sasha + max studio

Well, here we are... Christmas Eve, and all is quiet in our neighbourhood.  Wishing you and your families all the best for the holidays. Thanks for your support over the last year. As is usual in our house, there's jewellery given to friends and family for gifts. Here are a couple of simple beaded pieces that I made for family, and as these have already been given  it's not spoiling anyone's surprise by showing you these!  Both feature pendants by Nancy Adams of Round Rabbit. The first is for my sister-in-law, Lone. She loves green, so the mix of malachite with seed beads and a connector from Chinook meets the brief.   The second is for my niece, Hannah who is 13. The pendant is one that I've held on to for a while. On another note, I'm thinking of shutting my Etsy store after 4 years. It's been very quiet (no sales since April), possibly due to the change / loosening of  who can sell on Etsy , and the overseas shipping costs which are extor...

Woohoo!  In one week I'll be on a break for 2 weeks, at home, doing whatever takes my fancy. Cant wait! Must say its been the hardest year in terms of how much the day job in design has taken out of me - consistently intense, deadlines with no down time.  Have enjoyed it but won't be able to maintain this level of pace in the New Year. I'm looking forward to reintroducing myself to exercise - have forgotten what it is like to have a lunch break and time to go to gym, and my waist line has expanded accordingly... ouch... There is always beading time however - funny how I manage to squeeze that it - it keeps me sane. Here are some new pieces. I'm hoping for a new camera from Santa...hint hint to hubby Kev.... Tahitian Earrings I've reworked the blue Pinocean beads.  I like this combo. Sputnik Earrings

I've been making these necklaces for a few years and they sell well as gifts for all ages of women.  I always love the variety that the hand made pendants paired with chirimen cord provide. Pendants shown in this post are by the lovely ladies from Chinook and Round Rabbit. All are listed in my Made it Store . Etsy has been so slow that I'm focussing on Made it these days - seems to be lots of looking but not much buying on Etsy. No sales since April. I'm curious to hear if anyone else has found Etsy tailing off. Since the rules of who can sell have expanded its appeal has diluted in my humble view. What are your thoughts?

Blue Filigree Blue Filigree I have had some large pendants that I bought from Round Rabbit a while ago, and they are seriously much bigger than I usually bead with, leaving me somewhat perplexed as to what to do with them. I set up a pattern and basically modified from there with colour. Filigree Necklace Filigree Necklace Lavender Filigree Lavender Filigree      

Hi there, I know its been a while, hope you have all been well. A package arrived this week in the mail of Etsy buys from Cinnamon Jewellery -  lovely enamel drops that have kept me busy today. Spice Earrings Spring Earring s Apologies for some of the images quality- my camera was not cooperating.  I'm not sure about the last pair - bit odd maybe? I'd love your thoughts !

It's been raining almost non stop for about 8 days in Sydney, and winter has hit us. A great time to stay indoors and have some quality beading time. Mosaic Bracelet Early this year, my friend Sue asked me if I could teach her how to bead. We booked a date, and then her friend Lynne asked to join in. What has resulted is a social beading girls club at my place, and yesterday was meeting no.3. I get out some of my bead stash and the girls bring some treats, wine and of course beads along as well.  We kick off with a nice cup of tea and some sweet treats, then get into it for a few hours, and round it out with wine and cheese and more chat. Dining table as work bench Lynne hard at work Sue playing with earring styles Sue and Lynne 's skills are coming along really well - they are working through getting to know the jargon (head pins are not called sticks!), design composition, crimping and learning to be patient with microscopic beads. Next time they w...

It's a glorious long weekend here - Queens Birthday celebration - a good reason not to become a republic, perhaps? Mint Julep Lots of beading time and bending wire to make ear hooks, which has been a real pleasure after 2 bouts of nasty cold  /flu business in 4 weeks.  Some pieces have been added to the shop, and the others will be listed over the next week or so.   Luna Earrings Baby elephants Luna Turquoise   I have also made myself a new basic short necklace- sits just below the neck above a scoop neck line - I wear heaps of black for work ( I know, architects and designers, we are are such cliches!). It's made of onyx and wood. If you would like to buy one let me know via comments and I can make another. Also made myself a wood and terracotta piece - will have to give this one a trial run and I'm not sure if it is a success - chain may be a bit chunky and wont sit flat.. test drive on today...

Day 2 of my 2 day course at the Gaffa gallery - 30C weather and indoors for most of the day with a kiln running at 800C makes for hot work - maybe sweated off a few kilos! Some of these pieces will be worked into jewellery over the Easter break.  This pair of charms was made by enamellling a white base coat, and then cutting a stencil in a chevron pattern and overlaying the yellow - I'm very happy with these.  The flowers are very simple enamelled both sides - deceptively time consuming but worth it. Simple washer rings with colour both faces. And a pendant - did not have time to enamel the back face so this may become a piece for me. Now, if only I can win the lottery, buy a new house with a studio.... aah, we can dream . Many thanks to the wonderful tutor, Alida Capelletta - her work is beautiful, and she is a woman of infinite patience.

My Sunday was spent at the Gaffa Gallery , a gallery and studios in the Sydney city centre that has a jewellery focus. Wanting to do the enamelling course for a while, today was the first of 2 Sundays with the excellent and very patient teacher, Alida. We learnt the basics and made several trial pieces. It is not the sort of thing you can replicate at home in a high-rise apartment as your need a kiln and a serious extractor fan , but it is worth doing the get the creative juices going - mine have stalled for a quite a few weeks due to a sick mum (now on the mend after breast cancer, and doing very well) and some intense emotionally draining weeks at the day job. Here are my experiments, some successful, so not so much! Apologies for some of the photo quality - the afternoon light is fading here but I was keen to post on the blog as it has been a while. We played with plain glazes, glass rods and dots. I think that my favourites are the white pieces.  Next Sunday will be...

It is a very wet weekend in Sydney - rain and wind both blowing sideways.  As rain seems to be the forecast everyday for the next month, after retiring 2 dodgy umbrellas, I bought myself a grown up one by Blunt from Top3 , a great design store at the bottom of my street. The umbrella is meant to be invincible... here's hoping, as I live in the windiest suburb in Sydney! Here is a  recent pieces using lots of gorgeous beads. Blogger is playing up and wont let me post any more images.. grrr..a mind of its own ! Carnival Necklace                                                                                                                             ...

Yesterday was Australia Day - steamy hot and humid, so a good time to hang in the studio with the air con blowing.  Total contrast to my northern hemisphere family who sent photos of my 2 year old twin nephews in their London backyard playing in the snow having built a snowman. Here are a couple of new pieces whose colours and textures have been inspired by my Australian roots. The second one has one of my favourite birds made by LeAnn of Summers Studio . LeAnn gets so much character into such a simple piece.