My name is Poppy, and I live with a little family in rural Hampshire. I am an extraordinarily well bred Cairn Terrier! This is Labrador land – so I am a bit of a novelty around here…. My proper name is “Elite Charm Angels Delight”, but please feel free to call me “Poppy”. My mum calls me all kinds of other names – “Gorgeousness”, “The Popster”, “Poplet”….sometimes she calls me “Bad Dog” but I don’t take much notice when she does.

Mum and I walk every day (sometimes we skip it if it’s raining – rain is  sure to bring on a “Bad Hair Day” – to which both of us are susceptible!). My best walks are when Dad and T come with us.

More often than not, we walk up our road, which is a really pretty road.

At the top of our road is The Park. It’s where I often meet some of my buddies. There is some cool stuff for T to play on as well. Sometimes on a Saturday afternoon, the Upham Harriers come and play football here – I wish I could play with them, but I’m not allowed to. I get my lead taken off here!

And I’m free!

After we’ve crossed the football pitch, we head out into the fields. My family love to admire the view.

Upham is built on the top of a hill, so you can see for miles.

During World War 2, there was an observation point in this copse of trees. Soldiers were permanently stationed here to keep watch for planes coming over the channel from Europe.

My Mum loves the red berries on these trees, I don’t really care about them, because I can’t eat them…

I love this section of the walk – it’s often where we come across pheasants – and I chase them! I’m not really supposed to……Mum is a bit scared of the gamekeeper …..but that’s her problem, not mine!

A little later on, we turn up and walk adjacent to the pigs. They are much, much bigger than me, so I generally leave them alone.

Next is the really scary part we have to walk through – there’s a massive bull…..

Did you see him? Did you see him? He’s enormous! But whew, we do manage to get past him ……

And then we head back up our road – almost home….

The rest of my day is spent lounging around, sleeping, chasing the squirrels or pigeons that dare to enter my garden and hoping that Mum might leave a pair of her leather boots around for me to chew on….!

I am always on the lookout for new materials to try, at the moment I am getting to grips with copper (but more on that later…)

Amber is a semi precious stone that I have often seen, but never used, I’m not sure why, it might be that it’s a colour I don’t ever wear and so don’t gravitate towards. Lately though I have noticed amber in varying colours, some very unusual.

When I looked at Catherine D’ Arcy’s site I was delighted to see how many of these variations she is using in her designs.  Catherine designs  her range and commissions the Mexican Taxco silversmiths to manufacture to her specifications. Her pieces are bold and striking and she uses the most wonderful stones in her amber jewellery.

Some necklaces contain a Dominican fire amber pendant. This particular stone is a rarity outside of the Dominican republic and is considered a collectors item.

But my particular favorite piece of her silver jewellery is this necklace which has a collection of silver baubles attached, it’s whimsical and pretty, very unusual and seriously wantable!

Image courtesy of Corazon Latino

So, since Valentine’s Day is coming up, I could really talk about my lovely Murano handblown glass hearts or my selection of Swarovski Crystal Heart necklaces, but since this blog is all about me, me, me…..! What I am really after for Valentine’s day …..are these gorgeous Ella Doran Orchid China Mugs!  They are offering a 20% promotion at the the moment – so don’t delay!

Image courtesy of Ella Doran

I’ve just heard that my daughters school is going to be closed again tomorrow. I’m so pleased that I work from home right now, I would hate to have to get in the car and drive anywhere, so I do sympathise with those who do have to ………but I do really LOVE the snow!

We’ve had loads, and what else can you do but enjoy it! I’ve taken Poppy out for a walk today. At some places she has barely been able to walk and has bounded her way through – it’s been an adventure.

Tessa and Charlotte have built a massive snowman.

Brush Cottage looks magical!

All I’m saying today is that my Christmas present came from……

Boudoir Blush!

The tree is decorated…….

It’s cold outside, but warm and toasty in here……

The cake is made and decorated…..

Presents have been wrapped……

The Wreath is made and is on the door…..

Sleeping dogs have been left to lie…..

I think I’m ready for Christmas……

Come On!

Every year I buy myself a couple of new decorations – that I delight in seeing year after year at Christmas time. I am not in favour of buying completely new decorations every year!

This year, in Cologne, I came across this beautiful shell pearl bauble (Note the Twinkleberry pink and brown colours…)

I could not resist this delicate little felt Pansy Fairy…..

But the star of the show has to be this glamorous reindeer!

We’ve just come back from a marvellous trip to Cologne! I love Christmas – I think I might have already told you that…? And I had heard about the German Christmas Markets, so when my Aunt told me she was coming to stay for December I started looking around for something special for us to do. Cologne is apparently one of the best places for the markets – there are 7 dotted around the city. We travelled over by Eurostar and ICE. The first thing you see when you leave the train station is Cologne Cathedral.

The Cathedral is one of the world’s largest, took over 600 years to build and is the biggest Gothic church in Northern Europe.  It dominates the city and I was astounded that is still stands after the pounding that Cologne took during the second world war.

While the outside of the building is dark and brooding, the interior is architectural perfection, with light streaming though the myriad of windows.

There is a market right  beside the cathedral, as you walk through the stalls you are tempted by the most wonderful things to eat and drink, Gluhwein and traditional German foods, French crepes and Belgian waffles – for us – the caramalised nuts were irresistable!

You could skate under the sparkling lights……..

Or have a wonderful, wacky hairdo!

You could watch a sculptor carve an owl, out of a chunk of wood, sparks flying and the scent of pine filling your nose ( no Health and Safety here!)

The gnomes and other magical creatures keep an eye on you………don’t forget to look up to catch a glimpse of them!

You can buy the most delicious Stollen from this lovely lady:

and even meet a handsome man!

No, you can’t have that one – he’s already been taken!

Cologne is a wonderful city to wander through. It was devastated by the bombing during the war, but every now and then you come across beautiful buildings, full of architectural detail that holds the eye. The people are friendly and welcoming – the climbing frames are great!

We came across this little library, that borders a huge park and play area – what a cool place for a library!

Saw ancient jewels, that make your heart skip a beat……….

And at the end of the day, when you are tired, cold and your feet ache, a beer hall is the perfect place to recharge your batteries! For traditional food and Kolsch – served in uncharacteristically delicate glasses!

Wonderful!

Smoky Quartz must be one of my favorite stones and I am partial to the very intricately faceted shapes  available at the moment. I’ve made this pair of earrings using a perfectly round stone, a brushed silver angled disc and a smaller Smoky Quartz stone cuddled on top. Perfect for winter!

Miike Snow – must have song – A horse is not a home.

I’ve made these briolette drop earrings using the same pale faceted Smoky Quartz briolettes as in my post from yesterday – I’ve wire wrapped them on gold filled 14ct gold. They are soooo difficult to photograph though….. You will just have to take my word for how stunning these stones are! Perhaps I need to read that Canon manual!

I’ve just finished making these Briolette Cluster Earrings. I bought some exquisitely faceted semi precious stones on my way back from our Paris trip and have been keeping them to myself for a little while! These earrings are a combination of pale Smoky Quartz and the loveliest faceted Aquamarine, perfect winter colours. I wish my photographic skills were better because this photo actually doesn’t do the stones justice!

I’ve had my eye on this exquisite shirt from The Shirt Company for some time now. They design a range of white or black shirts, with a emphasis on fit and attention to detail.

A good quality white shirt is a wardrobe essential and I could never be without one. Should this gorgeous one come my way for ….say…my birthday……or Christmas ……or even my birthday and Christmas combined, then I am sure I would wear it constantly. I would probably take it off to wash and iron it, but then it would go straight back on again!

Image courtesy of The Shirt Company

Much Excitement!

I’ve just done my first 2 posts for my new site – Twinkleberry Brides!

I am often told of little gems by clients who commission bridal jewellery from me and for some time now, have wanted to compile a resource of wedding suppliers. So take a little trip around Twinkleberry Brides and let me know if you know of anyone who you think might like to be featured!

Tessa and I both have birthday’s in October and so our house is abuzz with birthday celebration excitement. I normally keep sites I really like bookmarked, that way when the question “so what do you want for your birthday?” comes around, I can hand over a neat and tidy list! I have seen Charlotte Casadéjus at various fairs and love the cushions she makes using vintage and monogrammed linens. I am a linen junkie, I can never resist old, white damask linen, so browsing her site is always very tempting.  Charlotte’s range has increased and she now makes bridal and evening wear, lavender bags and other accessories – these belts look fantastic and I would love one!

Image courtesy of Charlotte Casadéjus

I love the new sculpture that marks the entrance to Parchment Street in Winchester. It’s called The Kite Flyer and it was commissioned by the businesses in the street and made by Marzia Colonna. Parchment Street is a treasure, little independantly owned shops among which are 2 of my favorites – Boudoir Blush – for the nicest selection of underwear and Forme, which is  a treat to browse in as they always have plenty of wantable stuff and their gift wrapping is an art form! I think The Kite Flyer is a wonderful addition to the sculpture in this beautiful city.

I’ve just finished this pair of Peacock Pearl Earrings. These pearls are not perfect, but they have a really stunning colour, the most beautiful iridescent blue and I’ve topped them with a little brushed silver disc which is angled at the edges.

Radiohead have produced a song in memory of the World War One veteran, Harry Patch , who has died. Thom Yorke was inspired by an interview he heard in 2005.

You can download the song from the Radiohead website for £1.00 – the proceeds are donated to the Royal British Legion.

After our 5th hour of walking The Louvre, Tessa turned to me and asked “Mummy, do you and Daddy ever get tired of looking at paintings?”  We don’t really,  David and I both love museums and galleries and we have always tried to instill in Tessa a love of art and things creative, but I think that after another full day of art the poor child had had enough!

We had started our day at The Orangerie, which is where Monet’s Waterlilly paintings are housed, 8 massive paintings hang in 2 specially built oval rooms, with natural light from skylights – it  is the most incredible sight. I love the waterlilly collection, the colours and story behind them are inspirational and when you are in this space, surrounded by the paintings, you feel as though you are almost in them. Absolutely worth going to see!

After The Ogangerie, we walked up the Champs Elysees to see the Arc d Triomphe, and watch the seemingly chaotic traffic which whizzes around it. And then – on to The Louvre. We went to see Michaelangelo’s Slaves, all the Leonardo’s and of course, the Mona Lisa,  the Rembrandt’s, it’s a real who’s who of art ! and impossible to see everything…..

I LOVE I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid, the juxtuposition of the modern glass and steel structure and the incredible architecture of the old buildings is inspired! As we were leaving The Louvre at 10pm ( they stay open late on a friday night) the moon was rising over the building – it was magical.

I’ve just come across this picture on the Apple site. I’m taking this as a sign that I should get a new Ipod……….

On our second day in Paris we used the Batobus to get around, it’s a great way to travel the city. You can either buy a ticket to wherever you are going or a hop on hop off day pass. Our first stop was the D’ Orsay Museum. What an amazing space – a former railway station provides a home to an incredible collection of impressionist and post impressionist paintings and sculpture.

The massive roof is constructed entirely of glass, so the light coming into the main central space is wonderful. One of my all time , most favorite scultures is this one by Camille Claudel, I first saw it 20 years ago and so it was very special for me to see it again.

I also love the Degas Ballerina paintings and bronze scultures, This one I think is particularly beautiful.

After the D’ Orsay we went to the Rodin Museum. The collection is housed in what was originally Rodin’s Paris home and the light open rooms and gardens are the ideal space for what are some of his best and most important works. Once again, it was very moving for me to be here again after 20 years. The Burghers of Calais still brings tears to my eyes.

And one cannot help standing in awe of his sculpture of Balzac.

Our day ended with a trip to the Eiffel Tower. David doesn’t like heights, so we walked up to the second platform and then the fearless thing that is my daughter co-erced me to take her up to the very top – some 324 meters from the gound…………

David, Tessa and I went off to Paris last week. We’ve never used the Eurostar before, so it was a bit of an adventure! We loved the new St Pancras station, what a sleek, elegant and modern station – Gare du Nord pales in comparison – Yay! 1 to the U.K.

Our little hotel was in the Latin Quarter, we were a bit nervous as we thought that it might only have play play stars….. and it was an old building and a bit run down, but they would allow Tessa in the room with us and were such very nice people and most importantly- it was wonderfully situated – literally 5 minutes walk from Notre Dame. We left our baggage in our room and wondered down to the Cathedral. What an amazing building, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, which took over 2 centuries to finish with a sense of lightness and grace that comes from it’s flying buttresses and remarkable filigree work. We climbed the 400 steps of the bell towers for the view over the City – and what a view! Paris is a breathtakingly beautiful city!

Then we went off onto the other island, to Berthillion, for what is renowned as being the best ice-cream in France, and it certainly earns it’s reputation – I had a scoop of coffee and a scoop of chocolate and it was delicious.

We wandered up through the Latin Quarter, to the Jardin du Luxembourg , passed the beautiful Pantheon and then went for dinner at Les Fontaines, where we had a delicious meal – I know David and I both had fish, but my french is non existant, so who knows what fish it actually was! Our waitress was very kind and tried to explain the menu as best she could, but a lot of it was down to sign language and animal sounds……..

During the day, Tessa and I did get up close to one of those gorgeous frenchmen you hear all about……..

Another bracelet which I have made for myself and wear all the time. I’ve used my most favorite ever peacock coin pearls and lovely large sterling silver nuggets. This Bracelet would also work wonderfully with white coin pearls for bridal jewellery.

This is one of my favorite bracelets. I’ve made it using faceted Labradorite ovals and sterling silver pebbles. I can never resisit Labradorite, it’s a stone that has a wonderful steel grey colour and a good quality stone has flashes of colour that bring it to life. This unusual toggle clasp completes this bracelet

I’ve just finished this necklace. It’s made using beautiful large green baroque pearls clustered with faceted labradorite, matching freshwater pearls and 14 ct beads. The chain is a really unusual combination of round and oval links and it’s one of my favorites. I love the green and gold together. I’ve also wire wrapped some small pearls into the chain and it’s finished with a toggle clasp. It also has matching baroque pearl earrings!

I’ve a friend  who has recently set up a Lifestyle Management Company in Winchester and the surrounding areas. So if you live in Hampshire and are looking for an extra pair of very capable hands to take care of the tasks you aren’t getting around to doing then contact Colleen at Splash.

We’ve just finished watching the DVD of The Illusionist. It’s a story of love and magic , intrigue and mystery – with a wonderful twist – and we loved it!

I’ve just finished reading a book that I think is fantastic and so would love to recommend. It’s called A Fine Balance

by Rohinton Mistry. I found it quite daunting initially, but quickly found myself entirely engrossed and unable to put it down.

The book weaves the story of 4 individuals from the indian caste system during the 70’s.  I felt that I was  given insight into the political and social situation affecting the characters as well as the minutae of their daily life.

I’t’s an incredibly sad narrative, but I also found it moving and uplifting  that people who live in such appalling conditions can still find happiness and joy in their circumstances and surroundings.

If you read it or have read it please let me know what you thought.

The Twinkleberry site is at long last being redesigned!

Of course, Mr Perfectionist (aka Captain Slow) is building it, so it’s bound to take quite some time to finish………..but it’s looking lovely and I am very excited!

One of my very best things must be getting into bed when I have changed my linen. I am a bit of a purist when it comes to bedding and have always only ever bought white pure cotton linen.  I iron all our linen myself ( I know – it’s crazy – but there you are) and both David and I delight in climbing into bed and enjoying the feeling of fresh white cotton, so I was really suprised when I came across Bella Notte Linens and was temped by the most sumptuous, colours and fabrics – I might need to rethink my dedication to white cotton…………

Image courtesy of Bella Notte Linens

Pey sent me this lovely picture of herself at her son’s wedding, wearing the necklace I made for her. Doesn’t she look fabulous?  I don’t know about you, but I find Rose Quartz pink a really difficult colour to wear,  I think it looks great on Pey as she has a lovely tan. I also think it looks good on the classic “English Rose” complexion – that enviable creamy pale skin, but on me – not so good!

Sadie was very kind, and sent me one of her beautiful wedding photo’s. I was so pleased as I just love seeing something that I have made,  worn on such a special day. I was also glad because I neglected to take a photo of Sadie’s necklace once I had finished making it……..

Sadie, you were a gorgeous bride!

Have you heard about the Youtube video that has created a worldwide storm?  Jill and Kevin did something different for their wedding and it’s fantastic!

Pey wanted a pair of long drop earrings to match her bracelet and necklace – these are made using green and pink freshwater pearls and swarovski pink crystals.

Pey’s matching bracelet was a cluster of all the components that made up her necklace – on a different chain though.

Pey commissioned some jewellery to wear to her son’s wedding.  All she gave me to work on was that her dress was green and that she wanted a colour combination of pink and green. I sent her some diffent colour options and she matched these to her dress. The combination she chose was a kind of sage green pearl, a soft pink pearl and a true pink crystal.  The necklace is made with a large faceted rose quartz coin, above which is a tight cluster of crystals and pearls and below is a tassle cluster of the same. I also included crystals and pearls into the length of the chain we decided on.

I hadn’t made a purple 50 Crystals Ring before. This one was another order last week. I love this colour!

I took this photo of a clear 50 Crystals Ring I made for an order last week

I’ve just finished this cluster necklace and I am very pleased with how it’s turned out. I couldn’t resist the gold chain when I first saw it. It is the most beautiful vintage gold colour – very similar to rose gold. I’ve made the cluster using a large peacock coin pearl, crystals , vibrant blue freshwater pearls and faceted labradorite. The blues and greys of the cluster are a perfect match for the warmth of the gold chain.

For details of this necklace contact me at jenni@twinkleberry.co.uk

I made this necklace using a strand of large shell pearls that I bought recently. Shell pearls are very popular at the moment and I can understand why. The colours and shine are wonderful and they also feel substantial when you wear them, I love my strand and find that I wear it a lot.

This particular necklace has some silver dotted along the strand and is finished with a sterling silver toggle clasp. As with pearls, I recommend buying a strand that is knotted between each pearl.

For a shell pearl necklace like this one, contact me at: jenni@twinkleberry.co.uk.