Ostara Jewellery

2011-02-28T01:37:00.000-08:00

Greetings loved ones, lets take a journey

I know a place
Where the peridot is really greener
Raw, faceted or polished
You won't find any in Gibraltar
Needin' a spruce?
Lay it underneath your jumper (undone)
Or wear it
on your necks
If you want to cleanse your aura (or skin)

You could travel the world
But nothing comes close
To our weekly blog post
Once you party with us
You'll be falling in love
Oooooh oh oooooh

Freshwater Pearls
They're unforgettable
Hematite
Moonstone on top
Sunshine aura
So hot
We'll melt your popsicle
Oooooh oh oooooh

Freshwater Pearls
They're undeniable
Got your ears pierced?
We've got it in stock
East Anglian coast represent
Now put your hands up
Oooooh oh oooooh

Jet on the beach
We don't like sand on our Geodes
Unique
and not cheap
Rutilated Quartz and Enhydro (Oh oh)

You could travel the world
But nothing comes close
To our weekly blog post
Once you party with us
You'll be falling in love
Oooooh oh oooooh

Freshwater Pearls
They're unforgettable
Hematite
Moonstone on top
Sunshine aura
So hot
We'll melt your popsicle
Oooooh oh oooooh

Freshwater Pearls
They're undeniable
Got your ears pierced?
We've got it in stock
East Anglian coast represent
Now put your hands up
Oooooh oh oooooh

Blue, green
Grey or reddy
Take it off if it's gettin' heavy
Calming down those inner ghosts
These are the stones I love the most
I mean the ones
I mean like Tourmaline
Chakra
Cleansing
Tourmaline

It won't look cheap
Our stuff is unique
Looks good on the beach
I'm okay
I won't play
I love Onyx
Just like I love Agate
Serpentine
And Aquamarine
My chasing hammer is everything

Moukite
Chrysolite
Amethyst
Labradorite
Aventurine, Almondine, Serpentine
No Plasticine
Just a queen
And a queen-ie
Rainbow Obsidian (Yeah)
And Rhodonite baby (Uh huh)
I'm all up on you
'Cause you representin'
OSTARA (Ohhh yeahh)

2011-02-20T05:11:00.000-08:00

We're well into the new year now, and have come up with a plan to introduce a new range of jewellery. But this time it's for you men out there! Not wanting to leave you out, we are planning to create a range of bracelets and necklaces for you, made from leather, suede and hematite beads.

Hematite is a relatively heavy opaque crystal, and usually appears to be either silver or black. The heavy nature and dark sheen is a characteristic of a grounding protective stone.

Hematite grounds higher energies. It can impart calm, soothing feelings. It is also very protective, guarding from external negative energies. This is the stone to use for undertaking something remarkable, and having the willpower and strength to follow it through.

Anyone can benefit from wearing a piece of hematite jewellery or carrying the stone with them. Especially when about to face some sort of challenging person or event. It can be helpful for insomnia or anxiety. Do however, be careful wearing hematite jewellery in cases of inflammation. Be sure to take the jewellery off from time to time.

Keep an eye on our website for our new range......

The 'stone of Love'

2011-02-07T02:48:00.000-08:00

What better way to show someone you love them this Valentine's Day, than with a heartfelt and lasting gift of beautiful jewellery?

At www.ostara-jewellery.co.uk we can help you go a step further and choose a piece of jewellery not only for its beauty, but for the meaningful stones its created with.

Rose Quartz is an obvious example of how gemstones can bring their very own character to a gift of jewellery. This smooth, tactile stone has such a gentle warming hue, it can't help but promote a soothing calmness in its beholder.

Rose Quartz is said to promote all kinds of love, from platonic love to romantic love and parental love to a love of the self. It can help to rebuild and renew love, and develop existing relationships. It is said to strengthen these relationships, bring about family unity and a feeling of kinship and solid friendship.

Such a gentle 'giving' stone, with its soft pink glow, Rose Quartz makes the perfect thoughtful and romantic gift for that special someone this Valentine's Day.

All the fun of the fair!

2010-11-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was a very busy one! We exhibited at two Christmas fairs over both days. Saturday was the annual Bury St Edmunds Green Fair. We've held a stall at this fair for three years running and thoroughly enjoy the relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The venue changed this year from the Corn Exchange to the The Apex (a brand new building in amongst The Arc shopping centre), and we were very fortunate that many Christmas shoppers came in to have a look and in many cases by a few Christmas presents! In fact, this has turned out to be our most successful fair to date! We can't wait to go again next year.

The second fair last weekend was held in the gorgeous Athenaeum (also in Bury St Edmunds). We tried not to have too high hopes after the success of the previous day, but as it turned out, we did extremely well again! We received a lot of positive remarks about our jewellery, and sold several pieces to people looking for a unique gift.

Our newly introduced 'lucky dip' bowl proved to be extremely popular with children and adults alike! It gave people a chance to have a rummage through a small treasure trove of our little trinkets; the rings and mobile phone charms went very quickly!

This weekend coming we will be at the Christmas fair in Bottisham, and after a very good start to the Christmas season, we are thoroughly looking forward to it!

2010-11-15T05:59:00.000-08:00

Ostara Bracelets

We've finally got round to adding a selection of our popular 'Ostara Bracelets' to our website, having previously only sold them at fairs and parties. Although these bracelets are a slight departure for us from our usual hand crafted items, we love the fact that each bead is individually hand-made making each one a little master-piece in its own right!

This bracelet in particular can be found in our 'Autumn collection' www.ostara-jewellery.co.uk I have to say I love the dusky tones of this harmonious bracelet, but the joy of these 'pick-your-own' designs is that our customers can stamp their own mark on a truly unique piece of jewellery, and that is what 'Ostara Jewellery' is all about!

We've had little girls painstakingly choosing an individual bead to add to a bracelet they already own, mothers selecting beads in their daughter's favourite colours for a special Christmas gift, and of course people treating themselves.

No wonder these bracelets are popular, they are fun and easy to create, appeal to all ages and tastes and the design possibilities are endless!

If you'd like to get your hands on one, visit our website for a range of pre-designed bracelets, or visit us at a craft fair where you'll not only be able to pick each bead and create your very own work of art, but you'll also receive a special 'event-only' discount!

2010-11-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

Its that time of year again!!!

Yet again the year seems to have flown by and we're making preparations for our christmas craft fairs. We've stocked up on our popular 'Ostara Beads and Bracelets' and ordered more organza jewellery pouches and business cards in anticipation of our busiest time of the year!

Our first festive fair of the season is the Bury St Edmunds Green fair. 'Green fairs are events run to raise environmental awareness, and money for environmental campaigns', which is why we make a point of booking up with this fair every year in support of their good work. This year it's being held at 'The Apex' situated in the Arc shopping centre https://www.theapex.co.uk/ on Saturday the 20th of November.

The very next day, we'll be making our way back to Bury for the 'Christmas Craft and Gift Fair' at the Atheneaum http://www.britevents.com/whats-on/suffolk/bury-st-edmunds/christmas-craft-and-gift-fair/74672/

A percentage of the admission proceeds will be donated to St Nicholas Hospice so please come along and support this worthy cause.

We hope to have a full range of gorgeous jewellery and gifts suitable for all ages and genders! From wine-glass charms, napkin rings and tree decorations, to childrens jewellery and make-your-own gift sets, and of course a wide range of beautiful and unusual necklaces, bracelets and earrings for you to treasure.

As an extra christmassy treat for you all, we'll be handing out a limited number of vouchers to randomly selected customers offering a £5 discount with every £20 spent on our stall at each venue!

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Dressing for the party season

2010-11-05T05:54:00.000-07:00

We're only weeks away from the start of the party season, and many of us are starting to wonder what on earth we're going to wear for all of these festive occasions! With the huge cost of christmas gifts and all those trimmings we hardly have any spare cash left for a wardrobe of stunning party outfits. This is where a good range of costume jewellery will come in very handy!

A selection of necklaces, bracelets and earrings in a range of different colours and styles will enable you to transform any outfit. Especially the classic LBD! A chunky red coral and agate necklace will create a totally different look to a sparkly floating swarovski crystal creation.

Agate is one of my favourite stones at the moment. It is available in a range of different colours, but whichever you choose, the glossy finish to the stones will always give your jewellery a beautiful shine.

It is said to have calming and balancing properties, much needed at this time of the year! Historically it was used by the Ancients on the breastplates of armour to give warriors strength and make them victorious in battle........worth bearing in mind whilst battling your way around the shops this christmas!

2010-10-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

TRICK OR TREAT?

The nights are drawing in, the skies are decidedly grey and there's definitely a chill in the air....AUTUMN IS HERE!!! Luckily for me, I've managed to keep the kiddies entertained during this rainy half-term with lots of Halloween crafts and decoration-making, there's snippets of paper everywhere!

But why let the kids have all the fun this Halloween? There's plenty for us adults to enjoy too. Spooky story-telling, Halloween cocktails, cakes and sweeties, and my personal favourite Halloween activity; Dressing up!! There's no other time of the year where we can dress as wildly as our imagination will allow with absolutely no hang-ups!

So grab those stripy knee-highs, falsies and ankle-breaking heels....go to town with lashings of ultra shimmery eye-shadow, deep wine-coloured lippy and of course, finish the look with gorgeously individual jewellery!

Tis' the season to buy jewellery!.....and other trinkets

2010-10-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

We're nearing the end of October, and as our Christmas fairs start in November, we now have less than a month to prepare some gorgeous gift ideas. Obviously we have jewellery in abundance, but we're broadening our horizons and making other little stocking fillers that we hope will prove to be popular.

We've been using wire work to make things such as wine glass charms and napkin rings. These will make lovely gifts for family and friends, or possibly even a beautiful addition to your own Christmas dinner table!

We will be displaying our brightly coloured polymer clay lentils that were such fun to make, and are hoping to make some wands for our younger customers too.

In all, it's going to be a hectic time, but we can't wait! The atmosphere at the Christmas fairs is always wonderful. We're looking forward to returning to some fairs that we have previously enjoyed exhibiting at, and also are really excited about displaying our pieces at some amazing new venues too.

Roll on Christmas!

2010-10-11T05:31:00.000-07:00

There's something very traditional, almost historic about a piece of turquoise jewellery and I think everyone can appreciate the smooth beauty of this stone. It has been used for protection since the beginning of time and was often fashioned into good luck charms and amulets.

Turquoise has a wonderful waxy texture which makes it irresistible to touch, and a depth of colour unusual in a naturally occurring stone. Personally, I love the more subdued greeny hue of Tibetan turquoise, but sometimes the brightness of the more familiar version is great for really lifting the mood.

Here at Ostara Jewellery we are very fond of turquoise, its simply so versatile! The beads can be strung very simply, with silver for a really traditional look, or we can create some ultra-funky modern pieces by being brave and mixing bright turquoise with other 'candy' colours...the effect is stunning! We find the multitude of colours of dyed turquoise serves us very well in this purpose.

Dyed turquoise retains its gorgeously glossy texture and depth of colour including the beautifully natural veins running through each stone, with the added benefit of providing an entire rainbow of colour for our jewellery palette!

As much as we love our stones as nature intended....we can't help but fall in love with the sweet spectrum of colour offered by dyed turquoise!

A beady Challenge!

2010-10-04T03:30:00.000-07:00

Well I vowed this year, due to a 'bead overload' not to buy any new ones until I'd used them all up to make some beautiful creations! This worked well until recently when I was left with only beads I found totally uninspiring, didn't like much, or were an odd shape or colour. This didn't fill me with much enthusiasm to sit and get creative, but with Christmas round the corner, and several fairs in the pipelines, I wanted to make some stunning new pieces.

It turns out, this is possibly the best thing I could have done! It has forced me to look at all of my beads much more closely, and spend a lot more time considering which colours and textures compliment each other well. I've even added a few bits of wire work to an odd agate bead I had, to create a gorgeous pendant. I then added some chain to make the necklace a bit more interesting.

I even had my three children getting creative with me one rainy afternoon last week. They made a necklace each from a big plastic bag filled with odd glass beads that I've collected over the last few years. They really enjoyed making them, and have proudly shown them off to anyone and everyone.

I've learnt a lot more about jewellery making this year, and how to create some truly unique, unusual and beautiful items of handmade jewellery. I now look forward to my next big order of beads, so i can start the whole process again :-)

To tweet or not to tweet?!

2010-07-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

Well, come September, 4 or our 6 children will be at school full time and hopefully this should free up a bit more time for us on the jewellery front. We're planning to spend some time updating our website, with a view to generating a bit more interest in it, and hopefully accomplishing some more internet sales! We're considering including a 'stand alone' bridal range, of simple yet stunning pieces made with swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls. These will be handmade to order and will be available in a range of colours. Suitable for brides, bridesmaids, mothers, or just a special guest!

I'm spending the summer trying to train myself into tweeting regularly, and will be disciplining myself to post on here more frequently too! With a bit of luck, making ourselves better known will send a few more customers our way. I've started uploading pictures to 'twitpic' too, so that our followers on twitter can get a good look at some of our favourite, or latest pieces.

We may also be including a 'sale' section on our website, which may be of interest when christmas is on the horizon! So watch this space!!

Spring is in the Air!

2010-05-18T00:19:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again...the sun is shining in the sky, the birds are singing merrily again, and Ostara Jewellery are preparing for their first outdoor show!! There's nothing we like more than spending a lovely spring day in the sunshine, making new jewellery, choosing the special pieces we'd like to display for the day, and of course chatting to people interested in the wonderful qualities of the stones we use. To start us off in this spirit, we'll be trundling along to Worlington Village Fete on the 30th of May. Lets just hope the weather is kind to us all!

New Year - New Plans!

2010-01-26T06:10:00.000-08:00

Well Christmas is far behind us now, and we're pleased to say that we've already 're-booked' for some of our favourite Christmas fairs for 2010! We're also starting to look ahead to the spring, and have booked fairs for May and June so be sure to look out for us! We'll keep you posted on where we will be over the next few months, so that you can come along and view our jewellery for yourselves.

One of our favourite events of last year was a fund raising pamper evening at a local church. It was fascinating to watch all the wonderful treatments that were going on, and we were really pleased that so many people were very interested in the healing properties of the semi precious stones that we use. Many people were delighted to find jewellery that was made using some of their favourite healing stones, but also looked fabulous!

The next few major dates in many of our diaries will of course Valentines Day and Mother's Day! and what better to buy your loved one, or a special mum than some stunning hand crafted jewellery? Have a good look at our website; with so much variety there really is something for everyone!

We're both hoping to be able to dedicate a lot more time to 'Ostara Jewellery' this coming year, with our youngest children going off to nursery, we will have a bit more spare time on our hands, so expect to hear from us much more regularly!! In the last few months we've started to work with polymer and precious metal clay, we both absolutely love it! The design possibilities are simply endless and it gives us a chance to make pieces that are even more unique. With more time to dedicate to jewellery making, we intend to create some really fabulous and exciting items before the summer season. Watch this space!!

With all this in mind, we're looking forward to a very exciting 2010 xx

Tis' the season to be jolly!

2009-11-19T08:38:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-09-22T03:12:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-09-02T04:43:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-08-05T01:16:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

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!