Meet The New Mermaid Amulet Queen!

Having been immersed in making Pirate Treasure chests for the past week, it was only natural for my strange mind to turn to making another Mermaid Amulet for the shop. This one started as a rather modest composition around the central green pearl, then it started to grow, and grow , and grow!

The piece has cascades of my signature swirls and embellishments falling from the pearl, culminating into this Art Nouveau style sculptural feature. It is a real statement piece and the new Queen of the Mermaid Amulet Collection in my mind. You can find her here in the shop . I've included plenty of views so that you can appreciate the detail and intricacy that has gone into the piece. I hope you love her as much as I do!


















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Samantha Braund

Mini Treasure Chest

I have been having more fun in the studio as you can see. If you follow any of my work you'll be aware of my love of the fantasy world occupied by Mermaids and Pirates - so when it came to making some storage for my growing mass of mini misters and sprays, I had to make a Pirates Treasure Chest!

I started with a few sheets of chipboard and constructed the chest, then took my time decorating the exterior with patterned paper, brads, and other metal hardware. The focal metallic embellishment is made from embossed foil, and treated with a variety of acrylic paints to get that antiqued gold look. I experimented on creating that effect earlier this year as described in this post . I am so happy with the chest ... and it's for me lol, not for my hubby or a friend, no, I get to keep this one all to myself

The next time I make one I think I will go a little bit more adventurous with the finish, maybe include some of my polymer sculptural work as I did on the Seashore Chocolate Box. I think a barnacle and marine life encrusted treasure chest would look so cool! Well, just the idea of it has got me excited ... anyway I hope you like this Mini Treasure Chest of mine :)











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Samantha Braund

Tags and Studio Fun

I've been in the studio this week messing around with mixed media, paint and cardboard, taking some time off from jewellery making. This tag was part of my downtime - it has an inscription on the back for the hubby and it sits proudly on his desk now :)


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Samantha Braund

AAA Olive Quartz Dreamcatcher Necklace

This is the latest Dreamcatcher Necklace which is already in the shop . I completed the piece yesterday and was so thrilled with it that I had to list it today. I am really enjoying getting to play with Goldfill wire (which is 14 karat gold) , and if ever there was a gemstone begging to be sculpted in gold, it's this one!

The gemstone itself is a very rare quartz, it is my understanding that you have Lemon Quartz and Smokey Quartz which brown, and often coexist. Where they meet you can on the rare occasion get a range of beautiful greeny gold hues as a result of the merging of the colours. I have used Bicolour Lemon and Smokey and even have one in the shop right now (in another showstopper piece) which also does a similar thing, but usually you see distinct bands of Lemon and Brown, but not in this one...it is totally a homogenous stunning intense olive green. Nature is wondrous isn't it?

I've taken several shots and included a few extra props including Pete's distressed Jade Gothic book I made this January. Enjoy the photos :)











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Samantha Braund