August 26th, 2011

I stopped making Cloud Brooches a while ago as I ran out of the leather scraps I sourced from an upholsterer and not been able to find a substitute supplier since  – I’ve not been looking very hard though and been concentrating on other things to be honest. Historic Scotland ordered a batch of cloud brooches as part of their last order and I panicked as I so wanted to make them again but didn’t have any leather – or so I thought!

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August 25th, 2011

It’s called a wad punch and it’s amazing. I’ve been making my little button flower brooches for years now and I’ve always cut my leather circles by hand which is OK when I’m making the odd brooch here and there, but when I have to make loads for an order or for a craft fair it’s very time consuming as well as not perfectly accurate. Here’s where a wad punch comes in.

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August 24th, 2011

I got my second wholesale order from Historic Scotland recently which is rather exciting, as my stuff must be selling well for them to re-order so soon. My work is being sold via the Craft & Clan shop at Stirling Castle – somewhere I’ve never been and must go to – and I’ve been working on the order in the front room in the afternoon sunshine.

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June 10th, 2011

This is something I might have to try – making polymer clay buttons – there are some vintage buttons that are unique and sometimes I find it hard to part with some of the jewellery I make as I know I’ll never come across another button like that again. With this idea, I could make a mould and create a duplicate to keep in my collection for reference and to remember.

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June 7th, 2011

This is a lovely button themed tutorial by Jen Jockisch over at the American Crafts Studio blog. Choose any letter from the alphabet, or maybe you want to do a number instead, and then select your colour pallet and pick out your buttons, choose a font etc and away you go….

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