News

Let me start by wishing your all a very belated 'Happy New Year' - I really do hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas and New Year!  It was a busy time from September for me and I must say I have been blown away by the amount of orders I have received from everyone. So let me take this opportunity to thank all my past and present customers for their continued support. Without your purchases and encouragement, my little business really wouldn't be what it is today. So,for that I am humbled and delighted all at once!  It has taken me most of January to recover from the festive season and to catch up on all the orders that have come through but I am now ready for the year ahead! One thing I have recently signed up for is a challenge on Instagram. It is called the #earringchallenge2018 and is run by a page called @chapmanmetals. The idea is that I have to make and upload a pair of new earrings I have created every Monday morning! That's it! Sounds easy huh? Well, with all these things, I start off with the best of intentions and then everything goes belly up.....this time I am determined to complete it! I'm already behind as it started on 1st January but they have said as long as I catch up I am more than welcome to join in....so it'll be a few extra posts for me this month!  You may be wondering why I take all these things on....well the truth be  known I like a challenge and I really do think this will enable me to think outside the box a bit and get a lot more creative!  Well here is my first pair completed! I made a necklace like this months ago and have wanted to complete the set so thought as an easy way in these would do it! I think they look like dream catchers so that's what I will call them. I would love to know your thoughts so do feel free to comment. Also, I am happy to welcome any suggestions for wild and wonderful creations and I will try and make a few of them too :) In the meantime, if you are on Instagram then feel free to follow my progress www.instagram.com/maisyplum Also, why not sign up to my newsletter, this will be where I will offer these earrings out at special prices just for my subscribers!  www.maisypum.co.uk

Hello Everyone!  Today I thought I would talk about bowls as I have recently made quite a few recently and they are one of the items I like making the most!  As you all know I have a thing about bowls - the dinkier the better and perferably with colour added as I find them cheerful in the house!  As you know I make enameled copper bowls and they come in all shapes and sizes. However I get the odd email from customers wondering what they may use them for. Well.....where do I start? The choices are endless, so I will give you some ideas as to what I do with mine... Decorative Bowls - Every home needs ornaments and sometimes I just love to have the enamel on display on my mantle or kitchen dresser in an array of complimentary colours and different shapes -  It really is as simple as that! I love cute items in my home as these are what make it feel...well....homely :) They look great grouped together in threes (everything should be grouped in threes and fives!) and they can add a pop of colour to your decor at the same time. Don't be tempted to limit them to just the kitchen either. Placed strategically in the bedroom or lounge can work just as well. Store jewellery and small items ie cufflinks, rings, earrings, necklaces, small change on your night stand Great for keeping buttons, paperclips and other loose items tidy and in one place. Pot Pourri  Bath salts or small bath melts In the Kitchen - condiment bowls for salt & pepper or spices as well as sauces & dips Place a tealight candle in one and watch the flame bring it to life, bouncing the colours around! Serve snacks ie nuts, bombay mix and other party nibbles Great for olives and also the pips (one for each!) House warming gift or something to take to dinner instead of an obligatory bottle of wine. Tealight holders or votive candle holders (my favourite use) I hope this has given some of you a few ideas as to how to make use of them and if you have any other suggestions, then please feel free to add your comments below as I would love to hear from you!  Have a great week! Jo MaisyPlum   

Over the past few years I have made quite a few pairs of cufflinks, but recently I made a special pair for a customer for her future husband to wear at their wedding. Sadly my customers' partner lost his dad a year or so before they were due to tie the knot and she wanted ensure that in some way he would be there in spirit on the big day. I was asked to create a set of cufflinks that I would set the ashes in. After a little to-ing and fro-ing we decided that the cufflinks should be round and have his birth date and the date he passed away handstamped to each one. These earrings are made in sterling silver and the ashes are encased in a resin which is carefully poured into each cufflink and left to cure for 48 hours. The resin hardens and creates a glass like finish. I have been making cremation jewellery for a number of years in the form of pendants, so it is great to be able to offer something personal for men too. If you are looking for a way to preserve your loved ones or pets ashes please do get in touch via email. All items are made to order. Here are a few photos of some previous items I have made for my customers Personalise Pendant - dogs ashes set in sterling silver pendant Cats Ashes - Bangles set in sterling silver Pets ashes in oval sterling silver pendant

So since the start of 2017, I have been a busy bee! Not just with making my enamel jewellery but I have a load of builders at my house and so it has been a little chaotic. The good news is that I will have a lovely new workroom which I will gladly show some pictures of next time I blog!  So with all this going on, I decided after much thought that I would take some of my creations and expand on a few of my designs. Up until now I have just made..stuff! If I have an idea, I create it and up to this point this strategy has stood me in good stead. However, I have now got to the point where there are some items that are definitely standing out as my 'bestsellers' and so I have decided that my job over the coming weeks and months is to expand and really hone these designs into collections.  One of my most popular items are my flower or poppy brooches. I have been making and selling these for a few years now and I am always introducing new colours. I have since added to the range some teeny tiny flower pendants and soon will be adding earrings and possibly rings too. I hope these prove as popular! I also think that cufflinks will be a great addition for men, but I am still on the fence with that idea. This doesn't mean that I will stop wildly creating items for my store but it does mean that I shall, at least have some proper collections in place. One of the hardest decisions for me is deciding on names for collections that I create, which is probably why I have tended not to go there!  I recently launched a competition on Instagram, where, in  order to win a particular pendant, you need to comment with a name that you feel is appropriate for the collection of items in the photo! The winner was chosen on Sunday and after much deliberation and sorting though many great ideas the name that I chose is 'Opalescent.' This name won over and above all others at I feel it sums up the items beautifully. The colours do become a little opalescent and the silver in the designs does reflect the colour back at you! So THANKYOU @melbrain for coming up with such a worthy name. Why don't you check out her instagram page  www.brainybaker.co.uk She has some wonderful makes of her own on there and is very talented!   Here are some pics of some of the items that can be found in my collection! Visit www.maisyplum.co.uk to order.    

As some of you know I am reasonably new to this blogging lark and realised that I kind of jumped in with both feet without really introducing myself. So, I thought I would engage with you all through my facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/MaisyPlum/ and decided to ask those of you who may be interested what you would like to know......It could be about me personally, my business, hobbies etc. Well I had some great questions asked and so I thought I would answer them here for you to gain a little insight about me.  So here goes...... Question: How long have you been making jewellery and have you any other crafts that you enjoy? Answer: I have been making jewellery for about 5 years although I had dabbled a bit before that, but it was all very basic stuff. I have always created something. Many years ago I started out with card making, which I occasionally still do. I loved it, but like all crafts it really did take over! I ended up with so many cards I sold them from the boot of my car at the school gates! Unfortunately, I hadn't heard of Etsy and other sites that I could have listed them on so I ended up selling off all my stock and equipment when my hubby told me to scale it back! How can anyone scale back?? There is always something you need right?! :)  Question: How did you decide on the name MaisyPlum? Answer: When I first started out it was with a friend and we spent weeks coming up with so many different names and eventually decided on MaisyPlum - my daughters name and the nickname of her daughter! It has stuck ever since :) Question: What's your favourite thing outside of MaisyPlum? Answer: Aside of my family, two dogs and my wonderful friends,  it has to be my addiction to the gym! It really is the only thing that can get me moving in the mornings! Until I have jumped around like a loon for an hour or so I am generally pretty useless! My eyes can't focus and it takes me ages to get organised. I never used to be like this but I blame it on age - it is always an age thing! ;) Question: Do you have a favourite part of your process when creating something new?  Answer: This is a great question and I had to think before answering .... I suppose the best part for me is when I come up with an idea and start creating it, to see it actually work out as expected, is something I never tire of. When I am using enamel, that is the part where it can make or break a piece and I am always delighted to see the colours work out as I had hoped. Question: Do you have any pets that like to interfere when you are trying to craft? Answer: I do have two dogs, Boyce & Trigger! As you can probably tell I was a big fan of Only Fools & Horses!  We have toyed with adding Marlene/ Rodney but three is just too many! Trigger is the placid, laid back VERY well behaved Collie cross and has never caused me any trouble. Boyce, however, is a Puggle - Beagle Pug cross and has a very cheeky personality. He is always underfoot as he loves company and whenever he can I will jump onto my lap in the hope that he can get a cheeky cuddle. I have to be careful I don't drop anything as he has a habit of stealing it!  Question: What's the first thing you made - the very first thing? Did you make jewellery when you were a little girl? Answer: The first thing I EVER made was an apron when I was about 8 years old whilst at school. I am not sure I ever finished it properly! It took ages and as we only had a few sewing machines it was a veryyyyy long process. I knew sewing was never going to be my 'thing'. Question: So what made you start your business? What was the true inspiration behind it all? Was it something you always wanted to do? Answer: I started my business as I was selling a lot of my work at craft fairs and I wanted something to do other than race around after three kids!  It worked around their commitments and was a part time option until I had more free time. The inspiration was to make jewellery that you couldn't find on the high street that anyone could wear. Question: Where do your ideas / inspiration come from? Answer: This is a hard question to answer as all sorts of things spark an idea. I often wake up in the middle of the night having had a lightbulb moment, but I suppose my ideas are based on the colours around me. My 'Reflections' collection is inspired by water and the reflections it throws back at you as well as the different shades the water can be. Question: How did you learn jewellery making? Answer: I am completely self taught - there is loads still left for me to learn so I watch a lot of you tube videos and I subscribe to some great online teaching websites and I practice.... a lot! I also make loads of mistakes but then if it was easy it would be boring! Question: Does it take a long time to learn how to do enamelling? Answer: Enameling is one of those mediums that can never get boring. I have loads to learn and a lot of it I never will. There is so much science to it but to learn the basics doesn't take long and it is a great deal of fun. Question: What has been your most memorable moment as Maisy Plum? Answer: My most memorable MaisyPlum moment has to have been this year in February. I decided I was going to grab the attention of Theo Paphitis of Dragons Den fame and within two weeks I was one of his #SBS (Smallo Business Sunday) winners. I will meet him next year at an awards ceremony at the NEC - I am sooooo excited ! Question: What was the first piece you made? Answer: Do you know... I can't remember! But these earrings were one of the first pieces I made and sold and they are still popular today. If you would like to see them in other colours then check them out here Question: How do you choose the colours you use? Answer: I think it boils down to how I think each piece will look with a colour and which metal it works with best. Having said that, sometimes I randomly put things together and it either works or it doesn't. Question: What's your favourite piece made to date? Answer: Oh wow! This is a hard one to answer but I really love making the pictures and my enamel poppy flowers as it really is a bit like art work and they are so very different. Out of all of my pictures these are two of my favourites, probably because I like wildlife!  You can also see other items I have made in the Home Decor section of my store here Regarding my favourite jewellery made to date......this is really tough but I think it has to be My Reflections Collection. I love the contrast of the enamel against the silver and each piece can be worn for day or night. I wear mine all the time and get many compliments on it. There is always a new piece coming out too so it really has no limits! I have recently started making cufflinks for men too so it really will be a collection for everyone. The 'Reflections' Collection can be found here Well I hope you have enjoyed reading this and should you have any questions, please feel free to ask away. Have a great week! 

I recently had a request from a wonderful customer that was a little different for me. I was asked to make her a hair barrette in copper for her up and coming wedding day. The spec I was given was It had to be made in copper Preferably shiny. The shape of a wishbone - as these hold a special meaning Forget-me-not flowers had to feature somewhere A hair barrette that would stay put!  Don't PANIC!!! I decided initially that I would probably mold it from copper clay, however, on reflection, this was not going to work as it was going to be too heavy to stay put, once it was fired. So, after much deliberation, I worked on forging my creation from copper wire. I set about hammering, shaping and working the piece until I had a wishbone styled base. Due to the soldering, the metal is quite soft so I attached a bar to help stabilise it once it was work hardened, and this was also going to be where I would attach the flowers. The next stage was to create the flowers, so I cut them out from some sheet metal. Three flowers in total. I soldered these togther at the tips and then attached them to the bar. I then gave it all a quick tumble to work harden the piece before I started enameling.       The final stage was the enameling! I must admit I was a little dubious about this part as you just never know - especially with my kiln, whether the piece will stay together or melt and fall apart! I had used hard solder so it was probably going to be ok, but you only need to leave an item for that little bit too long to make a mistake!!   Luckily it all panned out rather well!