Tis' the season to be jolly!

Well we're half way through our run of christmas fairs now, and we're having such a great time! We've had so many positive comments from people that have viewed our stalls that hopefully it'll keep us inspired to keep creating well into the new year!

One thing we have noticed is how different each audience is. Last week we exhibited at a pamper evening, and found that so many people were really interested in the healing properties of the semi precious stones that we are using (an idea that we find fascinating!). I think many people were thrilled to see that we've been creating such beautiful and fashionable jewellery while still keeping their metaphysical properties in mind.

At the weekend however, we exhibited at a much larger christmas fair and the atmosphere was totally different. A very bustling environment, full of people eager to find a bargain. We managed to devise a range of special offers that proved to be just what our customers were looking for. The 'pandora' style 'Ostara Beads' went very well. But we were also pleased to see that we sold an equal amount of our own creations.

We've branched out into making a few christmas decorations this year, and they have been very popular too. In fact they have gone so well that we're now having to quickly make more to display at our remaining fairs! We love them too. I'm sure that they will be adorning our own trees this christmas!

Okay, so we had the first Craft Fair of the Autumn/Winter season on Saturday and it went really well with a lot of positive comments about our creations! The gazebo didn't seem to come down as quickly as we got it up though! We were shattered by the end of the day!

It makes you incredibly nervous, putting all of your hard work that is so precious out on display for the public to cast a critical eye over, but we were very pleased with the response that we got.

So, now the time has come to really start putting some thought into our other upcoming fairs, and in particular the all important 'C' word....'CHRISTMAS'!! I know, I know, its seems really early to be even considering Christmas yet but it does take some time to organise, order and create all the special things we have planned!

We have just received our first order of 'Pandora' style beads which we hope to be taking along to our christmas fairs. These are bang on trend this season, and we now need to think about which chains, bracelets and bangles we will sell alongside them. They really would make fabulous gifts for wives, girlfriends, daughters, nieces, anyone really. The beauty of them is that you get to choose the beads yourself! A gift with the personal touch! We are also looking into the possibilty of creating some christmas decorations and of course there are the usual 'stocking fillers' of mobile phone and handbag charms, bookmarks and vase decorations to think about! Expect to see lots of red, gold and sparkles on our website and on our craft stalls!

It really is a lovely time of the year, full of anticipation and excitement about the future, and I for one can't wait for the Christmas Fairs in November and December when we'll be surrounded by happy shoppers eager to find the perfect gifts for their loved ones this Christmas.

Getting ready for the xmas craft fairs!

It may only be september, but working in the craft and gift business, we're thinking about christmas already! We have our first stall of the season at an autumn show at the end of September, and it's being advertised as the place to 'start your christmas shopping early'. Bearing this in mind, we're fully aware that it's the perfect time to make a bit of extra effort when preparing our stall, to get people into the seasonal spirit, and reaching into their wallets and purses!

First of all we've had to purchase a gazebo! As recommended by the people organising the event; apparently this is what a lot of stall holders do. Luckily we managed to get a good one in the summer sales (hasn't really been gazebo weather this summer!) and we've had a test run at putting it up! We've also a pair of comfy folding chairs to take the weight off our feet on the day. We've spent much time contemplating how to actually draw people into our gazebo of jewels, and have made good use of the excellent marketing and advertising items on offer at www.vistaprint.co.uk. We've ordered a superb banner with our company name emblazoned across it, and a very brief description of what makes our jewellery special (It's hand made from semi-precious gemstones!) Hopefully, anyone who likes to buy unique hand made gifts will be drawn in by this!

We're also considering a vast range of ideas on how to grab peoples attention once they're inside our Aladin's cave. We've purchased a selection of 'pandora style' beads that are incredibly popular at the moment, so people can custom make their own gifts, and we're also getting together a lovely little treasure trove of small and reasonably priced items such as earrings, rings, bookmarks and mobile phone charms. These will make perfect unique stocking fillers, for teenagers, girlfriends, nieces, daughters.......the list is endless!

We'll also be taking along our beloved 'crystal bibles' so that people will be able to flick through while they peruse our beautifully displayed jewellery, and find out where the semi precious gemstones we use are sourced, and what properties they are said to have. Hopefully this will help to highlight what a special purchase an item of our jewellery will make!

To see our gorgeous jewellery for yourself, visit us on the day at Melford Hall, Long Melford between 10 am and 4:30pm.

With a bit of luck, people will like what we've been making, we'll enjoy spending the day 'crafting' surrounded by our beautiful creations, and, if we can make a little profit along the way, then all the better x

Wedding Season!

Well, we are well and truly into this years wedding season, and we are set to attend a wedding this weekend! I was asked by the mother of the bride to design and create jewellery for herself, and 3 adult bridesmaids so here's how I went about it.

The colour scheme for the wedding is purple (you know that lovely cadbury's wrapper colour!) and the accessories being worn by the bridesmaids are ivory (wraps, shoes etc). Keeping this in mind I decided to use freshwater pearls, as they are a true wedding statement and matched the ivory items perfectly. I then decided to punctuate these with stunning swarovski crystals. I chose violet rather than a deep purple the same as the dresses, as I thought it might be too big a contrast to the pearls and would become the main focus of what the bridesmaids are wearing. Wedding jewellery should enhance your outfit not upstage it after all! The gorgeous sparkle of the crystals look fabulous next to the beautiful sheen of the freshwater pearls, and the violet colour is in keeping with the colour theme of the wedding.

I attached silver extension chains to the clasps of the necklaces, because no two women will have the same neck size, and it's easier than measuring everyone before making the jewellery! I had a few crystals and pearls left over so I used these to create 3 pairs of matching drop earrings. They are dainty and pretty and will add a little more sparkle.

After liaising with the mother of the bride we decided that all she needed was a simple bracelet, as her dress has quite a high neckline and is made with quite a bold pattern. A necklace really wasn't necessary, but she still wanted something that would tie in with the bridesmaids jewellery, so I set to work!

Her dress is a beautiful satiny dark olive green with a pattern of dark purple and ivory flowers on the front. I chose to use the same freshwater pearls as I had used for the bridesmaids so she would match them, and they would go well with the ivory in her dress, I then punctuated the pearls with dark purple swarovski crystals to match the purple flowers of her dress, and the colour of the bridesmaid dresses. To finish I found a stunning silver clasp shaped like a flower and finished with one violet crystal in the centre that was the same as the crystals used in the bridesmaid jewellery.

Hopefully they will be pleased with these 'bespoke creations'! And they will make a lovely keepsake for the wearer in the future.

Summer's here!

With the gorgeous hot weather we've been having, there isn't a better time than now to promote our 'summer' collection that is featured on our website http://www.ostara-jewellery.co.uk/.

Possibly our most colourful and vibrant collection, we try to capture the beauty of the season in the pieces we make. Although, looking through them now, I can see that we've gone along a very 'fruity' theme when choosing names for our jewellery. Lot's of berries!

We have been using a lot of brightly coloured rivershell and contrasting earthy stones, such as leopardskin, picture, and spider web jasper, to recreate that mediterranean feel. It is said that all types of jasper are strong securing, stability stones. It offers powerful protection against anything that is not good for you, and also eases emotional stresses making it a very handy gemstone!

One of my favourite pieces from this range is 'carnival'. It's so funky! It's a combination of labradorite, black agate (with healing and calming properties fyi!) and rivershell. Also much loved by my 2 year old daughter. I may have to make a smaller version for her. I'll add a photo if I can work out how.

We have also been busy making polymer clay lentil pendants in an array of gorgeous colours...they will be making their way onto the site soon!

Along with our many 'berry' creations, we have some beautiful pieces inspired by the beach, perfect for a summer holiday! Plenty of brightly coloured freshwater pearls and sandy semi-precious stones.

My particular favourites here are 'Pacific Blue' and 'Romance' with their more subtle calming tones. They remind me of a sparkling summer sea! And it's not merely the colours of these pieces that are calming, Sodalite is said to ease panic attacks, cool fevers and lower blood pressure, Green Aventurine is an all round healing stone, bringing well-being and emotional calm, and we all know the soothing effects of Rose Quartz which releases heartache and encourages love; both for oneself and others!

You can check out all these wonderful creations, and more for yourself!

http://www.ostara-jewellery.co.uk/

Stunning Stones!

Today we received our biggest ever delivery of semi-precious gemstones from our supplier in preparation for our Autumn and christmas craft fairs. (More news about those later).

There is nothing quite like opening a big box of shiny new beads, its like discovering long lost treasure!

Although we see the beauty in all natural stones, there's no hiding that our particular favourites at the moment are turquoise and labradorite.

Turquoise has such a tactile quality about it and according to followers of the new age, not only does it assist in healing ailments of the immune and respiratory systems, but is also recommended for people who have a fear of public speaking!

The Labradorite beads have beautiful translucent inclusions which change colour depending upon the light. Labradorite is also said to balance and protect the aura, raise conciousness and ground spiritual energies!

No doubt necklaces made with these gorgeous stones will soon be available on our website!

http://www.ostara-jewellery.co.uk/

The only problem with this beautiful bounty is choosing where to start!