 I am helping to run an auction on Facebook to raise funds for the Sussex Badger Vaccination Project. This registered charity offers farmers and landowners in East Sussex the option to have badgers on their land vaccinated against bovine tuberculosis (bTB) as part of efforts to eradicate the disease from this area. Hopefully, voluntary vaccination programmes like this will convince the government that vaccination is a way forward, rather than the destruction of our badgers.  We have had some truly amazing items donated for this worthy cause, the majority of which have been hand made. This cheeky chappy has been donated by the amazing Daisy Felts who makes the most colourful felt creations.  Another donation is this stunning limited edition, high quality print from a colour pencil drawing by Paul Caton, Badger Drawings and Print Edition. 'Cricket Ball' measures 12 x 10 inches and is signed and numbered. Amongst the 62 amazing donations, we also have these fantastic pieces from Papercuttergirl, Strawberry Glen and Helen Hodson Ceramics.  This Amigurumi badger, lovingly crocheted specially for the auction has been kindly donated by Lizi Angel Art. Measuring 8 inches from nose to tail he is made with acrylic, polyester and nylon yarns, polyester stuffing, and safety eyes and nose. A great collector's piece.  I have made and donated this copper and silver badger head pendant for the auction. He measures approximately 40 x 25 mm and hangs from an 18" sterling silver chain.  This stunning woodcut original has also been kindly donated by Lisa Hopkins. This is a framed original and measures 13 x 11" and there are 10 prints of this available in the auction also.  A badger being vaccinated against bovine tuberculosis (bTB). The auction runs on Facebook from 10pm (GMT) Friday 29th January 2016 until 8pm (GMT) Sunday 7th February 2016.
Sussex Badger Vaccination Project Auction Please join us to help save the UK's badgers :) Thank you, Sue xx
19/11/2015
Holiday Market NightI am taking part in a Holiday Market alongside a host of other small businesses. Here's a sneaky peak at some of the great items that will be available .....  A gorgeous hand woven scarf from the amazing LoomyBin....  A really stunning hand made bag from the talented Mel's Enchanting Creations.....  A beautiful heart garland from the brilliant Daisy Felts....  A beautiful hand knitted shawl from the talented Glitterwitch....  And an emerald and chrome diopside seahorse from yours truly.... Hope you can join us on Facebook tonight at 8pm :)
23/10/2015
Student Work 2015My students have really excelled themselves this year with some really ingenious and well executed designs. These fantastic pieces were made during one of my Saturday silver pendant workshops. I'm always amazed at the diversity of ideas and how brilliantly executed these are, especially considering most of my students have never done any kind of jewellery making or silversmithing before. These pieces are also examples of my students' work during the Saturday workshops - bangle, spinner ring and stone setting workshops. During the term-time evening classes my students can explore their own ideas - the classes aren't 'themed' in the same way the workshops are. Students can make anything they like......even a gift for someone else :)
15/10/2015
Woodstock ExhibitionI've been invited to exhibit a few piece at Woodstock Museum for a few weeks, so on Tuesday I took some of my work over :)  This silver moon gazing hare is one of my favorite designs at the moment. I love the contrast of the shiny hare, moon and star against the textured dark 'night sky' of the background.  My garnet, amethyst and green onyx elephant pendant is also on display at Woodstock...  If you happen to be in the area, pop in and have a nosey :) Thanks, Sue XX
I'm really pleased to announce that the badger pendant I donated to The UK Wildlife Arts and Crafts fundraising auction on Facebook raised an amazing £60. I designed this necklace specifically for the auction as it was to raise funds for sab groups on the front line defending our badgers from the terrible cull. £1200 was raised in total to help save our badgers :) 
25/9/2015
BFG Autumn MarketFrom 7pm on the 25th September until 10pm on the 26th September, I will be taking part in a BFG Autumn Market with 8 other small business pages on Facebook. There will be bargains galore, from cute handmade felt fancies from the talented Daisy Felts, to gorgeous handmade bags from the amazing Mel's Amazing Creations.  This peridot silver thumb ring is one of my pieces reduced for market night.  This stunning Harris Tweed Stag bag from Mel is half price in the market.  A beautiful scarf is one of the amazing bargains in the market - made by the brilliant Glitterwitch.  This pretty lapis lazuli silver stacking ring is another of my items available at a reduced price in the market. Pop over to the BFG Autumn Market on Facebook and grab yourself a bargain .... or two :)
 I've been exhibiting with other Oxfordshire Craft Guild members at Chipping Norton town hall for Oxfordshire Arts Week. There have been some amazing artists showing their handmade goodies there.....glass, ceramics, wood, jewellery and textiles, to name just a few. It's been a great few days and I've met some fantastic people ........ 
7/3/2015
2015 ExhibitionsI am currently in a tizz. I am trying to get a new pieces designed and made for two exhibitions I will be attending in the next few months. Unfortunately, I wasn't organised enough to realise they run at the same time, so now I need TWO exhibitions' worth of pieces... argh panic! One of the pieces I am currently working on is a seahorse pendant. This piece has been inspired by a golden seahorse brooch I was given when I was little and which I really loved, but which I was horrified to discover was an actual REAL dried seahorse coated in some kind of gold leaf which eventually flaked off. My seahorse pendant is most definitely not real lol. He is created from sterling silver and will be set with topaz, peridot and green tourmaline - colours I've chosen to echo the sea.  I've also been working on a new 'woodland' range of rings. These are gloriously chunky - my favourite kind of jewellery :) So far I have made the leaping hare with triangular blue moonstone and the soaring raven, also with triangular blue moonstone - can you guess I like blue moonstone? :) There will also be raven and black moonstone, badger and blue moonstone and fox and amber versions.  I'd better get a shift on :) All designs and images are copyrighted to Cybersilver Jewellery Designs and remain our intellectual property.
4/12/2014
BFG Snow and Ice ShowcaseWell this month's BFG Showcase theme just had to be Christmassy so we unanimously chose Snow and Ice. I was inspired to make some 'Arctic' themed pieces - and doodled some designs for my magical polar bear and whale pendants.  I chose some Canadian labradorite gemstones to use in the pendants specifically as they come from an Arctic region. I imagine that their beautiful labradoresence is what a frozen glacier must look like under the sea. According to Eskimo legend, the Northern Lights were once imprisoned in the rocks along the coast of Labrador. A wandering Eskimo warrior found them and freed most of the lights with a mighty blow of his spear, but some remained trapped inside the stone. They believed that it was these trapped lights which give Labradorite it's gorgeous colour and light. What a beautiful notion :) They took me a few days to complete. I like to add detail to my pieces and I put 100% into every piece I make. I pierced stars into the back of the stone settings and added a heart detail onto the back of each pendant. Making the chain that the labradorite hangs from on the whale was quite fiddly as the links are very small and I like to solder every link closed for security. I wanted the chains to have a suggestion of sparkling ice so I meticulously wire-wrapped eight silver beads with four clear crystal quartz beads in each chain.  And finally they were finished ...... each pendant is constructed from thick sterling silver and measures approximately 40 x 40 mm. More amazing Snow and Ice themed handmade items are available from the BFG Monthly Showcase on Facebook....  Thanks for taking the time to read my post :)
10/10/2014
BFG 'Fight The Cull' Badger ShowcaseThis month I'm taking part in a Facebook showcase with other small businesses to help raise funds to fight the badger cull. BFG is a select collective of small businesses who run monthly showcases centred around a different theme each month. For October, the showcase is devoted to handmade items which are badger-related. 10% of all sales will go towards helping to fight the badger cull by purchasing items from Stop the cull's Amazon Wish list. 
I have designed this 'Ancient Badger' pendant as my contribution to the showcase. He is handmade from thick sterling silver pendant and on his body is depicted an ancient landscape to reflect the historic importance of our native badgers. He measures approximately 60 mm x 27 mm and hangs from an approximately 16 " sterling silver chain set with blue moonstone and labradorite beads, finished with a handmade silver clasp. The silver has been oxidised, brushed and waxed to highlight the detailing and protect the oxidisation. He comes gift boxed. 
This fantastic Badger Hooded Scarf is also featured in the album and has been entirely hand woven by the amazing Beth at LoomBin. The scarf is made from wool and alpaca mixed yarns in stripes of grey, black and cream and is very cosy and soft because of the this mix. In addition the hood is lined for extra comfort with lovely, soft, black jersey knit fabric to help combat cold. To see the whole range of amazing makes. please check out the BFG's 'Fight The Cull' Badger Showcase on Facebook :)
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