Cory is a fan: Echoes of Nature

One shop I have yet to purchase from but I absolutely love is Echoes of Nature, which sells polymer clay figurines and decorations for terrariums.

 Perhaps it's because I love mushrooms, but even if you don't, how cute are these?

How very sweet :)  I've never thought about starting a terrarium, but it's a cute idea!  The rain cloud earrings also come in winter snow!

Cory

The Sewing Journey Begins...

As it happens when one gets new interests, I've bought a book to help me in my trials when I face my brand new Christmas sewing machine!  I wasn't looking, but I came accross this great book at a Waterstone's: The Colette Sewing Handbook.  It comes with a few patterns, but most importantly, really basic instruction for people who have no experience with this stuff!

I've been really impressed with the simplicity and great teaching this book offers, and it's gathered up my courage to face the scary machine.  I'm already excited for my first project that the book features!  I originally thought my first sewing projects weren't going to be things I could wear, but would be funny deformed pincushions etc.  But stay tuned for some progress on a new skirt...

And lo and behold, Colette Patterns has its own website, as well as a blog (www.coletterie.com)!  I think I'm now a fan.

Another step I need to take in my sewing endeavors, in addition to the sewing maching and the knowhow to work it, is somewhere to actually keep it, and a space to lay out patterns and do the ironing etc - I think for now that will be the living room when the house is less occupied and I'm not getting in everyone's way!  And I've decided I need to source a place to set the sewing machine on, because the large desk is probably not ideal (but ideal for the laying out of things!).  Enter Argos:

At £11.99 I can afford to lavish new furniture on my flat!  I think it will fit perfectly hidden away behind the couch in the corner of the living room... I can't wait!  This will be the first thing to set up after I'm back from my Christmas holidays in the new Year...

Cory

Cory is a fan: Oh! Mama J

My good friend Mama J has recently started her own Etsy shop featuring her plastic necklace designs:

I have the fawn black silhouette necklace... and if I'm wearing it I never go long without a few comments and compliments on it!  See if any of her jewellery tomfoolery tickles your fancy...

These types of necklaces made with the shrinking plastic seem to be quite popular these days... I tried my own hand at making a few, but I think I might leave it to the experts...!

Cory

Cory is a fan: boygirlparty

One of the Etsy shops I'm quite addicted to is the sweet and unique illustrated items by boygirlparty.  If you've purchased from my shop before, you'll have noticed I use adorable note paper to write a nice thank you note - and this is where I source it from!

This shop has everything paper-y, from to-do lists to journals, as well as a lot of really sweet items featuring Susie (the shop owner)'s illustrations such as necklaces, badges, and pocket mirrors:

She also has a website here, with loads of other surprises: http://boygirlparty.com

Check it out!

Cory

Gift Ideas for the Book Lover Who's Read Everything

Coryographies' Beach House Bookshelf Necklace has appeared on Flavorwire.com, a website for cultural news and critique in an article featuring novel gifts for your favourite book lover.  Check out number 6 of 20!

(and here's another featured that I thought was quite cool!)

Cory 

ZOMG I GOT A SEWING MACHINE!!!

 

Crafty miracle prayers to the artsy gods have been answered, and I got a sewing machine this Christmas!!  Conquering all odds, I will find a place for it in my tiny flat, most likely in the corner of the living room - so hopefully people don't mind the ensuing whirring and cursing that might be!

I haven't done any sewing at all since Home Economics classes circa 1997-98, so this is going to be an education.  But as long as I have Youtube, it will all be fine, right? 

I can't wait to get started and see what I can create... it all seems a bit overwhelming, the possibilities are endless.  If anyone has any suggestions for an easy starter project I'd be interested :)  Or in some free lessons...?

I've spent this Christmas in York, and the town is beautiful and full of lovely crafty shops.  Many of them contain so many things I'd love to learn how to make, and one of them is nice little handkerchiefs.  This sewing machine also does embroidery, so I wonder if that means I have the tools to make sweet little handkerchiefs?  I'll have to look up a couple lessons and share I think...

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas!

Cory

Christmas at the Smithsonian

In 2009 I finished my Masters degree in Palaeoanthropology and Palaeolithic Archaeology at University College London.  I met my husband when I was on excavation in central Spain, and I'm looking forward to a conference in March in Kyoto, Japan, where I will get to present a poster I've collaborated on, on prehistoric hominids and their cognitive abilities.  So when I'm not crafting, a lot of my life is taken up with archaeology!

So when I saw I was getting a lot of Etsy hits from the Smithsonian online magazine, I was thrilled to see my Stone Tool Earrings featured in their article on Hominid Gifts for the Holidays!


The matching ring and necklace have sold, but the earrings are still there!  What a nice Christmas surprise to be somehow associated with the Smithsonian... even if it's not to do with my research!!

Cory

Bookshelf Necklaces

My favourite item that I make for my shop are hands down my bookshelf necklaces!

I've been able to make them for book lovers from the US, Australia, Finland, Belgium, Japan and more, and it's so fun to see where the people purchasing my items come from.  I'm currently creating a map to see how many US states I have sold to... there are still a few more to go, come on Hawaiians!


My bookshelf necklaces are made from wood and polymer clay.  There are quite a few steps that go into making one, and they tend to take a lot of time (and music, and sweets while I sand away!).  I usually try to make 10 at a time, and finish them over 2 days.  That is why they are made to order...!

Recently I've added a new earring design: little studs that look like old Penguin books!  They're very sweet, and made out of polymer clay painted with acrylics and varnished.  The orange ones are the covers of fiction books - there are many other colours for the different genres of books, and recently made a pair for a customer who requested them in 'crime' green!  They looked very sweet.


As I mentioned in the below post, I have some new bookshelf necklace design ideas that I plan to put up in the new year, including one for music lovers.  Stay tuned!

Cory

Welcome!

Welcome to Coryographies' very own blog!  This blog has been set up to accompany my Etsy shop, as well as share new ideas and interesting things I find.  Hopefully I can set up giveaways and show some tutorials as well as sharing my favourite shops!

A little bit of an introduction to my own shop then...

My name is Cory, so I named my shop "Coryographies", being full of my creations and things that I make.  I started selling on Etsy in April 2011.  My first items were polymer clay sushi jewellery designs like these:

       

Soon I started branching out with other designs and materials.  Now my biggest selling items include these tiny and cute bookshelf necklaces!

  

My style is quirky, colourful and fun, and reflects the things that make me happy in life.  I hope to start including some paintings in my shop, and introducing some more bookshelf necklace designs in the new year!

I hope you will follow the goings on in this blog and my Etsy shop, and that you enjoy what you see!

Cory