Brilliant Aether & Always Coming Home
May 13, 2010 by Bird
Filed under Craft Diary, In The Shop, Show And Tell
So what’s been keeping me busy these days, so busy that I’ve neglected this blog horrendously and my blogging friends even more than usual? Well, I’ve been frantically making new stock, but I’m always doing that. The truth is, I’ve also been building another website, and it’s just recently gone “live”.
Daedalus' Daughter... for sale on Brilliant Aether
Brilliant Aether is going to be a bit of a departure from The Birds In The Meadow, but I like to think the two sites will complement each other nicely. There’s been an element to my creativity that’s gone unexpressed here – the part that loves living in a city, that wants to run with ideas that would not fit on a nature blog, and wants to make things to sell that would be out of place in The Birds In The Meadow’s shop. For instance, there’s been a Steampunk section in The Birds In The Meadow ever since it opened and it’s been one of the most popular sections in the shop, but to fully explore the more fantastical and costume like aspects of my craft I really have to take it elsewhere; thus the Brilliant Aether shop was born. There isn’t a huge amount of stock just yet and the blog has barely started but I hope it’s going to gather momentum nicely. And I’d love it if you dropped in and said hi!
The Birds In The Meadow may have been a little slower than usual while I worked on the new site, but the making never stopped and the arrival of summer (a chilly summer, but summer nonetheless) galvanised me to make some new summery stuff. I’ve been hanging on to a pair of absolutely gorgeous vintage clip on earrings for a while now and I’ve wanted to give them a new life as cocktail rings but the right ring backs just never came my way. Until now that is, and here’s what they look like now (excuse my horrid dishpan hand)
The arrival of swallows after their gruelling migration from Africa a month ago filled me as ever with happiness and awe… so much better than shock and awe, don’t you think? I have a whole blog post to write about that in fact… but not now. To celebrate I made these necklaces; I called them “Always Coming Home” after the book by Ursula K LeGuin…
…and to celebrate the first rose appearing in our front yard, I made this necklace
And there is more to come! But not now, as I think you’ve probably had enough to read as it is, so I’ll thank you for reading this far down and take my leave.
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Wow! The necklaces are so lovely! Good luck w/the new, online endeavor, too.
“horrid dishpan hand” Puh-LEEZE, woman! Nothing wrong with your hand at all!
Lana, thank you so much! I’m always a bit shy writing about what I make, don’t want to be pushy but want to get the stuff seen, you know what I mean? So thank you for commenting and your good wishes
And ha, I deserve the telling off about my hand, just a self conscious tic I have and need to get under control. I’ve got to get out of my own way sometimes
Holy cow! How in the world did I miss this??? Aye, aye, aye…so typical of me!
Anyway, good for you, Bird! That’s a beautiful website to showcase your work and it’s sure to be a hit. Good job. And your hand is perfectly fine…model worthy! (What a clever idea with those clip-on earrings, too!)
Thank you Holly
Business and traffic are modest over there right now, so I hope you’re right about it being a hit…these things take time so I’m still nervous after all the time I put into it 
My hand is OK in the pic, I don’t even know why I say such silly stuff. Often my hands are red raw and blistered from drumming and covered in cuts from making though, and I end up taking for granted that they look kinda workmanlike. And usually I’m proud of the fact, but not when I’m wearing such a showy ring I guess
That “Modesty and Decorum” necklace is wonderful!! The site looks great- I hope it’s VERY successful!
On another note, do you care for science fiction novels? Have you ever read Neal Stephenson’s “The Diamond Age”? I’m not very familiar with Steampunk, but what I have seen always makes me think of that novel.
Thank you Kit
I love science fiction, particularly Victorian and Edwardian era hence my love of Steampunk. I’ll have a look for that book you mention as I’m always on the lookout for new inspiration. Thanks for letting me know!
In fact, I’d welcome any suggestions for reading material along the lines of anachronistic space travel, ie space travel fantasies written before space travel was possible, also “modern” stories imagining space travel earlier than it actually happened.
P.S.- a currency link (to view the site in US dollars or Euros as well as pounds) like you have on the shop here would be most helpful at Brilliant Aether.
Kit, there is such a link, but it isn’t very obvious which has been bothering me for some time. I will make it larger. It’s in the upper right hand corner of each page, to the right of the Brilliant Aether logo. Annoyingly there is also a bug which means on a smaller screen it can be obscured by the logo its-self so thank you for reminding me that it needs to be tackled
It is a gorgeous site, very nicely done. No wonder you have been busy, making the stock too. I do love steampunk, there is something about it
Hi Chrissy and thank you so much, it means a lot to get a bit of kudos from a fellow maker
I’m also busy making costume bits and bobs for myself and friends, plus work and trying to have a social life too 
I have a bit too much in general going on right now, but it’s all good stuff luckily!