Sunday, December 11, 2011

Secret-Santa ... Revealed!

My secret santa gift arrived to it's recipient, Jacinta from spunkyarn :) So I can now reveal what I sent her...

'Christmas Garland' Red & Green Rose Cabochon Necklace and Matching Ring :)

Matching Pair Red Rose Stud Earrings

Hand Stamped Red Christmas Gift Tags

I really hope she likes them :) MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

-B

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Spoilt!

I recieved an exciting looking parcel today in the post and opened it to reveal a gift from my DUST secret santa - the beautiful Samara from maddabling!

Opening the package to reveal all these beautifully wrapped gifts was enough to make me squeal with excitement!

Samara spoilt me rotten with a box full of pampering treats including:
  • 2 delicious smelling bath tea bags! ...Can't wait to try them out in my claw foot bath!
  • Scrumptious raspberry bath milk! ...Smells divine!
  • A pretty heart bath bomb! ... I'll be soooooo pampered after using all these!
Samara was so generous to give me all these wonderful handmade items.

But not only that! She also included a cool photo postcard, a set of gift tags and the most beautiful necklace with a bird, key and aqua rose - my favourite color!

I love everything! And this necklace is my new favourite!

Thank you so much Samara! I absolutely love your gift. Thanks also to Samara for organising the secret santa this year, after the sad loss of our much loved Julie-Ann.

If you like the look of the items I recieved, make sure you visit Samara's etsy store, maddabling
-B

Friday, December 2, 2011

Secret Santa

I love participating in DUST craft swaps, but it has been a while since I've been involved in one. I'm therefore very excited about the DUST Secret Santa I'm in this month!

My Secret Santa gift is all ready to go.... I wonder who it is going to?? Stay tuned and all will be revealed .... :)

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Bye, bye Melbourne


Well, its happening this week. And boy has it crept up on me! I'm moving! Yep! Bye, bye Melbourne... and hello country Victoria! A tree change away from the hustle and bustle of the city suburbs, to fresh country air! Can't wait!
But of course, since all my jewellery making bits and bobs will be packed away for a little while I've had to close my etsy and madeit stores. I'm hoping that once I set up internet access again I'll be right to reopen mid to late May. I also look forward to getting involved in the local markets and having a stall monthly or something. Will also be on the lookout for some funky country stores who might be interested in stocking my stuff. Ahh, its all exciting! I just have to get through this stressful the packing and moving stage first!!

See you all on the flipside :)

-B

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Lucky Me!

It was my Birthday on Sunday so I had a really nice relaxing weekend (even though my little boy was run down with his first cold and feeling pretty miserable!). The family and I went for a picnic to a local park, it was a bit brisk but we were all rugged up so it was fine. It does seem like Autumn has turned into Winter prematurely here in Melbourne though!

The cake my hubby made for me... it was a lemon, lime, coconut + white choc mudcake! Mmmm...

And although it wasn't a Birthday present as such, I was so thrilled to hear I'd won some gorgeous sterling silver earrings by the lovely Michelle from wing by sea. I recieved them in the mail yesterday and they're even prettier in real life! Can't wait to wear them out on Saturday night! I've already picked an outfit AROUND the earrings! It just so happens I got a nice black singlet and a silvery sparkly bangle for a present from my sister. So I'll be wearing the three together :)

 

Michelle makes heaps of gorgeous sterling silver jewellery - make sure you drop by her stores:

Monday, March 21, 2011

Mission Accomplished : Mosaic Pots

I am notorious for starting projects and then never quite finishing them, much to my husband's disapproval (as there seems to be lots of unfinished projects lying around the house!) but I can happily tick one of them off my list. What started about 18 months ago as a "quick little mosaic pot" dragged on and on.. but this weekend I finally got around to finishing them off. And heres the finished product (still a little dirty in the pics and no plants in them just yet, that's another 'project' to do at some stage I suppose!)





Looking forward to popping some succulents or some annual flowers in them... not sure which yet!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Bits and Bobs

I've had a few intensive 'making' sessions lately, in preparation for the Revolver Designer Market I'm doing in March. Here's some of the pretties' hot off the production line :)

Handmade flower cabochons all bagged up and ready to be made into earrings... rings... hair slides :)

Sizzling Pin Up Girl Timber Woodcut Brooches ... I ♥ these

Scrabble Tiles and timber woodcut circles all decoupage'd and ready to be made into wearable pieces!


Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Nailing it!


I have always been fond of pampering my hands, putting some nail polish on my nails and making them look all pretty, but more often than not, I seemed to succum to 'broken nail syndrome' where I'd finally get my nails looking great, then one or more would break, leaving my pampered manicure looking uneven and sad, or "peely chipped syndrome" where my nails were so weak they would bend and peel causing the nail polish to come off and end up making the whole manicure look drab....

So you can imagine my joy during pregnancy when I was totally blessed with strong healthy nails that did not seem to break, peel and just get longer and longer (in fact I had to keep cutting/filing them to ensure they don't get too long and talon like!). I'm thinking my luck was either due to one of those natural pregnancy advantages some people get or the fact I'm taking more vitamins than normal. Who knows... I just know I certainly wasn't complaining.


So while I had the best nails of my life, I therefore decided I had to keep doing them during pregnancy, but for obvious reasons I wanted to avoid any of the harsh toxic chemicals that some nail polishes contain, the most concerning being: Formeldehyde, Toluene and Dibutyl Phlalate. Formeldehyde is a  known carcinogen, Toluene is a human reproductive and developmentmental toxin and (to think it couldn't get any worse) dibutyl phlalate can cause birth defects in the developing fetus. It's amazing what is still used in some products today.

In my search for less-toxic alternatives I came across a number of nail polish brands that do not contain these ingredients and whilst there are some top-end brands, it was nice to know some of the cheaper brands have also removed them from their formula.

Here are some brands which I've found do not contain the three worrying chemicals: Zoya, Face of Australia, Chi Chi, Savvy, butter/LONDON.. and if you want to avoid chemicals altogether there are these: Suncoat Water-Based Polish, and Honeybee Gardens Water-Based Polish. These harsh chemical ingredients seem to be getting less and less though so you might find that there are heaps of other brands that don't have them either. It's always wise to check the ingredients list though before you buy as some specific colors or formulas may contain them.



Anyway, once you've found yourself a beautiful, toxic-free nail polish - time to put it on! ... here are my tips for the perfect manicure:

1. Before you paint your nails dab them with some nail polish remover (this removes all the oils and dirt that stops polish from sticking!) Just rinse your hands afterwards with water and soap, and use a nail brush if you want.

2. Always use a base coat. It will help the top coat stick, meaning your nail polish will last longer.. and will prevent your nails from being stained from some of the darker polishes.

3. Do at least 2 thin even coats. Don't spread the polish on thickly as it will not dry properly and will chip off.  Give yourself plenty of time where you don't have to use your hands, and do two coats, allowing 5-10 mins between them.

4. Don't worry about getting some polish on your fingers around the nail. Don't wipe off. Wait til your nails are dry and when you take a shower, just lightly rub the skin where the polish is and it should come off easily under the hot water.

5. Always do a top coat (clear) which will seal the colored polish. Wait a while before you do this coat though (I usually do it a couple of hours later or the next day). Just make sure you wash your hands to get rid of any oils that might be sitting on the nails before you do the top coat.

6. When you're completely finished. Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise! And continue to do so. Keep your hands and cuticles nice and supple and soft, and it will help your nails remain strong and healthy.

7. Every so often, strip your nails and leave them 'naked' without polish for at least a few days to breathe. During this time use a cuticle oil (Solar Oil is a good one) or vitamin e oil (just prick a liquid capsule and squeeze it on!) on your nails, and moisturise your hands with a quality cream.

Ta Da! Good Luck xo

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Op Shoppin'

Took a walk to my local op shop yesterday for a bit of a browse, and naturally I did not come out empty handed. Here's what I got....

Some vintage doilies, a cute vintage deer ornament, gorgeous aqua glass vase/jug and sweet brooch!


I'm going to use this as a prop for my market stall displays, its the same color as my logo/business cards etc.


I just couldn't leave this cute little deer on the shelf all by itself. Not sure what I'll do with him yet, maybe he can sit on my market display too... or on my desk (when I finally get a new work studio area set up!)

Isn't it so cute. I'm definetely gonna keep this one for me!!

What do you like buying at the op shop?

Monday, February 7, 2011

Woodcut Woodchuck

How much wood could a woodcut cut if a woodcut could cut wood?

Just listed in my etsy store....

Timber Retro Robot Brooch by petaliferous on etsy

Timber Little Red Riding Hood Brooch by petaliferous on etsy


Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Shopping Relief

I was very honored to be part of the amazing DUST team when a fabulous store was opened to raise funds for the devastating floods recently in QLD, Australia. Naturally I jumped at the chance to donate a couple of items, and I can gladly say they both sold and are off to new homes :) Thank you to the lovely buyers for supporting such a great cause! I also bought a gorgeous fox screenprint donated by magicjelly and it is sooo beautiful, I love it.

The store has so far raised over $5000 with a mindblowing 400+ sales, all donated items, and 100% of proceeds going directly to charity!

Here is a pic of the Bottle Top Necklace and Owl Earrings I donated;


And here is the gorgeous fox print I bought;

Generously donated by magicjelly.etsy.com

There are still a HEAP of fabulous items, goto http://www.etsy.com/shop/AusDisasterRelief to do some shopping, whilst also supporting a worthy cause!! And if you need any inspiration, here are a few of the goodies up for grabs! (click on the image to go to the listing, or to go to the donator's shop click on their name)

Generously donated by rosieok.etsy.com

Generously donated by paperbyforgetmenot.etsy.com

Generously donated by milkwooddesign.etsy.com

Generously donated by shinyrabbit.etsy.com

Generously donated by wingbysea.etsy.com

Generously donated by littlemoandfriends.etsy.com

Theres never been a better time to buy handmade goods, because you also get to support a charity!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

DIY Business Cards

I've had a few people I've met recently, who, when I've mentioned I make jewellery - ask if I have a business card, and unfortunately I haven't! D'oh! So realising I'm missing out on easy potential extra marketing, and not wanting to spend heaps of money geting some printed, I decided to DIY some. Using illustrator and publisher I made a fairly simple design based on my banner/logo with all the important info, and printed out a handful on photo paper. Being on photo paper they are not as thick as cardstock but they aren't too bad. I'll pop a few in my purse so I will never miss out again! I'll also send one out with each order too....



Also, some new things in store.. firstly here are some earrings....in purple and pink



and here is a new cameo brooch...

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Awww-ward :)

I was very honoured to recieve a blog award from Mel from the lovely Crafty DIY Bride blog. Thank you Mel!


The rules for accepting this award are to:

1. Thank the person that awarded you
2. List 7 things about myself
3. Pass the award to 15 other stylish bloggers
4. Let those bloggers know

So firstly, again, Thank you heaps Mel - it was very sweet of you and I feel very honored!

Secondly, hmm.. 7 things about myself...

1. I have a 8 month old baby boy who is growing way too fast....
2. I drive a silver "family wagon"!!
3. I have been vegetarian for 13 years and counting
4. My starsign is Aries
5. I am obsessed with cameos
6. I have a bachelor degree in earth science
7. I love painting my nails

Thirdly, I have awarded the following 15 fabulous blogs... and let them know :)


Enjoy ;)

Monday, January 10, 2011

New Year, Time to Clear!

Happy New Year everyone, and as always - thank you for your ongoing support!!

It's time to say thank you to all my facebook likers, as I am holding a big clearance sale on Facebook, starting Thursday 13th January 2011 at 8pm. If you'd like to see what is up for grabs, head over to my facebook page and check out the clearance photo album!

There will be everything from rings, to brooches, necklaces and earrings.. all heavily reduced.

Don't miss out! It's a great chance to get some handmade jewellery bargains!