Blue Almonds jewellery journey

New Year's decision

2012-01-21T21:39:00.002Z

I've just closed my shop on Etsy. An inevitable decision. When I opened it almost three years ago my life was so much different than it is now. I started my own business as a jewellery designer and had my website with a shop up and running. Soon I was present on all possible internet social sites promoting my jewellery, myself, my new business. I was on Flickr, on Twitter, Etsy, then Artfire and Folksy when it started, Plurk, Facebook... gosh, so many of them! And I had my own website to manage, jewellery tcreate, photos to take and then edit in three or four different sizes, descriptions to write in two languages. Yep, I was one busy woman :)
Then, when my little boy was born and I was just in the middle of re-vamping my website I realised that it will not be possible to create and to promote myself at the same time in so many ways I used to do! It will not be possible for me to have a life. A real life, not one at the front of a computer. A life where I have the time to be with my family and then create and do all that stuff which is necessary when you run your own business. So I gradually started limiting my internet presence reclaiming my life and my time.

New Year is a good time to start a new life so, from today on, I have only one website to manage, one social site to blether (and if you are on FB you know that :) ), one blog where I write in English and two where I write in Polish. Oh, and there still is Flickr and Deviant Art wher sometimes I share my photos when I feel like doing so :)

So... I'm back at my desk happily wrapping! See you soon!

Lots of time

2011-12-12T15:34:00.000Z

From midday Saturday till the Sunday afternoon the Internet was down in our area. Suddenly I found myself with loads of time and I wondered what can I do - no Polish online radio, no Facebook chats and stories... I even couldn't check the latest news or ask Wikipedia to answet my questionsthat I have so many times a day! Suddenly I realised how often I turn to my laptop everyday for help and to meet friends, to Skype family, to listen to favourite music, and laso, I have to admit... to waste time. But that day and the following day I just turned to my unfinished project and, to my big surprise, almost managed to finish it!
This is what I've been working on: a base crocheted in Fine Silver, frame in Sterling Silver wrapped with GoldFill and the heart of the pendant: a gorgeous Labradorite with amazing yellow flashes set in a hand made frame. This will make a very special and uniqe adornment.

Fresh from the studio

2011-11-27T12:02:00.000Z

It's been quiet here for a while - it's because I've been very busy with new orders and new designs and still there are a few waiting in line on my desk!Yesterday I finished a pendant with a stone I just adore: an amazing Moonstone, flashing with strong blues.

Touch of Frost necklace

Before that it was a custom made bracelet, an old design but refreshed with some new details, featuring the unique Polish Banded Flint.

Pearls and Greys 2 bracelet

And the earring of course! I finished them some time ago but then they got lost in the middle of other stones in my studio. Finally they are listed on my Blue Almonds website too.

Whisper of The Ancient Rome earrings

Calla Lily - the hand weaved flower

2011-10-23T21:04:00.000+01:00

This was the craziest project I've done so far - it took 11 hours of work and meters and meters of the thinnest Fine Silver wire. This pendant is an incarnation of my love to flowers and was created with a company of a little Calla Lily plant sitting on my work table. The wire was weaved on a hand shaped sterling silver frame to form light and airy petal embracing softly its heart - the amazing sparkling Lemon Quartz briolette.

Still refreshing

2011-10-11T15:41:00.000+01:00

The next necklace I was working with is the Tiger Eye. I also oxidised it black and then just delicately hand buffed to keep the patina. This way it looks much more romantic and elegant. Also this beeing a small pendant it is now much better visible when worn directly on the skin.

The new pendant is on the right photo.

Refreshing

2011-10-08T22:28:00.001+01:00

I've been working on some of my old designs changing them a little (or a lot) and first one I've just finished is the Unfurl The Sail necklace - oxidised black and then only delicately hand buffed to keep the patina.

On the right is the new incarnation of the necklace whicj I'm very pleased with. I think the patina really reveals the weaving pattern at the bottom of the stone and gives a better contrast with the white pearls and the very delicate crystal quartz.

The process

2011-07-10T15:20:00.000+01:00

I wrote about my designing and creating process looks like: that sometimes I let my fingers play with wire to follow the flow of a certain stone and other times I put my design on paper first. Since that post I had people asking me for photos of the sketched designs so today I present you my latest work, this afternoon drawing. From the top there are: Kyanite, Turquoise and natural Lemon Jaspe. All three of them are pretty big stones, with the Turquoise being the largest: almost 6cm long. The first two are cabochons, they have no holes drilled and need carefull thought how to set them securely with wire only. That is why I need to put my idea on the paper first, it's almost ingeneering work. Also, I don't want to waste any milimeter of the Silver (considering its high price recently!) so before I begin playing with wire I will measure what I need and cut the desired lengths. After that it's only fun: hours of wire wrapping, oxydising, polishing and buffing - all in my quiet attic studio :)

Baltic Tears

2011-07-10T10:16:00.000+01:00

This was the biggest natural Baltic Amber chunk and the longest necklace I'd worked so far. The freeform wavy design brings to mind calm ocean waters and floating seagrass. The Amber is almost 6cm long but it's very light and sits very comfortably on the light long chain. Like always I oxidised it but this time I polished it and buffed back to white silver taking almost all te black patina off. This is a statement necklace, for a true Amber lover and it's currently available at HUNG Gallery in Inverness.

Back from holiday

2011-07-07T13:46:00.001+01:00

I just came back from short holidays and realised I hadn't written here for long time! So, to make up for all that peace and quiet, I present you my newest ring, fresh from the workshop, just finished. A big, organic coctail ring, something for a confident woman :)

Thunder In a Jar of Honey with rough natural Amber nugget and two Blue Sapphires. All metal is Sterling Silver. It will be listed soon.

I have some more pieces I haven't mentioned them here yet and I will write about them soon. I promiss!

Organic...

2011-05-24T14:53:00.000+01:00

Coming soon: very organic, rough, natural Baltic Amber piece accompanied by a large Tiger Eye round and adorned with more little Tiger Eye spheres. This time the pendant hangs on a black leather cord.

Lost In Waves

2011-04-23T10:01:00.000+01:00

Do you remember that project I got lost in its swirls and waves? (If you don't you can click and read about it HERE )Well, I've finished it and I can finally reveal the image as it's no longer a surprise - it was a special gift for my Mom's 60th birthday so I had to keep it secret till she got it :)
Lost In Waves - a large piece of natural Baltic Amber embraced with Sterling Silver and adorned with white AAA Freshwater Pearls. The stone has no hole drilled and it was an inginiering challenge to set it securely with the wire wrapping technique only.

Coffee addict...

2011-04-18T22:24:00.000+01:00

I must confess: I LOVE coffee. Not only to drink it but I particularly love its aroma, especially first thing in the morning. And I love it the Italian way and it must be espresso with a heaped teaspoon of sugar. Only sometimes I have coffee with cream. When I was little I wanted to have my own coffee plant and to grow it at home in a pot but... couldn't find a coffee plant in any flower shops in the city. I also like the colour of cofffee - that earthy black or sometimes deep chocolatey brown....
I'm not a huge fan of black clothes, though. I don't like and don't have in my wardrobe the traditional "must have" little black dress so working with black stones was not really my dream... but one of my lovely customers wanted a big black ring. I searched for a while for the right stone and when I found it, when it arrived and I saw the amazing clear black-and-white of Sardonyx I fall in love with it! It was like the spirit of coffee was magically turned in to a stone. Only the aroma is lacking ;) Hence the names of my recent pieces are coffee-themed. I created that ring with joy and after I finished it I picked Sardonyx again to make earrings. I'm presenting Espresso Macchiato (ring) and Espresso Doppio (earrings):

Sometimes I get lost...

2011-03-31T20:36:00.003+01:00

...in the whirls, waves and threads of Silver. I'm working on an ambitious project, a pendant with unusual big stone, it's a surprise so I won't reveal any details here until it's ready...

Sunshine!

2011-03-18T21:19:00.002Z

It's this time of year again when I find myself working with Amber. I guess it's the long wait for Spring and longer sunny days that makes me choose those warm, vibrant, juicy and almost sweet yellows and oranges. You can almost feel the tase of honey when you look at Amber, or think of a sunny beach, holidays, lazyness and relax My newest projects: The Bond necklace and Dragon's Eye ring. And there is more to come!

The Day

2011-03-05T20:40:00.005Z

It was a very good day: I spent this afternoon with my boys at the Merkinch Community Centre. It was 100th anniversary of the International Women's Day and I had a stall with my jewellery amongst other local artists. There were women of over 15 nationalities: Scottish, Polish of course :) , Russian, Slovak, Indian, Romanian, Tahitian, Jordanian... to name but a few. We could enjoy dance shows, cooking demonstrations, the traditional "tweed waulking songs" and beautiful foods from all over the world! It's amazing how many talented women are over there, it's good to get together once in a while to feel and share the passion, love and joy of creativity :)

Women's Day

2011-03-04T20:41:00.004Z

This Saturday I'll at the International Women's Day in the Merkinch Community Centre in Inverness. It's the 100 anniversary so let's have fun! I'm bringing samples of my jewellery and there will be other artists with their creations too: clothes, felt jewellery and much more. Oh, and there will be some yummy food too :)

More blues

2011-02-09T14:47:00.002Z

Introducing my newest ring: Ice In the Sky 2. Created for the customer who commissioned the original Ice In The Sky but had ordered wrong size by mistake. I don't make copies so this ring is ALMOST identical :) The centrepiece is a stunning 7.6 carat Sky Blue Topaz.

Love Is Everywhere

2011-02-04T18:35:00.002Z

This was the most romantic and unusual commission I've worked so far on: a very special gift for a man. I made this lovely little keepsake some time ago in December but as it was a surprise I didn't want to spoil it by writing about it too soon :) It's a green Jade heart with a Shamrock on one side and an R&R monogram weaved on the other side. Adorned with Sterling Silver, Cherry Quartz and Peridot.

New Year's changes and SALES!

2011-01-17T21:35:00.006Z

This year I want to spend as much of my time with my baby son as possible and I just realised that having to manage THREE online jewellery outlets is way too time consuming! It's because I need to edit the photos into three different sizes, write descriptions, then convert prices from Pound Sterling to US Dollars, convert measurements from metric to that imperial one... and then it's the uploading all of that to three websites... My New Year's resolution then is to minimise the time I have to spend with computer and to concentrate on my own website only. That is why for some unspecified time I'm closing my Artfire and Etsy shops.

But before I will do so I will have a BIG SALE in each one of them :) The first one to go is the Artfire Studio with 30% OFF on all jewellery. It's till the end of January only. Happy shopping and Happy New Year!

Special Promotion!

2010-11-25T18:58:00.007Z

I decided to have a special sale for my Facebook Fans :) If you'd like to know more and if you'd like to get 20% discount on any of my jewellery pieces go to http://www.facebook.com/blue.almonds and "Like" the page :) Offer ends on 1st December 2010!

Dragon

2010-10-31T17:17:00.001Z

Inspired by the stone itself this delicate necklace features a natural moss Green Jasper. I picked this unique hand cut cabochon for its rare deep green colour which. It somehow brought to my mind an image of a Chinese dragon. I set the stone in Goldfill wire and added some Tourmalines and one Grossular Garnet briolette - they glitter like tiny fire sparkes. There are two more Tourmalines at the handmade clasp and the bail is adorned with one small Peridot. The pendant is 4.5cm long in total and 1.7cm wide at the widest place. The chain is 41cm long. All metal is Goldfill.

Five Sisters

2010-10-26T13:13:00.002+01:00

Inspired by Autumn golden hues and one of my favourite places in the Highlands: "Five Sisters" is a limited edition of simple Amber pendants. They can be worn on both sides: one showing the swirls or the other one with little flower. Every pendant is adorned with a tiny gem hidden in the base of a bail. Perfect for everyday use :)

I will be listing them tomorrow - with a special price of £50 only till the end of October!

Golden inspirations

2010-10-17T16:18:00.002+01:00

Autumn is here on The Hill in Her full glory: the sycamore and beech tree leaves are turning burgundy red and our Mr Rowan in the garden is now golden yellow. This morning I looked at him and decided this is the time to start working with Amber! I want to capture and embrace that gold and warmth of the season in my jewellery so I'm creating a new line of little Amber pendants. Photos soon :)

Waiting for Godot

2010-09-20T20:38:00.005+01:00

Some month ago we were impatiently waiting for our first baby to be born. We didn't know whether it was a boy or a girl, it was to ba a surprise. The due date had came... and it passed... and still nothing happened! To kill the time I sat one day in my studio and started creating a new necklace for myself. My hands would choose only delicate hues: soft pinks and roses, pearls and yellows and we started laughing that it must be a girl we were expecting and that it was her telling me the colours. Then a week later and... we welcomed our baby son! Well, one day I'll give him a very special necklace with a story to tell his fiancé ;)

Featured in Vogue!!!

2010-09-09T13:10:00.003+01:00

I'm thrilled to announce that my jewellery is featured in the October issue of Vogue (the UK edition)! Look at my Midsummer Sky ring - at the first page of the jewellery section themed Beautifully Bespoke :)

Grand opening!

2010-08-31T19:08:00.006+01:00

My beautiful re-vamped website www.blue-almonds.eu is now officially open and working :) It not only has new smarter design but most important: it has a cart so you can buy more than one item at a time! Tempting :)

Brand new

2010-08-28T14:42:00.002+01:00

New, fresh and re-designed Blue Almonds website is coming very soon! Stay tuned next week :)

The Kiss

2010-08-04T22:55:00.004+01:00

I fell in love with Topaz as a gemstone when I first saw it in one jewellery shop in Warsaw. It was a large honey-golden Imperial Topaz set in a very pretty gold ring. I wanted that ring so badly, it was almost like the stone was talking to me "buy me, you have to have me"! But... I couldn't afford it, it was extremly expensive and I don't think it would suit a teenager's look ;)

Later on I discovered White or Silver Topaz - the colourless, transparent variety that is much more common and not so much expensive but still full of sparkles, charm and this very special Topaz magic. And one day a miracle happened: searching for gems for a commissioned piece I came accross Rutile (or Rutilated) Topaz. Why miracle, you ask? Because the inclusions, the golden needles, are almost of the same golden hue I loved so much that day years ago AND the stone price was within my budget! So I got the beautifully hand cut oval and for over a week I waited impatiently for my mail.

When I saw the stone in a daylight, on my palm, I knew it deserved a very special design. Personally I don't like gold jewellery and to me Topaz looks very good when set just in in Silver but the golden needles were asking for gold... so I combined the metals together. On a Sterling Silver frame I wrapped 14K Goldfill wire and setting the stone I used the opposite technique: on a thin golden wire I wrapped the Sterling Silver. A added a few little Freshwater Pearls for more oldfashioned feel and to make the ring look like an old jewel.

Please let me introduce Il Bacio (The Kiss)

One last commission...

2010-08-02T19:50:00.006+01:00

...before I go on my maternity leave :) Inspiration behind the "Black Velvet" set is a rock song written by Canadian musicians and recorded by a Canadian singer Alannah Myles in 1989. According to Wikipedia the song refers to the soulful black sound of Elvis' voice and the many African American recording artists and singers he emulated to create his special brand of rock’n'roll.

I weaved and wrapped the ring and hoops using only Sterling Silver in a design with little hearts – sweet and gentle like so many of Elvis’s songs. I oxidised the set heavily and only delicately polished to keep the soft black patina, to give the jewellery the romantic aged look.

the hoops are 4cm in diameter, the ring is UK size O 1/2

Ice cream...

2010-07-23T20:25:00.004+01:00

This time the inspiration came from... food! And to be precise from a certain, very special type of ice cream: Straciatella. This Italian "gelato" with a white base and chocolate shavings is similar to the American chocolate chip ice. I love the snow white and coffee black colour combination - it's the most elegant yet simple you can imagine (well, maybe except just pure black!). In the newest Straciatella Ice necklace a large briolette of Black Rutile Quartz combines these two colours: natural white translucent Quartz with black needles of Rutile. The pendant shape was inspired by the Art Nouveau, Art Deco and also a little bit by the mysterious Inca jewellery.

Sleepless nights

2010-07-04T21:06:00.005+01:00

Sometimes I can't sleep. I like then to get up in the middle of the night and watch the world from our livingroom window. Sometimes I see magic, like the orange Moon rising over Cromarty Firth on a perfectly cobalt blue sky. Other nights I would stay long in my studio designing or creating new piece of jewellery, like the last earrings. The shape was inspired by the Art Nouveau and the colour palette by that rising Moon and that night sky... I call them Sleepless Night :)

The power of stones

2010-06-23T21:48:00.006+01:00

I've been asked many times already whether I draw or sketch my designs. The answer is... no and yes. "No" - because usually it's the stone who is the leader: its shape and texture, its colour and warmth that I feel in my hands when I touch it. Sometimes I prepare colour combinations that I like and think they will work well and then when I start working all the set up disappears if the main stone doesn't agree.

It can be the wire that too leads my fingers - how it wants to serpent on the stone, how it curves to fit the shape. And nothing can be done by force. The stone breaks. The wire snatches. I get impatient.

Sometimes, however, the answer is "Yes" - I do sketch and I do it with more and more details. The designs that are first created on paper tend to be more elaborate in the very specific and unique Art Nouveau style which requires certain shapes of curves, certain proportions and balance. Sometimes I follow the drawing to a single line, like in the French Baroque pendant.
Sometimes, though, even the sketch won't work when the stones don't agree. That was the case when I started working on The Dream Comes True, having already chosen one of my favourite Crystal Quartz focals: a big, clear and pure freeform Quartz... which didn't cooperate with the wires and with the design at all!
Eventually I gave up and soon found a perfect replacement: the square Silver Rutile Quartz cabochon. And I love the outcome!

I try not to fight with the stones. Maybe they are my true Muse?

Early birthday treat

2010-05-31T22:30:00.009+01:00

For some time now I had been dreaming to spend my birthday on the West Coast: drive to Ullapool, have the best fish&chips in the area, walk on the beach and treat myself to a silk shawl from a very special craft shop we discovered few years ago there. We had been talking about when would the best time be for my dream to come true as I wanted that day to be... well... maybe not perfect but at least not wet! But in Scotland you can never be sure what the weather would be in the next few hours so planning ahead is almost impossible. Today the weather was so summery, so sunny and warm that even though my birthday is still two weeks away we spontaneously decided to celebrate it NOW! At midday we set off for Ullapool and from then on the day was just perfect :)We stopped at a car park to admire the view over Loch Broom... and for some sunbathing :)

We had the fish&chips and then took a lazy stroll in the village now flooded with flowers! (on the photo a little local bar). Then we drove few miles further North and had a walk on the beach in perfect sunshine:

And if you think I forgot about my last treat... well, how about a royal blue-and-purple Pashmina with cashmere and silk :DEarly Happy Birthday to me!

Little gift

2010-05-23T23:50:00.003+01:00

A little gift for a friend: large Rhyolite flat drop adorned only with simple Art Nouveau style design and one tiny Freshwater Pearl. Heavily oxidised and delicately polished to keep the black and shiny patina.

NEW rings made to order

2010-05-20T13:11:00.008+01:00

Little wild flowers are now covering our garden like a colourful carpet. I couldn't resist this inspiration and during the last few days I was creating like mad new delicate rings. Each ring features just one gemstone in a colour representing one of the litte gems of Nature - the meadow flowers I can see in the grass. There is yellow Citrine, blue Iolite (or Water Sapphire), snow white Freshwater Pearl, grass green Vesuvian. Every stone is measures about 2-3mm and is of exceptional quality. I wrapped the band in my now favourite basket weave and then oxidised and hand polished the ring to bring out the pattern. Simple, everyday adornment.These rings will be made to order: you can pick the stone you want in your ring and let me know your ring size :) I will be listing the rings in the next few days so check my shop regularly! And there will be more gems too: I really want use my little orange Carnelians and smooth purple Garnets...

My Kaiserschmarrn recipe

2010-05-09T15:52:00.007+01:00

Having posted on Facebook that the Kaiserschmarrn is my favourite Sunday breakfast I received an email from a friend who asked me to share my recipe which I happened to mention was easy. I thought I'd share it here - the dish really deserves to be appreciated worldwide :) So, here it is - my version of the special pancake or omelette, enjoy!

Serves as a breakfast for 2 hungry people:

4 eggs (yolks and whites separated)1 tablespoon of sugar (I use Demerara cane sugar but it can be the usual white one)
1/2 glass of milk
4 tablespoons of fine plain flour (heaped, not flattened!)
1 pinch of baking soda (mix it with the flour)
1 tablespoon of soft butter
1 tablespoon of dried cranberries or sultanas (you can mix them with 1tbsp of rum the night before if you like) or any dried fruit or nuts that you like

You'll need 2 bowls (salad size) and one frying pan of medium size which in my kitchen means 25cm/9.8" in diameter. If you use a bigger one the pancake will come slightly thinner but it won't affect the taste ;)

first beat the egg whites stiff in one bowl. I use my electric hand mixer - it's faster and that matters especially when I wake up hungry on Sunday morning!
in the other bowl mix the yolks with sugar till they are pale yellow
still mixing gradually add some flour and then milk, flour and milk. When you add it all the batter should not be to thick but runny like when making crepes
now put the pan with butter on low heat, the butter will melt while you are finishing the batter
using a metal spoon (NOT mixer!) combine very gently the whites with the yolk-milk-flour mixture. You should stop when you still can see some white fluffy lumps, don't try to mix it to make it completly smooth!
pour the batter into your pan and sprinkle with the cranberries. If you have a lid you can put it over the pan or use a sheet of the kitchen aluminium foil.
when the surface of the pancake is set (after about 2-3mins) flip the pancake over and let the other side cook for about 1min till it's golden on both sides. If you don't feel like flipping a pancake just put the pan under medium heated grill and keep it there till you see it's golden.
I would now cut the pancake in four pieces and... put it on the plates :) Don't worry if the pancake collapses a little.

we love it with thick cream and maple syrup or raspberry jam...

The Beginning

2010-05-04T22:49:00.002+01:00

Spring - the time of new life. The beginning.

The second ring in the Spring theme features beautiful sparkling chocolate brown Smoke Quartz accompanied by microfaceted rounds: deep cognac Tourmalines, soft pale green Prehnite, moss green Vesuvian and delicate Moonstone with flashes of blue. All the colours of awaking Nature.

And I think I'm beginning to like work with cabochons - those stones with no hole drilled, the very tricky ones to set when you're working with wire only... but hey, what a joy when a cab finally gets in place you wanted it to be :D

Glass From Space

2010-05-02T16:02:00.005+01:00

I made this pendant for my Mom. She chose the stone - Moldavite - accodring to Wkipedia: a substance possibly formed by a meteorite impact. A glass from the Space! Bottle green, strangely shaped it looks like very unusual glass. Or like a jelly baby ;) The shape of Mom's stone was so wavy and uncomfortable to work with I not only sketched the design but even made a detailed drawing!I made this pendant in the Art Nouveau style, in a butterfly shape, and decorated with very fine Black Spinel and Peridote briolettes. All metal is Sterling Silver, oxidised and then hand polished.

Primroses are not shy

2010-04-28T17:03:00.003+01:00

"Primrose - a cheerful little plant to brighten the dullest spot in the garden" [Gardening, a commonsense guide]

Deep in my heart I'm still a horticulturalist and I'm easily moved by even the tiniest, shy and modest plants. When little wild Primroses pop up early in spring they cover the woods floor with lemony-yellow carpet like it was designed for fairies to dance on. And for this moment the flowers are not shy anymore.
For the first ring this Spring I chose beautifuly faceted Lemon Quartz onion briolette and then hand wrapped it with thin Sterling Silver wire. The band is also hand weaved - in a new to me "basket" technique I just discovered. Adorned with one smooth Carnelian round and then heavily oxidised, hand polished and buffed to reveal the basket pattern of the band the ring is a true everyday stunner - it's a Primrose, The Spring Princess.

Trip to the West Coast

2010-04-13T21:37:00.005+01:00

Since Sunday Jet is in his new home - we decided to give him away as it was getting too difficult to deal with his nocturnal habits especially now with some big changes in our family life on the way. Jet's new family lives in a lovely little village on the West Coast, some 70 miles from our place and to get there you need to travel through one of the most beautiful glens in the Highlands - Glen Shiel with stunning views of very steep slopes of Five Sisters. That Sunday the weather was just incredible with no wind, no clouds and full sunshine...
After saying our "good bye" to Jet we drove a little further to the west and had picknic to cheer us up.
... and then a bit further to the West to see the little community owned Skye ferry between Glenelg on the UK mainland and Kylerhea on Skye and we saw the ferry in action!

Is it Spring eventually???

2010-04-08T09:45:00.003+01:00

Sunshine!!! Just an hour walk in the fields and woods and I find treasury hidden in the grass and in the trees :)
Primroses (Primula vulgaris) are just beginning to blossom along a little stream nearby and there is also plenty of warm yellow flowers of Lesser celandines (Ranunculus ficaria) so the place will be like sprinkled with gold soon! I was so happy to also spot a few of Anemone sylvestris (wood anemone or snowdrop windflower) -they are common in the woodlands of Central and Western Europe but I didn't know they can also grow here! In Poland the anemones cover the woods with white carpets at spring time, it's so lovely to walk amongst them :)

In the gardens I can already see the daffodils flower and little sky blue squills (Scilla siberica) when spring snowflakes (Leucojum vernum) and snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are already slowly fading...

Winter come-back

2010-03-31T22:03:00.003+01:00

Yesterday I woke up to a snow storm. It was such a windy day that even our fireplace refused to work and all the smoke gathered inside the house! I really hoped today would be different. It was - there was no wind but about an inch of snow lying everywhere and it was still snowing! So, when outside looks like this (poor daffodils!)...

...I stayed inside with these :) ...

... and decided to make my favourite Easter tarts (in Polish they are called "mazurek") - orange ones! I really miss the sunshine and the oranges and lemons were exactly of the right colours for such a white and cold day.
It takes some time to grate the fruit peels, cook the sugary topping and make the crysty base but after a few hours my mazurek was ready. We decorated it with sweet almonds:
Now there is only the poppy-seed one to bake. And the lemon one. And I think I might also make some meringues to use up the left over egg white...

Spring walk in Strathpeffer

2010-03-20T22:47:00.005Z

Today I won't say much, I'm going to show you photos instead. Location: Strathpeffer, Highlands of Scotland. Time: the very first day of Spring. It was such a lovely day!
our walk started with a light shower...

but soon it got better :)
(view from a woodland walk just above the village towards Dingwall)

an example of Strathpeffer's own architechtural style

I was enchanted by the peaceful little streets!

White Butterbur (Petasites albus) found in the woods

My preciousssss....

2010-03-16T14:00:00.005Z

It was a great day at the Scottish Bead Fair despite the terrential rain during our journey all the way down to Perth. We arrived just in time to watch Emma Baird's demonstration on how to use and work with Precious Metal Clay - very inspiring! I'm now actually seriously thinking of learning that jewellery making method in the future :)
And yes - I did get that Mystic Topaz trio!!! Thank you very much to Dawn from Precious Sparkle Beads for bringing them along to show how beautiful they are in reality! I'm also proud that I stuck to my budget limit and still got what I wanted most:from the top: Mystic Topaz, Sodalite, Blue Topaz, Labradorite, Peridot

Now when I cleared the workshop table (yep, as it gets messy soooo quickly!) I only need to put the beads in they boxes and I'll be ready to start new Spring projects!

My Spring begins with Scottish Bead Fair

2010-03-13T21:15:00.003Z

Finally there is snow on the fields around, the Nature is almost ready to boost with colours and I'm ready to enjoy the true feast, the rainbow of natural gems at the Scottish Bead Fair in Perth tomorrow! I've been there twice already but I just love gem fairs so this time can't wait too! I don't really NEED new gems but you know... once you start buying, using and *ehem* collecting them it's very hard to resist not going to an event like this. My favourite local online seller (well, she's based in Scotland and is the nearest quality gems supplier I have here) will be there with a stall so I will be able to see in the real life some of the stones I'm very interested in. Like this Mystic Topaz trio, isn't that amazing colour?
or these beauties *sigh*I'm sure I won't come back with empty hands... with an empty purse though - maybe...

Christmas time :)

2009-12-19T17:28:00.005Z

It's snowing on The Hill and we hope the snow will stay till the Christmas Day. All the countryside is silver-white-golden and so peaceful. Our cat doesn't want to go outside anymore, it's too cold for him, he prefers to stay by the fire :) Well, he tried this morning - he jumped out with his full speed and... with the full speed he was back :D The birds are crowded on the fat balls we hang on the nearest tree in the garden and Mr Pheasant visits us every day looking for crumbs. My studio is clean and tidy and ready for the last break in year. I like this time when the old is getting to an end and the new is coming! I wish you all wonderfull Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Saturday Project - November

2009-12-11T19:45:00.004Z

I started this project last month (see here) and as I promissed myself I continue posting photos of the view from my bedroom window. This is how it looked in November:

Nephele and clouds

2009-12-11T15:06:00.007Z

This ring used all my patience... it's all gone for some time. It was used during the process of creating this newest ring. The citrine cabochon is oval and very tall, and its all surface is hand cut beautifully. In one word - a masterpiece . I wanted to show off not only the flat top surface but also the stone sides and I had a certain idea in my mind. It took however about 4 weeks and one ring (I created Anna Karenina when I couldn't set the Citrin in the first time) to finally achieve my dream. I started weaving for the second time and I decided this time I'd make it! The construction was slightly different than my other rings - this time I made the band and the stone setting as two separate parts joined together half way through. This design allows seeing the stone sides and makes the ring look very delicate and airy when also being a safe and sturdy enclosure for the cabochon. I added three Freshwater pearls and oxidised the ring a little. Then for about two hours I was polishing and buffing, polishing and buffing... The result is almost white, fresh silver but with intriguing depth, almost like the patina which old jewellery can have.
I named the ring Nephele which is a name of a Greek nimph of cloud and mist. Why? This is the view that inspired me this morning:

Joy of the Season

2009-12-04T16:42:00.003Z

Last year I made three or four rings in a certain style and I called them Rings Of Joy for I was very happy creating them. Picking the different little stones of all the vibrant colours, matching them in sets, then playing with the wire wrapping bands - I enjoyed every single moment of the process. I think it was the joy of Christmas one can start experiencing in December that made my Muse to follow that design again. The first one came up in - surprise, surprise! - in a green and burgundy combination.The second one - sweet like the icing on English Christmas cake. The third one - blue and golden like the blue and clear sky I enjoyed today when I went for a walk in the fields. I don't have names for them yet...

Why Water, why Fire?

2009-11-29T22:20:00.004Z

I 'm not sure why I keep creating jewellery in those colour schemes... maybe it's the waters that surround me here, the rains and mists and the view from my studio towards Cromarty Firth... that could have been the inspiration to create the Deep Water earrings with Water Sapphires (Iolite) and Lapis Lazuli. My latest dream about winter evenings spent near fire and watching the flames in silence must have lead my eyes and hands to pick the warm saffron orange of Carnelian and the joyful fanta-orange of Hessonite Garnet to create Fire Earrings. This dream is not just a wish though - we are having a wood burning stove installed in our house before Christmas! I can't wait for it!

The round focals are crocheted with Sterling Silver wire and wire wrapped. Both pairs are in the Special Free Worldwide shipping offer till 10 December.

Special offer in my shops!

2009-11-26T14:01:00.010Z

I decided to have SPECIAL OFFERS in my shops between 26 November and 10 December:

In my Artfire shop you get FREE RECORDED AND INSURED DELIVERY to all countries for all my jewellery pieces. And that's not everything: I also decided to have a 10% SALE in Polish Gold and Pure Luxury Collections :)

For my Etsy users I'm offering FREE RECORDED AND INSURED DELIVERY to all countries for all my jewellery pieces.

Happy shopping and happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it!!!

Glen Cannich again

2009-11-22T22:52:00.006Z

We simply love this place and any time it's possible we go there to admire ever-changing views. Every time we have visitors we try to introduce them to our favourite spots in the Highlands and this we had the opportunity to take there our friends from Brussels who first time set their feet on Scottish soil. Saturday morning was promissing - blue sky with little clouds, sunny and with no wind and we hoped for stunning views... the closer to the mountains we were however the thicker the clouds were and the darker the day was. Eventually we arrived in Glen Cannich in mist and drizzle. Against the weather we decided to get out the car and take a walk - you don't drive for 40mins only to look at the beautiful scenery from the windows! To feel the atmosphere, to breathe the fresh air, to BE there you need to experience the place for real. So we walked for about half an hour and only when the rain made our chatting and discussing uncomfortable, when the daylight become more dark-evening light we strolled back to the warm and dry car. I think that sometimes even a gloomy and wet day is a beauty though when you open your eyes and heart to see it - that day all the autumn colours were so rich, so vibrant, the glen spooky but quiet, empty, magical... unfogettable and unique experience :)

The Elements - finished

2009-11-22T22:03:00.004Z

The first five necklaces from the new Elements collection are finished. Each one is crocheted and wrapped with Sterling Silver.

EARTH. The gems are: Bronzite square, Unakite plumpy drop, Malachite, green Aventurine, Peridot.
DARK WATERS. The gems are: deep cobalt blue Kyanite oval in the centre. It's accompanied by a cluster of lovely smooth natural Blue Sapphires and creamy Freshwater Pearls.

HOT AIR. The gems are: natural Yellow Agate coin, natural Lemon Jasper flat smooth drop, Yellow Serpentine smooth round, Citrine faceted rounds.

FIRE. The gems are: Red Tiger's Eye oval, Red Coral, Sunstone (synthetic), Carnelian.

SPRING WATER. The gems are: Apatite faceted onion, Turquoise nugget, Pale Green Jade, Aquamarine, Freshwater Pearls.

Blue Almonds jewellery now available in Poland!

2009-11-22T21:18:00.003Z

My debut in Polish online boutique Decobazaar: Anna Karenina ring with delicate and misterious almost white natural Chalcedony and seed Freshwater Pearls (1mm!). Available only at Decobazaar - Blue Almonds

Saturday Project - October

2009-11-11T16:32:00.003Z

I love the view from our bedroom window and I can never get bored of it. It changes with the time of day, with the weather and the sunlight. One day I thought I'd take a photo every week as long as we live here to capture the spirit of this place, to see the subtle changes, the rythm of life on The Hill and the Nature around. I will do it every weekend trying to keep the same time of day - around midday so I can see how the light changes with the different time of year. I started the Saturday Project on 10th October and here is the first month so far :)

10 October 2009

18 October 2009

27 October 2009

Meet Jet The Cat

2009-11-05T13:42:00.008Z

For some time, too long time, our unwanted neighbours - the mice - had been driving me mad. Last week they brought me at my wits end: for three days in a row I had had to sleep in my studio on the firts floor, because it was the only place where I wouldn't hear theyr noise. That night however one mouse found its way to my safe hide and all the scraching and squeeking woke me up at 4am. When tired and furious I complained to my landlady she suggested "Why don't you get a cat?". Well... why don't we actually??? I love cats (but I'm not a Cat Mamma) and I prefer their nature and character better than dogs. I like that they have their own ways and that they live more "next to you" than "with you". And that you don't need to walk them every day ;)
I started looking for a cat. I needed one who would hunt mice - not a kitten then - and the same time one that would keep me company while I work long hours in my home studio. I didn't want to buy one as I knew there would be a cat somewhere who is just waiting for a new home and for some reason not wanted where he/she is. I tried our local Freecycle group and the Cats Protection who replied to me quicker. They had a few cats ready for homing and description of one three-year-old black male we liked most.He lived in a cat's house for two months and before that was in a large family where he wasn't really wanted and most of his time had to spend outdoors hunting for food. He was perfect to keep my mice away then and looked like a cat who would appreciate a quiet and loving family. On Saturday we exchanged telephone calls with the Cats Protection, on Sunday morning we had a home visit from their volunteer and on Sunday afternoon we met the cat we wanted to adopt. I fell in love the moment I saw him and Jet, the black cat, moved in with us on Monday evening. His first night and the day in our house he spent hiding on the first floor behind my husband's desk and would come down only to eat. Today is his third day with us and he already slept under our bed last night, discovered all the rooms and window sills and although he is still very shy and affraid of many sounds he is sleeping next to me on the sofa, snorring, while I'm writing this post. I think he is settling down all right :)

Working on the water

2009-11-05T12:26:00.013Z

My work on The Elements collection continues. I was working on the Water element thinking how much I really love this technique and how I used to enjoy doing it when I was a girl. This activity with the repeating moves, the concentration and then the pride when you see a finished pillow case, table cloth or a jumper... Working with silver wire is a little bit harder and more painful (fingers ache!) than working with soft yarns but it's rewarding as well so there is more jewels coming soon!

Something new

2009-10-27T23:04:00.004Z

I've just started working on a new line for a local Inverness shop - Araveli in Victorian Market for those who know the area. The colour themes are inspired by the Nature elements: the blue of Water, the reds of Fire, the whites, crystals and pale yellow of Air and greens, bronzes of Earth. Most of the designs will be made in a technique I've been using since I was a little girl - crocheting. Here is the first jewel I'm creating, Hot Air colours:
Yellow Agate, Lemon Jasper, Serpentine, Citrine and Sterling Silver.

Colorino in Art Deco

2009-10-27T18:41:00.006Z

It may be gloomy around and all that I can see out of my window may be Autumn with its rain, mists and short days but when I started working on this commission all my thoughts flew to Tuscany... This new project - a commissioned bangle - brought back all the happy memories that I have of the sunshine, warmth, the countryside and the wine too and lead my hands to shape that bangle. I gave it a very special name: Colorino in Art Deco. Colorino is a red Italian wine grape planted primarily in Tuscany. The grape is known for its deep dark coloring very like the hue of Garnet.

I am not sure if that vine on this picture I took in Tuscany is Colorino itself but its colour is very like I imagine Colorino would have.

The frame I shaped is inspired by the Art Deco elegant, glamorous yet functional style. Oxidised and hand polished to shine. It's simple enough to be worn every day but it's also elegant and can be shown off on a special occassion and it will look amazing with a black dress.
Medium size.
Blue Almonds original design.

The Equilibrist

2009-10-24T18:43:00.006+01:00

Inspiration for this pendant was a song written and performed by a Polish artist Grzegorz Turnau "Linoskoczek" - "Equilibrist" or "Rope-Dancer" (you can listen to it here).

Natural Baltic Amber Nugget was wrapped in to a delicate Sterling Silver frame to look like it was dancing and balancing in the air on an invisible line. Blue shades of Lapis Lazuli and royal blue of the satin cord bring the image of clear sky one can see above the performing acrobat. One grey Labradorite smooth drop flashes with yellow and blue like the sun-rays that dazzle ones eyes.

The pendant was heavily oxidised and then hand polished to shine. The chain is embelished with two Lapis Lazuli beads and one natural Baltic Amber little bead.

Wild neighbours

2009-10-19T22:30:00.007+01:00

Since we've moved in to our place on The Hill last June every day I am amazed with the wildlife around us. There are only 4 houses in our settlement and around us are fields, woods and lots of space - perfect place for all the creatures including mice and spiders which seem to like our warm and cosy house... but forget them for the purpose of this post. There are other more interesting neighbours too, for example a rabbit family living at the bottom end of our garden or Mr Pheasant who uses the paved path to get to the garden from the fields and peeks in to our windows:

But from all the animals we see here I love the birds of prey most: the Red Kites and Buzzards. One Buzzard family lives on a tree that I can see from my studio and one day I was lucky to have my camera on hand and took a photo of this beautiful bird when he was chasing a Red Kite away (they don't like each other!):
In the nights the owls pay us visits and hoot around the trees. One especially likes the apple tree next to my studio window and although I can't see him I can clearly hear his soft voice. It's almost never quiet here!

Lost and found treasure

2009-10-16T18:36:00.009+01:00

It doesn't happen very often that I forget my jewellery pieces but I did. Somehow I forgot about 6 pieces and for long time they were were not listed in any of my shops!!! This entire week however I had been making full bead and jewellery inventory and going through all little and bigger boxes I've found my lost treasure. They say "life is a lerning curve" so I've learned my lesson and you can now find in my online shops (Etsy and Blue Almonds) these six beauties :)

Quiet Moment Set

Dahlia earrings

Orange Peel Swirl earrings

Pine Tree earrings

Red Geranium earrings

Weaving The Rainbow earrings

mist, fog and rain...

2009-10-11T14:59:00.004+01:00

... and you wake up in the morning at the sunrise. It's all cold and wet and days are getting shorter but despite all these signs I can feel the romanticism of Autumn. Nothing would make me to wake up in the sunset in Spring or Summer and now I have the opportunity to see it as well as with the world's first moves, to hear the birds fresh morning songs and to witness the clouds dance below our hill just on the Firth water surface... isn't this romantic?

view from the edge of our garden to South-East, in the background oil rigs in the Cromarty Firth (photo taken by my Husband)

Handmade Christmas

2009-10-06T19:26:00.002+01:00

I just added ArtFire Handmade Christmas badge to my blog. Are you thinking the same - isn't it too early? It's only the beginning of October, there is still almost two months to go till Christmas!

On the other hand... if you think about that "handmade" aspect then you need also to think about time to make the gifts or time to have them made! I already managed to finish two gifts and started thinking of the next one that needs more - yes, you guessed it - time.

If you like my jewellery I'm more than happy to create unique comission pieces, jewels designed especially for you but I also need the time. So - if you want something very special, that only jewel in the world for for your dearest one (or for yourself!) then order it with me now and it will be finished and ready on time with no distress and hassle. And I will have the time to make my favourite little ginger breads ;)

Moving in :)

2009-10-06T15:19:00.004+01:00

Dear Friends and New Readers,

I've been writing a blog about my life and my jewellery adventure since June 2008 and you are most welcome to read it HERE

It was however getting more and more difficult to manage that site especially when I started taking tonnes of photos (it would load very slowly) and when I began to be more active on so called social networs such as Facebook or Twitter. I therefore decided to move my creativity here and from now on you will see my jewellery here, you will see my photos here and you will read short and longer stories from my life.

Welcome to Blue Almonds Jewellery Journey :)

PS You can find Polish version of this blog here: http://srebrzyscie.blogspot.com/ (please give me some time to move out from the old site!)