Pretty Little Love Objects

Pretty Little Love Objects is a great jewellery shop run by Jodie, a 23 year old British girl with a BA in history who is currently working her way through a marketing qualification while crafting, writing and working a full time job.

Jodie says "I was an indie kid back in the nineties and all the girls wore hundreds of beaded stretch bracelets. Buying my own glow in the dark beads and stringing materials pretty much began my beading obsession. I love searching through fairs and finding new quality suppliers and make original, individual pieces from whatever is in my massive stash at the moment. All my items are designed to be objects of desire, something you’ll love and keep on gazing at for years. My pieces are very textual, made for touching as well as for making your friend jealous. Buy someone else a little love object or gift yourself a jewel and become the object of your own affections."
‘Bottle Treasure’ necklace is an eclectic collection of beads and glass pearls, that complement the small treasure bottle pendant, filled with semi-precious gem chips. Red, patterned glass hearts are combined with smaller glass hearts, featuring flower detail, in red, pink and white. Grey Czech glass pearls, long red glass cylinders and hanging bronze glass bee nest beads (also featuring small flower detail) are allowed to stand out by being surrounded by simple red seed beads. The necklace is fastened with a medium sized, smooth black button clasp. The necklace’s rich colour scheme ensures that the whole piece is as attractive as the stunning and unusual necklace.

And guess what, if you’re looking for advice on love from a very demanding romantic, check out Jodie's weekly spot on the front page of Beautiful and Fabulous http://boutiqueflair.ning.com/

So, after all that, I better tell you where you can get all these 'bottle treasures' and much more from! Visit http://www.blinkingmouse.etsy.com where you can buy internationally.

Pretty Lil Stars

Amy Lees loves bright things and has been collecting bright things since she was little. Amy lives in Scotland and works from a small home studio, making funky, fun and kitsch jewellery, which she sells in her Etsy shop - Pretty Lil Stars. Her shop is filled with bright colours and quirky pieces, Amy makes the jewellery that she would want to wear herself.

Amy is branching out and learning new skills all the time and her goal is for people to wear her creations and have people say WOW!! She hopes that people buy something from my shop and when there wear/use it they feel how I felt when she made it.

Amy says "It makes me happy when i make something new and sit back and admire it its a huge sense of achievement. I love bits like charms and beads! I'm seriously feeling the love for plectrums right now!"

So am I - just look at this plectrum badge - Love it! Head over to her Etsy shop now to check out other plectrum goodies, including earrings and necklaces. I am also a fan of the reclaimed seat-belt belt! Amy will ship internationally too - http://www.prettylilstars.etsy.com/

Crafted by the storm

Storm Island is brought to you by Sara Pike and specialises in individual, handcrafted items.

Inspired by the powers of nature, and created using natural materials you can find handmade cards, jewellery and much more at Storm Island. The latest creations are these handmade paper cards, with a 'Journey of Discovery' theme. They have been left blank for any occassion, there are 5 different designs and each card is unique in its own way.

You can buy a selection of Storm Island items on the website http://www.storm-island.com/

More items are still to be added to the online shop, so visit often to find your 'little piece of nature'.

For comissions, please contact Sara via the website.

Snapdragon Beads - Beaded Adornment

Alice Elizabeth Still has been making jewellery for 16 years, despite wanting to go to Art College Alice ended up with degrees in Mathematics and Engineering. However she is now packing in her day job in the heady world of corporate IT to concentrate on her two passions, her little girl Amelia and beading.

Snapdragon beads has an array of beautiful jewellery, Alice's particular area of interest is off loom beadweaving. Alice describes her design process as "very much organic at times, I love selecting colours and finishes, especially ones that you wouldn't immediately put together"

To find out more about Snapdragon Beads and for details on craft fairs that Alice will be attending in Ireland and England visit the website http://www.snapdragonbeads.com/

To buy online visit http://www.snapdragonbeads.etsy.com/ or http://www.snapdragonbeads.folksy.com/

What goes around, comes around - the rambling path of a recycler

Sue Harris
Blue Box Studio

Blue Box Studio is a treasure trove of findings from the shore. Sue designs and makes jewellery using sterling silver and sea glass, mainly collected from beaches around the beautiful south west coast line of England and occassionally from abroard.

When Sue isn't busy making jewellery she is busy creating stunning silk and velvet scarves using shibori, devoré, batik and other printing techniques.

If this looks like something you would like to have a go at then you've come to the right place, Sue runs shibori dyeing workshops and sells a range of shibori dyeing scarf kits (make your own masterpiece in the mircrowave!) As well as selling loose sea glass for collectors or jewellery makers that might not live near the sea!

Sues Story . . .
What goes around, comes around. My mum gave me my first sewing machine at the age of 5. A little blue toy that made daisy chain stitching. She then showed me how to make patterns from paper; so I cut up my bed sheets to make a dress. I wasn't too popular that day but she did then realise that a little toy machine wasn't going to hold my attention for long. She let me loose with her sewing machine. I sewed anything and everything. Sewing lessons in school didn't amuse me. I've worked my way through spinning and weaving local fleeces to make cloth to sew, machine knitting, kumihimo - a love of silk threads left over from a friends weaving, onto making jewellery from the silk braids, then just making the jewellery from silver, before discovering sea glass .... The scarves started out as a bit of fun and light relief but soon became equal partners with the jewellery and now I make lots of things with fabrics that catch my eye using a sewing machine. I've not cut up any sheets recently, but looking out of my window, the curtains catch my eye ... watch this space!

You can buy all of Sue's fabulous work online - http://www.blueboxstudio.co.uk/
http://www.blueboxstudio.etsy.com

Who's Bead Mad?

Ruth Campbell of The Handmade Jewellery Shop

"I make beautiful bead necklaces using a wide range of beads sourced from around the world. Each necklace is unqiue except the gorgeous little Swarovski crystal single strands and even these can be ordered in any length or mix of shades you desire.

A few years ago traditional bead necklaces (cloisonne, wedding cake, millefiori, porcelain to name a few) were considered rather old fashioned, now people have woken up to the enormous possibilities of good old "beads". Every colour you can think off and so many shapes, sizes and designs. Sparkling crystals, semi-precious gem stones, painted wood, faceted glass, pretty satin ribbon ties and so much more.

I have 2 online shops listing over 600 bead necklaces (yes all made by me!) for you to browse and perhaps buy. They are all in stock for despatch within 1 working day from receipt of cleared payment .... and should you wish to treat someone else but are not quite sure which they would like, just buy a pretty gift voucher and let the lucky lady choose herself. Or why not be a little crafty, set up your own wish list in my store and email it to family and friends so you know the next birthday present will be great, not another fluffy pink hotwater bottle cover!

Bead mad? I'm not bead mad ... well only a little perhaps - why not come and join me in my "bead mad" shop, you would be most welcome"

http://www.the-handmade-jewellery-shop.com

Charming and Pretty

I am really happy to be featuring Rachel Hunt who runs Charming and Pretty because she has a love of recycling and turning "junk" into "jewellery" I love it! The jigsaw jewellery is quirky, funky and fun, at affordable prices too.

Rachael is a stay at home mum to 2 children and discovered by accident that jigsaws with missing pieces aren't destined for the bin, they are destined to be worn with love. Rachael says "Daytime TV is rubbish! So my fingers and brain keep busy by creating items to sell or as gifts"

You can find all Rachael's recycled goods available to buy worldwide in her Etsy store. If, however, you can't find what you are looking for, just send her an email and she will see what she can do for you, you can't get much better customer service than that! With reasonable worldwide rates and post within 3 days of purchase, all items are wrapped with care in tissue paper and then a jiffy envelope.

For Fantastic handmade gifts visit http://www.rachaelhunt.etsy.com or http://www.charmingandpretty.com/