Sunken Treasure

I made this necklace and earrings last week, the necklace is made from a vintage pendant and turquoise beads and antique gold chains, I may be far too romantic here but I think it looks like a something from Tudor times that went down with a ship and has been dredged up again...

break in : heart break

I've had such a hideous week. Some evil person broke into my flat and stole my Great Grandmothers ring that I've cherished since my gran gave it to me when I was a lot younger. So angry and upset about it. I mainly feel frustrated because there is nothing I can do about it and I don't feel comfortable in my own home right now. I'm also gutted because although I wore it a lot I was specifically going to wear it on my wedding day next year with other matching jewellery. People are so horrible.

My friend did get me these gorgeous sunflowers to cheer me up and they really did brighten my day...

Painting Royalty

Over the past few months I've been in contact with the lovely ladies from the Kingdom of Style, which was one of the first blogs I ever stumbled across, I've been an addict ever since and adore the their posts and individual style. I wanted to paint portraits of them so I asked Queen Marie and Queen Michelle to send me photos that they thought typically represented themselves. This is the result of one of the pictures Queen Marie sent.

I loved the unusual composition of her photo and the stunning mix of her red hair and emerald green coat, to see the original photo go here to where Queen Marie has written a very kind post about the painting. It was great to be involved in a project with such a lovely lady.

Thanks for working with me Queen Marie x

Chandeliers, Cogs and Sea Sponge...

I spent a lovely few hours earlier this week watching The War Bride (great outfits) and giving myself blisters creating this necklace, and I've been putting together random outfits since then to give me every opportunity to wear it. It's got old watch cogs, antique chandelier droplets and beautiful bright sponge coral beads on it.

I think tomorrow I'll team it with this other one I made a little while back and go for chain tassel overload.

Bloom

I made my own version of the flower necklace from accesorize, I think I'm going to make some more in different colours.

anew

After a recent sojourn to Greece I am back and starting anew and determined to start posting more often.

I went into town yesterday to meet a friend and have cupcakes at the Hummingbird bakery - so so scrumptious, and then I went to the Whitechapel Gallery to see the Elizabeth Peyton exhibition.

I've loved her work since I was in school and it was so good to see such a big collection of her work in one place. We have completley different styles but her work gives me the urge to paint. I was particularly happy to see my favourite 'Tony (Kiss)' which I had a printout of on my wall for about five years.

There was another exhibition called simply 'Painting' and here I fell in love with Emily Wolfe's paintings. I would love to have 'Haunt' on my wall. They are so realistic and beautifully painted.

Haunt 2006 www.pageblackiegallery.co.nz

Lace Curtains 2000 www.pataka.org.nz

Sunrise 2004 www.theagencygallery.co.uk

I have a bit of a thing for paintings of windows especially with people looking out of them, when I announced to a friend I wanted to do a picture of a girl looking out of a window with net curtains a while ago, she pointed out that I had already done one like this of her when I was in college. I may just go and start that painting now....

Treasure

Good things regularly lurk in Quality Street tins, especially when the old tin is your Gran's button box. My Gran's just moved house and I've been lucky to inherit the button box which I spent hours rummaging in when I was little. It's been well and truly ransacked over the years (I've always been a magpie) but there are still a few treasure inside...

I love this 50's spaceman tin so much - I used to keep my popper beads in it when I was tiny - it makes me all nostalgic... My Mum found it and gave it to me and it has some amazing coral coloured vintage plastic objects in it that I will make into earrings So many goodies!