In 2019 I celebrate 10 years of making custom jewellery so I thought I would record the event and publish my highlights and favourite jewellery items from each year.
2009 - The Beginnings of Shpangle Jewellery
In 2005, after spending 20 years as a systems engineer I decided to make a positive change in my life and become a full time house husband and carer for our son. A few years later in 2009, our son was starting school and I contemplated starting a business.
I had always had an artistic side and wanted to develop this further; I was also interested in taking everyday objects and turning them into pieces of art and hence Shpangle Jewellery was born.
I decided to use resin as a medium for my jewellery and my first items of jewellery incorporated sweets and other small items such as fabric, flowers, confetti and even bubble-wrap. These were sold at local craft fairs and at my local market.
![Resin pendant containing a Jelly Tot sweet Resin pendant containing a Jelly Tot sweet](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGuA0Iq9U6A6cibFarHQ1OLsEmjOdek3Z4xYuvGUhSwBC4eGqCpnT0UJhHFXSTINWjHREjNLbERaAL2ytJo6zYqlD8R_s6ycq8UNc30VAP_Ge6I5rpvRVYWUZsw0nJ2_AtHWXXBtaTKEx/s320/2845a.jpg) |
Resin pendant containing a Jelly Tot sweet |
This was one of the first pendants I made, an orange jelly tot sweet and seed beads made into a resin pendant.
2010 - Name on Rice Jewellery
The previous year was mainly devoted to making and expanding my range of resin jewellery. I decided to expand this range into another form of jewellery and began to learn the art of rice writing – The writing of names onto grains of rice.
![Name on rice jewellery Name on rice jewellery](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNs5X2Jivqpi6jhaDV7R4hkxqdbK1XNlEWlxTA2lYraYKV7cdvYEQf8gFUlwmhAP5WX-d2MS7dRVgWX8vK2tsBmry108yL32KjMfcr0grtszH0bbIlC8RNDwsGYfyji27Bawfm1ZRAxDsB/s320/name_on_rice_charms.JPG) |
Name on rice jewellery |
This saw my name on rice jewellery appear in a short film by Canon, showcasing their macro lenses.
2011 – Jewellery Incorporating Hair or Ashes
Throughout the last couple of years I had received many requests to incorporate sentimental items (flowers, photos and other small objects) into jewellery. However this year was the beginning of what I became reputable for; preserving hair from horses, pets and loved ones into items of keepsake jewellery.
![Keepsake Jewellery for a Lock of Hair Keepsake Jewellery for a Lock of Hair](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_QWvm6nVMForY1VGooIRxQ65sB478IyVr207ZtdmuWXS-MAPnTZiV5T1GezBsBcZ-0C37x13GK76x1QScPHn84LHc6Ryh7V73zDnM1o9wg8X_zo0Vm9td9A1L3mCzabYxOo8EBktaZVx/s320/lock_of_hair_keepsake_pendants.JPG) |
Keepsake Jewellery for Hair |
My lock of hair jewellery was featured later this year in a Daily Mail newspaper article and I was also interviewed by Radio 4 as part of their documentary about remembrance jewellery.
After many requests later this year, I expanded the range of jewellery for hair to also incorporate ashes.
![Keepsake Jewellery for Ashes Keepsake Jewellery for Ashes - Memorial Jewellery](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36kin0cO16VPhMyuzFKYTGRMohRWaWjrpPkEJCLMFkxRq__EFKLguxfiv-3uLBmm3lUPGKO0B9wcXci7mvYU5pzTCEPrMbVBxjEl3JhwLFNOrB4lUIfsVvHAzKqPq_V9Lyiv4T6BL4odQ/s320/rasta_style_pendant.JPG) |
Keepsake Jewellery for Ashes |
Both the hair and ashes jewellery has become extremely important to me and I am extremely grateful for those people that have entrusted me with something so sentimental and important to them.
2012 - Custom Made Paperweights
My custom made paperweights were developed to accommodate the many requests I received for preserving larger items. The paperweights were also ideal for those people who wanted to display the sentimental item rather than having an item of jewellery.
![Custom Made Paperweights Custom Made Paperweights Containing Flowers](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNq_y0TxHipTapR_8tqGnhMWIbNR6F0PX5gPMKDVkRdYMpDtT4DLtAoqpfwDLPr1iobvlPEm7Vh_NKuqnyQvk0Mh8UYe3_ekLjBs5jw0pt_sdqL1tRLWRR5BM0UpiwXZDgq1P9syYbll9c/s320/flower_paperweight.JPG) |
Custom Made Paperweights |
2013 - Magazine Article
In 2013 a lovely article about Shpangle Jewellery was featured within a magazine. The article appeared in the ‘Bunny Mad’ magazine
and was part of a special feature about coping with pet loss.
![Shpangle Jewellery Magazine Article Shpangle Jewellery Magazine Article - Coping With Pet Loss](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd__w8mxhyphenhyphen3aVImvO5YnjhvJXfYcIKxitX0xVJ6oIKFGvsJZXfEqGJQ_1YXLShv4YUVp2tLfadVy5-8ecyQI4KQtOs-PhW3wX5uqbhhutx8HLgCj5aOljJb5aB_4yLrYSq0M9g3vYF2Mw/s320/Capture_memories.JPG) |
Shpangle Jewellery Magazine Article |
This article means so much to me; it was the first time that I had been featured in a magazine. To be chosen to be part of this subject made me realise even more how important my jewellery is to people.
2014 – Lovely Customer Feedback and Gifts
I always feel over the moon whenever I receive lovely customer feedback for my work and it is one of the main reasons that I make the items; knowing that I have made somebody happy is so important to me.
![Customer Thank You Gifts Customer Thank You Gifts](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwR_LudrYVmRliv13t0H_k71Qb60wguI5xXPpxzyDwYwoeZnMNUBEXEsVd3KBo2LDc6-pDFQVzP37S1wQ7BSee-I9P4-LQPyGcua8orsvzorVBhMq922Uk-vvZTz7XgxiAy514NhN1KeQ/s320/thankyou+gifts.JPG) |
Customer Thank You Gifts |
In 2014 I received through the post a gift of chocolates, wine and a thank you card for making an item of jewellery. So extremely thoughtful and I will never forget this act of kindness.
2015 - Hedgehog quills
From the numerous items of jewellery and paperweights that I made in 2015, I tried to think of one item that sticks out in my mind. A very difficult decision however it has to be this pendant containing hedgehog quills.
![Hedgehog Quill Jewellery Hedgehog Quill Jewellery](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAlQl1VFtJjFubiuvE5dBX5UKXs9y2Fh4DU-Le3pSqhdJ4qGwH5X9qbIbGPz44Si0eMldHeFnSbTq_S-fZJj-kvzw4Ruv8RNWPiQXBVc0hVfhcxandVbewUa55NF4dGxn0qOJKG7ZTeKg/s320/Hedgehog_quill_necklace.JPG) |
Hedgehog Quill Pendant |
This was the first and only time that I have worked with hedgehog quills and incorporated them into a necklace.
2016 - Pandora Style Beads
After many hours of experimentation in 2016 I finally discovered a way of incorporating either hair or ashes into Pandora style beads. This became another popular way of preserving both hair and ashes into an item of jewellery.
![Custom made Pandora style beads for hair or ashes Custom made Pandora style beads for hair or ashes](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3VBTq_jaDYSh18GZ0X6kAyUfWjymzJNTme-T_9mPLEJIFAfU5RgYdGOJHbvd98T89wMG4PI-zyKx1PyCXvn9U7vut9Me9DT8dePqZgu4Aa3RTOx_OQTwdq4afWRxMQ3VvMGLlJf2hVhM/s320/horse_hair_pandora_bead.JPG) |
Custom made Pandora style beads |
2017 – Jewellery for Teeth
The year 2017 saw me produce my first pendant containing a tooth! After several years making jewellery for ashes, flowers, hair etc I am surprised that I have not done this sooner (i.e. keepsakes for a child’s first tooth, puppy tooth jewellery etc).
![Jewellery containing a tooth Jewellery containing a tooth](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNy8XPX7lqWZP0Jhj3lhXwTmADU4z1iwoytUU0cxQJRtH_uF-FLIvW7t77W05IziqLYaaMAWCEm71It9ixyjvUVXqzHwe4iSM_ylS1l5VIlM5SoMiySjlI5OzGG7Z0yHUif2ApeEjAlOFP/s320/tooth_pendant.jpg) |
Jewellery containing a tooth |
2018 - Rings
In 2018 I expanded the range of rings available for holding ashes and locks of hair. I now supply seven different styles of sterling silver rings for ashes/hair.
![Custom made rings for hair or ashes Custom made rings for hair or ashes](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYrIQ5mm4N0PEUg7xh97SvAieJR2hR-cIn6mtRxG7jxJSeiMS_DsIWmSA5ZDj8NBzyVkL2zETkZYUAjC9aNZ0946ZIBz2M45XqJdL2EeGbZweIjtD0o6hBdIcSJgt8LN8R5HBfG1lcqAo/s320/memorial_rings.JPG) |
Custom made rings for hair or ashes |
2019 – Sterling Silver Jewellery Range
This year has seen me release a new range of sterling silver pendants for ashes, hair and other keepsakes. I can now make the sterling silver pendants in most shapes, including hearts.
![Sterling silver pendants for hair or ashes Sterling silver pendants for hair or ashes](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrBoQgkXGzjgFsl9_XwiZDsqygxl09-VD9GJ2HiQmi4tutM0IG6xNwr4HXta3YUexDMmyxQK3F1mnz_kpIqL-mDCOP_vpOEHK2H0t5dE5Rj-DCo-G0AU1PWx_nNJszZGRcCdEFs4eleGw/s320/silver_heart_hair.JPG) |
Sterling silver pendants for hair or ashes |
More sterling silver pendant shapes will be released in 2020 and I look forward to the next 10 years of Shpangle Jewellery!
Mick