Upcycled Display Case

Totally inspired by this blog post from Honey Girl Studio I've been after a hard-sided suitcase for a little while. Luckily we're very well-provisioned with charity shops in my town, and one even has a specialised vintage section, which is where I found this:

Isn't she a beaut? The clips work perfectly and it even had two original keys with it. I decided to use wooden pegs covered with the washi tape I've used on the rest of my display to make it tie in, and when I tried those against the lining I found they matched very well, so hurrah - no need to alter the interior! 

This was my first rough layout, using a board I'd used for display previously for size as I knew they were still stocked in my local Wilkinson (and for just £2!). I decided on two rows of pegs for necklaces on the left, and pegs for cards with earrings on under the board. I'd at this point not decided what would go on the cork board (impulsive, moi??)! So the next stage was using blu-tak to mock up the layout and check distances etc.

This was a very useful stage as it helped me to realise I'd need to stagger the pegs for necklaces to allow the upper row space to hang properly. The pegs were then glued down (I used acrylic glue and it seems to be holding well so far, touch wood!) and a new cork board painted and trimmed with lace & more washi tape. For the pendants I made swing tags to hang over the pegs to clearly display the price & any other details from the same Kraft card tags I used for the earrings plus some blue & white twine I had.

The cork board I had a little more trouble attaching due to the slight curve of the outside of the case, so in the end I used Command Strip(TM) picture strips and they were brilliant. Then it was just a case of working out what was to go where!

This Saturday will be the case's first official outing, at De Bradelei Mill in Belper, and I'm very looking forward to seeing how it all works together! I'll be sure to post some 'in use' pictures when it's all set up.

Welcome 2015!

So it's the New Year, and we're already racing through it! This year I'm hoping to focus on growing the online side of my business. Alongside my own website selected items are now available through Folksy, and I'm also starting to get the hang of Instagram!

In terms of new products, I'm focussing at the moment on The Big Three for Spring: Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and Weddings. My new line for Mother's Day is my first made from silver art clay. I really enjoyed experimenting with this, and I'm super thrilled with the pendant that I made. It is embossed with lace and aged to bring out the pattern. I love wearing mine, which has my children's initials on it.

My 'Message in a Bottle' range is perfect for Valentine's Day. They're totally unique and I'm taking bespoke orders for that super personal gift. I've used resin to set the items and message and they're available just as they are, to use as a keepsake, with a coordinating chain, or with a large clasp to use as a keyring or bag clip. These three are ready to post. One has a paper white rose in shimmer resin with a Victor Hugo quote: 'Life is the flower for which love is the honey'. The middle bottle has sand and blue tinted resin, with the words: 'You're the only fish (a picture) in the sea for me'. Finally with gold glitter & pearl hearts is a metal script 'Love'.

I'm hoping to attend a few wedding events this year, so I've been developing my range of suitable items. These wine glass charms are perfect for the top table as they double up as place settings and favours too. Each one is handwritten so can be done with any lettering.

I've also been experimenting with polymer clay as I think it's so perfect for wedding jewellery because of the amazing array of colours. I already use it in my Rose Collection, and now I'm developing these initial pendants which I think would make amazing keepsake jewellery for bridesmaids, what do you think?

I'm so bubbling with ideas for this year, its so exciting! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and all of my best wishes for 2015.

Christmas is coming...

With seven (SEVEN!?!) events in November, its definitely gearing up for Christmas! Popular so far have been these wine glass charms, an evolution from my butterfly jewellery.

Each charm is totally individual. I tend to use the shapes & patterns from nature but change the colourway, often making it more vivid - after all, once your glass has been refilled a few times you still want to recognise which one is yours, without having to squint!

I've even managed to source some good quality gift boxes for them too, meaning less faffing with cellotape in the run up to the Big Day. This weekend I've been working on a commission of a set of charms using British birds, a bit of a challenge but I'm thrilled with how they've turned out, and I'll be quite sad to see them go! 

With three young children, I'm also chock a block with Christmas prep for the family. Last year I did nearly all of my Christmas shopping from artists & crafters and it was so much fun I'll be doing the same again this year. Just this week I got a fab parcel of goodies from the wonderful Seana Doherty art. Obviously I can't share the contents with you yet, but her page is definitely worth a look - just look at these lovely hearts!

Seana Doherty Art

My order books for pre-Christmas delivery will be closing on 30th November, but I will be posting in stock items from my website up until 15th December. I'll update on my Facebook page if I have to change these dates. 

Textiles Collection

Let's start with a confession. I HATED textiles at school. I just didn't get it. It was very dry, lots of pattern cutting, no creativity. I get that it's best to learn the basics of something before you go advanced, but honestly, I don't work that way. My working tends to be more like this:

1. Buy lots of craft stuff
2. Throw out instructions / rule book
3. Attempt craft
4. Swear
5. Attempt crafting again
6. Throw it at the cat
7. Cup of tea and a cake
8. Pick up instructions, read around stain from discarded tea bag
9. Realise the 36 mistakes I was making
10. Take a deep breath & try again....

So really, maybe its more a fault of my brain than my textiles teacher, but still! These days I love textiles, and have started to incorporate them into my work. I did a needle felting course a while ago at The Bead Shop, Nottingham, which was lots of fun, allowing me lots of creative freedom while providing lots of information & inspiration. Lately I've taken to experimenting with incorporating needlefelt into jewellery and I've come up with these pendants:

I also did a course in Freehand Machine Embroidery with the amazingly talented Emily Smalley, who is based at Long Eaton Art Rooms. This is a fantastic technique, and very addictive, but I've not really had chance to explore it thoroughly as yet. 

It did get me thinking of different hoop art designs though, I think this is my favourite so far:

I also got a commission for some 'toy tidy' bags in a similar style, which I'm pretty pleased with. Apologies for the poor photo though!

I've had loads of fun developing this textiles range, I hope you like them! I've also started some Christmassy textiles too, with glitter & jingle bells! Any orders or commission requests please drop me an email: laura@eriminidesigns.co.uk 

Wedding Collections

Although the wedding jewellery I make tends to be bespoke, it generally fits into three ranges so I thought I'd take some time to introduce them all.

Pearl & Lace, the classic combination for a vintage, elegant look. I use Swarovski crystal pearls for a touch of quality and they also allow me a high degree of creative freedom because they come in such a variety of colours.

English Garden contains, amongst others, my Rose and Butterfly Collections. These nature inspired designs add a pop of colour to a wedding and are all available in any colour you can imagine, making them perfect to match in with your scheme. 

If you like a bit more of a sparkle, or maybe you're planning a Hollywood glamour or 1920's inspired wedding, then maybe the Crystal Shine range would be more your thing. Using the finest Swarovski crystals and genuine gemstones I have created eye catching designs, traditional in nature but with a modern edge.

If you are planning your wedding and looking for jewellery that is truly unique, without the designer price tag, then please contact me to have a chat about your requirements.

Love is like a butterfly...

Recently I've been working on jewellery made from these little hand drawn butterflies. I use markers on shrink plastic and I just love their uniqueness. Generally I use shapes and patterns from nature, but experiment with colours and shading so that each one is different.

These are made into pendants, charm bracelets, earrings and even stretchy children's bracelets so that my little magpies could have one each! What I particularly like is that they are very light pieces, making them perfect for those who don't like chunky jewellery but still want a piece that makes an impact. Even better they can be made in absolutely any colour combination.

I'd love to know what you think!

Craft Fair Display Revamp

I've been tweaking my craft fair display recently. In the main I've used metal shelf raisers from Ikea and pinboards from Wilkinson that have been spray painted.

To tie everything together and add a splash of my beloved teal to an otherwise monochrome scheme I managed to find a twin pack of washi tape (again from Wilkinsons - bargain!), which together with a little lace create the large display boards.

These are then placed on display easels (I found The Works to be cheapest), which can be bolted down with g-clamps for outdoor events.

The new pendants on chain caused me a little head scratching before I remembered this box. I think it originally housed a toiletries gift set but has been holding tealights in a cupboard forever! I think it works pretty well as I've been able to use the clasp to attach them at the back and a simple tent card slots in nicely to label them.

Overall I'm pretty happy with the effect, and for very little outlay too!

Poor Neglected Blog! New Products and Upcoming Events

Poor poor blog, how I have neglected you! Lots have happened since my last post. I am now stocked in a real bricks and mortar shop! Ragdoll Embroidery & Gifts in Arnold have a lovely range of handcrafted gorgeousness and are having lots of fab crafty events too, including an upcoming Pattern Swap for charity, check it out!

My new jewellery range is the Rose Collection. These handcrafted polymer clay roses are available in all the colours of the rainbow and can be ordered as pendants (£16.50), hair grips (£6.50), cufflinks (£10), stud earrings (£6.50) or a brooch (£15). Until Saturday there's also a giveaway on this range to enter via my Facebook page.

This week I'm building up to the Furthest From the Sea festival in Derby. I'm taking part in the craft fair around the Guildhall area, but there's also comedy, music, street performances and craft workshops taking place all over Derby Cathedral Quarter.

Christmassy Makes!

As I have so many markets coming up as we head towards Christmas I thought I'd have a go at some fun 'stocking fillers'. These earrings are pure Christmas, and just £2 a pair (or £4 if you prefer sterling silver hooks), making them perfect for the office Christmas lunch!

And I just love these charm bracelets, available in child or adult size, with green or red ribbon and your choice of charms. Again, perfect price for a stocking filler, just £4.50.

These are the events I'm at in the build-up to the festive period, hope to see some of you there!

OCTOBER

Saturday 26th - Derby Arts & Crafts Fayre, Market Hall, Tenant Street, Derby DE1 2DB 10am-4pm https://www.facebook.com/derbyartsandcraftsfayre 

Thursday 31st - SpiritualEyes investigation at Gresley Old Hall, Swadlincote https://www.facebook.com/events/549063768465578/ 

NOVEMBER

Saturday 9th - Mind, Body & Spirit Event at Derby Spiritualist Church, Charnwood Street, Derby DE1 2GU 10am-4pm https://www.facebook.com/events/525126530901824/ 

Tuesday 26th - SpiritualEyes investigation at Tutbury Castle, Tutbury https://www.facebook.com/events/1383526548527066/ 

Thursday 28th - Treetops Hospice Christmas Shopping Event, Derby Road, Risley, Derbyshire, DE72 3SS 7pm-9.30pm https://www.facebook.com/events/192282284278271/ 

Saturday 30th - Derby Arts & Crafts Fayre, Market Hall, Tenant Street, Derby DE1 2DB 10am-4pm https://www.facebook.com/derbyartsandcraftsfayre 

DECEMBER

Saturday 7th - Christmas Craft & Gift Fair at St Peter's Church, St Peter's Street, Derby DE1 1SN 10.30am-3pm

New Gift Designs and Upcoming Craft Fayres

I've been working on beaded gifts recently, ready for *whispers* Christmas. I'm doing bag charms and bookmarks this year and I've had pretty good feedback on the ones I've done so far. I've stuck with using gemstones to give the pieces a quality finish, and the uniqueness that is so important to me.

I've also booked a few events to get me back to craft fairs after the birth of my little boy in July. The dates are as follows:

Saturday 26th October - Derby Arts & Crafts Fayre, Derby Market Hall 10am-4pm https://www.facebook.com/derbyartsandcraftsfayre 

Saturday 9th November - Mind, Body & Spirit Event ay Derby Spiritualist Church, Charnwood Street 10am-4pm

Saturday 30th November - Derby Arts & Crafts Fayre, Derby Market Hall 10am-4pm https://www.facebook.com/derbyartsandcraftsfayre 

Saturday 7th December - Christmas Craft & Gift Fair at St Peter's Church, Derby 10.30am-3pm

Hopefully I may see you there!

Remember remember....

One of the trickiest things I found about early days with a newborn baby was keeping track of which side I needed to feed from next. If its not something you have dealt with I can assure you - if you skip one side accidentally it hurts. A lot. Think boulder-boob. Not good!

So when I started thinking about designs to make breastfeeding reminder bracelets were pretty high on my agenda. It had to be something that was very easy to switch from one side to the other, as well as being smooth so baby's head could rest on that part of the arm if necessary.

So far I've come up with two different designs. The first is 'Elephants Never Forget'. I absolutely love this charm, its so adorable!

The second is 'My Heart' with a smaller, more delicate charm.

Both designs are currently available in fluorite and moonstone. Moonstone is reputed to be especially good for breastfeeding as it balances hormonal cycles. Fluorite is meant to be very good for healing as it helps with cell regeneration, perfect for post-birth recuperation.

Check out these and my other designs at www.etsy.com/shop/eriminidesigns

Laura x 

And here I am!

Hello! I had been blogging in a different corner of the internet (www.mummymuddle.blogspot.co.uk) for a while, but since starting the business in February I've not really had time to devote to it. So I'm starting here afresh, focussing mainly on my jewellery but I'm sure the family stuff will creep in!

So, a bit about me. I'm a work at home Mum of two beautiful girls who are 4 1/2 and 20 months and we're expecting a new baby in August. I opened Erimini Designs in February of this year, originally to sell psychic protection jewellery at events run by Spiritual Eyes (www.spiritualeyes.co.uk) but I found I was enjoying it so much that I started to branch out and sell online. 

I work mainly with gemstones and crystals and I try to stick to natural materials as I feel they give the pieces a more individual feel. All of my designs are never remade so they are truly one-off items.

Its a very steep learning curve as I've never been self-employed before, but I'm very much enjoying the journey. What's nice is I'm finding the pieces that get the most interest are the ones that I like most, so at least I have that sorted!