I've been crafting again at last...

Well, I promised myself that I would spend all day yesterday at the craft table and I did. It felt really good to be "back at the coal face" for the first time in ages!

I've finished this pair of earrings and have nearly finished a "toning but not exactly matching" necklace. The earrings are listed on Folksy now, the necklace probably will be by Wednesday or Thursday.

I can't describe how much I love stitching these simple little zipped peyote beaded beads. They are nothing stunning by themselves but in combination with other beads made by the same method in different colours and sizes (sizes both of the component beads and the finished bead) they can amount to something really striking. And of course, as in the case of these earrings, just in combination with other beads.

I've changed my photograph strategy as well. I was browsing a beading book the other day (The Bead Jewellery Maker by Cheryl Owen) and decided that I really liked the way the pieces in it had been photographed, using textiles and papers that complemented their colours. Of course, as with any change, it means going back and re-doing most if not all of the photographs I already have on my listings. Realistically, that is going to have to be done piecemeal if I'm to get ahead with crafting.

Ah well, going to post this now and do my second Sunday post...

The First Post - Not The Last!

I've been promising myself for months now that I will start a blog and the day has finally arrived! What will I be blogging about? Well, crafting will be the main topic, sharing the creations for sale in my Folksy shop - see My Favourite Links. You'll also see "how to" posts and posts about the work of other talented crafters on Folksy.

And as well as crafting I'll be posting about cats, gardening, history, holidays and - oh, well, how will I know until it arrives?!

I'm very new to Folksy and am still working hard to fill my shop and get it looking how I want it. All this on top of a full time job! Last weekend we worked solidly on the photographs and I'm pretty pleased with the results. I'm especially happy with the two you can see here! There will be more tweaking, of course - I'm an OCD Virgo, after all. And there'll also soon be something other than jewellery in the shop as I have recently got the felting bug and am planning a series of felted and embroidered bags.

Why Under The Lindens? Just two reasons, really. One: we have a stunning lime tree in the corner of our garden. Two: in the garden of my junior school there was a beautiful avenue of lime trees that I loved to walk in.