Updates

Good evening!! Just a lil post to tell you about all the new pieces Ive been making and to show you my beautiful Folksy banner and avatar from Bonnita Graphics. So firstly here are a few of my new pieces that are available from my folksy shop Princess Pearl.

This large crystal teardrop necklace is £10 and uses this beautiful crystal clear faceted crystal pendant which I have accented with a silver bird and a glass pearl. It is available to buy from here.

This necklace is one of my personal faves. Ive used a white enamelled heart locket and added a cute little satin bow and glass pearl. It is only £10 and is available to buy from here.

And finally a couple of pairs of earrings which I love. The first being peach enamelled hearts hung on antique bronze ear wires, available here, and these new earrings which I listed today available from here. All my new items are perfect for the summer, adding a touch of sweet vintage style to any outfit.

And my new banner and avatar fit in with my style perfectly.

It isnt very clear on here, but Bon has added lovely birds and foliage to the very elegant font. I am very happy, and would not hestitate to recommend her. To see more of Bons work click here

Thankyou for reading, see you again soon x

Fabric flower tutorial

Hello to all on this beautiful sunny day!!! Its red hot, and Im sitting in my garden with my feet up enjoying as much sun as I can (which wont be an awful lot as Im a red head with very fair skin so pretty much allergic to the sun,lol)
There are lots of fabric flower tutorials on the web, and I can completely
understand why. They are fairly easy to make, with need for very little skill or
tools, and they are so versatile. They can be made from practically any fabric,
and can be made into brooches or hair slides, and can be attached to bags,
clothing, hair bands...the list goes on. They can also be decorated with beads
and buttons. You can really let your creative imagination run wild on these
little beauties.
So here goes...

Heres what you will need:

Fabric (any type you like)

Needle (strong enough to go through all the layers of fabric)

Thread (preferably a similar colour to the fabric your using)

Something round to draw around (I used the bottom of a plastic Ikea cup. Obviously the size will make the flower bigger or smaller)

Pencil, scissors, PVA or fabric glue

And this is how you do it...

Firstly, and this is just to save time, fold your fabric in half (either right sides facing or wrong sides, it doesnt really matter). Also, if your fabric is very creased, it might be easier to work with if you give it a quick iron :)

Now youve got your fabric ready, you can start to cut out the circles. Keeping your round object steady, draw around it with a pencil or tailors chalk (or something similar) six times.

Now simply cut out the circles, taking care to keep the two layers of fabric together. You should now have twelve seperate circles of fabric :) For this project you actually only need eleven, so save the left over one for your next flower.

The next step is where you need your needle and thread. Take a circle, fold it in half (wrong sides facing), and then in half again (so you have a quarter circle) and sew a couple of stitches on the end of the point to keep it folded in place. Tie off and snip thread. Repeat this process with nine more circles.
You should now have ten quarter circles and one whole circle ready to go!

Now to construct your flower...
Taking the one whole circle, position four of the quarter circles so that the points are at the centre, and the folds all face the same way. Now, taking your needle and thread again, knot the end, and push it through the whole circle from the back and through the point of one of your quarter circles. Stitch it again, so the needle is at the back of the flower. Repeat this process with your first layer of quarter circles.

Now onto the second layer...
Same rules as before; points to the centre and folds facing the same way. Position each quarter circle so it overlaps the join of the two quarter circles underneath. Build this layer up following this pattern.

Last two...
Your last two quarter circles need to be placed in such a way so that they cover up the stitches. To do this, bring the needle vertically up through the folds of the quarter circle (see photo) and flatten the folds out a little. Sew back through and do the same with the last quarter circle. Before sewing through a final time, spend a little time tweaking the last two quarter circles, making sure they are sitting nicely. When you are happy with how it looks, sew through a final time, tie off and snip the thread. Now, if you want to decorate with beads or a button, you can do this before you tie off and snip the thread.

Now to decide what to do with your beautiful fabric flower...
You can either leave it as it is, and sew or glue it onto a bag or a top. Or you can cut a small circle out of felt and sew a brooch back onto it before glueing to the back of the flower. Instead of the brooch back, you could sew a bobby pin onto the felt before glueing. There really is so many different ways to use these. Why not let me know how you used yours...

However, if all this seems like too much hard work, but you love them, then head over to my folksy shop at Princess Pearl where you can pick one up for only £2.50!

Thankyou for reading X

Upcoming website

Hi, just a little post to tell you about the website I am designing. Im using a template from www.create.net and customising it to my own specifications, which is quite rewarding. I will keep you updated on the progress, which hopefully wont take too long as I only have a one month free trial. Its going to be pretty, girly and pink. Im going to start off with just my own jewellery designs, but then hopefully venture out to offer other jewellery from different suppliers. Ive got lots of dreams for the future of Princess Pearl, including a childs range, I just hope I can fulfill them. Thanx for reading X

Interview with...

Hello, and welcome to my first Interview with... blogpost!

My first interviewee makes gorgeous jewellery using glass flowers, beads and lockets to create designs that are wearable, feminine and affordable.

Please read on for the full Interview with...

Bina from Jewellery by Bina!!!

Q1: What made you get into jewellery making?

In 2002 I had to leave work due to M.E and Rheumatoid. Needing to rest most of the time was quite boring and whilst I was pouring through some craft magazines I noticed several bead shops advertised and decided to give it a go. Various people visited me through this difficult time and noticed the jewellery I was making. I was asked if I was selling it and was asked to make a custom piece. For a few years I sold as theraputic work. Children came along, I started feeling better so I decided to take it on full time - well school hours anyway!

Q2: All your jewellery is lovely, but what inspires your designs?

You can probably tell I like flowers :) Inspiration hits me at different times. Out on a walk in the woods, the colour combinations of the flowers, trees. Sometimes if I see an item of clothing the colours will pop out. Other times an item will come together whilst in the making and it totally works. Often I can match a piece of jewellery to a tv programme.

Q3: What would your dream job be?

I think I am already doing my dream job. The hours are great and flexible allowing me to stay at home and work around the time schedules of the family and children. This is a real bonus as my 5yr old son has autism and has many many appointments and it works well around his special school schedule. I love working with beads and creating new pieces. It gives me great satisfaction when an item looks great and photographs well too :)

Q4: Have you always had a creative personality?

I have never been an academic, but looking back at my school reports craft is always highlighted as a strength over everything else. As a child I loved doing crafts and entered craft competitions. I've also done card making - which were sold in many book stores. As a hobby I like soap making too.

Q5: Where do you see Jewellery by Bina being in 5 years?

Interesting question...hmmm...I'd like to incorporate more styles, develop new ranges, hopefully have stock in some stores...I love selling online and hope to continue.

I want to say a big thankyou to Bina for agreeing to answer my questions and for giving such fantastic answers. If you want to purchase any of Bina's jewellery head over to her Folksy store at www.folksy.com/shops/jewellerybybina or her Etsy store at www.etsy.com/shop/binageyer

Thankyou so much for reading :)

X

Alternative Fathers Day gifts

Ever get bored of giving your Dad the usual Fathers Day gifts of chocolate, dvd's, cd's and aftershave? Well, I do, so I took a look through Folksy and came up with a few alternative gifts for Fathers Day. Hope you like them :) x

First on the gift list is this leather necklace from Knot Likely. Perfect for the Dads who love easy-to-wear jewellery, with the silver shell adding a bit of something extra. Priced at just £4.99, its easy on the piggy bank too.

These beautiful dichrioc glass cufflinks from Snow Queen Trinkets are £11.00 and will add a bit of sophisticated sparkle to a boring suit, and are something he can look at every day.

Has your Dad always helped out with homework? Why not say thankyou with this awesome silk tie from Projector for £11.50, which is printed with the drag coefficient equation (super cool).

This t-shirt from Waldo the Worm priced at £12.50 is just a small part of the Waldo collection, which includes badges, bags and ofcourse the book that started it all off. The t-shirt features Waldo, and the two mean snails Kelly and Shelley.

These handpainted robot shoes from Inkheart Custom Kicks & Caboodle are ultra fashionable, and would look great with shorts or slouchy jeans. Priced at £44.00, it is a small price to pay to make your Dad feel special.

I hope you enjoyed looking through my list of alternative gifts for Fathers Day, and are inspired to give more than just the usual. Please follow me if you would like to see more Folksy blogs in the future :) X

Pearl heart necklaces

Hello!! This week I will be mostly liking...gorgeous pearl hearts. I absolutely love pearls of all kinds, whether they be swarovski, rice, or these lovely hearts, and Im so happy to have finally found a UK supplier. Here are a couple of necklaces Ive made using the little beauties. Take a look at my flickr photostream, my facebook fan page Princess Pearl, or www.folksy.com/shops/princesspearl for more of my jewellery or to buy :)

X

Hope you like them, Im hoping to order some more very soon, so watch this space for more pearly lovelies X

My beautiful peonies

Hello, Happy Bank Holiday! This is a bit of a random post, and nothing to do with crafts, but I just wanted to boast about my gorgeous Peonies that have been growing in my garden. I got one flower last year, which lasted all of a few days (very disappointing), so this year I was very excited when I saw bud after bud appear. Now, as would typically be the case, the majority of the flowers are big and open now, just as the rain starts, so I took some photos of them incase the it demolished them. Peonies and roses are my absolute favourite flowers, and I grow both in my garden. My peonies are a variety called Sarah Burnhardt, and they have beautiful flouncy, sugary pink flowers with an uncountable amount of petals.

Ta daaaa!!! They are just so beautiful, Im so happy with them!

Folksy Fix (a day late)

Welcome to my second Folksy Fix! Sorry its a day late, but I had an appointment with my little boys new school and it went on longer than everyone thought. The theme Ive chosen this week follows on from one of my bracelets that I made earlier in the week. So keep reading for my...nautical themed folksy finds.

First on my list is this lovely life saver themed birthday card from Ello Design priced at £1.75. It would be perfect for any man (or boat loving woman) in your life.

This stained glass lighthouse suncatcher from Carole's Glass priced at £9.00 would be lovely in a beach themed bathroom, but why not put it in a childs bedroom or nursery (out of reach ofcourse).

This shopper from My Little Hideaway is not only useful, but super cute too. Why not take it out on a picnic, or take it to the beach, or even as a toy tidy. For just £15.00 you will definately find endless uses for it.

For all of you who like your interiors bold, this cushion features the ever popular tattoo design. This is available from Dollydripp for £18.00, and with all the different designs in her folksy shop you could really make an impact.

This cute stripey dress is available from Amys Baby Boutique and in different sizes, making it suitable for all your little sailor girls. This custom made dress is priced at £19.50.

Last but not least is this beautifully hand painted milk jug from Laura Lee Designs priced at £20.00. There is a whole range available in her folksy shop, so why not buy the whole set.

I hope you liked this nautical themed post, there really is such a wealth of talent on www.folksy.com

Also, a big thankyou to all the designers, who I featured on my last post, for their support.

More folksy fix next week x

A couple of new bracelets

Hello! Ive managed to get my bead stash out over the last few days, which has been well needed. Being creative is definately good for the soul. I made a couple of bracelets which I am posting about now, and a few necklaces which I will show you on Thursday probably. Ill be doing my Folksy fix tomorrow, where they'll be lots more gorgeous finds from the crafty world of Folksy.com. Anyway, onto the first bracelet...

This is made using lovely rose quartz (my personal favourite stone) and an antique bronze leaf. Rose quartz is believed to be the stone of love and is also the Taurean birth stone (could be why I like it so much). It costs £8.50 and is available from www.folksy.com/shops/princesspearl

And the second bracelet has a nautical, sealife theme to it. The rich bronze is accented with lovely turquoise hearts and glass beads and freshwater pearls. It is also priced at £8.50 and is available from my folksy shop.

I hope you like my creations, feel free to leave your comments if you do. If you want any more information on either of them then check out my shop, where you will find my other jewellery too :)

Goodnight all x

Bit of a Folksy fix

Hellooo. I love to look on Folksy.com quite alot...nearly every night actually... so I decided to choose a theme and see what came up. So I chose a floral theme and picked out some beauties that caught my eye. I think you will agree that their a talented bunch of people :)

These gorgeous wooden earrings are the perfect present for someone who loves unique. No two are the same and priced at just £5.00 from Cissyface Vintage, they are an affordable treat too.

For a bit of monochrome flower power, this beautifully made coin purse from Grace and Firefly really fits the bill. Priced at £8.50, this purse is a perfect mix of modern with a vintage lace twist.

Why not dress up your little chefs in this sweet pink floral childrens apron from Daisywillow for just £13.00. It even has a little pocket in the front to stash the spoon.

This ultra-feminine floral and polka dot cushion from Polka Dots and Posies priced at £15.00 would be perfect for any little girls room...or maybe just keep it for yourself.

For those looking for bridal accessories with a natural twist, look no further than Bee Smith Bridal Accessories. This pink floral and pearl headband is £19.50

This lovely necklace from Jewels by Susan features beautiful silk covered beads in aqua and pink plus other variations at her Folksy store. This beauty is priced at £20.00

Floral Handbound Notebook

For something a little bit different but equally as beautiful. For such an amount of work £20.00 is very reasonable and is available from Kate Bowles

Little Floral Mammoth

This sweet little mammoth is made from the prettiest blue floral fabric. It costs £24.99 and is available from Big Feet Bears.

I hope you have enjoyed this floral themed post, check out more Folksy finds next Wednesday x

Welcome!

Hey guys, welcome to my very own blog! Yippeeee! This is going to be the place where I can let rip, show you photos of my new creations, and generally take advantage of my piece of the web. I hope to post tutorials on different jewellery projects, and possibly throw in some baking too (those of you who know me, know I love baking cakes). I love feedback, so please give plenty of it whether it be good or bad, I appreciate it all.

Hope you enjoy reading my blog, byeeeeeeee x