June 14, 2007
May 07, 2007
April 23, 2007
Charming New Bracelets
Last night I made a new batch of one of a kind charm bracelets I have sold half of them already and it is only 4pm here in the studio!
April 01, 2007
March 13, 2007
March 09, 2007
March 02, 2007
Shadow of the Vampire
I saw Shadow of the Vampire last year and was so mesmerised by Willem Dafoe's peformance I decided to make a charm bracelet and dedicate it to the film. I finished it yestarday afternoon and listed it in my Etsy shop. It sold about 3 hours later which must be an all time record. It is quite special with handmade charms including a picture of Bram Stoker, real Victorian teeth and a little vial of blood.
February 18, 2007
Hoolala Silver Service
February and I am celebrating the 1st birthday of Hoolala. It is really great to see how the business has grown in just one year. I am also launching a new line called Hoolala Silver Service which is devoted entirely to my new range of sterling silver pieces. The first sterling silver collection is called Spank Me and I have used a saucy set of pics from my Victorian archive showing saucy ladies with their skirts hiked high and bending over whilst they are being repremanded!
I have also developed my Alice in Wonderland collection and now I am using a set of images which I bought last year. They are from the 1800's which gives them a unique authentic vintage feel and I have made some sterling silver Alice necklaces one of which is a picture of Alice in the pool of tears.
From now on I'm busy working on new designs for the autumn/winter season so I will keep you posted. Meanwhile if you want to sign up to the Hoolala newsletter list please send your email address to hello@hoolala.co.uk you can keep up to date with all the happenings here in the studio and you get to see the new designs before they go in the shops and even win some Hoolala goodies as well as some other special treats.
January 08, 2007
Hoolala 2007 e-newsletter
I have been so busy since the last time I wrote it has all been a bit of a blur. The festive season was unusually hectic and people were still ordereing frippery on Christmas Day! However, I managed to get away for a break for a few days over New Year and went on a mountain biking adventure to Snowdonia. I saw the New Year in with 8 great friends in a little jewel of a hotel just on the edge of Betws-y-Coed. The food was superb and we dined on suckling pig, roast goose, sirloin steak, sea bream and roasted lamb shanks. Then we were treated to fire works and toasted the New Year and each other with a bottle of vintage champagne it was the perfect end to a giddy and very exciting year.
Since I have got back I have been busy with all my admin and paper work and yet the orders keep coming in. I thought it might be a little bit quieter in January but it is looking highly unlikely. So I took action and I have employed someone to do my paperwork just a few days ago which leaves me free to concentrate on growing the business. I have just written my first newsletter which I hope to publish monthly. It showcases all the new Hoolala designs before they go into the shops. If you would like to subscribe then please send your email address to hello@hoolala.co.uk and I would be glad to send you a link. You can also see the first issue here, it previews all the new pieces including a sneak preview on my brand new range called HoolalaDeLuxe®.
November 16, 2006
Vintage Repurposed Frippery
I have been ill since I last posted with a horrid, painful bout of sinusitis and a bit of a chest infection. However whilst I was laungishing in my sick bed I was inspired to make some interesting frippery for a local gallery commission. I have used all sorts of beautiful things that have been hoarded over the years in various tea cups and china bowls in my studio. As a starting point I decided to begin with a little bag of beautiful faux glass pearls that I have been given, they were originally a necklace but the string had broken so I re-threaded them to make the basis of the three necklaces. Then I used some little vintage sterling silver charms which included, an old faceted set of amethyst earrings, a sterling silver Georgian Lover's Eye, a tiny sterling silver flower pendant encrusted with faux pearls and a little tiny deck of playing cards in a sterling silver box.
I also made four half charm bracelets made with red, brown, black and blue vintage, modern and sterling silver beads. They were adorned with all sorts of vintage trinkets and sets of my own handmade charms. I took them over to the gallery yesterday and I was delighted when the director said she would accept all of the things I had submitted plus a few other pieces of frippery. She had also asked if was able to make up some little pictures and display the charms within. I have some really great ideas based on Victorian mouring jewellery. As soon as I have something made up I will post the pictures up here on my blog.
