Do you know Barbara Chandler?

Early in July, I have met Barbara Chandler.

She is a Journalist, who in addition to being lovely, is multitalented and an altruit !

She came to Hidden Art to give us tips about contacting the media.

A very useful talk, thank you :)



Here is a quick little bio : journo photographer wife mum granny; writes 4 Lndn Eveng Stndrd, Hmes & Gdns & more; sells hand-made photo cds & mounted prints; exhibits



Her passion is photography and she has a wonderful eye, I lov eher black and white phtos of people, and teh way she captures little moments of life.

Here are a few photos of her work for you to peruse, and maybe fall in love with



Thank you for talking about me :)

To see more photos taken by Barbara, and learn about her exhibitions, please visit her website.

latest Press coverage - Johnny Depp

Recent coverage, in German,
from http://blog.dawanda.com/2009/09/18/oh-johnny-depp/
How exciting!

September Gemstone - Sapphire

Sapphires are members of the corundum family of minerals. They exist in nearly every color except red, as red corundum is called ruby.
One of the hardest minerals, sapphires are durable gemstones that have been in demand since ancient times.



© Catherine Marche - 18K white gold ring with sapphires and diamonds

Sapphire Hardness
• 9 on the Mohs' scale; compare to diamonds at 10 and turquoise at 5-6.

Sapphire Colors
• Cornflower blue is the most popular sapphire color, but all shades of blue are found
• Sapphires exist in many other colors, including yellow, colorless white, black, white, orange, pink, purple and brown
• A variety of orangish-pink sapphire is called padparadsha, which means "lotus flower."
Sapphire Treatments
• Heat treatment is commonly used to deepen sapphire color and improve clarity
Where Sapphires Are Found
• Quality sapphires are found in Ceylon, Thailand, Australia, India, Burma, Africa, and Brazil.

Unusual Sapphires
• Some sapphires are cut into cabochons (smooth domes) and produce a star with six rays that stretch across the sapphire's surface.
Synthetic Sapphires
• Like many other popular gemstones, sapphires can be created in a laboratory. Some synthetic sapphires are difficult to distinguish from gemstones formed in nature.

Going native

I just noticed a wonderful little native necklace, all made by hand by Pippit, the designer of Giftbearer , contemporary tribal style jewellery

Here is what she says about the piece:


This necklace is from my Hollowform Broken Hearts (TM) line.

The strand is 20" long, and the heart centerpiece including fringe is 2 3/4" long.

These symbolize regeneration in the face of adversity.

The broken heart has a dangle (in this case a pearl and coral bead) inside like a seed growing or egg hatching in the void, springing forth new life. In these pieces there are always an odd number of dangles at the bottom symbolizing that extra option you didn't know existed. They have an amulet-like feel about them.

In this one there are gorgeously carved bone beads (the quality of which I have never been able to find again after my supplier stopped being able to obtain them), Turquoise, Aquamarine, and Coral, and sterling spacers in-between.

Bali sterling silver hooks in the front which fasten on either side of the heart make it easy to put on or take off.

If you're really looking for something special with deeper meaning I'm sure you will be more than satisfied. Although the heart component is casted from a mold I made, each of these necklaces is one-of-a-kind.

I have been told that people have been deeply affected by them and that they spoke to them on a deep level.

Anyone you give this to as a gift will treasure this piece and will definitely know that you took special care to pick out something they'd love.


This wonderful creation is available for sale on etsy