Personalised photo cards

I've been playing around with my photo editing software - I needed a card for my niece to give her some money for christmas and had left it too late to get one of my card making chums to create a bespoke card for me. I tried making a card with lots of glitter, glue, embellishments etc but just made a horrible mess - definitely the before not the "here's one I made earlier..." Where do you all get the patience from? So then tried playing around with photographs on the PC - I'd scanned all mums old family photos so had a selection to experiment with. The result is below - I hope she's not too embarrassed as she's now a stunningly beautiful teenager...

christmas is just around the corner...

Only a week to christmas day...
I'm pretty well organised - all presents bought, non perishable food bought and safely stowed away. All orders for bespoke jewellery have been fulfilled and posted. Each order received for jewellery on my websites is being posted as soon as it comes in to give the best possible chance of arriving in time for christmas - Royal Mail permitting. Will the queues in the post office ever reduce? I've spent so much time over the past week or so in a Post Office queue.
This is Nicks last day at work until the new year & my son comes home on monday morning after dropping his fiancee off at Gatwick airport. She's going home to Greece for christmas - they are getting married in Spetses next year & she's got things to organise at home. I don't think they'll ever spend christmas apart again.
Not sure if I'll be able to update this blog until the new year so I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone who takes the time to visit & find out what I've been up to a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR. I hope the festive season brings you everything you wish for.
Apologies to anyone who has used my jewellery making projects for the lack of them recently - my plan for next year is to write as many as possible when it is quiet & keep them filed away for publication at regular intervals in 2009.
Thank you to everyone who has bought my jewellery this year - your orders are much appreciated...

photo keyrings...

I've been uploading my mums box of old photos onto the PC. I wanted to use some of them to make some photo keyrings and decided it would be sensible to scan them all while I had them. A decision I questioned half way through - it took so much longer than I expected. An interesting exercise though. When you look at the photos on the PC screen you see so much more - especially family likenesses.

Anyway, here's my first attempts - all from scanned photos.....

dad about 50 years ago

my brother & me about 45 years ago

my son about 25 years ago

The keyring with my sons photo was the first one I made & the resin has affected the photo. I tried a different technique for the others which worked perfectly.

I'll be adding these personalised keyrings to my shops very soon...

here you are...

These are the results of my experiments of embedding hair in resin.

I've put too much in the pink one and needed to remove the straggly bits from the brown one but they've worked better then I expected for a first attempt. A childs hair will be much finer and will be more effective. Obviously the actual pendants are much smaller than the photo...

embedding hair in resin...

I've been asked to make some resin pieces that have hair from a little girls 1st haircut embedded in the resin. I'm not sure how this will work and have been experimenting with a little bit of my own hair as I don't want to make mistakes with the real thing. They are destined to be presents for the grandparents at christmas - with the option for the grandmothers to wear them as necklaces & keyrings for the grandads. Not sure what to do with my experimental pieces when they have fully cured - who would want to wear my grey streaked hair, apart from me . I'm going to the hairdressers next week to get it coloured again - but I'm not vain !!!

This resin pendant has been a popular design & I've been asked to repeat it a number of times so I've added a chain and moved it to my finished resin jewellery category in Just K Jewellery.


I've also added this bracelet to Just K Jewellery - the blue flower beads are really pretty and I've used some cream swarovski pearl beads too which offset the blue beads beautifully.

more of my handmade resin jewellery...

when I look at the kind of jewellery I make I worrry myself sometimes... my style is so varied & I seem to flit from idea to idea. I've been experimenting over the past few days - had quite a few disasters & made loads of mistakes but that's how I learn. I think I've stumbled on another interesting effect - but the pieces haven't fully cured so I won't know if it's worked until I demold them.

While I wait for the resin to cure I've finished these pieces and added them to The Secret Jewellery Boutique.

This pretty necklace has lilac flower embelishments embedded in clear glasslike resin. I put it on a sterling silver bail and chain which seems to set it off beautifully. (note to me - must not wear it myself!!!)

these pink earrings are really kitsch & fun. Takes me back to my days as a hippy chick...

these earrings have dolphin embellishments embedded in clear glasslike resin

Christmas is coming...

yes, it's THAT time of the year & here we go...

I'm busy working on orders for bespoke jewellery and have been photographing & adding new stock to all my sites.

This pretty cluster bracelet is loaded with gemstones as well as the large immitation pearls - on The Secret Jewellery Boutique

I've also added more resin pendants and cufflinks to Secret Jewellery on GroovyCart

more autumn leaves resin...

a couple more of my handmade resin that I've made up into jewellery and added to Just K Jewellery

The necklace has a dried autumn leaf embedded in clear resin and backed with metallic gold tinted resin. I thought this pendant was so pretty I've hung it from a sterling silver pendant bail on a 16" sterling silver chain.

Autumn Leaves Resin...

I've embedded fragments of dried autum leaves in amber tinted resin & then when it has cured have backed it with gold metallic coloured resin. I was really pleased with the result and decided the small beads would look good as cufflinks...

all in Just K Jewellery

Kitsch Rings...

I've been having fun making these rings - the pink ones have candy cake sprinkles embedded in the resin. They are all in Secret Jewellery on GroovyCart - click here to visit Secret Jewellery

At long last the new resin molds have arrived from America - now I've got some different shapes to play with!

embedding in resin...

I'm always looking for new things to embed in resin - sweets are a fun thing to use but I'm not sure how many people would really want to wear that kind of jewellery - but great if you're into all things kitsch. I've got a few things cooking on that theme just for fun. I also love playing with paints and resin, adding glass paint at different stages of the curing time to see what happens. You can't predict or plan exactly what you want to achieve - well, I can't!

I've been adding loads of stock to Secret Jewellery on GroovyCart, resin beads and pendants to my ArtyMiss shop and more beads and pendants to Just K Jewellery as well as this necklace which is made from some of my resin flowers - links to these sites on the right side of the page if you want a nosey...

Secret Jewellery on GroovyCart

I've upgraded my GroovyCart shop - Secret Jewellery - so I can have more stock.

I've spent the last few days sorting through my box of jewellery and have been taking photos and adding the new stock to Secret Jewellery. I've still got more to do...
It's also made me finish some of my handmade resin beads and make them up into jewellery. These photos are just a couple of examples
Visit SECRET JEWELLERY on GroovyCart

handmade resin cabochons

I've decided to wait until the new year before I change the name of Secret Jewellery on GroovyCart to Just K Jewellery - forgot I'd ordered some advertising postcards for christmas - doh!!!

In the meantime I've added this pendant to Secret Jewellery on GroovyCart - even if I say it myself I do think that some of my resin pendants are mini abstract works of art on a necklace...

I've also added some resin cabochons to BEADS on GroovyCart - here's a taster...

and more resin pendants...

here's some more of my handmade resin pendants that I've added to Secret Jewellery on GroovyCart

I think that I'm going to change the name of this shop from Secret Jewellery to Just K Jewellery. It won't affect anything unless you've bookmarked the shop but I'll make sure I give plenty of notice...

make resin jewellery...

here's some more resin pendants and beads that I've added to Just K Jewellery.

I've been having a sort out & realised I need to make space for all the goodies I keep buying. SO... I've created a category in Just K Jewellery - CLEARANCE & SECONDS. I've spent the afternoon being pretty ruthless and slashing the prices of lots of stock & moving them into the new category. I'll be moving stock here from my other websites too. I also want to use this category to sell some of the "not quite perfect" and experimental resin pieces at bargain prices.

I've also added this pussy cat keyring to Just K Jewellery

Resin Cufflinks...

I've been meaning to make resin cufflinks for ages and have eventually bought some cufflink blanks. Here's my first attempt. I've just added them to Just K Jewellery.

I've also added this large swirl pendant to Just K. You can't be shy & retiring to wear this necklace!

Make a thong or ribbon necklace...

Here's a project to make a thong or ribbon necklace for a pendant. It's amazing how different a pendant can look depending on what you hang it from. Take your pendant with you to your local haberdashery or craft shop and buy a length of coloured thong or ribbon. You should also be able to buy the jewellery findings, especially from a craft shop. Of course you could just use a length of ribbon and tie in a bow around your neck but if you want to actually make a necklace just follow these easy instructions. You will need to right click on the image and save it to your own PC.

I will also put a few kits together in the "Make this... Jewellery Kits & Projects" category in Just K Jewellery.

handwritten name keyrings & butterfly...

oh dear - broke the ban. I've got no self control My excuse is that I needed to make some small shapes to use in cufflinks. I've just bought the blank cufflinks. Thought they'd be a good idea as a new line for christmas.

Got a new catalogue through from one of my regular suppliers & they've got some really yummy new stock - already placed my first order & am itching for it to arrive.

In the meantime I've added these handwritten name keyrings to stock in Just K and Secret Jewellery on GroovyCart. I've got an idea to use a customers handwriting and embed that in the resin - just need to work out how to do it. Could be a childs writing saying daddy or something similar and different shapes too.



I've also just added this pretty resin butterfly to The Secret Jewellery Boutique

new stock uploaded...

I've banned myself from making any more resin pendants until I've finished the ones I've already made. I've got a box to work through - they need the rough edges sanded and a pendant bail added or hole drilled. My problem is that I'm always thinking about the next project, a new idea to try...

Saw a lady on the TV yesterday who decided she needed to make some extra money & decided to make & sell jewellery - it was pretty pricey & I suspect she was making a larger profit margin than she claimed. I'm completely the opposite - I love making jewellery but am a useless saleswoman. I sell with a small profit margin as I just want people to enjoy wearing my jewellery and think they've got a real bargain.

Spent yesterday afternoon re-jigging The Secret Jewellery Boutique. I created a new shopping category for my handmade resin pendants - uploaded some new stock and moved some of the pendants already there into the new category. I've got a few more things to move around today. Piccies are of new stock added to Just K and The Secret Jewellery Boutique.

Also got to write this months project for Easy Craft Projects - had a eureka moment in the middle of the night when I realised I hadn't done it yet - sorry Lisa, it'll be with you very soon...

more resin pendants...

Here's just a few of my resin pendants that I finished yesterday

Resin cabochons...

I couldn't decide whether to make these cabochons up into jewellery or just put them for sale for other people to use in their own jewellery projects. In the end I've added them to Just K Jewellery in the Resin Beads & Pendants category. I will however make them up into necklaces for anyone or just add a jump ring if you ask me nicely so you only have to add a chain, coloured thong or ribbon

The bracelet below isn't for sale - I liked it too much so am keeping it for me

Resin cabochon bracelet...

here's a couple of piccies of the bracelet I've made using my resin cabochons...

Resin cabochons

One of the problems with making resin cabochons is that they aren't a custom size and therefore settings are not easily available. I tracked down these silver bezels and have added a loop - I'm quite please with the results, I think the setting gives the cabochon a vintage look

I've made a few sets of matching resin cabochons and now am in the process of putting one set into these settings so I can make them into a bracelet. Piccie to follow in due course...

handwritten beads & pendants...

I tried something new this weekend - wasn't sure if it would work, but it did. I wrote names on the cured resin before adding another layer of resin. I thought the resin might remove all the colour from the writing as you have to seal many things before you can embed in resin. The only problem is that you make the beads and pendants upside down/back to front. When you demold the pieces the bottom is the top - if you know what I mean! This means I had to write from right to left. LUCKILY... mirror writing is my party piece - "sad" I hear you saying. As long as I don't think about it I can write back to front so that you have to hold it up to a mirror to see what I've written. These are my first attempts. I'm going to make some more but add a little bit of glitter and also make some with christmassy greetings - Oh blow - said the C word.

If anyone has any ideas please do let me know...

I also got around to finishing a set of resin beads I'd made a while ago so I could make them up into the necklace below. I've added it to Just K Jewellery

more stock added...

getting back into the swing of things...

I've just added these foiled resin cabochons to BEADS on GroovyCart

AND these two resin pendants to Just K Jewellery

and more resin pendants...

I seem to have neglected this blog recently - had a kidney infection & have now got a cold. It'll be so good when I feel 100% fit again!

I've still been experimenting with resin & have recently added these pendants to Secret Jewellery on GroovyCart and The Secret Jewellery Boutique

The jewellery below has also been added to Secret Jewellery on GroovyCart