Thursday 10 December 2009

SALE SALE SALE

Hi all, as its the festive season and I am feeling particulary merry...I'm having a huge sale!

Most items are reduced by up to 60%...yep thats right folks 60%!!!!

necklaces were £12 and now £5!

brooches and rings were £9 now £4!!

Bags were £20 now £15


So just to get your taste buds watering here are a few of the sale items to get you started...just click on the pink links to take you straight too them...x



legend of the unicorn










ysowl on folksy bought the blue one....but really she wanted one in raspberry...which I was more than happy to do...and I love it. (think it will make an appearance in 2010!)

here are some more little beauties for you to browse through...meet Nigel....


Nigel clutch bag


and a nice cup of tea.......

blue teapot brooch





Ideal xmas pressies...just in time for xmas


a little key....ring

there are so many bits on sale I could be here all day posting them...my massively popular clear hearts are on sale too...so be quick...grab a bargain!!

VISIT THE SALE...NOW

Friday 27 November 2009

my first student!




One blustery and cold night I had a visitor...her name was Sophie...'I want a union jack bag she said'...'Do you now...well make it yourself!'...'so she did, with a little help from me!

After having a good old rummage amongst my fabric stash (which I might add, takes a while) she pulled out some fabric that she liked and away we went.


I showed her the very basics of fabric cutting and pattern making, we cut out the fabric, found some lovely corresponding purple ribbon.  A quick lesson on the sewing machine was needed but Sophie had learnt the basics at school and was not as rusty as she first thought!!



Now for someone who will admit she doesn't try new things....Sophie got stuck in, with sewing..and it wasn't the easiest parts either..she went straight into the main feature of the bag..the union jack.....with very nice results.  Now it was time for the handles..we pressed pinned and then sewed..ta da handles






Time had flewn and it was already 10.30pm and Soph had to work the next day....so off she went...very pleased with her first sewing session..

......and the bag..yep...I finished it off for her the next day..!




Well done Soph......next week..world domination!

Monday 16 November 2009

Presenting earrings and hairpins!...

I'm am so excited and pleased about my latest packaging ideas for my earrings and hairpins that I thought I should share them with you.


< The weekend started well with the delivery of my new moo stickers (which I put on all of my packaging) so I was itching to use them...


Then I had to complete the orders from my jewellery party.... I had  quite a few orders for hairpins and earrings.  Once made I popped them into organza bags and then into my usual boxes, but I kept coming back to them...as something was niggling at me! The presentation just wasnt working..they looked naff and I like a polished look....(little bit of OCD methinks) ....so off to the studio I went...


Out came my stash of card and punches and away I went...not forgetting my moo stickers! So simple and easy to do. and here they are...even my rings got a look in...








I am dead chuffed with them..and I can't wait to hand them over to their new owners!

Saturday 14 November 2009

My first jewellery party!


I had my very first jewellery party on thursday night..and it was a brilliant success.

It took me all day to organise as I was running around like a headless chicken...I didn't know what to bring and I wanted to cater for lots of different tastes.

Previous to nelliD2 I had nelliD, where I sold original paintings and homeware items..such as the rose ribbon box frames that you can see in the pictures. So I took these along with me, the rest belongs to the nellid2 collection- resin jewellery, and handbags and beaded jewellery., some of it, well quite a lot hasn't made it to my online shops yet..

Anyway thanks to the lovely Sophie and her mum Mary I had a whole dining room table to set up on ...and I think you will agree the table looked stuffed and very colourful...I was very pleased.

 

 

Once again...a big thankyou to Sophie and her lovely mum Mary...ps the mince pies were fab! x



http://www.folksy.com/shops/nelliD2

Thursday 5 November 2009

Birthday boy! Not on the highstreet!




Hi all I thought I would share with you the wonderful gifts that I had made for my lovely other half for his bday....now he is a simple chap...(not in the thick way) but he likes what he likes and not much more....this includes cars and dogs ! so he is a little difficult to buy for.

Anyway earlier on in the year I had decided to take the handmade pledge..which isn't difficult when there is so much talent bursting out of folksy and from then on I only buy pressies from fellow folksters or crafters.

So I spent much time deliberating what I could get James bearing his 2 loves in mind..when I came across Sara Carr   http://www.folksy.com/shops/saracarr  who makes the most amazing knitted creations!

I came across this delightful cusion, http://www.folksy.com/items/58041-Lambswool-Dog-Cushion?shop=yes but James has an adverse effect with cusions and cant see the point, I am the opposite and I have them everywhere I love them...he counted them one day and I have 24 on the bed...for decorative purposes!!!

So a cushion was out of the question...but the dog design was just perfect I just love it and knew James would.   So I asked Sara if she would make me a scarf..complete with the dog design...she agreed and we talked colours (at this point I was so excited)  James loves all things brown, which stemmed from a brown Nova salloon which was the cover feature of retro rides last year...see piccie




Oh and I just have to add this picture in of my lovely nephew Oliver completely bushed after a long and interesting read!



So the colours had to be brown, ! So off Sara went super speedy and made me this, just brilliant and I knew James would love it.


and here he is!



It came beautifully packaged and the quality is exquisite!

Well done Sara..I will be back for some cushions..........he he !


.....James is also partial to a tree or 2!....

Thursday 22 October 2009

Blog feature...my studio


Yey I have been lucky enough to have been featured by artists in business, for their montly feature on studios...

Have a read here ...I'd love to know what you think? x
http://artistsinbusiness.blogspot.com/2009/10/in-studio-part-4.html

Saturday 3 October 2009

The trouble with display units!

...Displaying jewellery is, I have decided one of the most time consuming, and headache worthy tasks. But I think I may have cracked it. I wanted to display my jewellery in a quirky, yet functional way that showed off the jewellery to its maximum potential.

My sister has kindly offered to set up a display at her work for me, so I needed to come up with a very simple yet effective way to display my bits and bobs without it causing a headache for her!......this led to a number of headaches!


For weeks I had pondered the whys and wheres of displaying my wares..looking at buying ready made cases, and coming up with nothing I liked...until!




This beast reared its lovely little head! It cost me £2 at a carboot sale, tucked at the back of a ladies stall, she said uggh I cant give that thing away, we got loads when I bought a consignment of carved ones from india and they threw them in as a freebie..give me 2 quid for it she said...I couldnt of handed over the £2 faster!

So it came home for me....basically it had been painted cream, lets just say it was no Van Gogh who painted it, theyd actually painted the draws shut, leaving the inside a hideous sludgy terracota colour....



So arms deep I sanded the draws and walls back and got to grips painting it a lovely antique cream...


After having painted the cabinet, I was eager to put it all togethera and get it going...however it seems that whoever built it may have had a swift half or 2 before getting to grips with a ruler...the drawers with the extra layers of paint on them...wouldnt go back into place!

Cue electric planer ...sanding off in some cases 5 mill, the drawers went in. What I love is the brilliant charm about the cabinet, everything is off centre skeiff, wonky...it hilarious but totally me....

It then needed some lovely eclectic handles that aid its charm...so I got these tiny 2cm glass handles...

So it was on to the decoration...I lined each drawer with wallpaper and got on will filling it up..I wanted to go for an eclectic theme...things spilling out and peeking through! so here it is...I love it

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What do you all think???


Ha how silly of me, I forgot to share the other display unit with you all what a twit....!

Anyone as mentioned my sister wants to put up a little stand in her staff room for me, which is fab..thanks Charles..

So heres the trouble..how do I display my wares in a functional, simple way..bless her my sister hasnt a creative bone in her body so it needs to be simple and easy for her to put up....

so I wracked my little brain and found this..I have a little obsession with suitcases anyway..so it wasn't too much of strain for me to buy it...this one was an old evacuee's suitcase and is well battered..and it had to come home with me...


So it came home with me, and I proudly pronounced the it was my new display case for my jewellery, and got the same reaction I get with many of my ideas..the wide eyed oh god she's lost it look, just smile and nod...and off I went to my summer house, case in tow and I wasn't coming out until it was done!

I had decided that my jewellery is best seen collectively..not that it doesn't look good on its own, but I wanted to give the viewer a feast of colour and choice...and I also wanted to make it user friendly for my sis...pop up and go.

This is what I made...


a pin board..if you were wondering...and in my favourite british theme (of course)

Basically I measured the inside of the case and got my dear old pa to cut some chip board to size for me..then I cut some wadding and fabric to size and stapled it to the back..it really couldn't have been simpler..I did the same thing for the ribbon..here is the back..not my neatest job but who cares!

Here comes the best bit..filling it up!

TA DA!!!!!!!!!!!


and thats that...a very simple user friendly, tamper proof, display case! phew no more headache!

Friday 2 October 2009

My new job!

>



Hi everyone, I thought it was about time I told you about my new job.!!!!!!!! yey! As some of you know I moved down to Hampshire in July as James (Other half) got a job down here. Anyway I had been considering leaving the teaching for a while and taking a less stressful/less time consuming role to free me up for making crafts. (my favourite past time as if you didn't know)


So the move couldn't have come at a better time really. So that left me with the issue of the job! after being in a school setting for years I was a little unsure as to where I would be suited! So I applied to various roles and for one thing or the other (over qualified or under qualified) I never found the right one, until, my dad spotted a tiny advert in the local paper for an admin role.






The post stated that it was for an admin assistant for a small local office, but that you must be willing to share the office with dog! (brilliant I thought, and the only advert in the paper that remotely took my fancy)






So after a few interviews lots of tea, and chatting, I got the job! yey

'What is the job' I here you cry! well...





A tiny 3 man team in Brockenhurst Hampshire, runs a non profit based charity providing support and rehabilitation facilities in Borneo, Malaysia for the endangered Orangutan. They raise funds through sponsorship, online adoptions and in anyway they can to ensure that not only my children get to see Orangutans but their children get to see them too!

http://www.orangutan-appeal.org.uk/



My role is to promote their website in any way that I can.....through face book, twitter and any other means possible. I am also responsible for setting up an online facility for children whom sponsor a baby Orangutan to log in and create a craft each week...blue peter style! (so that is coming soon) I will also be sent out to schools to give talks and that sort of schooly thing.

So from small things!......who knows where it will lead!


Now of course I have to do a little promotion,

Are you stuck for a unique present for a loved one or friend, well for £30 a year you can sponsor a baby orphaned Orangutan, and really make a difference. Included in your £30 you will receive a pack, containing a newsletter, detailing the recent work done at Sepilok (the rehabilitation centre) 2 (real) photographs of your chosen Orangutan, taken at Sepilok. An information pack on the history of your chosen Orangutan. A certificate detailing your adoption and 2 6 monthly updates about your baby.




To look after a baby for one year on average it costs £1500 !




The charity itself funds new projects such as the creation of new jungle gyms, and feeding platforms and enclosures so that the babies can learn from watching older more experienced Orangutans.

I've been blonde, brunette and now orange!.......only kidding! meet Sen, an orphan who was rescued in 2006, as you can see he is a cheeky chappy and is fighting fit!





you can adopt Sen and help continue on with his rehabilitation and his future release! here!


http://www.orangutan-appeal.org.uk/shop/?category=8



We welcome any fundraising event you may wish to do, you can email over any requests or if you would like any info on fundraising please email me at:


Orangappeal@btinternet.com and we will be happy to help.



A bit more info:


In spring 2008 5 of the young orangutans which had been living in the nursery at Sepilok were ready to be released into the Kabili forest which surrounds the centre. Each orangutan had a very different history....you can read more on the website.



So that's it for now, I will update regularly on forthcoming events and goings on at the orang' hub (the office)



You can also follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/orangutanappeal


Or come and find us on face book,

Orangutan appeal uk



Coming soon, Basil....the office Dog!





http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=101000856931

Tuesday 29 September 2009

How bizzarre!

Hi all, I just had to put this in a document thingy..it should be kept in some sort of archival manner....so the other half is looking for a car at the mo, and the most obvious place to go it of course flea bay (as I like to call it) any way he calls me over after spending hours trawling through listings and getting no where.!! He notes my boredom and says ...have a look at this...this will make you chuckle...he was right...and I believe it warrants a blogg...

So this is the advert for the car,


Mighty Grey ! BMW525 tds se touring estate car 1994 model Turbo/Diesel This huge battleship is up for grabs ! Lots of good points and some bad ones. It's a 5door estate so lots of room , central locking ,electric windows, electric twin sunroof ,alloy wheels, she was purchased off ebay with no mot or tax 3 months ago ,it cost over £500 pounds to get through its mot. Its had to have front vented brake discs and front brake pads,major welding to its underside and sill repairs,top end overhaul, but interior is clean for the year . Its fitted with a towbar,its got tinted glass all round and a cd player fitted, its good points are it now has 9 months mot left and im hoping i can find it a new home. Now for some not so good points turbo charger has stopped working and garage has told me it needs a new actuator for the turbo,paint work is looking tired in places although it is metallic,there is a bad section of surface ruston n/s rear quarter panel and a dent on n/s front wing ,1x front headlamp looking chatty on inside,bonnet has lots of stone chips, its got lots of receipts but no real service history. Four decent tyres too. If you need any more details on the BMW please give my mechanic a call on 07836201153 and he can tell you all you need to know or you can email me , It is what it is : an extremely well built and durable car and would give someone at least 9 months motoring so I've started the auction price appropriately. Best of luck , viewing is recommended as pictures make the beast look sexier than she is,please no more requests to part ex wolf wings or baby hamishes as i have no facilities for either. I have started the auction low so some one can grab a bargain please only bid if you wish to buy

I love this blokes honesty and if that wasn't good enough it gets better!.....

Pay particular attention to the question and answer at the bottom of the listing...this guy should write a book!

Q: would u be interested in a px with my 1954 whale wookie with twin vole drive and bunter 4shaft converter,it partook in the1989 speed trials at crantock and was driven by harold trubshaw and timothy clythorpe the 3rd it placed 2nd in this race,there is a massive folder of bills and i will also throw in some nuts ? 27-Sep-09

A: wow it was beleived by the wookshon club of dunstar that only 3 versions of the wookie existed & now yours comes 2 light,do u have any more info ??is it the gnome tailed version with bunter drive or the sprint conversion with its magnificent 13ft rear fin??isit painted in royal oak funnel or the misty dew blue??does it have history u know of?? ie documentation by designers (sir ralph wookall,cecil nugent whale,the late great gunter allcock addler??? who sadley passed away whilst working on his beloved vehicle {wookacilin}i look forward 2 hearing from u and am very intersested in the vehicle and the nuts what flavour r they ????? kind regards lord appletree good bike

So after spending a good few minutes in stitches and begging the other half to buy the 'mighty grey' I have decided that in honour of this anoymous ebayer (as I dont think the mighty grey will be ours : ( I am going to name my future makes upon the characters and names within the advert! I think that is apt!....so watch this space for future Whale Wookie's and Cecil nugents! havent decided upon the nuts yet!

Good day!

Thursday 24 September 2009

Jewellery Tags





I am so lucky...and I just had to share the brilliantness with you all, my good friend Laura of Glueandglitter did some custom tags for me and they are perfect, they add so much to my work I love them.

Take a look:

http://www.folksy.com/shops/Glueandglitter







Laura created these tags based on my shop profile (which she also designed) and has helped make a whole brand for me, everything ties in together and really makes my pieces look extra professional...I couldn't have done it without her. The service she provides is second to none, she checks, rechecks and checks again that you are happy with the design before she makes them and then sends them out pre drilled ready to use..its brilliant.







Laura sells her tags through folksy, and for £15 for 50 tags you are getting a bargain!

http://www.folksy.com/items/65179-Tags-for-jewellery-custom-orders-?shop=yes



A big thankyou goes out to Laura you are very talented x