Hello 2014!

Happy New Year

 

2013 was an incredible year for my business, and I thank you all so, so much for your support. It means the world to me, and enables me to work from home, doing a job I love, and be around for my kids whilst they're small (ish). Who could ask for more?

I know it's a little late but I never feel the New Year starts properly until the kids go back to school (which is tomorrow!).

Apart from anything else, in January I try (really hard... honest) to give up the booze Sunday to Thursday. And there's no way I'm prepared to do that until the kids are back at school! So all my other resolutions have to wait too.

Christmas was a little soggy around here.... luckily our house didn't flood, but our village was all over the news, and lots of friends had a Christmas which didn't go exactly to plan. Some are going to be out of their homes for the foreseeable future and our hearts go out to them.

This was bridge at the bottom of my road on Christmas Eve morning....

By Christmas Day, the water had subsided and the roads were passable again.

And an aerial view, courtesy of Sky News.

I hope you lovely lot got away unscathed?

But that's all behind us now (fingers and toes firmly crossed as the rain continues to pelt down against the window). And I'm excited to find out what 2014 is going to bring.

My resolutions for the New Year are...

1. To practice on the piano for at least 15 minutes a day.
   I started lessons with the kids in September, having never played before, and always wanting to give it a go. I'm absolutely loving it, and it's got to be doing my brain some good from the way it hurts after each lesson.
2. The booze thing (see above!) 

Business wise my plans are to..

1. Finally crack my birthstone range....which I've slowly been adding to, but just need to bloomin' well get sorted. Especially the stacking rings, which will be lovely for a mum to have in the birthstone of her children.
2. Get around to putting my sterling silver initial jewellery in the shop. Can't wait to show you this!!!
3. Find some other suitable stockists to get my wares out and about a bit more. If you know of any lovely shops which like to stock handmade goodies, please let me know. 

I'd love to hear about your plans, or resolutions for the year ahead. 

In the meantime I'll leave you with one of my best sellers from last year, these oxidised opal studs....(just because I gave a pair to myself as a Christmas treat!)

Bye bye 2012.....

....and hello 2013.

I admit I'm usually itching to get the house cleaned up and "de-Christmassed" from Boxing Day onwards, but now it's all over and the dust has settled, the house seems so empty without the Christmas decs... And it'll be even emptier tomorrow when the kids go back. (sniffle)

I just couldn't say goodbye to some bits of Christmas, so this will be hanging on our back gate for a little while.

But truly, if I never see another piece of cheese again it'll be too soon.

I can't wait to get back to work properly tomorrow. I have a feeling 2013 is going to be a very good year. I've got lots of ideas - I just need to make them real.

Happy (slightly belated) New Year to you all.

Bye bye 2010, hello 2011

What a great year 2010 turned out to be. At the end of December 2009 I stopped working as a research manager for a publishing company, and decided to step of the merry-go-round for a few years.

The kids are still little, and even working 3 days was getting a bit much. So 2010 was my first year off, and looking back now, can I honestly say I did the right thing - giving up the grown up world of work?

Oooooh yes! It's been lovely, not all of it has been living the dream, but hey life's like that. And those school runs in the rain, with moaning kids is not remotely fun, but overall I definitely, completely and utterly made the right choice. And the kids are happier too.

My jewellery designs and photography has come on in leaps and bounds, and I've done so much that I'm proud of.

So what next? Well 2011 will be interesting as I get more into smithing, but using copper and brass mostly - did you know that silver has gone up by about 60%! Really!! And 160% in the last 2 years -  just ridiculous.

I'm also busily working on a new wedding range, and I will be setting up a destash shop which will also have some tutorials in it.

After doing my accounts for 2010, ahem, I'm going to keep outlay to a minimum for a while, so my plans for my own online shop will wait a wee while, but who knows maybe later in the year. To be honest, I think things will be busy enough. We'll be moving house (again!) in the next month or two - luckily to our final destination this time, and that will need some pretty extensive work. Eve will be starting school this September, and Chloe will be in her last year of infants come September. Busy, busy, busy, I can't wait!!

What are your plans for the New Year?