buyer)
- They can take 2-3 hours to make so all are great value
- They make a unique present, individual to the wearer, as no two are ever identical
- Etsy is a user-friendly site which guides you through the payment process

So, there's no excuse not to do your Christmas shopping! Visit www.etsy.com/shop/inspiredscilly

Christmas Craft Fairs

2010-11-08T15:52:00.006Z

On 31st October we attended the Artsmix Craft fair at Castle Howard, near York to kick off the Christmas craft fair season! It was quite a chilly day so we're grateful to all who came and perused the stall! Some of our Halloween specials included a gorgeous gothic style tiara (available on our website and Etsy) and a great mini trilby hat, complete with black netting (available on Folksy in our new head accessories shop)!

We will also be attending the Flare Christmas Craft Fair at York Cemetery on 28th November. There will be tea and cakes on offer too!

http://www.flareartistsandmakers.blogspot.com

Special Offer!

2010-10-11T11:25:00.005+01:00

Throughout October we're offering FREE postage on all purchases of our knitted wire bracelets on Etsy. Plus, come to the Artsmix Craft Fair at Castle Howard, nr. York on 31st October and, as a Halloween treat, we'll give you a 10% off voucher with every purchase to use at our next craft fair!

CLICK HERE to view all knitted wire bracelets with FREE postage!

Design Team Project - Hairbands!

2010-10-01T12:07:00.008+01:00

Every now and then, I like to dive into my button tin (it's a special spotty Cath Kidston one) and the kilner jars of fabric that I've acquired and which I usually save for a rainy day. I must admit that I've been eyeing up Altered Element's polka dot ribbon for a while now. I'm a bit of a dot addict. I own rather too much polkadot 'stuff' than is probably healthy... Still, I was really excited when the new plastic hairbands came onto the website (www.alteredelement.co.uk) and jumped at the chance to have a play with them as something a bit different from my usual tiaras and hairpieces.

First I wrapped the ribbon around the hairband to check I had the correct length needed to cover the whole band. This 1 metre piece was a perfect length. I secured the end with strong glue and began wrapping neatly around the whole band. I secured the other end with glue and closed the ends of the ribbon by sewing them. I then superglued two buttons from the vintage pack onto my hairband, in lovely contrasting colours, and let the glue dry. Voila!

I also made the hairband below using some gold velvet ribbon left over from a previous project. I left a space to wrap part of the band in gold wire and attached this gorgeous little butterfly which I knitted with gold wire and Glass Naturals seed beads. I then wrapped some antique style beads in dark brown to finish off this autumnal piece.

Autumn Thoughts

2010-09-20T11:34:00.012+01:00

I've been feeling a bit wistful this month - it's now over a year since my last Scilly visit and I've been looking back at photos from last September for autumnal inspiration! The islands can be very different in Autumn and Winter. While frosts are rare and winter sunshine still peaks through the rain showers, the islands show a different side to their character. The heather covers the ground with a carpet of coral and purple shades in amongst the gorse, the wind starts to whip up a frenzy and the sea becomes wilder, smashing against the foam spattered cliffs.

For my new Autumn range of wire knit pieces, I've been inspired by (among other things) brambles, heather, slick washed up seaweed, muddied rockpools, granite rock, inky water, foaming storms and chilly breezes. Here are just a few of the lovely new colours and designs:

Burgandy Freshwater Pearl 'Seashore' wire knit bracelet £14.99
Olive green wire knit leaf earrings £8.00
'A Good Catch' wire knit fish bracelet in brown £14.99
'Old Town Bay' wire knit bracelet in petrol blue £11.99

Wedding Belles

2010-08-31T14:48:00.007+01:00

I had the very great pleasure of seeing my sister get married last weekend and was honoured to make her hair vine and the bridesmaids' jewellery which included a matching set of earrings, bracelet and necklace. I'm pleased to say it all looked great on the girls and my sister was a stunning bride, so I'm especially proud that the hair vine lived up to expectation! Here are some photos of the jewellery:

The lovely bride herself!

Fishy Finds

2010-08-19T22:30:00.006+01:00

Just uploaded to the website is this stunning Swarovski Crystal fish pendant! A lovely chunky pendant with decorative bail on a silver plated chain with a sturdy barrel clasp. With luxurious perfectly cut facets to bounce the light beautifully.

Another beachy beauty new to our collection is this cute starfish pendant in indicolite blue on a decorative figaro chain with barrel clasp - a gorgeous swarovski crystal pendant with sparkling facets to perfect this season's nautical chic!

DT Project - Steampunk Hairpiece and Fibre Ring

2010-08-01T12:27:00.010+01:00

I made this pretty steampunk hair barrette with an assortment of beautiful greens. Materials include dress netting in forest, angelina fibre in dark green, some beautiful gilding flakes in variegated green, an Artchix mini wishes emerald green butterfly, Dress It Up beads in seafoam, a pale green vintage button and a watch pillar plate.

I used Ranger Inksessentials Glossy Accents over the Artchix image (which was set into the watch pillar plate) to give it a glossy sheen and to protect the image. The beads were inset into the watch pillar plate along with the vintage button, replacing traditional cogs and watch parts. This was backed onto a piece of angelina fibre within which I trapped gilding flakes to add some accents to the fabulous sparkly fibres. This was backed onto ruched dress netting and the whole piece fixed to a hair barrette. With a little of the excess angelina fibre, I made a beautiful matching ring!

My First Treasury!

2010-07-28T17:01:00.006+01:00

I have just made my first treasury on Etsy! A treasury is a selection of items that you pick, usually with a theme, to help promote others and to display your favourites. If you're very lucky of course, it might encourage people to do the same for you! I hope you enjoy looking at this lovely selection of sea-hued nautical finds!

Click here!

Getting Technical

2010-07-21T18:57:00.003+01:00

As well as recently joining Etsy, Inspired: Scilly have now linked up their Facebook fan page with Etsy and the blog, plus every time an item is uploaded to Folksy, Etsy or our website, it shows up on Facebook! So, if you become our 'fan' on Facebook, you get to know first hand what items are new, where they've been listed and what the latest news is on our blog, plus any events we're going to! It's all so technical, I need to lie down!

Click on the icon below to Become a Fan!

Inspired: Scilly

Promote your Page too

The Alien has Landed!

2010-07-16T13:28:00.003+01:00

It's not quite finished but here is my completely crazy felt creation (from a previous post entitled 'Is that an alien on your head'.. in hat form. I need some nice matching felt to go on the underside to finish it off but I'm quite pleased so far. Now to find someone who would wear it! That could be trickier!!

My favourite bit has to be the 'dreads' (an unusual alternative to feathers I think you'll agree) and beads - I guess it all looks a bit like seaweed in the water. It's hard to make out from the pic but there are some lovely coral and blue sparkly threads in the middle.

(materials courtesy of my Mum with blue sewing thread from www.alteredelement.co.uk)

Magazine Feature

2010-07-12T13:09:00.002+01:00

Inspired: Scilly were recently featured in the Reader's Showcase on page 6 of July's Making Jewellery magazine. The items featured can now be seen on their website. Click here to view the feature!

A Good Catch!

2010-07-07T21:43:00.004+01:00

A Good Catch Wire Knit Bracelet is going down a storm on Etsy! It has now been featured in Etsy's blog, Storque in their 'Spotlight' feature among a fabulous selection of beachy finds, including some gorgeous 40s and 50s style swimsuits! Click here to view the spotlight feature. What's more, it's been bought and is now off to Alaska, how exciting is that?!!

Now on Etsy!

2010-07-05T13:15:00.005+01:00

Inspired: Scilly is finally on international craft selling website, www.etsy.com and although there is still loads to add to the site, Inspired: Scilly's 'A Good Catch' bracelet has made it into this gorgeous treasury of 'Seaside Fashion' pieces.

See more of our items at http://www.etsy.com/shop/InspiredScilly

New Cluster Rings!

2010-06-29T16:42:00.002+01:00

Be sure to take a look at our new cluster rings! In several gorgeous colours, these rings are all unique designs which are never the same twice so be quick and get yours! With adjustable silver-plated ring shanks and a cluster of beads which have freedom to move on the shank, they are priced at just £6; a brilliant gift or a treat for yourself! Colours include sunshine yellow, on-trend aqua, emerald green and ladybird red. More styles and colours being added soon!

Something for the Buoys!

2010-06-25T21:38:00.004+01:00

For those of you who prefer playing to watching football, we're bringing you one of our favourite websites for discounted football boots! If you know a footie-playing dad, brother, son or partner who needs a new pair of great quality boots at heavily discounted prices, do check out this site: www.bootsnbrands.weebly.com. Great service and value!

10% Discount at Altered Element!

2010-06-16T11:58:00.003+01:00

For those of you who have been inspired to have a go at the tutorial project below, or one of the other projects by the Altered Element Design Team (found via the blog), you'll be delighted to know that you can get 10% off during all England matches over the period of the World Cup! For more details, including how to get your 10% discount code, please go to www.alteredelement.blogspot.com! While you are there, don't forget to check out the other Design Team projects submitted this month, there are some gorgeous creations!

Altered Element DT Tutorial Project

2010-06-01T16:43:00.048+01:00

Memory Frame Pendant

This is a nice, easy beginners' tutorial on how to use Ranger Memory Frames to create beautiful memory jewellery. All the materials used are from www.alteredelement.co.uk. At the bottom of this post, I've added some tips and additional ideas for more advanced projects.

You will need: Ranger Memory Frames (I used Antique Copper 1.5 x 1.5), Ranger Memory Glass (1.5 x 1.5), and Artchix Images (I used Artchix Imagine)

Optional: ribbon or chain for a necklace, brooch back for a brooch, additional adornments such as glitter or a flat-backed jewel, assorted charms and findings to complement the colour of your frame, Ranger Glossy Accents

Step 1. Cut out your chosen Artchix image to 1.5 x 1.5 inches. (If using a different sized frame, simply cut out the image/images to fit inside this frame). This leaves a slight border either side of the image. You only need one image but you may choose to cut out 2 images to place back to back, creating a double sided pendant.

Step 2. Carefully place your image(s) in between 2 slides of memory glass. For a double-sided pendant, place the images back to back in between the glass slides.

Step 3. Gently open the memory frame* using the side tab so that it is wide enough to insert your memory glass slides.

Step 4. Now for the fiddley bit! Hold the slides with the inserted image in place between finger and thumb and insert them into the frame, placing the image with the loop at the top for a pendant.

Step 5. Once inserted, close the frame gently around your glass slides and slide the tab back through the hole at the corner of the frame. Use a burnishing tool or similar implement to burnish the tab (close it flat against the side of the frame).

Step 6. Now you can use ribbon through the loop at the top of the frame or chain connected with findings as you would a normal pendant to finish your piece.

Now you have a gorgeous piece of memory jewellery!

Tips:

*Do be careful when opening and closing the frame and inserting the glass slides. The frames are designed for one time framing of work only and will not take kindly to being bent backwards and forwards repeatedly!

Remember not to make the design you want to insert too thick. You don't have to use memory glass but the design needs to fit into the frame, if not between the slides and frame.

The frames come in 3 different colours, black patina, chrome and antique copper so you can be really creative!

Other ideas to try:

If you open your pack of Memory Frames carefully, you can cut out and use the image on the packaging! Also, use photos or pressed flowers for a really personal touch.

There are many Artchix images to choose from and some sheets even include words and phrases to glue over the top of your main image, creating a very funky effect!

It is just as easy to make a brooch. Simply insert your image with the loop of the frame at the base. Then add some Vintaj charms or beads to the loop at the base with jump rings or headpins in the same colour as your frame and glue a brooch pin to the back.

Try a 3D look by adding sequins, shells, glitter or fibres. You could even build the image up so that it protrudes from the frame but you may have to forgo the protective glass slides, depending on the thickness of the design. For another pendant design (shown below) I chose to cut out just the image with no border and backed it onto a piece of Kraft Card to create a neutral coloured background. I glued the image on with a small amount of Ranger Glossy Accents, then added this to the card border and a few dots on the image itself. I then poured a generous amount of Deko-Ice onto the image and let it dry. After allowing the image to dry, I funnelled the excess Deko-Ice back into the jar for future use and was left with gorgeous amber sparkles on my design!

I decorated my shell Artchix image with Deko-Ice glass glitter in Amber so that it looks like sand. The matching velvet ribbon seemed to complement this really well.

Why not try using inks to alter the look of the piece, such as creating a more 'distressed' or antique look?

Happy Crafting!

Is that an Alien on your head?

2010-06-01T15:46:00.015+01:00

You may remember some time ago I mentioned a peculiar item I had made out of felt, wth dreadlock style bits (meant to be seaweed, I think) and I have been meaning to put a photo on here! I'm planning to make it into a hat, a really wacky one of course, but here is the unfinished felted project so far!

Oysters and Pearls

2010-05-25T17:12:00.003+01:00

Wedding season is very much upon us and so I've decided that I better make a few more styles of hair comb, hair vines and tiaras. Oyster Shell (above) is a popular hair design so I'm trying to keep a good stock of freshwater pearls! In addition, I loved making a wire-knit tiara for last month's design team project and so am now working on silver-plated and other versions of the design. Watch this space!

Design Team Project!

2010-04-29T12:10:00.012+01:00

Here's my first Design Team project for Altered Element! All the materials used came from www.alteredelement.co.uk.

Gold and turquoise knitted-wire bracelet with handmade toggle clasp and a lovely blue shell-shaped bead to fasten. The colours remind me of the beach, golden sands and cool blue waters, but it also has a regal feel - a bit Egyptian or Aztec maybe?! This is made with 0.4mm wire and beads for both projects are from the 'Dress it Up' and 'Glass Naturals' collections.

The tiara base was created by twisting 18 gauge wire, then wrapping this with 0.4mm gold wire (26 gauge) to create an uneven twisted base, to make it a bit more organic and 'fairytale'.

Knitted into the tiara are gorgeous turquoise, gold and bronze beachy-coloured seed beads and shell-like beads and a bronze Vintaj bird charm.

Lastly I added a lovely gold bow for the finishing touch!

Scilly Crafts

2010-04-26T15:10:00.002+01:00

We thought it was time we showed you a few of our favourite arty things. The first is this great new blog of handmade Scillonian work, some of which is available to purchase from the artists' websites. Check out http://www.phoenixcrafts.co.uk/blog.html and be dazzled by sparkling stained glass, stunning seascapes and perfect prints.

All The Pretty Colours

2010-04-21T15:44:00.007+01:00

I've decided, on sparkly fish Disco Splash's advice, to put all the lovely shiny Swarovski Crystal colours for the Design Your Own Tiara Form all laid out nicely on the web page so everyone can see them. He's a clever fish, that Disco.

Design Your Own Wire-Knit Bracelet!

2010-04-15T19:31:00.004+01:00

It's all gone a bit 'design your own' mad at Inspired: Scilly towers, with another addition to our range of items which you can design for yourself, letting someone else do all the hard work! The fun bit for the customer of course is getting to choose the colours and styles and embellishments to create something truly bespoke. Here you can have a look at our wire-knit bracelets - and have a go at designing something truly unique. The photo above shows just one of our inspiring designs.

Gothic Bling!

2010-04-12T12:44:00.007+01:00

Here's another sparkly hair comb to tickle your fancy! This has quite a gothic feel with a twist of geisha style about it! A beautiful antique silver butterfly with jet black Swarovski Crystals dripping from its wings and along the comb base and all for £6 - a bargain bit of bling! See it on Folksy.

Design Your Own and Odd Creations!

2010-04-06T16:05:00.005+01:00

Have just spent the Easter weekend doing some felting and am very pleased with my latest creation which is a little different! I think I'm going to use it to cover a hat base but it's a blue and green sea-themed creation with sticky-up bits of 'seaweed' on it which look a little like dreadlocks! Sounds bizarre doesn't it? Think I need to get a picture on here! Coming soon....!

In the meantime, my Scilly scented narcissi are almost all out and smell gorgeous! At the weekend I had a walk in a beautiful daffodil wood which really was a sight to behold and I'm a bit chuffed that several plants I thought I'd lost during our long winter have come back anew. So, since it's all looking a bit flowery, I've put a picture of my floral pearl hair vine here. I've got a similar tiara on www.inspiredscilly.weebly.com which is the basis of a 'design your own' feature. Hopefully this is going to be a fun new idea!

Easter Egg Hat!

2010-03-26T18:25:00.004Z

I couldn't help posting about this hat, part of our Dita Vintage range of hats on Folksy. The idea for it came some time before Easter but it seems fitting to have put it on just as we approach that time of year! It's a rather appropriate chocolate brown in colour with lovely shiny coq feathers, a straw nest and satin flower and features some gorgeous freshwater pearls as eggs!

Spring Flowers

2010-03-18T12:58:00.004Z

We're celebrating the coming of Spring with our very sparkly 'Soleil D'Or' hair comb, inspired by the beautiful scented narcissi grown in the Isles of Scilly - comb and matching tiara available to buy on Folksy.

Rare White Puffin on Scilly!

2010-03-15T09:49:00.005Z

Rare white puffin seen on Isles of Scilly! This puffin was seen off the Isles of Scilly and has what is known as Leucism, a deficiency of colour pigment, giving it this unusual appearance!

Over the Moon!

2010-03-09T11:55:00.004Z

We're over the moon and really excited to announce that Inspired: Scilly have the pleasure of being a Guest Design Team Member for Altered Element (see my previous post about their gorgeous crafty goodies!) Follow the design team on Altered Element blog to see what we're all making...

Customise your own!

2010-02-27T15:25:00.005Z

Inspired: Scilly have just introduced an exciting new element to their wire-knit range! Customers can now design their own wire-knit ring. Make your purchase as usual. You'll then be directed back to the same page where you fill in a form of choices. Choose the colour of the wire, seed beads and a focal/feature bead! Click here to have a look at the colour options on offer (we'll be expanding these in the near future). Some of our favourite ideas are a 'Be a Little Shellfish' ring to match the bracelet of the same name (example pictured above) or a Jetsam ring, again matching our Jetsam bracelet. Have fun getting creative!

Shoe Lust

2010-02-24T15:20:00.006Z

Mmm, love these shoes by Office. Shame they're out of my size, darn it! They make me think of pirates and of victoriana, both of which are on my 'inspiring things' list! And quite appropriate for matching my pirate-themed necklaces on Folksy. I guess the Inspired: Scilly puffers don't have any of these problems, a nice cube of frozen mussel is fine by them!

Something Fishy...

2010-02-16T19:43:00.008Z

The puffers have spotted a lovely prawn tote bag I have been admiring on It Belongs to Turtle. You can enter a giveway and win this lovely bag for free by leaving a comment with your best pun - http://itbelongstoturtle.blogspot.com/2010/02/giveaway.html. We thought we'd have a go anyway. Algae and Fungus approve, especially as a prawn is a bit like a brine shrimp. Mmmmm brine shrimp.

Like Christmas Again

2010-02-11T13:18:00.006Z

Oooooooo, I've just received my first parcel from www.alteredelement.co.uk and I can't tell you how excited I was! Great packaging to keep all my goodies safe and loads of things wrapped up in brown paper bags and all within lovely purple tissue paper and a nice sturdy box. Of course, the other super thing is that I can use all the packaging (already making me salivate) for packaging my finished items - I do like being able to recycle things. So, once I'd peeled back the lovely layers of tissue paper, I was delighted to find everything I'd ordered. The stock system seems to be kept well up-to-date so you can see what's available and what's not and it won't let you order out-of-stock items, so there's no disappointment. Everything was reasonably priced and good quality, which is important. I'm going to use the feathers and fabric to make some cocktail hats. (UPDATE: One of my first attempts shown above!!)

With a sprinkling of snow floating down outside my window, it's like having Christmas again... except with snow this time.

Cocktail Hat by Dita Vintage on Folksy

2010-01-13T16:19:00.008Z

My list of inspiring things:

angelina fibres, steampunk, resin and frames, cocktail hats, victoriana, pirates, tea parties, 1920s-1950s, Barcelona, Venice, labyrinths, books, fabrics, Cath Kidston, vintage fabric, found items, antique, alteredelement website, craft shops (mmm, yummy), making use of random things I've had for a while and not known what to do with, the boys/girls (not sure what they are) Algae and Fungus, cakes... and the lovely Isles of Scilly!

Wire Knit Bracelets

2010-01-08T17:00:00.003Z

Inspired: Scilly have some gorgeous wire-knitted bracelets for sale - go to www.inspiredscilly.weebly.com.

We're now on folksy too - http://www.folksy.com/shops/InspiredScilly