Heather Walsh never intended to become a jewellery maker at all.

It only happened because she has no talent for retirement.

And she blames her sister a little too.

A few summers ago, Heather tried her hand at a style of beaded knitting she had never seen before. This is the part where we blame her sister, as it was on a visit from America that she introduced the whole idea. She quickly started playing around with ways of customising and tweaking the design, until she had a bracelet design that she really loved.

Then there’s a really hazy stretch which none of us can remember properly (I’m sure there were all sorts of objections raised, and doubts expressed) but somehow, coming out the other side Rubyhues had taken on a life of it’s own!

The original knitted beaded bracelet remains at the heart of the Rubyhues collection, and is still one of our most recognised and iconic pieces.

Here’s what you didn’t know about the knitted collection.

1.       They are each knitted by hand on teeny tiny knitting needles. Heather uses very tiny needles, which are actually pretty hard to find. They’re thinner than the ink tube in your Bic biro!

2.       Each bracelet is carefully designed to ensure that the finished result has the beads in the desired pattern.  Any mistakes at the beginning will mean that the whole thing may have to be knitted again – very time consuming! 

3.       The back of the bracelets are beaded too, with seed beads. This means that when you’re wearing a Rubyhues knitted bracelet it feels all smooth and beaded against your wrist. Of course this also adds a whole lot more work.

4.       No two bracelets are ever identical. Or at least the chances of that happening are so remote as to make it mathematically impossible. Heather designs a “recipe” for each style, meaning that every ‘Forget Me Not’ bracelet has the same number of each type of bead, but the order in which those beads are knitted is always different, making each one a unique piece.

5.       There are a few custom pieces out there that have never been advertised or sold in shops or online.  

We’re really very fussy about what we use in Rubyhues jewellery.

When Rubyhues started in August 2013 we bought a whole bunch of beads. It seemed like an astronomical order, although in retrospect it wasn’t so very many, and at the time (for a tiny baby business) it was a scary cost too! With her new bead stock Heather was able to design the first range of knitted bracelets and Rubyhues got it’s start.

But it wasn’t very long before it became clear that some of the beads just didn’t make the cut. Some beads never made it into any design at all, and some made it into designs that were soon after discontinued. Heather started to develop a sharp sense of quality, and Swarovski quickly become a favourite.

Here’s why, when we use crystals and pearls,  we only use Swarovski:


1.   They are the sparkliest!

They just are! Swarovski says a lot about their “X-Cut” technology and “scientific principles” but it comes down to this:

“This ‘science of geometry’ raises crystals’ brightness, fire, and scintillation to an unmatched level of brilliance.”

And we have to agree. Every order that comes in gets oohs and aahs, and generally halts all productivity for at least a half an hour as we all admire how sparkly the new pretties are!


2.   They are a world standard.

There’s a reason that designers the world over use Swarovski crystals.  They are simply the best.

”Austria has become synonymous with quality. With a highly skilled workforce, supported by fair working conditions in accord with the high environmental standards, it has built a reputation for technical expertise, precision engineering, and reliability.”

We love the fact that we can be totally confident about the quality of the crystal we order and the working conditions at Swarovski.

3.   There are just so many colours and styles!

We think of a colour – they have it! You want a kind of smokey quartz, dusky grey colour? No problem! There’s Silver Night. You’re looking for something that goes from red through orange to yellow, all at once, and looks like it’s on fire? Well how about Fire Opal?

With the colours and shapes available from Swarovski, we’re pretty confident we can meet any custom order and match any outfit, and we’ve done it more than once already!

Also, did I mention how sparkly they are? REALLY sparkly!

Hi, I know my blog has been very quiet recently – well to say quiet is and understatement really – in fact I have not been keeping in touch very well at all! However I’m back now so all is well, thank you for patiently waiting for my return!

I’m delighted to tell you that during my absence the Rubyhues website has had a total overhaul. Give it a visit today to see three new collections and additional bracelets in the collections which you already know and love!

Rubyhues is also back in the Design Loft in Powerscourt for March and April and many of our new bracelets will be featured there, along with earrings to match! We also have a stunning display in The Design House in 43 Dawson Street, Dublin - almost opposite St. Annes’ Church. This is an exciting new design store featuring over 40 designers – both established and emerging. It’s well worth a visit the next time you are in Dublin.

On a personal level I continue with my Radio slot on Spirit FM 89.9 every Monday at 11.00am with Family.ie. I’ve been doing this for some time now and really enjoy it!

Last Thursday was International Women’s Day and I enjoyed attending an event in the Alexander Hotel in Dublin celebrating Women in Business. I don’t know exactly how many women were there but there must have been a couple of hundred! We heard the success stories of some young Irish women who had set up their own businesses and had a great opportunity to network afterwards.

This is a very exciting time to be in business in Ireland as the economy starts to pick up again. As they say ‘ the green shoots are emerging’. This is happening in my garden also and so I must give some time to this over the next weeks or I will have a jungle for the summer! Enjoy the spring time and make some time for yourself in all the frenzy of life. 

Be kind to yourself this week,

Heather

 Welcome to my first ever blog post!

It’s been quite a weekend here at Rubyhues. Our amazing success so far has left my workshop in a bit of a mess and so this weekend was clean up time. Santa’s elves – actually my elves – came to visit and have turned the place upside down so that it’s spotless again and everything is where it should be. This makes my beading so much easier! We’ve had lots of new threads and new beads arrive these last few weeks – so it’s important to have some order to things!

Rubyhues has hit the ground running – or maybe beading! I am so enjoying this wonderful creative outlet. I have always been a creative person, but the nine to five seemed to get in my way, but hey we all have bills to pay. However since I retired from the health service Rubyhues has had a chance to grow and it certainly is growing  fast!

My beautiful bracelets (and earrings to match!) are now available in The Design Loft in Powerscourt, The Design House in Dawson Street, at Danann Crafts, on my website and on Etsy– so there are plenty of ways to make your  purchase.

The Design House in Dawson Street has its official opening next Wednesday and everyone is invited – 6.00pm at No. 43 Dawson Street. I will be there with Rubyhues, and I’d love to see you!

The Christmas Collection is in all the shops now – Silent Night, Mistletoe and Wine and We Three Kings. Look carefully at We Three Kings and see if you can find the little gold heart. I put it in there because it reminds me of that verse in the Christmas Carol that goes:

    “What can I give Him, poor as I am?          
     If I were a Shepherd I would bring a lamb,
     If I were a wise man I would do my part        
     But what I can I give Him,
    Give my heart”

I’m working on a new range to launch in the New Year so keep an eye for what’s coming next.

In the meantime I’ll be in Powerscourt at some stage every week, keep an eye on our Facebook page for all the details. The Design Loft is really well worth a visit. There is a huge selection of beautiful items, all very affordable, and of course
Rubyhues is available there too. Treat yourself to a cup of coffee and a nose around The Design Loft. If you don’t see me there please ask – I might be just having a quick cuppa and would be delighted to come back to see you. 
 
So enjoy the run up to Christmas! It’s a lovely time of year if we can keep calm and remember the true reason for the season.

Heather