My Garden...oh so pretty

May flowers

Three of my favorite flowers seem to be especially prolific this month.

LILAC

COLUMBINES or GRANNY'S BONNETS

 

and PANSIES

 

 

Which is your favorite?

 

Jewellery to purchase from my Etsy shop, Mermaids treasure

Mermaids Treasure

Pale green sea glass and pearls pendant and chain € 40

Mermaids Treasure

I have had this piece of sea glass for ages but could never come up with a design that suited the shape and colour of it.......until found these gorgeous fresh water pearls in ivory and pale greens. Then the design started taking shape... I added various glass beads in shades of green and some tiny silver balls. I made a silver plated wire scroll shape for the back of the pendant and attached all the beads and sea glass to it with fine silver wire. I hung the pendant on a silver chain.
The chain measures
From end to end 51 cms.
The pendant 4.5 cms. Wide 5.5cms. Long 2 cms. Deep

Treat yourself to the Mermaids Treasure!

BUY ME €40

Visit my Etsy Shop for more handmade jewellery and handbags

Where the wind blows - an Etsy Treasury

Where the wind blows, A Treasury for the Crafty Ireland Team

Click this link to go to this Treasury and see all the featured artists shops!

........and my favorite is this beautiful seagull print by A Bird in the Hand

 

Seagulls are very common where I live. I love them, they always seem to have so much attitude!

This is a Print of an original painting of mine. The print is 8x10 inches.

Professionally printed on FujiColor Crystal Archive Paper from a Digital Scan of the original. The print colours are vivid and true to the original.

I paint the original paintings of birds on unprimed quality Irish linen. The tone and texture of the linen gives a vintage feel to the piece. It also compliments any backdrop from white walls to brickwork. The weave of the linen is clear in the print. The paper has a Matt finish. Each print is signed on the front and dated on the back.

Shipped in a clear plastic sleeve and an envelope reinforced with a backing board to prevent bending.

The original painting is also available in my shop.

check out A Bird in the Hand Etsy Shop

How I made Series: Woodland Necklace

 Woodland Necklace Series

WINTER FRUITS

 

At the beginning of last year I started experimenting to make a necklace base that was soft and pliable yet strong and wearable.

I wanted it also to be integral with the embellishments I chose.

I tried different types of crochet in different yarns from silk to hemp, ribbons and strips of fabrics.

Then quite by chance I was cutting up a T- shirt for a different project and suddenly realized this was what I was looking for as a base for my necklaces.

A cotton T- shirt cut into bias strips worked beautifully!

After a few more unsuccessful attempts I found a way to wrap the bias strips so they behaved just the way I envisaged all those months ago!

But of course that was only the beginning I had to find embellishments that fitted in with the twisted woody vine effect I had created.

I was using some little red clips to hold the vines together, my daughter on passing thought these were part of my idea. This was enough to start my mind rolling, so I worked with that colour and with the placing of the clips, and chose for my first piece miniature fruit, berries and leaves.

 

Of course like everything handmade it took hours to make but it’s relaxing, peaceful, and portable and needs very few tools.

Now I am hooked no T-shirt is safe from my scissors!

Fastening the necklace was another time consuming process but after a few trails I decided to use my own hooks made from silver plated wire, with rings; neat and effective.

Very Simple Fastening

 I will create a few more in this series and then they will be for sale in  My Etsy Shop

I would really appreciate your comments!