Challenges for July

Well, it's half way through the year... all my New Year Resolutions are long forgotten. 'Bout time I made some new ones.

First up I saw this Green Smoothie challenge... and thought - yeah why not. I do like a smoothie. And I find all these healthy, beautiful, beaming Americans quite entertaining so I signed up. I wonder if here are any UK based sites like this. I can't imagine I'd be so willing to sign up without the American-ness.

Anyway, day 1 went..... ahem..... a little badly. My food processor wasn't that keen on the frozen spinach I threw in and decided to spit it all out. Really. All over the kitchen. Maybe the lid wasn't on that tight either. Hmmm.

Day two is a lot better though. Today I tried a blueberry concoction that I'm supping as I type which  is very tasty (oh and fresh spinach from the garden this time).

The second of the challenges is to list one new item daily.

Every. Single. Day.

Aaaah.

I've signed up to a little listing club on Folksy in order to make myself feel bad if I don't list. Sadly the other "July Lions" are quite a friendly bunch and I doubt they'll tell me off too much. But now at least I don't want to let them down.

It will be very good to get some new stock made and listed before the summer holidays. Because you know what comes around pretty quickly after the summer holidays. And if you don't know I'm SO not telling you, but you can click here to find out if you really have to. (sorry)

I'd love to hear any half year resolutions, or challenges you're doing!

That golden glow

A week or two ago I was asked to make a custom jewellery set of earrings and pendant necklace as a birthday present for a lady who had lost much of her own jewellery in floods, and the subsequent house moves while refurbishment took place.

I love (and I mean LOVE) making special one off pieces, and especially when you know a little about the background. However, in this case the customer particularly wanted a gold set, which I have to admit, did make me feel a little anxious.

As you probably know, I usually work in sterling silver, or copper. I do love the look of gold, and have been wondering about offering a gold option of certain items, but gold is just so costly! I mean, really expensive. I just can't afford to have it sitting in my stock cupboard at the moment.

Gold is similar to silver to work with, and so although I don't use gold as often as silver there was nothing particularly different in terms of work. But I was so nervous about wasting even a millimeter of the precious wire.

But oh my, isn't it pretty...

The gold is 9k and the stones are a delicate pale green amethyst. The gems are micro facetted, meaning it has many, many little surfaces to catch, reflect and bounce the light all around making them super sparkly.

I do love this combination of gold and green. What do you think?

You can see some other handmade green amethyst jewellery  in my becky pearce designs shop.

And whilst I can't offer 9k or 18k gold ready to go in the shops at the moment I do offer custom pieces on request. Just get in touch with me at becky@beckypearcedesigns.co.uk to discuss.

Ooooh and do keep an eye out for some gold alternatives popping up in the near future!

Yummy green amethyst....

I got some stunning green amethyst recently for a custom order, and was so pleased with them. I used them with a moss aquamarine stone to make one of my trademark silver leaf pendants. A gorgeous combination of green stones.

The amethyst was clear, and mouthwateringly beautiful, so I am thrilled to have a few extra stones to play with.

I've just teamed it with some gold wire to make these beauties... and I'm just making an oxidised sterling version. I'll load them up on the websites later. Would love to hear what you think of them.