Ever since I got my engagement ring, I seem to have stopped wearing any other jewellery apart from the odd pair of earrings. This is because most of my jewellery is silver but my ring is gold and rose gold. I spent the other day making the jewellery for my wedding, for me, bridesmaids, friend and mum-in-law and got a bit too into it and carried on making some more for myself!

I will show you the wedding jewellery after the big event, but I can share with you the rest of what I made :) Some of it is made from beads and bits of broken jewellery I got given, with new findings and beads and bits I already had!

I am not sure how much I will wear, but hopefully I will get back in to a bit of bling when I need it :)

having gold on my dress and a gold in my engagement ring it was a no-brainer that the wedding jewellery would be gold ... my dress had leaves embroydered all over the bodice, so I knew I wanted leaves in the jewellery ... I love the soft colour of the gold and it matched my dress perfectly!




my beautiful older bridesmaids, Sally and Kara, wore pale gold so I made them jewellery that was similar to mine, but also suitable for 11-12 year olds ... I personalised them with letter charms for their name and added lovely birds which also fitted in with our themes (will show you more birds in later posts!)




Natasha, being not quite 4, I made different jewellery for as felt the other was a bit too grown up for her, but this was also something that would last her for years ... she still had the pretty bird but I added a little pink to go with the soft aqua colour

While I was having a jewellery blitz I made some for my mummy-in-law too ... she was going to wear a black dress with lots of pretty coloured flowers all over it, so I found some bits that were perfect from some ex-shop stock that was all broken and adapted it for her ... she ended up wearing a black and pink suit as it was a bit chilly for her to wear the dress, but the jewellery still went really well!

and my beautiful best friend who did my flowers had a lovely aqua and white monsoon dress and needed some matching jewellery ... so this is what I made ... it was a really lovely day making it all!

 The day of love ... so far today I have had a chilled morning and a lovely hot bath ... 2 things I really love! For years I spent hating Valentines Day ... and even after Steve and I got together, we haven't made a big deal out of it ... we haven't given each other cards for years! 

So whether you are a big fan of Valentines Day, a hater or just indifferent, you are welcome here! 

Talking of love, I thought I would share some things I love ... in no particular order!

As I said earlier, a hot bath and lazy morning ... well lazy day really!

Regular cups of tea ... speaking of which, the kettles on, do you fancy one?

Roses and the scent of rose ... have you tried the Rehydrating Rose Facial Oil ... oh my, that smells sooooo divine!

Plants on window sills ... All my window sills are covered! ... Speaking of plants ... I love pottering in the garden and repotting plants and just loving my plants.

Essential oils ... don't ask me how many I have!

I think it is an addiction!

Crafts ... pretty much all crafts, sewing, any wool crafts, making things out of paper, making lace, jewellery making, painting and drawing ... anything really!

Cheese ... and chocolate ... but cheese is a true love!

Walks and beautiful views ... especially walks in trees.

My family, obvously!!

A good crime or detective drama.

Our wolf and crazy pup.

Diffusing orange and bergamot together.

The smell of a good book ... and having the time to get lost in a good book.

Making pretty graphics.

My little business and sharing these products with you all!

What fills your soul with joy and what do you love?

I thought it would be fun to see if I could list an a-z of crafts that I have done .... I don't think I can, but here goes ... these are the first ones that come to mind ...

A :: Applique
B :: Batik
C :: Cardmaking
D :: Drawing
E :: Embroidery
F :: Flower Arranging
G :: Glass Painting
H :: Hardanger Embroidery
I ::
J :: Jewellery Making
K :: Knitting
L :: Lace Making
M :: Macrame
N :: Needlepoint
O :: Origami
P :: Pottery
Q :: Quilting
R :: Rag Rug Making
S :: Sewing
T :: Tapestry
U ::
V ::
W :: Weaving
X ::
Y ~
Z ~

haha ... well I managed most!

The only I I can think of is Iris Folding and U is Upholstery and I haven't done either of them .... my mum came up with yo-yo painting ... but its not really a craft and I can't say I have painted any yo-yos recently haha ... can you think of any crafts beginning with some of these letter? Let me know if you do.

Nicole makes the most beautiful beaded jewellery, I love it! ... you really must have a look at her Folksy shop that's full of gorgeous jewellery that's perfect for Christmas gifts!

8 words that most describe you?
Ermm....shy, quiet, geeky, creative, messy, laid-back, uncomplicated, patient.

What do you make?
I make jewellery - I am mostly a beadweaver, so my work involves stitching together lots and lots of tiny seed beads with a needle and thread, with a mix of glass and crystals added in for extra sparkle.

What new craft would you like to try?
I have done a few silversmithing classes as I'd like to move on into that side of jewellery making (whilst still incorporating my beadweaving skills) so I'd like to try my hand at proper stone setting and enameling.

What is the best present someone has ever given you?
When I was 10 years old I used the money I had been given for my birthday to buy a budgie. Pip turned out to be quite the character; he learned to talk, his favourite food was toast and he would follow you anywhere around the house. He spent 10 happy years as part of our family and there have been budgies in our house ever since as a result.

Do you have any scars? How did you get it?
I have a teeny one on my wrist which I did a couple of years ago by burning myself whilst taking mince pies out of the oven - ouch! The mince pies were yummy though.

What’s on the walls in your room?
A pin board with photos and postcards pinned on to it and a rainbow striped sock monkey one of my best friend's made for me...her name (the monkey's) is Maisie Rainbow and she even has handmade denim dungarees on.

What was your favourite toy as a child?
I had a hand knitted pink bunny rabbit called, Bunny (how original?!) which I loved...until I left it somewhere and it was lost forever - I remember being very upset about that.

What’s your favourite ice-cream flavour?
It has to be Ben & Jerry's Phish Food ... chocolate heaven!
I hope you have enjoyed some randomness with Nicole. Please check out her lovely site, blog and you can chat to her on twitter @HollybirdBeads and become a fan on facebook!

Teri & I have been friends for many years even though we haven't seen each other for about 5. We keep in touch all the time via texts and the good old internet ... @rainbow_cottage is her twitter name if you want to pop by and say hi, I know she would love it if you do!

8 words that most describe you?
Creative, friendly, kind, caring, patient (mostly) fun ( I hope, that's what Mum said anyway hehe) Stubborn, Messy! that last one made mum and me laugh!

What do you make?

I make lots of things but mostly jewellery and cards. I last made a thank you card and a birthday card at my art group

What new craft would you like to try?

Well in the jewellery making line I would love to try Precious Metal Clay, Umm almost anything else I haven't tried I think, maybe stained glass? Not entirely sure.

What is the best present someone has ever given you?
For my last birthday my Parents commissioned a pastel portrait of my special doggy Dulcie! Something I can treasure forever! And while I'm talking about my doggy she too was a very special gift at a time when I was feeling very sad! I think the doggy beats the portrait :-)

Do you collect anything?

I've been collecting fans since I was about 6/7 I have lots some of which are hand painted and vintage. I started collecting porcelain dolls when I was 18 though sadly they are on top of my wardrobe at present as i have no where to display them and I collect Willow Tree ornaments.

What do you want more than anything right now?
to have my own house again and all the fun of making it a home

Were you named after anyone?
I was the opposite of named after anyone. When my parents were choosing names every one they chose my 7 year old brother would say " you can't have that name there's a girl at school who has that name and I hate her!" Then Mum thought of Tanya but my dad and brother pointed out that being a cockney she would often say " come here and I'll tan ya bottom for ya" My brother and I weren't given middle names but we chose our own later and I chose after much deliberation Emma-Claire.

Whats your favourite ice-cream flavour?
Mint choc chip
I hope you have enjoyed some randomness with Teri. Please check out her lovely shop and blog!

I love lace and making lace ... have been making bobbin lace for over 20 years (ahhhhh how old am I??.... well I did start when I was about 13) I have taught many people and am thinking of teaching it again ... are you interested? let me know!

So this weeks Folksy Friday Collection is LACE!
A ~ Lace Imprinted Heart Button by AMANDA MERCER
B ~ Vintage Lace Lavender Bags by FROM RAGS TO BAGS
C ~ Vintage Lace Wedding Garter by EXTRA SPECIAL TOUCH
D ~ Vintage Lace Jewellery Roll by SARAH ELIZABETH BOUTIQUE
E ~ Vintage Lace Pendant by PENNYDOG JEWELLERY
F ~ Linen & Lace Lavender Heart by PRETTY GOODS

Please pop along and visit their shops for more goodies especially if you are planning a little shopping!
.... and if you would like to learn bobbin lace making and live in Herefordshire, please let me know :D

Kerry combines 2 of my favourite things patchwork and chocolate ... well 3 if you include jewellery ;) I know I have a long list of favourite things, but they are definitely on there!

meet Kerry ...

Erm....
I
like
big
dogs
and
I
cannot
lie
? :D

I make quilts and sew for fun and I make chocolates for business. I used to do resin jewellery but I got really tired of it last year so it was time to try something else.
I think I have tried everything going to be honest, from lampwork to soap making. I would like to learn more about art quilting though as I'm just tentatively testing those waters.

According to old school documents I wanted to be a nurse when I was 5. This was before I realised I was incredibly haemophobic! I wanted to be a journalist from about the age of 9 which was greatly encouraged by family but this developed into generally wanting to be a writer. I then went on to study Publishing with English at university. I still do want to be a writer and I have written a non-fiction book and things for magazines- including being an editor of a crafts one for a while. I would like to write at least another non-fiction book, and if I won the lottery I would start my own magazine publishing business.
I collected keyrings as a kid and had thousands. I also collected stamps for a while too. Now I have a modest collection of 70s Hornsea Pottery. It's so vulgar by modern tastes that I love it! I also collect mugs with cows on them.

I have a dent in my nose from when I was cuddling my dog Fletcher and he shook his head and broke it. I also have a scar on my back from scratching it against the keyboard pull out from my desk I had in my bedroom as a kid. I also have a weird wobbly one on the end of my elbow that was from a scab I kept picking and picking. Nothing hugely exciting.
I am entering the Festival of Quilts for the first time and making my first ever pictorial quilt for it! So I am looking forward to going in August and seeing my work on display. I have a plan to make another in my series too. I also am aiming to sell patchwork patterns in my Etsy shop before Christmas and it would be awesome if I could get a blog sponsor before then too.

I get called Kerrence or Wilko at work. I don't mind Wilko as only a select collection of male managers get called by their surnames. Kerrence originated from college (cos Terry is short for Terrence) though it has reappeared separately in later life.

Vanilla, as long as it's whippy. I could eat whippy ice cream all day.
How scrumptious do they look :D <- thats me with my mouth wide open!

Good luck for the Festival of Quilts Kerry.

If you would like to find out more about Kerry, you can check out her patchwork blog, follow her on twitter, buy her yummy chocolates in her shop and like her on facebook.

I realised that I didn't have any jewellery that would go with my dress for this weekend, so made myself a set this evening ...
Although I have spent the last 10 years of my life making and selling jewellery as a living, I don't actually wear that much .... I have a few pairs of earrings and some rings that I wear all the time, but don't often wear necklaces ...
...what do you think? is it too much? (....... yes I had to put the dress on again to make sure the length of the necklace was right! hehe)

Yesterday Kara (my 6 year old niece) was bored so I suggested that if she made some jewellery bits with her Aqua Beads, then I would make them into jewellery for her ... she had great fun making a square pendant and 2 round flower shapes for earrings. The Aqua Beads had to be left over night to dry, but this morning we had great fun finishing them off into some funky jewellery for her to wear!
Yes, we have gold & silver mixed together, but who am I to question her design?

Just before lunch I was told by her that I wasn't allowed to use my desk as she was doing something secret! She then presented me with this ...
On the back she has written ... To help out ~ turn over and on the front ...
marymay.com ideas (she has got my personal website & my work one mixed up ... my personal is www.marymay.co.uk & my work one is www.scarlet-butterfly.com)
The bracelet has lots of black heart beads hanging off it and measures 6 /12 (6 1/2 what? I don't know!) and the very pretty red & pink flower necklace measures 12 1/2. Maybe it is time I had an apprentice ... we could bring out a KARA-BEAN range ... what do you think?

I have warped up my new tapestry loom and started it :)
It took me a little while to decide if I wanted to do a pattern or a picture, but I have decided on an owl in a tree picture ... so I have drawn a rough outline on the threads so I kinda know where I am going with it ... I have also solved my wool problem .... well apart from having too much, the problem of where to keep it all. I have 2 large pine chests ... one has (most of) my sewing stuff in and one has my jewellery making stuff in, but my wool has ended up in plastic boxes or bags around the place ... so I got ... a ..... laundry box! It was cheaper than buying a pine chest!

I have also had to use a large basket on the top for the wool that I am currently using as it wouldn't all fit in, but I am really pleased with it :) ....... you can see my chunky jumper that I am knitting on the top with some HUGE needles ... I really must finish it!

I hope you are having a lovely Sunday x

Mum and I had a mini-adventure over the weekend. After work on Saturday we hopped on a train and headed for my Aunties ... had a very comfy night and then yesterday morning headed off the the NEC to the Hobby Craft and Crafts for Christmas show.

We had a lovely day with my Auntie and cousin, Liz ... spent lots of money and bought some lovely bits ...

These pretty woodland pendants were from Mosaic Creativity and I am really looking forward to making something with them. My mum also bought some and plans on making a wall hanging woodland picture and sewing these pendants on to it :)
This lovely wide voile has holes all along one edge so you can knit it ... it makes a really pretty summer scarf ... it wasn't that cheap ... £9.99 for one pack, but I can't wait to have a go with it.
These gorgeous paper is designed by at The House of Zandra ... she had some really sweet designs ... check her out!
I did succumb to my one weakness ... no not wool ... that is my other weakness ... I mean beads ... these were from The Spellbound Bead Company ... I have bought online from them before, but it was lovely to see everything rather than just photographs :)
A while ago I bought some lovely wooden stamps ... little ones ... one of the stands at the show yesterday, Colouricious,  had LOADS ... so I bought a few more ... The lady on the stall told us that she designs them, her business partner finds out of work carpenters in India and they carve the stamps and get all the money for them ... she does it for love ... the stamps they sell supports 40 families in India :) These stamps are great on fabric too ... I really love the flower one.
While we were at her stall, she need tissues as she had a cold, I had some on me but while we were talking my mum went to the cafe and grabbed some paper napkins ... she was so thankful, she gave us a pack of papers for free!!
... I have been looking for a nice chunky hooded jumper pattern for a while ... so I grabbed this one as soon as I saw it ... I say grabbed ... I did pay ;)
One of the stands was full of beautiful braiding ... rolls and rolls of them ... my mum picked this ... she doesn't know what she will do with it yet, but it is really pretty :)
Next to the Hobby Craft hall was the Crafts for Christmas hall ... a hall full of gifts and ready made crafts ... I parted with more money in this hall ... I can't show you everything as some of my purchases are Christmas presents ... but I did by a few bits for myself ...

This magical painting was on a stand full of fairy tale magical paintings similar to this one ... I found it very hard to pick one ... they were all so special ...
This one is called The Glade.
They are by Glyn Matthews and I would love to save up and get another sometime ... maybe {{this one}}
These sweet little felt animals are brooches, apart from the robin, which is a decoration. The sweet little owl was bought for me by my cousin :)
Hedgerow Designs had some lovely nature jewellery ... I just bought this sweet little ladybird on a stone though.
One present I bought that I can show you is this jug for my mum ... she picked it so she knows she is getting it ... The stand was so pretty and full of hand painted ceramics by Jenny Bell.
My cousin has been busy making lots of hanging birds for Christmas ... I love Christmas decorations that mean something ... I love looking at my Christmas tree and seeing memories and special times.
here are some of my phone pics from the our little adventure ...