Making a sun and moon conch earring with rose quartz

Watch the making process from start to finish from raw materials to a perfect polished conch jewellery.

Finishing a handmade conch earring - Stone setting and polishing

Behind the scenes making video so you can see how I finish this labradorite conch earring after I have finished soldering. it’s one of my best selling earrings and a personal favourite! Inspired by the ocean.

Searching for seaglass in Cornwall

The studio assistant is a fine helper when we are out combing the beaches is Cornwall looking for seaglass to make into new jewellery!

Rescue Dog Miracles- ticks, pets and walks

Sunday 14th September

Tomorrow will mark the last day of Galas’ fourth week at home with me. I can honestly say it has been beautiful, heartwarming, stressful, tiring and just wonderful!

They always talk about the rule of threes in rescue: 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months, that you will see a different dog. It’s been my pleasure to see Galas’ progress over her first days and weeks. At the end of three weeks, she had come so far, but still had so far to go! She didn’t want to come into the main house or let my parents touch her, and wouldn’t go anywhere near the gate, so walks were out of the question. As we started our fourth week, I was so hoping for her to gain some more confidence and for us to see more of the true Gala coming out.

We have had some really stressful times - even though she hadn’t been out of the garden, I found that she had loads of ticks, and not standard ticks you can see but the tiniest ticks imaginable. You couldn’t even really see them. I was giving her strokes all over and grooming, and as her fur is thin on her feet, I noticed this tiny white thing as my face was close, and realised it was a miniscule tick. I removed it, then kept finding more and more as I searched her feet. I think they must have been larvae to be so small and maybe some nymphs. Now, as we haven’t left the garden, that meant we must have a nest here. I had noticed a few ticks on me the week before she came when I was down the garden, and I was absolutely horrified to realise there must be a nest. When a female tick lays eggs, she lays from hundreds to thousands of larvae. I think it’s safe to say that I used to have a genuine tick phobia. I have been forced to deal with a few ticks from looking after animals, so all I can say now is it’s as strong as a fear can be whilst still trying to deal with it. So for me, this is literally a challenge sent from hell. I had been trying to use a natural tick spray on Gala (more about flea and tick preventatives in a different blog), so of course, finding all these ticks, I was even more keen to put it on. She really hates it, so I decanted some from a spray bottle into a pipette so I could just drip it onto her coat and brush it through. Seeing her cower away from me while I did it is the most awful thing in the world, but I was as gentle as I could be because I knew I had to do it. I then went inside for something, and when I came back, she was just sitting on the bed trembling. I can’t tell you how bad I felt. I had to go away again and burst into tears. I felt like such an awful person for upsetting her, and so despairing and anxious about the ticks in our own garden that should be somewhere safe for us. It was one of the worst mornings I have had recently, and I didn’t know how to pull it back together.

Then suddenly, a little Gala miracle. I was in the house making lunch, my parents were there too, and suddenly she started coming into the house! In and out, a little bit at a time, then back out, again and again, until in the end she came right into the sitting room and sat down next to my mum! I couldn’t have been more proud. It was such a lovely thing to happen on such a horrible day, and I can’t tell you how much it lifted my spirits! She carried on going in and out all afternoon, even lying in a bed I put out for her there, then racing outside to see me while I was working in the garden. I was using a scarifier to try and prepare the lawn for nematode application in a bid to kill the ticks, and instead of being scared, she ran right over and was trying to play with me! It amazed me how a day can be so awful and stressful, yet so full of joy at the same time. I felt so grateful to Gala for cheering me up. The tick nightmare isn’t over, but young Gala was taking strides forward and I am so lucky to be able to share it with her!

Another day, another tick horror, picking another six tiny ticks off her in the evening, then finding two on our bed in the morning. I have been trying so hard to stay calm about the whole tick situation, to handle it, research what we can do, and try to make a proper plan. I had ordered some nematodes, microscopic worms you can get to eat specific bugs from the garden. The nematodes that eat lawn fleas (did you know fleas don’t just live on dogs; they actually live in grass, and your dog can get them from there?!) are supposed to eat ticks too, so I ordered some to try and apply to the garden in the hope we could kill the ticks. It’s tricky not knowing exactly where they are, and the garden is fairly large, but it seemed like the best thing to try. So, having spent so much time researching all this, trying to keep my cool, it just pushed me over the edge finding so many more ticks, and I totally lost it again. I felt so close to the edge, and the fact that I couldn’t get Gala to go out the front means she needs the garden to go to the toilet, so it’s not like we can just never go in the garden either. Thankfully, my Dad was here to help; we started by fencing off the back half of the garden in the hope that is where the tick nest is, until we can treat it. I started looking into the possibility of a hardcore pest remover as well. But I was all over the place; the whole situation is so stressful, my skin has been crawling for days, I’ve barely got any work done, I’ve spent so long reading about ticks. Honestly, one of the worst periods of recent life.

Then what do you know, young Gala steps in again to save the day. After talking to the rescue for a advice, I decided that I would carry her round the front of the house and put her in the front garden so she could see what it was like, in the hope we would be able to go for a walk one day soon. I did so, and when I put her down, she took a look around and then trotted off down the street! Incredible. We didn’t go far and she is still nervous, but it felt like the most brilliant progress! I was getting excited and nervous energy from her. To see her actually trotting, and her tail out most of the time, I couldn’t believe it. And the feeling of freedom for myself to finally be out with her not stuck at home was also a tonic. I saw a couple of our neighbours, the very first people who have seen Gala (we had to turn round because she is scared of strangers), but I was just so proud to be out with her. It has been so long since my darling Miss Nancy and I were out. I hadn’t even seen these people since Miss Nancy died; the truth is I have been avoiding anyone I knew because I can’t bear telling people what happened. The pain hasn’t gone away, and I still can’t bear the thought of telling them, but I had Gala with me, and I have to concentrate on her and encouraging her, and it just somehow makes it easier.  We just trotted up and down back and forth near my house, getting to know the locale. Yet again it felt like such a gift after a horrific morning.

What a strange time this is for me, so stressed about something that is a personal nightmare to me and extremely hard to deal with in a practical sense as well as not to just break down into a blubbering wreck, and then sharing these joyful moments of progress with Lady Galadriel. She has gone from strength to strength in the house too, spending time in here, in the dog-sitting room with me, in my parents’ sitting room with them. She is turning into quite a grandmas girl and goes to her often for pets! Although she likes my dad, gives him huge tail wags and follows him around outside, she still won’t let him touch her. I am sure it’s not far away though after such a strong week for her.

Next week is going to see me try and apply these nematodes to the garden whilst desperately hoping I don’t get covered in ticks at the same time, which feels problematic. Honestly, I could throw up; that’s how it makes me feel, and it is driving me to drink, no mistake. But I have Gala to look forward to, carrying on trying walks, and I hope she will go to the gate on her own four paws this week, paws crossed!

My nervous Galgo’s first week of walks - Rescue Dog Diaries

Sunday 21st September 2025

Looking back on our first week of walks, I can honestly say I am so proud of Gala and we have made some incredible progress! There are definitely highs and lows, and it has been hard work for both of us, but there is a lot of light.

The first time a week ago (after being with me three weeks), I carried her round to the front of the house, not knowing what would happen, and almost straight away she just started trotting around our culdesac, then even out and down the main road a bit! I was amazed. Her tail was out a lot of the time, but she didn’t want to go far. I am not sure if we just picked a good moment when it was quiet out, but after that, things seemed to slow down a bit. I carried her out three times that day, and she didn’t then want to leave our close. If she saw a person, she wanted to run home or go in the other direction. It was very slow work, tempting her around the close. I get down on her level and stroke her shoulder to reassure her, then get in front of her with my arms open to get her to come towards me. Sometimes literally metre by metre, sometimes she will then start moving again and we walk a bit. It can be very painstaking, and requires a lot of high-value treats! But after spending three weeks just at home, I was so proud of her for being out there, and even if we were just on the close, she was observing, listening, getting used to things.

I’ve started to feel like we actually live in Piccadilly Circus, not a culdesac in a semi-rural village, my god the amount of cars and people! There’s nothing like being with a nervous dog to make you notice these things. We keep going out every day and it’s like we can’t go in any direction without encountering a person and having to turn around, neighbours talking outside their houses, washing their cars, gardening, deliveries, it would be hilarious if poor Gala didn’t get so scared.When she gets scared by someone and can’t run away (and I’m not letting her run home, I’m not making her go up to people but just that sometimes we need to wait until they have gone so we can carry on) and she will be there cowering and trembling in my arms. It’s really so heartbreaking to see. But the amazing thing with this girl is how quickly she seems to be able to shake that feeling off.

I was still trying to tempt her to the garden gate each day, then having to give up and carry her out, so on the fourth day when she willingly came out the gate herself, I was so happy! We then had a friend who has greyhounds come round to walk with us. Gala has actually met them before because they came to visit us in the garden. That went really well, so it seemed like a good idea to try and walk together. Gala started going towards my friend in the street, then it’s almost as if she remembered she needs to be scared and tried to run away again. Evie, the greyhound, is a pretty confident, bold girl who just wants to barrel up to Gala and sniff her all over, which she isn’t very keen on either, so it was a very slow start trying to get out of the close, with loads of coaxing and waiting again. Then, like a miracle, I managed to get Gala to come down the path in the corner for the first time, which will lead us to the next section of our walk! I think it was the fact that Evie and Catherine were at the other end of the path that made her bold enough to go down there, even though she was still pretending to be scared of them. So through we went and on to the next section of the walk.

I’d been trying to get Gala down here to some fields where it would be quieter anyway, so I was thrilled to finally make it, and almost immediately her tail came out again. We actually hit a farmer coming out of his field with a trailer and someone outside a house, so it was pretty busy, but in company, Gala handled it and we managed to get past. She then just looks like a totally different dog, tail out, trotting on keenly, it was amazing. To go from trembling and cowering to happily trotting seemed like a miracle. And so it has gone. We have seen a lot of both, Gala trying to bolt when she sees someone, having to have a short carry to get nearer to a quiet spot, not wanting to go through a kissing gate, to trotting along like the most confident girl ever, and this is all on the same walk! By the end of the week, she was trotting confidently to the garden gate for her walk. She has learned to go through kissing gates, she is scared of sheep, she is terrified of some people and dogs, yet seems much less bothered by others. She’s learnt that her mother won’t let her give up, but will support her and her bravery so she can get to the places she enjoys. Well, I hope she is learning that.

She seems very resilient; she physically shakes off upsets and then is able to go back to being tail out, providing we are in the right place. If she is upset by people or dogs barking at her, she doesn’t want to carry on, and a lot of patience and coaxing is required, but with repetition, she is gaining a wee bit of confidence each time. She seems happy in the countryside, so I think taking her to places I know we will be able to do quiet walks is going to really increase both her general life happiness but also her confidence. Then, hopefully, she will start being able to deal with the things she finds scary a bit easier. Pretty amazing progress in a week anyway. Is it easy? No. Does it require the patience of a saint? Yes, I think so! But to see her in a field trotting along happily, it is so worth it. I am so excited to see what the next week will bring. I am planning to take her out in the car for the first time. Hopefully, she will be excited to see somewhere new in nature, with not many people around, just lots of lovely fresh smells and sights.

Does Miss Nancy the greyhound like my campervan?

It’s a question I often ask myself, does my greyhound actually like my campervan? Well I guess the true answer is yes and no. It took her a while to get used to it, I had to train her even to be able to jump up onto the bed via the seat. Once she made it up there she was happy and it was soon decided she would be sleeping up there, not in her own bedroom under the bed! And it was a nice bedroom, custom fit mattress, blankets, but hey what can you do. In the winter it was so cold I really didn’t think it fair to try and make her sleep down there, to be honest we both needed the shared bodily warmth!

 So she is happy sleeping on the bed, she’s very good overnight and generally has no interest in getting up in the morning. She’s happy to sleep on the bed during the day to if we are working or hanging out in the van. We watch movies, or read, or work on the bed together sometimes. She’s definitely got to know that that is her bedroom, and is always keen to get up on the bed.

The bad side is that she hate driving in the van. Hmm how does that work I hear you ask, it’s a campervan! Well the answer is not very well. I had hoped she would get used to it, but she seems to hates it almost as much as she ever did. She doesn’t like to get up onto her driving seat and when she does she starts panting heavily immediately. She can’t sleep at all so she just lies there, sometimes tries to get up, finds it very hard to get comfortable. She also shakes, even before we have started driving. To be honest it breaks my heart, which means I have really limited the amount of driving that we do. I didn’t want to be permanently travelling anyway, I knew I’d want to find places I liked and stay there a while or it just becomes to exhausting. But even with that we do a lot less driving than I had planned. Places I really want to visit in the UK like Scotland and the Lake District seem extremely far away and almost unreachable! Which definitely isn’t how I hoped things would be. But I feel so bad for making her do something she doesn’t enjoy. Now I’m trying to keep daily journeys short in the hope she will come round.

I think she missed home more than I thought she would. I’m not sure she does see the van as home persay, more like home until she goes round someone’s house! I never though about it before I got the van but perhaps it makes sense that a dog who was brought up in a kennel wouldn’t be very happy to spend all her time in what is essentially a metal box! I know she loves being at friends and family’s house and being able to wander round and sleep in different places.

Although she does love visiting new places for walks, I think because she finds the journeys stressful she doesn’t enjoy it as much as she should, or at least it takes quite a while for her to relax. She also misses my family as we have spent a lot of time around them.

Do I regret getting the van? No I don’t but I do regret not taking Nancy out in some vans first to see how she felt about it. I wonder if she has trauma related to the lorry they would have been driven to races in and perhaps the noise of the van brings her back to that. It is certainly a much more noisy vehicle than a car.

Would she prefer a different van? This is what I now ask myself, wondering if I should sell big van and get a different one, a smaller car based van that she might like driving in more. Of course that would be a lot less suitable for full time living. So many questions!

I actually also have a car, a Skoda Yeti, and I am thinking about converting this into a car camper for some overnight trips to see how she feels about that. No doubt she will think I am absolutely nuts! Why are we sleeping in the car mom?! But I think it could be really fun to do short trips in and I am really into the idea of more outdoor stuff, wild camping in a tent, longer hikes, cooking etc. Not sure how Nancy Drew will feel about any of this…..

Anyhow so back to the van- we have highs and we have lows.  I still struggle with it as her anxiety make me anxious too! But I am so glad to be able to take advantage of what we have at the moment. We’ve spent lots of time visiting friends and family, and being able to live in the van outside instead of bothering them for rooms etc is so much more relaxing and free. I am planning to try and soundproof the cab of the van to see if this will help at all with the noise and Miss Nancy’s happiness! I know lots of people have dogs that love driving in their cars and vans, so I’ve learnt one thing it’s that it would be sensible to take your dog out first in the vehicle you are thinking of buying/living and see if they like it before committing to it :)

1st January 2024 - It’s a greyhounds life..

The following is an excerot from my beautiful Miss Nancy’s diary before she got sick and wasn’t able to write anmore. I will love you forever my girl and I will never stop missing you.

Monday 1st January 2024

Dear Diary,

I have for some time been intending to put paw to paper and record my experiences since coming to live with my mother, and yesterday’s events convinced me that time has now come. You will be aware, dear Reader, that I am not a wet weather dog or one who enjoys any extremes of weather. Later I will relate my close brushes with death as a result of my mother forcing me out in adverse conditions, but that is a story for another day.

Imagine my chagrin this morning when my mother approached me with my new harness and my smart pink coat, after I had been disturbed all night by the howling of gale force winds and was just settling down for my morning sleep. I stared at her in disbelief, unable to comprehend that she genuinely expected me to venture outside. I attempted to resist by slamming my head down on the bed when she reached out to put my collar on but to no avail. I was ignominiously shovelled into the back of my aunt’s car as they laughed foolishly together about ‘seizing the day’ and ‘starting their new year right’. It must be some kind of winter insanity that has come upon them, the poor creatures.

Thankfully the car journey was not long but then my mother was boldly striding forth, my string grasped firmly in her hand. My aunt followed, making disrespectful remarks about my muscular behind. To start with I thought perhaps after all my mother was merely being considerate, and had brought me to a new location to lay my morning egg. But as we continued across muddy fields into the biting wind and freezing rain, my heart sank and I knew it was not to be.

Numerous times I halted on our path and attempted to turn and return to the car. I turned my head firmly, clearly indicating my opinion that these pleasantries should now cease. Neither my mother nor my aunt heeded my objections and I was forced onwards until finally we descended a steep cliff and made our way across many boulders to an inhospitable beach. I need hardly explain how unsuitable boulder climbing is for an elegant dog such a myself, but I leapt along, agile as a mountain goat while my aunt and mother stumbled and slipped like the incompetents they are.

Arriving at a sheltered sandy spot I was astonished to see my mother lay out my bed and invite me to lie down on the wet ground, while they shed their clothes and made towards a turquoise lagoon which I knew could only bring ill fortune. They submerged themselves in the water and vanished from my sight between the rocks. Overcome with worry I approached the pool, going so far as to step ankle deep into its ominous waters as I faced the fact that I must enter them myself in order to rescue the foolish women. I have long since observed that a kind of water madness comes upon them at regular intervals and they act with reckless abandon. It is a matter of great concern to me that I may eventually be forced to swim once more to ensure their safety.

By now the rain was falling heavily and I began to dash to and fro to indicate my concern and suggest that we should hasten our departure. This time they acquiesced and we were soon once more upon the path towards home. Naturally I wished to stop and sniff at frequent intervals but my mother yanked rudely at me, always urging me onward. Such impertinence is not to be tolerated. I sensed that the rainfall was about to increase and made a final mad dash towards the vehicle and safety. Once home I retreated to the sofa under my blanket and refused to acknowledge anyone but my uncle as on this occasion he had not wronged me. Readers, what an ordeal. I am now quite certain that the woman is deranged.

Ten reasons to adopt a greyhound (why ex-racing greyhounds make such good pets)

Today I am going to take you through ten reasons why Greyhound make amazing pets, so if you are considering adopting a greyhound or getting a dog, or you just want to learn a bit more about these amazing animals then you’re in the right place. In no particular order, here are 10 reasons (plus bonuses ) why ex-racing greyhounds are so special and make such wonderful pets and household companions.

1. Greyhounds are very adaptable to different living conditions

Whilst it would be perfect for every dog to go to a big quiet home with a massive garden, of course we don’t all live in houses like that! They can really thrive in flats, houses, towns or the countryside as long as you make sure they have the opportunity for interesting walks and somewhere safe to run around off lead once a week. When I got Miss Nancy I was living in a first floor flat! Whilst it may not have seemed perfect to me, it was definitely the nicest home she’d ever had. We went for long, quiet countryside walks, and after she’d settled in I started taking her to a private secure field that we rented for an hour for her to run around. Now I take her everywhere with me, I’ve had her three and a half years, and it’s really been a beautiful experience watching her grow and gain more confidence with different places and people. I have no qualms taking her to pubs, cafes, peoples houses, anywhere outdoors, shops even, because she is such a good calm well behaved girl. I’m generally so proud of her behaviour!

2. Greyhounds learn new things fast.

Of all the adult dogs you can get, they probably have the most limited scope of experience as they lead a very sheltered life in the kennels. They don’t get to meet lots of different people or breeds of dogs, or go out and see the world! Everything will be new to them when you bring them home. But they pick things up super quickly. One thing they won’t know how to do is climb stairs. As my flat was first floor, me and Nancy obviously had to go up and down multiple times a day which was tricky as first, but by the fourth day she was going up and down them like she’d been doing it her whole life. I had to encourage her to jump up onto her sofa as she didn’t know what to do, but as soon as she was up she definitely liked the idea! She also didn’t really know how to play with was really sad, so I introduced her to toys and how fun they could be and she was soon throwing her new octopus around the room making him squeak. She also plays a pretty good game of ball in the garden, throwing it in the air, catching it and chasing it around - this is such progress from the first months when she had no idea what a ball was or how it could entertain her. It’s a wonderful experience watching a greyhound grow and learn.

3. Greyhounds are loving and enjoy being with people.

Despite their past lives they are very sweet dogs who really do enjoy being near their humans, and in the case of Miss Nancy meeting new people too! They get very attached, you will be the only stable thing in her life after leaving the animal shelter and racing kennels, and they will stick to you like glue at for the first few months and maybe longer. But I have found Nancy has a very big heart with room to love lots of other people too, she adores my sister, parents, and pretty much all the friends she has met! They generally seem to be happy just to be near you, Miss Nancy is a great companion while I am working. She will happily sleep in her bed and let me get on with things, occasionally groaning and stretching, or saying hello can I have a stroke.

4. They don’t jump up

Greyhounds are not given to jumping up, it’s not a behaviour they will have performed in their previous lives as kennel dogs (and dogs repeat behaviour that they have peviously found rewarding), so if you don’t want muddy paw prints and pulled threads all over your clothes you’ll be happy! Obviously they are a fairly large dog, but they really are gentle giants who will just stand being quite reserved, so you don’t need to worry they’ll knock over your granny when she comes to visit.

5. They are easy to clean.

Greyhounds have short coats which are super easy to clean. If they do get muddy, you can just brush it off when they dry so they do not need constant baths. I only bath Miss Nancy maybe once every sixth months if that. They also tend to be quite ladylike and walk around muddy puddles, and walk down the middle of paths instead of thrashing around in the bushes like a spaniel so they really don’t usually get too mucky in the first place.

6. Greyhounds molt very little.

When they first arrive home with you, they will go through a big molt which is them loosing their kennels coats. That’s an extra layer of fur they develop to get by in the cold outdoor kennels. After that though greyhounds really don’t leave much hair around, I only really find Nancys hair in her bed where she lies everyday and it’s only little short hairs. You will find they shed more in Summer like any other animal.

7. Greyhounds are used to being handled.

This means it’s usually quite easy to take them to the vet, or give them treatment at home. I’d say the word is stoic, I actually feel bad sometimes at how sweet Miss Nancy is letting me do things to her! For medical reasons of course, but it’s not all fun. She’ll let me endeavour to clean her teeth, clean her ears, put treatment in her ear, check her all over for cuts, groom her, wash her, clean her paws etc. She may not like it but she just stands there with her head lowered waiting for the unpleasantness to be over. I may just be lucky but she also happily eats any pills I have to give her, either by themselves or with a blob of peanut butter on to sweeten the deal. She even lets me put shorts on her and acts like she doesn’t notice they are there.

8. They are incredibly deserving.

This probably deserves to be number one. I’m not going to go into the greyhound racing industry now but in the UK/Ireland they still breed around 18000 greyhounds annually, out of which only about 8000 actually make it to the race tracks. The rest are either killed, abandoned, or taken to shelters to await adoption. The dogs that race have a tough life spending most of their time in kennels, sometimes being driven to tracks to race. If they are injured or not good enough they will usually be got rid of, either killed or taken to a rescue. This obviously leaves a huge number of greyhounds looking for homes in animal shelters, and sadly they are the last dogs to be adopted. Hard to believe when you look at Miss Nancy but there it is! They don’t ask to be bred, and they spend there lives working without comfort so somebody else can make money. I think they truly all deserve to be taken to a proper home to be loved, spoiled and shown the world.

9. Good at walking on the lead

For a big dog greyhounds really are quite genteel and don’t tend to pull, so it’s really easy to walk them on the lead. I would never give a large heavy dog to a child or someone that wasn’t generally ok physically because of course they get excited sometimes like any other dog and you need to be able to hold them to keep them safe! Miss Nancy weighs 29kg as an example, fine for most adults. It makes them extra great really because you can be so flexible where you walk them. Miss Nancy does go off her lead quite a bit now when we are in safe places in the countryside or beach, but she is always on her lead anywhere near a road and in towns etc and she doesn’t mind at all. A lot of greyhounds will be nervous at first of the things they see in the big new world so you do need to be prepared to build up their confidence gradually, using positive reinforcement only.

10. Greyhounds smell great

Greyhounds have lovely short coats, and really don’t smell doggy. I personally have walked into other peoples houses and gagged at the pungent dog smell but you won’t have that problem with a greyhound! Because they don’t have the long thick fur or undercoat of other breeds they just don’t seem to harbour smell. Nancy Drew actually smells totally amazing which I have had confirmed by independent witnesses.

BONUS 1 - They are super quiet

Most greyhounds that I have met rarely bark, so if you’re someone like me who does not find the barking of a dog a melodic sound, you should definitely consider a greyhound! I actually wasn’t sure Miss Nancy had a bark for a few months. She generally saves it for when she is super excited about having seen a cat somewhere, so if you want a nice peaceful household, and to be able to take your dog out to pubs and cafes without them being a total nuisance, think about getting a greyhound.

BONUS 2 - They sleep a lot!

Nearly forgot to mention this but it’s true, you may have heard greyhounds sleep up to 20 hrs a day and I can confirm that. Nancy happily has a lie in, gets up for breakfast and a wee, then retires back to bed until lunchtime. It makes it so much easier to get on with your own things at home when your dog is happy to sleep a lot and doesn’t constantly require entertaining. They really do need a lot of sleep as well, and as long as you provide them with a super comfy bed or a sofa they will happily while away the hours chillaxing until it’s time to go on the next adventure.

BONUS 3 - They are disgustingly cute!

Watch any of our videos to see Miss Nancy up close and personal and I don’t think you can disagree, honestly I just think it’s too much sometimes! The long nose, the soulful eyes, the elegant athletes physique makes greyhounds so graceful, yet they can also be the biggest clowns and it’s such a funny and sweet contrast.

BONUS 4 - They run like poetry in motion.

Watching a greyhound run of its own free will is one of the most beautiful sights in the world. They are pure joy and freedom, and you will feel it in your heart too when you watch them go.

So there you have it, ten reasons plus bonuses why the greyhound is not only an amazing animal but makes a really brilliant pet. I’d love to hear your experiences with your own greyhound or any other things you can think of so leave a comment below and we can get a conversation going!

Inspirational jewellery from Central America and Asia

This week I thought it would be fun to share some of my favourite pieces of jewellery that I've collected whilst travelling overseas. I bought most of these things before I started making jewellery myself, and they definitely inspired me, as well as being perfect keepsakes from my trips.

The first pieces come from Cuba, the first country I went to on a Central American trip way back in 2013. I bought a lot of pieces from different markets, and these pieces I've chosen are quite reflective of the kind of things saw there, mainly using natural materials like wood, and coral, as well as colourful enamelling.

Cuban jewellery

I absolutely love this massive ring. I am not sure exactly what the beautiful, warm peach stone is, but I love the colour and markings. I'm also a big fan of a massive statement ring! This one is simple enough to wear with everything.

The metal is 'alpaca silver' , it's called different things in different countries (including nickel silver and german silver) and is commonly used in central American countries to make jewellery. It is actually not made of silver at all, but a mix of copper, nickel and zinc alloys, in varying percentages. It doesn't have any intrinsic value, but is a really great replacement to sterling silver as it polishes up to a beautiful shine, and is far less expensive. Whilst it can tarnish, I've actually found a lot of the pieces stay brighter than my silver jewellery!

 If you are buying jewellery from a market, the chances are you are never going to know exactly what it's made of, and people will often tell you what you want to hear. But for me that's totally fine, I buy these things for the beautiful designs and workmanship, and the value is emotional not a monetary investment. Also it's not necessarily a wise idea to wear valuable jewellery when you are travelling!

The bracelet is a combination of mother of pearl and some kind of enamelling, which I again saw in a lot of Cuban jewellery. The shape of it is as beautiful and eye-catching to me now as when I first bought it. I wore both these pieces for weeks while I was travelling in Cuba, along with earrings I bought also with polished stone in.

Pearl earrings from Guatemala

The second selection of jewellery comes from Guatemala. There are many fantastic handcraft items you can buy from the makers at markets, and often watch them at work. These pairs of earrings both came from the highland town of Xela (Quetzaltenango), where I volunteered in a women's weaving cooperative for a couple of weeks. They both came from a man who used to make jewellery in the central square, and I absolutely loved his work, the intricate wire designs combined with different colours and shapes of stones. I think I came back home with at least a dozen pairs! I love the elegant design of the natural pearl ones, and the beautiful blue heart shaped stone of the others. I'm not sure what stone it is, but possibly blue jade, as jade is frequently used in Guatemala.

Jade has been used in jewellery in Guatemala since pre-hispanic times and carved into jewellery, figurines and other works of art, owned by priests ad royalty. The jade found in Guatemala is of the rarer 'Jadeite' variety, and comes in a wide variety of colours including colourless, white, all shades of green, yellow-green, yellowish brown, brown, red, orange, violet (mauve), blue (rare), gray, black and purple.

Blue heart earrings from Guatemala

The most expensive piece I bought was this ring which came from a shop on the Island of Flores in northern Guatemala. I believe this is made of silver, and the stone is Jade. It's a really classic teardrop shape that you can wear facing up or down, and the design will always look good no matter what time passes.

Green Jadeite ring from Guatemala

The last two pieces are rings that came from all the way round the other side of the world in Sumatra. Sumatra is Indonesia's largest island, and the only place other than Borneo where you can see Orang-utans, which is why I ended up there! The men were wearing huge amounts of jewellery while I was there, especially multiple really large gemstone rings. I bought both these rings from market stalls in different places. The shape of them is very much that which was commonly  being worn.

Idocrase ring from Sumatra

 I love the intricate carving on the sides of the first ring. The metal again will be some mix of alloys, but it has always had a slightly golden tone which I love. The stone may be idocrase or possibly chalcedony. I  just love the subtle grey and peachy tones, and the cloudy inclusions throughout. I loved wearing this ring, for me that stone is full of dreams.

Agate ring from Sumatra

The other ring has a more modern, masculine  vibe, with a really beautiful stone, which I think may be agate with a beautiful array of red and range tones. This ring definitely means business! It may not be perfectly made, but it perfectly captures that moment in time, in that place, where I will probably never be again.

Gemstones found  in Indonesia include, pearls,  fossil coral, fossil wood, agate, amber, chalcedony, jasper, idocrase, obsidian and quartz amongst others. Indonesia again has a long history of gemstone use dating back to around 3500BC.

Since I've been making jewellery I actually wear less of it, as rings especially don't really lend themselves to working with your hands, and I started wearing things I have made myself. But I keep all these pieces and treasure them, looking through them now bringing back all the memories of those countries I visited. I think I will started wearing them again, and let them inspire me to create some new designs whilst dreaming of those faraway places.

I hope you've enjoyed this article, that has turned into a love letter to those creators across the globe who make beautiful things with their hands, and the connections we make and take home when we are lucky enough to visit these places.

Love,

Tori x

Natural or lab grown gemstones?

Ethical concerns about product supply chain and a move towards sustainable sourcing in the fashion and lifestyle industries are also present in the jewellery world. Lab grown gemstones (often diamonds),  often referred to as ethical stones, are becoming more popular.

You may have come across different terms when reading about gemstone or gemstone jewellery, such as natural gemstones, synthetic gemstones, costume jewellery or lab grown gemstones. In this article I am going to take a look at where natural gemstones come from, the difference between natural and lab-grown, and the ethical implications of both.

Natural purple amethyst

So where do natural gemstones come from?  Like silver and gold, they are formed beneath the earth and need to be mined to remove them. Gemstones form in the earth's crust when molten magma cools, crystallises and forms minerals. The three different types of rock contain different gemstones. Igneous rock, also formed by magma, can form the quartzes including amethyst and citrine, garnets, moonstone, tanzanite, tourmaline, and topaz. Sedimentary rock, formed by the rock being worn down and compressed over many years, can contain jasper, malachite, opal and zircon.  Metamorphic rock, formed by intense pressure or heat underground, can form emeralds, aquamarine, jade, lapis lazuli, ruby, sapphires and turquoise. Diamonds form in 'Kimberlite pipes' which originate deep in the earth's mantle and end at the surface.

Diamonds are mined industrially by large companies using heavy machinery from pit mines. Coloured gemstones are generally left to smaller, independent miners using old manual techniques, as the deposits are few generally with small quantities scattered throughout large areas of rock.

Lab created gemstones, or synthetic gemstones, are created in labs by various techniques, sometimes using the same ingredients and reproducing natural processes as in natural stones. They can be chemically and optically identical to their natural counterparts, and is this case are just as real as stones grown under the earth. They can have the same inclusions and flaws as natural gemstones, and can be very difficult to tell apart even by an expert. Lab grown stones can therefore be real, but not natural, stones. These processes have been around since the early 1900s! Synthetic gemstones which look natural but are not chemically identical, having no natural counterpart, are known as simulated gemstones -the kind of thing you find in costume jewellery, and couldn't be described as real gemstones.

So which is better?  Lab grown stones are just as strong and hard as their natural counterparts. They may be cheaper, but may not hold their value as well, for instance if you get a lab grown diamond ring. They have the same brilliance, sparkle and shine as natural stones. 

Are lab grown stones more ethical? There seems to be conflict over this. In many ways they seem to be - not having to mine them out of the earth's crusts does seem to be a good thing! Natural gemstones are of course a limited resource like gold and silver, and their mining comes with similar environmental issues such as deforestation in mines and pollution, which are not a problem in lab grown stones. There are no human rights issues with lab grown stones either, which historically has been a great problem in the diamond mining industry in Africa. As well as unethical working practices, 'blood diamonds' were being sold to fund military conflict in war zones. The industry has been doing a lot to rectify this in the past two decades, with a certification scheme for diamonds which means that unethical trading has hopefully been stamped out. 

Lab grown stones do still have an environmental footprint due to the carbon used in their production, but renewable energy sources mean that overall it should still be more environmentally friendly than a mined stone when the whole of the production process of mining is taken into account. Whilst being grown in labs mitigates any human impact in the countries they are traditionally mined from, it also means that no local jobs are provided, and people have limited opportunities for work in many of these countries. Many African countries have a wealth of gemstones including tanzanite in Tanzania, rubies Mozambique, emeralds in Zambia, and Sapphires in Madagascar, as well as diamonds in Botswana and South Africa. Lapis Lazuli is mined in Afghanistan amongst other gemstones, and Jade in Myanmar. Australia is known for opal, and Canada and the USA mine gemstones as well as precious metal.

 It does seem sensible to me to move away from anything that involves mining a finite resource, but I also understand that many communities where mining takes place have little or no other options to earn money, and that just removing the industry, whilst negating any of the local problems it creates, doesn't help to support the local people in finding a sustainable way to earn a living from their land. Perhaps making sure that conditions are fair and ethical in these mines is of greater help in these countries. Whilst I currently use natural gemstones in my work, from various sources, lab grown stones are certainly something I am interested in finding out more about and would consider using in future.

 I hope you found this interesting, if you would like to read more there are some links for further reading online below. 

Tori x

The Guardian article looking at the ethical implications of lab grown and natural gemstone production

www.diamonds.pro discussing the ppros and cons of both types of diamonds

www.gemsociety.org looking at the differences between natural and lab grown gemstones

www.thermofisher.com talking about the mining of gemstones

Recycled silver and gold - the future of jewellery?

Most of us love wearing our gold and silver jewellery, and they are beautiful materials to wear and work with. Mining for these precious materials has been taking place since ancient times, as early as 5th century BC.

9ct gold conch earring

But as we humans become increasingly aware of the effect we are having on the planet, we turn our attention to trying to make more sustainable and eco-friendly choices, and demand more transparency in supply chain so we know exactly where our purchases and the materials used to make them have come from.

You may have started to wonder, where do gold and silver come from, and are they environmentally friendly?  In terms of jewellery buying, one of the simplest and most effective things to look out for is jewellery made from recycled gold and silver.

Gold and silver are both naturally occurring materials that must be found in the earth and removed, usually by mining. The main gold producing countries are Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea and Russia; similarly in recent centuries the principal countries silver is produced in are Canada, Mexico, Bolivia, Peru, Poland, Australia and the USA.

As they grow so slowly in the earth, these veins have become depleted by us so there is now an ever growing search for new gold to mine. There are also various environmental and human rights issues surrounding these mines.

Photo by Matthew de Livera, Australian mine

The processes used to remove to ore often use large amounts of other metals, and the air as well as ground water can become easily contaminated. Drinking water around mines has been found to have high concentrations of metals including arsenic, iron, and lead. Mercury poisoning can be fatal and has serious side effects.

Lack of rules and regulations in many of the countries gold is found mean that child exploitation is common, and a lack of basic health and safety can create very dangerous conditions for the local workers. Destruction of natural habits with great biodiversity is common where precious metals are found and mined.

The great news is, if we choose to recycle silver and gold to reuse it, we no longer need to extract fresh deposits from the earth. Gold can be recycled multiple times without losing its integrity, and the end products have exactly the same purity and usability as the first time around. So choosing to buy jewellery made of recycled silver and gold is an easy way to make sure your shopping is eco-friendly and sustainable.

I use both recycled silver and gold in my work, although you will not know it to see it! It is fully auditable and traceable as a guarantee of its provenance. It is produced from 100% recycled scrap metal, made up of scrap jewellery and recycled elements from the giftware, electronics and medical industries. It is exactly the same in constitution as regular sterling silver or 9ct, 14ct or 18ct gold, it is purely more environmentally friendly.

I hope you found this interesting or useful!

Tori x

If you're interested in reading more about gold production or recycled silver and gold, you can check out these links for further information.

Earthworks.org for info on gold mining

Gold.org for some positive impact mining case studies

Cooksongold.com for info on recycled gold

Wikipedia.org for info on the history of silver mining