On this last day of January I thought I’d share a little information about this month’s birthstone. Garnet as a gemstone has been popular in Jewellery for over 5000 years. Most of us recognize it as a deep red stone however, it does come in many other colours such as greens, orange, pink and yellow. However garnet has some other interesting uses outside of jewellery and you can read about them here:
http://geology.com/minerals/garnet.shtml
Have a great day! 🙂
In November I was fortunate enough to spend 3 weeks visiting various stunning places in Jamaica. Needless to say since I’ve been back home I am missing the ocean breeze and those gorgeous sunsets. So for this FabFriday I am simply sending out good vibes to all. I hope you have a great weekend, be good to yourself, and enjoy a fabulous Friday!
My niece CC was born 5 years ago this July, I had been debating what to gift her. Over the years I have tried to stick to educational, not traditionally “for girls” type gifts as she’s a brilliant young human being and I’ve always wanted to encourage that mind to grow. She’s part dreamer, scientist, astronaut and princess all rolled into one (among other things). I admire CC immensely. She has no biases and places no limits on herself. She is a marvel to watch. Not having children of my own, I hold adamantly to the rule that I need to follow her parents’ lead. I pay attention to how they speak to her and discipline her and try follow suit, consistency is magic for kids! This year, leading up to her birthday I was chatting with her Mom about gifts and party plans. Though I live far away I like to keep in touch as much as I can. CC’s Mom told me that CC had requested a princess dress for her birthday party so I asked if gifting her a set of princess jewellery would be acceptable. Mom agreed, jewellery would be perfect!
As you all may have noticed by now, I LOVE pearls. Diamonds just aren’t my thing. So I thought a set of classic pearls would be great for CC. A little bit of me, gifted to her. Something she can keep over the years. I made them slightly long so they should last the next few years and if ever it becomes necessary I can always adjust the sizing of them down the road. She can have this set of pearls forever, if that’s what she decides to do. This set is made with gold Swarovski crystal pearls in 6 MM with silver filled findings. A very classic colour for pearls in a classic, simple design. At the time I didn’t know what dress CC ended up picking for herself so I wanted a versatile set that would go with anything.
Mom reports that CC LOVED her jewellery and wore it all weekend long. Nothing makes an auntie happier than hearing that!
Well I moved into this house in April 2015 and have been struggling with how to properly set up my jewellery making space. Finally last weekend I think I got my office set up the way I want it! I am so excited by this. I will admit it took me awhile. I tried a couple different configurations and furniture/storage options before I got to where it is now. I am always bargain hunting for furniture and feel each space needs different pieces to make it work. I often buy and sell on sites like Kijiji or Facebook Buy & Sell groups.
My home office is a small space, about 2.3 meters by 2 meters and I run two businesses out of it so I had to be strategic about what was in there. I had this 1950s dinette set from my old apartment that doesn’t fit in my current kitchen but I love it immensely and I recovered the chairs myself so there was no way I would part with it. That instantly became my desk. It gives me a nice big surface to work on and also extra chairs for any consultations I might need to do.
Last summer, on Kjiji, I found this stunning 1900s era printers cabinet, tiny narrow drawers, perfect for jewellery supplies, tools and stones storage. That came home right away and helps me keep stones, wire and tools are neatly organized. My sweetie had a small black 2 drawer file cabinet that he needs to keep so that became the printer stand. To jazz up the old cabinet, I displayed some jewellery on top.
Two weeks ago, thanks to my cousin and IKEA I found the missing piece! Two shelves with a bar and some hooks. I believe this is meant for kitchens but right away I saw it fit into my home office. On the shelves I have displayed jewellery that I still need to photograph as well as some of my favourite nick knacks and reference books. The hooks hold some bags that I need in my other business with Arbonne and also my camera bag. You can also see my “printer stand” in the bottom right corner.
Having the pieces I haven’t photographed out and on display helps me in two fabulous ways. First it keeps them in view, every day so the task of photography doesn’t get forgotten. Second, seeing the pieces I have designed before helps my creative process. New design ideas often feed off of previous ones. Before I set up this shelf I had all my completed pieces stored away in my carrying cases and I’d only see them when I brought them out to art shows or to sales. Now I see them everyday and I love it.
I believe all I need now is a cork board (I’m in the middle of making myself one). I plan to use it for story boards. Fashion photos or colour palette displays that help inspire me. The contents of the cork board will change frequently as I use up 1 idea and move onto something new. I also need a short 2 level book shelf I can use for books and some paper materials I need in my other business. I haven’t located that perfect short double shelf yet, but I have no doubt I will!
The big night is coming! Are you ready?
I’m not quite ready to think about winter just yet, but being featured in this icy treasury certainly helps.
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