Ruby Rouge Jewellery Presents The December Giveaway!

It's competition time! Would you like to win my "Ahoy Matey" necklace? Well if you enter the Ruby Rouge December Giveaway you may well do! It comprises of an 18" gold plated chain, a gold plated ship's wheel charm and pink pearlised glass beads fixed asymmetrically up one side of the chain. The chain is 18" long and the necklace fastens with a toggle clasp above the charm. The chain length can be adjusted if desired.
TO ENTER all you need to do is visit www.rubyrougejewellery.etsy.com find your favourite item and post a reply to this message telling everyone what it is and why you love it. SIMPLE! I will ship internationally so anyone and everyone can enter. Multiple entries can be gained by blogging and/or tweeting about this giveaway on twitter (please provide the link to your post below as evidence) and/or becoming a follower of my blog (please let me know what you have done in a message below). Each extra thing you do will gain you one extra entry! Each thing you do to gain an additional entry needs to be listed in a separate message as I will be using a random number generator to pick a winner. Once the number has been generated I will go down the list of entries until I find the entry that corresponds with it.

PLEASE REMEMBER to leave your name and e-mail address so I can contact you if you win. If I can't contact you another winner will be chosen. A winner will be picked on 1st of January. GOOD LUCK!!! xx

November Giveaway Winner!

Thank you so much to everyone who has entered the Ruby Rouge Jewellery November Giveaway. The winner this month is (drum roll please).........Shannon! CONGRATULATIONS! Your teapot necklace will be on its way to you a.s.a.p! Don't worry if you didn't win, there's always next month! xx

Ruby Rouge Jewellery Presents The November Giveaway!

Hello everyone! So sorry for the delay with this month's competition. I completely lost track of time! Would you like to win this "Who's For A Cup of Tea Necklace"? Well if you enter the Ruby Rouge November Giveaway you may well do! It comprises of an 18" antiqued silver plated chain, a silver plated teapot and teabag charm and a pink pearlised glass bead. The chain length can be adjusted if desired.

TO ENTER all you need to do is visit www.rubyrougejewellery.etsy.com find your favourite item and post a reply to this message telling everyone what it is and why you love it. SIMPLE! I will ship internationally so anyone and everyone can enter. Multiple entries can be gained by blogging and/or tweeting about this giveaway on twitter (please provide the link to your post below as evidence) and/or becoming a follower of my blog/my facebook fan page (please let me know what you have done in a message below). To become a follower on my facebook fan page scroll down this page until you see the facebook fan page box, click on the "Become a Fan" tab and follow the instructions. Each extra thing you do will gain you one extra entry! Each thing you do to gain an additional entry needs to be listed in a separate message as I will be using a random number generator to pick a winner. Once the number has been generated I will go down the list of entries until I find the entry that corresponds with it.

PLEASE REMEMBER to leave your name and e-mail address so I can contact you if you win. If I can't contact you another winner will be chosen.

A winner will be picked on 18th of November. GOOD LUCK!!! xx

Polly's 21st Birthday!

Instead of doing the usual "go to a party dressed like a zombie" thing on Halloween, I attended the most glittering, fabulous and fun 21st party imaginable. It was for my best friend Jess's baby sister Polly who is one of the most amazing people I've ever met. All the women and girls wore the most gorgeous full-length dresses and the men and boys were very smartly dressed in tuxedos. There was a fantasy twist to the party so some had props to go with their outfits. There were two Dr. Who's, a fairy princess, a unicorn, Poison Ivy, vampires and people with elfin/glowing ears! I went as the Goddess of War and had a bow and arrow which was great fun. The party was held in a restaurant that Polly's parents had hired out for the night. When we went in there was a huge cocktail bowl complete with dry ice which was pouring out of the top of it. The restaurant was candle lit and each table had a theme! There was a Cinderella table, a Wizard of Oz table, an Alice in Wonderland table, a Harry Potter table, an Atlantis table, a Never Never Land table and many more I can't remember! Polly's cake was in the shape of a fairytale castle and had the most amazing sculpted dragon on it. We had a very yummy dinner and then listened to the nicest speeches from Polly's dad, Jess and Polly. Jess presented Polly with a book with messages in from all of her friends. The restaurant then turned into a dance floor. There was another room with a piano in it and guests from the party began to play (very well I might add) while everyone gathered round it and sang. We returned to Polly's and crawled into bed at about 3am. All the coaches turned back into pumpkins and all the footmen back into mice but even though it had come to an end we will never forget the magic and splendor of that wonderfully unique evening.

(Photo 1: Me and one of my other best friends Johanna; Photo 2: Jess in black with Polly in white; Photo 3: Me with my bow and arrow!)

The Adventure! With Pictures!!!

Here are some pictures from my holiday for you all to enjoy. The holiday began with a night in London before getting the Eurostar to Paris. We spent four nights in Paris and visited/saw Montmatre, the Moulin Rouge, the Amelie Cafe, Notre Dame, the Shakespeare and Company bookshop, the David Lynch window displays at Galeries Lafayette department store, the Palace of Versailles and the Jardins des Plantes (botanical gardens). After our four days were up we then got the TGV from Paris to Irun where we caught an overnight sleeper train to Lisbon. We then caught a connecting train from Lisbon to Faro. In Faro we met up with some of my boyfriend's family and stayed with them in a gorgeous villa complete with pool in Quintas de Lago for six days. During our time there we visited Albufeira, Silves and a beautiful Portugeuse nature reserve (the name of which escapes me). We ate our body weight in barbequed food, went for evening walks on the beach and celebrated my boyfriend's grandma's birthday. After the six days were up the family returned home and my boyfriend and I went on to Lisbon. Whilst I'd been to Paris and the Algarve before, Lisbon was completely new to me and I really didn't know what to expect, but I have to say I absolutely loved it. We spent four days there and during that time we went to the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum - set in the most beautiful parkland, complete with outdoor beds! - the Lisbon Oceanarium where I saw and fell in love with sea otters, the beautiful Baixa area of the city complete with bright yellow trams and stunning architecture and the Marionette Museum. When our time in Lisbon was at an end, we boarded another overnight sleeper train to Hendaye. We then caught a connecting TGV back up to Paris where we spent a final night (in a hotel with a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower) before getting the eurostar back to London. It was a fantastic adventure and I'll never forget it.

Competition Winner!

Congratulations to lin3arossa who won this month's jewellery giveaway! Your Cinderella necklace will be on its way to you very soon! Sorry to those who entered and didn't win. Don't worry if you didn't though, there'll be another chance to win a piece of jewellery on the 1st November when the next competition begins! xx

Ruby Rouge Jewellery Presents... The October Giveaway!!!

Hello everyone! So sorry for the delay with this month's competition. I have been travelling for a few weeks and have only just returned. I'll put some photos up in the next couple of weeks so you can all see where I've been and what I did on my travels so have a check back if you're interested. My etsy shops have just reopened today and I'll be adding lots of new pieces over the next few days so make sure you keep checking back there too. 

Right. Competition time! Would you like to win this "Pumpkin Coach Necklace"? Well if you enter the Ruby Rouge October Giveaway you may well do! It comprises of an 18" gold plated chain, a vintage style gold plated coach charm and an 8mm wide peach coloured crackle glass bead. The chain length can be adjusted if desired. 

TO ENTER all you need to do is visit www.rubyrougejewellery.etsy.com find your favourite item and post a reply to this message telling everyone what it is and why you love it. SIMPLE! I will ship internationally so anyone and everyone can enter. Multiple entries can be gained by blogging and/or tweeting about this giveaway on twitter (please provide the link to your post below as evidence) and/or becoming a follower of my blog/my facebook fan page (please let me know what you have done in a message below). To become a follower on my facebook fan page scroll down this page until you see the facebook fan page box, click on the "Become a Fan" tab and follow the instructions. Each extra thing you do will gain you one extra entry! Each thing you do to gain an additional entry needs to be listed in a separate message as I will be using a random number generator to pick a winner. Once the number has been generated I will go down the list of entries until I find the entry that corresponds with it.

PLEASE REMEMBER to leave your name and e-mail address so I can contact you if you win. If I can't contact you another winner will be chosen.

A winner will be picked on 22nd October. GOOD LUCK!!! xx

September Giveaway Winner!!

Congratulations to Wendy a.k.a. "A Family of Boys" who was this month's winner! Your Cutie Pie Bow necklace is on its way to you! Don't worry if you missed out this month, there's always next month's giveaway. The October giveaway will begin on the 8th instead of the 1st as I will be taking my first real break from the business this year between 17th September and 8th October. The etsy shop will be closed until I return but keep your eyes peeled because when I do, lots and lots of new goodies will be making their debut into the Ruby Rouge Jewellery store! Yay!
xx

I Got Interviewed!

Once Upon A Time there was a jewellery designer named Sarah. She loved all things colourful and playful and worked hard at making a collection that reflected this. One day a lovely Style Consultant named Sharon got in touch and asked her if she'd be happy to be interviewed for her blog, "My Passport To Style". Sarah was very pleased to be interviewed for such a wonderful blog and she answered all of the questions the lovely lady had. Sharon posted the answers on her blog for all the people in the land to see. People read it and enjoyed it terribly! They commented on it and became followers of Sharon's marvellous blog and everyone lived happily ever after.

THE END

Read the interview, comment on it and follow Sharon's blog here! http://mypassporttostyle.blogspot.com/2009/09/my-passport-to-style-guest-interview.html

Ruby Rouge Jewellery Presents the September Giveaway!!!

Would you like to win this "Cutie Pie Bow Necklace"? Well if you enter the Ruby Rouge September Giveaway you may well do! It comprises of an 18" gold plated chain, a vintage style gold plated bow and a 10mm wide glass pearl. The chain length can be adjusted.

TO ENTER all you need to do is visit www.rubyrougejewellery.etsy.com find your favourite item and post a reply to this message telling everyone what it is and why you love it. SIMPLE! I will ship internationally so anyone and everyone can enter. Multiple entries can be gained by blogging and/or tweeting about this giveaway on twitter (please provide the link to your post below as evidence) and/or becoming a follower of my blog/my facebook fan page (please let me know what you have done in a message below). To become a follower on my facebook fan page scroll down this page until you see the facebook fan page box, click on the "Become a Fan" tab and follow the instructions. Each extra thing you do will gain you one extra entry! This month each thing you do to gain an additional entry needs to be listed in a separate message. I had so many entries last month and it took so much time to write names on paper for the draw that I have decided to use a random number generator this month. Once the number has been generated I will go down the list of entries until I find the entry that corresponds with it.

PLEASE REMEMBER to leave your name and e-mail address so I can contact you if you win. If I can't contact you another winner will be chosen.

A winner will be picked on 12th September. GOOD LUCK!!! xx

Castle Howard Craft Fair

Thanks to everyone who attended the Castle Howard Craft Fair. Even though it was cold I had an absolutely amazing day. The surroundings were lovely and I got to speak to some really nice people. The jewellery went down really well again too.

I just need to work on some new display techniques. It takes me so long to get everything set up at the moment. I desperately need some time saving solutions! Will keep you posted when I find some!

I'll also let you all know about upcoming craft fairs as soon as I get some more booked. I have three booked in Leeds for December but need to book some more before then!

The September jewellery giveaway begins tomorrow. Don't forget to enter!!!

xx

August Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Monica aka Meninhira who won the August giveaway! The ring will be shipped out to you and will be with you soon!

To all those who didn't win thanks for entering and better luck for September's giveaway! :)

AUGUST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Would you like to win this dusky pink floral filigree ring? Well if you enter the Ruby Rouge August Giveaway you may well do! It's adjustable and will fit most fingers.

TO ENTER all you need to do is visit www.rubyrougejewellery.etsy.com find your favourite item and post a reply to this message telling everyone what it is and why you love it. SIMPLE! I will ship internationally so anyone and everyone can enter. Multiple entries can be gained by blogging and/or tweeting about this giveaway on twitter (please provide the link to your post below as evidence) and/or becoming a follower of my blog (please let me know in a message below). Each extra thing you do will gain you one extra entry!

PLEASE REMEMBER to leave your name and e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

A winner will be picked out of a hat on 14th August. GOOD LUCK!!! xx

Hello Sailor

Well this week a load of new jewellery will be going up on my etsy shop. I have been busily slaving away trying to get as much as possible done. I've also been experimenting with new photography techniques and backgrounds and I'm really pleased with what I've managed to achieve. I had to show you this new anchor necklace because I love it, so much so that I may have to make one for myself to wear. If you love it too, you can buy it here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28513120

I got a full size mannequin through today, which I am super excited about because it means I finally have something to photograph my longer necklaces on. I've named her Dolly. I'm slightly worried she may come alive at night and try to kill me. Wow. I've been watching far too much Psychoville.

Ta Ta For Now xx

Waterfront Festival

The Waterfront Festival on the 11th July at Clarence Dock in Leeds was great. Even though it was a bit blustery, the rain stayed away and the sun even came out. There were lots of visitors and the entertainment was great. All my jewellery went down really well and I sold quite a few pieces of my new Alice in Wonderland range, so I was really happy. I would definitely recommend this festival to any crafty folk in the area. Make sure you have lots of sturdy display stands though, otherwise you may lose your stock to the river! Ah the perils of outdoor craft fairs.

Only 13 days until the next jewellery giveaway is announced. I'll remind you all again nearer the time. If anyone wants to join the mailing list to receive news about giveaways, special offers and other highly interesting topics please send an e-mail request to rubyrouge@live.co.uk and I'll add you to it.

Hope everyone has had a lovely weekend. Mine was filled with delightful friends, yummy Croque Monsieur, a trip to Wagamammas and Harry Potter. Hurrah.

xx

July Jewellery Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Lucy who won the July jewellery giveaway. The carousel necklace is on its way to you! Don't worry if you entered but didn't win, another giveaway will begin on 1st August and you'll have a chance to win something purdy then. xx

Seaside!

I went to Filey with my boyfriend last week for a few days and had such a nice relaxing time. The weather was a bit unpredictable but it added to the fun. We did lots of walking and went out for meals and won our body weight in bears at the arcades. I also made friends with a cat, played travel Cluedo and ate yummy baked goods from Sterchi's. It was so great to get away for a while. I think the next few weeks may end up being a bit crazy so it came just at the right time. Here are some pictures of two of my bears and some Filey boats for you to look at. Hope you like them :)

New Facebook Fan Page

Hello lovely followers. Just to let you know, you can now keep up to date with Ruby Rouge Jewellery news by becoming a fan on Facebook. Just scroll down and look for the "Become a Fan on Facebook" box and click on "Become a Fan". Yay! xx
P.s. Only five days left to enter the jewellery giveaway below. Keep those entries coming!

JULY JEWELLERY GIVEAWAY!

Well it's the first of the month - the day on which I give you the chance to win a piece of Ruby Rouge jewellery! This month's prize is this super cute antiqued silver plated carousel necklace with a pink rose clay bead. The chain measures 18" long and the charm 20mm (2cm). If you win but would prefer a different length chain it will be ammended for you. If you're not a flowery person I can also remove the rose bead :)

TO ENTER all you need to do is visit www.rubyrougejewellery.etsy.com find your favourite item and post a reply to this message telling everyone what it is and why you love it. SIMPLE! I will ship internationally so anyone and everyone can enter. Multiple entries can be gained by blogging and/or tweeting about this giveaway on twitter (please provide the link to your post below as evidence) and/or becoming a follower of my blog (please let me know in a message below). Each extra thing you do will gain you one extra entry!

A winner will be chosen on 14th July. GOOD LUCK!!! xx

Dragon Boat Festival

I had a really nice day at the Dragon Boat Festival. There was great music and entertainment and great food. I had a malteaser milkshake which was super yummy. I also got to see some old friends and met some really lovely people who also had craft stalls. The weather stayed dry and warm and nothing on my stand blew away, so all in all it was a success! Bring on next year's festival! xx

P.s. Jewellery giveaway in T-2 days!!!

All Hands on Deck

I have booked a stall at a Dragon Boat Festival at Clarence Dock in Leeds this Saturday (27th June, see http://www.brewerywharf.net/events/first-event for more details) and am very nervous as I have never done a fair as big as this before. A few hundred customers I can cope with, a few thousand I'm not so sure! I've been madly making jewellery in an effort to get as much done as I possibly can. I'm convinced I'm going to sell out of everything (even though deep down I know this is VERY unlikely). It's all going to be very exciting. I just hope the weather doesn't fail me. I'm even more excited because my new and improved Alice in Wonderland range is going to be unveiled. I know I said this would be here at Christmas but it has taken a while to get it right. I apologise profusely for the delay.

In other news:
- There aren't going to be any indoor markets at The Loft until September. Sad face :( This means I'm going to have to resort to going to a load of outdoor fairs and possibly getting all my jewels rained on/blown away. Fun! But on the plus side it will mean that I get to go to lots of exciting new fairs and meet lots of lovely new people.
- I'm about to send a jewellery package out to The Projeto Gallery in Silsden in Keighly (http://www.projetogallery.com), so my pieces should be available to purchase from there in the next week or so.
- I'll also be doing the Waterfront festival on July 11th. If you want to have an amazing day, get yourself down there and join in with all the fun things that will no doubt be going on.
- I've been asked to do a temporary exhibition at Armley Mills Industrial Museum. Excitement! This exhibition aims to show the public how objects that have been made primarily for a practical purpose are often designed in a way that reflects prevailing art movements popular either at the time of or preceding their creation. It should be finished by the end of July so if you're in the area, pop in and take a peek :)

Phew. I'm finished now...promise. xx

Competition Winner!

Congratulations to pink leopard print aka Rachel from New Jersey who won my June giveaway! To all who didn't win, these competitions are going to be a monthly occurrence, so keep trying. Next month's giveaway will be announced on 1st Juy. xx

JUNE GIVEAWAY!

I have been slightly delayed with this giveaway because life has been very hectic and I had to go down to London unexpectedly, but better late than never! The prize up for grabs is this brand new elegant pair of glass pearl earrings on bronze plated kidney earwires. They're so new they're not even for sale in my shop yet! To enter, all you need to do is visit www.rubyrougejewellery.etsy.com find your favourite item and post a reply to this message telling everyone what it is and why you love it. SIMPLE! I will ship internationally so anyone and everyone can enter. A winner will be chosen on 14th June. GOOD LUCK!!! xx

P.S. Multiple entries can be gained by blogging and/or tweeting about this giveaway on twitter (please provide the link to your post below as evidence) and/or becoming a follower of my blog (please let me know in a message below). Each extra thing you do will gain you one extra entry!

Poor Chic

So my egg hatched but the chic was deformed and it couldn't open its eyes and it was so weak. After a day of waiting to see if it would recover, it got even weaker and I had to have it put down. It was really sad. But at least it's not suffering anymore.

The Most Exciting Thing Ever

So our wonderful chicken Muriel had eight little baby chics yesterday! Very exciting! Pictures to follow shortly. But that isn't the most exciting news! Four didn't hatch so we brought them inside and left them on the windowsill while we sorted the others out. I completely forgot about disposing them, but I am so so glad I didn't because about an hour ago I heard a noise coming from one of the eggs! One of the chicks is still alive! YAAAAY! I tried to put the eggs back under the chicken but she rejected them and is just focused on looking after the chicks she has. So, I now have the chirping egg (along with the other three just in case there's something in them) in a cardboard box with sawdust in it and a light positioned over it to try and keep them warm. Fingers crossed for the next 24 hours! I'll keep you posted on any developments! If anyone has any chicken hatching related advice please tell me! This is the first time I've ever had to do this! xx

New Shops and Giveaways

Ruby Rouge jewellery is now available to buy in Great British Pounds at http://www.rubyrouge.folksy.com! "About time" I hear you cry! Yes it has been long overdue. So far there are only nine items listed on the site but I'll be building up the stock on there over the next few weeks. If you are from the UK and would like to purchase either something you've seen at craft fairs or on my shops at etsy.com through the new site feel free to contact me and I'll set up a listing. If you live in Cheshire, my jewellery is available for purchase at House Interiors & Gifts which is in Cotton Shop Yard just off King Street in Knutsford. It's not available on their website, but take a look anyway, they have some really pretty things: http://www.houseknutsford.co.uk/

I've also opened up a new supply shop on etsy: http://www.sparklesupply.etsy.com so if you're in the market for jewellery findings head there for a bargain. Don't forget about the original www.rubyrougejewellery.etsy.com though. Have just listed some new items this week including this new Rain Rain Go Away Umbrella Necklace.

Hope you managed to enter my May giveaway. If you didn't don't worry. I'm going to start doing giveaways on the first of every month on my blog so make sure you look in between the 1st and 15th of June for your chance to win your very own piece of Ruby Rouge Jewellery.
xx

May Giveaway

Want to win one of my new birdcage pendants? Well you'll be in with a chance of winning one along with a load of other cool stuff if you click on the link below and follow the rules to enter. It really is that simple! Closing date for entries is 15th May so get your skates on.

http://www.vivawoman.net/2009/05/03/viva-woman-may-vivabella-giveaway/

Sensory Gardens = Much Fun

On Saturday I went on a rare but wonderful day out to Knaresborough with my friend Rachel. It is a beautiful place and it was such a gorgeous day. We went boating on the river, drank tea in a wonderfully quaint tea shop, had ice cream, went to see the castle and stumbled upon a sensory garden in an arts and crafts center. The sensory garden was amazing. It had different areas dedicated to different senses and was clearly designed for children - which is probably why I loved it so much! :D I especially liked a tree that kids had decorated with clothes, toys, mobiles and flowers. It was so lovely.

Sad news though :( One of our chickens died. We're not sure why. We noticed she had a bad leg yesterday so we think it must have been something to do with that. And we didn't get any chicks. We broke one of the eggs after the broody hen had been sitting on it for the right amount of time and discovered it hadn't been fertilised. The rest of them were like that too. But our remaining hen is now sitting on some different eggs so hopefully chics will be here soon :)

Craft Fair No. 2

Today I participated in my second craft fair of the year. The Artsmix team had employed the Urban Angels' Circus (two dolled up ladies with an oversized shopping trolley) to go through the streets of Leeds and promote the fair by handing out leaflets for free drinks at the bar downstairs. It was such a good idea and it brought a lot of people in. I had a great day. My jewellery went down really well and I met some lovely people with some really interesting products. I sadly forgot my camera though so no pictures of the table this month :( It's a shame actually because I had a 6ft table instead of a 3ft and everything looked so much better.

I tried something new out this month. I had a sale basket. I never know what to think about sale baskets at craft fairs or bargain sections on etsy. On one hand I think putting handmade items in a sale grossly undervalues the work of the artist, on the other I think it's a great way to give old stock or pieces that have minor imperfections new homes. I thought I'd try it out anyway. I had the items individually priced in a basket, but I decided to give them away free to people who spent over £15. It worked quite well although a few people didn't even notice it and spent £15+ and were really pleased to discover that they got something else for free. I think if I go with the sale basket again, I'll have to put it in a more obvious position so people can see it. I didn't really advertise my sale as much as I could have done because I don't like it when people do that to me. Sometimes it seems pushy and desperate.

My top tip this month is to make cards like this one in the picture. It makes everything look so much better and makes it a lot easier to display things. I did mine on word and printed them out on cream card. Give it a go!

Link of the day (yes I'm doing this now, apparrently): http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=12364 This is the best thing I have ever seen. Enjoy!

GIVEAWAY! - because everyone likes something for nothing!

I'm participating in a giveaway! Hurrah hurrah hurrah! All you have to do is go to the link below and enter the competition before the closing date (10th April) and this pair of earrings could be yours. There's also a lovely little interview I did for you to read and lots of pretty pictures. Isn't that nice!?

http://jleighdesignz.blogspot.com/2009/04/featured-friday-ruby-rouge-jewellery.html

What a Whilrwind

So my life right now is pretty hectic. I've just finished a wholesale order for an online boutique (http://www.mylittleboutique.com), I'm trying to get items made to go in a gallery and I'm in the process of making prototype jewellery for a vintage wedding in California. On top of that I have a craft fair on Sunday at the Loft in Leeds to prepare for (fantastic place and people, come along if you're in the area), my etsy shops to maintain and museums to volunteer at. A hell of a lot is going on in Sarah Land right now. I've hardly had time for a social life let alone blogging! So sorry friends and followers. I promise I'll be better in future.

Anyhoo, here is a new piece of jewellery for you to look at that I just listed on etsy. Watch this space because more jewellery will be added this week. Also, another craft fair related post filled with tips is on its way....

In other news:
My parents borrowed a broody hen from a farmer to sit on our chickens' eggs. Chicklets will be here in T-20 days! Hurrah!
I added a new poll to the blog in order to carry out a bit of market research. Favourite colours please!
I also added Pacman (see bottom right hand corner). DISCLAIMER: SARAH OF RUBY ROUGE JEWELLERY FAME CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF PLAYING PACMAN. THOSE WHO BECOME HIGHLY ADDICTED SHOULD SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION.

Comic Relief

I'm sure there are very few of you in the UK right now who don't know how important comic relief is to people in both Britain and Africa, but did you know that if you donate a pound, the whole of that pound will go directly to those in need? Comic Relief has donors and sponsors who provide the money needed to pay their staff, so that all public money given will be used to improve lives. If you're in a position to donate money to this deserving charity, please please do. All of it will be used to do good.

Also, from the end of Summer 2009, every bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk sold will be Fairtrade. Guilt-free Cadbury chocolate is on its way. For more information on this and Comic Relief in general, see http://www.comicrelief.com

Craft Fair!

I went to my first craft fair of the year last Sunday. It was at a place called The Loft in Leeds and it was organized by Artsmix. I've been to these before (I did five of them in 2008), but I had one of my most successful days ever this time round. Even more successful than the ones I did in the run up to Christmas - I was so happy! Although my things were all squashed together because I had made so much! I think next time I'm going to have to invest in a larger stall so it looks nicer. I also need to get some lighting. Ikea here I come!

Top tip for anyone attending these things - buy disposable cake stands (made out of cardboard) and spray paint them! It works out so much cheaper than buying acrylic stands and they are REALLY easy to transport because they can be dismantled and rebuilt. Also, if you get a multi-tiered one, it gives you so much more space to display. Very useful if you have a tiny table!

Hope this helps :D

Follow The Yellow Brick Road...

I just finished this altered art Wizard of Oz necklace and felt I should show my wonderful followers it before I list it. It has an image of one of the original illustrations by W. W. Denslow.  I love this soooo much! Just hope my customers do! Let me know what you think of it - I always love to get feedback on my jewellery. 

Snow Day!

Wow! It's been so long since I saw snow this heavy! It was so deep and everything looked so beautiful that I had to abort my jewellery-making today in order to jump up and down like an excited child. I also had to rescue my parents' chickens - we nearly couldn't see the coop this morning! Poor things. You will be pleased to know that Henry, Muriel and Matilda (our feathered friends) now have a snow-free home and that their pen has been protected against further blizzards. Although, weirdly, they really enjoyed paddling about in it when we let them out this morning. We even opened the garage - a favourite place of theirs - so they had a snow-free area to play in, but they only went in for about a minute. I guess even chickens are children at heart. 

Sales!

Today I got two sales in one of my etsy shops! They came completely out of the blue, so I was very excited. Although I am sad about one of the necklaces I sold (the one pictured here) because I secretly hoped it wouldn't sell so that I could keep it! :D That is the perennial problem with being a jewellery seller - you have to actually SELL the stuff you make! 

Am about to sign up to do some craft fairs over the next few weeks. I really love going to them because you meet such lovely people! I heart the crafting community. Am hoping to give you all feedback on the fairs I do and let you know if any techniques I employ work. Watch this space...

My First Blog!

Well this is rather exciting. I don't really have anything to announce today, I just wanted to christen my new blog! Oh actually, that's not true. My cat bit me on my bare leg today - I was not amused. And I listed five new pieces of button jewellery on my etsy site - 'twould be wonderful if you would check them out! 

http://www.rubyrougebuttons.etsy.com

I'd also love it if you'd follow me. I really want to share my adventures in the world of crafting with like-minded individuals who appreciate everything handmade! x