Eratic-ness and need for coffee!

Well here I am again...  back after a break.  School holidays finished just in time to coincide with me having a bout of pneumonia!  It floored me completely.  However I was back into the workshop this morning and I have finished off a pendant and a couple of rings - I need to start photographing pieces and send applications to galleries.  I quite fancy going out in a bit for a bit too.  The paintbrush I use for flux has had it!  It has not had any hairs in it for the last - oooh - 5 or 6 years...  I have grabbed one of the kids paintbrushes but it is useless and i really do need to head down to my local hobby craft type place and get a new one.  It really won't break the bank these days - perhaps once upon a time but mercifully not no more!!!  These places are dangerous for me though, they suck me in and spit me out 3 hours later.  So if i go now I might be at the school in time for me to pick up my kids.  I was at a fabric shop yesterday and got distracted by all the beautiful fabrics and chatting to the owner, I was 5 to 10 mins late!!!  Enough time that a friend who I'd phoned in a panic happily agreed to take them back to his till I got there.  The kids were however distraught when I arrived before they even got to his house.  Oh please can't we play they said.  Well I really should stop delaying tactics...  my coffee is made and probably cool enough to drink straight down.  Can I resist the urge to head to the shops and finish the kilt pin that I have been putting off for the last four years...

Trust me not all my commissions take me that long.  Some have... especially those made by my Mum whilst in the deepest part of my depression.  Thankfully I seem to be heading out the other side and instead of just forgetting to do stuff and then feeling guilty about not having done stuff and therefore putting off doing it now so that i can delay talking to a disgruntled customer - I am vowing to pull my head out of the sand...

An ostrich with its head in the sand will still be hit by a truck whether it sees it coming or not!  However if that same ostrich took its head out of the sand and saw the truck coming - it might have time to dodge out of the way...   Philosophical debate at lunchtime on a Tuesday - what next???

Back to work - that's what!!!

square eyes

wow I'm tired...  I say square eyes because I have been spending every spare moment this week designing my website.  It has been remarkably simple and really good fun to be honest.  You can find it at : www.designedbysam.co.uk at some point over the next couple of days - I will be testing this link out to see if it is working.  I apologise if my IP address isn't linked in when you try, I was told it could take up to 48 hours.  You can also follow me on Facebook by clicking this link: Samantha Lyall Designer Jewellery  and liking my page.

Speaking of which I should probably log off everything and head up the stairs to my beddy byes - though my hubby has just tried it and has found it...  YAY I AM SO SO SOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY.

A Delivery..

I received a delivery yesterday of my new Eco-friendly purple gift bags and black acid-free tissue paper.  I can't wait to get some more pieces finished off and ready for sale in the same said packaging.  Now all I have to decide is whether to get some more of my black fancy leatherette boxes which are very expensive (when you are having to re-stock a lot at once) or do i start looking at cheaper alternatives?...  I guess by that you can probably tell that i have started looking at the alternatives - I just don't know which direction i should be heading in....  What's my identity?  Who are my customers?  What sort of box do they expect to see?  What sort of box would they be happy to see?   What sort of box would I be happy to present my work in???

Perhaps its time to order in a few samples and do a poll...   Yes lets use my facebook page for something constructive methinks.  A thought or two to start the day - another one being that i really need to pull my finger out and work on a web-site

back again

Inertia creeping in again.  Yesterday my Mum came out to see me to make a chain for a pendant she had bought some time ago.  I did it very quickly as you might expect...  However it gave me really itchy fingers - realising that I so need to be back in my workshop.  I have been so busy with family stuff - children and holidays from school and just generally trying (and failing) to keep up with housework

I have so many ideas and need to let them out

Roll on Monday...

Photo's of some old Pieces

Here's a few photos of some past work for you to see.  They are still available for purchase if you contact me via email

speaking of commissions

 Here are the photos of an engagement ring I finished recently for a very special lady.  My brother approached me to design and make 'the ring' in time for his proposal earlier this year.  I was honoured to take on such a task.  He did some digging around and on speaking to his lady love he managed to find out that she was looking for an emerald, ruby and diamond ring.  (between you and me I am not sure if she had said this so that he would find it really hard to find...  You know, to see how seriously he wanted her to marry him or not!?!)  It is not the most common of combinations...

Here it is though and how pleased am I with how it looks?   VERY is the answer.  I think it works because all the stones are different shapes...

The stones are singing.  And what's even better is she LOVES IT and him...  she said Yes and plans are well under way.







made from,
18ct White gold

An Exciting Commission

I thought I'd take a break from the daily grind to say Hi...  This whole blogging thing is a bit new to me so you'll have to forgive any faux pas!  However I had an appointment yesterday with a customer asking me about designing "a cross that's not a cross"  She is a recently ordained minister and a friend of mine.  However I am still truly honoured to be asked to design and hopefully to go ahead and make this, her first cross.

Of course things went a bit haywire in the middle of the appointment when my daughter's school phoned to say she had a sore tummy...  I am afraid I was rather heartless telling them to send her back to class and I would come up to the school in due course to administer the appropriate painkillers.  However it did cut things a bit shorter than I'd liked.  Instead of going into the house for a coffee after the commission was discussed - I had to send my friend packing!  She has children the same age though so understood completely.

I am however really excited by the whole design process, and coming up with an idea that my customer will want to purchase.  Of course pricing the piece up I have just been given heart failure on finding out the price of gold these days.  You can tell its a few years since I last ordered any materials as the cost of them has more than tripled.  ZOIKS!!!

Wish me luck...