The Wonderful World of Ocean Jasper

Such a diverse and gorgeous gemstone, the best Ocean Jasper is sourced from Madagascar. No two pieces of this stunning gemstone are ever identical, with unique patterns and colour combinations, occasionally with little druzy (and sometimes not so little druzy) crystal caves thrown in for good measure. This gemstone has something for everyone to enjoy, whatever their taste in gemstones. (Just a couple of Ocean Jasper items available to buy in my shop at the moment!) Ocean Jasper is also called Orbicular Jasper and is formed of a gemstone rich in quartz, called rhyolite. The little orbs are created by tiny, radiating crystals around a core of quartz and these form the round, pea like structures we see in this form of Jasper. The stone can have back ground colours of green, red, yellow, white and pink - and every combination in between! Crystal druzys are common. Sometimes the gemstone forms grape-like or botroidal shapes. The varied colours are formed by inclusions of organic material as the gemstone is being formed. This alters the chemical composition of the gemstone. The addition of iron oxide also has a marked effect on the colour of the gemstones. In gem lore, Ocean Jasper is said to protect against evil spirits and to align the chakras. It also said to help pain and to heal emotions. It is the alternative birthstone for January and the zodiac stone for Aquarius and Leo. Please see some of the gorgeous items from folksy artisans, created from this gorgeous gemstone: This beautiful carved fish, made into a unique keyring, by Natalie Ofkants This stunning bracelet features a gorgeous focal Ocean Jasper, with several colours and patterns withinn the one stone - typical of this gemstones diversity. This bracelet is by Theresa Hing A showcase of bold colours - this beautiful necklace by Blue Forest Jewellery features Ocean Jasper Nuggets These last two pieces show how diverse the stone can be, shown here with greens, pinks and whites. Thank you all so much for looking - I hope you will take a moment to have a look on Folksy for further pieces of Ocean Jasper. Jacqueline x

Is this Summer? It is gorgeous out there!

After a fantastic bank holiday weekend with weather you can usually on dream of, it has continued to be sunny again today. It MUST be summer! I am feeling the need to show you a montage of summer inspired delights from fellow folksy artisans. Please click on the pictures for a direct link to the item in the designers shops - whilst there, please feel free to look at all their other items and perhaps make a purchase.....? This stunning pendant, featuring sea glass by Faith Bowman, reminds me of beach combing on a warm summers evening. This is gorgeous! Sunny sunflowers ACEO By Natalie Ofkants - what better way to shout SUMMER! than this? This shell jewellery set by Jacqueline Ostrowka is beautiful - perfect for a beach wedding perhaps? This beautiful padded glasses case with sailing boats by Sandra Taylor reminds me of watching the Yacht Race during Cowes Week. Perfect for your sunglasses too! Another super bag by Ann Chandler. The summery fabric really lends itself to being used for exciting outings and picnics in all this gorgeous weather. Oooh! Summer strawberries! A tasty summer treat in the form of this sweet little coin purse by Valerie Farrell This beautiful necklace by Helen Murphy, with its refreshing summer yellows, reminds me of a cooling sorbet. Pretty summer hairclips with sunflowers by Maria Palmer. Summer skies, reflected in the colour of these gorgeous earrings by Adien Crafts Ahhh... summer breaks in a caravan - lovely! This gadget sleeve is by Jane Whalley. Lastly a mini montage of my own work, featuring gemstones in gorgeous summer shades. I do hope you will like todays selection. Do pop by again tomorrow for another blog. For now - enjoy the sunshine while it lasts! Jacqueline x

It's My Birthday - so I will choose what I want to!

Yay! Finally it is here. My birthday and its a milestone one. I would like to honestly say that '40' is the new '21' so with that in mind, and for no other reason than - just because 'It's My Birthday - so I will choose what I want to!' I have chosen to write a very lazy blog, but one featuring 21 (my new age) of my favourite items listed in the shops of my favourite artisans. Sit back, view, click and enjoy - preferably with a large chunk of birthday cake in hand! If you would like to take a closer look at any of the items by these designers - just click on the pictures for a direct link to that item in their shops and then you can navigate further and look at their other listings available. I do hope you like my selection (I could have easily chosen 40 different artisans work to show you) however, I didn't wish to appear too greedy, as this now forms my official birthday wish list, to be passed to my husband in the morning! Thank you so much for looking - see you all again soon. Jacqueline x

Amazing Lace!

I have always been fascinated by the work involved in the making of lace. It looks so very complicated and time consuming and the end results are just stunning and feminine. It is an art I would love to learn, but I just don't know if I would have the patience! Rather than me waffling on as I usually do, I thought I would dedicate this blog to all of those super crafters who use lace in their work - please click on the pictures to be directed to the items in the artisans shops. Please just enjoy this gorgeous selection! The perfect journal for a vintage themed wedding perhaps? Made and designed by Edwina Kinch A gorgeous and feminine IPod Cover by Jane Whalley. This beautiful glasses case would make the perfect gift, by Valerie Farrell This feminine and elegant crocheted pink wrap would be perfect for a summer evening, by Heather Saunders This super card by Jane McCormick would be perfect for any occasion If you have a project at home that needs a feminine touch, why not add lace supplied by Natalie Ofkants? Or this lovely lace by Knittingtopia? There are so many more examples that I could show you from these wonderful crafters, so please go to their shops and have a good look! Thanks so much for popping by! Jacqueline x

Marvelous Mookaite!

Mookaite - a wonderful, colourful jasper from Australia. It another one of my favourites and is becoming more expensive to buy good quality material, so could be a good investment in the future! The gemstone comes in gorgeous shades of yellow, brown, orange, pink, red and purple and every shade thereof in-between. The warm yellows that are often featured give Mookaite its alternative name of Mustard Stone. Usually the colours are blended all together in attractive patterns and swathes, so each and every gemstone is unique. This makes it quite a challenge to match stones for earrings, I can tell you! The stone takes on a fabulous polish which brings out its inner beauty. It is found in Western Australia in a location called Mooka Creek.It is actually a fossiliferous Chert, created from millions of tiny skeletons of a marine creature called radiolaria. Their minute skeletons are made of spikes of silica that were deposited in warm, shallow seas as they receded. Occasionally, other fossils can be found within it, such as ammonites and belemnites. There are some lovely examples of Mookaite, handcrafted into beautiful jewellery on Folksy - here are some examples to tempt you - please just click on the pictures to be taken to the items in the atrisans shops. The Brecciated Mookaite earrings have been paired with 9kt gold and sterling silver vermeil to bring out its wonderful yellow colours. These can be found in my little shop! This beautiful bracelet by Lynne Morison, showcases the colours of Mookaite in a simple design - so lovely! A gorgeous necklace with a fan design of Mookaite gems, features stunning lavenders and yellows - by Sue Mayoux. The vintage brass colour of the findings and wire work in these earrings looks fantastic against the deep burgundy shade of the mookaite stones, by Blue Forrest Jewellery. Please do take a moment to have a look at all the other items in the sellers shops for more beautiful gemstone creations. Thanks so much, Jacqueline x