London Calling

A hint of sadness this week ....one of my all time favourite ceramic artists, Robyn Cove, announced some time ago that she isn't going to make beads or jewellery components any longer; she's concentrating on her beautiful and very original pottery.  Everything in her shop is reduced, so as soon as I saw this I hoofed it over to her Etsy shop RaggedRobyn pronto, to stock up as much as I could!
Robyn's work has inspired some of my best and most innovative pieces of work. I particularly like her spikes - the ones I used below remind me of an industrial skyline, rows of windows in a skyscraper.  Her work is just so different to anything else.

In my minds eye I see London - the tall buildings, the one they call 'The Gherkin' (30 St. Mary Axe - what a fabulous address!) represented by the faceted amethyst, the lovely eucalpytus pod connectors from Helen Backhouse representing the parks and public open spaces filled with flowers. The dark metal lever back earwires - the underground rail lines with their sidings and spurs. A whole city in a pair of earrings!

Hope you like them - they're available in my Etsy shop Precious Violet

 

See you next week  as I'm covering one of the extra days at the month end. February soon..........shall we do Valentine's Day?

 

Lindsay x

 

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PEARLS OF WISDOM

 Pearls. Calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, found in the soft tissue of molluscs. Doesn't sound too romantic does it? Yet what woman doesn't love them? Timeless, classic, graceful, with a lustre that illuminates the skin. 

                                Pearl - a metaphor for something rare, fine and valuable. 
 

Rustic, cultured, biwa, keishi; natural or dyed - I use them all in my designs. But there are times when you need a certain colour - a perfect match. It's then I turn to Swarowski crystal pearls. These beautiful new leaves from Helen Backhouse in shades of rose quartz and serenity (why didn't I have my hands on these last year when Pantone made it the colour of 2016?) demand the perfect soft pink that is 352 Powder Rose. A simple yet stylish pair of hand forged fine silver earwires and bob 's your uncle. Perfect Spring earrings - light and feminine.

 

 

 

 

 

So how do you effect your match without expensive guesswork? Well, Swarowski have this clever  resource that has every shade of pearl in every shape and size all in one little bag, with a chart. I'd thoroughly recommend you get yourselves one if you use pearls regularly - mine has been invaluable. In the UK you can get one from Jillybeads and they're surprisingly inexpensive. And a good range of the pearls - priced singly too.  I'm sure one of our US friends will identify a source over there.
Don't confuse them with cheap glass pearls that chip easily - these have a high resistance coating that lasts through environmental influences.   

 

 

 

       So there's your Pearl of Wisdom - a piece of advice. You can never have too many resources to hand.

 

See you next time

 

Lindsay x

 

 

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