Tomorrow is a busy day!

Saturday the 30th of January! A day to be celebrated... It's the day that there will finally be some more pieces on the Mustard Seed Gift Shop website! It may not happen until mid afternoon, but it's definately happening. I shall be taking pictures, sorting items etc. in the morning, and although it might not have loads on it will be a start.. Keep your eyes peeled! :)

Finally getting my finger out!...

Desperate times call for desperate measures! I've certainly had a wake up call which has caused me to spend more time focusing on what I actually want to do with my time.. which is make jewellery. I don't want to go into great detail at the moment, but in the near future I am hoping to have a blog shop as well as the other places i sell my jewellery. If things go to plan I shall be sorted by the summer but if not.. the end of the year.. it's my mission!

This post is quite ominous, especially after not posting for over a year and there being no real subject. But there shall be more, if only to post pictures and a brief word :D

Many Blessings!

so... i have a job.... FINALLY!

I tell you what i ain't half glad i've got something! Dang dole money! But now i dunna have to worry so much cus i are going to be a child minders assistant.... when everythink is sorted and stuff! woo!
I can't wait really. It aint loads of hours but it'll earn me a ickle bit and i can carry on making me jewellery and stuff!

well i thought i'd let ya know and hopefully i'll keep you all filled in on how its all going and put new piccies up soon! yay! go me!

I need lace, and more beads, and some felt, and some pearls, and some more silver stuff, and oooh! the money to buy them with!

I will start this particular post with the words "Bah, Humbug!". Well i would have done if I hadn't spent the time explaining that! (what??!!) Anyway, I have decided it really does suck not having any pennies! Especially when you have a list from here (my hand) to there (somewhere reallly really far away). I have far too many ideas in my head that I need to make to not have pennies!

Luckily a nice lady in a near by town has took on a couple of my sets. One of the sets being featured just here! Its made from a lot of Bali Sterling Silver, Pink Hemimorphite and Flashy hypersthene. I thought the set looked rather "boutiquey", which is probably a word I have just made up, but i plan that by the end of 2008 it will be in the dictionary. If it isn't I will complain.

The other set was yet another personal favourite, but i never got round to taking any pictures :( but it was pretty and unusual and hopefully some pretty lady will buy it! That one was made from chrysocolla, canelian, glass beads and Bali sterling silver. The lovely thing about that particular set was the clasps were dragonfly toggle clasps, really pretty and different. I want more! lol!

I have a few more ideas though of using more ribbons and lace in my jewellery! The pieces I have made with ribbon have been a real hit, and I have only a few left. One which is on etsy, and the other on our website. But I am almost out of ribbon, and have no lace (although i have asked my mum ;) ).

But I am running low on soooooooooooo much stock you wouldn't believe. I really could do with more pearls, more sterling silver bits and bobs, lace, ribbon, everything! (well there are only a few bits i'm running low on, the rest i just consider my self to not have enough of). I did consider starting my own "donate to NFP to help her make Amazingly pretty jewellery" Fund. but somehow i don't think its gonna happen anytime soon. which is a shame. Oh Well!

I have a couple of wedding shops interested, so i shall work on those piccy's in the next few weeks and hopefully we shall see some really pretty stuffs! yay!

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I'm now on etsy!!! woo!

Well, I've finally got around to making myself an etsy shop. not everything is on yet, but hopefully i will have between 10 and 15 in a week or so! But what a week it has been.

http://NiNEFRUiTSPiE.etsy.com

Today, I took a lovely trip to a near by town, in hope to either find a new job, or some place to sell some jewellery. Hopefully i have found both. got a few application forms to fill in and c.v's to give out etc. But I still needed to find an outlet for my jewellery. In this lovely town there's a few "posh" shops. So I pulled my socks up, grit my teeth and was presently surprised. In the 3 most likely shop to take on independent designers all 3 showed an interest. I'm not expecting all 3 to accept, but even if one did that would be grand!

Well, I hope you visit my etsy shop and enjoy what you see. and if you think there's something i am missing from it. let me know! thank you

Claudia xxxx

My attempt to pull my socks up has begun! I think...

I have recently noticed (this is a lie i noticed a long time ago but couldn't be bothered to do anything about it) that i have neglected my blog. This was not deliberate, but very lazy of me (i will argue at this point that laziness is a medical condition hense the reason it's not deliberate). However over the last few weeks or so i have been given a large perscription of "get off your backside and do something about it girl" pills. They do leave a slightly sour, but refreshing taste and although you may still not feel like doing anything remotely constructive, they make you!

This is partly the reason i have decided to blog again on a regular basis (well hopefully). I am going to start using my blog a bit like an online portfolio. Obviously with added extra's like sarcasm, rainbows, jelly sweets, cupcakes, moaning, faffing, spelling mistakes and not actually doing what i'm supposed to be doing!

So to begin here i have a necklace made with Vintage pearl beads and a Bali Sterling silver clasp. I take Beautiful vintage beads from jewellery that has broken and turn them back in to pretty wearable pieces. These particular pearls came from a long necklace where the string had broken and half the clasp was missing. They are quite large beads too, making the necklace nice and bold. I could have tried to mixing them with other beads and dangling stuff from it etc. but i think a classic simple single strand necklace does it justice enough.

I've recently came up with a new design too. knowing my luck its already been done before but it happened sort of by accident. I decided one night to start knitting some wire pieces for brooches. I was actually aiming for a sort of oblong shape, but thats not what the wire wanted to do, it was a wiggly shape instead! but then a brain wave occurred. It wiggled in such a way i could mold it into the shape of a dress. So thats what i did. Then i added pretty vintage beads for edging, waist band and pattern. Eventually i turned it into a brooch! And this is what it looks like done. None of the pictures i've taken give it justice, and i took lots. But it gives you a taste of what the real thing is like.

Anyway, until i can get more pictures sorted and taken i shall depart.

God Bless

NFP

i'd forget my head if it wasn't screwed on!

Crikey! I have left it an awfully long time since my last post. Too long. But there has been a lot going on and wotnot. We now have the shop website up and running. We still have a lot of products to add but there are a few bits to buy on there, which is the main thing, and because there is the basis for it there, it means we HAVE to keep it up to date. But because I've been so busy sorting bits for that, and trying to get my room sorted to decorate, I kinda forgot to update this.

Well anyway. I'm getting quite excited about Pentecost. I sorted my outfit out weeks ago as well as my hair do! Yes thats right, I have a special outfit and Pentecost hair. It's my thing to do every year. This years colour scheme is bright orange and blue. My inspiration came from a dress I bought from monsoon earlier this year. It's white, orange and blue. And it was in the sale, for a fiver! I almost wet myself. So obviously I had to buy it. Because the weather has not been the best yet, I haven't had a chance to wear it as it is quite summery. So i decided to save it for Pentecost and match my hair and jewellery with it.

I do my hair as a witnessing tool. People tend to ask me questions why I've done my hair etc and I tell them its for Pentecost etc. and you get my drift! My hair will be plaited all over and wrapped in blue and orange wool! it looks quite funky and makes quite an impact.

My jewellery will be made from matching dyed jade beads, seed beads and buttons. I will be working on that in the next few weeks! As well as trying to decorate my room.

My bedroom is currently in very girly pink, purple and silver, but thats getting a bit wearing now. And my bed is in a cupboard sort of thing which I have to climb on to. It's partly the reason I stay up late. I just cant be bothered to climb into bed. It's too much effort. Anyhoo, I will sort have a normal wooden frame bed and have pastel pink and aqua walls with red gloss work, should look lovely.

I've had to book a week off work to try and get it done, but there is so much stuff in the room, it will probably take a few weeks longer! :0

Got to go sort some beads and stuff out, could really do with making a few more bits and bobs!

NFP
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Mustard Seed Gift Shop

NEW CHRISTIAN FORUM

We've set up a new Christian forum for young people (14-30ish)

The aim of the forum is to encourage Bible study, fellowship and Prayer, Although we do hope the Prayer section in Particular is used by many more and that the prayer requests maybe spread through to Churches and home groups etc.

ATM the way of joining is a bit awkward, but if you are interested please let me know and I will sort it etc.

If your not sure about Joining, but would still like prayer requests adding, or passing on to you and your church let me know and that can also be arranged.

Every Blessing

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such a long time!

woah! i can't believe its been sooooo long since i last posted anything. i really have neglected my blog! so much has happened since the last time i posted, but i won't go to detail. well not at the minute anyway.

Just going to leave a poem!

And even through my heart felt tears
My dark dreams and all my fears
You find a way to light my path
to stop my falling hand

My stumbling foot doesn't carry on
But stops as you hold out your arm
My head is held like a child
my wounds are healed again

And when my past decides to haunt
My foes and woes distaught my thoughts
My heart in anguish for those day
when I forgot your name

You cradle me and hold me tight
Remind me I laid rest to ghosts
My lifeis new, I'm fresh, Forgiven
my stains washed from my cloak

Though hurt and pain I still feel now
You puut joy in my heart
To flee from what I was
to become a new creation

I will lay down my tortured soul
That through all faults of my own
Mistreated myself and all my friends
the soul was selfish and with revenge

My hastey marks and actions left
The bruises on my neighbours cry
And sorrow that i gave in vain
to leave them empty with all scorn

But then to learn of your great love
Oh rescue me from my own mind
And as I left my ruined soul
at the foot of your cross

On which you bore my shame and sin
Wept and bled to gain my heart
Bought eternity for me
serving even in your death

The ransom on my life is paid
The lamb has conquered deaths foul stench
For those who would all have faith
in his most precious name

Healed, Washed, Forgiven.

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hopefully i will manage to keep a bit more up to date in the future! i will get some pictures of my new guinea pigs etc. they are so cute, Agnus and Freda.

And also some personal studies on the fruits of the Spirit.

hugs and blessings!

Claudia

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TRUST!

Wow, what a day I've had!

I feel I keep discovering new stuff. And today this thought occurred to me during a sermon at chapel.I'm sure many people have had the same thought, but I've never really heard many people mention it!

We touched on the conversion of Saul/Paul. road to Damascas! the Big one in the Bible. very profound! People bang on about how Saul killed many Christians and what a bad guy he was etc (and i am not saying it wasn't bad he killed Christians) but we have to remember one thing. He actually believed he was doing God's will at the time, the thing was He was trusting his own judgement in which he saw the right. It didn't occur to him that God didn't want him to do that.

God wasn't just telling Paul because he was persecuting Christians, but because of the Belief he was doing it in. Trusting himself that he was doing the right thing and not God. No wonder God blinded him. God had to make him completely trust in him. That meant trusting God would guide him to the right place and into the hands of those he had previously hated.He had to trust God that those people would take care of him. The people God lead Paul to, are the one he was on his way to kill or imprison. With Paul being blind, they could have really took advantage of that situation. Paul knew that, but was having to trust that God would bring him no harm. The people paul was lead to also had to completely trust God that paul wouldn't harm them, how hard knowing that he would have been going there to persecute them in the first place.

Sometimes I think we need to be completely blinded by God to reaffirm our faith in him. We need to learn to trust him with our whole lives, hearts and bodies. after all he knows whats best!

Acts 9

Saul's Conversion

1Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

5"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.

"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 6"Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

7The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!"
"Yes, Lord," he answered.

11The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."

13"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."

15But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

17Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" 22Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.^[a]

23After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him, 24but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

26When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

31Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

many blessings

Claudia