BEAUshow...

Hello all, just a quick note to let you know I'll be at BEAUshow at the Long Eaton Art Rooms, bank hols weekend, Sunday 24th and Monday 25th August...will have plenty of Victoriana there as well as some more semi-precious and kimono stuff.

Click here to find out more and how to get there....



Later taters x

That there London...

Went down to see some buddies last Sunday, living in Tootin' - stepped off a marvellously well air-conditioned East Mids train into....well, what I can only describe as SOUP. Flummin' ada it was hot. A bellini at the Champagne Bar at St Pancras helped to cool me down, medicinal reasons you understand.

The main reason for going down was so I could have a gander at the recently re-opened jewellery gallery at the V&A...utterly stunning, but my camera's battery went flat and I had no charger! GAH! Not even sure if they allow pics, but you know...

So yeah, the most beautiful examples of gold, silver, brass, copper, HUGE gemstones, lapis from Egypt, garnets from Persia, cloisonne from China and France...right the way through from about 1000 AD to the last couple of years. Some amazing contemporary jewellers on display - will stick some links in when I've got more time and Blogger's not playing up.

Took in the National Portrait Gallery too - The Tudor Gallery is amazing, I have an uber-fascination with the Tudors, so seeing all those iconic portraits you seen in every book, on every TV prog FOR REAL is quite summat. They've got a new find of Lady Jane Grey too, fab stuff.

Anyway, should have a new post up soonish with some info on a brand new line I'm launching...a spin off, if you will...watch this space.

TTFN x

Hols, Open Studios & new pics...

Hello peeps, lots going on....

Firstly just had a week away camping in Cornwall....just as it had a week's worth of rain dumped on it in one night.  Yay.  Needless to say we discovered our magic new three-bedroom tent was mainly designed for guaranteed good weather.  Incidentally, DO NOT under any circumstance use tentastic.co.uk for any of your camping related needs.  We only got the tent by the skin of our teeth in time for the getaway, and some other bits we ordered guaranteed delivery for the Friday was sent out on Tuesday - WHEN WE WERE ALREADY THERE.  Doofuses.  Anyway, rant over.  Managed to get over to the Eden Project and National Seal Sanctuary on the nice days....will edit some pics in when I'm back on the home pooter.

Open Studios the week before hols was great - exhausting but great.  Got loads of great feedback on my new stuff, including a lengthy chat with a Japanese woman about my kimono silks :)  She was going through the swatches I had out saying, "My dad had one like this....this pattern's really old fashioned....this one's from this region..." and stuff.  Really interesting and gave it all that lil bit more meaning.  As my main collection was in the lobby and my studio's up on the top floor, I just put some of my 'old' semi-precious necklaces and works-in-progress out - as it turned out, they were the things that sold, and I hadn't even put prices out, 

not expecting any enquiries about them!  All in all I took a pretty penny selling them, and it's gone straight into the business account, slap on the back for me!!!

Got some new pics sorted out of the things I got together for Open Studios, they'll be going on the website over the next few days...my faves are my lace plaque rings - all made with the Cluny Valencienne lace I got from Ilkeston - each one made with it's own lil strip of lace, so totally individual....

So if you like the look of them and want to order your very own piece of British heritage, drop me an email :)

Later taters xxx