Made With Love by Kat

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...

Flowers, chocolates, diamonds... They'd all be appreciated, but for a really special Valentine's Day gift why not look a little off the beaten track? To start with the more traditional gifts, there are plenty of finds on Folksy incorporating hearts. This cute felt brooch is an inexpensive gift, perfect if you are in the early stages of your relationship and want to show your affection without going over the top. In fact, at just £3, why wait until Valentine's Day? You can buy it here . For a more serious gift, jewellery is always the best option. This silver heart necklace by Ali Bali Jewellery is contemporary and stylish: Or for a more vintage style, this resin heart incorporating an original print of tree branches and a vintage button is the perfect gift. You can buy it here . Of course, my jewellery also incorporates real vintage bits and bobs. I suggest this Fly Away With Me necklace , which is made from pink freshwater pearls, a brass swallow from New York, a gorgeous...

Haven't blogged for ages - mostly because I've become a bit disheartened with the whole hand-made "community" - yes that's right, I'm still waiting for my refund from My Vintage Charms. However- I sold three necklaces over the weekend, which is always bound to boost a girl's ego, so I have listed a few more items on Folksy: Buy it here Buy it here Buy it here I am also compiling my favourite Valentine's picks (hopefully the boyfriend is an avid reader of this and will come looking for hints!) which I will post up over the next few days. Finding stuff for the girls is easy, but what about the boys? Does anyone have any suggestions?

Ok , ok , so I told myself I wouldn't go all out making things for Valentine's Day. But I'm a soppy old thing, and so I wasn't surprised when I found myself sitting making this Cinderella necklace: Not only do the stones look romantic, they all have symbolic meanings. Rose quartz is universally acknowledged to be the stone of love, but a lesser known fact is that Roman ladies believed that amethyst would keep their husbands' love faithful. And in Eastern cultures pink pearls are believed to work well with the heart Chakra. You can buy the necklace from my Folksy shop. I also love the little swallows I've used. After my last post I was worried about the idea of birds and bad luck, so I looked up swallows in my Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. It turns out that having a family of swallows living in the eaves of your house is considered good luck - so i don't see why having a couple living in your jewellery box shouldn't be lucky too! Good news fo...

I made my first two sales today! The "Sparkle" and "Autumn" necklaces have both gone - one as a Christmas gift for some lucky, lucky person. Most of the other stuff from the current collection will be going over to Liverpool on Thursday, but I will be starting work on more items this week. There will be a romantic theme - the perfect way to show someone you love them this Christmas, non? Today I am wearing...