Mid March Maddness

The year has got off to such a crazy start and we are already half way through March! And what an eventful year it has been.

Since my last blog, quite a lot has happened! We have moved house, set up my new studio, attended the Design Indaba in Cape Town (what a treat!), started exhibiting at the monthly markets at the Village Complex and we are expecting an addition to our family ; ). Exciting time ahead.

I am currently working on an exhibition that will run for two weeks in the Omba gallery in Windhoek. I am exhibiting jewellery with 5 very talented jewellery designers in Windhoek. I am looking forward to the challenge of creating a series, based on my final year body of work at Stellenbosch University.

So I will keep this blog post short and sweet and hope that you will all excuse me until the 17th of April when the exhibition opens. Lots to do and my list of orders doesn't seem to be getting any shorter!

Have a look at some of the orders from the past month:

 

New heart pendants. Available @ The Village Complex Market

 

New Silver shape bracelets

 

New brass studs

 

GPS co-ordinate wedding bands

 

Silver and 9ct yellow gold wishbone ring

 

Silver ring with gold leaves

 

Brass Pendant. 'Brings Victory'.

 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! x

Welcome the new year with colour!

New year. New resolutions. New house. New Studio. New ideas. New range.

We were in Swakopmund for the weekend and I stumbled upon the most amazing trade beads from Ghana. I have loved trade beads since I found out what they were. How fabulous would it be to have brightly coloured beads in all shapes, sizes and colours as our currency! I would be a much more conservative spender that I can guarantee... I would want to hold onto each and every bead! Each bead is unique. Each bead was made by hand and no matter the similarity in colour or shape, they each possess a very unique quality.

I was so inspired by the beads that I came back to Windhoek with quite a collection! As much as I love collecting, I am by no means a hoarder. My husband is a very conservative spender and very practical, so before I buy something, I need to be able to tell him exactly what I intend to do with my new purchase... unfortunately some projects do take a while. I have a cupboard full of fabric waiting to be turned into curtains, quilts, tablecloths, bunting and who knows what else. So in my mind, as long as I have a plan, the purchase is justified ; ).

Back to the trade beads: The most logical solution for my trade beads - combine them with silver and turn them into wonderful colourful jewellery! And with the launch of the Village's monthly organic market coming up, I thought it would be a great opportunity to launch a few of the new trade bead pieces.

I hope you enjoy these pieces as much as I do!

 

Have a lovely weekend!

Wrapping up 2013

I have finally brushed off the last silver in my bench skin. The last orders for 2013 are wrapped and ready to go!

I will spend the next week getting my studio in order for a busy 2014! I have some ideas for a new range and hope to present new pieces at an exhibition early in the new year. I have some exciting new ideas for exhibitions next year - details to follow ; ) watch this space!

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you who have played a role in getting my business off to such a great start this year! I have been so extremely blessed and give all the glory to God. He is good and so so faithful! A few months ago, I read somewhere, that the essential purpose of business, is to bring glory to God. I pray that that would always be my vision!

I have been blown away by the amazing support of friends and surprised by the positive reaction to my jewellery in Namibia! Whether you are wearing numerous items of my jewellery, have spoilt your wife or girlfriend to one of my pieces, visited my exhibitions and markets or enthusiastically followed my blog (...dankie papa!), THANK YOU.

The biggest thank you goes to my husband. This business is definitely a partnership! When I was just starting out, he would encourage me every evening when he got home by looking at my days work and getting excited with me for each and every item sold. He would spend evenings building display cases and coming up with new ideas for the business. Excel sheet upon excel sheet he designed for his technologically challenged wife...

2014 will be a year filled with exciting new adventures! I hope to keep you all interested for another awesome year with beautiful jewellery and exciting new ideas and projects. I will also finally have a room all to myself, just for my studio! No guests sleeping on the sleeper couch next to the acid pot ; )... just a side note: To all our friends and family who spent a night in the studio: whilst the sleeper couch might have felt like you were sleeping on a wooden floor, I think each one of you have been sprinkled with some 9ct gold dust! Count yourselves very special.

My work for the year is finally done and now I can dust off my files, do some final Christmas shopping, pack my bags for Mozambique and give my workshop assistant some TLC before he heads off for a month long holiday at the doggy lodge.

Friends in Swakopmund, I will be exhibiting at Oscar & Olive form 09h00 till 12h00. Come and pop in for a hello and some Christmas shopping! Final opportunity for my work to be on display for 2013.

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas and New Year! May the festive season refresh you and have you excited and ready for what 2014 holds! May you cherish the time with friends and family, and not take any moment for granted.

Here are some final pieces.

 

Wedding bands for a beautiful couple. Can't wait for their wedding!

 

18ct Rose gold and Blue Sapphire. This one took a lot of thought, for a very special aunt of mine.

 

Wedding bands to match.

 

Africa.

 

Daisy daisy...

 

A very special piece for a daughter.

 

Gold jewellery for a busy mom!

 

 

A BIG THANK YOU to the best assistant I could have ever asked for. Helping out at every market in the past month. Ek waardeer jou hulp so baie. Jy inspireer my met al jou mooie idees!

 

Happy holidays. Till next year. x

Countdown festivities!

The countdown has begun!

22 working days left
24 days till we are on our way to SA, driving in our bakkie, snacking on roadtrip sandwiches and looking forward to 4 glorious weeks of holiday : )
33 days left till Christmas

Those 22 working days are jam packed with exhibitions, Christmas markets and the last of my Christmas orders!

I apologise for the 'skimpy' post today, but I am on my way to a school to do a small jewellery exhibition for the teachers. I just thought I would share a few orders from the past week. 9ct yellow gold jewellery.

 

A pomegranate pendant. The pomegranate is the only fruit with a crown, she's the queen...

 

A pendant for a young gorgeous mum with the birthdates of her two kids.

 

9ct yellow gold earrings.

 

9ct yellow gold tear drop rings.

 

Hope to see you all at the Jenny's place market on Saturday! 09h00 till 12h00. Come an enjoy all the handmade products and Christmas goodies!

 

 

Orders...

Orders. What a grown up word! I can honestly say that these past few weeks have been the busiest I have ever been with work. Completing orders, organizing my Christmas orders and trying to squeeze them all in before my husband and I escape Windhoek for some beautiful beaches in Mozambique and some much anticipated family time in South Africa.

So, for the next few weeks I am enjoying using these very 'grown up' phrases..
"Sorry doll, I can't meet you for lunch today I'm so behind with orders"
"Dear Client, please take note that there is a waiting list for Christmas orders"
"Im going out for the morning to deliver some orders"
And when my husband calls in the mornings just to check what I'm up to, I can say "Ek bel jou later terug ek is gou besig met n klient"

Who would have thought ; )

It is a very peculiar feeling to be so busy when your work has always felt like a fun hoby you get to do everyday. Im not complaining! I have been so blessed this year with the new business. Thanks to you all!

Before I get too soppy with my 'seasons greatings thanks for the support blah blah blah' messages. lets how some orders I have been working on!

 

Lovely weekend to all of you!

 

Congratulations!

This past weekend was a weekend of engagements! I made two engagement rings this past month and was dying to share them with you all, but had to wait for the lucky engaged girls to see them first ; ). Luckily for me, I get to share them both with you on the same day as they both got engaged this past weekend!

The first ring I made was for a couple I got to know at our church in Windhoek. Paul and Saskia. Paul is sincere and has a heart of gold! Saskia has the most beautiful blonde curls, bubbly personality and gorgeous voice. The first time I met her she was playing guitar in the worship band - and she has the most amazing voice!

Paul en Saskia - Baie geluk! Wat n voorreg om die ring te kon maak vir jou prinses Paul. Julle is awesome saam en ons is saam met julle opgewonde vir die ongelooflike pad wat julle saam gaan stap!

 

18ct Rose gold and princess cut diamond

 

The next ring I made was for Dawid and Elske. Right from the start this was a tricky one, because we had to get Elske's ring size somehow without asking a friend and without giving her and indication that he had plans to get engaged. Top secret projects - my favourite! Dawid knew exactly what he wanted. A cognac cushion cut diamond. And let me tell you. Those aren't easy to come by!! We finally found the right stone, and it was gorgeous! I only recently met Elske but I knew this diamond was perfect for her.

 

Dawid en Elske - baie baie geluk! Ek is vreeslik bly vir julle! Elske, ek hoop jy kan ons vergewe vir al die geheime en wegsteek, maar ek glo jy sal saam stem dit was die emoeite werd! Mag julle lewe saam net ongelooflik geseend wees.

 

 

 

18ct rose gold and Cognac cushion cut diamond

 

Beautiful Tuesday to you all : )

Tente 2013: Tick!

What a week! Where to begin...

 

When starting a business - goals are essential. Just to keep you going, keep you motivated, and most importantly - keep you busy when business is a bit slower than usual!

 

Preparing for tente kept me super busy these past three months. There is nothing more satisfying than unwrapping boxes of weeks worth of handwork and finallybeing able to share them with your clients.

 

Tente was a great experience. Hard work packing up everyday, but I had the best company and sales assistant I could ever ask for. My very own Mama! She flew in to help me with tente, and spent a few extra days visiting. What a treat! After the craziness of 3 days of tente and all the prepping before, we could finally enjoy a few lazy days of coffee shops and long walks with my workshop assistant... (Who Im seriously considering 'letting-go'... since summer has arrived in Windhoek, he prefers the kitchen floor for snoozing to my studio upstairs where it is quite a bit hotter! )

 

The beautiful disply cases and ladders were built by my awesome husband! Weekends I spent working on jewellery, he worked in the garage on my display cases. I think he might be part german as well, the perfectionist streak is very prominent! He was such a great help with tente, I couldnt have done it without him.

 

Thanks so much to all our friends who came by to support! Our stall was bustling with 'ooo's' and 'aaaa's' all day, and thats thanks to all our supporters! Hope all the windhoek ladies are enjoying their jewellery : )

 

Tente 2013: tick! 

 

 

Brass bangles: last minute tente stock!

 

Table displays.

 

My Mama brought me a beautiful bunch of fynbos and proteas, fresh from Cape Town : ) What a spoil!

 

My beautiful ladder built by hubby (now serves as a very handy stand on the stoep for all my pots and herbs)

 

My gorgeous sales assistant!

 

 

Danke Mam. Lieb dich!