Even more addicted to sand casting!

Just checked and this is my first post since April of last year.  I have been sooo busy working.  I need to spend more time on admin but I love making the jewellery so much, it is difficult.

I recently returned from a wonderful holiday in Anna Maria Island in Florida and have returned with two different types of starfish and lots of shells.  No sea glass unfortunately but luckily my niece lives near Durham and has been visiting the Seaham Beach nearby so I now have lots of lovely sea glass to incorporate into my designs.

I am busy working towards Christmas at the moment.  Since moving from London to Hampshire I now have to post my hallmarking items to the Assay Office which is a real pain as the postage is such a lot!  I have been making larger items as the more items I send the cheaper each item is!  I am posting some of these items but they will not feature on the website until they gave been hallmarked, but will be there from 12th November.

Anyway, back to work and I promise I will speak soon.

CHANGE OF NAME

Hi - yes I know it's been a long time. 

The first thing I need to mention that I gave changed my trading name from Lynette Jewel to Lynette Vickery Jewellery.  You can still find me on Lynette Jewel for a while so you can use either.

I had a bumper year in 2015.  I taught myself sand casting last January and it really took off.  The main favourites were shells:  whelks, mussel shells, clams and starfish.   Then there were the acorns, poppy seed heads and poppy seed head caps.  In fact they all did very well. 

This year I am going to continue with the sand casting (because I love it) but incorporating more gemstones and sea glass. 

I am also doing a lot of fused silver.  I gather together different pieces of silver and place them artistically!  I then use my small torch to heat the pieces to get the effect I want without melting too much which results in a hole!  You never know what the result will be but if I don't like them, I just start again.  I think I must have been a pyromaniac in a previous

life as I seem to enjoy using my torches. 

I am also re-visiting etching.  When I first starting etching I found the results difficult to sell but just before Christmas it all turned around and the items were flying off the shelf.  Maybe it takes a while for people to catch up with me ha ha.

Anyway, please take a look on my website www.lynettevickeryjewellery.com, in the meantime I am posting a few pictures for you.

addicted to sand casting!!!!!

I know, it's been so long - last September.  I promised I would write up this blog every month, so much for that!

Every January I teach myself something new.  This year it was sandcasting.  I got out my books, watched some videos on youtube, bought my supplies from Cookies and away I went. 

My husband helped me, mostly in the beginning when I was scared of the molten silver but I mostly manage on my own now.  I am constantly on the lookout for things to cast including shells, twigs, pebbles, rocks, buttons, charms - just about anything. 

I am getting better now at getting things right but still manage to end up with half a ring most of the time.  I have found buttons and shells the easiest things to start with.  I am avoiding rings as after 4 attempts and no success it is very disheartening!

I am attaching some photos of my latest work.  I have lots of events coming up. In May I am doing the Salisbury Artisan Market on 3rd, The Kings' School Fayre, Winchester on the 16th and the Watercress Festival on the 17th.  I'll let you know how they go. 

eek - has it been that long!!!

I haven't written up my blog since April.  Where does the time go. 
What a lovely summer we had, I wish it would never end but I think it has.
I am working towards Christmas now (I know, dirty word) and I have two exhibitions this Christmas.  The ACJ "Winter Jewels" is back for another year.  Exhibiting through December at Hilliers near Romsey.  I am also doing an exhibition though November and December in Havant at The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre.   The latter is a first for me so I am not sure what to expect.  Let's hope I do well.
I have been making lots of new pieces.  I have been etching which I was rather scared about but I have been thrilled with the results.  My next new thing is going to be casting in the new year.  Also a bit scared about pouring molten silver into cuttlefish or sand but must try it.  I have also revisited my fusing which I love.  I will attach some photos.
I am in Salisbury at the Farmers and Artisan Market on Sunday and then it's the Romsey Show on the 13th Sept.  I am looking forward to that one as I always do well and meet lots of lovely people.
I shall be trying to get away to see the alpacas if I get a chance as I love them.  I want one!
Our holiday in Dubai was wonderful.  Richard swam with the sharks in the Dubai Mall Aquarium and really enjoyed it.  See rather blurred image.  We then cruised back on the QM2 which was very relaxing.
I have got a bike and it has been a wake-up call as you know the saying "you never forget how to ride a bike" - very true but what they don't tell you is when you last rode a bike at the age of 10 it was much easier than it is later in life!  When going up hill I have to get off and push the bike as my leg muscles are not strong enough.  I will keep at it though and I am determined to get stronger.
S&M are fine.  Meggie had an ear infection and Soph had harvest mites but they get over these things.  Meggie had her dew claws removed which was not as bad as expected considering she is 7 years old.  I will post the photos now.

Stunning Pendants!

I have been very busy working on a set of four new pendants.  I have some lovely drusy stones and I wanted to showcase them.  I hope I have done them justice.

Off on our holidays soon.  We fly to Dubai where we will see my stepson and his wife and our little grandson and then on a cruise back to Southampton.  Really looking forward to it.

Our garden is looking good - I took a great photo of a pot of anemones - they are such beautiful flowers.

I have also been having a good clear out of stuff.  Lots of expensive evening shoes - all gone to the charity shop in Romsey - some only worn once.  I am looking for comfort over style these days!

I took all my jewellery items to the Rum's Eg in Romsey for the ACJ exhibition in May.  It's a lovely gallery full of wonderful things and not just my jewellery!  They also have a great cafe upstairs for lunch.  I'll let you know how I got on at the end of May when it finishes.  I don't know how I am going to manage not being able to work for 3 weeks.  How sad is that.

Anyway better go and do something I guess ....... take a look at my flowers and my pendants.

Spring has Sprung

How lovely that the rain has gone and all the buds are on the roses, trees etc.

As promised I am attaching a picture of my flush set CZ pendant - it looks great and I wish I had gone for a amethyst and had more confidence!  I am exhibiting some of my work at The Rum's Eg gallery in Romsey from the 29th April until the end of May so I have been busy making some lovely pendants and earrings.

I took part in the first Salisbury Farmers and Artisan market on the 2nd March.  Despite the weather which was dreadful, I did very well and have booked to do the rest of the year.  I am also back in Andover on the second Sunday during June, July and August.

Sophie was 8 years old yesterday.  She had a special dinner, a bath and a sport relief lamb - who could ask for more.

Anyway I will leave you with some piccies of my latest work.  The final pendant is the flush set CZ.

2013 was wonderful 2014 will be even better!

I was determined to grow my business last year and I made some mistakes ie wedding shows, village craft fairs, expensive directories an advert in Vogue, and the Salisbury Xmas market, but if you don't try you will never know.

I also had some great shows; a conference at the BIC in Bournemouth in March, a couple of village fairs, the Romsey Show, and finally the exhibition in December at Hilliers near Romsey which was a huge success!  I also did very well with my smaller items in the Discovery Centre in Winchester.

Now a new year and I am looking into what to do this year.  There are some things that are definitely on my list, and some things that I am applying for so watch this space.  I had a lot of commissions last year and would like to grow that area.

As I am largely self-taught, my latest project has been rings.  I have always used cabachons but I wanted to try setting some cut gemstones.  I set a couple of stones in tube settings, tried a claw setting which was a bit of a disaster and yesterday I had my first try at flush or gypsy setting.

I had been told that flush setting was not for the faint hearted so, armed with my books, I decided not to start with a ring but to try a pendant and set a CZ so that if it was a disaster it wasn't too expensive.  I had to make sure I had the right thickness of silver sheet so that my stone didn't stick out the bottom so had to solder 4 x .8mm silver discs together.  That went well.  I then had to drill a hole with a 3mm drill bit right through the 4 discs.  That took ages as it was very thick.  I then had to set about using my burrs to burr out the silver so that the stone would fit.  I used a round burr and a setting burr and had to keep trying the fit.  It took quite a while but it was a success.  I then had to push the silver over the stone to keep it in place.  That is such hard work.  My fingers are not strong as I have fibromyalgia but I would do some pushing, go away and do something else and just keep going back to it until it was fixed.  It looks good.  It has been through the tumbler but needs further work to get rid of scratches so I will save the photo til next time.

I will attach a few piccies of rings to keep you going.  Happy New Year X