That Christmas Mullarky!

Well, my scheduled crafting activity that I had worked out recently, to give equal time to sewing, jewellery,  wire etc and Saturday my Christmas making day.......... it all went a bit haywire as Christmas seemed to take over my crafting brain cells. Trees, hearts and peg doll angels, more icicles etc were adding to the collection at the expense of everything else.



Well today I redressed the balance and out came beads, wire and seaglass and  I topped up my Seaglass jewellery range as I have been really pleased with how well it has been selling. It is also a nice reminder of warm sunny times, beach combing to find  all the beauty from the beach that goes into making this collection.

Christmas Trees and Stuff!

Saturday's Christmas day resulted, after a while, in these fabric Christmas Tree decorations. With a good old rummage in my fabric stash I found these lovely green fabrics that just instantly said trees! I had hoped to make more of the Christmas bead and wire icicles but Coccuveda had many happy shoppers on Saturday so time only allowed for three trees.
Well there is still plenty of time until Christmas!!!!! Isn't there????



I have been busy with other things over the past few days, a matching set of  earrings, bracelet and a long lariat necklace made with blue howlite gemstones with a bit of crystal sparkle in shades of purple.
 Seemingly Blue Howlite is supposed to
have a calming soothing energy which helps to still the mind and relieve anger and anxiety, should be perfect to wear while Christmas shopping!

Blue Howlite and purple lariat necklace

Dingle Dangle!

No, I am not one for taking the easy option in things that I make.  Today, for instance, I had set myself the task of making earrings. I realised that Coccuveda was lacking in earrings and they always make such a nice personal little gift so Tuesday was earmarked for lobe accessories day.!!!
I could have taken the easy way got out the headpins, earwires and beads, sat and threaded and no doubt could have produced a canny few pairs, in the time it took me to get 5 pairs made.
The trouble is I am not a fan of creating the same thing twice, i like individual unique things, which is also the essence of Coccuveda.
So wire and pliers were Merrily twisting, hammer and steel were smoothing and hardening, beads were matched and threaded, then unthreaded and matched again, many swarowski crystals were broken and lovely pearls dropped and instantly swallowed into oblivion on the floor. Eventually I had some unique, sparkly dangly earrings ready to put out for sale............ just not as many as I had thought, but I do have to assist lovely customers in the shop at the same time as making and also answer the telephone to all the cold calling utillity/telecom/ppi calls!!!!!

Beauty from the Beach comes in many Colours

It has been a very busy creative week here in my Coccuveda world, I have now tried to organise my days so that seaglass jewellery, beads and wire and fabric and felt get equal amounts of my attention. That is the theory anyway.
Monday was my Roving Rothbury Reporter day  http://coccuvedarothburydaily.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/roving-rothbury-reporter-does-afternoon.html

Tuesday was a sorting out and organising beach finds day followed by a bit of sea glass jewellery making.
Wednesday and Thursday were sewing felt and fabric creatures..... more owls and some more little Tweeters brooches.(pic will come soon) had no time left to package and photograph them.

Friday was a jewellery day, I just love making the Beauty from the Beach Mosaic pendants as the colours you get are so different from what you would really expect from the beach. There are the shades of green and blue but the surprising colours are the mauves, pinks and reds,

Dream Catcher pendants have been proving popular so I managed to get another couple made.

According to my work schedule tomorrow, being Saturday is a Christmas day, so will have to get cracking with Christmas Crackers!!!!

Cute red squirrel!

I heard on BBC news the other day that the rate of decline of our red squirrel population here in Northumberland has slowed down, that is good news for Tufty here and all her friends ,that might appear here soon if i can speed my hand sewing up a bit!!!

Bootiful Booty from over the Border

Dunbar has been an excellent treasure hunt at the beach, seaglass including a few pieces of cobalt blue, much prized! Other finds were lots of little shells, perfect for the mosaics, sea pottery all rounded and smooth. I have a fantastic amount of "Beauty from the Beach" so I best get cracking and get some more jewellery made! I had better make sure I tell customers that this is Scottish seaglass rather than the usual Northumbrian seaglass that I use!

Todays Booty from the Beach!

We all need a holiday every now and again, it becomes a bit more difficult though when you have a small retail business because if you are not open you are not taking any business but overheads still need paying! I am easily pleased though, a few days out here and there with a nice stop at a different coffee/tea shop and I am content. Today's trip in the sunshine had us heading to our favourite beach in County Durham to get more sea glass, interesting pebbles and pottery for making more "Beauty from the Beach" jewellery. I am really pleased with how it is selling so I need to take any opportunity I can to keep my "booty" full so my production doesn't slow down. I wonder how keen I will be to take to the beach in the middle of December in freezing cold windy conditions! Will have to see about that!

Todays "Booty from the Beach"