A gorgeous FP appearance for my Flower

Thank you Monica for including me in your gorgeous treasury - a well deserved Front Page!!!

AMBER AMBER AMBER

Ok, I've finally had time to make and list more Pressed Amber necklaces on my website and in my Etsy shop. There is a total of five available now, ranging in colours from light yellow & green amber, through beautiful golden and honey to dark cognac.

FREE POSTAGE

To celebrate my website being up and running again, I'm running a number of Special Offers & Free Postage on all items purchased on my website this Autumn.

You'll find a much larger range on my website than in my Etsy shop, including a special section with jewellery made with Amber.

Postage is to all major countries and has already been adjusted for your convenience.

Time Now For.......Mushrooms & Blackberries!

Ok, not together ... & maybe not where you are, but I'm in Scotland & the time is right for both. So, if you feel adventurous you can try living off the land. While I'm feeling ok with picking blackberries, I'm not too sure with mushrooms. I'm no expert with mushrooms, my mother was. I like spotting them and then checking whether they're poisnos or not in a book. So, here are a few picks for you to see whether you can spot which ones are edible and which ones should not even be touched.

Influences - GOTHIC

I tried to define just how far back this influence stretches - Beetle Juice, The Seventh Seal, Great Expectations, Caspar David Friedrich, Jane Eyre, Shelley, Beethoven, Medieval architecture ... I don't think there ever was a stretch of time when some form of Gothic influence, or what could be described as a Gothic attribute, was not present in my life. Books, films, architecture, oral history & everyday explanations of everyday events that often were in the mind of the narrator perceived as having elements of extraordinary, mysterious, dark. The human mind seems always to be fascinated with something it cannot explain in rational terms, searching for mystery. What attracts me to Gothic in visual terms is the richness of form and colours, the deep hues, the form that is shown in shadows and light. It's the attention it demands - you have to see it up close, trace every detail, notice the little things. It's the emotions that can only be expressed by strong, deep colours - no surprise then that Gothic inspired pieces are made with oxidized black silver and with accents of deep red & blue colours. Gothic is one of the strongest influences in my work & it has a special place in my heart. Hope you like the result.

New T

Made in Scotland ... with love

My newest treasury is all about items made in Scotland & by members of the team McEtsy. To find items by this team, simply type 'mcetsy' in the search on Etsy or check out our thread in the Forums>Teams. I'm really happy to see the number of creative people from Scotland being represented on Etsy increasing & hope they all do well!

After long, long months......

....my new-look website is finally, almost, here! Well, it will be fully developed/filled-in in about a week or so. In the meantime, you can already order from it, register to review products, buy in UK £Sterling. & just in case you're more comfortable with Euros, US or Canadian Dollars - simply choose your currency from the drop down menu & it will show you how much it is in your currency.

Postage is only £2 per order for both international and domestic orders & I ship to all major countries in Europe, plus USA, Canada, Australia etc. Shop policies can currently be found here: http://www.etsy.com/shop_policy.php?user_id=5512653

& it won't be just jewellery that I will be selling here - all my destash will be listed & all my handcrafted copper/silver findings too, so, if you're interested in making jewellery yourself, have a look - you might find something interesting!

Here's a snap of my new shop:

Lets take a break

....by the time this treasury went up I need one! I've been going crazy-red-eyed as there's been a lot of work to do lately & so my thought went wondering about what kind of a break I'd like.

Influences

Sometimes some people know exactly what they like and how they like it, but sometimes there are times when you do know what you like but it takes some time to gradually find a way to express it. The latter is more relevant to my adventures in jewellery making. Over the last few years there have been quite a few influences, and over time I plan to develop them into separate collections. All of them are expressions of what I like personally, so there are no favourites! However, there are a few major ones & I will attempt to introduce you to them personally.

Heather Obsession

As the weeks pass the bright purples of first heather flowers change to softer pinks, whites to different shades and tones of purple, creating a multitude of colours - this was the inspiration for this treasury.

New Adventure on Art Fire

Ok, so I finally took the plunge and joined Art Fire. And shortly afterwards was pleasantly surprised when I saw my SWIRL ME necklace on the FP! I'm beginning to like Art Fire, although it might be somewhat biased :D

Here are my two shops:

Jewellery: http://www.artfire.com/users/OVGillies

Handcrafted findings & destash/supplies: http://www.artfire.com/users/MakeYourOwn

Fascination with Perfection

The perfection in an item crafted by hand comes not from exact repetition of given form as in items made by machines, but from something much more subtle and hard to describe. Yet, when that perfection is achieved, you can see it clearly. For me, the items in this treasury are simply perfect!

Going mad for accessories - in the forest

Whether it's the lure of the forest walks or the chill in the air that heralds the approach of autumn I don't know, sometimes brain works in mysterious ways, but when the treasury slot appeared, it all just came together!

In the mood for baking?

How about some vanilla slices? Just found this blog with the recipe http://rhid-baked.blogspot.com/2007/09/vanilla-slice.html

Bridal range

There always have been bridal-inspired items in my range, and there always has been the intention to develop a fuller, more specific bridal collection. It's been taking me a long time, but I do hope that you like the new items.

Fist in line are hair accessories & I just listed the Classic Poppy design. They are eco-friendly, being made with re-used material from a previously made/owned/worn/cleaned garment. The fabric has a luxurious silky feel and brilliant white colour. Each petal is individually cut and singed. Flowers are adorned with natural freshwater pearls and Moonstone, or with Swarovski crystals that are available in different colours to suit the colours of your wedding/dress.

These flowers are designed to be versatile - they are not attached to pins, rather, I used fine silver headpins to hold the petals together and create a loop at the back so that they can easily be slided on and off your own pins.

Since I do not buy a length of new material that can be re-ordered, but rather choose great quality vintage garments to make these accessories from, the number of flowers that can be made is limited. Each flower is also completely unique as each is individually made by hand.

Crazy About Amber

After a recent sailing trip to the Baltic I have gone completely crazy for Amber! I love it - it's light, natural & the colours are great any time of the year. Brilliant yellow for Spring, any will be great for Summer & Autumn, and then for winter I like the lightest, almost clear colour for the day & the deepest, darkest Amber for the cosy evenings.
Pressed Amber also comes in so many wonderful shapes that I'm spoilt for choice & design possibilities. However, I do have a few ideas & I think that oxidized silver will look great with single Amber bead pendants. Light, medium or dark, short or long, round, briolette, square, oval or nugget - I will be spoiling you with all the delicious, tempting choices!

Time Now For.......Blueberries!

Collected on the hills of Arran - wild Scottish blueberries. Not as sweet or big as commercial varieties, but an absolute pleasure to find, collect & snack on while walking through the forest!

SUMMER SALE

I'm having a Summer Clear Out Sale on older designs & samples - perfect chance for you to spot a bargain, adorn yourself in original designs at an even more affordable price, or stock up on presents for people in your life.

I'll be taking stock of what I have in the next couple of weeks & will be gradually listing Sale items, so check back often to see what's new! :D

PS. Keep an eye for the new collection items - lots of Amber pendants and earrings in oxidized and bright silver, Aquamarine Destiny ball pendants, Rutilated Quartz Inside The Earth necklaces, Ruby Zoisite Forest Goddess amulets & many more...

Long time coming...

....my latest post that is!
It seems that visiting mothers cause many interuptions on many levels...
But, here I am snatching a wee bit of time.