Following Monday's pattern...

Well...today went a bit haywire...There was lots of interruptions, some of which were lovely, like the arrival of my copy of Elle Decoration which I just HAD to pour over! (just how great are subscriptions!?)..and lots of other bits and bobs which set me back a wee bit and will have me working for most of the evening....not to worry though...

I have posted this image of my Geranium Cluster pattern design, as I am beginning to start thinking about designing a few more patterns (what with the onset of spring and the impending foliage boom and all..) for some new inspiration. Now..here is where I am a bit strange, (this is how I design mostly start designing) I design a repeat pattern - to then use it...in whole bits, broken up elements and in small sections to inspire lots of different pieces of jewellery. I often like to display the pattern with the piece in some way, highlighting its importance (equal in my book, if not more-so) in my thinking process and in terms of the finished articles perceived preciousness. It is my view that pattern design is one of the most important design disciplines...not only for it's beauty and my personal love of it...but because it is the main practice that unites all of the design disciplines I can think of. Call it repeat ornamentation, or pattern...it is found in architecture, fashion, interiors, ceramics..and in jewellery. It is, however, very much marginalised in design history and not perhaps as revered in its own right as I think it should be (more often found to be praised in context than in isolation). I feel that by making it central and utterly essential to my work, I am reminding myself how wonderful pattern is, and as such am always on the look out for it wherever I go.

I went to a Devon Sproule concert on Friday night, after Shari told me she was playing in Glasgow! Her performance (just her and her guitar) was phenomenal...such talent! Do check out her music here...it makes for wonderful listening when you are working away (and indeed any time)...I think her music is going to prove quite a crush!

Have a nice Monday night all..roll on Tuesday :) xx

5 Senses Friday....

Paint-up of a necklace..really MUST get a scanner for this...

Okay...this idea for 5 Senses Friday was started by Shari last week. It is such fun, I have decided to join in and post as often as I can with this theme on a friday!!

Sight.....

Jane Hyslop - New Work

My sketch books....browsing

Lena's blog and these wonderful painted gemstones

Bright Days..

Angela Lewin via Imelda

Taste....

Greens and Blacks organic bittersweet hot chocolate..

Innocent Detox smoothie..(bananas, honey, ginger..yum)

Roast Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato soup...

Sushi..

Ginger Biscuits...

Sound...

Devon Sproule..going to see her in concert tonight!

Cat Power via Mav

Pandora ...just ingenious!

Lionel Ritchie...OHHH YEAH :D..smooth....!

Sade, Lovers Rock...

Touch...

Grainy silver dust..

Soft ivory dust...

Cold metal files..

Satin Ribbon when wrapping orders for posting out..

Paper...lots of paper cuts...

Smell...

Cucumber and Manuka honey Soap from Living Nature ...if you work with your hands and get cuts and scrapes, this wondersoap takes the pain away after just one wash and speeds healing because of the Manuka honey..amazing!

My perfume..Manifesto

Coffee..

Cold fresh air..

Sweet resin-y smell from cutting the faux ivory...

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.. xox

Taking Stock...

Sometimes it's just good to take a bit of time to think things over, to take stock, to look back and reflect. I have been reading recently about sketching, ( Shari has been posting some great links to some great sketchers!) I realised how much I have missed drawing since leaving art school, how I have not made much time for it. The topics that Mav has been posting about for the last two days, have spurred me on seek out the nice things in my day..and just get your head down and work through the hard parts. For me, today, a nice part was just looking back through my sketch book, and picking up my Tria markers again.......

As I mentioned the other day, I have been preparing my application for New Designers and it really has made me sit down and look at what I have achieved in the last seven months (because I had to for the application you see :D)....it is sometimes just really nice to look at all the things you have done, as opposed to the things you haven't, and give yourself a pat on the back for taking the steps, no matter how small, in the right direction.

Hope everyone is having wonderful evening...xox

Order is beautiful....

I had a quick re-shuffle of my art and design books (thus far) after feeling inspired by this and this . Although my small collection of books (excluding novels) is not in the same league as the two that inspired me..I dream that one day it will be! More space plus more money always equals books :)...some day.

Today I am working on orders for mav and camilla . And at last (!) my new packaging has arrived so I can get all my orders to date from etsy sent out tomorrow!

For all who have not discovered Innocent drinks yet..please check them out!! I am in love with them for so many reasons..their products are wonderful, as is their ethos, packaging, image branding and spirit! Sign up for innocent news and be sure to receive a smile each time an email appears in your in-box .....

:D xox

This is me....

This is me for the next ten years.

I always feel that a photograph, a self portrait, only ever shows one part of you. This doesn't look like me..but yet it does.. in a way. What will I see in it in ten years time when I have a new photo taken for my passport? What about this image will make me cringe, make me smile? Will I see only the messy windswept hair..will I remember the day it was taken??

Here are some other things from my day...arrivals , applications , browsing beauty , sipping .

Happy monday to all :) xx

Lets play....

This is an image of a piece of work by English ceramicist Louise Jenkins, who I knew best for her delicate vessels. I found that this embossed card table was part of an exhibition called The Bristol Pack where a selection of Bristol based artists designed the artwork for playing cards. There are some really beautiful designs, but this one here caught my attention the most. It reminded me of letterpress blocks...so pretty. Now wouldn't that be a fun table to play cards on!?

Am I the only one finding it hard to believe its Friday already? How can a week have passed so quickly? I can't believe how tired I am...however, I think many people are feeling that way, maybe it's just after working so hard at the beginning of the year? Oh well...anyway, I am off out for dinner tonight with some friends, and will maybe go out for a nice long walk tomorrow-that will revive the batteries I'm sure. (or just stay in bed 'till a ridiculous hour?) We will see...

A wonderful weekend to all, Xx

White, at last...

Hurrah...a bit of white-ness and wintry weather at last!! We had a quick hail/ice storm today with a bit of thunder for good measure today. I managed to get a quick snap of it out my studio window before it eased. The light was amazing for ages after it..totally illuminated skies, bright with whiteness but not the sun. Lovely!

Today I snapped up one of Mav's new limited edition Card Sets! I am loving their monochromatic deep colour and pretty graphics...so chic! Dinner party invites I think :)

Anyway..just a quick post today...got that mid-week tiredness kicking in. Time to switch off the polisher and the pickle, and on with the telly whilst browsing a trashy magazine...ahhhh... relaxing already! Have a wonderful night all - xox

Happy Valentines...

Now...Firstly, Happy Valentines Day to one and all!! And now..I feel I should explain myself. To be honest I think as a jeweller I am duty bound to arrange my stock of pearls into the shape of a heart on a vintage pink doily...especially on February 14th! Hope everyone had a special day!! :D x

Now..for the good bit! A beautiful cup that I ordered from Karin came in the post today! It is one of her mint cups, and it is in the Blue Rose pattern. It is so wonderful, I am just in love with it! I am now beginning to dream of a little mis-matched set of all different patterns for when I have people round for tea...! I have been a fan of Karin's work for a long time, and her blog Karin's Style was the first blog I started to read. I just loved the variety and beauty of her posts and found them so inspiring when I was just starting up my business. To be honest, it was her blog and the ones that I later found through her site that inspired me to start up my own blog! I am so glad that I have, as it has become such an important part of my day, and really does help to make me feel connected to the world when I am just sitting here in my small workshop..it so nice to see what everyone else is up to! So..thank you Karin, for the wonderful cup..and all that it represents to me! xx

Monday, monday...

Here are some little Sweet Horse Chestnut studs I have been working on today. They are my first orders from Etsy and this is them just after having their earring posts soldered on, and they are so white because they have just come out of the acid pickle (which cleans the silver after soldering). They will now journey to the polisher..then back to the bench for a bit of surface frosting and burnishing, and then to the gold platers'.......and THEN...out to their lovely owners' to be. I have just ordered some pretty little boxes too, to help them on their trips around the world! :)

Speaking of trips around the world...I have been thinking about this painting all day...its called Cloud Cookoo Land (how appropriate!), and its by Barbara Balmer . She is currently showing works at the Open Eye Gallery in Edinburgh, and they are so magical and escapist. I like them very much. They reminded me in a way of the paintings by Monica Cook that Shari posted about the other day. Barbara Balmer has painted all these exotic gardens and locations from around the world, (I love the one from Padua) and I like the feeling she conveys of dusty heat...just lovely.

Happy Monday to you all! xx

Etsy update...

Hi everyone...I just wanted to give a short update on what is happening with Etsy's online stores.

As many of you may know, Etsy suffered a severe system failure yesterday which results in everything that has been listed in the last day and a half being lost. This is a real blow to many people (see the forums), and I lost my new shop :( ... I will be spending the day re-listing everything (free of charge, and many thanks to etsy for this kind gesture!), and I have sent everyone who has ordered jewellery from me an email explaining what has happened...(if you haven't got your email, please do let me know!)..this will not in any way effect the orders that have already been placed, and they will be made and sent out this week as planned!!

I hope everyone who has lost work and time through this crash can get it all sorted as well! Stiff upper lip and all that....have a great weekend everyone! Abigail xox

My new Etsy shop...ta-da!..

I have dutifully bitten the bullet and set up an online shop on Etsy as per request!:) So far I have posted all the work I have in my Diffusion Collection on Flickr, and will of course be adding to the collection as I make and design more!

I have detailed in my description on the shop 'front' that each 'sale' is effectively an order, and that I make each piece by hand as each order comes in. I have stated that an order can take up to three weeks to complete, this is because my stone dealer can sometimes be out of stock of the particular precious gems or pearls that I use, and I can be held up with that delay or by re-sourcing the materials. I will of course always keep everyone up to date with the jewelries' progress via email, and for the most part orders will be dispatched well within the given time. Do always let me know if you are working to a tight schedule for a gift (or for a party outfit!!) and I will do my best to turn the order around tut suit!!

As I was listing all the items today (in dollars) I became aware how much more expensive my jewels become for you lovely American ladies due to the unfavorable exchange rate at the moment, so even more thanks to you for your support ...I do however promise to provide delightfully pretty packaging by way of compensation!!....:)

Shop away here at abigailpercy.etsy.com

Enjoy XX

Oh, go on then....

A hastily taken shot of me wearing the new pair of Geranium Outline Earrings I have just posted with my Diffusion Collection on Flickr!

I took this shot just ten minutes before the earrings were bundled up with lots of other jewels and sent away to a gallery in Aberfeldy for a show..I wish them well on their journey! Camilla and Jenny had asked to see what the earrings looked like on, so I hope this quick snap gives you two an idea...you can certainly see how sunny wintry Glasgow is today by the gleam given off by them!! :) X

Rainy Days...

Rainy days never get me down...in fact, I love them! I remember getting my first umbrella aged about five, it was a Sylvanian families umbrella and I remember being thrilled at the sound of the rain above my head..remarking that it sounded like little birds feet! So...I always love being out in the rain now..or being cosy inside looking out at it. I was out today in the heavy rain all wrapped up in my red Gloverall duffel coat..it was so lovely!

I am feeling very cheered indoors as well with the arrival of my wonderful golden tree cards from Mav at port2port...they really are stunning, and the idea of them being limited edition makes them even more special, you can buy them here! http://www.etsy.com/view_item.php?listing_id=74510 Her daily post today was wonderful (as always)..I would certainly recommend a read!http://port2port.visualblogging.com/

From golden trees to golden daffodils..spring is on it's way for sure :) ...with beautiful flowers in mind, Natalie at Nebo Peklo has done the most wonderful drawing, such beauty! Check it out here.... http://nebopeklo.typepad.com/nebopeklo/2006/02/nature.html

I love Paris in the spring time!!

Hurrah!! I have just had news that I am getting to go on a wonderful trip to Paris this spring...how's that for banishing the winter blues?! I am so excited..as I adore Paris, and was last there the summer before I went into my final year of art school. The Bas-Relief carvings on the buildings there played a huge part in the look and style of my jewellery collection, and I am so looking forward to sourcing some more inspiration when I am there!

Hope everyone else had a lovely weekend as well....I'm off for now to jump up and down a bit, and I can't stop smiling!

(The photo above was taken by my Dad when he was there last winter...it is so misty and lovely! Again, -hurrah!!)

In this winter Wonderland...

Even on the coldest winters day,when you go to the Botanic Gardens... you will find a tropical paradise in the hot-houses. These leaves are so beautiful and other worldly..I had to take a picture of them. They are so cheering...I hope they cheer you too!

I am taking a break from roll printing some metal in my rolling mill...I wound it a bit too tightly and now the metal is stuck!..so I will need to summon all my brute force to turn the handle and get it out..it's only half way now..humphf. I'm making the textured layer for the underneath of one of my historical outline brooches, which I texture with hand made papers which imprint the metal with a lovely softly lined and matt finish which stays really chalky when it is gold plated...http://www.flickr.com/photos/abigailpercy/93328089/

Goodbye January!!...

Goodbye January!!....hello February! And the chance to change the calendar...how lovely is Camilla's illustration for this month?! I love this fellows little hat! http://www.camillaengman.com/misc/index2.htm

Although January has been a long and difficult month..I do feel as If I have accomplished a lot already in this new year...starting this blog has been great fun, and getting such positive feedback about my work has spurred me on no end! Work-wise it is shaping up to be quite a busy year..which is making me feel Yes! I can do this and make it work as my job...and I am really pleased with the way my Flickr 'catalogue' of work is shaping up..(I will of course still be adding new things as they get made!) http://www.flickr.com/photos/abigailpercy/. I am not doing too badly with my New Year's resolutions either...as one was to 'get online'...the other was to go to the cinema more (Brokeback Mountain...(amazing), Memoirs of a Geisha...(good))...work harder :D..and I still just need to start learning to drive (although I have my application ready to go!). What have you all done/not done yet resolution wise??

I hope you have all had a productive January as well, despite the gloomy days..I am imagining so many of the blogging community turning the page on their beautiful Camilla Engman calendar today...all looking at the same image at the same time and feeling inspired. I can't wait to see what the next months will bring....?