Keyrings with charm

I have to admit that I am starting to think about Christmas shopping. I know it is only October, but I have a large family, and lots of gifts to find. One of the things that I always struggle to find are stocking fillers that aren't just going to be put in a drawer somewhere never to be seen again. The other day when looking on the internet I found some lovely keyrings, and realised these would be an ideal stocking filler as they are always useful.

I love these handmade keyrings from Honeypips on Folksy. Each one is made from beautiful cotton fabrics which are hand cut, and then embroidered onto a hardwearing wool felt. As they are made individually each one is slightly different and unique.

This beautiful bird keyring is made in Finland from birch wood and is available from Hygge. There is also a bird brooch made from birch wood available.

If you are looking for something with more colour on Misi I found PebbleRox Jewellery. Based in Bristol they create wonderful pieces from a range of beads and charms including this lovely bag charm/keyring.

Based at the Craft and Design Centre in Manchester Suzanne of Suzanne Devine Designs uses mixed media to create her purses, bags and accessories. I particularly like these lovely leaf keyrings, which are available in a range of colours to match any bag or outfit.

I thought about including fingerprint keyrings but I think that their availablity is now so well known I looked for something a little different. I found The Little Glass Kiln who stock fused glass keyrings made in Yorkshire and designed by Victoria Berry. Victoria also designs and makes a range of keyrings from sycamore.

Halloween Treats

So it is already October and the year is flying by at an alarming rate. However, it does mean that there are some great Halloween treats available to brighten up any outfit or party. I know I am a little early, but it will be the 31st before we know it, so get planning that Halloween party now.

The first job in any party organisation is the invites and I love these cards from Saffycrafts. Although greetings cards you could use them as invitations and you can put in a personal message inside. All the cards are handmade to order so no two are exactly the same giving your cards that unique appeal.

The next task is organising your decorations to make your party venue look as Halloween as possible. Sparrow Primitives make a beautiful range of spooky signs, witches hats and bats that will get all your party goers in the right spirit. They are all made to order, and can be used year after year.

Silver Birch Crafts have created this wonderful embroidered bunting, available through Folksy. Each letter is individually embroidered and sewn, and can be made to order in a range of colours. Once again a great party decoration that you can use every Halloween.

I love these very glamorous witches boots that can either be stood on a tabletop or hung on the wall. Available from Patchwork Cottage Crafts, they will be an extra special addition to the other fantastic decorations. Finally for decorations Diomo Glass has a lovely range of Halloween themed glass pieces including these gorgeous pumpkins.

 

No Halloween party would be complete without a great costume, and every great outfit needs accessorises. For some unique and handmade jewellery to add the finishing touches to the outfit Heroine Industries on Etsy has some fantastic fun items including this charm bracelet.

As for the food well you could go all out and order a handmade cake from a site such as Donna Makes Cakes who created this wonderful Halloween cake and also make Halloween biscuits and cupcakes. Alternatively you could create your own using the range of Halloween supplies from Cakes, Cookies and Crafts.

I almost forgot every Halloween party goer needs a bag in which to collect their goodies. Nicsknots on Folksy have made some lovely spider and bat bags which are ideal for the Halloween occasion.

Beautiful Bracelets and Bangles

One of the main reasons for starting this blog was that I am constantly amazed by the number of small businesses out there making beautiful items - jewellery is just one of these. There are so many talented and individual jewellery makers out there, who create individual pieces - that there is something out there for every taste and budget. I have decided that there are so many that more than one blog article is needed, so for this piece I am going to focus on bangles and bracelets. 

As we all know it is very easy to pop into Accessorize or a high street jeweller when you are looking for a gift for someone. However, why not try out some of the jewellery internet shops I have found, and track down that perfect gift.

Sea Glass Bracelet £27.00

The Beach Shack Project has some stunning bracelets made from sea glass collected on the beaches of Cornwall. The fact that the sea glass has been shaped and smoothed by the action of the sea makes each piece unique. This is then enhanced by the patterns made with the silver plated wire that holds the sea glass in place.

I then found CeeGee Jewellery design where the jewellery is all designed and made by Carolyn Grant. I particularly liked this gorgeous Caribbean Sea Lampwork bracelet, made using Bali sterling silver beads and 3 glass lampwork beads, made in CeeGee Jewellery's own workshop. Once again this is a unique piece that you won't find anywhere else.

If you are looking for something that is a little more chunky then Pennydog Jewellery is a great place to start. Kerry, who runs Pennydog Jewellery, specialises in affordable resin jewellery and has a great range to choose from, such as the transparent moss bangle shown. However, I also love the hundreds and thousands resin bangle, which is exactly as it sounds - hundreds and thousands embedded in resin.

There are many charm bracelets out there, but if you are looking for something with vintage style then Miss Ladysmith is a great website to visit. New pieces are added to the website and Etsy shop every week so there are plenty of items to choose from. This beautiful Mother Earth charm bracelet made from a fantastic range of beads it could be worn in the day or evening.

Finally I found Cloversoul who handcraft their jewellery in their studio situated in the North of England. Their indivdual style using  English solid sterling, hand marked silver leads to the production stunning jewellery. It was hard to choose my favourite piece, however in the end I went for this classic Beaten Track Breeze bangle, just the thing to go with that little black dress.

I am sure that there are many more fantastic one off bangles and bracelets available but I could go on for hours, but I have to know when to stop. However, if you have a favourite place to buy jewellery as a gift or for yourself please let me know.