Following on from Part 1, I am proud to announce the beaded bracelet is finished. My sanity is not quite as intact as it was before I began this project but I can attest to ‘slow and steady wins the race’. At the start of the project Calm, regal and in control … At the end of the project Frazzled and in need of ..read more

Having recently had minor surgery I found myself unable to work at my desk for a couple of weeks.  Instead I was restricted to an arm chair in my living room.  Ok, so I wouldn’t be able to do any of my normal wire working (I’m definitely a sit upright and close kind of wire worker). Hmmm what to do? Binge watch Netflix, read … eat!  I decided pretty quickly after seeing a rise in the figure on my weighing scales that I needed to do something with my hands which needed concentration to stop me from thinking of my next snack. I know … I’ll do some beading I thought naively. Last Christmas my Son ..read more

I love learning about the history of traditions and practices.  Recently I have been reading up on Mala necklaces, also known as Meditation Beads, Buddhist Prayer Beads, Buddhist Rosary or Japa Mala.  ‘Japa Mala’ in Sanskrit translates to ‘prayer beads for spiritual practice’ and ‘bead’ derives from the Anglo Saxon words ‘bede’ and ‘bidden’ which translate to ‘prayer’ and ‘to pray’.  Believed to have originated in 8th century India, they became popular in China, Korea, Tibet and Japan as people travelled around.  In the Middle Ages Mala beads eventually extended to Europe in the form of Cathol ..read more

I’m finding that the more I research the properties of different gemstones, I am becoming more drawn into the world of the myth and legend of them. My dream book would be one purely of the ancient lore of different gemstones - kind of like an adult fairy tale book. Aquamarine comes from the Latin ‘aqua marinus’ (funny how many Latin words end with ‘us’, maybe I should add it to some words to sound more educated), the Latin name for Aquamarine means ‘water of the sea’. In ancient myth and legend it was believed to be the treasure of mermaids and because of the water link, sailors used it as a ..read more

Many years ago when I was a young lady in love looking for an engagement ring, I feasted my eyes on a beautiful Ruby cabochon edged with a couple of tiny Diamonds. The colour of the Ruby was bright blood red, arterial blood in my line of work! and so very clear and glassy … I loved it. However, my soon to be Fiance said “It looks like it came out of a lucky bag!” Hmph, off I skulked disappointed, to lick my wounds and plot his never ending torment. Over the years, now that I have developed more of an interest in gemstones I now actually prefer gemstones with inclusions in them, particularly ..read more

Since starting on my jewellery making journey I have followed many tutorials, both purchased and free. Some have been worth the money I paid and others … well, let’s say I am glad they were free! What I like about the ‘good’ tutorials (I am in awe of Nicole Hanna’s tutorials) are that they have lots of clear photographs and clear instructions relating to those photographs. Easy, I thought … I can do that! Hmmph - reality check! I am currently in the middle of writing my first tutorial that will be listed for sale. In the past I have done many tutorials for Cooksongold but they have been qu ..read more

Like myself, I am guessing that many artists out there are having to hold down a ‘regular’ job too in order to make ends meet. For me, this means trying to juggle days at my paid job as a Nurse, and then two hours most evenings making bespoke cards that have been ordered via my small business Cards by Request. That really only gives me the weekends and one day in the week to work on Burning Gecko Designs. During these three available days I have to try to market myself (I am really not good at this), try and engage on social media sites (again, not my comfort zone), research for blog posts ..read more

Getting through the feelings of loss and grief can be very difficult and each person deals with it differently and at their own pace.  Some of us can be completely debilitated by our grief, unable to function at anything above basic tasks.  For others, you have the ability to carry on with life as normal. In the middle and the most frequently experienced are those who function in daily life as required but hide the turmoil they feel inside.  These different reactions to grief and loss should not take away the strength of pain being felt by the individual. There are many gemstones that can be u ..read more

The birthstone of February is also known as the Gem of Fire and throughout the ages has often been valued as highly as a diamond. Amethyst derives from the Greek work Ametusthas meaning ‘not intoxicated’.  Imagine proudly arriving home from a party saying “I am Ametusthas!” … I don’t think you would sound too convincing.  Apparently, according to the ancient Greeks you would be safe to drink alcohol all night without becoming intoxicated if you had an Amethyst in your mouth or on your person. I’m not too sure about the safety of having one in your mouth and drinking all night?  It was also qui ..read more

Posted on January 1, 2019 by Burning Gecko In this blog post I want to give a quick rundown on some interesting (I think!) facts, myths and legends about Garnets that you can tell your potential customers. Garnets represent the primordial fire, the creation of the world out of chaos.  Garnet comes from the Latin word ‘granatum’ meaning Pomegranate because the rich deep red Garnets resemble the seeds of the Pomegranate.  However, Garnet comes in many different colours: Red – eg; Bohemian Garnet Green – eg; Russian Demantoid Garnet, Tsavorite Garnet Orange/Brown – eg; Spessartite Garnet, Hessoni ..read more