The Season for Giving

They say that this is the Season for Giving,  and I like giving, not only to my family and friends but I  also  like giving little gifts to other special people out there who make my life so much easier and nicer,  like my children's teachers for their infinite patience, or those other mum's in my community who lend me a helping hand with the school runs (very much appreciated I must say).

This year I have been unusually foresighted and have already started getting those little gifts ready.   I have made a couple of very cute brooches which will make sweet little gifts without breaking the bank.   I also made a few extra ones to list in my shop, these would be great teacher's or Secret Santa gifts (amigo invisible in Spanish).  You can check them out here.

Shop update - Moon Earrings

Hello,  It's been a while... this is always the phrase that comes to mind each time I decide to write a new post and look at the date of my last post.  Has it really been over 6 months?? Where did all that time go!?!

Lately I have been busy designing, making and listing new things in my shop on a weekly basis, I  can´t remember when was the last time I added so many new designs in such a short period of time, and it doesn´t really matter, I am loving what I am doing now and I hope that so will you!

I'm begining with this full moon earrings because those sweet smiling faces make me happy and I really like how they turned out!  Plus, they are light (for me ithis is always a bonus) and they are  hand painted which means that each one is unique in a special way. 

The bad news? That there are only two pairs available, I bought the charms ages ago because I thought they were really cute and now I can´t find them any more (drat!).  

You can find more info about them in my shop.

Shop update

Just a little post to show you two favorite items from my shop which I have just listed again after a long, long time. 

I love working with vintage components and natural stones, but the problem with working with these materials is that sometimes once a particular bead or finding is gone, it is gone forever, that’s why I was so happy when I recently came across these little amazonite ovals and I was able to make these dainty dragonfly earrings again.  I had tried making them with other amazonite beads but somehow the result was not the same.

These are the earrings I wore to my sister’s wedding.  I stopped making them about a year ago, for no particular reason, sometimes I stop making old designs to focus on new things.  Anyway,   a few weeks ago I wore my pair to a dinner party, the earrings got many compliments  so I decided to make and list them again.  They are rather pretty aren´t they?

You can find both of them here.

Poppy Talk

We've had the worst Spring I can remember in years! It's been cold, it's been grey and it's been raining nearly non-stop for the past three months.  I feel as if roots may start to grow from my feet any time from all the humidity.  As a consequence we have been spending a lot of time indoors trying to keep the children busy, we have played board games, we have baked, we have read, we have embroidered… or at least the kids did, I am still hopeless with a needle and thread. 

Our patio looks like the amazon jungle right now, the grass, the bushes, everything is wild! This weekend we have been very busy trying to get make it resemble a garden again, but  more rains are coming  which means that by Friday everything will be wild again. Fighting against nature is hard work.

The only good thing about all this rain is that the fields behind our home look this beautiful! I don`t think I have ever seen them this green and flowery… and the poppies! Aren´t they amazing! I just love poppies and these almost make the  “bleh” Spring we have been having worthwhile.

Have a lovely day and enjoy the sun, if you can…

Fall

https://www.etsy.com/es/shop/ReyesRobledo?ref=hdr_shop_menu

I know, I know, Fall has really been with us for quite some time now but we have been enjoying such wonderful, mild, sunny weather here in Madrid that I have not really realized it until this week, when grey skies suddenly came upon us and it started to rain non-stop. A whole week of rain, so very necessary for the country side but I must admit, a bit depressing for me.

Don´t get me wrong, I like Fall, it’s just that I find it hard to adjust to it, the sudden cold, the lack of sun, the shorter days… on the other hand, it’s precisely these things I don’t like that bring about the things I love about Fall, cozy sweaters, reading by the fire, lentil soup (any kind of soup really), as well as my latest obsession, knitting.

So until I finally settle into this season and gather strength for Winter, which is really just around the corner, I will do my best to concentrate on the things that bring me joy, the shift in colors, sharing a cup of coffee with good friends or baking with my children.  Scones seem to be a favorite of theirs this season and this recipe is just so easy and so delicious too.  And what about you? Is there anything you specially like about Fall?

Have a lovely week.

Studio Update

Most of my designs are made during the Spring and Summer months. The days are longer, the light is amazing and as the kids have no school I have a lot less obligations (no soccer practice, basketball practice, Art class, Judo... you name it, my kids probably do it and I drive them there), I feel more relaxed and that sort of makes my creative impulses go bubbly and ready to create.  This year was different though, my creativity was directed towards my art work so did very little work on my jewlery, hence, I really should not do an studio update blog post today.... BUT,  one of the good things about not having updated the blog in over a year is that I have I not shared any of the designs I made during that time with you which is just what I am about to do (relax, I am not going to swamp you with images, I have just picked a few of my current favorites).

This dragonfly necklace... delicate, whimsy. One of my favorite designs from last year. It is made of a brass antique replica dragonfly and then it was hand painted to acquire that lovely verdigris tone.  When I see it I am reminded of those gorgeous wild Victorian gardens.  If you also follow me on Facebook you probably know that I have a slight dragonfly obsession... which is one of the reasons why I  like this necklace so much!

These gorgeous pair of chandelier earrings with green agathes.  I actually made the first pair for myself  but received so many compliments that I decided to make a few more for my customers and I know of a few happy women who are so glad that I did ;-)

I am specially happy with this pendulum necklace, not because of the necklace itself, but because it was so, so hard to photograph!!  Crystal pendulums reflect light... everywhere!  Technical problems aside, the necklace is lovely, the pendulum  was salvaged from vintage light fittings bought in the UK many years ago. I really enjoy giving "a new life" to vintage objects. I also have a theory that objects made years ago are usually better than those made today, mainly because there was not so much consumerism, people bought a lot less things but those they bought were made to last a lifetime.  I try to do this in my everyday life as well,  buy less things but those I buy of better quality so they will last my family for ages and who knows, maybe even become future family heirlooms?

I hope you like them. Have a lovely day!


*Note: When I talk about "quality" I am not referrring to brands, I have found in the past that the quality of some expensive brands is really quite terrible, I'm really referring to the quality of the materials used, the craftmanship... 

In my absence, I started painting!

This Summer in Madrid we enjoyed one of the worst heat waves in recent history, the kind of heat wave that makes you spend all day long sitting down in the shade drinking ice water.  So for the first couple of days of July I did just that, nothing, and then, I became restless, I needed to do something creative.  Working on my jewelry did not seem very appealing, my studio is located in the attic and in Summer that room is like a big oven and I did not feel specially like going up and down stairs several times a day in search of whatever supplies I needed.  I also needed to find something I could do with my children who were on their Summer break and watching way too much tv and so, one fine day, I suddenly felt the urge to start sketching, doodling, whatever you may want to call it.

A funny looking poppy

After searching frantically through the whole house for my watercolors and not finding them I decided to use my kids watercolors instead (you know that feeling when you want to do something and it has to be done immediately...), so, I took all the materials to the patio, gathered my 3 kids around the table and we all started playing around with the brushes and the paint and unknowingly started a new Summer "ritual"  that brought so much joy to all of us.  

The view from our house in Munilla

Every afternoon we would set up "art camp" and spend about and hour painting together. My kids drew flowers from the garden, fruit, robots, whatever! I loved seeing their own personal style develop and flourish.  As for me, I had not done any watercolor painting in years and this time, instead of doing the more "academic style" paintings I used to do years ago I opted for more informal, quick sketches and what can I say, I had not had so much fun in years (makes me wonder why did I stop doing it in the first place??).

Tomato from our veggie garden

Sometimes a change in routines can be a very positive thing. I discovered a new family activity  which was hugely enjoyed by all of my three kids at the same time (due to their age differences and different tastes these kind of "group" activities don´t always work so well).  As for me, I have rediscovered a long forgotten love which is always very nice.  If you want to see all the little paintings I did this Summer you can hop over  to my instagram.

Have a lovely Monday.