It's Raining Cats & Dogs (Walking Sticks Rendition!)

Welcoming in 2017 with a blog post about cat and dog walking sticks. I saw a post on Twitter stating that 95% of pet owners buy their pet a present - I know I do and he sends them to the other cats in our close! So how about a few walking sticks that are stylish and pet themed. I found all these sticks on Amazon and the stick and cane web shop. The majority are made by Classic Canes and have Derby handles which are easy to grip. The carved head sticks are more ornamental, I know I would have difficulty gripping it due to neuropathic pain in my hands, but they are pretty to look at! The prices range from £22-£54 which seems to be the average price for these type of walking sticks. I have put the links  to all the walking sticks below.

Cats

http://www.stickandcaneshop.co.uk/Mobile/handbag-sized-folding-walking-stick-cats-c2x17437852

http://www.stickandcaneshop.co.uk/Mobile/chestnut-hiking-stave-cat-c2x21281948

http://www.stickandcaneshop.co.uk/Mobile/beech-derby-walking-cane-with-engraved-cat-motif-c2x21132781

http://m.ebay.com/itm/370485764652?_mwBanner=1

https://www.brollied.com/blooming-brollies-silhouette-black-handle-stick-umbrella-cat.html?utm_source=google_shopping&gclid=COq1nrSyldECFe0y0wodF1AGYg

Dogs

http://www.stickandcaneshop.co.uk/Mobile/handbag-sized-folding-walking-stick-dogs-c2x17438015

http://www.stickandcaneshop.co.uk/Mobile/west-highland-terrier-collectors-cane-c2x10467666

http://www.stickandcaneshop.co.uk/Mobile/border-collie-dog-collectors-cane-c2x10467757

http://www.stickandcaneshop.co.uk/Mobile/pointer-dog-headed-walking-stick-c2x15560476


http://www.stickandcaneshop.co.uk/Mobile/red-setter-collectors-cane-c2x10467565

Sent from my iPod

Harry Potter Silver Plated Slider Charms: Review & #WIN

The Harry Potter Tour London has a huge amount of jewellery focusing on price points that range from reasonable (£4.95 for a slider charm) whilst the cheapest sterling silver slider charm - Hogwarts letter is a lot more detailed but expensive at £46.95. The silver plated slider charm range is the most affordable (there is also a Fantastic Beasts available range now as well). Made by Carat London some charms, slider bracelets, slider necklaces and HP jewellery are available on their website whilst some others are HP exclusives and only available instore. The Hogwarts in the Snow slider charm and charm necklace (£4.95 and £8.95) are the only charms available on the HP Tour online shop and are also instore. Some of  the charms and bracelets are also available at the platform9/34 webshop which is linked to the Kings Cross Harry Potter shop. The HP Tour webshop focuses on the higher end sterling silver slider charms (£50 and over) which are 3D and ofcourse are much more detailed than the £4.95 range.  The Carat shop also does starter packs that are slightly cheaper with 4 charms in them (£15.95), several spell divider charms (£8) or a bracelet with 4 charms for £19.95.

                                                           

The silver plated slider charms are flat and fit most slider charm bracelets and necklaces. The enamel detailing is quite detailed and the charms themselves are well made. The bracelet comes in three sizes  s (18cm), m (19cm), l (20cm) (£5.95) and is available in silver plate or a black cord. The necklace is 44 cm, costs £8.95 and is silver plated. They all have a branded clasp. The fantastic beasts range has a brownish corded bracelet which ties in with the colour scheme for that range.

I bought the ones pictured for my mum for Christmas. She can add to her collection everytime she goes to the Tour as they are one of the most reasonably priced items in the HP shop. She has arthritis in her hands and whilst she didn't find it hard to slid the charms onto the bracelet she did find it difficult to fasten. 

Competition

To win a silver plated slider charm bracelet or necklace of your choice plus three charms please follow my blog using either bloglovin or the email option or for 2 entries use both, and comment done in the comments. The competition closes on 22nd January 2016 at 11.59pm. 

I purchased these items myself and they are available here:
https://www.harrypotterplatform934.com/products/black-leather-charm-bracelet
https://www.harrypotterplatform934.com
http://www.thecaratshop.co.uk/harrypotter.html
https://shop.wbstudiotour.co.uk/

Hair Jewellery

 

Hair jewellery aka sparkly/ silver/ gold hair clips and bobbles are a cheap and cheerful way of tying your hair back or just keeping it under control and taking your hair a Sep away from scrunchies/ hair elastics. The two I got from Orelia via ASOS were £5 each and the other 3 clips were £1 including postage from EBay. The right hair clip/tie can make your outfit looked pulled together and smart. If you want sparkly hair pieces Accessorize and Claire's Accesorises do some cheap and cheerful paste head bands and clips. Cherry Chau, used to be stocked in Selfridges, makes more expensive hair jewellery which can still be found on eBay and pre loved. Hair jewellery can be fun, cheap and cheerful. 

Tanzanite Chip Bracelet: A Review

I purchased my tanzanite chip bracelet from the Etsy seller Chalso. The bracelet cost £14 plus £2 p&p within the UK.

The bracelet is strung on elastic and will fit up to a 6.5" wrist comfortably. If you put in s request she will make the size of the bracelet to the size you require. The bracelet is strung with tanzanite chips which vary in size from 3-8mm and in depth of blueness. There is one little sterling silver bead which looks cute inbetween the blue stones. The bracelet comes in a little white bag.
                                                   
                                                   

The customer service is good. I got my bracelet within a few days of ordering it and I got a discount as my wrist is much smaller than 6.5" so fewer stones were needed. I think chip bracelets are a great way to be introduced to a stone in order to decide if you actually like the colour of it etc, as they are relatively cheap. 

Tanzanite is a December birthstone so would be great as a birthday gift or a stocking filler for anyone who like deep blue stones in their jewellery.

I purchased my item from here : https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/485488847/tanzanite-bracelet-tanzanite-chip?ref=cat_gallery_2

Whittards Luxury Hot Chocolate Clip Top Tin

 

The Whittards luxury hot chocolate clip top tin is full of delicious hot chocolate and the cute reindeer tin can double up as a jewellery/ trinket holder! It measures 10cm by 9.5 cm and costs £10 from whittards shops or whittards online. It would also be a cute way of gifting someone a present - just squash the chocolate down and put a small present on top! 

The Whittards tin is available here: https://www.whittard.co.uk/m/gifts/shop_by_gift_type/all-gifts/luxury_hot_chocolate_clip_top_tin.htm

Anna Sui LE Adventure Makeup Palette

I recently purchased this Anna Sui limited edition Adventure Makeup Palette (£6 from Amazon UK). It is a magnetised container which is meant to hold little pots of makeup that you buy separately. It is small compact, measuring 10.7 x 2.4 x 7.3 cm and has a great mirror. I have found that it makes a fantastic travel or mini jewellery box. The lid fastens securely,it is compact so fits quite easily in hand luggage or a hand bag and is deep enough to carry rings etc. It also looks great on my bed side table. As it is made of plastic it is quite durable so for £6 including p&p if you have Amazon Prime I think it's a bargain and a great stocking filler for Christmas. 

There is also a gold toned, larger version available for £12.

I purchased this item myself and it is available from:

Allertons.co.uk
Amazon.co.uk

Soft Grip Derby Handle Ossenberg Walking Sticks: A Review

The height adjustable Ossenberg soft grip Derby handle walking stick comes in 19 colours and are either a metallic or a rather more Matt finish. I chose green, blackberry, metallic blackberry and metallic blue. They are adjustable up to 9 times inn length from 75cm to 92 cm. They are £29.95 plus £3.95 postage. Delivery took around 3 weeks. 

I wanted to try these sticks as my hands have been really stiff and I have found it problematic to grip the plasticky Derby handles of my other sticks. I have tiny hands and I found the Derby shaped handle easy to grip. It is quite soft and a bit squishy and doesn't feel cold to the touch as they can do when it is cold. 

I especially liked the colour and texture of the metallic sticks. Even though they look quite dull in the pictures in the sunlight they looked a bit glittery.  They are quite heavy and substantial sticks- I am used to collapsible sticks and I could feel the difference. They weigh 440 grams. 

I liked the overall aesthetic of these sticks, the colours, the gold banding around the top of the walking stick down to the gold adjustable studs, furrule and handle all fitted together showing that whoever had designed them didn't just see them as a functional piece of equipment but something that should look stylish as well as fulfil a function. In the Amazon description they state that "many people see their walking stick as a piece of jewellery and this walking stick fits the bill" .

I really like this range of sticks, there are lots of colours to choose from, it looks stylish and expensive, there are so many colours that they can be matched with the suit etc you are wearing and I felt secure when using it. 

I purchased my sticks from Amazon UK and they are available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00KCZ37UI/ref=sr_ph_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1481660000&sr=1&keywords=green+walking+stick

Tatty Devine X Macmillan Cancer Support #win

Back in September Tatty Devine created some pieces - a badge, earrings and key ring in support of Macmillan Cancer Support. Lke all Tatty Devine jewellery they are made from laser cut acrylic with enamel for the Macmillan logo.  They are available to buy in M&S cafes and food halls. I finally managed to get my hands on the earrings and badge today and they are adorable and well worth a donation. The minimum suggested donation is £3 for the earrings and £3.50 for the badge. 

The range is based on Tatty Devine's A/W16 Contemporary Jewellery Collection which is based on all things handmade. The stud earrings are little purple buttons (hypoallergenic) and the badge is a cut out flower. I think if your local M&S still has them any of these items would make great little stocking fillers or secret Santa gifts and the purchase would go towards supporting a great cause. 

 

I am giving away a pair of the earrings and badge - just subscribe and comment done in the comments. c/d 30/01/2017. Open internationally .

Details can be found on Tatty Devine's blog: https://www.tattydevine.com/blog/2016/09/tatty-devine-x-macmillan-cancer-support/

Save Erlenbek Dotcom - a necklace to help fundraise for his surgery

Erlenbek Dotcom is a beagle puppy who needs life-saving surgery. At first it was thought that he was suffering from the fatal condition Patent Ductus Arteriosus - where a valve in his heart didn't close after birth. The treatment required involves either open heart surgery in order to seal the valve or keyhole surgery and the insertion of a device to fix the valve. Both these are one off surgeries which would allow him to carry on living his happy life. After Dotcom had a scan on his heart on the 9th December, however, his heart condition was found to be even more serious than first thought.  He has Pulmonic Stenosis - there is a blockage in the heart itself whereas before when it was thought he had PDA the valve outside his heart was affected.  This means the surgery will be even more delicate and specialist in nature and cost even more money as he will need referring to another canine cardiology clinic.  The heart scan he has just had cost £500 and unfortunately for Dotcom and his owners both operations cost around £3000 and as its a congenital defect treatment is not covered by his insurance.  His owners are desperately fundraising so Dotcom can undergo treatment and tthey have opened an Etsy shop - erlenbek.etsy.com where they are selling necklaces, a beagle calendar, sleeping beagle Christmas cards which feature Erlenbek Piper Maru and a Christmas card featuring Dotcom when he was only 10 weeks old.  They are also selling some original signed prints and a little accessories bag. 

                     

               

The necklace I bought cost £13.99 plus shipping and is handmade by Cordula Decker who is the proud owner of Erlenbek Elsa Inu. All the proceeds from the necklace are donated to the appeal.  She has made these necklaces as part of the fundraising effort to save Dotcom and there is only one of each so they are unique pieces. The necklaces have nickel - free clasps and  I found mine easy to grip when fastening it.  The wooden beads are hand painted and the other beads are  acrylic.  The necklace is extendable from 37cm to 42cm. They are eyecatching, unusual and delicate necklaces. They are not heavy or bulky to wear, fitting comfortably around the neckline.  The colours available at the moment are lime green, black and violet, brown and teal and black and pink. Other colours are available on request. 

I purchased the necklace myself  and all items are available in the Etsy shop.

The just giving site is: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/dotcom

Twitter: @AvaBeagle

Blog: erlenbek.wordpress.com

Etsy shop: erlenbek.etsy.com
Elsa Inu's twitter: @ElsaInuBeagle

#December #Birthstones: #Tanzanite; #Turquoise & #Zircon

December birthstones are all the blues: tanzanite; turquoise and zircon. Tanzanite is a relatively new gemstone, first found in Tanzania in 1967 (hence the name) and its first distributors were Tiffany & Co. 

Tanzanite is supposed to be able to transpose negative thoughts into positive and help the wearer think for themselves rather than be influenced by others. It helps to realise your dreams and change negative thoughts into constructive ones. Tanzanite is a creative stone and also helps to get rid of lethargy. 

Zircon is the oldest gemstone and its name it taken from the Arabic words zar and gun - gold and colour as originally zircon was used as an alternative to diamond. It does not refer to or mean the artificial stone, cubic zirconia, which is made in a lab. Zircon is mined and looks like a diamond would do both in colour and lustre. They can be heat treated and the brownish variants are often heated to become blue and golden in colour.

In the Middle Ages zircon was though to aid sleep and bring the wearer honour, prosperity and wisdom. Now zircon is supposed to increase self confidence and help the wearer love themself, open their heart and bring compassion. Zircon is a grounding stone meant to inspire, motivate and guide the wearer and help them achieve their goals. Golden zircon is supposed to bring prosperity. 

Turquoise comes from the French for "Turkish stone" as it was thought to originate in Turkey. In ancient times it was believed turquoise would change colour if the wearer was ill or in danger. Traditionally a love charm, it is also a symbol of success and good fortune. It is supposed to relax the mind and protect the wearer from harm. Turquoise, especially turquoise rings, are supposed to keep away evil spirits. Turquoise represents a happy life and good fortune.

Healing Chakra Bracelet: A Review

I bought this bracelet from Etsy UK seller SoulCafeConnect. It cost £4 plus £1.50 p&p. It is a healing chakra bracelet and the stones are: amethyst; sodalite; peridot; citrine; garnet;aquamarine and carnelian. It is a one size fits all bracelet so is slightly to large for my small wrists, but I like it. The stones are smaller chips than my other chakra bracelet so it doesn't get in the way so I can wear it all the time. It brightens up dark winter work wear and can be spun around so different stones are on show so it looks like you a wearing a different bracelet. 

The customer service and delivery were great. I got it within 3 days of ordering and it came in a little organza vag and was packed in a Jiffy bag. Obviously semi precious stones are no replacement for medical treatment and this is stated in her item detail. The bracelet is meant for spiritual support not replace your Doctor's advice. I bought it as I liked the colour combination but if it helps me feel better that's an added bonus.

                                                       

I bought this item myself and it can be found here: 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/279468052/chakra-bracelet-healing-crystal-gemstone?ref=hp_rv

Chakra Bracelet

I purchased my semi precious chakra chip gemstone bracelet for £3.50 plus p&p from CrystalCornwallUK on Etsy.  The chips are sodalite, agate, amethyst, hematite, citrine and green Quartz.  The stones are quite tactile, chunky, eye catching and substantial in size. 

My bracelet came within 3  days of purchase and I love it!

I purchase this item myself and it can be found here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/transaction/1193652060

QVC Dimonique sterling silver 1.5 ct tw graduated ear climbers

I bought these graduated ear climbers from QVC UK and they are sparkly! They cost £26.95 excluding delivery and came via Royal Mail. They were on advanced order so I waited around 2 months and got a dispatch notice last week. They arrived today.

The earrings came in an egg blue Tiffanyesque box so would make a Christmas present that doesn't need wrapping! The earrings themselves are 18mm long, sterling silver, rhodium played and have a stud fastening. The Dimonique stones are graduated in size and the stones working from the largest one to the smallest are lavender, pink, purple and white. 

They are comfortable to wear and fit nicely along my ear. The butterfly has been designed in a way that prevents the earring from slipping off the ear. I did find it more difficult to fasten than the climbers that I have reviewed previously that you just squeeze into position but that it because I find it difficult to grip the butterfly and put it on the post. 

These climbers are great for winter/ Christmas. They are sparkly and eyecatching and would look great with party outfits!

                                               

I purchased these earrings myself and the views expressed in this post are my own. 

The climbers can be bought from QVC and can be found here: http://www.qvcuk.com/Diamonique-1.5ct-tw-Graduated-Earclimbers-Sterling-Silver.product.699583.html?upsh=1

Sticks & Stones: The Midas Touch

                                                                   

Welcome to the Christmas edition of Sticks and Stones. Lots of Christmassy gold and deep wintery velvet materials and colours but without looking gaudy and overdone - a bit like the perfect Christmas turkey! There are several "pure" gold sticks available but the gold leave/ flower ones are just as wintery/Christmassy. Gold also goes with the traditional winters colours: burgundy, green and black so it won't represent a use only at Christmas or special occasion purchase. 

                                                       

 Gold handbags, goth velvet chokers, velvet skirts and long coats look great with gold and can really make you and your outfit stand out from the crowd. There are some really reasonable pieces of clothing available at New Look or you could splash out for something a little more expensive at somewhere like Mint Velvet. Velvet always comes back in style so it will be money well spent. 

All the sticks are available from Amazon.co.uk

British Birds Walking Cane: A Review

The delux British birds walking cane by Charles Buyers is extremely elegant, eye catching and not at all twee. The featured birds are a chaffinch, kingfisher, blue tit and robin and they look extremely realistic, not cartoonish. The same pattern is repeated throughout the shaft. 

 The delux British birds walking cane is a foldable, adjustable stick with a comfortable Derby handle. It has a plastic clip and see through wallet to keep it in when it is not in use. It has a matching wrist strap and ferrule. The stick can be adjusted from 83-93cm and is 31cm when folded. It weighs 375g. I purchased this stick from the Stick and Cane Shop and it was £24.95 not including postage.

I purchased my stick from the Stick and Cane Shop as they offer free alterations and I always need a section of the stick removing as I am only small. The customer service was excellent as usual. I has my stick within 3 days of my order and I am very pleased with it.

The cane is available here: http://www.stickandcaneshop.co.uk/Mobile/MBSCProduct.asp?pdtid=21918757

Constellation Capricorn Ear Crawlers: A Review

I purchased my Capricorn  constellation ear crawlers from Karlasdesign on Etsy UK. They were £7.60 excluding  p&p. I chose the Capricorn version but the other constellations looked equally as nice. The ear crawlers are sterling silver and even though they look delicate they are quite sturdy. They came in a little purple box which I will use as ajewellery travel case. 

I found that it would have been easier to get the earrings in if the posts had been at a little sharper and  when I brushed my hair behind my ears I kept catching the stars which pulled the crawlers out of position. These are only small niggles. They are comfortable to wear and discreet so a nice alternative to wearing studs for work/ college. I only have small ear lobes and the constellations only just fit - I don't think they would look as good if the end was hanging off my ear but for the price I do like them. 

I will be giving a pair of these ear crawlers away as part of my Christmas Giveaway (1-12 Dec) so keep checking back if you want to try and win a pair. 

I purchased these ear crawlers myself and the views expressed in this blog post are my own. 

The crawlers can be found here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/233924299/capricorn-earrings-capricorn-zodiac-sign?ref=cat_gallery_19

Earring Converters: pierced to Clip or Pain in a Clip!

Earring Converters convert pierced to clip earrings and are supposed to be great for those who don't have pierced ears, want to wear heavy earrings but don't want to risk stretching their earlobes or if they just don't want to faff around putting a pierced earring in clips are supposed to be quicker. Now for the downside of clip convertors: they hurt; they are only suitable to use with fish hook wire earrings (and even then they don't always "hang" right and did I mention they are painful to wear! I got a cheap pair from Amazon but you can get gold plate or sterling silver ones if you want to use them with a more expensive pair of earrings.

When browsing YouTube I did come across several tutorials which show you how to convert earrings using the converters to make them permenant clip earrings. Using a pair of pliers you prise open the jump ring holding the earring to the fish wire hook and remove. Take the earring (in this case bambi) part of the earring and the jump ring and put the jump ring through the little loop on the converter, put bambi (or whatever earring you want) on to the jump ring and secure. This technique only takes a few seconds and means you can ensure that your earring hangs correctly and doesn't slip out of the converter. 

Earring converters can be found on Amazon, EBay, and all jewellery finding stores as can the pliers needed if you want to convert your earrings and spare jump rings.

Nothing apart from my earlobes were injured during the making of this blog post!

House of Harlow 1960 Rift Valley Drop Pendant: A Review

I purchased this item from ASOS in their recent sale for £10 (RRP is £28). House of Harlow 1960 is owned by Nicole Richie and the design aesthetic is premised upon stylish Bohemia and th 1970s flower power, hippy vibe. 

The necklace itself is made out of a base metal with a gold tone finish. It has a fine chain with an extender attached and fastens with a lobster clasp. There is a little House of Harlow insignia on the chain. The spike pendant is black and made of resin. It comes on a little swing tag and in an ASOS gift box. 

From the description I have just given the necklace should be a winner, but in the flesh it just looks cheap and generic. The sort of thing that can be found in New Look or Topshop and should cost a lot less than it did. It is very light weight and insubstantial. If I had paid full price for it I would be very unhappy with it. I could get a lot more unusual jewellery for that amount of money. I feel that I am just paying for the name and branding, hence my cats unimpressed little face as that is how I feel when I look at this pendant! 

I purchased this item myself. House of Harlow 1960 is stocked at ASOS.com.
Link:http://m.asos.com/house-of-harlow/house-of-harlow-rift-valley-drop-pendant-necklace/prd/6442401?iid=6442401

The Stick & Cane Shop, Metallic Purple Folding Walking Stick: A Review

This metallic purple folding walking stick was purchased online from the Stick and Cane Shop. They do free stick alterations and were were very helpful when I emailed to ask if it was possible to cut down a collapsible stick as much as I wanted without damaging the collapsing mechanism.  They tried removing a section of a stick to see if this would work and emailed me back to tell me it would be possible to remove a whole section. I ordered it on a Friday and I had it by the Tuesday, so the customer service is great.   

      

The walking stick itself is metallic purple and handbag sized as it collapses into 5 (or in my case 4 ) sections. The stick is light weight (250g) and comes with a clear pouch to store it in.  the length of the stick  is adjustable from 86cm to 94cm and its length when folded is 22cm. Length when folded is 22cm. It comes with a matching wrist strap and black ferrule. The handle is quite comfortable even for my small hands. I would recommend the Stick & Cane Shop, their customer service and selection of sticks and canes is great, delivery is quick and as I always need my stick adjusting I think it's a great service to offer when so many other walking stick sellers don't offer this service. 

I purchased the stick myself and it can be found here: http://www.stickandcaneshop.co.uk/Mobile/MBSCProduct.asp?pdtid=12716228

Artsy Chicas Layla Sterling Fertility Pendant: A Review

I purchased the Layla sterling silver fertility  pregnancy pendant in amazonite, rose quartz and moonstone from artsy Chicas on Etsy for £19.33 not including shipping. The stones are supposed to balance your chakras. All three are calming fertility stones. Rose quartz is supposed to be the stone of love and fertility, promoting peace and serenity.  Moonstone is the feminine stone thought to promote conception and help with anxiety. Amazonite balances feminine and masculine energies, encourages calmess and reduces sadness and like rose quartz has a calming influence. Sterling silver is associated with the moon, drawing out negative energy and replacing it with positive. 

I did not buy it for fertility reasons - my cat is my fur baby and may make an appearance in my blog later next month. I bought it because the combination of stones is so pretty and the briolette stones are quite substantial ranging in 1-2 cm and the colours complete each other so well. It can from the US to the UK in around a week. She did give me the option of choosing other stones but I prefer these. It came in a cardboard box and little bag with a card explaining what the pendant should do. The chain is extra and due to customs charges I chose to buy my own from Amazon. The bale is quite narrow so the chain needs to have a narrow clasp to fit through. 

I have a discount code 20% off  "SPARKLE20" for the whole of the  Artsy Chicas shop: www.artsychicas.etsy.com.

there are  wellness jewelry items  as well as fertility, pregnancy and birthstone jewelryThere is also an 'Artsy Chicas' line of bracelets for men too!

The pendant can be found here:

•  https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/80818039/layla-sterling-fertility-pregnancy?ref=similar_listings_row

November Birthstones: Topaz &Citrine

November's birthstones are topaz and citrine. Both these stones are known for their calming energies and bring good luck and warmth to those who wear them.

Topaz is taken from Topazio - Ancient Greek for St John's island in the red sea.Topaz stones vary from colourless to brownish yellow, the most expensive is Imperial topaz as it is orange with pink undertones.   Topaz is mined in Brazil, Pakistan, US, Russia, Australia and Nigeria.  As Topaz measures at an 8 it is a strong stone but can be prone to chipping.  Topaz is a calming stone thought to calm tempers and cure both nightmares and madness. 

                                                    

Citrine is a variety of the quartz gemstone.  The name is taken from citron meaning fruit.  The colour of the stone ranges from pale yellow to orangish brown.  Citrine is mined in Brazil, Russia, Madagascar Spain and Bolivia.  It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, making it ideal for large chunky jewellery as it is able to withstand chips and everyday wear and tear.  Citrine is known as the healing stone due to its ability to heal, sooth and comfort.  It also attracts wealth and prosperity.

Pet Portrait Pendant

I asked Valerie Harrison, the owner and illustrator of riedesigned if she could do a mini portrait of my friend's dog to be used as a pendant. This is what she came up with. The pendant and portrait (A4 size) are unique as she based the final picture on several photos I sent to her. The whole process took less than a week and would make a great Christmas  or birthday present for a pet owner. 

I purchased these items myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own. Riedesigned can be found at: http://riedesigned.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1

Tourmaline Ear Crawlers: A Review

I purchased these multi stone tourmaline sterling silver ear crawlers for £42.11 (not including postage) from Handmadejewelstore on Etsy.  They each have four different coloured tourmaline stones (4mm, 3.5 mm, 3mm and 2.5mm) and are set in sterling silver. As mentioned in my October birthstone blog, tourmaline is the birthstone for October. 

The Earrings came in a little cloth bag and were packed in a Jiffy bag which had to be signed for. As they are made to order plus they came from India the time it took from order to delivery was around 8 days. Customer service was great. They emailed to tell me when my item was ready to be dispatched.  

The earrings fit along the earlobe. The earring post fits along the back of the ear so there is no need for a butterfly to secure it. You just put the post on and push and squeeze the post until it is secure and in position. The earrings feel very comfortable.  They fit flat along the ear and even when I have been fiddling with my hearing aid I haven't knocked them out of position.  They look very unusual and expensive- I haven't seen any ear crawlers like this in all my years of buying/ admiring/ window shopping jewellery. Handmadejewelstore also made ear crawlers on other stones and other finishes and had some unusual rings at reasonable prices so I know where my Christmas money will be spent!

I purchased the ear crawlers myself and the views expressed here are my own.  

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/295043695/multi-tourmaline-ear-crawlers-sterling?ref=cat_gallery_8

Accessorize Rose Gold Filigree Disc Short Earrings: A Review

These earrings are designed by Zara Simon as part of her Z for Accessorize range.  They are £10 and are made of rose gold plated metal (75%) and glass (25%) with semi precious stone embellishments. This is the first time I have had some Z jewellery which hasn't stated what the embellishments are made out of. The earrings came on a swing tag and as I ordered online also came wrapped in bubble wrap and in the normal branded Accessorize packaging. 

The earrings are very light, elegant and tiny, once they have been put in it is easy to forget you are wearing them as they are so light! They have fish wire hooks so there is no need to struggle with the back of butterfly closures - I have dexterity problems and cannot reach across to hold the earring in my ear whilst I clip in the back of the butterfly to the back of the earring to secure it, so this is much easier. Just slide in and they are ready to go! I really like these earrings. As with all Z for Accessorize jewellery they look more expensive than they actually are and the filigree design makes then stand out and look unusual. 

I bought these earrings myself and they can be found here: http://uk.accessorize.com/view/product/uk_catalog/acc_2,acc_2.4/1815298200

Auren Jewellery: A Review

Auren was established in 2010 by Kate Rodgers, offering luxurious, wearable and original yet  affordable jewellery (prices start from around £37.50 for 18ct vermeil teardrop labradorite rose cut stud earrings at John Lewis). Auren jewellery is both comfortable to wear and timeless - it doesn't bow to fashion trends so will never become outdated.  Jewellery is made from either 18ct or 22ct gold vermeil on silver and the cuts, shapes and settings always enhance the semi precious and precious stones used in the pieces.

I have got the 18ct  gold vermeil Aqua chalcedony rose cut stud earrings and the 18ct vermeil diamond slice ring from the 2015 collection.  The earrings are very light and comfortable to wear. The pastel hue of the stone looks great against dark winter clothes as well as summer lighter colours. They are understated and elegant but the rose cut means that the light glances of the stone showing off the chalcedony perfectly. 

The ring is very light and comfortable to wear due the narrowness of the shank. It may be understated piece but it stands out in its unusualness of design.

I purchased these items myself.

Auren's website: http://aurenjewellery.com/
IG: @aurenjewellery

Auren jewellery can be found at:
John Lewis: https://m.johnlewis.com/b/women/jewellery-watches/view-all-jewellery/auren/_/N-
V& A shop: 5w5jZ1z13oea
5w5jZ1z13oea

Walking Stick with Bell and Cup Holder

Found this for £17.43 with free delivery from Amazon.co.uk. Made from beech wood with a furrule and brass handle, this unisex stick is 90 cm and comes with a bell and cup holder. I imagine it is quite hard to use when it is holding a hot beverage and the chance of spillage is quite high! It's a fun concept but I would be suspicious of buying any stick from a company that described it as "a traditional old farts stick"!

The stick can be found here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B015WH7ZG2/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_3?colid=K9R6ITE0R3SA&coliid=IFARRS9SQ2C2X