Remodel, renovate and refresh

Sometimes things just dont sell!
N o matter how beautiful you think they are, and despite being made from the finest components and created during your best creative moment. Well, they just sit on the shelf for weeks and months and sometimes years!

The great thing about beaded jewellery is that when you are totally sick of the sight of something you can pull it apart and make something else.
Which is what I did to a few of my pieces recently.
and what's more most of them sold straightaway! Hurray!

In the photo above, the lower necklace featured a gorgeous lampwork bead made by Bev Butler. I strung it with a variety of gemstones and pearls. It was a longish style, which I thought was quite fashionable.
BUT it had to go!
I remodelled it into this short necklace with coral and turquoise, and it sold at once!
Necklace #2 was also a longish one, with various pearls and lapiz. I had made a few variations on this theme and they all went really well, but not this one!
So it became several pretty bracelets, one of which is still available in my etsy shop.

When I originally designed this rose quartz, pearl and amazonite necklace, I thought it was the prettiest thing ever! It has some tanzanite coloured swarovski crystals and crystal quartz chips in as well.
But it's days were numbered and it also became several bracelets.One of them is also in my etsy shop.

This three strand necklace always attracted lots of attention. People were always drawn to the jade pendant and were disappointed that it was attached to a strand of rose quartz and a strand of green pearls.
When I pulled it apart and used the pendant for a totally different necklace it walked straight out the door!

It was great to have a bit of a spring clean. I have uncluttered my stash a little and made some extra sales.

Leura Tea at the Nook

The Nook has some new members!
In this post I will just tell you about Liane and Angelique who are Leura Tea.
It's hard to believe that they have only had their business in operation for 4 months.

I think the range and style of their hand blended teas is due to the amount of work and research they put into the previous 8 months as they devoloped their ideas and of course their product - the delicious teas!


Their specialty is a range called Leura tea blends -
- Blue Mountains Earl Grey
- Blue Mountains Lady Grey
- Leura Chai
- Lemon Sublime
- Billy Blue



Inspired by their own young families, they decided to develop a range of caffeine-free teas. Of course these are all enjoyed by all members of the family!
- Captain Jack's Jaffa
- Gabriel's Chocolate Chai
- Eddie's Apple Spice
- Dominic's Jasmine Black
- Honey Bee

They are constantly blending and creating interesting teas such as Japanese Genmaicha, Goji Berry, Australian Daintree as well as the amazingly beautiful artisan tea balls.

You can find all these delights and more at
The Nook, (a co-operative gallery)
upstairs at 133A The Mall, Leura.
ph 02 47 84 2917
thenookleura.com.au

or contact Liane and Angelique
leura-tea@hotmail.com
www.leuratea.com.au

24 years and still going....

G and I have been married for 24 years!

Quite an acheivement!

He took the day off work and we went to Mount Tomah botanic garden. This is a cool climate garden.

Had a lovely lunch with a great view, over the gardens and hills.

Some stunning flowers were out in bloom.

- camellia.


- king protea.


-
many beautiful rhododendrons.



- this is a huge warahah bush, just full of waratahs!

Earrings for Suzie

My friend Suzie has a wonderful shop in Leura - full of gorgeous delights, and she asked me to put some of my earrings in there.
The shop is "Leura Vintage" and as the name suggests she specialises in vintage clothing and collectables, bric-a-brac, retro, gifts and more!

These are what I designed especially for her using some vintage-style czech glass beads on sterling silver and gold-filled hooks.



You can find Leura Vintage at 147 The Mall, Leura (upstairs), NSW, Australia.

Bermuda Triangle Bracelet

Continuing my obsession with peyote triangles - I wanted to see if I could tesselate them into a bracelet.
I thought that since they are equilateral triangles they would fit together quite nicely.
I also wanted to play with making donut triangles. So I got out my new Matsuno size 11 beads and started.


The triangles fitted together well!


But how to finish the ends?
I added on beads in a decreasing peyote stitch to try and make the ends straight, so that I could sew a clasp on.


I used a button and loop closure - a favorite way to finish off beaded bracelets.


It turned out great!
It's light and drapes really well on your wrist.
You can see it here -
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14436864

New Earrings

I found these fabulous sterling silver ear wires at a bead show, and knew they would be just the thing to show off these lovely czech glass beads.

They make simple, elegant earrings which have been very popular on my craft fair stalls.
Look out for them in my Etsy shop too!

Happy birthday to me

It happens every year - another birthday!
This year I got a new camera - a cute little Canon Ixus.
This is the first photo I took with it. I dont think Rosie was very impressed! the flash made her squeeze her eyes tight shut.


G. took the day off work and we went for a lovely day out to St. Albans in the sleepy Macdonald River valley. It's an old settlement on the original road between Sydney and Newcastle.
There's not much there, but there is this cosy old pub, the Settlers Arms.


with great lunches -
the most luxurious ploghmans lunch you have ever seen

and a delicious plate of roasted veggies, pesto and goats cheese. YUM!!!

The sun was shining, my man at my side and a nice cold beer - what a way to spend a birthday!

Cant wait for next year!