Life and such

Well, I got half a jewellery commission done! I ran out of components halfway through so had to order some more and just hope they'll arrive by Saturday! So, without further ado, presenting half of Angela:



There's a matching necklace still to come, but for now- amber (ovals and rounds), paired with faceted carnelian rondelles to bring out the colour of the amber and give a bit of weight to the necklace. These are interspersed with sterling silver spacers to add a bit of sparkle. I stayed away from crystal this time, I didn't want it to look too geometric and I certainly didn't want any hard angles messing with the organic texture of the amber and carnelian.



I really love these clasps. I'm not fond of fancy clasps really, although they definitely have their place (you just know I only don't use them because I can't do them justice!) but I do have a passion for clean, simple toggle clasps. Plus you can actually do them up by yourself, which is always a bonus.

Must get outside with the camera now that spring appears to have sprung! The light is so perfect for photographing jewellery. I'm impressed with how well these came out, especially considering I took them one handed!

Anyway, I'm in a fantastic mood today. I handed in my draft research project, so I can stop worrying about it for a couple of weeks! It's been a constant source of panic attacks and sleepless nights, as well as hair-tearing frustration, but finally, it's gone! I feel like a giant weight has been lifted from over my head. That's not to say I don't have lots and lots of work still to do, but the coursework is gone so I can now chug through it with no deadlines interrupting me. It was a perfect day for handing it in. Glorious sunshine followed me as I raced to university in my beetle (blasting out classic dance tunes, with the window down- nothing better!). Came home to the tune of classic Aerosmith, and I haven't felt this good in weeks! Considering I was in fits of tears last night, it feels good.

I am slightly worried that I may have overstretched myself with commissions however, I've got two complete commissions still to do, a necklace to finish to go with the bracelet I've shown you, and an iron in the fire regarding a very special birthday present for the girlfriend of one of my best friends. I was quite impressed- he showed her some jewellery (a Miriam set-In Blue), and she fair demanded that he needed to commission me for her birthday! It's going to have to be fairly spectacular, she makes jewellery herself and if there's anything more nervewracking than a commission, it's a commission for a fellow jewellery maker!

Anyway, hopefully my next post will bring two and a half more sets for you to cast your eye over!

Thanks for reading,

Colleen