Amethyst water cast pendant

Hello, the sunshine made a welcome return yesterday afternoon after quite a dull few days. I took these photos in the early evening last week, I really like the shadows cast at that time of the day.

My fuschia and pots are still hanging on to their colour.

My silversmithing class is on summer break for another month but I thought today I would share the pendant I finished on the last day of term in July.
You may remember that last year we played with watercasting and I cast some interesting organic shapes. If you missed that post you can see it here
I had some other piece left and decided to use it as the base for an amethyst I wanted to set.
These photos are taken on my work bench with my phone so not the best but I know people are interested to see the process.
Below is the piece of water cast silver.

This is the setting I made for my stone.

I soldered both pieces together

 I then carefully cut off the excess and filed the edges smooth.
Then I set the stone, this view is taken from above with my setting held in a vice on some setting wax, which had been melted first. It's very much like the wax used for seals and has that distinctive smell too. It holds the setting in place without marking it and I was then able to gentle tap the edges of my mount over. You then gentle tap the setting out from the wax.

I also soldered a hanging loop on the back.
Here is my finished pendant.

Silver is so hard to photograph but I think you can get an idea. You can even see my hands and the lens in the stone's reflection!

 So my card to day is also purple in colour

It's a very CAS wedding card made for Dotty's Teahouse. The die cut is Sizzix, the stencilled hearts are a Tim Holtz stencil. The maker of the sentiment escapes me ,sorry!

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

Simon says stamp Wednesday anything goes
AAA cards use a stencil
Happy Little stampers CAS die cuts
Creative Moments 2/3 anything goes
Lil patch of crafting friend's 3/3 anything goes

Thanks for stopping by, the sun is back here again this morning and I have a plan to start some Christmas cards..yes only 117 days to go..ho ho ho!!

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Last days of August

Hello and I hope those of you who are in the UK are enjoying a restful bank holiday. Dare I say that this is the last one before Christmas! What a wonderful summer it has been this year. Warm, sunny, blue skied filled days, the best I can remember since the Summer of 1976

I have loved spending time this year at the beach, both here and abroad and I still have our holiday in Rhodes to look forward too. There is nothing quite like sun sea and sand is there?

I'm here with my Monday design team make for Visible Image and I thought it was a good time to share a card I made earlier in the year which was in the June edition of Making Cards. Myself, Pauline and Sharon from the DT made projects with a red, white and blue colour scheme and used the
create your calm stamp set.

I made an alcohol ink sea inspired background

I added some blue archival ink through the fibres stencil

I wanted some seaweed for my seahorse to hide in (they are very shy creatures you know 

😊) and added some red seaweed using the Dare to swim stamp set

I stamped and red embossed the seahorse twice and fussy cut one out.

I stamped out the sentiment and added glossy accents to the bubbles to add some dimension. 

I also stamped and white embossed the jelly fish and added glitter and glossy accents to them too. 

and the inside of the card continued the red, white and blue theme too. 

So here is my finished card.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

Pixie's snippets playground #333
Let's craft and create 3/3 anything goes/lots of layers
TIME out 2/3 be bright
Lil patch of crafting friend's 2/3 anything goes
Let's craft and create 3/3 anything goes
Fussy and fancy 1/3 anything goes
Rubber dance 3/3  nature

All the Visible Image links can be found here;

Visible Image group page on Facebook. Our friendly Group is here ...it would be lovely to see you. You can add work to the "Show and Tell" album where one randomly chosen winner each month wins a £25 coupon to spend on the website.

The main Visible Image Facebook page is here; there are weekly stamp giveaways...open world wide.

And the shop web site is here; where all their gorgeous stamps and stencils can be purchased. 

September beckons us and the nights are beginning to draw in. I find that my colour palette changes so much with the seasons so expect to see something more autumnal inspired next week.
Thanks so much for stopping by and for all the kind comments that you take the time to leave. Enjoy your bank holiday.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Hyde Park's gems

My Hb has some leave to use up from work and we decided to have a few days out this week. On Monday we went to Hyde Park and followed a self guided walk I found on line. Although we are born and bred Londoners and my Hb works in the city,  we learnt so much. We found out that Hyde Park was acquired by Henry VIII as a deer park in 1536 and it was opened to the public in 1637 by Charles 1. The Serpentine lake was not created until 1730, by Queen Caroline, and it was created from the existing 6 fish ponds.

The weather was kind, cloudy mostly but warm with sunny intervals. The walk started at Hyde Park corner

and took us through parts we had not visited before.

We visited the Diana water memorial where children were dipping in their toes

and walked a whole circuit of the Serpentine.

 We spotted lots of swans and other wildlife.

We even took out a pedalo and whiled away a pleasant hour on the water.

We enjoyed a nice cup of tea at the cafe which looked out across the Serpentine.

The last part of our walk took us across to speakers corner via the old Police House 

and the mosaic which marks the site of the old Reformer's tree which celebrates the right of people to protest.

and we finished off at Marble Arch, which until that day I have never actually crossed the road to look at. It was another grand entrance to Hyde Park erected there in 1851 but had stood for 20 years previously as the main gateway at Buckingham Palace. It was moved to make way for a new wing.

The gates there are stunning.

 We had a quick glimpse at Oxford Street and then made our way back to Victoria to catch the train home. 

It's amazing how we miss the details when we live so near to somewhere. It was the most delightful and relaxing day out.

My card today is new Mr Caterpillar Visible Image stamps birthday card I have made for Dotty's Teahouse.

My very laid back, relaxed Mr Caterpillar

was coloured with Promarkers.

I die cut some clouds and stars and stamped the birthday sentiment.

Here he is in close up

You can see he and the stars have a glittery sparkle and that he is wearing his Glossy Accents glasses (of course 😉)

He will be up for sale today together with some other new Wonderland Cards. Dotty's is in the High Street, Carshalton, Surrey, SM5 2EP. My first edition Wonderland cards sold out very quickly and I am hoping this new edition will be just as popular. 

I wold like to enter him into the following challenges;

Passion for Promarkers 1/3 happy birthday
Creative Moments 1/3 anything goes
I love Promarkers 1/3 anything goes
Allsorts 2/3 from boys to men

Let's craft and create 2/3 anything goes/lots of layers
Dies R us 1/3 You're a star
Double D challenges 1/3 the moon and/or the stars
TIME out 1/3 be bright

Thanks for stopping by today.

Bye for now,

Jane x

Happy Birthday Mr A

The weather was kind to us this weekend, here in the South East of England, mild, a fair amount of cloud but some lovely sunny intervals too. We enjoyed drinking our Sunday evening G+T on the terrace as the sun went down.

It's time for my weekly Monday design team post for Visible Image and today is an extra special day as it is the birthday of none other than Mr Visible Image himself , Mark Alexander or Mr Awesome as the design team often call him, designer and co owner of Visible Image stamps. I decided to make him a special card as it is rather special birthday for him...he is joining the 50s brigade....yay! 

I thought long and hard about my design and I know that Mark likes my galaxy inked backgrounds so that was my starting point, together with one of his awesome stamp sets, which I know he is particularly proud of designing.

Ahead of our time. 

It is also one of my favourites (yes I know I keep saying that but so many are!)

I also wanted to add the number 50 so I used the numbers from

Alphabetical

I also used the fab planes and sentiment from

Destination unknown

Here is my card

I don't have any process photos, as I was busy at the time also making my Wonderland samples, so I will talk you through how I made it. I made my galaxy background using distress oxide inks on black card stock. Then I stamped the time swirl in gold ink. I inked up the door for the first time, which is such a fun stamp, onto Kraft card, and embossed it in pale blue. I added a brass brad for a door knob. 

The numbers, planes and falling man and woman were all black embossed and fussy cut out.

 I stamped the happy birthday sentiment from the go to words set and set it off into space propelled by the planes (OK that is a bit of artistic licence there from me 😂).

I also used the fab sentiment, which I white embossed, from "Destination unknown" as I thought it was so appropriate for Mark.

and one more shot

Here it is once more

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges;

Let's craft and create 1/3 anything goes/lots of layers

Allsorts 1/3 from boys to men
Lil patch of crafting friend's 1/3 anything goes
Let's craft and create 2/3 anything goes
Simon says stamp Monday sprinkles and splatters

Happy Little stampers watercolour 2/3 anything goes

The Male Room 1/3 wild and free

I made it with my fondest best wishes for such a talented man and a good friend. 

So if you would kindly clear your throats and join me to virtually sing.....

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday dear Mark,

Happy birthday to you .

I hope you have a fantastic day with Helen and here's to even more exciting adventures together. I just love being a part of the Visible Image journey. 

All the Visible Image links can be found here;

Visible Image group page on Facebook. Our friendly Group is here ...it would be lovely to see you. You can add work to the "Show and Tell" album where one randomly chosen winner each month wins a £25 coupon to spend on the website.

The main Visible Image Facebook page is here; there are weekly stamp giveaways...open world wide.

And the shop web site is here; where all their gorgeous stamps and stencils can be purchased. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x