Organizing our Trip To Japan.

Well, the time has flown by and it is only a week until we set off for Japan! The 'apprentice'(my beautiful daughter) is so excited to go, as we all adore japanese things/design, etc. She's getting ready for a snow boarding experience in Sapporo, if we can organize it.

And lucky us! Looks like it's going to be a cooooollllllld winter... just what we wanted! plenty of snow (haven't seen REAL snow in a few years, living in the land of OZ).
We are glad to be getting away from the scorching heat of Australian summer..

Bag is almost all packed as we are entering an opposite season... just have to put the make-up bag in and we're all set.

A few studio things to do; then put my etsy shop to sleep for couple of weeks... i will make an announcement that i am away but some things can still be ordered.

Back to work to finish off a couple of things. I will post on my blog almost nightly when we are in Japan - a bit of a travelogue....

Pendant Swap

This has been a long time coming!

This was a fun swap! There were 4 of us: myself, Andes Cruz, Tosca Teran & Ann Jenkins.
We each made a pendant (three actually) and received three gorgeous pendants in exchange in the mail.

Here they are in all their glory. Mine were obviously the sawpierced japanese floral discs with a pearl drop at the end. Andes Cruz made the greenie turquoise pendant with the little spherical pieces surrounding the stone. Ann Jenkins made the one in the grass with the multi colored enameled flutes on a domed disc. Tosca made the jellyfish-like glass and metal pendant.

They are all so beautiful. It's great to see the differing styles and techniques we all prefer to use.

I'm hoping that others may want to do a fun swap like that again.

I've been Busy...

Well, life has been keeping me from writing ... well, the truth is that I've moved house and studio ans as you know, it takes a while to get settled in and iron out the 'bugs' in the new places.


We've had dust storms, electrical storms, wind storms, tropical style rain, blamy spring days and a quick cold change, followed by today's heat wave of 41C and no wind.... my poor vegies.... all limp and waiting for rain... and all that in a span of a few weeks.

Here are a couple of new stack rings:



Just recently, I participated in EtsyMetals Charm Swap #4
i got this bag of goodies:

EtsyMetal Charm Swap # 4

Well, I am a greedy one as i have so far participated in 2 charm swaps and this one is the 3rd for me. I have tried to make charms that are relevant with what is going on in my working life, (being a full time jeweler... and an accident prone one too..) so this time is leaves.. falling leaves off a tree, and then when spring comes we grow new ones... something like that...

What I mean is, if something is going to get lost, then I will be the one to lose it, or, if any hammering of finger happens, then it is usually mine.... But i take it all in as a bit of a humorous part of my insane working life...

I was going to keep writing about what kind of a day I had today, but more of that later...
here are my "leaves" for the swap and my Gorgeous Charm Bracelet with all the charms from the wonderful etsymetal metalsmiths. I will be adding the Charm Swap #4 charms to this bracelet. I will be full up. Then I may start a neck piece for the next few charmswaps that i may participate in..

New Work

Well, here we go again!! A couple of new pieces: The mahena pendant & the Papal Ring.

I am so pleased with the ring and also think the pendant works really well.

Mahena Pendant
Originally uploaded by howlindoggie