http://www.dreamscotland.com en-gb dreamscotland.com 2010-3-7T00:00:00Z dreamscotland.com http://www.dreamscotland.com/page12.htm#59998 With so many customers asking where they could buy our jewellery on a regular basis we knew that this year we would be looking to venture into the world of retail outlets. So you can imagine our delight when we stumbled across an advert for a new shop opening in Leith which was looking for crafters and artisans. The shop is named Greetings from Leith and run by Lynne Jones herself a crafter who has the uncanny ability to turn old and unused items into little colourful works of art Her speciality is her beautiful handmade ecofriendly greeting cards which you can see on her website at httpgreetingsfromleith.info. Whilst many of us are guilty of wasting what we consider to be unwanted rubbish the same cannot be said of Lynne whose cards are made from all sorts of recylced objects like the butterfly below made from a used cereal packet Greetings from Leith is not just a shop it is a social enterprise with the following aims To provide work and volunteer positions to people... 2010-3-7T00:00:00Z http://www.dreamscotland.com/page12.htm#58139 Well at last I have managed to get around to my first blog of 2010 It has been such a busy start to the year I dont know what happened to January and its now almost Valentines Day After a well deserved holiday a very snowy Argyll for me and a rather sunnier Malta for Susanne we are well and truly back in the swing of things. I have been back at Merchant Square for the last 2 weeks and our first market of the year there was pretty busy with lots of buyers and some new crafters. Last week Susanne attended the Morningside Makers Market in Edinburgh which I am pleased to say was very successful for us. This market will be running on the first Saturday each month and is well worth a visit. There are 30 crafters there all with good quality handmade goods a friendly atmosphere and pretty decorative bunting We will be there on a regular basis throughout the year and if you are amongst the first 100 visitors you will receive a morningside makers goodie bag with free giveaways and disco... 2010-2-10T00:00:00Z http://www.dreamscotland.com/page12.htm#54883 After 3 snowy and very cold days in Edinburgh we completed our last craft fair of the year in our usual spot at Merchant Square in Glasgow on Sunday. At the end of the day we wished all our fellow crafters and friends a Merry Christmas and farewell before struggling to the car with our ever heavy bags for one last time in 2009. The production line has come to a halt the kiln has gone cold and my tools have been put aside for the next couple of weeks. Now it is time to turn my attention to presents turkey and party hats before its back to work in January. Orchy Design has now grown to be a fulltime business and in 2010 we will be growing and improving again. We have lots of new designs planned including a bespoke wedding range improved luxury packaging and more craft events than ever planned which will keep us busy in the year ahead. I will also be starting a silversmithing course at college in January which I am really excited about and cant wait to experiment with new jew... 2009-12-22T00:00:00Z http://www.dreamscotland.com/page12.htm#53872 I am often asked about the inspiration behind my designs and it is always hard to explain how a sunset looked on a certain evening or how a falling snowflake sparkled in the light of a wintery day. The moment passes in a blink of an eye but I wanted to find a way of keeping those memories for a lifetime. I think of my designs as memories and landscapes of Scotland captured in glass. I always briefly try to explain what the inspiration behind each design was and I hope that the photographs below give you a better idea of how I transform a time and place into a unique jewellery design. Ben Lomonds snowcovered peak illuminated by setting sunlight Captured in this sparkly pink pendant with hints of yellow and green I am lucky enough to spend a large part of my time at my cottage in a small Highland hamlet surrounded by mountains lochs and moors which provide the most beautiful colours and backdrops ea... 2009-12-3T00:00:00Z http://www.dreamscotland.com/page12.htm#53370 As with many jewellery designers when I first started thinking about my jewellery range I didnt even consider that it would be of interest to men. Yes I thought they would buy it for gifts for sistersmums girlfriends or wives but I never expected that there would be such a demand for a range that they could wear themselves. It should have been no surprise as throughout history men have been adorning themselves with the most intricate and beautiful precious metals and jewels. Depending on culture race religion or even status dictated what if any jewellery men were allowed to be seen wearing. In current Western society mens jewellery is as popular as ever although these days it is much more fashion than status orientated and after all why shouldnt men be allowed to have the same choices as women when it comes to accessorising It didnt take me long to realise that men werent just admiring my jewellery for that special female in their life they were trying to work out how they coul... 2009-11-25T00:00:00Z http://www.dreamscotland.com/page12.htm#52750 Although this is a very busy time of year for making and selling I have managed to set aside some time for my first blog. We are in the transition of autumn to winter and the mountains have a light dusting of snow on their caps as a reminder colder weather is just around the corner. The white peaks seem timely as I have been busy making a winter collection of white and iridescent designs which remind me of snowflakes and icicles This collection has proved very popular as I am selling each piece as soon as it is complete. This is the latest set that I have made which is a stunning pendant and earring set. As usual the photograph doesnt do it justice as it is far more beautiful in real life. The design is a frosty shimmery white with hints of pinks lilacs greens and yellows. This would make a lovely gift or an eye catching finish to a party outfit. If you are interested in this set I have put it for sale on the website although I am sure it will go quickly and as always this ... 2009-11-17T00:00:00Z