Back with a boom!!!

It's been ages since I posted anything on my blog and that also is a reflection of how much has happened on my Facebook page and even in my etsy shop.... life, baby girl (17 months old now)..you know how it is :-D

My shop was still running but hadn't made any new pieces of jewellery. Just the occasional sale and trip to the post office.

In the last 2 or so weeks I've got my mojo back. ..whilst standing in a crowded train on my way home from work , I caught sight of  a handbag within my eyeline and remember thinking to myself how different a plain handbag would look with an accessory going across from one end of the bag handle to the other...and within seconds my thoughts wandered off going through (what felt like) a million and one design ideas and I couldn't wait to get off the train,  drive home and get to work.

I had come across the term 'bag charms' in the past but paid not much attention to them...never owned one or actually seen one in person, didn't seem to have noticed any of my friends own one either.

The design I had in my head didn't seem to me to be a bag charm...I visualised a decorated chain going from one end to the other as if it were a 'necklace' for the bag...I thought..

The next couple of days were exciting times and felt good to get back to being creative again.  Buying new stock for the bag charms, and ordering even more new items as my ideas evolved.

Then, with my materials ready I got designing, though interrupted occasionally when I would have to go upstairs to put my littlest one back to sleep but thankfully bedtime routine is now a whole lot easier.

The original design idea I had in my mind on the train which then led to the other designs seen below. (Not been listed yet in my shop )

                             

Red Stripe Agate Gemstone bag charm 

   

These were made this week.

                 

 I've had very positive feedback on these from close family and friends and hope to get the same from everyone else now that they have been listed in my etsy shop. 😊

My Workshop Photos

Just thought I'd share photos of my work table .....

materials, tools and finished product.

a busy table..

beads laid out on a beading board.

a selection of jewellery making pliers.

packaging is important.

happy customer :-)

Wishing all a very Happy 2013 ahead!!!

I am looking forward to a brand new year.

Haven't made any new jewellery or been active on my blog since I twisted my knee and fell at home at the end of November. Been using crutches ever since :-(.  Will be having an operation to get it fixed at some point early next year.....

But, somehow in this time of inactivity, my shop has had its first international sales and has made me so proud of my creative work especially with the feedbacks I have received....  I'm thinking it can only get better in 2013!!! :-)

Got an ebenk professional digital studio kit for Christmas, so can stop putting off building myself a light box phew!!! This hopefully would translate to better and brighter shop photographs in the new year.

Here are some useful business articles I came across recently..

Creating a white background inside a cardboard box

12 biggest mistakes jewellery designers make in business

Top 10 Ways to Use Pinterest for Business

6 Tips for Being More Visual With Social Media (Infographic)

See you all in the new year! 

The beginning..

Right, I can only remember it all started in the summer of 2009.. Lived alone, was single, loved my music, had so much time on my hands.... Next thing I knew, I was buying all kinds of beads(wood, glass, acrylic , metallic) ,watching you tube tutorials and reading about how to make jewellery. Funny thing is I was never one to wear jewellery but I found myself creating beautiful, colourful jewellery which attracted praises from friends and family.

That fed the addiction even more, buying, buying, buying, just for the sake of buying. For me, it was all about the shapes, colours, textures of the beads and the thought of what I could create with them. By Christmas , I became not only a collector of beads but a collector of empty chocolate tins lol. My living room looked like a chocolate warehouse only that the tins contained BEADS!!!

I slowed down and took a break from the beading after I met my now husband in March 2010. We got married the following year,  moved myself and all my beads in with him, had my gorgeous little baby boy in September of 2011 and only in the last few weeks have started buying beads again..this time gemstone beads...I'm loving the variety and the beauty found in the gemstone family..favourite channel at the moment is Channel 655 on Sky - Jewellery Maker.

New to the blogging business..photos to follow... goodnight..