Pea pods

Good morning I thought today I would share a recent project from my silversmithing class. We were designing projects using fold forming which is something I  used a few years back when I made my daughter a peas in a pods silver pendant. 

I shared this post 6 (!) years ago and photos of the pendant I made.  Here it is again, not the best photos as they were taken with a very old camera.

Now this pendant was sooo complex to make as I had to thread the pearls onto silver wire which I had drilled a hole for. I also made silver tendrils. My daughter loves this pendant and
over the years many people (including my own Mum and Daisy) have admired it.  When I knew that we were re visiting the technique of fold forming in our class I hatched a plan to remake some very simple mini versions of my daughter's peas in a pod pendant for them.
Below are some photo I snapped with my phone on my jewellery bench showing how I brought my idea to life.
I used sheet silver and folded small pieces into rectangles onto which I drew my outline and then cut out.

I then hammered along the rounded edge, re annealing the metal regularly as it work hardens.

This gradually causes the metal to stretch and curve and creates the pod shape.
Once I was happy with the curve I pickled the silver to remove the oxidization and then opened the pod up with pliers (seen on the left side of the photo)

I then drilled holes into tips of the pods.
You can also see in the photo below that if you hammer on the opposite side of the metal you can get a reverse shape rather than a pod....I also made some leaf forms.
I had a play with several versions.

To finish them off I glued in some tiny freshwater pearls.
So here is the mini peas in a pod version..it's always so hard to photograph silver...which Daisy and my Mum really loved.

My card today links in with my pea pod necklaces and is the Lili of the Valley sweet pea pod digi image. I made a new baby card which is up for sale at Dotty's Teahouse where my cards are sold. I added a LOTV stamped sentiment and some fun die cuts.

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

Crafteezee summer

That's crafty 1/3 A summer's day

Fussy and fancy 1/3 summer fling

Happy little stampers 1/3 anything goes with dies

Thanks for stopping by and for your kind comments. Have a lovely weekend. I'm back on Monday with my Monday DT make for Visible Image.

Bye for now,

Jane x

Sweet peas and my giveaway winner

After the all day rain and eternal night we endured yesterday it is hard to remember that it is still summer. However my garden certainly remembers and I still have so many lovely blooms out there. If you remember from this post I planted some sweet peas earlier this year. Today the sunshine is back thank goodness and my washing is blowing on the line.

My sweet peas have bloomed beautifully and their scent is just delicious. One sniff takes me back to my childhood and the sweet peas my darling granddad , who we lived with, grew in the garden. Such power to evoke such sweet memories.
These are mine in flower.

 I am able to cut them most days and put them into the dear little vases my BF also included in my birthday present she gave me in April.

I take them down to my studio

and their sweet perfume drifts around me as I craft.....mmmm just bliss.

So my card just had to feature the sweetest Lili of the Valley sweet pea image I recently bought from their Simply Print pre-coloured  range. I made a very CAS card for Dotty's Teahouse where it has gone down to sell. The stamped sentiment is a Clearly Besotted favourite of mine.

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

Happy little stampers 1/3 anything goes with dies
Simon says stamp Monday happy birthday
Craft Heaven 1/3 anything goes
Noor UK anything goes
C.R.A.F.T challenge 1/3 anything goes
Cute card Thursday 1/3 embossing my sentiment is heat embossed.
As you like it 1/3 favourite embellishment and why I have lots but sequins are one  and I use them on most of the cards I sell in Dotty's Teahouse. They don't add bulk to the cards which increase posting costs so it's win win!

My giveaway closed yesterday at 4pm and out came the hat....all the names were put inside. You had extra entries as I promised,  for those who were followers and promoted my giveaway......we gave it a really good stir

  and my darling Hb drew the winner who is .....

drum roll...............

of  Card and cake.   Carole please could you email me, my address is on my sidebar and I will arrange for your choice of  prize to be sent to you.

I really wish I could offer everyone of you a prize but it was lovely to see Carole's name pop out of the hat as she is an avid reader of Jane' Journal. Thank you to everyone who left such kind comments on my bloggerversary post..it really has been 7 years of blogging friendship. Here's to many more years of creativity and fun ahead to share with you all.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Sweet pea beginnings

For my birthday my lovely friend Karen bought me this super seed set and some very pretty vases. A couple of weeks ago I planted it up.

It was super easy, just add compost, water and add the seeds.... and job done.

I put my trough onto my patio..

and hey presto... these seedlings appeared, just like magic, this week.

I can't wait until they are fully grown and I can fill the vases with these sweet scented, colours of the rainbow beauties.

My card today also has a magical theme...I used a Stampendous stamp I won earlier this year and created a rainbow background with distress inks.

I would like to link it up with the following fun challenges;

                                                 The ribbon girl 3/3 May card challenge
                                                 Crafty card makers 2/3 add a sentiment

Crafting from the heart 1/3 crafting from the heart

Deep Ocean anything goes

Crafty Catz 1/3 anything goes

C.R.A.F.T 1/3 birthday

Addicted to stamps and more anything goes

I hope you are enjoying your weekend? I enjoyed 2 days down in Southampton with my darling big and small babies and today we are Bear sitting.....busy, busy, busy! 

Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind comments, A warm welcome also to my newest followers, thanks so much for joining my creative journey. 

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x