Yep! We have a winner after all. The story is quite funny. I was browsing through my posts to edit some of them/adding more to the upcoming handmade blog features. I then noticed for the giveaway post which was last year December btw! that there was one comment. I couldn't believe it! I thought it had been a total bust. Plus I have no idea how I overlooked the comment in my email.
Well I found it read it and answered it as well as emailed the lady back.
The lucky winner is Jeannette "Jenay" carriere who herself is a very talented mixed media artist and ex mural artist. Take a look at her colourful,inspirational and warm blog http://www.upandawaystudios.blogspot.com/
So we discussed what she would like as I really don't mind the original pendant can be sent out but remade (as at the time that I wore it to see how it hung etc.. I was a smoker and I smoked while wearing it.Don't worry i never ever smoked in my studio/home) Or the choice of challenging me creatively and having a complete custom colourway. Well we are going the custom route as the colours Jeanette loves are blue and green and I am very much into water,mermaids,sealife at the moment and have a good stash of blue and green beads,turquoise,amazonite and blue freshwater pearls waiting to be part of something.
Please do check out Jeanette's blog and I will be interviewing this fascinating and talented artist,wife and mother very soon.
Have a great weekend everyone! Dxo
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Thursday, 9 February 2012
A little dragon, a black dog and lots of aspirations : The hard reality of trying to get any work done!
Hello all! Hope your all having a lovely toasty evening! geez it has been as cold as a witches t*t over the last few days and we had a little snow as well.
I,ve been M.I.A for a few weeks now and can now reveal exactly what the heck has been happening.
Well first off many of you might not know that I,m a mummy, yep I have 3 gorgeous children two girls and a rather beautiful just entering toddler-hood baby boy. My eldest is a dragon, so this year her turning twelve and her western birth sign coming around again,plus the Olympics etc.. is really cool. Well I found out just before I said goodbye to 2011 and celebrated my younger daughter's fifth b'day that I am exepecting another little Dragon!!! I feel very blessed to be able to concieve and have little ones.
So whats this about a Black Dog? well if you know anything about depression it is often referred to as "The Black Dog". Interestingly I have found that alot of the funniest people in comedy suffer from some form and many creative people,designer makers whose blogs I read also suffer from it and talk candidly occassionally about it.
I myself have suffered depression (and have finally been diagnoised with BPD Borderline Personality Disorder which symptoms can be misdiagnoised as Bi-Polar Disorder.)
The worst form of depression for me which I am getting mild symptoms of is antenatal depression.Which is Depression during pregnancy. Due to lots of family upheaveal and heavy emotional stuff plus trying to sort out funding my little biz and trying to get stock made with no money (i,m unemployed.) it's no wonder really. Of course this the makes me scared witless that i,ll end up with Postnatal depression again which led me to finally get more help and diagnoises of BPD but which has cost me friends (well maybe they weren't true friends.)
So right about now I am trying to get more therapy and work on myself, my bizness is also my therapy.The dolls and jewellery evolved from my interests in colour,symbolisim etc.. and doing a activitity that I could do with minimal tools, was not to expensive (depending on beads and fabrics), and would keep me calm.
I have also come across the opportunity to either individually or as part of a collaboration, take over a vacant shop unit and use it to not just create and sell my work for a 3month period.But also really alter the space and create exciting activities within it to help the community the unit is in. I will keep you in the loop regardless of whether i,m successful or not on whats happening as it's a really cool concept/project.
So sorry all if i,m not here as much as I hope or you go to my etsy and it's on vacation or you go to my old main website link and it's gone ( I hope to buy the domain name). Trying to stretch a little money a long way is very hard at the best of times and even harder when trying to change your life for the better.And make lots of pretty beaded gorgeousness! while battling all day sickness.
On the bright side though i,m not giving up! I will continue to do the things i,ve put in place to protect my growing unborn (currently 14weeks into his or her growth), asprin to thin my blood and prevent bloodclots in the placenta which killed my third daughter at 6months of pregnancy.This baby is actually number 5! try to be positive and use up stuff I have at home to finish off the works in progress that I am sure you all will love once complete!
So thankyou for listening to my rant ! Being human means trying to pick yourself up when you feel like you've failed or simply not being the person you wished you was going to be at this point in time. Just gotta keep on trucking!
Edited Sunday 12th feb.
RIP Whitney Houston, amazing talent,success, the world your oyster and all destroyed by pills, the demon white powder and weed. Be in peace now, hopefully true friends will pick up the pieces of your family's broken hearts. Whitney is survived by her Mother,godmother and her only child.No parent wants to outlive their child, no family member should find out the death of a loved one through the tv and no child should be motherless for no real reason.
Dxo
I,ve been M.I.A for a few weeks now and can now reveal exactly what the heck has been happening.
Well first off many of you might not know that I,m a mummy, yep I have 3 gorgeous children two girls and a rather beautiful just entering toddler-hood baby boy. My eldest is a dragon, so this year her turning twelve and her western birth sign coming around again,plus the Olympics etc.. is really cool. Well I found out just before I said goodbye to 2011 and celebrated my younger daughter's fifth b'day that I am exepecting another little Dragon!!! I feel very blessed to be able to concieve and have little ones.
 |
| my two daughters. |
So whats this about a Black Dog? well if you know anything about depression it is often referred to as "The Black Dog". Interestingly I have found that alot of the funniest people in comedy suffer from some form and many creative people,designer makers whose blogs I read also suffer from it and talk candidly occassionally about it.
I myself have suffered depression (and have finally been diagnoised with BPD Borderline Personality Disorder which symptoms can be misdiagnoised as Bi-Polar Disorder.)
The worst form of depression for me which I am getting mild symptoms of is antenatal depression.Which is Depression during pregnancy. Due to lots of family upheaveal and heavy emotional stuff plus trying to sort out funding my little biz and trying to get stock made with no money (i,m unemployed.) it's no wonder really. Of course this the makes me scared witless that i,ll end up with Postnatal depression again which led me to finally get more help and diagnoises of BPD but which has cost me friends (well maybe they weren't true friends.)
So right about now I am trying to get more therapy and work on myself, my bizness is also my therapy.The dolls and jewellery evolved from my interests in colour,symbolisim etc.. and doing a activitity that I could do with minimal tools, was not to expensive (depending on beads and fabrics), and would keep me calm.
I have also come across the opportunity to either individually or as part of a collaboration, take over a vacant shop unit and use it to not just create and sell my work for a 3month period.But also really alter the space and create exciting activities within it to help the community the unit is in. I will keep you in the loop regardless of whether i,m successful or not on whats happening as it's a really cool concept/project.
So sorry all if i,m not here as much as I hope or you go to my etsy and it's on vacation or you go to my old main website link and it's gone ( I hope to buy the domain name). Trying to stretch a little money a long way is very hard at the best of times and even harder when trying to change your life for the better.And make lots of pretty beaded gorgeousness! while battling all day sickness.
On the bright side though i,m not giving up! I will continue to do the things i,ve put in place to protect my growing unborn (currently 14weeks into his or her growth), asprin to thin my blood and prevent bloodclots in the placenta which killed my third daughter at 6months of pregnancy.This baby is actually number 5! try to be positive and use up stuff I have at home to finish off the works in progress that I am sure you all will love once complete!
So thankyou for listening to my rant ! Being human means trying to pick yourself up when you feel like you've failed or simply not being the person you wished you was going to be at this point in time. Just gotta keep on trucking!
Edited Sunday 12th feb.
RIP Whitney Houston, amazing talent,success, the world your oyster and all destroyed by pills, the demon white powder and weed. Be in peace now, hopefully true friends will pick up the pieces of your family's broken hearts. Whitney is survived by her Mother,godmother and her only child.No parent wants to outlive their child, no family member should find out the death of a loved one through the tv and no child should be motherless for no real reason.
Dxo
Monday, 2 January 2012
Use a Sewing Machine - wikiHow
Use a Sewing Machine - wikiHow
One of my crafty NewYear Resolutions, is learn how to use my sewing machine!It was bought at least 2years ago and has only recently been taken out of the box and stared at.I then realised the little basic knowledge I gained when I was at Goldsmiths University had vanished along with the sewing Machine Manual.So if you need a helping hand re jigginf your memory heres a wiki article with pictures and links to other topics such as Threading your sewing machine,winding/threading a bobbin.
Also if you happen to lose your sewing machine manual check out www.sewingworld.co.uk and go to the bit about sewing machine accessories/parts.
One of my crafty NewYear Resolutions, is learn how to use my sewing machine!It was bought at least 2years ago and has only recently been taken out of the box and stared at.I then realised the little basic knowledge I gained when I was at Goldsmiths University had vanished along with the sewing Machine Manual.So if you need a helping hand re jigginf your memory heres a wiki article with pictures and links to other topics such as Threading your sewing machine,winding/threading a bobbin.
Also if you happen to lose your sewing machine manual check out www.sewingworld.co.uk and go to the bit about sewing machine accessories/parts.
Saturday, 31 December 2011
Happy New Year Everyone!
Happy New Year everybody! Over here in the UK it's a good piece after midnight and officially 1st January 2012 despite the date/time display on blogger.
My New Years Blogging Resolutions:
This is the core of Spiritflower and how it came to be.As a way to help others heal using creativity,a way to remake/remodell their enviroment and gain confidence in themselves as well as adorn themselves in objects,textures,colours that helped with creating a postive self image and enhancing an individuals beauty and unqiueness.
Whats your New Year Resolution?What do you resolve with all your heart to do?
My New Years Blogging Resolutions:
- Post at least once a week.
- Catch up on posting the handmade blog features I have piling up.
- Get photographing! Sharing pieces in progress.
- Sort out a proper nice new look for my blog(s)
- Update the shop on this blog with one off special pieces or workshops available here only (not even my etsy shop or website will have it just yet.)
This is the core of Spiritflower and how it came to be.As a way to help others heal using creativity,a way to remake/remodell their enviroment and gain confidence in themselves as well as adorn themselves in objects,textures,colours that helped with creating a postive self image and enhancing an individuals beauty and unqiueness.
Whats your New Year Resolution?What do you resolve with all your heart to do?
Monday, 12 December 2011
Good exposure and a big fat flop.
Evening all, it's been a little while since my last post. I,ve been creating some more pendants for my upcoming stall at The Old Spitalfields Jewellery Market on Tuesday December 20th from 9am - 5pm. If your in East London come to my stall and have a butchers and a nice rosie lee (in cockney rhyming slang, "butchers hook" means "Look" and "rosie lee" means "tea".)
You may have noticed a bit of change with the blog, a nice new font called "Pacifico" which is one of the webfonts that blogger offers for use in the design-advanced section. Decided to change it up to blend better with my in the works website. More about that when it's furthur along.
So whats the Good Exposure and Big Fat Flop, i,m referring to in the title for this post?
Well last post i did a giveaway. I managed to tweet about it and post about it on my facebook fanpage as well, but the thing i without a) big following (b) a softer poll/sell approach and (c) a facebook fan page badge how was anyone really going to know about it?
So i,ll do giveaways once i have some more of the above in place.
The good exposure..... I have a double page spread interview about both House of SpiritFlower and House of ShadowFlower in Alt Fashion Magazine!!!!!! plus three articles I wrote on other etsians http://www.studioleanne.etsy.com/ http://www.redribbons.etsy.com/ and a fantastic burlesque performer Gem de la Creme. Go to http://www.altfashionmagazine.co.uk/ to buy a copy (black and white and colour pictures) or a digital full colour version.
Coming later this week part 1 of my feature on the lovely label Kindred DreamHeart.
You may have noticed a bit of change with the blog, a nice new font called "Pacifico" which is one of the webfonts that blogger offers for use in the design-advanced section. Decided to change it up to blend better with my in the works website. More about that when it's furthur along.
So whats the Good Exposure and Big Fat Flop, i,m referring to in the title for this post?
Well last post i did a giveaway. I managed to tweet about it and post about it on my facebook fanpage as well, but the thing i without a) big following (b) a softer poll/sell approach and (c) a facebook fan page badge how was anyone really going to know about it?
So i,ll do giveaways once i have some more of the above in place.
The good exposure..... I have a double page spread interview about both House of SpiritFlower and House of ShadowFlower in Alt Fashion Magazine!!!!!! plus three articles I wrote on other etsians http://www.studioleanne.etsy.com/ http://www.redribbons.etsy.com/ and a fantastic burlesque performer Gem de la Creme. Go to http://www.altfashionmagazine.co.uk/ to buy a copy (black and white and colour pictures) or a digital full colour version.
 |
| alt fashion magazine issue 20 http://www.altfashionmagazine.co.uk/ |
Coming later this week part 1 of my feature on the lovely label Kindred DreamHeart.
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Hi all it's a GIVEAWAY!
Hello all! Oh my it's been a hectic few days for me of typing up my business plan, beading,stuffing,sewing and finding more beads and fabric as i,ve been decluttering yay!
I can't believe christmas is just around the corner! So feeling in a pre-christmissy mood i,m doing my first Giveaway ever!!!! How Exciting!
Whats the prize? A custom pendant made using a choice of your three favorite gemstones and colours! I will be picking 2 winners Giveaway ends Sunday 13th November 2011
All you have to do is leave a comment answering this question :
" What is your Favorite Pendant and why?"
Choose out of the three below and leave your comment in the comment box along with a email address/ blog address/ or etsy shop or website url so I can contact you.
Goodluck!!!
I can't believe christmas is just around the corner! So feeling in a pre-christmissy mood i,m doing my first Giveaway ever!!!! How Exciting!
Whats the prize? A custom pendant made using a choice of your three favorite gemstones and colours! I will be picking 2 winners Giveaway ends Sunday 13th November 2011
All you have to do is leave a comment answering this question :
" What is your Favorite Pendant and why?"
Choose out of the three below and leave your comment in the comment box along with a email address/ blog address/ or etsy shop or website url so I can contact you.
 |
| Rose Pearl Goddess Pendant |
 |
| Pearl Amethyst Goddess Pendant |
 |
| Spiral Amethyst Goddess Pendant |
Goodluck!!!
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Behind the Seams: Show and Tell work in progress
Happy Tuesday all! I hope you had a great all Hallows Eve. I personally went dancing with my brother and my boyfriend and apart from my feet being tortured by my killler heels, it was a great night.
So what have I been up to? Well I have been sitting on my comfy sofa beading,beading and more beading! having photo's of work done by my boyfriend and getting more dolls stuffed and ready to be listed. Heres a sneaky peek at whats coming to the etsy shop soon. Also have you noticed a new page under the header on this blog? The Shop page? Yep I will be putting selected products from what i,m making currently onto a dedicated shop page on the blog! yay! surf my blog posts then go there and buy a piece that also comes with more colour options than the product in my etsy store. But of course you can also peruse my etsy store as well to see what other goodies are there to delight you.
so heres whats coming soon!
So thats whats done and whats in progress or on the beading table at the moment. What do you think?
Don't forget to check the etsy shop AND the Shopping page here on the blog.
So what have I been up to? Well I have been sitting on my comfy sofa beading,beading and more beading! having photo's of work done by my boyfriend and getting more dolls stuffed and ready to be listed. Heres a sneaky peek at whats coming to the etsy shop soon. Also have you noticed a new page under the header on this blog? The Shop page? Yep I will be putting selected products from what i,m making currently onto a dedicated shop page on the blog! yay! surf my blog posts then go there and buy a piece that also comes with more colour options than the product in my etsy store. But of course you can also peruse my etsy store as well to see what other goodies are there to delight you.
so heres whats coming soon!
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| Amethyst pearl Goddess pendent |
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| Delicate Amethyst Flower Goddess Pendant |
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| Blue waves Flower Goddess Doll |
 |
| The keeper of spirit Goddess Doll |
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| Designs for Hope Dolls using a limited colour palette of blue,purples,yellow and orange |
Don't forget to check the etsy shop AND the Shopping page here on the blog.
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