Photos, Afflecks, and Vino

Hello,

I’ve been away and a little busy. Life seems to have a way of keeping me busy.

What have I been up to then?

My wonderful friend Daniel Mee, who is a fantastic photographer decided to go and have a little fun in and around the Northern Quarter Manchester, including the fabulous Affleck’s Palace (which is an emporium of the weird, wonderful and totally unique) and have ourselves a little photo shoot, as a mock run for further planned shoots for my website and collections. Daniel took photography up only in the recent past, but in my opinion he is fantastic. Here are some of the results.

 The hair is my favorite!

 Its Tea, in case you were wondering!

By the Sea

Hello.

I’ve been a busy little bee, meeting lots of lovely crafters including Charlotte Nash of www.littlebeauties.co.uk and making lots of new things, including a few new ranges for summer, ‘By the Sea’ who doesn’t want to be by the sea in summer, I know I do! And I’ve been working on my website, which although is still a work in progress is looking a lot better than it did a week ago!

You can find it here www.handmadebyesmae.com and you can buy lots of lovely jewels there.

I know a lot of ladies already have beautiful jewellery, but sometimes it can become a little dated or damaged. I can rework vintage and modern pieces for a whole new look. I have a several commissions at the moment, a beautiful Lola Rose three strand bracelet that I am reworking in to a statement bib necklace. It’s still a work in progress but I shall be sure to post the finished photos. A big logo necklace that I am quite excited about as it’s a whole new style for me, cuff links, and some cute daisy earrings.

For all the Worsley, Walkden locals I have a small selection of my jewellery on display in Liberties Hair design Walkden, Manchester Road.

I also have an upcoming craft fair in Bolton, at the old Tommy Balls on Saturday 23^rd June. 10-4 please do come a along.

Back to work for me, those designs won’t make themselves!

Esmae x

Craft Fair Smithills 09th June 2012

Craft fair Saturday 09th June 2012
You will be able to find Handmade By Esmae at:

Looking forward to it, and looking forward to seeing you there. I will have lots of lovely gorgeousness for sale!

Esmae x

Diary of a Looker

I found this poem that was written about me whilst I was travelling around Europe many summers ago... More details tomorrow.

Diary of a Looker

My Girlfriend, isn’t like most other girls.

She likes poking and searching, looking,

and by looking I mean that she stares and squats and thinks until she thinks that she understands what she is looking at.

And what she is looking at is usually something slimy or beastly or floppy or frantic things that little boys like to catch and squeeze and poke and,

finally,

put in a jar,

consigned to long slow death.

But my girlfriend isn’t a ten year old boy, she is a twenty-six year old girl and she watches and stares until she understands. Most other girls skip by merrily these dirty scurrying things,

else they are too absorbed in staying away from them,

putting barriers between them and the cracks and the crannies the beasts inhabit.

Not so our Alex she looks.

This is Mike writting the poem, and me looking in cracks and crannies for beastly things. I didn't know he was writting this at the time! I thought the paper this was written on was long gone, but in my organisation and tidying up, and preparation of my studio, and workshop (which is what I've been doing and where I have been) I have found lots of things that I had presumed lost. And I remember that I am blessed.

More soon

Esmae x

More Florals

I’ve been busy and away making things. The lovely and a little bonkers (in a good way) Denise Lawn of Wedding Day Silver has been training me to be one of the designers for her company. I had already tried a little experimentation with flowers and leaves but the techniques I learned have definably improved my skills as an artisan and a designer. I also made a new friend in the name of Amanda, she and her husband made me lovely steak dinner, yum. Amanda took me on a little adventure to show me all her beads… the organisation was amazing. She also showed me the beautiful Emerald that was a wedding present from her father… I am a little clumsy at the best of times and after a few glasses of wine not the best time for me to be holding precious stones, so yes you guessed it I dropped it! I then spent the next 15 minutes on my hands and knees looking for it going ‘oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, I’m so sorry!’ Amanda and Chris were very calm and not their feather not even remotely ruffled. I think they liked the entertainment! I did find the Emerald and very swiftly gave it back to Amanda for safe keeping! Chris also fed me with enough rose wine for me nearly, just nearly locked out of my hotel as I didn’t have my keys and the reception closed at 11pm… a quick phone was made and they kindly waited for me! 

So here are some pictures of my new work and more will be coming soon.

There will be more soon and a new blog of jewellery making challenges!

More soon Esmae x

Look At This Beauty

I have created this wondrous fabulous flower (oops I actually copied it from nature) from a real miniature daffodil from my mother’s garden. As the original flower came from my mothers garden and as when you pick a daffodil it never flowers again, my mum has laid claim to this for her self as a birthday present. I’m pretty sure that makes quite a few little presents she has had off me but I’ll let her off (just this once).

So to create this, I took the real flower from the garden and using silver clay and a very time consuming delicate process which had many stages and took a fair bit of time and patience I created a the exact copy.

I  have attached a bail at the back so it can be worn as a pendant, it could also be worn as a brooch and with a matching pair it could be worn as earrings.

I am very happy with the final result, and as this was my first attempt at something of this nature I think it turned out very well. It was a little practice for one of my future ventures in to wedding flower jewellery so brides can keep a memento of their bridal flowers. More about that soon…

Esmae x

Earring Crazy and Good Advice

I've been going a little bit earring crazy recently. I recieved some good advice. In fact this week I have received lots of good advice. Some of the pearls of wisdom that my older brother shared with me on a accidental meeting on a long bus journey home from town, included such information as if you have the opportunity as save some of your money every month then in ten years time you will be able to create your own destiny and make your own decisions with out your pay check being your boss. Very good and wise advice, put far more eloquently by him. Unfortunately to heed this would seriously reduce ones social life and hinder the ‘now I’ve got a kiln I want a holiday fund’. No only kidding, good advice and I will follow it. Other advice shared was don’t worry so much, and in the words of our Dad ‘Let life unfold’, which is very good advice indeed. Then we moved on to more philosophic notions such as the secret of life, that however is I believe a book. Or perhaps several of them. However the advice that was pertinent to jewellery making (see we got there eventually) was ‘make in set’s’. This basically means make in sets! Haha! I.e. earrings, bracelet, necklace, brooch. That kind of thing. 

As my design process is very chaotic and sometimes untidy, (you should see the beading corn of my living room) this is not something that I usually do.  As I have several craft fair coming up I thought I would match up some sets to other pieces of jewellery that I have made. Here are the results.

 Sweet little freshwater pearl and sterling silver.

 Carved mother of pearl, smoky quartz, and sterling silver.

 Howlite and sterling silver.

Carved rose quartz, moonstone and sterling silver.

 The above earrings match this necklace, with large freshwater pearls.

Rose quartz, crystal, and sterling silver.

As you can see I went a little earring crazy. Some of these items are available in my etsy shop right now and if they aren't they will be soon.

Esmae x