New Website

I know it's been a very long time since I last posted on here...and so much has happened in that time!!
Not only did I set up a shop in Dartmouth, Devon..where I ran lots of classes in jewllery making, dressmaking and sewing and also sold scrumptious fabrics, haberdashery, handmade items and jewellery making bits, but also, I went travelling in a small van for 6 months, renovated a large house in Newquay and am now running small sewing/textile classes from my home in Stoke Gabriel, Devon aa well as organising wonderful sewing retreats just outside of Totnes, Devon! Life certainly has been busy and kept me out of mischief!
Last October daughter number one got married..Take a look here... I had the priviledge of making her dress...and mine (just)!
This year I became a Grandmama and daughter number two is getting married in December...another dress or two to make!!
On top of this I have been learning how to build a website...which is still in it's rough state...but hopefully I'll get better at it and it will improve in time!! So...from now on, I hope to keep you up to date with my classes, sewing retreats and life in general over on the new site. Do take a look...not very much there yet but that'll soon change!
The next sewing retreat is in October ..I just can't wait...the last two have been absolutely fantastic...and booking is now open on the new site! I'd so love to see you at a retreat or on a class...or just popping up to say "hello" on the new site...which is here... www.yvonnetemple.co.uk
It's been wonderful sharing my journey with you here...thank you for all your support and encouragement...it's been amazing!
Love Yvonne xxx

Learn to sew at China Blue

Happy New Year! New sewing classes at China Blue Dressmaking Classes - No experience necessary Learn the basics of dressmaking as well as getting to know your sewing machine. When: Every Tuesday evening 7pm - 9pm. Cost: £20 per week, or book 6 lessons and qualify for a 10% discount. Call or email for further details. Booking essential. Make an 'A' Line skirt This workshop will teach you how to use a commercial dressmakers pattern, fabric placement and cutting out, basic sewing techniques including zip insertion and give you confidence in using a sewing machine. When: Tuesday 8th February 9.30am - 4pm OR Tuesday March 22nd AND 29th 9.30am - 1pm. Cost: £50 including teaching, use of sewing machine and refreshments (Excluding lunch). Please call or email for details of what you will need to bring with you. Make a Tote Bag Bring your own materials or choose from our wide selection to make yourself a hip new Tote Bag. When: Tuesday 1st February AND Tuesday 15th March 9.30 am - 1 pm. Cost: £40. This includes ALL materials, use of sewing machine and refreshments. Cushion making workshop Learn to design and make your own cushions to liven up your living room or brighten your bedroom. When: Tuesday 25th January AND Tuesday 8th March 9.30 am - 1 pm. Cost: £40. This includes ALL materials, use of sewing machine and refreshments. Journal Covers Journal or book covers make great gifts and can turn something ordinary into something very special. When: Tuesday 15th February 10 am - 1 pm. Cost: £35. This includes ALL materials, use of sewing machine and refreshments. Small zipped bags Learn how to make a small lined bag for use as a pencil case, cosmetics bag or purse, and how to insert a zip. When: Tuesday 1st March 10am - 1pm. Cost: £40. This includes ALL materials, use of sewing machine and refreshments. Sewing Cafe Come and use the sewing machines to start/ finish your projects. When: Anytime between 10am and 4pm. Cost: £10 per hour. Includes refreshments and as much help as you need. NEW for the Spring term The Craft Cafe Whether your interests are sewing, crochet, card-making, cross-stitch, beading, photography, jewellery making, painting or anything art and crafty, bring your crafty bits and pieces to the Craft Cafe! Meet like minded creative people, chat, swap ideas, share skills and spend time being creative working on your latest project. When: Every Wednesday morning at China Blue in Totnes from 10am until 12pm. Cost: It's FREE!!! Coffee and delicious cake available to purchase from the coffee shop. I look forward to seeing you at a workshop very soon. Yvonne xx Places are limited so book today to ensure your place. Call Yvonne on 07815 811005 or email to yvonne.r.temple@gmail.com. A deposit of £10 is required at the time of booking.

Jewellery Making Workshops

Happy New Year!

New Year, New Start, New Hobby!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
What better time of year to learn a new skill or improve on old ones?

NEW for the Spring term...

The Craft Cafe

Whether your interests are sewing, crochet, card making, cross stitch, beading, photography, art (anything art and crafty) etc.... bring your crafty bits and pieces to the Craft Cafe, meet like minded creative people, chat, swap ideas, share skills and spend time being creative working on your latest project.
When: Every Wednesday morning at China Blue in Totnes from 10am until 12pm
Cost: It's FREE!!! Coffee and delicious cake available to purchase from the coffee shop.

Three exciting NEW jewellery making workshops...

Recycled Jewellery

Bring your old, broken, unworn jewellery, unwanted jewellery and give it a new lease of life. Incorporating the old with the new and learning new techniques along the way you will be able to create several new pieces of jewellery. Come and be inspired!

Wedding Jewellery

What could be better than making the jewellery for your wedding? Whether you are the bride, a bridesmaid or the brides mother you will be able to create unique pieces of jewellery to truly compliment your outfits. Perfect for a hen party or just a great girls day out before the wedding. Discounts available for bridal parties of 8 or more. Call for details

Tiara making

Learn how to make beautiful beaded flowers and leaves that can be incorporated into a stunning tiara. Whether it is for your wedding or prom you can be assured of making a beautiful piece that match your outfit perfectly!

All the information, dates, prices and how to book the Spring Term workshops can be found at: www.jewellerymakingworkshops.com

I look forward to seeing you at a workshop very soon

Yvonne xx

Places are limited so book today to ensure your place.

A deposit of £10 is required at the time of booking.

Exciting times....

Hello again.... how are you today?

I have been dying to show you this......

I made it ages ago for a friend who was expecting a little boy in September, and now that he has entered the world and the gift has been given I can show you... ta dah!!!!

I knew that she was planning a jungle themed room for the little man... especially giraffes....

So, I set about making a rather huge changing bag for all the baby bits and pieces

... with tigers, monkeys and giraffes smiling happily

It has a fully lined, fully waterproof inner with LOTS of pockets... always essential....

... and was made with bags of love from......

Congratulations Sally on the birth of your gorgeous little man, James xxxxx

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I know it's been an absolute age since I last updated you with the little happenings and goings on in my world... and I am so grateful to you for sharing it with me and for popping by saying hello... it's good to know you are there.... I am so so excited to be able to tell you about several new developments in my working life.......

Firstly, I visited a gallery in Teignmouth on Monday ... Blue Indigo... with my jewellery. They were really keen to take my pieces and I was amazed when I walked away leaving 18 different necklaces, bracelets and earrings with them.....

.... I have just had a phone call from them... today... Friday... to say that they have already sold all 3 charm bracelets and would like me to send 4 more as from just now... sold 4 ordered 6!!!!! They have had a lot of interest in my jewellery, not only from customers, but other designers too... ooooh! I am sooooo pleased.

The biggest news is that I am now the very proud owner of not one, but two websites... eeeeeekk! My wonderful brother Mike, has been building them for me... ( by the way if you would like a beautiful website, email me and I'll pass Mike's details to you ) ...

Firstly, he designed my lovely new logo....( above ). It's so me and my style and colours.

It was inspired by this photo that we took whilst on a photo shoot at Stover Country Park of my wire and bead dragonfly.

The different colours of the logo represent the different seasons and collections that I am putting together. Green represents Spring, Blue Summer, Red/orange Autumn and Brown Winter.

The first site I want to show you is all about the workshops that I run at China Blue in Totnes.

You can find this at www.jewellerymakingworkshops.com

Please take a look as I would really value your feedback and any thoughts you have that might enhance the site, or, thinking as a customer or someone looking for jewellery making workshops any improvements that can be made... or anything you like about it!!! To be honest, feedback is so vital as you get so engrossed in your own project that you don't always see things objectively.

Secondly, is the website selling my jewellery......

It's not completely finished as I still need to add some detail and prices to some of the products, but it is so nearly there......

... but I just can't wait any longer to show you......

... but, just before I do, I am struggling with getting clear photos of the products... I have purchased a proper photographic set up... a white pop up tent and lights... to try and get professional looking photos, however, as you will see, in order to get a clear white background, some of the detail and especially the colour is lost..... I am desperate to sort this so any help would be gratefully received...

I have thought about photographing the jewellery on another background, such as a piece of slate, that would show off the silver work and not interfere with the colours os the beads... what do you think?????

So... here is where you can find more of my work .... www.yvonnetemple.co.uk I'd love to know your thoughts on this site... please????

My two most recent collections.... Nature's Harvest and Moor and Mountain were inspired by a recent walk I had on dartmoor at Bellever..... (more of that in another post.)

Firstly...Natures Harvest..... the rich reds and browns of the dying bracken....

Bright, bright yellow of the gorse.....

.... berries on the trees....

... juicy green and brown acorns.....

... puffy toadstools and horse chestnuts.....

... have all inspired a range of jewellery in the most amazingly rich autumnal colours.....

.... as well as birds migrating...

.... and leaves falling.....

Moor and Mountain came about as a direct result of clambering the tors, being inspired by the richness of the grey rocks

... the depth of colour in the heather....

... the vibrant green shoots,

moss and lichens....

Hearts and roses necklace....

Heather and moss bracelet...

Heather heart necklace.....

I'm sorry it's been such a long post today, but there was so much I wanted to tell you about .... very excited!!!!!

I would so appreciate your feedback on the two websites and my new collections...

Had better fly now as I have those orders for the gallery to make as well as two more workshops you organise and run before I fly off to warmer climes very soon... more about that next time!! Thank you so much for stopping by...

Have a wonderful weekend, keep warm and enjoy this beautiful season of Autumn with all the richness that it has to offer...

Lot of love xxxx

Ever have one of those days?

When writing this blog I try to keep upbeat and positive..... but sometimes you have those days where you just have to have a little rant and then you feel a little better!!! Well... yesterday was one of those days... it was not all bad though as you will see!!

The day dawned with the promise of lovely sunshine, children off to school for the first time after a long summer (lovely though), coffee with a friend and some catching up with work.

All was going swimmingly until I went into the lounge to let the sun stream through the windows.... notice anything missing in this picture???.....

.... yes, you've spotted it... NO CURTAINS....! As I was pulling them open the whole rail came crashing to the ground... aghhhh!!

..... here they are still lying on the floor behind my sofa!!! (not a job I am able to do).Oh well... I've a lovely view out of the window... beautiful twinkly, solar powered fairy lights scattered amongst the clematis on the fence light up once the sun has disappeared... little things really do make me happy!!

Not long after the curtains came down this tin of very small beads decided to drop down off of a very high shelf, bounce off my work desk and scatter tiny beads..... everywhere!!!

I have still been finding them today... it's amazing how far these things will travel!!!

As you can see.... it was not a good start to the day. I have to say though that the day did improve after that. I met some friends for a coffee at China Blue and spent some time re-styling my cabinet of jewellery for sale. Whilst I was doing this I was approached by a lady who owns a gallery in Teignmouth who is interested in showing my jewellery... and a former workshop participant popped by to book another class with me... it looks like I'm going to have a busy Autumn!

The day ended with a lovely walk, with Rosie, in Dartmouth. I know that all too soon the evenings will draw in and we won't have these lovely evenings to enjoy, so I am determined to make the most of them before I am confined indoors, wrapped in blankets and drinking hot chocolate!!!

We set off around 6.30 ish, just as the sun was turning a beautiful golden colour and flooding Kingswear.... which is the opposite side of the river to Dartmouth.... with a gorgeous warm glow....

Stepping out of the car, this is the view across the river......

The view across to Kingswear... just like a picture postcard!

... and again....

Looking back down the river towards Noss Mayo...

We turned inland away from the river, past the boat float..... with Avenue Gardens and the bandstand in the distance...

... a little blurry I know, but it's such a lovely picture, I had to include it...

Another view across to Kingswear.... in the bottom left had corner you can see the 'Historic' car ferry leaving dartmouth for Kingswear

Looking back across the rooftops back towards Dartmouth town...

This time we are looking over the rooftops and out to sea.....

As we made our way to the castle we passed this little creek at Warfleet....

A view across the creek ....

The castle peeping out... standing proud, guarding the mouth of the river....

One last look across to Kingswear as we wend our way back home......

This was a lovely ending to what started out as a difficult day... my soul was restored and I went to bed calm and relaxed!!

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Today was different all together... I thought I'd shatter any illusion that you might have that I am a tidy person.....

Look at my very untidy desk..... I decided that it was high time I sorted out my bead stash... and the mess that I have made over the summer by not putting things away properly!!!

So.... there was nothing for it but to make a strong one of these....

... and tackle that mess..... just look at it now....

... a good job done I'd say... and I can actually find what Im looking for now!!

... all my beads.....

.... and buttons neatly stashed away....

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One last peek at something I am dying to tell you all about but can't quite just yet. I'm hoping to have some brilliant, exciting news for you next week.... so keep watching this space!

Any guesses?

Just a quick reminder before I go that the list of workshops that I will be running this half term is now available to look at under the 'Workshops' tab of this blog.... these are all held at China Blue in Totnes, Devon.... Take a look and see what grabs you, I'd love to see you! Also the workshop at Pebbles that I mentioned in my last post still has a few spaces on both the morning and evening sessions.

Have a lovely evening.

Lots of love xxxx

p.s. sorry about the moaning at the beginning of the post... but I do feel better now that I have shared it with you... thanks for letting me xxxx