Christmas - Special Online Offers!

From Thursday 25th November I am offering free postage and packaging to all of my UK customers for all items bought online from my website. Order early for Christmas to avoid the rush! This offer lasts for 7 days only and will end on the 2nd December. Each item comes specially packaged with my own stylish boxes.

Looking for ideas for Christmas? I am also offering a 15% discount on six selected items (pictured above). This offer also lasts until the 2nd December 2010. See my Special Offers page for more details.

Christmas Shopping Night

Shona would like to invite you to a shopping event at her friends' childrens' clothes shop in Glasgow's West End on Thursday 18th November. Peace and Jam is located at 407 Great Western Road, near Kelvinbridge Subway station, and the event is from 6pm until 9pm.

Alongside my jewellery you will be able to purchase lovely handcrafted blankets by Mini McGhee, natural cosmetics by Arbonne and beauty treatments from Carrie, a beauty therapist and nail technician.

Peace and Jam will also have special offers on their range of children's clothes and a prize draw with Wine and Nibbles provided!

Ruby Ring

I made this 18ct yellow gold ruby ring last week using a lovely untreated ruby. I love the colour of rubies and when combined with 18ct yellow gold and diamonds they look stunning.

I love using different precious stones such as rubies, but in the past I have been reluctant to buy them when the stone dealers have been unable to give me assurances regarding where the stones have been sourced. I don't want to play any part in supporting the import of Burmese rubies due to the current political situation in that country.

The ruby used in my ring is from a mine in southern Tanzania and was supplied by Ruby Fair, a partnership between British jewellers and local miners. They support a local orphanage and their aim is to supply beautiful stones whilst giving consideration to the welfare of the miners and the local ecology.

In the past, jewellery has had unfortunate links with unethical mining and a disregard for the environment. Recently this has began to change due to demand from more aware customers and from independent jewellers.

Saturday - The Hidden Lane Festival

The area of studios where I work is collectively known as the Hidden Lane. This Saturday, as part of Glasgow's West End Festival, everyone is welcome to attend the Hidden Lane Festival which includes an Open Studios Day.

There promises to be a vibrant mix of live music and events and I will be in my studio all afternoon. My studio will be open to the public and I'm also looking forward to checking out what else is going on!

Sunshine and Waterfalls

It was great weather in Glasgow recently and I managed to get out of my workshop and enjoy some nearby walks. The city has a great selection of parks and I visited Linn Park in Glasgow's Southside. I've lived in Glasgow all my life but I've ever been before and it was massive: it has an equestrian centre and even a golf course in it! There was loads of large meadows and a lovely waterfall beside an iron bridge. I will definitely be back as it felt like we were in the countryside.

A few days later we went walking along the Falls of the Clyde, just outside Glasgow beside New Lanark which is a world heritage site. The village is famous as being the creation of Robert Owen who was a mill manager who transformed life for the the workers of New Lanark with ideas and opportunities which were years ahead of their time. Child labour and corporal punishment were banned, and the villagers were provided with decent homes, schools and evening classes, free health care, and affordable food. Many of his ideas are relevant today, especially with all the news stories about child labour in different parts of the world. Here is a great quote by Robert Owen:

'What ideas individuals may attach to the term 'Millennium' I know not; but I know that society may be formed so as to exist without crime, without poverty, with health greatly improved, with little, if any misery, and with intelligence and happiness increased a hundredfold: and no obstacle whatsoever intervenes at this moment except ignorance to prevent such a state of society from becoming universal'.

The walk around the Fall of the Clyde was good because it is a substantial afternoon trek but not too strenuous like climbing a munro. The highlights of the walk were catching a glimpse of a wild deer which crashed through the woodland and having a look at the nesting peregrine falcons.

New Pendants

At the end of last year I designed four new pendants to expand my range and I have now added the finished items to my website.

Above are my two new diamond pendants. The image on the left shows the Diamond Gold Circle Pendant which features an 18ct yellow gold circle with a 2mm diamond. This circle moves freely on a fine 18ct yelllow gold trace chain. The image on the right displays the Domed Diamond Pendant which features a silver domed open circle with the diamond in an 18ct yellow gold setting.

Below left is my Interlocked Circle Pendant which uses a silver circle and a smaller 18ct yellow gold circle on a silver trace chain. Below right is my Gold Circle Chain Pendant, a simple yet sophisticated piece on a silver trace chain.

Glasgow Dazzle from Sunday

Opening to the public on Sunday the 11th of April, Glasgow Dazzle runs until the 25th of April. I am just back from the Merchant Square where I have been helping to set up the exhibition.

The range of contemporary jewellery is really exciting this year and I hope you can all come along. Pictured above is my Double Circle Diamond Necklace which is featured amongst my own work.

Dazzle Exhibition Glasgow

I’ve just sent some new work away that will be showing at the Glasgow Dazzle Exhibition. This includes the rings shown in the picture above. (from the top: Double Puzzle Ring, Two tone Ring and Offset Diamond Ring)

The Exhibition is being held in the Merchant Square in Glasgow and opens to the public on the 11^th of April , running until the 25th of April..

It is a great chance to see and buy contemporary jewellery from a selection of fantastic designers from all over the the Uk. I hope you can pop along to the Merchant City and visit.

Stacking Ring Commission

A recent commission that I enjoyed working on was when a client brought along a costume ring to my workshop which she really enjoyed wearing. This costume piece used three rings with paste stones. She wanted to re-create the idea of the ring with precious metals and semi-precious stones.

Together we chose the stones that would compliment each other and would be able to be worn individually or together as a fantastic looking stacked ring.

The images show both the original ring and the final resulting ring made in 18ct yellow gold with green and pink tourmalines and smokey quartz. It was fun working with more unusual stones and the client was pleased with the result.

This ring showed that not only can you commission jewellery for an important event, you can be involved in having something made simply for your own enjoyment.