Although it's Yuletide, I'm busy with two custom orders and a gallery order.

I'm also busy with preparations for an overhaul of my Etsy shop and the opening of another one! The new shop will be primarily for my drawings and called simply, elinart.

My website is also due to go live at the beginning of January. Phew!!!

There's a lovely new gallery that's just opened in one of my favourite places - Blaenavon, Wales. This picture was taken on a glorious day at the height of summer, 15 minutes walk from the town centre. It's called Keeper's pond with the majestic Sugarloaf mountain in the distance.
Anyway, the Form Gallery (no website as yet) will be stocking my jewellery from Friday this week!!

Yes... there IS life outside Etsy......

I've spent the last few days, hard at work making jewellery for galleries and shops.
New venues where you can see my felt brooches are Black Swan Arts Centre in Frome and Centrespace gallery in Bristol.

http://www.blackswan.org.uk

http://www.centrespacegallery.com

However, having said that......

My jewellery heads a trends article in the Storque.....on Etsy

http://www.etsy.com/storque/spotlight/trends-fiber-jewelry-3036/

I'm really chuffed about the level of exposure! I received so many positive emails that were super complimentary and made me feel all my hard work is worthwhile.

and again!!

Two Etsy frontpages from last week.
Great to see my crochet pieces coming up in treasuries.
Thank you.

My latest treasury makes the front page

Ahh.......how baffling are the ways of Etsy.
Hours after my treasury expired, it came up as a front page.
However, it's in a completely different order than I designed.
If you're an artist you'll know how long it takes to get a good composition!

Beautiful paintings by Hidenori Ishii, pretty cool name too!

One of the outlets that stocks my jewellery is the truly brilliant 'here' shop and gallery.

http://sparror.cubecinema.com/here/mainmenu.html

Today I found a page they made up of my exhibition I had there last year.

http://sparror.cubecinema.com/here/elinthomas1.htm

Not my photos. Seeing it reminded of the struggle I'm going to have photographing the work for my website.
It's difficult enough photographing the jewellery......much gnashing of teeth!!
I aim to persevere despite the lack of light at this time of year and my ineptitude with the camera.
Hope to post new brooches (another new design!!) in the next few days.

Check out this amazing Swedish fashion designer working with knitting.

www.sandrabacklund.com

Wow! Etsy Front page again.
I'm on a roll!!
Click on picture to enlarge

Sculptural crochet ring.....not for the fainthearted!!
Available in my Etsy shop on Monday.

Yesterday I finished a course with the wonderful William Bloom. Check out his site for more information.
www.williambloom.com

All the members of the group contributed to a book to thank him. My contribution was a free form paper cut that is a definite homage to Rob Ryan, whose work I really admire.
www.misterrob.co.uk

New stlye of brooch! - I'm working on the theme of coral, basically to learn how to crochet. Lots of inspiration for the theme on Flickr, especially the amazing 'gooseflesh'.

What a end to a cracking day, getting my first Etsy front page with one of my new crochet pieces.

Many thanks to marieflyfly.
www.marieflyfly.etsy.com

Great treasury for me....I'm a couple of months into a serious obsession with all things grey.

Any crafter worth their salt is a supplies junkie!!

Today's post brought some goodies from the Etsy supplies shop - Atomicveggiecom.


Ooooh yes....and some great news from across the pond!

Just found out I've been selected for 'ArtPresence' at the Centrespace Gallery in Bristol.

Work in Progress.

Here's a crochet ring I'm working on at the moment. Below is one of the first incarnations that had green elements. You can see the finished ring in my Etsy shop soon.

A recent purchase on ebay.
Although ebay turned me into a gibbering wreck, it does have it's moments.
Last week I bought an amazing 45 balls of DMC crochet cotton for £10.39.