A Trip to Furzey Gardens

Hello!

Thought I would post up some photos of the beautiful Furzey Gardens in the New Forest! A friend of mine introduced me to the lovely gardens a few weeks ago and I've got to say I'm pretty hooked! The gardens are just breathtaking, I've never seen so many gorgeous wonderful colours!! Add to that the attraction of finding fairy doors which are all hidden around the garden it's a place where you can just wander and enjoy both as an adult and as a child! 

Here are some of the photos I took yesterday, although the weather wasn't the best so I don't think my photos do the colours much justice!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

This is the wonderful building created for the Chelsea Flower Show.  The roof is made of beautiful colourful glass leaves! 

    

We had such a lovely day there and the beautiful colours and flowers were really inspiring! The children loved exploring to find the beautiful little fairy doors hidden at the base of trees, it really is a lovely place to go.  

Now with regard to jewellery I am busy creating at the moment in readiness for the Art & Design Market in Winchester.  I shall be there on my stall on the 18th May in Winchester High Street! Very exciting but it means I really need to make sure I have enough stock as the majority of my jewellery is held at SeaSkyArt Gallery in Hamble.  So on that note I must pop off and get some work done! I shall post some pictures of my newest pieces soon! 

Take Care

Heidi x

Trinkets Update

Hi Everyone,

How are you all?!? I was really under the illusion that Spring had finally arrived, but today the cold weather has returned and as I write this in my workshop I can hear the rain pattering on the roof! Oh well, hopefully it will return soon!!

Things at Trinkets HQ have been a bit slow lately, what with the time of the year and colds hanging around me and my family I haven't been creating as much as I would like.  I have done lots of designing but not so much actual making of jewellery.  Today after a spell of time sat on the sofa trying to get rid of my cold I have actually made it back out to my workshop and whilst working on a few orders I have also finally got some designs underway.  I shall be posting some photos when I've finished the latest designs.

In the meantime I have been having lots of fun with my little Bonnie and I promised you I'd post up the details of our Foamy Fun we had the other day!!










First of all make the foam using a couple of tablespoons of washing up liquid, a few drops of food colouring and about 1 cup of water.  Then whisk with a handblender for a few minutes until it starts to expand and get thick! It's easy peasy!! We used pink and blue food colouring.

Add a child .........










..... and toys, fish, dollies whatever you like and play play play!














Bonnie seriously enjoyed playing in the foam and getting all her toys involved! Needless to say she was soon drenched and all manner of things had been put in the foam, stones, shells, leaves and basically anything she could get her hands on!! Good cheap fun though!!

Hope you all have fun trying this out with your little ones!!
Heidi x

Hello Sleep - Hello 2014!!

Hello!

I hope you all had a very lovely Christmas and have fallen back into the daily routines nice and easily! 

As with every New Year I write a blog about how I'm going to do this that and the other, going to blog much more regularly blah blah blah! Well this year I am not going to make any promises as to be honest I seem to blink and the years gone!  I know I can't blame everything on sleep deprivation but I'm going to.  The last few years have honestly gone by in a complete blur!!

So talking of sleep deprivation, after visiting a homeopath and getting them to prescribe some remedies for my youngest we have finally been getting sleep!  It's like a miracle, a real real miracle.  This is a child who would wake for hours on end, every night without fail screaming blue murder until we gave her milk.  She has one meeting with a homeopath, we receive the remedies which she takes before bed and piff paff poof she's sleeping through the night! It's amazing! We actually get to sleep now, like real proper sleep, like real normal people! I can't even describe the effects it has had on us.  I feel revitalised and my head is spinning with things I want to do and changes I want to make.  I can honestly say the most shocking thing I have noticed is when I look back on the last few years how blurry everything feels.  I have real trouble remembering really what went on and however I can remember some of the thoughts i was having back then and now I find it hard to believe I would think like that. I really believe I was irrational and it does worry me slightly at how off balance I must have been.  We have friends who we just haven't seen for years that have just fallen by the wayside, they've given up asking, we always would refuse so why wouldn't they?  The pure exhaustion of sleep deprivation had put us in a place where I really think our bodies and heads were verging on hibernation!! Our social life was non-existent, the thought of holding a conversation with someone and having to find something to say other than screaming "WE HAVEN'T SLEPT FOR YEARS!!!!!" was exhausting in itself, and we knew on our return the kids would be up all hours whilst our lucky companions would go home to a restful nights sleep.  I can only see this now that the fog has lifted, I feel like I can see things just a bit clearer now!  Sleep deprivation really does effect every fibre of your being, emotionally, physically, socially. So please please please, if anyone ever knows of anyone suffering with sleep deprivation due to a restless child or just because they suffer from insomnia or any other sleep problems please send them to a homeopath or at least give them a hug and offer them a night off!!

Whats happening at Trinkets HQ!

Anyway needless to say all my plans for last year never happened, but this year with my sleep filled nights i am determined to experiment more with my jewellery, I already have some new projects underway and some designs which are in progress.

Other than my plans for jewellery I am also planning to start the 5:2 diet next week.  Ummmmm... .we'll see how that goes! It just sounds so great from a weight loss perspective as well as the amazing effects it can have on you medically.  I'm not getting any younger and whilst I'm still (just about) in my thirties I feel I should be showing myself a bit of love!  I shall let you all know how it goes!

This week my family have also started our '100 Acts Of Kindness' challenge.  A friend has put this idea up on Facebook and I thought it was a really great idea!  You have 26 days to do 100 acts of kindness, every week you get set a challenge, it started today and the first challenge was to cut out 10 hearts and write a brief note on them and leave them in unexpected places for family members you love.  I really love this idea, such a simple way of encouraging the kids and us to remember to be kind in a really simple but effective way.  Every week it will be something different like making a bird feeder to be kind to the environment or doing something nice for a neighbour.  If you want further information just follow this link: - http://www.coffeecupsandcrayons.com/100-acts-kindness-project/

Right I'm going to go and get some more work done on some designs I'm trying to get ready for Valentines Day! These are my latest! 

Hope you like them! Heidi x

Sleep Deprivation - The Worse Type of Torture?!?

So I haven't blogged for a while but today I feel compelled to!  It's not even about jewellery but about the exhaustion I'm feeling due to the sleep deprivation my two year old is causing.  People who know me know I'm always harping on about my lack of sleep (my five year old only started sleeping through when she started school!) but I wonder how much people who haven't been through this sort of sleep deprivation really understand.  I'm not talking about waking once in the night crying for 10 minutes then going back to sleep, or even a couple of weeks where the kids are up at night, I mean up and down any hour and every hour for the last 5 years!  Our house is as busy throughout the night as it is during the day!  As a result I am just so tired! By that I mean the sort of tiredness which eats away at every muscle, joint and bone of my body, every part of me feels like mush, every movement takes a huge effort. When I look in the mirror I don't see me looking back I see a blotchy skinned, grey, worn out version of who I use to be.   My eyes are no longer big and bright but small grey circled eyes squinting as if trying to tell me they want to close.  Some days are better than worse but today my eyes are definitely saying "close close close".  Today I found myself driving down the wrong side of the road (thinking it was two lanes going the same way) I realised I'm not just a danger to myself but others!!!  That was the second of my car incidences this week, the other involving reversing into another parked car!! ummmm... .time to leave the wheels at home I think!!

When you are in this torturous cycle of no sleep the simplest conversation is hard work, the thought of seeing people is stress in itself, I find it hard to hold a proper conversation and afterwards you find yourself analyzing what you've said, have I said something strange, did I remember to answer their question?!?  You get paranoid about making a fool of yourself by saying something stupid so sometimes you just try not to talk at all.  This makes being a sleep deprived parent a very lonely place where your normal relationships with people, friends and family suffer.  First of all you have limited energy and are far too paranoid to try and hold a conversation so you try to avoid people,  secondly you're generally too tired to leave the house anyway so it feels a safer option to just stay at home with the door shut and phone off the hook and thirdly you don't really feel that people understand you and how the sleepless nights are effecting you so this makes you resentful.  I may sound dramatic but it's true and I think anyone who has suffered with sleep deprivation would agree!  You get people who try to help with suggestions to help our little party goer sleep through the night but believe me we've tried everything and anything!  Black out blinds, routine, less sleep, more sleep, going to bed earlier, going to be later, lullaby's, stories, warm milk, lavender and of course the crying it out technique! Wow crying it out - that was a fun technique!  What you need to understand about my little one is she has stamina and volume, not a great combination when you also have a five year old in the house who needs to go to school the next day.  She won't just cry for an hour, she can go all night!   When we were trying out the cry it out technique I would end up back downstairs doing jobs at ridiculous hours because for anyone who hasn't tried it, lying in bed listening to your little one scream your name makes you feel like you are going against every natural instinct you hold as a mum.  I understood the technique though and would busy myself downstairs so I could try and ignore it!  We've tried this technique several times for a long period of time and she just doesn't get the message!  Friends tell me to toughen up and not faff about but that's easy to say when you don't have your baby screaming every night! And to top it all you reach such a state of tiredness you don't know whether you are coming or going!!  The worse times are when you drag your lifeless bodies into bed ready for the night and as your head hits that pillow you hear the stirrings coming from the next bedroom and you know that you're not even going to get in a few hours before your called for and it all starts again.  It really is torture, especially for me who is well known for loving her bed! Ironic really!

Then the other side of the coin is the guilt, guilty because you are so tired you can't bear to go the park, or get all the paints out for my little one to spend 5 minutes painting and 1 hour for me cleaning up, guilty because you don't have the energy or inclination to sit and play peppa pig, guilty because all you want to do is sit your little one in front of a dvd so you can sit still without talking or moving, guilty because your eldest is always being snapped at, guilty for screaming at your baby in the early hours of the morning like a lunatic, guilty because you and your husband only manage to get a couple of hours together where you sit like zombies too tired to talk!

But what are the options?  Sell her on ebay? Leave her on a friends doorstep with a little sign saying I'm all yours? Let her sleep in the shed?  No of course not, I pick her up, we have a cuddle, we get on with our day (in the hope we can play doctors so I can lie down) and it's all forgotten about, until about 11pm tonight when it will all start again!  After all that's what motherhood is about isn't it, getting on with it, no matter what comes your way!

Little Trinkets for Little Tinkers!

So I have spent the last few weeks working on some designs for little Tinkers for Easter.  Not everyone wants to spend money on lots of chocolate for the kiddies so I've been thinking up alternatives.  I started off with an obvious little bunny necklace, hand cut from copper with a small sterling silver heart tail. 

 

Then my second design incorporated my daughters friends love of deers and an upcoming birthday party which she was having at The Deer and Wildlife Park in New Forest! What better a present for a 5 year old deer lover!  

I'm going to be offering a few more designs soon, these can also be personalised if required.

Roll on spring time!  Heidi x

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Well Happy New Year to you all!!

I hope you all had a really wonderful Christmas and a nice break over the festive season. 

So last year my blogs were a bit sparse so in 2013 I am going to attempt (no promises made) to keep a more up to date blog.  I am sure I said the same thing last year, but this year I mean it!!! (May have also said this last year too)! To be honest life just whizzes by and before I know it another 6 months have passed!!

My creative mind and fingers have had a rest over the festive period, after a very busy Christmas build up.  So on my 'things to learn' list this year I have: -

knitted sterling silver jewellery
enamelling
resin work

I am already getting myself geared up to try some gorgeous knitted jewellery designs.  Ok so if my sister is reading this, yes I have a half knitted very wonky and holey looking scarf stuffing in the back of my wardrobe!! I have admitted it, I am very bad at knitting!! I am just hoping that knitting on a smaller more delicate scale will suit me?!?! Ummm.... I'll let you know how that goes, or doesn't as the case may be!!

Other than the usual, eat less, drink more (wine not water!! hee!! haa!!), lose weight, exercise etc I don't have any alternative resolutions!  So have any of you planned of new things to learn this year?!? A year of new challenges would be good, challenges in a good way not a "I have a disastrous life and everything is a challenge kind of way!".  My gorgeous big (and older) sister, Claire, hits the big 40 this year so I am thinking of maybe a challenge or two to send her way .... maybe a sky dive? .... wingwalking?!?! who knows but i shall think of something! Ideas on a postcard please! 

Have a great january and stay warm!!

The Summer Sun is Setting!

Hey everyone,
As the sun is setting on summer I am now getting inspired by the nights closing in so much earlier and the leaves starting to get a bit crispy ready to drop to the forest floor!  My colours are changing from light blues and sea greens to deep reds, coppery tones and muggy greens.  I must admit I do love Autumn, I love the feeling and smell of the heating going on and clothing changing to warm cosy jumpers and cardigans.  My flipfloppy feet are longing to get into a warm comfy pair of boots!  I don't know about you but I am feeling a bit dry and crispy myself at the moment, much like the leaves on the trees.  I'm thinking about starting to look after myself a bit better, time whizzes by and as long as the kids are happy then so am I, but I think it's about time I started looking after myself too!  My diet is pretty good but has lots of room for improvement and the small slap of cream I put on my body after a bath doesn't seem to be doing much for my skin! Yes, I think the change of season is going to bring a change of mood to me and for the better! Do you ever feel like the change of season is a time to make a few changes at home or to yourself?  We always wait until the New Year to make resolutions well maybe we should be doing small changes throughout the year, every season brings different feelings and emotions maybe this Autumn will bring some winds of change?

Well here is some of the jewellery pieces that I have been creating: -

 

 

 

There are a few more but unfortunately my photos are all downloading!! Hopefully I'll be able to get it sorted soon!  Or check out my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/#!/TrinketsByMoonlight

 

Take Care, Heidi x

Gallery 77 Lee On Solent

Hi All

So there have been some new pieces coming out of my workshop recently!  Although trying to find time around birthdays and holidays has been quite tricky.

Anyway some of my pieces are now also in Gallery 77, Lee On Solent, Portsmouth.  Its a lovely little gallery with all different types of handcrafted items.  They also hold classes there. 

This is only a brief post and I hope to get back at some point this week to let you all know what Ive been up to.

Here is a little teaser of the type of work I have been creating over the past few months.

Back Soon x

Where's the Sun gone!!

Hi All

I hope you are well.  This weather is becoming more and more depressing isn't it!!??!  I am desperate to get out and see some sunshine but all I seem to be doing lately is getting wet and being trapped indoors!! Roll on some warm weather!

So I have a few bits of news from Trinkets HQ.  Firstly, I am pleased to announce that my jewellery is now in a beautiful gallery in Hamble.  The gallery is called Sea Sky Art and the details can be found on their website: - http://www.seaskyart.co.uk/.  It's a lovely gallery and has jewellery, art and ceramics from all local craftspeople.  They are also holding art classes there so check out their website for further details.  My jewellery is becoming very popular there which is a great confidence boost!  So pop along and check it out.

Also my sister, who is an amazing artist (and sister!) has been doing some really great surface pattern designing.  Her background is textile design but she has been so busy with her kiddies for the last few years its all been put on the back burner.  She has had a successful cupcake company which she really enjoys but her heart lies with pattern designing.  Her plans are to take over Paperchase but for the time being she is concentrating on getting her patterns on line and getting as much interest on her blog as she can.  Check out her site (with it's fantastic name 'caught in dreamland!' and see her wonderful patters which are inspired by nature and her gorgeous little girls!  Her blog is http://caught-in-dreamland.blogspot.co.uk/ Good Luck Claire!

This is one of her designs: -

Well I'm counting down the days until the weekend as me and my sister are off for our birthday treats to Bath.  We have two whole days away to do some shopping, get some me time and relax without kiddies hanging off us!  We may come back, we may not!!!

Please take time to check out Claires blog and get down to the Sea Sky Art gallery in Hamble. 

Take Care, Heidi x



Proud of Myself!

Hello All,

I am feeling very proud of myself, (this is not a common occurrence!) however I have had a piece of  my jewellery featured in this months 'Beads and Beyond' magazine!  It's so exciting and I have even won a £50 goody bag full of beads and tools and a gift voucher, which just adds to the excitement (can't wait to spend it!)

This is the piece featured in the magazine: -

Its part of a new range of stamped jewellery I am creating at the moment.  Tomorrow I am finally getting the house to myself so I can get my tools out and start creating some more pieces so keep an eye on my website for some new designs! 

Hope you are all well and this cold isn't getting you down too much!

Take Care

Heidi : )

A Productive Day at Trinkets By Moonlight Headquarters!

Here are some trainee Little Trinketeers! 

Think they are gonna be stiff competition for me!! hee!! haa! Nice to see both my daughter and niece are so creative!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year to you all!  I hope you had a really wonderful Christmas and a great New Year!  Things here were a bit hectic with orders leading up to Christmas and then quite full on over the Christmas holiday!  Now it seems I have blinked and it's all over and here we are back to the dreadful school run!  All of a sudden both my girls seem to be sleeping really well and I am having to wake them in the morning!  Why oh why oh why didn't this happen in the school holidays?!?! aarrgghh!!

Anyway my New Years resolutions are quite simple!  To try and concentrate on myself just a tiny bit more than I usually do!  At the moment my needs are right at the bottom of the pile, as our most parents, however I really need to try and focus this year on getting my business more successful and giving myself a good challenge!  I am not sure what this challenge will be but I am on the look out for it! Although saying that at the moment getting out the door at 8.30am each morning is quite a good challenge! Other resolutions are the same as everyone elses, not to eat and drink so much, save money and stop spending!!  All easier said then done!  So what are your new years resolutions?!?!  Most people say that they are a waste of time but at least it gives you something to aim for, January can seem so dull and depressing I think it's important to have something to aim towards. 

Anyway I have some orders to sort out but will post some new designs on here soon.  I am in the process of ordering some new equipment too (what did I say about stop spending money!! ummm.... it's business surely that's allowed!)

Happy New Year
Heidi : )

Time for a few more pocket watches!!

I have been finding myself with a bit more time, don't ask me how, but I have managed to create another couple of pocketwatches which I am really pleased with.  The owl one actually sold straightaway but the 'Time for Tea' pocketwatch has just been put on my website.  I have a few more designs in the making and I am busy trying to fulfil all my ideas and designs ready for the Handmade craft fair in Winchester in November!  This event was amazing last year so please check out their website for further details: - http://www.handmadecraftfairs.co.uk/

Anyway to whet your appetite here are a few pictures of my pocketwatch necklaces: -

 

I have got some more gorgeous beads and watches on their way so I will post my new additions once they have been created.  My not so little girl has just started big school now so once I get Bonnie into a routine at home hopefully some more time will open up to allow me to get some more jewellery desigining underway!  Yay!  x

Time is of the Essence!

Well I have finally managed to get some time to myself!!  Yay!!  I don't know about you other mum's out there but whenever I get time to myself (very very rare!) I just feel in complete blind panic about what to make and how to use my time most productively.  My time was pretty limited and as I have recently brought some new Tim Holtz products, polymer clay and had some pocket watch designs to carry out I was just in a huge flap!  Anyway I managed to complete one of my pocket watches and it turned out really well, it was nice to do a bit of beading again and to put the solder torch down for a bit. 

 

I have photographed the pocket watch on some pages of an old copy of Alice In Wonderland as it just seemed so well suited!  I think the photos have come out quite well as I must admit I am not the greatest photographer but I am pleased with the results. 

I just love trying out new crafts and at the moment my head is in a spin with all the things I want to try.  My main problem is having the time to let out all my creativeness and to try all these new crafts!! It's just a shame my pocket watches don't create a bit more time in the day!!!! x

Back at last! - Huge Sale at Trinkets By Moonlight

Well all I can do is apologise for the absence of any blogs since January!!  I have several things to blame it on, actually I don't I have just one small but hugely demanding thing to blame it on, my new scrummy daughter, Bonnie.  After spending the first few months of the year feeling knackered due to being huge and pregnant I am now just knackered due to night feeds and running around like a headless chicken after my four year old and now 10 week old!  Bonnie finally arrived 12 days late on the 15th June and things have been very blurry since!  After being induced and having a fast 3 hour labour our beautiful little girl finally arrived weighing 8lb, she has gorgeous dark hair just like her daddy and is a real milk monster so growing very well, very quickly!! 

Well in between feeding, wiping bottoms and trying to keep my little monkeys entertained I have been, strangely enough, inspired!  I have had so many ideas over the past couple of weeks with new jewellery designs springing around in my head I just can't wait to get a bit of time to put them all into action.  Firstly though I am trying to make some room for new stock so I am having a sale on my website!  You can now get a huge 20% off all my stock just by entering AUG11 at checkout.  I want to make a whole new range and style so need a bit of a clear out of my other stock.  So please have a look and keep an eye out for my new range too which should hopefully, (if I get some time off for good behaviour from my girls!), be there in the next few weeks.  Keeping up with current trends my new range is going to incorporate pocket watches and also distressed photos and words, all along the lines of Alice in Wonderland.  I am so looking forward to getting it all underway!

Well I will keep you posted and will put a notice on here when my new range is on my website.

Heidi :)

Happy New Year!

So finally I get round to posting a New Year's post.  Firstly Happy New Year to you all!  I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas and have got into the swing of things this January.  It's always hard after Christmas but I think it's good to set yourself some goals to drive you through the early months of the year.  So my goals for the beginning of this year is to get some craft fairs booked in, update my website and start regularly sending a newsletter to my customers and spend some time on my new designs.  My daughter has started spending a bit more time at preschool so this will give me the opportunity to get some of these jobs underway.  Also for those of you who don't know I have another new project for June in the form of a new baby!  Yes its all very exciting and I can't wait to meet this little person who is already bumping around in my belly.  Little D is very excited although is adamant she doesn't want a little baby brother, she doesn't like boys apparently!  I think she is under the impression the baby is going to come out like one of the boys at her preschool and be all boisterous and stealing her toys!  Oh well, I have tried to explain that there isn't much that mummy and daddy can do about it and what ever will be will be!  We shall wait and see, we honestly don't mind what we have and we are sure Little D will love it when it arrives.
Well I am going to get a couple of orders out and then concentrate on my to do list!
Heidi x

Father Christmas is on his way!! Yippee!!

Well the last few weeks has been so busy I am really starting to feel a bit like one of Father Christmas' helpers!  I have been really busy with craft fairs, Christmas orders and trying to keep my website and various other on line shops up to date.  I am starting to feel a bit worn out with it all now!  I had a fantastic day at Winchester Guildhall with the H@ndmade Craft fairs, it was a really great day with lots of sales and great comments.  Having such a successful day is really lovely but meant I was then under great pressure to restock as I was at Whiteley Shopping Centre for three days last weekend.  Wow it was so cold there!  Being sat there for three days solid in the cold has resulted in me having a really lovely cold this week, just what I needed!  Anyway Whiteley was a good experience but one that I probably wouldn't repeat.  It's been a year for me trying out craft fairs to try and figure out which ones are best and to see if there is any pattern as to which ones are more profitable.  I would like to say I had figured out a pattern to it all but it seems that there is no exact science as to knowing when you are going to do well and when you won't.  It's all just trial and error, although I have made a promise to myself to not do a three day event again, it's just so tiring.  This weekend I am at the Southampton Arts and Craft Christmas Fair.  I have done this for the last couple of years and is always a really great event with lots of lovely arts and crafts.  Here are a few of my latest designs which have just been added to my website.

This pendant was created with the idea of the sea and a moonlit sky.  The small blue moonstone fits in perfectly with my overal idea and the oxidised hammered marks look like the sparkling night sea.

This piece was handcut from silver sheet and once again inspired by nature.  As I was walking around the park looking at all the wintry bare trees I thought it would be nice to capture this on a pendant.  I was really pleased with the way it turned out.

I have also been making lots of earrings with different gorgeous gemstones: -

I have used a really nice selection of gemstones, prehnite, citrine, amazonite and of course everyones favourite rose quartz! 

Well this week I have been trying to slow down a bit and thought I would just post a little piccie of my daughter helping me make a Christmas cake yesterday, all ready for Father Christmas.

The tasting was done before the Brandy was added!  I promise, although she did sleep well last night?!?! umm....

Well off to snuggle up with a Christmas DVD now with Darcy to help get us in the mood, like we need any help!

Take Care
Heidi x