The Christmas rush

Since I last blogged lots has been happening.

Firstly some sad news.. my Nan sadly passed away Friday 10th December 2010.  She has been fighting cancer for some time, and was so tough and made it to her 78th birtday a week before she passed away. RIP Nan.. You will always be in my thoughts xxxxx

PERSONALISED BRACELETS

I decided to do some new name bracelets, this time for the adults and the older Girls. 

I also thought id give bracelets a try for the boys and men too.

I made this one for my soon to be 4 year old son.. and his little face lit up when I handed it to him, he often used to try on my bangles and wondered why they were only for girls to wear! lol.

All the name bracelets were immediately very popular, I ran out of 'A's and 'E's and 'N's quickly.

I was dropping my son to nursery and on my arrival was overwhelmed by other parents wanting to make orders for bracelets. I was shocked to see how many wanted boy bracelets too.

After leaving the school I went off to work and on the way Idecided to Order some more Alphabet beads of my Blackberry from my Number 1 supplier. I was horrified to see they had closed for Business until after christmas just 5 minutes before trying to order. I literally ran to work, tripping up god knows how many times along the way.. I needed to get on the PC and email them!!!

To my relief they responded and let me make an order. That evening I went home and wrote a list of all the names I needed to make bracelets for.  I was short 18 'A's and 7 'E's some 'N's and 'L's. after seeing just how many I was short I was beginning to worry that the 500 Alphabet beads id ordered may not be enough.

They arrived last night and how lucky was I to have received exactly 18 'A's in the mix. obviously this means that I can complete all the orders, but will be unable to make any more for people with the letter 'A' in their name.

Ive had a few orders on folsky recently. one customer ordered a flower bracelet and was so happy with it she immediately ordered another. Its really nice to see that customers are that happy with my jewellery :)

I went on to Folksy and saw one of my name bracelets on the first page!! hehe.

COMPLETED ORDERS

Here are some of the bracelets I have made over the last few days.  Just thinking of all the children that will be opening their stockings/presents to find a personalised name bracelet made by MEEEEEEEE.. its a lovely thought. I hope they all like them.. im sure they will going by my sons reaction. :D

CHRISTMAS DECORATION

A friend asked me to make a christmas decoration in memory of her brother Johnny Guihen, whose life was taken at the age of 15, he was also a friend of mine.. I felt really touched that she had asked me.  This is something I really wanted to get right and I wanted it to be unique so last night here is what I made.....

RIP johnny Guihen, forever in our hearts.

LOVE AND LOSS

Those who are no longer with us.......

I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below

with tiny lights, like Heaven's stars, reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so spectacular; please wipe away that tear,

for I am spending Christmas with Jesus this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear,

but the sounds of music can't compare with the Christmas choir up here.

I have no words to tell you, the joy their voices bring,

for it's beyond description, to hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me. I see the pain inside your heart,

but I am not so far away. We really aren't apart.

So, be happy for me dear ones, for you know I'm spending Christmas with Jesus this year.

I send you each a special gift from my heavenly home above:

"My undying love!"

After all, "love" is the gift more precious than pure gold.

It was always most important in the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other as my Father said to do,

for I can't count the many blessings or love He has for each of you.

So have a Merry Christmas and wipe away that tear.

Remember, I'm spending Christmas with Jesus this year.

************************************************************

Incase I dont blog until after Christmas.......

Or before New year.....






May it be filled with happiness and laughter, family gatherings, great food and the perfect gifts :)

Lucie xxx

1st December 2010

Wow.. the first of December all ready!! where does the time go???

Since last week I have been keeping busy with orders and trying to work on new designs. I have had some lovely comments on my jewellery and even about my wesite.

I was messing around with some wire a few weeks ago and ended up making a rough xmas decoration for the tree. Here is what the finished piece looks like. im going to do some in red aswell (like the ones I done with my son last week).

 This is the set which I have on offer.. the necklace, bracelet and earrings all for just £20.00!!! Also available in black, (These are pretty popular.. they'd make a lovely xmas pressie)

I thought id try something different and used some ribbon instead of chain, added some silver beads and a lovely butterfly pendant.. and this was the outcome :)

 I ordered some alphabet beads and thought it'd be nice to do some name bracelets for children. this is what the first one looks like. im not 100% happy with it, so ive put in an order for some different types of letter beads. I have some pastel colours coming and some silver cubes, so im looking forward to them arriving :D (I guess this one isnt bad as Ive had 5 orders for them already which is good).

 This was another style of name bracelets I tried adding some flower spacer beads.

Prize draw.  I previous said that when my facebook fans amount to 100 I will be doing a prize draw.  This happened very quickly thanks to current members promoting my offer.  I used a Random number converter and the winner was SULTAN WILKINSON from Australia!!! congratulations to Sultan.  I have seen spoken to Sultan and yesterday sent out the bracelet. so I hope that it gets to her in good time and she enjoys her prize :D

I've had some really nice feedback from people complimenting my jewellery. Its really nice to hear. as you know ive not been making jewellery for long at all so it is a massive confidence boost :)

I have also been contacted about doing wholesale.. this is another massive compliment!! So I hope that this is the start of things to come. who know's where i'll be this time next year (probably still sat at my desk writing this blog in my lunch hour and making jewellery in my spare time.... but who knows!! lol)

SAD NEWS

Over the weekend two friends were attacked by locals with knifes Scott was badly wounded by 3 stab wounds and Stephen murdered being stabbed 7 times..  It is such a sad time for everyone that knows Stephen Ramsey and Scott Jennings.

The two respsoible for the attack have been found guilty of murder and GBH!!!!

I just want to pay my respects by saying that you are in my thoughts. I hope that Scott makes a speedy recovery and to all Stephen's family and closest friends I am so sorry for your loss. Stephen was an amazing man and will be forever missed xxx

God looked around his garden and found an empty place, He then looked down upon this earth and saw your friendly face.He put his arms around you and lifted you to rest.God’s garden must be beautiful, he only takes the best.It broke so many hearts to lose you, but you didn’t go alone,For parts of us went with you the day god called you home. RIP Stephen Ramsey xxx

Lucie xx

Busy Bee

So its been a few days since I last blogged.  Here is why...

Over the weekend me and my son and my partners son were making christmas tree hangings.

 Reece's age 3 (with help from me ofcourse)

 Maz's age 6 (also with help from me)


I'm looking forward to putting them on the tree. we're going to add some letter beads so we can remember whos is whos :)

CHILDREN'S JEWELLERY

I've had some requests for some childrens jewellery.

 This is one of 3 bracelets I made to go with a green party dress for a soon to be 7 year old, with a swarovski crystal angel and quartz crystal charms and pearl charms.

 This one is just so adorable. I was asked to make a couple of bracelets for two 7 month old baby girls, using pink pearls and quartz crytals these little things are just too cute :)


Over the last two weeks (since I opened my Facebook fan page and opened my store on Folksy and Etsy) I have had orders for a total of 31 necklaces/bracelets. I think this is good going?

This is the orders that went to their new owners this morning :)

PROMOTION

I was trying to find ways of getting more traffic to my site and I stumbled across London Jewellery who do free promotions for local jewellery makers. so I wrote to them and today they have added me to there website!  They are a really friendly and helpful bunch.. check them out :)

http://www.london-jewellery.co.uk/

And this is my details on their site. hehe.

PRIZE DRAW

One of my top selling items is this bracelet. So I thought once I get a total of 100 Facebook fans I will do a prize draw and one lucky member will win one of these popular bracelets.

 So please get adding and send out invites and once I receive 100 members I will go ahead with the draw :)

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=117180201677409&set=a.117179968344099.17636.115830338479062#!/pages/Brentford/Angels-and-Diamonds/115830338479062

Lucie xx

No rest for the wicked...

I am absolutely shattered! for the past 9 days I have been getting up at 6am, doing the morning rush of preparing breakfast,dressing my son, myself, a cupper coffee, brush teeth, wash, do hair, make up, put a load of washing on, tidy the house, leave for the school run, rush to work to do my 9.00-5.30 job. leave work, half hour walk to collect my son from childminders, followed by a trip to the supermarket and half hour walk home. check post, cupper coffee, pour glass of milk for Reece (my son), set up iPad for Reece (or cartoons on the TV), make snacks for Reece, shower Reece, read story with Reece, put Reece to bed, clean the house, another cuppa coffee, put dinner on, hang out washing, eat dinner. Start my 5-6 hour shift making jewellery. And then at 2am, have a shower, brush teeth and go to bed for my 4hour sleep!

I'm guessing i'm not the only one who is sleep deprived? having a hobby sure pays its tole lol. but im still loving it.

During my working hours last night I was working on my new range of bracelets and necklaces:

 I was thinking the other day how effective it would be to add signatory beads to each of my items (so one day when im rich and famous, jewellery experts will say, this is an angels and diamonds piece, if you look at each end of the bracelet/necklace you will see the famous signature silver beads which she is so well know for! or a stranger will be wearing the necklace and her friend would say 'oh my god.. ur wearing an Angels and Diamonds necklace... im so jealous!! ofcourse by then the silver plated parts will be solid platinum). LOL we can but dream ey. I think they are a lovely touch :)

 My first 'signature' set. they are also available in black :)

 This is a childs bracelet, this one is made for an 11 year old.  smaller ones I have made more secure with wrapped loops for the charm and the ends. 

 Silver beads and white pearls with a silver foil glass heart.

 Matching to the above brace is this 18inch necklace..it looks really pretty one :)

This is my favourite.. made for me at nursery by my 3 year old son Reece. What a talented little boy he is :) a few more years and i'll have him beading necklaces for me lol. 

SHOCKED!

I decided that I will list some items for sale on Folksy yesterday, I've had an account for a while but havent really listed much.. just some feather earrings but I sold them through other sources (through Ebay and another few through FB recently :)

So before I had even finished adding things to my store an email came through on my blackberry informing me I had sold an Item!! I was only saying earlier that that how great it would feel to sell to someone who Isnt a friend or a friend of a friend. I was right it did feel great.. plus I felt sick, nerves maybe.. I dont know lol.

 An this is the bracelet that sold. 12mm coloured pearls with a single quartz crystal :)

These are the matching necklace and earrings (which havent yet sold) 

WORRIED

Ive had a few pre orders through friends on FB for the 'signature necklace' and also for the childs bracelet.. Ive been waiting for crystals and pearls to be delivered and they havent arrive this week.. here's me thinking they would have arrived by the end of this week and i'd have the whole weekend to work at my leisure. Looks like im gonna need LOTS more coffee next week too. Thats if they ever arrive (fingers crossed).

Did I meantion I've gone through a massive jar of coffee in just over a week? As well as pro plus to get me through my working day and the odd can of redbull.. thank god for caffine :)

Hmmm... speaking of which, I think I will have a dose now.

Happy friday everyone :)

Lucie xx

And so the journey began...

Now that I had my motivation it was time to get creative! As earrings clearly werent my thing I decided bracelets would be a nice project and so I ordered lots more beads and made a bracelet...

followed by another one...

 and another....

 and another..

 and another...

I then created a business page on Facebook..

Angels and Diamonds

Promote your Page too

And the orders started coming in.

AT A PRICE....

Working until 2am is fine but tiredness can make you do silly things.. I was so excited about putting my new bracelets on facebook that I hadnt noticed that I had put an incorrect price on one of my bracelets (the purple flower one).. stupidly I advertised the price the same as the cost of the beads alone. Doh!

So when I got an order for four of these bracelets the following day I felt mixed feelings.. excited that people liked the bracelet, and gutted that I would be making them at loss.
Luckily though they werent the only bracelet that has sold, in the first few days I have had orders for twelve!! :)

Its funny how a few compliments from others can boost your confidence levels and bring out the more creative person..

Watch this space for more designs....

Lucie x

Its a new Dawn....

... its a new day, and I'm feeling good!

I was on my way to work a couple of months ago (I work as an Accounts Manager for a mobile telecommunications store) and I thought to myself.. I need a hobby.. I spend all my time working, raising my  three year old son and running the household that i never do anything solely for myself.  I have often thought how great it would be to make jewellery, but it has always been a passing thought, so at that moment I decided, I will do something about it. i got to work and googled 'how to make jewellery' read a load of websites for the basics and ordered a starter kit on EBay, and some beads, and some more beads.. oh and some more beads (Then of course I got on with my work).

I felt really good about it and even better when the kit arrived. I ordered it to be delivered to my home address, but I was at work the day it arrived and spent most of the day wondering if it had arrived yet! so many thoughts and possibilities were running though my mind as to what I would make first.  When i got home and saw the parcel sat on the floor by the front door I felt excited.  Once I had put my son to bed I sat down and carefully made my first pair of earrings, followed by a memory wire bracelet. in between chasing the kittens across the house for the stolen beads they had sneakily taken when I wasn't looking, I could hear them across the wood flooring,,, silly cats :)

Since that day I have become a bead addict, I need to buy at least one item a week, although its more like one a day (when I say one.. I don't just mean one bead (obviously).. I mean one order from one store, whether it be a strand of pearls or four different strands of pearls :) I just love the parcels being delivered, it feels like Christmas every time.

Lots of bead buying later and I had a range of extremely basic earrings, which didn't sell on eBay or anywhere. this disheartened me a bit and I stopped making jewellery for a few weeks. To be fair though, I didn't feel proud when I presented the jewellery to people, so it was hardly surprising it didn't sell.

So I went about the next few weeks living my life as normal. and then a friend asked me if she could see a range of my jewellery as she would like to buy some nice pieces for Christmas presents..........