Hearts and flowers....

With valentines day just around the corner, I thought I'd show you a quick selection of my hearts and flowers, in case you wanted to drop a few hints! Click on the picture to get more info!

Not a lot of jewellery....

Nope, there is not a lot of jewellery being made around here....and it's starting to make me a bit twitchy. The kids first week off school has been pretty eventful though.

For a start we went to choose our puppy.

Now that was difficult. They were all completely adorable. But we chose, eventually, and pick the little fella up in 3 weeks. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek I am beyond excited.

It was quite a trek to get there, so on the way back when we saw a National Trust place en route, we stopped for a bit of a leg stretch. It worked out really well. Wimpole is stunning!

I just wish I could capture the smell of those flowers on my camera, and the warm sun on my back.... ah it was a well spent hour. Hopefully we'll get a chance to pop in again on the way to pick the puppy up!

The rest of the week has been pretty fun packed too... .more of which later!

Birthstones and other inspiration

Well, so much for me getting lots of lovely handmade birthstone jewellery in my shops each month. I've done pretty well, but I have let May down. The May birthstone - Emerald started off pretty well. I got some gorgeous little stones, all beautiful and deep green. And then messed up completely in trying to set them. Whoops. They aren't the strongest stone, and I was probably a little....ahem over enthusiastic.

Never mind, onwards and upwards.... June is pearl, and I've got a box full of pearl goodies and a brain full of ideas - well half a brain anyway, the other half is trying to deal with all the everyday stuff and failing miserably.

In the meantime, I've been loving the warm weather and was out in the garden yesterday taking pictures.

 I love how this chive flower is bursting out of it's bud. Yippee... sun.

 These Lily of the Valley are such a gorgeous delicate shape. I would love to make some earrings in silver based on these flowers. Might take me a while to figure out how to put it all together though.

 Stunning stunning peonies. Love this splash of colour in our garden. Big flouncy and beautiful!

Ah we have so many forget me nots all over the place. I know people think they're a weed, but I think they're so pretty. I can't bring my self to get rid of them, so now they're everywhere. I love how there are so many teeny flowers clustered together. Definitely gives me some jewellery design ideas.

Featured maker - Pumpkin Sputnik (and a GIVEAWAY!)

Ok I'll admit it. I have a thing for notebooks. I think that maybe they make me feel organised. I have loads of them, but I still want more. And the more gorgeous they are the less likely I am to want to write in them. Is it just me? (Really?)

Anyway, when I was browsing Folksy recently I saw these breathtakingly beautiful notebooks on Folksy (yes, I know, I'm gushing. Okay so I like stationery) and I couldn't wait to show you.

Emma who runs Pumpkin Sputnik has very kindly agreed to do an interview for the blog, AND has offered ....wait for it....not one, but two notebooks for a giveaway!!!!

Excited is an understatement. I just wish I could enter! Plus she also likes Sigur Ros, best thing out of Iceland since The Sugarcubes.

Read on, giveaway details at the bottom..... but in the meantime over to Emma....

************************

Hi, my name is Emma Wilson and I live just outside Glasgow.

I make notebooks, sketchbooks and cards printed with my photographic designs of trees, plants and flowers. I’ve always loved stationery and used to make my own notebooks and sketchbooks while at art school.

I began making the notebooks back in 2005 when my youngest child went to school, I had been a jewellery designer-maker before I had children and studied at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen for my degree in 3D Design.

Making stationery was something I was able to do at home while looking after my two children and meant I could indulge in my love for photography and Photoshop. My designs are influenced by my surroundings here in Scotland. Trees and flowers feature heavily and in particular my last two collections have featured Hydrangeas – my favourite flowers.

I began selling my work at local craft markets in Glasgow and online on Etsy, I now sell through Folksy and Big Cartel and various shops and galleries around the country.

I have some new designs in the pipeline, some new photographic designs and some completely graphic designs inspired by school books. I also taught myself to crochet last year and am hoping to have more time for that this year.

My other job is being Mum to my two children and keeping my husband in clean clothes

I do love paper in all its forms, my main range is made with watercolour card and lovely creamy cartridge paper which is great for drawing on. The watercolour card has a gorgeous texture which complements the designs perfectly and I recently switched to linen cord to bind the books together which has a lovely quality to it. I can’t think of anything I don’t like about paper, I do get frustrated with my equipment though – my printer has a tendency to play up and my guillotine is currently broken “sigh”.

I usually listen to 6Music in the workroom, but often when I have a huge pile of paper to fold I put Sigur Ros on – the perfect music to work to.

The house we are in just now has a converted loft so I work up there, it’s a bit cold but at least it’s away from the rest of the house – and any distractions!

My favourite design at the moment is one of my new ones call Betty (see giveaway at the bottom), it has a bit of a vintage vibe to it and has lovely golden and blue hues. The best seller is probably Vintage Hydrangea though.

Thank you Emma!

Some wierd stuff going on with linking the pictures today so you'll just have to click on the links below to see the shops.... sorry 'bout that folks. 


Links:
www.pumpkinsputnik.com
www.folksy.com/shops/pumpkinsputnik
http://pumpkinsputnik.bigcartel.com/

So.... the GIVEAWAY bit...

Emma has offered 2 Pumpkin Sputnik notebooks to the lucky winner. An A5 and A6 size in her favourite design, Betty.

Here they are...

The giveaway is open until next Friday 4th May, midnight GMT. I will draw the name on Saturday.

All you need to do is comment below and let me know you'd like to enter and your name will go in the hat! Simple.

However,.....If you'd like to up your chances a bit you could do any or all of the following - just remember to come back and let me know!!

• One extra entry if you pop over and like the Pumpkin Sputnik facebook page,  http://www.facebook.com/pumpkinsputnikpapergoods

• One extra entry per tweet of the following  "Fab giveaway on the @bpearcedesigns blog http://www.redbirdjewellery.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/featured-maker-pumpkin-sputnik-and.html- pls RT!" But please max 1 tweet per day, we don't want to get all spammy now do we? While you're there why don't you follow Emma @pumpkinsputnik ( https://twitter.com/#!/pumpkinsputnik/)

• One extra entry if you blog about the giveaway and link to it on your blog. Post the link here in the comments so we can all come and check out your blogs too!
  
• Last but not least, one extra entry if you go and like my facebook page (let me know if you already do, and I'll include you too) http://www.facebook.com/RedBirdJewellery

Phew. Good luck. And please spread the word about this fantastic maker.

Birthday goodness

I never did get around to showing you my lovely birthday gifts.... so here are some of them...

(I love daffs!)

(and orchids....ahhh how beautiful are they?)

How gorgeous are these dinky teeny vases....so beautiful, and crying out for some blossom, or teeny buds - but not until they are in my new room dagnammit.

On a vase theme, a do love a nice vase +  I do love Rob Ryan's stuff = perfect pressie for me!

Have you seen "My Neighbour Totoro", produced by Studio Ghibli? It's a japanese animation, and one of my all time fave films. The girls love it too. So this totoro key chain, which now hangs on my bag is an extra special pressie for me. It reminds me of cosy Sunday afternoons, watching a dvd with the girls while the rain pelts the house. And how can you not smile back at totoro?

Hubbie and I have been in discussion about getting a dog. I had a black lab when I was growing up, and I'd love another.  R said he could probably be convinced about a dog "if we can find one that doesn't moult, or smell". Hmmmmm..... in the meantime he bought me this cute little black lab... made of soap and which smells of rosewood and bergamot!

And I also bought myself a little pressie....

Kheeeeeeeeeeeeeee new tools.

Flouncy flowers

Love, love, love what's popping up in our new garden this spring....

Flouncy, flamboyant peonies, bright and gorgeous - and lots of 'em.

We've had a few wierd and wonderful visitors too, like this lovely red-legged partridge (apparently) which keeps popping by. They seem really tame - happy to wander around the garden while the girls play around them, very very noisily.

And of course our tennants...

I can't see any tadpoles in the pond anymore, so I hope some survived. Hopefully they're just hiding under the lily-pads waiting for their legs to grow.

I can't wait to see what else pops up...

How's your garden doing, have you had any unusual visitors in your garden this spring?

Blossom

Yes, I know I know, I've probably mentioned it before, but I do love blossom. And this year (according to my friends who know about this stuff) has been a particularly good year for it.

The trees are covered in it, so much so that I've been cutting it to bring a little indoors.

With all the good weather we've been having the plants in the garden have shot up and are just about ready to show off their summer colours. I can't wait to see what appears.

Here are some spring goodies handmade by me...

Handmade necklace, with fine silver handcrafted leaf, rose quartz and pearl. Perfect with your girlie pastels for a feminine spring look.

Delicate rose quartz handcrafted earrings with sterling silver and crystals.