Blogin ensimmäinen arvonta!

Blogini on ollut vasta hetken pystyssä ja laskurista päätellen tänne ei moni ole vielä löytänyt. Nyt alkaa kuitenkin 1000 vierailun raja lähestyä, joten ajattelin pistää pystyyn ensimmäisen blogiarvontani. Idea on kaikessa yksinkertaisuudessaan tämä: kun laskuri näyttää tuhatta, otan arvontaan ilmoittautuneiden joukon ylös ja arvon heidän keskensä palkinnon. Palkinto on yllättäen koruaiheinen. :)

Osallistuaksesi sinun tarvitsee vain kommentoida tätä postausta. Jos olet kirjautuneena Bloggeriin, riittää, että sanot jotain. Jos sinulla ei kuitenkaan ole Blogger-tiliä tarvitsen jonkinlaisen nimen ja kontaktitiedon, että saan sinuun tarvittaessa yhteyden. Jos et halua jättää sähköpostisosoitettasi, voit kommentoida nimimerkillä ja laittaa minulle postia osoitteeseen niina.kuorikoski (at) gmail.com ja kertoa nimimerkkisi.  

Saat nimesi arvontaan kahdesti jos kerrot lisäksi blogistani omassa blogissasi tai linkität sen Facebook-profiiliisi. Muista mainita tästä ja laittaa linkki kommenttiisi.

Nyt siis kertomaan kavereillekin blogistani, että saadaan kävijäraja rikki ja arvonta pystyyn! Kiitän.

Korut vie, minä vikisen!

Laitoin viime lauantaina silloin otettuja korukuvia myyntiin Facebookiin. Sunnuntaina kun avasin koneen oli monissa kommentteja ja useita kiinnostuneita. Viimeiset 4 päivää onkin mennyt vastaillessa kommentteihin ja viesteihin, ketjujen pituuksia muuttaessa ja koruja pakatessa. Eilen sitten kiikutin 16 pakettia postiin ja lisää on lähdössä kun maksut ilmestyvät tilille. Muutama jo tänään näkyikin.

Noiden lähetysten joukossa oli myös Yhdysvaltoihin paketti. Eräs kissoja pelastava ja hoitava nainen järjestää Halloween-huutokaupan, johon hän pyysi minulta koruja. Olen lähettänyt niitä hänelle ennenkin, on ihanaa auttaa edes pienesti ihmistä, joka tekee paljon hyvää kissojen hyväksi. Pidän kovasti hänen kuviensa ja videoidensa katselemisesta. Tälläkin hetkellä hänellä on hoivattavana aivan pieniä kissanpentuja, joita on pitänyt pulloruokkia muutaman tunnin välein. Kuvia ei voi katsoa huokailematta! Katsokaa nyt vaikka tätä: Kissanpentuja

Minua on pitänyt kiireisenä myös loput tilaukseni. Tilasin viime viikolla korutarvikkeita monesta suunnasta muun muassa Halloween-korujani varten. Maanantaina ja tiistaina saapuivat kovasti odottamani Biconen paketti sekä Briteistä asti tilaamani korpit, noidat ja kurpitsat. Pääsin tekemään loppuun aiemmin aloittamani korvakorut ja rannekorut, joissa käytin muun muassa oransseja ja liloja helmiä. On inspiroivaa tehdä tuollaisia teemakoruja! Odotan jo joulunalusaikaa ja sitä, että ehdin tarttua tilaamiini lumihiutaleisiin ja muihin riipuksiin.

Eilen postista tullessani loikin innoissani taas Clas Ohlssonille. Minusta on tulossa melkoinen kanta-asiakas. Siippakin kysyi eilen saako sinne jotain kanta-asiakaskorttia kun minä siellä koko ajan käyn. Heh! Syy vierailuuni oli tällä kertaa pöytälamppu. Työpöytänihän on olohuoneessa. Siellä on kaksi kattovaloa, mutta näin iltojen pimentyessä ne eivät riitä. Lenksujen sulkeminen ja muu korutyöskentely vaatii kunnon valaistuksen, joten päätin lakata siristelemästä ja ostaa pöytälampun. On muuten hieno ja käteväkin, koska sitä voi säätää kolmesta kohtaa. Käyttöön sitä en ole vielä saanut, koska pöhkö myyjäsetä myi minulle aivan vääränkokoisen lampun, mutta ainakin runko on valmiina.

Lampun lisäksi ostin kirjekuoria ja pakkausteippiä postituksiin sekä toisen, pienemmän säilytyslokerikon. Jep, sorruin! En saanut mielestäni ajatusta helmien järjestämisestä, joten pakko se oli saada. Tämä on huomattavasti matalampi kuin rakas 60-lokerikkoinen tilaihmeeni, mutta juuri sopiva helmilleni. Kyllä nyt kelpaa!

Päätin muuten pistää pystyyn ensimmäisen blogiarvontani. Siitä lisää erillisessä postauksessa hetken päästä.

Getting busy

I ordered some Halloween-appropriate charms on Monday along with some ring bases. All of the orders haven't arrived yet but three of them are here! Both Kirjohelmi and Esteriina delivered my orders within days and the materials were of good quality. I knew this about Kirjohelmi, this was my third order to them, I think, and I have also visited their "offices" in June. They have become a favourite and I will certainly order from them again. However, also Esteriina made a good first impression: I was pleased with all the things I got. In addition to these, one of the orders I made through Ebay also arrived, all the way from The UK. I'm like a kid in the candy shop when that happens and I get to open the packages and see the materials. It never fails to make me smile. 

So yesterday I took my materials, picked out some of my favourite charms and made some rings. Here are a few of them.

Cats, of course! These are from Kirjohelmi and the British shop.

A heart with paws and a pretty heart

Can you see that I'm already thinking of winter? 

Now that my orders have started to arrive, I have been able to finish some of my Halloween pieces. I made a few of them with the cat charms I already had but just had to wait for the new, black cats, before finishing some of the others. So here they are, ready to be sold and donated to the two Halloween auctions cat pages are having next month. Now I just have to decide which ones go where. Not an easy task, I tell you! I hope you like the photos!

Sad kitties

Cats in Halloween colours. These were also an Ebay purchase.

A selection of different cats

My favourite black cats from The UK with some purple and black beads

Coming up: Halloween jewellery!

I was asked to make some Halloween jewellery for an auction to help cats. I took out all my black and orange beads yesterday and, today, started working with them. I made a few bracelets - with guess what charms? Yep, cats! They look pretty cool together! Purple and black will be next.

When I came online, I found myself on Ebay scrolling through charms and pendants. I found something cool - like I always do - so now I'm waiting for more cats along with witches and pumpkins! I just couldn't resist.

Anyone who wants to celebrate Halloween with a Halloween bracelet, earrings or perhaps a necklace: you know who to message!

Ajatuksia ajasta

Olen sen verran uusi tässä korumaailmassa, että en ole tullut ajatelleeksi aiemmin miten ajan kulumista tulisi ennakoida. Yliopistossa työskennellessäni oli selvää milloin uudet opetussuunnitelmat piti tehdä tai milloin opinto-opasta piti käydä läpi ja päivittää. En kuitenkaan ennen ole ollut missään tekemisissä kaupan alan tai vastaavan kanssa, joten ajatus sesongeista ja niiden vaihtumisesta ei ole tullut mieleeni.

Tuossa yksi päivä Facebookia selatessani heräsin tähän ajatukseen, että tosiaan, jotkut miettivät jo joulumarkkinoita. Käsityökirppiksellä nimittäin olivat ihmiset laittaneet myyntiin tarvikkeita joulujuttuihin ja muut olivat niitä ostamassa. Ja minäkö olen elänyt vielä kesää!

Niinpä olen sitten yrittänyt kääntää päätäni syksy- ja talviasentoon. Olen mm. ostanut samaiselta Käsityökirppikseltä joulukuusi- ja lumihiutaleriipuksia, tehnyt yhden kissanpeiton kutomalla ja miettinyt punaisten helmien tilaamista erilaisiin ranne- ja korvakoruihin. Olen myös täydentänyt sydänriipusvarastojani, mielestäni sydämet sopivat hyvin jouluun. Muistan edelleen äidilläni olleet punaiset, muoviset sydämenmuotoiset piparimuotit, joilla leivoimme piparkakkuja aina ennen joulua. Paras osa taisi mielestäni olla koristelu: niihin oli kiva piirrellä kuvioita ja kirjoittaa sokerikuorrutuksella. Joulunaikaan liittyy paljon hyviä muistoja.

Eilen sain syksyinspiraation ja kaivoin esille kaikki oranssit ja mustat lasihelmet sekä howliitti-kiviset pääkallot. Ajattelin tehdä niistä Halloweenin inspiroimia koruja kissojen auttamiseksi sekä itselle myyntiin. Taidanpa tarttua niihin jo tänään!

Pääkalloja kerrakseen. Kuva: Bicone Design

Työn alla ovat näiden vuodenaikajuttujen lisäksi sormukset. Tein muutaman sormuksen pitkän aikaa sitten ostamistani pohjista. Toiselle niistä oli kolme ostajaa, joten lupasin tehdä lisää. Etsin eilen sitten ympäri nettiä sormuspohjia. Tänään laitan tilaukset menemään - toivottavasti heillä on nopea toimitus.

Happiness is a storage tower

We took some jewellery photos last night. While we were on that, my honey snapped a few photos of my work space for me. I like my desk a lot because of all the space I have. I have my necessities on it: a CD player, some elephants and a lot of materials, most of which are nicely organised - thanks to my tower there. I think I will get another one a little later to get all my beads organised, too. 

Prayer beads, an update

Last time I blogged I told you about a set of prayer beads I was making and my decision to make. I decided to use jewellery nails and put 2 or 3 beads on each one, linking them together to make a long strand. It took quite a while to make the set with all the clipping and bending of nails and the linking. When I finished it, I didn't like the way the set felt and looked. It was heavy and somehow awkward and there were too many hoops.

So, today, I took apart the whole thing and made the set again with wire. I made four strands of 20 or 21 beads and then linked them. I put a short strand with three beads at the end and then attached the cross. I am quite pleased with the result. I hope my customer will like it!

Prayer beads

A while ago, I received an order for a set of prayer beads. The customer asked for red beads so I went to Bicone and looked up beads that I could use. She chose waxed red beads with a sort of a fire colour to them. I also found a few crosses for her to choose from and when she had picked one, made the order. I included a few other crosses for other sets of prayer beads I could make and sent it in.

The order arrived while I was in Kokkola. After I had come back home, I took the beads and the cross and made a set of prayer beads using metallic wire. The wire is very strong so I thought it could handle about 90 beads. I was wrong. I finished the set and as I was handling it, the wire snapped. I was astounded.

I thought of a few other options for the set and messaged my customer. She said that she trusts my judgement and said that I can decide on a model. According to her, she will love the result anyway. So now I am faced with a decision: do I use wire for smaller strands that I attach with hoops or do I use jewellery nails and put 2 or 3 beads on each one, linking them together to make a long strand. I will keep you posted and let you know what I decide. 

By the way, did you know that many religions use prayer beads and each have guidelines for the number of beads there should be in each set? It was quite fascinating to google prayer beads and learn a little more of them. 

From a chaos to an organised chaos

I just spent about 1 and a half weeks with my family in Kokkola. I have this habit of taking jewellery materials with me and since we were going to the market place, my jewellery, too. It is kinda nuts packing it all up and all but I can't stand the idea of not being able to make something if I get inspired so I do it anyway. This time, I filled one of those handy plastic cases that are meant for nails and such which made much more sense than a bunch of small plastic bags I had with me in Helsinki in June. Those things are handy. 

I used most of the materials when I made some new pieces for the market place. However, there were new charms I got in the mail just as I was leaving for the railway station. I had ordered them from The UK thinking they would be waiting for me when I got back home but they arrived early. I just couldn't resist so I took the packages with me. I bought another storage case in Kokkola, from Clas Ohlsson, and filled it with charms, chains and my jewellery. When I got back home and piled them on my desk, it became even more apparent that I need to do something to get my materials organised. There are two many things in plastic bags, my drawers, several of those cases and in different boxes and lids and whatnot. My desk that I called huge upon its arrival had begun to look rather small.

So today, I went to Clas Ohlsson again and bought a huge thingy that has 60 small compartments. I haven't even filled it up yet and I am already in love! It is one of these, mine is the one that looks like a replica of an apartment building or, in other words, second from the right.

Tomorrow I am going to take all my metallic cat, horse, dog, shoe, rainbow, owl, cupcake, skull, horse shoe, tree, elephant and other charms and put them in their own separate boxes. Then I can put away all those cases I have on the desk and free up some much-needed space. It will be easier to work when I have more space and I can spread out all the parts I am using at a certain time. I think I might also test the idea I got from the sales person today and glue a sample part, so to say, to the outside of each small compartment so I will know what is in each compartment by just glancing at them. I like the sound of that!

I wonder how long it will be until I go back and get a second thingy.

I'm singing in the rain, or more like I'm soaking in it

Last Wednesday, I got ready to go to the market place here in Kokkola. The evening event starts officially at 5pm but since my parents were leaving somewhere in the car, I took them up on the offer to go there before 4. The sky was a little cloudy so my dad reminded me to take an umbrella. I shrugged and said I am sure it is not going to rain. Um, should've listened.

They took me to a good spot with all my stuff, set up the table for me and left. I took my time organising my pieces into the displays. There were a lot of people setting things up and some visitors already walking around. I was just about the be done when I got I noticed it was starting to drizzle. About 2 minutes later it was pouring. I could've ran somewhere to take cover but I couldn't leave my jewellery so I just stood there, trying to cover at least some of my pieces with the umbrella that my mom had brought - thank goodness. It soon became clear that this was not a shower since the rain didn't show any signs of stopping. And then, we got thunder. At that point, I was pretty much ready to leave as soon as my parents would drive there and get me.

I stood in the rain for over an hour. At some point, my mom rang and asked if I wanted to leave. I said that now that the rain has stopped, I want to stay and sell at least something after getting everything out on the table and standing in the rain. She said that she'd join me.

By the time my mom arrived with her knitted items, the sun was shining. Luckily the table cloth we had on the table was the kind of material that dries quickly so the table didn't look that bad after a while. I poured the water out of my jewellery displays (thank goodness for plastic!) and wiped the jewellery with kitchen paper. As the clouds moved away, the people arrived and we ended up having a pretty nice and successful evening. My grandmother came to see us which was an added bonus, so to say. Below are a few photos.



As you can see, the table was a little wet at this point.



My new creations, strands for keys. Many kids seemed to like that yellow mouse.



Earrings in the centre



Peacocks!



Bracelets and ankle bracelets