wedding memento

...and we're off to another wedding next week. This time in NZ.

The friend I've had since I was 5 years old is getting married.

all about chandeliers

OK so starting on Monday I had a bit of an Oscars moment. Think 'bling, sparkly, swishy and stunning'....

Earrings like these require no other jewellery to make a statement.

So what next? I put them on etsy.

dangly bridal earrings

I thought these were quite bridal: delicate pearl and gemstone drops - not quite chandelier bling but with Swarovski crystals to give a little bit of understated sparkle. The oblong shaped 'biwa' pearls are a little unusual.

Something slightly different to the usual rhinestone and pearl numbers you see everywhere ....

I've put them on the website.

amethyst and aquamarine necklace

Indian faceted amethysts and an aquamarine nugget make this pastel necklet.

The stones were sourced in India in a back street market in Jaipur I think. Me in salwar kameez haggling badly with a master craftsman in a turban until after endless cups of tea and chats about my then single status I finally left clutching a bag of hard-won treasures. You really don't find this sort of stuff on ebay...

The necklet length is approx 43cm in length - just the thing to circle a graceful neck.

It's made it onto the website here.

Sunday assymetric necklets

It's t shirt weather here in Sydney and I started thinking about the type of things to wear with a t shirt....

Something slightly dippy, delicate and pretty I think so here are a couple of assymetric bead necklaces. They measure 41cm and 39 cm respectively, to circle the base of the neck in a daisy chain sort of way.

I tried having one long necklet doubled.... it didn't work as well as the single strand.

new banner and avatar

The mango frooty blog and etsy shop have new avatars and banners thanks to my niece, Emma in London.

A little parcel of things to brighten your winter is on it's way Em...

silver work

I know I haven't posted for a while.

You see, I've been busy with work but I also started a basic jewellery course. Here is a silver ring - work in progress. After soldering and beating and filing I am now supposed to polish the ring into a shiny silver version like you see in the shops.

Problem is, I kinda want to leave it the way it is - unpolished and not perfect....

large red hibiscus

I've come back for a rest....

New Zealand was manic but I managed to see everyone and squeeze in a bit of shopping.

The last of the summer hibiscus paintings - I didn't even have time to paint the yellow ginger spike I bought ...

away

I'm going away for a few days...

Have a good weekend everyone.

Chinese New Year prawns

Happy Year of the Ox everyone....

Cups of jasmine tea, chilli prawns with chinese broccoli....

and more frangipanis... or plumeria

What more can I say?

It's summer, it's hot, the air is filled with the scent of these lovely flowers.....