tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7608385965466587122024-03-13T18:58:08.136+00:00Michelle's Handcrafting BlogBlogging about the handmade jewellery I design and create, being a creative entrepreneur and life as we know it!MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-58863642233473221362015-11-02T14:00:00.002+00:002015-11-02T14:11:10.550+00:00Only you can make it happen!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have for several months been creating on a Monday morning and occasionally, 'shush' a Monday afternoon quote that I like to share across my social media platforms, such as on my Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest accounts. I had a bit of a 'aha' moment this morning and thought why don't I share it on my blog and today is the first time I have done so. Monday morning motivation quotes are very popular on Twitter, they even have their own hashtags!</div>
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In one of my previous blogs, I mentioned that I really love reading motivation quotes and that I have even created a Pinterest board, called 'Positive Words', here is the link, <a href="https://uk.pinterest.com/michelleshand/positive-words/">https://uk.pinterest.com/michelleshand/positive-words/</a> where I collect and share all my favourite quotes and I know lots of other people like to do so as well. <br />
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They are especially great to read on a Monday, if you have a busy week ahead of you and you would like to read something that will get you thinking and focused on the coming week.</div>
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So here it is, I hope it inspires you and I hope you also have a good week. </div>
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-38599247421040512712015-06-02T13:01:00.000+01:002015-06-02T13:01:06.889+01:00My latest jewellery designs.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been trying to write this blog post since last week and I have only just finished it today. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I wanted to get it exactly right, but the result is that my blog post is a week late and I'm annoyed at myself. I am going to from now on, stop tweaking my blog posts to death and just write them, proof read them and post them.<br />
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When I sit down to write, I spend ages weighing up what subject to write about, then a flurry of subjects start whizzing around my head at the same time and I quickly write them down before I forget them. I'm a major note maker, meaning that I have a note book with notes about what I'm going to be doing that day and what needs to be done that week. Well, on the top of my 'To Do' list, is to finish off three new christening bracelets that I have been working on.<br />
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The designs are simple, using just white pearls and silver plated crosses. I think jewellery made for a baby/toddler should be not flashy or over the top and as these were christening/baptism bracelets, I wanted to keep to that format. </div>
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So here they are, they are nearly finished I just need to add on the extender chains, which are always a good idea, as babies and small children can grow fast and if it has been bought as a gift and the buyer is not sure of the wrist size, then an extender is needed incase the bracelet needs to be expanded.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TBVGFzn7Whg/VV9D0AuxKmI/AAAAAAAAKc4/RwcSomwHETs/s1600/christening%2Bbracelets%2Bblog%2Bimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TBVGFzn7Whg/VV9D0AuxKmI/AAAAAAAAKc4/RwcSomwHETs/s640/christening%2Bbracelets%2Bblog%2Bimage.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The finished bracelets are now listed on my website at www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com and in my Etsy shop at www.michelleshandcrafted.etsy.com</div>
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-42891339519356778182015-05-06T13:15:00.000+01:002015-05-15T21:36:39.549+01:00Making a Glossy Accents Pendant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I bought a bottle of Glossy Accents the other day from my local craft shop, after coming across a picture of a bottle cap pendant necklace on Pinterest, that someone had made using Glossy Accents. You might be sitting there thinking, 'what is Glossy Accents, well Glossy Accents is a 3-dimensional clear gloss medium, used by crafters and it can be used to accent, brighten, magnify, dimensionalize, bond and protect embellishments and designs. Phew, that was a mouthful and if you wondering yes, I did just copy that description off the back of the bottle. Basically, it's a type of resin that you pour straight from the bottle and you can add it to any paper project or embellishment. It dries to a clear hard shiny finish and also doubles a glue!<br />
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In some of the projects that I have seen using Glossy Accents, the makers have used bottle caps, but I did not have any, however I did have some pendant trays that I'd bought a while ago. I'd not used them, because I'd had trouble finding any clear glass domes to fit them, as they were not a common available size. So I'd given up in looking for the domes and just put them away in a draw. When I saw what could be done with a bottle of Glossy Accents, I straight away thought about my unused pendant trays and what I could do with them. </div>
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I found a background image from a magazine, this was cut into an oval shape. I then sealed the front and back of the image with PVA white glue, I did this twice, each time waiting for the glue to be completely dry before I added the next coat. After the final coat, the image was ready to be glued to the back of the inside of pendant tray. For this I used E600 glue. I love this glue, it does not smell that great, make sure the room is well ventilated when you use it, but it is what I call jewellery cement, once you use it, nothing moves, it dries rock hard. </div>
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I left this to dry overnight then, the next day I was ready to fill the tray with the Glossy Accents. I'd noticed in pictures of resin jewellery, the makers sometimes added a small object to their pendant tray, I had a small silver key on my desk, it was left over from a project and I decided to put the key in the tray before I poured in the Glossy Accents. </div>
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I filled the tray to the edge, then left it to cure over night. The next morning, I noticed that it had set, but it looked a little sunken around the key. So I thought it could not do any harm to add some more Glossy Accents to fill up the tray, so that it looked more level. When I filled up the tray the first time, I remembered to leave it on a level surface, but this time don't ask me why, I decided to put it in another place. Little did I know, but this place was not as level as I thought it was and the tray ended up leaning slightly to one side. The Glossy Accents had spilt slightly over the edge and some of it had seeped underneath!</div>
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How could I have been so careless, I could have kicked myself for not paying more attention to what I was doing. I managed to scrape some of the Glossy Accents off, but you can still see some of it on the back of the pendant tray. I learnt a lesson that you should take your time and not change the way you perform certain tasks, unless you want the results to be different. If you don't want change, then don't change a thing and that's my quote for the day!</div>
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I still like the pendant, I popped it on a chain and have been wearing it and I've have had some lovely complements about it. I've still got a near full bottle of Glossy Accents and some more of those pendant trays, so I will be making some more pendants in the near future.</div>
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If you would like to see my other handmade jewellery, please visit my online store at www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com</div>
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Bye for now!</div>
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-65669249031787961692015-02-09T12:36:00.001+00:002015-02-09T12:38:52.930+00:00Aluminium Wirework Jewellery<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;">Last year I spoke about wanting to work more with wire in my jewellery making and expanding into wire work jewellery. Well, I have being doing so, I've been experimenting over the past couple of months, when I've had a spare couple of hours, with a my tools and a roll of inexpensive wire. </span><span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 12pt;">To make the most basic, to the most intricate designs, only requires confidence in the tools that you have and your imagination.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;">At first I started with a piece of </span><span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 12pt;">shiny brown aluminium craft wire, that caught my eye in a local craft shop. Aluminium craft wire is a soft a malleable wire, that can easily bent with your fingers and is available in many colours. It also can be rigid enough to hold it's shape. At first I made into an oval shape, then I added some tiny turquoise blue seed beads, that I found in my bead stash, which I have wanted to use for a while, because they are soo pretty. I strung them onto a piece of thin silver wire and then started wrapping them around the oval frame.</span></div>
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This is what I ended up with, yes I know it looks strange, it reminds me of something you'd find in the ocean, some sort of sea creäture. The fringe bits at the bottom, were made from uneven strips of wire, that I just bent and curved around a round nose pliers. After I made this, I thought it would make an interesting pendant, but I've not got around to making it into a necklace. I'm not even sure I will make it into one, it's one of the most unusual pieces I've ever made. If there is anyone out there that can suggest a suitable stringing material, I would love to hear from them. </div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;">After making this pendant, I wanted to make a pair of earrings, I did not have a design in my head, I just bent the wire around into a circle, then made a spiral shape and added some blue Czech glass nugget beads, that hung from the base and created some movement and these are the earrings I came up with!</span></div>
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Again, they are an unusual design, but that's what I love about making jewellery with wire, the designs don't always turn out how you expect them to turn out, <span data-mce-style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;">there are no hard and fast rules about jewellery making, just the freedom of creating whatever your tools, hands and imagination lets you create.</span></div>
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Most of my handmade jewellery is one-off pieces, if you would like to see my work, then head over to www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D760838596546658712%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D6566924903178796169%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F3.bp.blogspot.com%252F-aXeoSklDUOM%252FVM-ehiilDxI%252FAAAAAAAAKKs%252FwBXwbc-zFaY%252Fs1600%252FIMG_1875.JPG%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 193px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 1010px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D760838596546658712%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D6566924903178796169%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F3.bp.blogspot.com%252F-aXeoSklDUOM%252FVM-ehiilDxI%252FAAAAAAAAKKs%252FwBXwbc-zFaY%252Fs1600%252FIMG_1875.JPG%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 193px; opacity: 1; position: absolute; top: 1010px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-42492257675508169432014-11-06T10:47:00.001+00:002014-11-06T10:47:20.622+00:00Christmas Bag Charms - Work in ProgressSummer is long gone and it's time to think of winter, in particular Christmas. In a jewellery designers calendar, Christmas is one of the most important times of the year, everyone is looking for gifts for friends or love ones, or they might be looking for something new to wear to an event over the Christmas season.<br />
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I've already started adding several new items to my websites, the earlier you make them available to potential customers, the sooner they can make their purchases and avoid disappointment if there is a delay in the post and it arrives after Christmas Day.<br />
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I've been working on a couple of new festive bag charms. I had a custom order last month for a Christmas style bag charm, so I thought I'd make a couple of them to add to my shops.<br />
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The first one is similar to the one I made for my customer, it's in traditional Christmas colours, with snowflake, holly bush and flower charms.<br />
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The next one is, what I've called a Snowflake bag charm, this time I've used white, silver and pale blue glass pearl beads, crystals and silver charms.<br />
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I love making bag charms, I just grab my tools, chains and beads and let my imagination take over, all the bag charms I make are, one off pieces, making them unique and special.<br />
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Now I just need to take decent pictures of them both, so I can add them on my website and Etsy shop.<br />
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If you would like to see my other bag charms, head over to my websites, at <br />
<a href="http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/">www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.michelleshandcrafted.etsy.com/">www.michelleshandcrafted.etsy.com</a></div>
MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-26785494818383494782014-09-16T11:18:00.000+01:002014-09-16T11:18:31.048+01:00Clean Eating - A New Way of EatingSince April I have been discovered a new way of eating and it's called clean eating. I bet your wondering what is clean eating, well I thought the same thing when I came a across a Youtube video and the person was discussing what she was eating and why she was eating it. At first I thought what do you mean, I don't think anybody eats dirty food on purpose, I know that sounds silly, but I was a bit confused, but I started watching more videos and reading about it online and then it all started to make sense.<br />
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Eating clean or clean eating, is eating food that has not been processed. The food has not been refined or tampered with and is kept to it's natural form, without any unnecessary extras added to it.<br />
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This means ready meals, takeaways, fast foods, e.t.c are all to be avoided. The food needs to be whole and be in it's original form, just how nature made it. So it would mean eating fresh fruit and vegetables, Lean proteins such as fish or chicken and whole grains like brown rice or wholemeal pasta.<br />
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I researched all the different types of foods that were allowed, some foods I was unsure about, I like an easy life, so I thought I'd share with you the food I would eat in a typical day.<br />
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<b>Breakfast: </b><br />
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<b>Banana and Berry Smoothie</b><br />
I never use to eat smoothies, but now I have one every day for breakfast and this is my favourite one, at the moment. It is made with bananas, summer fruit berries, a spoonful of fat free Greek yogurt , half a cup of Almond milk and some ice. All of this is thrown into a blender, whizzed for a minute then poured into a tall glass. This makes a yummy breakfast, that keeps me full, so no diving into the biscuit tin. Speaking of biscuits, I have lost the taste for them and I don't really miss them.<br />
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<b>Greek Pasta Salad</b><br />
For lunch I am loving my Greek Pasta Salad, I have it every day and I'm still not bored with it. It's made with green and black olives, chopped up cucumber, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, wholemeal fusilli pasta. <span style="text-align: center;">I also make my own dressing, consisting of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and oregano.</span><br />
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<b>Baked Chicken with Rice and Vegetables</b></div>
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Dinner time is usually fish, or chicken, with a cup full of any vegetables and 1/2 cup of carbohydrates, this could brown rice, roasted sweet potato, quinoa, e.t.c. One thing I have learnt about, is to remember portion size, think of your plate as a clock, 1/2 of it should be vegetables, 1/4 your protein, i.e. chicken or fish and 1/4 your carbohydrates, such as brown rice.</div>
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I had this last night and it was yummy and very filling, before I started eating clean, I would want something sweet after dinner, but this has disappeared. I do remember being told by someone years ago, that it usually takes 2 weeks to lose your taste for sweet things, I think it's true, I no longer crave biscuits, cakes or chocolate bars, I do have the odd biscuit, but that's it really.</div>
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If I do want something sweet, I have found a healthy alternative them, but I will share that with you another time. I eat clean 99% of the time, rest of the time I might have the odd guilt free meal, don't judge me I'm human.</div>
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I don't see clean eating as a new diet fad, I really enjoy it., I just see it new way of eating. It's also spurred me to get fit, so every morning I do 30 mins of cadio or toning exercises. I use to go to the gym, but I would just get bored and find excuses why I couldn't go that day, but now I definitely prefer exercising at home, there are loads of great exercise videos on YouTube, I even bought myself a set of dumbbells to use, I don't see exercise as a chore any more, I love doing it.</div>
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There you have it, my new way of eating healthy. In the forthcoming months, I'll share with you how I'm getting on and maybe a couple of recipes, I'll surprise you.</div>
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M. x</div>
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-53666238232625212152014-08-18T14:05:00.000+01:002017-05-17T10:15:42.596+01:00Flower Girl Bracelets<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm back! It's been a few months since I posted a blog, the reason being is that I've been busy with my websites, designing new jewellery, getting orders made for customers and enjoying family life. I'm going try and get back into blogging, I have to say I have missed it and I'm going to try and blog weekly and not beat myself up about it if I miss a week or two. If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you might have noticed that I've been posting a few 'work in progress' pictures of my flower girl bracelets, they have been proving quite popular with customers.<br />
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They have been on my website and in my Etsy shop for several months now, I already have a range of bridal jewellery available to purchase on these venues, but I did not want to leave out the flower girls. They deserve an extra special gift to say thank you for taking part in the happy couple's wedding and also they would make a nice memento of the day. They all can be made in petite sizes from the ages of 3 - 13 years of age and are available in a range of colours.<br />
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This pink flower bracelet is made with 6 mm pink glass pearl beads and 6 mm pink crystal beads. There is a 1.5-inch long extender chain a silver heart shaped charm, with the words ' Flower Girl' engraved on it.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gkySwMUSTDo/U6rSVHGah9I/AAAAAAAAH0Q/ngKLLPJmJXM/s1600/pink+flower+girl+bracelet+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gkySwMUSTDo/U6rSVHGah9I/AAAAAAAAH0Q/ngKLLPJmJXM/s1600/pink+flower+girl+bracelet+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another popular bracelet chosen by many brides this year is this one, made with white and blue 6 mm glass pearl beads. <span style="text-align: left;">To give my customers more of a choice, I now offer the option of choosing up to 17 other pearl colours, which can be matched to a bride's wedding colour scheme. </span><br />
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Now, this bracelet is a little bit different from the others, instead of a flower girl charm, there is an initial charm. Initial jewellery is more personalised, so if your flower girl is called Sophie, you would choose the letter S and also you can pick from 9 crystal colours to add to the bracelet. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F5QP18Gv79w/U6rWe86xoCI/AAAAAAAAH0s/BdIvNoHguYo/s1600/red+flower+girl+bracelet+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F5QP18Gv79w/U6rWe86xoCI/AAAAAAAAH0s/BdIvNoHguYo/s1600/red+flower+girl+bracelet+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This bracelet has a simple design, it's made with ivory pearls, a smoky grey crystal bead, small silver beads, a flower girl charm and a singular pearl dangle. </div>
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I know brides sometimes struggle to think of a thoughtful gift for members of their wedding party, just to say thank you for making their big day so special. These bracelets would be ideal, they are made with pearls and pearls never go out of style and the flower girls can treasure their own bracelet as a keepsake gift, forever.<br />
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If you would like a closer look at these bracelets, you can see them on my website at www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com</div>
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Also if you like to see what I'm up to on Instagram and feel to follow me on instagram.com/michelleshandcraftedjewellery </div>
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Bye for now</div>
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-63951939184796665142014-05-16T13:16:00.004+01:002014-05-19T11:07:26.728+01:00My Top 5 GemstonesI had a lovely surprise a couple of weeks ago, when I checked my emails during a break while taking pictures of some new jewellery. It was an email from Frances from the company JewelleryMaker. JewelleryMaker is a family owned company that specialises in jewellery making supplies, especially gemstones from all around the world. Frances had seen my blog and my wire wrapped rings on my website and she wanted to know whether I'd like to write a blog post and share my top 5 gemstones. I've never done a top 5 of anything on my blog, so I was happy to do so. Gemstones beads fascinate me, because each type of gemstone is unique, with their own qualities, colourings, properties and meanings.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Well here goes!</span></b><br />
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<strong>1. Labradorite</strong><br />
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This is a stunning gemstone, it was first discovered in 1770 in Labrador in Canada. It's usually a dark grey colour, with flecks of green and black, that show iridescent flashes of blue, blue-green and silver.<br />
I like this gemstone a lot, to me it looks expensive and luxurious. I did buy some coin Labradorite beads and made a pair of earrings and a bracelet out of them.<br />
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<b><u>Labradorite Bracelet</u></b></div>
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There is a vast selection of Labradorite beads on the JewelleryMaker website http://www.jewellerymaker.com/en-gb/search.aspx?parentcategory=gems-and-beads&gemstone=labradorite</div>
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<strong>2. Rose Quartz</strong></div>
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I like pink. Rose Quartz is pale pink in colour and can range from very light to medium pink, in colour. Sometimes they can almost be transparent, but his is very rare. I've made a wire wrap ring with a Rose Quartz bead and brass wire. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dl17ZPisrtE/U3NvJ5qJmmI/AAAAAAAAHjU/9xj2jdBMzsU/s1600/brass+and+rose+quartz+gemstone+bracelet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dl17ZPisrtE/U3NvJ5qJmmI/AAAAAAAAHjU/9xj2jdBMzsU/s1600/brass+and+rose+quartz+gemstone+bracelet.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Rose Quartz Wire Wrapped Ring</u></b></div>
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Rose Quartz is considered to be the gemstone of love, so they would be the perfect gemstone to choose, when making something special for a customer, for Valentine's Day. http://www.jewellerymaker.com/en-gb/product.aspx?c=pmkz36&d=80cts-pink-quartz-faceted-rounds-approx-6mm</div>
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<strong>3. Haematite</strong></div>
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The word Haematite comes from the Greek word meaning blood. It's colour can range from steel grey to almost black. I like this bead, because it always looks super glossy, sleek and elegant. I think it also looks slightly masculine, so that's why I chose to use Haematite beads to make one of my gent's bracelets.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bzxLh2s7KJA/U3N2dqYvQaI/AAAAAAAAHjk/A52eybIiyYM/s1600/hermatite4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bzxLh2s7KJA/U3N2dqYvQaI/AAAAAAAAHjk/A52eybIiyYM/s1600/hermatite4.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Haematite Bracelet</u></b></div>
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You can see here that you can get Haematite beads in other colours and finishes. http://www.jewellerymaker.com/en-gb/search.aspx?parentcategory=gems-and-beads&gemstone=haematite</div>
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<strong>4. Unakite</strong></div>
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Before I bought these Unakite beads, I wanted to know where Unakite came from and I found out that it was first discovered in the United States, in the Unakas mountains of North Carolina. It's a form of granite and it comes in various shades of salmon pink and green, all mottled and blending into each other. Unakite is a hard material, so it is resistant to abrasions, so I used some Unakite beads to make another one of my gent's bracelets. I think I like this gemstone because the two colours seem to clash with each other, but side by side, they work so well together. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9ZPg5e-Djcc/U3R4ZqNvLCI/AAAAAAAAHkA/99p-yO8gnbI/s1600/20140416_092402_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9ZPg5e-Djcc/U3R4ZqNvLCI/AAAAAAAAHkA/99p-yO8gnbI/s1600/20140416_092402_resized.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Unakite Bracelet</u></b></div>
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<b>5. Rainbow Fluorite</b><br />
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Rainbow Fluorite beads are mostly translucent, with shades of purple, green, yellow and some with a hint of blue. You can even get more than one colour in as single stone, giving a rainbow like effect. I bought these rainbow fluorite chips last year in the hope of making them into a piece of jewellery for the summer, but I never got round to using them. I like the soft transulcent shading, I can imagine making them into a necklace, they would add just a hint of colour, against the skin. You can also get rainbow fluorite beads in other shapes such as tubes, barrels, rounds and cubes. As well as rainbow fluorite, there is also multi-coloured, green, blue, purple and yellow fluorite beads, for a closer look. http://www.jewellerymaker.com/en-gb/search.aspx?parentcategory=gems-and-beads&gemstone=fluorite&page=1<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxHr2g-uU_k/U3S7pP6tAMI/AAAAAAAAHko/AUrfp0nNsq0/s1600/flourite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxHr2g-uU_k/U3S7pP6tAMI/AAAAAAAAHko/AUrfp0nNsq0/s1600/flourite.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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That's it for my top five gemstones, let me know what are your favourite gemstones are and what is it about them, that you like when working with them.<br />
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If you would like to see more of my handmade jewellery and accessories on my websites, head over to www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com<br />
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-78966479601533177532014-04-28T11:00:00.000+01:002014-04-29T11:50:13.680+01:00My love for Pinterest!Out of all the social media platforms out there, I think Pinterest is my favourite. I joined it in 2012, after hearing about it and I can hold my hand up and say I can be found browsing on there for hours, it is so addictive, it just absorbs your time, you have to learn to ration it. A day does not go by without me visiting it and before you know it, 1 hour has gone by, shush... not good if you should be working. <br />
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Pinterest has been one of the fastest growing social media platforms ever, it's basically a online virtual pin board, where you can share your interests. This could be anything from recipes, to how to make you own make-up remover! It allows you to connect with others, so if someone likes something that you have pinned, they can re pin it onto one of their boards, repining your items can expose your business to a wider audience. I first started off pinning my own handmade jewellery and accessories, because I knew Pinterest was a great way to get your business or service seen by others, but I also knew you could still have fun with it. <br />
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So, after starting out with one board, I now have as of today, a total of 71 boards. One of my boards is called Amazing Pictures, it shows beautiful and spectacular pictures, from around the world. Another one is called 'You never can have too many shoes' which you can guess, is about my love of shoes. I've even dedicated one of my boards to my favourite show on TV, called Scandal. <br />
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It has been very popular with other pinners, lots of the photos have been re pinned many times and it has a growing number of followers, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/michelleshand/scandal/">http://www.pinterest.com/michelleshand/scandal/</a><br />
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Another well liked board, is a board that features everything related to weddings. I've seen some amazing wedding dresses, cakes and scenery for weddings on Pinterest and as I make handmade wedding jewellery and accessories, I thought it would be of interest to my followers, who have repined my bridal items, to create a board that might be of interest to them. So if your getting married, take a look at my 'Wedding' board, there are so many tips and ideas for you, if your not sure about what type of wedding you would like to have. <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/michelleshand/weddings/">http://www.pinterest.com/michelleshand/weddings/</a> <br />
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Last but not least, is my 'Cute' board, which is a personal favourite of mine. You'll see lots of cute and cuddly adorable animals, they will make you laugh and smile. Some of them are really funny to look at, so if your in need cheering up, take a look. <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/michelleshand/cute/">http://www.pinterest.com/michelleshand/cute/</a> </div>
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If you would like to have a closer look at my boards, you can click on the link here <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/michelleshand">www.pinterest.com/michelleshand</a> </div>
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If you've never tried Pinterest, give it a go, it's an excellent way to promote your business and also to just have fun, pinning stuff that you like and are interested in. Leave a comment and let me know what you like to pin, if you are on Pinterest. </div>
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com0London, UK51.508515 -0.1254871999999522851.192402 -0.77093419999995227 51.824628000000004 0.51995980000004771tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-16257806355411674422014-02-25T13:05:00.000+00:002014-02-25T13:05:52.471+00:00About Time.....<br />
I'm back! <br />
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I've not done a blog since the New Year, oops, sorry, I keep meaning to do one, but you know how it is.... Last year, I made an effort to blog once a week, but then it become fortnightly and now monthly, not good, I'm going to give myself a kick up the bum and get back to doing it weekly, but don't hold me to it, my days and weeks can be unpredictable, so lets see what happens.<br />
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Last year I blogged about my love of making wire wrapped rings, here is the link if you would like to read it, <a href="http://michelleshandcraftedjewellery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/wrapped-up-and-loving-it.html">http://michelleshandcraftedjewellery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/wrapped-up-and-loving-it.html</a><br />
After posting this blog, I was supposed to make some new rings and list them on my website, but yes, I never got around to doing it. <br />
The one thing I've noticed about when making jewellery, or in fact any type of crafting, you always want to try and make something different, something new, once you've finished your project. I'm thinking about trying my hand at polymer clay and resin, but maybe later on in the year.<br />
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Well, I finally added my wire wrapped rings to my website. Here are some of my new designs, which all be customised. I've got some more new designs in the pipeline, these will be online soon, I promise!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a1BZElnIVcY/UwyPMYx8IKI/AAAAAAAAG5A/y8Lvnf7FAVY/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a1BZElnIVcY/UwyPMYx8IKI/AAAAAAAAG5A/y8Lvnf7FAVY/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage+2.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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To see my new wire wrapped ring range, please click on the link here. <a href="http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/michelleshandcraftedjewellery/cat_599585-Rings.html">http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/michelleshandcraftedjewellery/cat_599585-Rings.html</a></div>
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Right I'm off to take some pictures and hopefully I'll be back next week with another blog.</div>
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-30887831088053940572014-01-02T15:34:00.000+00:002014-01-02T15:34:11.364+00:00A new year, a new start, a new project!<br />
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Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year, I had a brilliant time, but cannot believe it's 2014, time does fly when your having fun. But I do look back to the past year and reflect what I did and how I did it and in what way I can improve and do better in my business and personal life. <br />
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A new year always inspires me to set new goals and try new projects that I've been meaning to start, but have had to put to the side, so that I can carry on with my existing projects, namely Christmas gifts. I've always made lists, every morning I write down what I'm doing that day and I try to follow it, but I'm not perfect, I do stray sometimes when comes to popping into my Twitter/Facebook or Pinterest accounts. But this year I'm going to find a balance, I love social media, but I love creating much more.<br />
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I've always been interested in wire work, I have an shop on Etsy, <a href="http://www.michelleshandcrafted.etsy.com/">www.michelleshandcrafted.etsy.com</a> and I just love browsing the other shops that have wire work jewellery pieces, the designs can be simple or intricate, but they are stunning and I'm eager to try my hand at making a piece of jewellery incorporating some sort of wire, so I've bought steel bench block and Nylon Jaw hammer. I've already got a chasing hammer and a ball pein hammer, both which were birthday gifts from my partner.<br />
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I cannot wait to start using them, I'll do another blog when I've made some items, I might start off with earrings and see how it goes. A think when your a crafter, you always want to try something new, I've got other things that I want to try, but there are just not enough hours in the day, but that will not put me off, I know I'll have lots of projects on the go. </div>
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Right I'm off, let me know what new projects you are trying this year, love to know how you get on.</div>
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-39485356747836928192013-11-22T13:14:00.001+00:002013-11-22T13:14:17.457+00:00Christmas Gift Guide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em><span style="font-size: x-large;">Christmas Gift Ideas</span> </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>It's that time of year when you look at the calendar and think 'yikes', I need to start looking for gifts for everyone for Christmas. If your struggling with ideas, you can't go wrong in buying a handmade item this Christmas and in particular handmade jewellery and accessories</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em> I know how hard it can be deciding what gifts to choose, so </em></span><em><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I've rounded a selection of handmade jewellery and accessories that might be ideal Christmas gifts. </span></em></div>
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Bracelets, Necklaces, Earrings, Wine Glass Charms</div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></em> Bookmarks, Key Rings, Bag Charms, Kilt Pin Brooches</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7o3nqw1SF0A/Uo5ALsuUOzI/AAAAAAAAEC0/YHa06ORvplU/s1600/silver+and+lilac+earrings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em></em></span></a> One Shilling Coin Cufflinks, Unakite Gemstone Bracelet, Black and White Zebra Jasper Bracelet, Lucky Sixpence Coin Cufflinks.</span></div>
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<em></em> All the above and much more, are available to purchase from my website at <a href="http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/">www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com</a></div>
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Happy Christmas Shopping. x<br />
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-12695069811308816892013-10-14T13:54:00.001+01:002013-10-14T13:54:58.430+01:00Diagonal Stitch BraceletIn February of this year I tried a couple of jewellery projects that involved using seed beads. I made a cross weave bracelet and a pair of bead woven earrings.<br />
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Pearl Cross Weave Bracelet </div>
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Bead Weave Earrings</div>
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Both of these creations were first attempts and I really enjoyed the time I spent making them. To be honest when I use to come across projects like these, I use to think 'yikes', there is now way I can make something soo complicated, involving thread, needles and tiny beads that look pretty, but are a nightmare to pick up if you drop them on the floor and I'm speaking from experience!</div>
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Last weekend I made another bracelet, this one was a diagonal stitch bracelet, using red crystals, white pearls and light grey seed beads. </div>
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Once I completed the bracelet, I felt such a sense of achievement that now I want to try some more new projects involving seed beads. At the moment I'm making some new jewellery for the Christmas season, so I think I'll wait till the new year before I try another bead weaving project.</div>
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Bye for now.</div>
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Michelle x</div>
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-72807463492015720762013-10-02T12:45:00.000+01:002013-10-02T12:45:25.111+01:00Jewellery of the Day!<div style="text-align: left;">
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I don't normally do two blog posts in one week, but I thought what is the best way in getting a message across, I then had a light bulb moment and thought why don't I just put it on my blog!</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I </span></em><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">have decided to create a daily promotion called 'Jewellery of the Day' on my website. Each day will be picking an item of jewellery or accessory from my website, which I will be offering at a discount of upto 50% off, for that day only!</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here is todays special offer, <a href="http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/michelleshandcraftedjewellery/prod_1951474-Black-and-Gold-Bracelet-Jewellery-of-the-Day-50-Off.html">http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/michelleshandcraftedjewellery/prod_1951474-Black-and-Gold-Bracelet-Jewellery-of-the-Day-50-Off.html</a></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Don't forget to check out my website daily, to see which jewellery or accessory is on offer that day. I'll also mention it daily on my Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram pages. I'll pop my links down below. </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/">www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com</a></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/michelleshandcraftedjewellery">www.facebook.com/michelleshandcraftedjewellery</a></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/michelleshand">www.pinterest.com/michelleshand</a></span></em></div>
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<a href="http://www.instagram.com/michelleshandcraftedjewellery"><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">www.instagram.com/michelleshandcraftedjewellery</span></em></a><br />
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Michelle x</div>
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-91551079478134577572013-09-30T16:03:00.001+01:002013-10-14T15:51:55.977+01:00Autumn Jewellery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Which is your favourite season? I always look forward to the spring, because the evenings start to get lighter and I know that summer is not far behind. Last year our summer was a complete wash out, it literally did not stop raining the whole summer. This year we had a glorious summer, I hope we have the same next year.<br />
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Now that were easing out of summer and heading for the cool autumn/winter months, not only will we will be changing the type of clothes we will be wearing, I like to wear big chunky jumpers, I always feel the cold, lol, some of us will switch to a different colour palette for our jewellery, like warm browns, reds, oranges and greens. To compliment the autumn colours, I have created some new jewellery pieces and also incorporated some of my existing creations into a new section on my website called 'Autumn Inspired Jewellery'. You only have to look outside your window to see the changing colour of the leaves on the trees and on the ground, which signal that autumn is on it's way.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rofN9U90Kf8/UkmKKTGS3PI/AAAAAAAADFw/m5Arv6WKVcU/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage+blog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rofN9U90Kf8/UkmKKTGS3PI/AAAAAAAADFw/m5Arv6WKVcU/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage+blog2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you would like to see some more of my autumn jewellery, then please click the link below to my website. </div>
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<a href="http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/michelleshandcraftedjewellery/cat_779715-Autumn-Inspired-Jewellery-Collection.html">http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/michelleshandcraftedjewellery/cat_779715-Autumn-Inspired-Jewellery-Collection.html</a></div>
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Before I forget, there is 50% off clearance sale on all the ankle bracelets on my website. If you would like to see the various designs and purchase one for next summer, please click here on this link.</div>
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<a href="http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/michelleshandcraftedjewellery/cat_604023-Clearance-sale-50-off-all-ankle-bracelets.html">http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/michelleshandcraftedjewellery/cat_604023-Clearance-sale-50-off-all-ankle-bracelets.html</a></div>
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Bye for now.</div>
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Michelle. x</div>
MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-85132764944014325652013-09-04T16:08:00.000+01:002013-09-04T16:08:45.933+01:00Wrapped up and loving it!<br />
Back in October 2012, I posted a blog about my first attempt at wire wrapping. I wire wrapped a necklace, my efforts were very amateurish to say the least, but I still tried it and I enjoyed the freedom of using the wire.<br />
Fast forward to August 2013, I decided to try wire wrapping again, this time I wanted to make a ring. I'd seen some beautiful wire wrapped rings on Pinterest and I wanted to see if I could make a ring myself. I love Pinterest, I can be over there for hours and hours, if you would like to see what I've been pinning, my Pinterest details are <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/michelleshand">www.pinterest.com/michelleshand</a> <br />
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So I bought a ring mandrel and a reel of 20 gauge silver plated craft wire. After several attempts, I came up with this ring. <br />
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As you can see here, I have not stopped making rings, using different designs and coloured beads.<br />
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I made these rings for myself, but will be creating and adding similar designs to my website very soon, I'll most probably do another blog, letting you all have a sneek peak at them.</div>
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If you would like to see my handmade jewellery and accessories, head over to <a href="http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/">www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com</a></div>
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Bye for now.</div>
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-47873775235068168282013-08-16T14:24:00.000+01:002013-08-16T14:24:07.963+01:00Summer Sale<h3 align="center">
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I know it's half way through the month of August, but I forgot to mention that I'm having a summer sale in my Etsy shop, oops! The past couple of weeks have been hectic, the twins are off school for the summer holidays and we've had family and friends come to stay with us, for the past couple of weekends. I've also been busy running my Etsy shop and website and dare I say it, planning my new jewellery designs for Christmas.</div>
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If you enter coupon code SUMMERSALE20 at the checkout, you will receive 20% off your order and the sale lasts till the 31st August 2013.</div>
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Click on the link to my shop <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/michelleshandcrafted">www.etsy.com/shop/michelleshandcrafted</a> If you've had your eye on something there, now is the time to get it, happy shopping!</div>
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-17842721377455261992013-08-02T15:39:00.002+01:002013-08-30T14:08:23.064+01:00Summer, Summer Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love the sun and here in England we've been having glorious sunshine, I just don't want it to end. My summer jewellery usually includes ankle bracelets, which I love wearing with my summer outfits, for me, wearing an ankle bracelet, is just like wearing any other piece of jewellery.<br />
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Before I show you the new ones that I have made, I though I'd share with you my homemade body scrub treatment, that I like to use to get my skin in tip top condition for the summer.<br />
When it comes to skin care products, I do try to use natural ingredients, I've been using this mixture for several years now and it always leaves my skin feeling amazing. My body scrub is simply made from extra virgin olive oil and sugar! I pour half a cup of sugar in a small bowl and add one table spoon of extra virgin olive oil, then mix it, then add another till the consistency is not too runny and not too thick.<br />
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I apply the scrub after a shower or bath, rubbing it gently into the skin, then rinsing it off and I have to say, it will leave your skin feeling soft and smooth<br />
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Ok, after a long introduction, lol, here is a collage of the new ankle bracelets that I've added to my website, this year, one of which is not shown here, as it was sold within 30 minutes of me listing it on the site, after posting a picture of it on my Twitter account, yay! <br />
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Summer Ankle Bracelets 2013</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dSPi1RsL9Ds/Ufqu3AovE8I/AAAAAAAABP4/eVQrXsBG0fE/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage+anklebracelets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dSPi1RsL9Ds/Ufqu3AovE8I/AAAAAAAABP4/eVQrXsBG0fE/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage+anklebracelets.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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To get a closer look at them and all my other handmade jewellery, visit my website at <a href="http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/">www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com</a><a href="http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/"></a></div>
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Enjoy your summer.</div>
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-66685049840583425332013-07-19T13:28:00.000+01:002013-08-30T13:57:15.351+01:00Men's Bracelet Collection 2013One of my best sellers in my Etsy shop are my Vintage Coin Cufflinks. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kag4NxLyBNE/UeU7EMcvr0I/AAAAAAAABFM/ZW7KBofEL6w/s1600/cufflinks4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kag4NxLyBNE/UeU7EMcvr0I/AAAAAAAABFM/ZW7KBofEL6w/s1600/cufflinks4.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
I have sold these coin cufflinks, with dates from to 1947 to 1966, as birthday presents and also as wedding gifts for the ushers, in a wedding party. <br />
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Until now, that was really how far I'd ventured into men's jewellery/accessories. But with the fantastic hot weather that we've been having lately and everyone out and about enjoying themselves in the sun, I've seen lots of men with rolled up shirt sleeves or wearing t-shirts, that have been wearing smart and masculine bracelets and that has been the approach I have gone for, with my men's bracelet collection for 2013.<br />
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First up, is a black and white zebra jasper bracelet. The beads have an unusual black and white pattern, that look will remind you of a zebra.<br />
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Black and White Zebra Jasper Bracelet</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5qxOG7G6Ps0/Uegwmd9OFuI/AAAAAAAABJY/VMGK0HNp-c4/s1600/zebra+jasper+bracelet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5qxOG7G6Ps0/Uegwmd9OFuI/AAAAAAAABJY/VMGK0HNp-c4/s1600/zebra+jasper+bracelet.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is a rainbow jasper bracelet, the beads have beautiful shades of green, red and brown.<br />
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Rainbow Jasper Bracelet </div>
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I love the shine and glossy look of this hermatite bracelet. The beads have a dark grey/gun metal colour.</div>
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Silver and Hermatite Bracelet</div>
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I have used shiny wooden black beads for this bracelet, the gold beads have been added to the front, to break up the continuity of the dark coloured beads.</div>
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Black and Gold Bracelet</div>
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Last, but not least is a bracelet made with very unusual gemstone beads. They are called Unakite beads and have a mottled green and pink colouring. This bead is also a member of the Jasper gemstone family.</div>
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Unakite Bracelet</div>
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I hope to be adding some more bracelets to this collection, later on in the year. Since we've had glorious sunshine for the past couple of weeks, I've been making ankle bracelets, which for me is one of my favourite summer time jewellery to wear.</div>
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If you would like a closer look at the above bracelets and find out the useful properties of the gemstones that they have been made with, head over to my website at <a href="http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/">www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com</a></div>
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Also, while your there, don't forget to take a peek at the new ankle bracelets, listed this week.</div>
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-77341844290999966852013-06-24T14:33:00.000+01:002013-06-24T14:33:14.540+01:00Ladies Night!I'll be doing my very first ladies night/craft show on Friday night, yikes!<br />
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I'm excited and scared at the same time. I've been meaning to do one for a while, but have been putting it off. This event is taking place in the evening from 6.30pm, till 9.30pm, so not a full blown show, more like a part-time show. <br />
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Since I decided to do it, I've been creating my table display, making parts of it and buying bits and pieces. I've been trawling through the craft show display pages on Pinterest, which have given me inspiration and ideas, I've then recreated them in my own special way. I finally finished it all on Sunday and laid it all out on a table at home, I've been tweaking and swopping bits around and now it's exactly how I want it to look.<br />
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My brand colours are lilac/purple and black and I've incorporated these colours in my display and packaging. I never realised how much work went into setting up a stall for an event, it's exhausting. To make sure I did not forget anything I drew up a 'To Do' , which is nothing new, I'm always making 'To Do' lists, I normally make one everyday. Also I came across on Pinterest, a craft show checklist, of all the bits and pieces you might need, like, scissors, tape, spare prices tags, e.t.c., this list has been really useful.<br />
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On Friday, everything will be packed up carefully and taken to the event, I'll make sure I'll take some pictures of my table and I'll tell you all, how it went. If you live near the Highwoods and St John's Community Centre in Colchester, in Essex, pop in on Friday and say hello.<br />
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Wish me luck! xMICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-91033751055220923972013-06-14T16:50:00.000+01:002013-08-30T13:39:06.949+01:00Get Spiky!I must say I have missed not blogging on a weekly basis, but at the moment, time is in short supply, I've been busy getting ready for my first ladies night/craft fair on the 28th June 2013. It is taking place at the Highwoods and St John's Community Centre, in Colchester, Essex. I've been making extra stock and jewellery display materials, earrings cards e.t.c. lots to do, but I'm enjoying every minute of it.<br />
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Whilst I've been busy preparing for my show, I've also created a new jewellery collection, called the 'Get Spiky' Collection , featuring bracelets, necklaces and earrings, adorned with silver spikes. Spike jewellery has become one of this years hottest jewellery trends. Spikes do add a gothic and punk edge, to any type of jewellery, I have mixed my spikes with crystals and pearls.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Get Spiky Collection</span></div>
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If you would like to see my new jewellery range up close, head over to <a href="http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/">www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com</a></div>
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-51777583371795207892013-05-21T12:41:00.002+01:002013-05-21T12:42:07.333+01:00Bridal Wedding Colours 2013 - The Colour PurpleI like making bridal jewellery, I think it's because I like pearls and pearls are one of the popular choices for brides, when choosing their bridal jewellery.<br />
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The days when brides only chose white, ivory or pink for their bridal colours, have well and truly gone. This year the most popular bridal colours are purple, mint green, gold, silver, red and navy blue.<br />
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My favourite colour is the colour purple, so I thought I'd show you the purple coloured wedding items in my shop.<br />
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Here is a purple bridal set, consisting of a bracelet and earrings, made using purple glass pearl beads and rhinestone beads. <br />
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Another design, this time, this time I used a ivory pearl to compliment the purple pearl and gold plated earwires </div>
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For the necklace, I've added a gold plated chain.</div>
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This is the bridal comb I made last week.</div>
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These wedding pieces don't have to be just worn for a wedding. I think with jewellery, there are no rules, I've worn pearls with a pair of jeans, you can mix and match, do what you want to do, find your own style.<br />
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If your still looking for ideas about your what colours to choose for your wedding jewellery, do take a look at my website at <a href="http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/">www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com</a>, where I have traditional bridal colours and the most popular bridal colours of 2013.<br />
<br />MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-63498864162521605742013-05-09T16:46:00.000+01:002015-03-31T12:25:48.382+01:00Which glass is mine?Have you ever been out at a some sort of function, such as a party and you've put your glass down for a minute and then gone back to retrieve it and then you can't remember which one was yours, as the table is full of glasses? Well I've done that quite a few times and each time I've just shrugged my shoulders and gone off and got another glass. That is both time-consuming and a waste of a drink.<br />
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There is no need to do that anymore, the answer is a wine glass charm. I know some of you out there are saying, 'a wine glass what???' Wine glass charms make it easy to identify which glass is yours at a gathering. They usually have a charm, dangling from a silver ring and decorated with beautiful beads and all you do is unhook the loop and wrap it around the base of your wine glass. Each one is different, so you'll always remember, which glass is yours. I've been adding some new wine glass sets to my website.<br />
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This set, can be for an engagement party. <br />
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A couple of girlie themed wine glass charms, for a hen night or a girls night out.<br />
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Also a couple of sets of baby themed wine glass charms, for either a christening or a baby shower. </div>
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I also have a range of wedding wine glass charms, that can also be used as wedding favours, for the bride and groom and the wedding party.</div>
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To see my range of wine glass charms, please visit my website at <a href="http://www.michelleshandcrafted.etsy.com/">www.michelleshandcrafted.etsy.com</a>MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-88393760853309211632013-05-03T13:13:00.001+01:002013-05-08T16:01:28.044+01:00What else you can do with an avocado, apart from eat it?I bought some avocados last week to make a healthy smoothie, like the one I saw in a magazine. I blended all the ingredients together, then sat down to drink it, it tasted better than I thought and I was looking forward to drinking the next one. Well that thought was short lived, I started to feel queasy and ill. It got to the point that I had to lie down and take some medication. After a couple of hours I started to feel better, don't get me wrong, I've eaten avocados before, these ones had ripened perfectly, but for some reason I felt so poorly, after drinking this smoothie, on that day. <br />
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I now had to decide what to do with the remaining three avocados. I hate wasting food, so I was not going to throw them away. I got onto the internet and had a look to see what else you can do with an avocado. Then I thought. what about a hair or beauty treatment? I do like using natural products and I was in luck. After browsing various websites, I decided to try and make a avocado and honey facemask, as I'd not done a facemask for goodness knows how long. Also there was recipe for a avocado, honey and olive oil hair mask.<br />
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First I made the hair mask, using the following ingredients:<br />
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One ripe avocado<br />
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2 tablespoons of honey<br />
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2 tablespoons of olive oil<br />
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Everything was placed in a bowl and mashed and mixed up with a fork, till it was a smooth consistency. I applied it to my washed hair, it did feel strange, a little voice in my head was saying 'what are you doing, your putting food on your hair'. Once I smeared it all over from root to tip, I covered my head with a plastic cap, it had to stay on for 30 minutes. <br />
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Now for the facemask, I used:<br />
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1/2 a ripe avocado<br />
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1 tablespoon of honey<br />
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I mixed it all together and smoothed it on to my face, this needed to stay on for 15 minutes, my face soon started to feel tight and sticky. After I rinsed it all off, I noticed how soft and smooth my skin felt.<br />
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After 30 minutes, I washed out the hair mask mixture, must say it took a while to do this, but afterwards, wow, my hair had never felt softer and shiner, I was stunned. I'd done other hair treatments before, but never had such a result like this one. The ingredients totally rehydrated my hair, it was amazing.<br />
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I will continue to use these ingredients on my hair and face, the results speak for itself. All the ingredients are natural, with no harsh chemicals and are inexpensive. Avocados contain nearly 20 vitamins and minerals, including potassium and is rich in vitamin A, E and D.<br />
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Honey is gentle on the skin, a good choice if you have sensitive skin. It is also a natural humectant, which means it attracts and retains moisture. Both these ingredients are good for nourishing and moisturizing dry skin and hair. <br />
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Olive oil adds moisture to your scalp if you have a dry scalp, it also softens dry frizzy hair and helps to promote hair growth. I'm already use olive oil in my hair and I've noticed how it's improved the condition of my hair.<br />
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Right, I'm off to see what else I can conjure up in my kitchen.MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-760838596546658712.post-71149507452867483162013-04-23T15:35:00.001+01:002013-04-23T15:35:27.066+01:00It was worth the wait<br />
At the beginning of each week, I usually start thinking about what I want to write about in my blog. Usually I'll be jotting down notes and drafting sections of it, then by Wednesday it's generally coming together, then on Thursday, I'll do any needed amendments, then if I'm happy, I'll publish it. <br />
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Well last week, I must say was a struggle for me, it's like I had 'bloggers block' or writer's block, or whatever you want to call it. Nothing I did would give me any clues as to what I wanted to write about. <br />
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I've only been blogging for nearly a year now and initially I found it hard work to sit down write about a subject. Now it's easier, I try to blog once a week and I do enjoy it, my problem is that sometimes I 'overthink' things and I should really just relax about blogging and try not to stress out about it, if it's late, it's late, it's not as if I'm giving in homework, is it?<br />
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At the end of last week, I was staring at my laptop trying to conjure something to blog about, so I thought, leave it and come back to it later on. I went off to look at my supplies to see if I needed to order any stock and I came across some lamp work beads that I'd bought back in 2011. I bought them because I thought they were beautiful and unique and I've always admired jewellery makers who made lamp work beads, the designs are amazing. I did not have a project in mind for them, so I just put them away. I put them on the table and I played around with them and came up with a bracelet, that with simple, using bronze filigree beads, which complimented the green and gold colours, of the beads.<br />
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Here is the bracelet, just look at the detail on the beads.<br />
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I still had enough beads, also to make a pair of earrings.</div>
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So if your struggling for something to blog about, leave it and go off and do something else, an idea will come to you, when your not expecting it. I ended up making some new jewellery, when I was not expecting to. Also if your blog is a few days late, nevermind, not everything always goes to plan, just take it's it comes, not worth stressing about .</div>
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To see some more of my handmade jewellery, please visit <a href="http://www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com/">www.michelleshandcraftedjewellery.com</a> </div>
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MICHELLES HANDCRAFTED JEWELLERYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322206544234273960noreply@blogger.com1