In the run up to Christmas 2019 I decided to be brave and share a few pictures of my threaders and silver stud earrings on Instagram. I was blown away the support all my friends gave me. So last Christmas I added some pillow pendants and some lovely gold accents to my earring range. Again, I was really touched by how much everyone enjoyed them.

This year I wanted to create something new. I wanted to make a joyful, warm, sparkling little collection. I drew inspiration from Christmas cards from my childhood, particularly this one.

When I was young I loved the comforting glow in this picture and I always kept it in my bedroom. It used to help me get to sleep. Now I am older it hangs, framed, in my childrens’ room. I can’t draw for toffee these days so I’m not going to share the copy I tried to make of this picture. Suffice it to say that although it looks simple, it wasn’t easy for me! So I returned to the studio and had much more success forging little straw/star motifs by hand with my favourite hammer, trying to avoid bashing my fingers!

Then I got to thinking about the Christmas star that would have hung above this beatific stable scene. Apparently scholars over the centuries have suggested the star of Bethlehem was in fact a ‘great conjunction’. This is when two stars appear so closely in the night sky that they look to us on Earth as one single bright star. I was rather inspired by this suggestion so I brought my stable straw / star motif together with a mix of metals. If I have time I might experiment with a few other pieces but for now, my little Christmas collection includes rings, bangles and earrings. I do hope folks like them!