Hi guys,
I’m having a massive clearance sale on my Made by Sami Etsy shop here.
I’m also offering 2 for 1… Order your favourite item and let me know which 2nd item you would like for FREE! (2nd item must be the cheapest item)
I will be closing my shop on 1st February, so please don’t miss out on my handmade jewellery at a very cheap price- I’m trying to sell off all my stock so please spread the word for me!
Love,
Sami x
Not long ago, I ran a jewellery -making workshop for some very lovely Bath WI ladies…
It was held at one of the members’ houses, who had gone to lots of trouble to make sure there were drinks and snacks for everyone. Even with some rain just before I arrived, it was very hot and sticky, so those ice cold drinks were much appreciated!
It was a really fun evening, and, with a little bit of concentration…
… and some helpful tips from me…
…the ladies all made some really lovely earrings!
If you would like to have a go at jewellery making, just get in touch!
I do workshops for:
– groups of friends or families
– social groups
– hen parties
– children’s/ teenager’s birthday parties
– fun summer holiday activities for kids
– groups with learning difficulties and/ or disabilities
– children’s groups, like Girl Guides or youth groups
Making jewellery, making beads, fabric jewellery, using shrink plastic, and other crafts…
Or, if you have an idea for a workshop, I’d love to hear what you fancy doing!
Any questions?
Email: made_by_sami@hotmail.co.uk
Tel/ text: 07900381921
Get in touch on Facebook
Love,
Sami x
PS… Interested in joining the Bath WI?
Go to their Website, Facebook, or Twitter 🙂
I’ve had to make a difficult decision lately, which has broken my heart a little bit…
After nearly 4 years of Made by Sami, I have decided to stop selling my jewellery online.
I’m planning on continuing:
– running workshops in the Bath/ Bristol area
– selling DIY kits, supplies and tool on my Etsy shop
– my blog
All the jewellery that I have made will be on offer at sale prices from now until Christmas (around 50% off the ordinary price). After Christmas, my jewellery will no longer be available to buy online, although I will continue to take commissions for previous customers, friends and family after this point should that special gift be needed!
Making this decision has been very difficult to me; it’s very easy to see this as a defeat, or a failure. However, I am choosing to concentrate on the part of Made by Sami which is most sucessful and most enjoyable to me; this can only be a positive, and will hopefully mean I can dedicate more time and effort to making my workshops even more brilliant!
Love,
Sami x
One of my latest makes…
From a skirt (that I never wore but loved the fabric)…
… into a wraparound scarf:
and a wire-wrapped necklace:
Like?! I LOVE! 🙂
Love,
Sami x
You might have read my post last year about our family weekend away. Well, this year it was my turn to plan the Sami Family Adventure, and I picked a cute little cottage in the centre of Tewkesbury, right near the Abbey.
We got there on Friday evening, and made a dash in the rain to get to The Boathouse for dinner, drinks and lots of chatting to catch up. The Boy could come this time as he had got his annual mountain trip out of the way beforehand (Ben Nevis this year), so he got to catch up with Mum and Dad too. And it was nice to talk to Big Sis and her fiance about their wedding plans too.
On the Saturday, we went to see the John Moore Museum, a little tudor cottage and church, and then went for a boat trip down the river. By this time it had stopped raining, just in time for a wander down the river to see the Mill.
After some lunch, we visited the Abbey and then chilled out before our BBQ. We had to move it inside because of the rain (The Boy calls this a “Welsh Barbie”), but it was still lovely. After that we chilled out, watched Glasto on the telly and then went to bed.
On Sunday, we packed up and drove to Snowshill Manor, a National Trust place nearby. It was right up my alley, as I love anything to do with collections, collectors and collecting! A guide told us the story of the eccentric Charles Wade, who owned the manor. After an idyllic childhood, Charles was moved to live with his Granny. Granny was stern and didn’t like visitors, noise or playing. But she did let Charles play with the Oriental objects in her large cabinet. This started an interest (obsession?!) that prompted Charles to buy a manor house and fill it with collected items after the war. He lived in the small priest’s house, and filled the manor with objects; everything from looms to ceramics, pictures to bicycles, furniture to model boats, and way more, including his room of Samurai armour!
It was a fascinating place, and I’m sure you could visit time and time again, noticing new things each time. I really liked the fact that Charles collected items that probably weren’t valuable or even wanted , which probably would have ended up in the bin; at that time the emphasis was on the new, not the old, and Charles saw the beauty in these objects despite this. He went against the norm, the fashion, the trend, and picked items because of his own interest rather than their value. And because of this, we now get to see some fascinting items.
Even the garden was full of hidden items..
What a lovely weekend!!
Love,
Sami x
I have been wanting to have a play with Shrink Plastic for aaaages now. For those of you who don’t know what it is… It’s plasticky paper sheets that you draw on, cut up, punch (hole punch, not fist punch!), ink, colour in, whatever really. THEN you put it into the oven and watch as it crinkles up and shrinks down and thickens up, into a little piece of strong plastic. It’s a bit like magic.
Here are some (bad) photos of my first few late-night attempts. I was too excited to focus on taking proper photos, soz:
NOTE: I put the pen there to show the size change- it’s not a weird Shrink Plastic design.
I was hoping to make the little row of house into a necklace, but I didn’t realise til afterwards that Shrink Plastic is reeeally light, so it wouldn’t hang the right way round (I would need to put the holes near the top, and even then it would be a really light necklace). It’s quite comfy as a bracelet though.The button turned out a bit weird, but I’m going to experiment with that one. And the “Sami” one went a bit Pete Tong, because the holes were too near the edge.
Oh well, it was a really fun evening, and I’m sure I’ll carry on practising! I got my Shrink Plastic from The Range and it was pretty cheap (£1 per A4 sheet). You can also use it with stamps (or trace?) if you’re not keen on drawing your own designs.
I’ll post more pics when I have another go!
Love,
Sami x
You might remember my post a while ago about how much I love to do commissions for people. If not, you can read it here.
Anyhu, here’s my latest, some bridesmaid jewellery for my friend and ex-housemate Rosie…
What do you think?
Love,
Sami x
PS… need a commission? Let me know by emailing made_by_sami@hotmail.co.uk . I don’t ask for any money before the design is finalised and you’re happy with the price; chats are free! So don’t hesitate to get in contact if you need a unique present, a piece of jewellery for a special occassion, or something you just can’t find on the high street!
A wedding present to my Nana and Grandad. So glad Nana offered it to me before putting it out with the rubbish! LOVE the shape…
*LOVEY DOVEY POST ALERT*
So… in February, me and The Boy celebrated 5 years of romantic dates, hysterical laughter, blazing rows (come on, no-one’s perfect), and millions of kisses. To celebrate, we went out for dinner and swapped pressies.
I got some amazing ceramic button coasters (which I wrote about here).
He got a handmade picture…
Like it?!
It was all made in TOP SECRET conditions, obviously…
If you want to make one similar, here’s what I did:
1. I drew out my design (on paper which would fit into my frame)
2. I traced my design onto water soluble film (can’t remember where I got mine from, but it’s this kinda stuff)
3. I then pinned the film on top of my material
4. I used a plain black stitch to trace over my design, sewing through both the film and fabric
5. I then washed away the film with water, and left it to dry
6. When it was dry, I embroidered a heart onto the material in red embroidery thread (I did this by hand using an embroidery thread)
7. I ironed the material, and then put it in the frame. Ta da!
We hung it in pride of place above our bed. Wish I’d made it a little bigger, but I think it’s cute, and The Boy seemed to like it, so that’s all that matters!
If you have a go at something similar, please send me a photo to: made_by_sami@hotmail.co.uk. I’d love to see it 🙂
Love,
Sami x
#10
Making jewellery, and everything that comes with it…
![20130623_142836[1]](https://thelittleredbuttonblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/20130623_1428361.jpg)
You can’t use up creativity.
The more you use, the more you have.
― Maya Angelou
Love,
Sami x
#9
I’ve been a teeny tiny bit obssessed with buttons for a while.
When I was younger, I remember sitting with my Grandma’s button box (an old cigar box with a flappy lid), and running my hands through the buttons. Some were fairly new, some older than me. Some were picked off old shirts or blouses, some were still tacked to the card.
They all had stories.
And when Grandma died, that was the only thing I asked for from her house, to remind me of happy times playing with buttons before eating bananas and custard to the soundtrack of “the problem solver who gets results” on the radio. Problem was, Grandma didn’t have one button box. By the time mum found the button box I wanted, I had inherited an ice cream tub and several other boxes full of buttons. As well as some embroidery thread, cotton reels, pins… And if an object has a story, I can’t turn it away.
So now, I have an ice cream tub, a quality street tin, and a tupperware box of buttons that I can call my own.
As well as a mug…
And some brand new coasters from The Boy…
And a picture from my friend Princess Helen…
Oh, and a few other things….
 
I’ll stop there. Buttons make me happy, and I’m grateful for the people who know this.
Love,
Sami x
#8
Gigs and festivals…
Dancing, singing, drinking and laughing. In rain or shine, inside or out, loud or quiet.
Love,
Sami x
#7
FRIENDS, old and new…
…and all those good times.
Love,
Sami x
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