Made With Love by Kat

Easter time is drawing ever-nearer and I'm feeling extra generous. I've been making a gorgeous new newsletter, and to launch it, I'm offering people who sign up the chance to win this necklace: It's made from a vintage scarf clip teamed with a cute pink Swarovski crystal and an amazing slab of faceted lemon quartz. All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is to sign up to the newsletter by clicking this link: Sign up for the newsletter For Email Newsletters you can trust Everyone who receives the newsletter will also get a 10% discount and free P&P throughout April, even if they don't win the draw. This is with a new mailing company, so even if you signed up for my old newsletter you need to resubscribe in order to get the discount and be in with a chance of winning!

Earrings make the perfect stocking filler for Christmas. A well thought out pair of earrings will show how much you care, and earrings can be worn with almost any outfit, whether it's a casual vest top and pair of jeans or a knock-em-dead little black dress. I've been giving earrings a lot of thought recently. I've got lots of little vintage finds which will make fabulous new pairs that I intend to do lots of work with this weekend. But for now, here are the most recent dangly additions to my shop . A New Leaf reworked vintage earrings This Side of Paradise reworked vintage earrings Forest reworked vintage earrings Nights at the Circus reworked vintage earrings I Saw Two Ships Go Sailing By reworked vintage earrings Nightshade reworked vintage earrings And bad news for anyone who had their eye on the reworked vintage bracelet and necklace (see my last post) - they both sold about an hour after I listed them. proof, then, that if you have your eye on something you should sn...

Happily no arsenic in these little beauties. A while ago I got some vintage lace in a destash swap. I was at a bit of a loss as to what to do with it until a couple of days ago when just messing around a lightbulb pinged on - here are the results! Of Love and Shadows bracelet: The First Dance necklace

The Fairytale Boat Follies! My Tinsel Workshop! 2 Originally uploaded by Lisa Kettell This is one of my absolute favourite Flickr finds,and the picture that's really inspiring the jewellery I'm making at the moment, which I'm calling the "Vintage Follies" collection.

...and I haven't made anywhere near enough stock! The Royal exchange have requested more earrings, and I know the Wench and Trinkets needs more too, but I've been busy trying to get my Folksy shop back up to reasonable levels. Phew! I have managed to get some new pieces in my shop, and make sure you keep checking as I have more to list as soon as I get a minute - but with items selling sometimes just hours after they're listed you'd better be quick if there's something you've got your eye on! Here's a quick peek at three of the new necklaces... The Paradise Garden reworked vintage necklace A Garland of Dewdrops reworked vintage necklace Antoinette reworked vintage necklace

I've been hard at work for the last few days making things to go off to the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester as part of their Fairytale Christmas sale in their craft shop. I've gone a little bit out on a limb as I've been using some fabulous but not-at-all-cheap stones, along with some really beautiful handpicked pieces of vintage jewellery to rework. I've also wired everything together using 14 carat goldfill wire - much nicer than gold plated which I hate and never use. When I saw my bill when I'd finished filling my trolley on the semi precious beads website I nearly had a heart attack - I hope you all think it's worth it! As ever these are all one of a kind designs, and won't be available in my Folksy shop unless someone specially requests them before Monday. If there is a piece here you've fallen in love with and you want me to set up a listing for you email me at made_with_love@rocketmail.com Speaking of Christmas, I will also be at the Christm...

I've just done a lovely interview for UK Handmade's blog - you can read it here . I am also going to write a tutorial for the Christmas issue of their magazine. Initially I was going to do a step by step on reworking a brooch into something new, but as it's Christmas I'm thinking maybe I'll do a "how to" on making Christmas decorations out of vintage stuff instead - what do people think? What would you prefer? Or should I do something else altogether?

Yes, after lots of blood, sweat and the occasional tears I have finally officially launched my website - www.madewithlovebykat.com To celebrate, everyone who buys an item from made With Love in october will be entered into a draw to win a goody bag worth £50! Woohoo! It's also been a good few months in terms of press coverage - things seem to finally be really taking off. Below are just a few of the lovely articles I've been featured in recently. Manchester Evening News Make Jewellery magazine Lancashire Life

Lots of lovely press coverage in the last few weeks in Make Jewellery, the Manchester Evening News and Large Manchester. I've pasted a copy of the Large Manchester feature below - the others will follow when I've worked out how to get electronic copies of them. Unfortunately Large Manchester printed my website address as madewithlovebykat.co.uk, not madewithlovebykat.com but hopefully people will have the sense to Google me if they like what they read. The days are ticking down to the official website launch - hopefully it will all be finished by Saturday. Keep your eyes peeled for a special celebratory competition!

I can't believe I haven't blogged for a month! Slack of me I know but I've just been sooooooo busy! On Friday Made With Love was featured in the Greenlife section of the Manchester Evening News - you can read the article here . I've also been busy, busy, busy creating pieces for the Royal Exchange's Fairytale Christmas sale. They're absolutely lovely items - I'm not sure I can bear to part with them to be honest. And my jewellery is also going to be part of the Christmas market at The Met in Bury - phew! There's only 93 sleeps until Santa, so you'd best start thinking about your Christmas shopping - I already know what I'm getting my boyfriend (I'm not posting it here though in case he sees!), it's just everyone else I'm stuck on. Christmas has been on my mind because believe it or not we're already starting work on Christmas features for the newspaper. Ace for me, because I get really excited, but I think it might be starting t...

For those of you who I haven't crowed at about this yet, I am in this month's issue of Lancashire Life. The photo of me is a bit unfortunate though, as what was actually sunburn instead looks like I've got huge bags under my eyes. I much prefer this snap, from Camp Bestival last month. Yes, I am dressed as the Cheshire Cat, if the Cheshire Cat had to wear a cagoule and wellies... Anyhow, if you want to browse the new items I've listed to keep stock levels up (things have been flying out of the door thanks to Lancs Life), you can of course visit my shop here .

Folksy have a lovely new member of staff called Anne who has been working really hard to curate their front pages. She has been working to a theme every week or two and they are looking absolutely fantastic. So imagine my excitement when I looked today to find that my La Dolce Vita necklace had been featured! It's such an honour - all the featured items are so beautiful and I'm so proud that my jewellery has been chosen. You can see what the front page looks like below. And if you want to snap the necklace up (it's one of a kind, so once it's gone it's gone!) you can buy it here

I'm currently working on a "proper" collection. It will be around 12 pieces created along the theme of the ballet (something that is a constant fascination to me), particularly the Sugar Plum fairy. In fact, the collection is going to be called Sugar Plum. It will be available in about a week though my new website and my Folksy shop . In the meantime, just to whet your appetite, here are some pictures that I have been using as inspiration...