New Paris themed jewellery on the website

Oh and I was doing so well at the beginning of the year with blogging and then, well....

So here we are again and what have I been up to all summer?

I redesigned the website, giving it a slightly more contemporary look whilst retaining the vintage style colour scheme. There's a snazzy new sliding photo banner on the homepage to give a quick look at the different collections available.
I've also been making lots of new things to supply the Ship of Adventures shop, planning a wholesale range for other shops, doing my annual summer fete stall (in the pouring rain with a gazebo that broke, let's not dwell on that day!) and of course constantly designing and making new jewellery for my website and Etsy shop.

This week I have designed and made some new Paris themed jewellery. With a base of antique bronze charms and chain and coloured with glass beads in shades of purple there are matching necklace, bracelet and earrings in the collection. You can find them in the Vintage section on the website here.

My charm bracelets exclusively for Strawberry Fox

If you've seen my Facebook page recently, you may have seen the bracelets I have made exclusively for Strawberry Fox. The first is available to buy now at www.strawberryfox.org and is full of red and green leaves and beads, with white and yellow flowers and enamel style strawberry charms, plus one of Strawberry Fox's special little strawberry message box lockets.

Strawberry bracelet by Pirate Treasures for Strawberry Fox

I am making another mixed berry style bracelet, which I'll be sending to Strawberry Fox as soon as I can finish making them - I'm still waiting for some antique brass finish strawberry charms to arrive. Here's a preview:

Mixed berry bracelet by Pirate Treasures for Strawberry Fox

Strawberry Fox grow amazing strawberries and raspberries in West Sussex and Kathy (aka Mrs Strawberry Fox) does special things with a chocolate machine and her own magical hands to create swirly patterns and designs of deliciousness. Then they get packed into special little boxes with a delightful card designed by artist Jackie Morris along with whatever else is in the hamper package you've chosen. A perfect gift or tempting treat for yourself!

One of Strawberry Fox's delicious strawberries

Launch of the Ship of Adventures

Last post I mentioned my jewellery is being stocked at the Hackney Pirates Shop of Adventures. The Hackney Pirates are an educational charity in East London, have a look at their website here; they were having a launch evening on 11th April as they have just moved into new premises on Kingsland High Street, which includes a gift shop and cafe all set out in the style of a pirate ship - it's really cool!
My husband and daughter are a guitar and vocals duo called Elijah Bailey and I arranged for them to play an acoustic set at the launch event. You can see some video of Elijah Bailey performing there on their Facebook page here.
I took what appears to be a rather blurry photo of my jewellery on display in the shop, but it was really crowded and I discovered I'd left my phone at home so took the photo on the camera I was filming the gig on!

My jewellery on display in the Shop of Adventures

 It was a fun event, which you can see hear all about on the Hackney Pirates blog post here.
I hope the shop is a success, not just for my jewellery but it's a great and fun charity. If you're in the east London area do pop along and see, it's at 138 Kingsland High Street just along the road from Dalston Kingsland station near the Tesco Express. You can check out the Compass Coffee shop's Facebook page here where they've posted some great photos. The food looks delicious and the setting is unique!

~Jane

I will blog again!!!

Oh goodness me, it's been too long again! I have blogged (once!) on my other blog at The Emporium of Curiosities which is my alter ego for arty stuff including decorated wooden things and gift tags - go and have a look and give that one a follow, who knows where I'll blog next! 
Okay, what have I been doing all this time? I've been making and sending a whole load of stock for the shop I mentioned in a previous post. It's called the Shop of Adventures and is part of an educational charity called the Hackney Pirates. The shop opened last week, I'll be going to one of the launch events on Friday, so will hopefully have some photos and details to blog about for my next post. It sounds an amazing place, it's been fitted out to look like an old wooden ship and will stock my jewellery plus lots of gifts and products with an adventurous theme; it's on Kingsland High Street in Dalston, East London.
Here's some of the jewellery being stocked in the shop, also available on the Pirate Treasures website or Etsy shop:
 

Hot air balloon necklace

Travel & Adventure bracelet

Travel the World necklace

Last minute Christmas Pudding Recipe!!!

Hi there,
This is one of my occasional food based blog posts! I meant to write it a couple of weeks ago but was busy with my stalls at local Christmas Fairs and didn't get round to it. I always make my own Christmas pudding, following a recipe which my Mum got from a magazine about 40 years ago - it's the perfect pudding in my opinion, and it can be made up to a week before eating which is useful, so I thought I would share it with the world!
It's meant to fit a 2 1/2 - 3 pint basin, but I don't have one of them so make two smaller ones.
Oh and it's all in imperial measurements...

Sieve together:
6oz self raising flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp mixed spice
Add and mix well :
6oz suet, 6oz semolina, 6oz brown sugar, grated rind of one orange, 8oz each of sultanas, currants, raisins.
Beat together:
2 eggs, 2 level tablespoons warmed black treacle, 2 tbsp orange juice, 3 tbsp either whisky, brandy or rum (I use whisky)
Add all together and mix thoroughly. This can take ages!
Place in greased basin and cover with a circle of greased greaseproof paper. Cover whole basin with foil.
If using one large basin, steam for 7 1/2 hours. Don't forget to keep checking water level so it doesn't boil dry.
On Christmas Day, re-steam for an hour. Or microwave for a few minutes, which is what I do!

Christmas Pudding - ready to steam!

 

 

 

Pre-Christmas sale on the website!

Hello again,
I can't believe it's the last week of November already. How is everyone's Christmas shopping going?
Since many of us around the world are in difficult economic times, I thought I would have a pre-Christmas sale on the Pirate Treasures website to make the present buying a little easier. There are around 140 designs in the sale, all with 10% the regular price. Take a look in the Sale section in the left hand column at the bottom of the shop categories. There is jewellery from all of my shop categories - steampunk jewellery, pirate charm bracelets, necklaces and earrings, contemporary beaded bag charms and charm bracelets, vintage inspired jewellery, plus some handmade cards and art. I have tried to include items across the price ranges and styles so there should be something for everyone, no matter what their taste!  
These are just a selection of the designs in the sale...

Black and silver charm bracelet

Steampunk cog earrings

Rose ring available in various colours

 

Green pirate charm bracelet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas is coming! Don't Panic!

No matter how much I intend to be organised for Christmas, it never really happens! 
Having said that, I have got plenty in stock on my website and Etsy shop  but I always feel like there could be more. Or I'm busy making things to stock up the internet shops and leave the stock taking of the boxes I keep separate for local events until the last minute and then have a panicky rush to make more for them. This year I also have to have enough stock to supply the East London shop I'll be stocking too.
So why am I blogging? Well, I epoxied some cameos and cabochons into their settings this morning, so while they set I thought I'd get round to a blog post as it's been a month since the last!
Over the last few weeks I have made a bunch of simple charm necklaces (including the ones below) for my Pirate Treasures Etsy shop  which are all under £10 - ideal for little Christmas gifts!

Simple charm necklaces

 I have a few more chunky charm necklaces with a mix of vintage and new charms for my Emporium of Curiosities Etsy shop.

Layered charm necklace

Vintage charm necklace

 I have one charm necklace which I have just added to the Pirate Treasures website (www.pirate-treasures.com) and plan on making some more similar ones when I can delegate the time to it!

Silver charm necklace

Right, I can't put it off any longer, it's time to get the big boxes out and see what I have left from the Summer fair and plan what I need to make for the Christmas ones - I have three booked so far!
~Jane