My latest commission

Silver & resin Retro Circle pendant

Prints Charming

I've just come across a wonderful site called Prints Charming, an Australian set up run by Cath Derksema and Kirsten Junor.

This Christmas decoration kit really caught my eye. They're so beautiful yet look simple to create.

"Hand printed on 100% linen these decorations will add a touch of the hand made to any tree. The kit comes beautifully boxed and includes your printed panel, backing fabric, floss threads and a stitch guide. Personalise by embroidering a name a date on the back and give as a wonderful hand stich gift. The photo shows the panels once they have been embroidered, motif printing is teal on natural linen."

Buy it here >

Camilla Engman - free gift tags

Swedish artist Camilla Engman is giving away these sweet (PDF) Christmas gift tags.

Visit Camilla Engman's site for links to the 2006 and 2007 offerings too.

Past commission

A commission from last Christmas.

Sterling silver and red resin heart necklace with stamped inital

Latest commission

Patti Smith

"Veteran rock singer Patti Smith has won a prestigious US book award for her memoir, Just Kids"

I'm reading this at the moment and it does indeed rock.
Definately recommended reading.
(Just Kids available on Amazon.)

Literary Jewels by Jeremy May

These are just gorgeous. A fantastic concept AND beautiful objects. That's like 10/10.

"Jeremy May has captured the beauty of paper via a unique laminating process. Littlefly jewellery is made by laminating hundreds sheets of paper together, then carefully finishing to a high gloss. The paper is selected and carefully removed from a book, and the jewellery re-inserted in the excavated space."

I would LOVE one of these. The question is which book to use? Two strong contenders are Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami and  The Catcher in the Rye by  J. D. Salinger.

Visit the LittleFly site >

Story dice

I love this idea, gonna have to make some for Oli.

In fact it's worth having a browse through much Holly Ramer's blog stitchcraftcreations.com as there's some really lovely projects she's done like this cool Richard Scarry stuff.

Paper Wonderland!

Oh yes, the title does indeed look like it does this credit. I would have died for this when I was 10. I still squeal at it now at 34. When I was at Uni I made a paper sculpture of a friend's head - needless to say it wasn't terribly flattering!

Buy it here > Paper Wonderland: 32 Terribly Cute Toys Ready to Cut, Fold & Build

Rifle Paper Co

These are really sweet illustrations...





And there's more where that came from at Rifle Paper Co >

The Secret Garden Project

It looks like the 'Spontaneous City in the Tree of Heaven' is only a sculptural installation but I'd love it if birds were happy to live like this - I'd love to see these around the place.

More information at the London Fieldworks site >

Cool, cheap packaging

Whilst on a hunt for some nice new jewellery packaging (what an incredibly hard task!) I came across this website that do a variety of cool little flat pack boxes and gives you various options of personalisation.

Check them out > http://www.selfpackaging.net/

Etsy: now in Great British Pounds!

WOOHOO!
Etsy is now viewable in multiple currencies.

"How does it work?

You'll notice that there's now a link to set your currency preferences at the bottom of each page on Etsy. You can also click the USD link next to the price on each listing page to set your preferences. If you're signed in, you can also set a preference at Your Etsy > Account > Preferences."

Go read the article >

Jessica Hische

This lady is ace. Her works combines "...equal parts design, typography, illustration, brown sugar, and heavy cream.” And it's delicious...

Check out Jessica Hische's site >

Gwen Keraval

I am loving the illustrations of Gwen Keraval, but the website is all in French. Having said that, I would LOVE some of the books, even if they are in French.

I just love the website illustration work she's done for Djeco too - I've got it as my desktop background at work. You should check out their site anyway for more illustration inspiration and really ace childrens toys - some of which are designed by her.

I think.

I'm also assuming Gwen is a female.

Why didn't I study my French harder?!

Visit Gwen Keraval's blog >

Polly Morgan

I caught a great programme on BBC 1 the other night, in which Alan Yentob was exploring how childhood play and experiences influences artists and their work.

One of the artists he spoke to was Polly Morgan who really shone out with her incredible work and incredible clarity in how she spoke about her childhood and her work.

A crude way of describing her work is to say she's a taxidermist, but you just have to look at it before you come to any assumptions. It is funny, beautiful, touching and intelligent.









Visit Polly Morgan's website >

My latest commission

Latest web project

You know what its like, you're so busy doing the work, you never take care of the housing keeping! Builders' homes are always in a state of remodelling, and web folk are always working on the next company site. Well, we've been working on our new corporate site here at element78 for, pretty much years. I even mentioned it in a post here before I left on my maternity leave two years ago! Which I guess makes us very busy folk.
Well, since coming back from maternity leave a year ago, I've been working on an all new concept which looks very much like it will actually launch at the end of the month.


I'm also hoping to find the time to revisit my own site (janegallagher.co.uk) which has been sat stagnent for a few years now.

I'm thinking Wordpress.

Work in progress

My latest commission is for a 3 colour resin bangle using cobalt and light blue with white. I've had to source some new resin dyes for the right shades so I'm looking forward to seeing the results.

Birds & cushions

I don't know what the trend of sweet little birds is all about these days, but they are everywhere, and I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I own something adorned with them.

Hopefully something like these! I've just been going through my Etsy favourites and stopped for a browse at the Olive Etsy shop and came across these beauties.




I get very drawn to cushions and do actually have the need for them but find it hard to justify the purchase of them. They seem like a luxury item. Hair cut or cushions? You decide. Mind you I find it hard to justify a lot of my purchases so maybe I just need some retail therapy.

Check out more lovelies in the Olive Etsy shop >

Only a colour swatch but I'd wear it

Only a colour swatch
Originally uploaded by JaneHostler

I made this resin colour swatch for the shop I have some of my pieces in. It's given me even more ideas for my coloured resin.

My first glasses

My first glasses
Originally uploaded by JaneHostler

I now own reading glasses! That'll teach me to push pixels and solder tiny pieces of metal

Revised 2010 price list

In a kind of 'suck it and see' manouvre, I've decided to lower my hourly rate and adjust my prices accordingly.

How much to charge ones time out at, is an ongoing debate in the handmade world. It's a constant balancing act between making a living, giving your work some worth, and yet staying competative in a busy marketplace.
I'm lucky in that I have a day job and don't rely on selling jewellery to pay the bills, however this also means I don't spend enough time marketing myself and approaching the niche corners where I see my work sitting and where it arguably could fetch those prices.

So to this end I've decided to try this approach and see what happens.
Let shake it up!

See the new price list in action on Etsy >

UPDATE: Interesting related post on Design*Sponge

Finished article

Well it went down a storm!