Friday 11 November 2011

Folksy Friday...favourites!

Haven't done a Folksy Friday for a couple of weeks and my 'favourited items' section on Folksy has been filling up with lots of lovely things that have caught my eye.



SHOP NAME 1 SHOP NAME 2
SHOP NAME 3 SHOP NAME 4
SHOP NAME 5 SHOP NAME 6


1.) Narwhal brooch by I am Kritch - having only seen an internet based cartoon about narwhals, my boyfriend thought they were a made up animal until I showed him evidence otherwise! I love this cute little brooch that would be fab to pin on a nice wrap around scarf.

2.) Silver Kisses necklace by Natalia Lovat - I love the fluidy of this silver necklace...and it looks so wonderfully tactile too I want to reach out to the screen and touch it.

3.) Daisy Storm clutch bag by Beledien - a cute grey bag with a nice floral print...and I like that it has a wrist stap you can attach (if clutch bags didn't have these I would lose them!)

4.) Christmas Tree Present Bag by Ritzy Swish - beautifully made and I love the personal story behind this little gift bag. It's so nice to have things to keep in the family, particular when they relate to Christmas. My brother and I have had the same woollen stockings for as long as I can remember!

5.) Sheep Earrings by Maggie Jones enamels - I can't look at these wonderful earrings without grinning! The beautiful enamelling work, plus the fun dangly legs made these earrings gorgeous and whimsical.

6.) Sequin Flower Bunny by Oddly Enough - how cute is this little fella? I love the colour and texture created by knitting with jersey, and the sweet little sequin neck bow is just too adorable!

Hope you like my picks for this week

Nicole
xoxo

Tuesday 8 November 2011

It's That Time Of Year...

Yes folks. It's been my birthday...it's been Halloween...it's been Bonfire Night....and yup, you guessed it, shops everywhere are in full swing Christmas mode (I went into my local John Lewis the other week and they had all their decorations up...mince pies have been on sale in Tescos for even longer [although I am ok with this as I LOVE mince pies].

So what's in store for Hollybird Beads this Christmas? Well, firstly, I shall be attending my first big craft fair. I did a small one when I lived in London that was in a library, but it really was small (and there were several stalls where, shall we say, there hadn't been much crafting done by the stallholder *cough*bought-in-children's-toys/bought-in-jewellery*cough* but I digress). 

The fair that I am signed up to do is the Made-It Market, which is being held at the Cambridge Guildhall on Saturday 26th November. The organisers of this event have been fab to work with so far, sending out regular emails packed with helpful info as well as postcards to give out to help advertise the fair. I'm really looking forward to the big day itself, and fingers crossed, it will be successful for me sales wise! So if you are in the area or fancy a trip to a beautiful city for a change of scenery and some Christmas shopping, it would be great to see you there :)




This has meant that I have been spending every spare moment elbow deep in seed beads, glass pearls and crystals in order to build up stock to fill my table with. I'm really nervous about it looking empty, so I really have been beading my fingers off, and there are several new designs that will be available to buy on the day, as well as the rest of my range. Here's a few photos of some of the jewellery I'll be taking with me to the market. I also have a photo album on my Facebook Page, to which I'll be adding more photos in the next few weeks to whet your appetite. After the fair, any pieces not sold will be going into my online shops.

'Ice Queen' bracelet - seed beads, Czech fire-polished rounds, pressed glass flowers & Swarovski crystals



'Pearl Starflower' pendant necklace - seed beads and glass pearls.

'Flower Rings' - seed beads, glass pearls and Czech fire-polished crystals.


Custom orders are also starting to build up (plus I have Christmas presents to make for my own family/friends!) so if you are thinking of ordering a customised gift for a loved one, please contact me to discuss your requirements. 

That's all for now folks

Nicole
xoxo