A visit to Brighton: Age of Reason scarves, Alexa de Castilho jewellery and St Leonards leather bags and purses

A visit to Brighton...

...to the Age of Reason studios a stunning high ceilinged work place, lit up with candles for an afternoon sample sale.

 I am huge fan of Ali's work (blogged about here and here). I love her free flowing drawings, her naughty sense of humour and her choice of colours: vibrant pinky corals, dashes of orange and soothing, flattering greys. I had to visit her sample sale not only to check out her wares, but to see her beautiful studio. I see tantalising glimpses of on Instagram; it did not disappoint and it was lovely to see it in candle-light.

Some Age of Reason scarves and pocket squares

St Leonards leather bags made in simple classic shapes from bridal leather in the most lovely colours (below is green, and white).  These bags are gorgeous.

Alexa de Castilho jewellery: gold, silver, bronze, vintage, skulls, fangs. The first time I have seen Alexa's jewellery, and it is *love*

End of a lovely day *sigh*

Handmade in Britain: Melody Rose ceramics, Trisha Needham textiles, Danila Tarcinale jewellery

A few more finds from the Handmade in Britain show:

Melody Rose ceramics - vintage chinaware upcycled with transfers. More tea vicar?  

Melody Rose has also just launched some new tea cups and saucers, echoing vintage style shapes - handmade in Stoke on Trent and finished at the Melody Rose studios.

cushions by Trisha Needham

Danila Tarcinale: man jewellery - cufflinks and collar stiffeners

I like the display cabinets used by Danila Tarcinale, jewellery lined up like exotic bugs

Faith Tavender jewellery

I'm always on the look out for jewellery, I am rather partial to a necklace or two, and I love these pieces by Faith Tavender - especially the daisies. Her jewellery can be bought from her Not On The High Street shop (as well as various stockists around the country). Faith was recently at the Made In Clerkenwell Craft Central event - its a chance to meet designer-makers, have a little peek at their studios, and buy some beautifully designed and crafted things... the next one is 22nd November 2012 and definitely worth a visit.

Daisy necklaces

 Daisy rings

Oval floral ring - which makes me think of a treasure your might find in your grandmother's jewellery box

Gold rose earrings

Maggie Angus jewellery

My post-Easter resolution? It's not to eat less chocolate as that is too obvious. It's to wear more perspex jewellery. What is not to love about this jewellery by Maggie Angus? Pineapple necklace or this squirrel necklace, complete with stars on it's b-hind, and it's navy too (my new favourite colour)

Maggie Angus designs can be bought directly from the website, here

rings by Caroline Reynolds

After drooling over Ruth Tomlinson's rings at the weekend, it was my intention to post every day a new favourite stack of rings - I didn't manage yesterday, life intervened: I am about to go to New York so I have been packing and making extensive lists for shopping and places to visit, and thinking about stacks of pancakes not stacks of rings.
But I am sort of back on track with my intention - here are some delicious rings by Caroline Reynolds. I like the gold band with purple-ish teardrop shaped stone, and little gold bits either side. I have also spotted on her website a rather nice silver acorn (with oaks leaves on a necklace), which I would happily add to my charm necklace where I keep safe little bits and pieces I find when I go on a spree. If you want to buy Caroline's jewellery contact her via her website - details here.

Caroline runs workshops if you are interested in learning basic or more advanced jewellery making skills. If had more time, Caroline, I would book myself on one of your courses...but New York is calling, so it will have to wait.

rings by Ruth Tomlinson

Ruth Tomlinson is a designer that I like to check out every once in a while to feast my eyes on her incredible jewellery, especially on a day like today when it has rained non-stop and I have been surrounded by domestic chaos (what is about rainy days that make me search out lovely jewellery?). There is something about her pieces that make you think you have stumbled upon old treasure - I think it's the use of high quality ingredients (gold, pearls, beautifully cut gemstones), and the slightly asymmetrical designs that give it that much-loved, often-worn quality - a centrally placed gemstone, flanked by little itty bits and granules of gold and tiny gemstones set atop a gold ring. I would very much like a stack o' rings as below, these ones are diamonds which remind me of some Georgian diamonds I once knew.
You can see Ruth Tomlinson's jewellery on-line here, or at a Cockpit Studios open event if you want to see them up close.

Some vintage treasure I spotted that reminds me of Ruth's pieces

Tatty Devine - favourite brooches and their Fine silver jewellery

I love Tatty Devine for its colourful, witty jewellery - who else designs lobster necklaces, ping pong cufflinks and fried-egg brooches? And the must-have perspex name necklaces which can be personalised by chosing from an a rainbow of colours, glittery or not, and embellished with a tiny charm of your choice - new are the bird and the bow, although I have my eye on the anchor.  I like the idea of a name necklace as a Mother's Day present from my tiny beloveds SophiaLauraSamRachel (since I usually have to run through all their names before I get to the right one), but that is longer than 9 characers which seems to be the limit.  

I love that all (well, 99%, according to their website) of Tatty Devine's world-famous jewellery is made in their London and Kent workshops, and that they collaborate with designers and bands to make special peices. One of my favourite brooches is this gin bottle which was designed with Gilbert & George.

Another favourite brooch is this tortoiseshell fox.

 

They've also recently launched their Fine collection - classic laser-cut designs now made in sterling silver... I'm never without a necklace and I'd certainly give space to the trapeze artists or the crown necklace in my ever growing collection.

Alexis Dove - urchin hoop earrings

I have these Alexis Dove urchin hoop earrings in gold vermeil. I bought them last summer (after my search for the perfect hoop earrings) and I wear them almost every day and they are much admired. I hesitate to say that they are my 'go to' earrings, since I don't like that phrase, but it's true: if I can't think what earrings to wear, and I really must always wear earrings, I'll put these on.
I have the smaller size (42mm diameter), but I covet the larger ones (56mm diameter) having seen Alexis herself wearing a pair at a fair.  I'd like them in rose gold vermeil - not on available her website, but I have heard rumour of them.
All her pieces are handmade in Sussex - I liked the fact that, when I placed the order for my urchin hoops, I had to wait a bit for them to be made (even though I was so impatient, I would have liked them yesterday).

I also like her little wren and bunny rabbit pendants - available in silver or gold vermeil

If you live down Sussex way, Alexis has a showroom in Lewes based in The Needlemakers - which stocks her collection and a few other selected designers such as Laura Gravestock.

Emma Fox - new anchor earrings

Look at these new anchor earrings by Emma Fox - pretty lovely, aren't they?! I especially like the fact that she has pinned them onto a banana; I have pinned them to my Pinterest board: Formerly I Was A Pirate.

jewellery by Emma Fox

This jewellery by Emma Fox is *so* beautiful: birds in flight or perched on blossom branches, and rabbits chasing stars. Made from silver, and embellished with gold leaf, pearls and semi-precious stones. 

Prices - doves with star: £350; running rabbit and star: £176; fish bracelet: £188.

Please allow up to 3 weeks for orders to be made and sent out to you. More information can be found on Emma's website.

Melanie Tomlinson butterflies

Join in the Big Butterfly Count with these butterflies by Melanie Tomlinson, spotted at one of my favourite jewellery emporiums @work on Brick Lane. They are made of annodised aluminium, in an iridescent rainbow of colours.

For those who want the real thing, find out more about the Big Butterfly Count here:

jewellery by Phoebe Coleman

Love Me Tender is Phoebe's new Spring Summer 2011 collection...it's the most delicate, most pretty jewellery that you'll ever find. It's the perfect finishing touch for your summer outfit - available to order from her website.

Loop Of Love necklace £120

Love A Lot necklace £130

jewellery good enough to eat from Alex Monroe

Who cannot resist these pretty jewels by Alex Monroe that are good enough to eat?

Apple and green tourmaline necklace £108

Juicy Pear necklace £120 - a personal favourite, perhaps because of pear-almond-chocolate cake, which is 'cake of the month' chez Osborn

Peapod earrings £114, which I love because even though my twins are not identical, they are like 'two peas in a pod'

Strawberry and pink tourmaline earrings £99 - June is just around the corner, and so is strawberry cake

Comfort Station jewellery

Isn't this a clever idea? found via Tea for Joy, Comfort Station's Barometer Necklace - adjustable pointer, to suit your mood, from stormy to excellent. The perfect gift for your weather-obsessed Brit. 

The necklace costs £145, and can be bought online from the Comfort Station website, or from the London store on Cheshire Street, just off Brick Lane.

Marte Frisnes jewellery

Marte Frisnes makes very pretty jewellery: delicate and detailed but not too fiddly - these are two of my favourite pieces.

The Liberty necklace, new for this season, is surely a classic - Marte suggests that it can be layered with other pieces, which is how I would wear it; and of course it would look good by itself, it's so elegant. Perfect for a breezy Spring day.

These Magdelena earrings have amethyst and rose quartz drops and are, says Marte, a great choice if you like hoops - I do, and they are.  They have a very long drop - total length 95mm - which sort of says 'special occasion', but I know I'd wear them taking the kids to school, because glamour is for life not just for Christmas.

The necklace costs £105, and the earrings are £125.

Emily Bedford's earrings

I had a chance to meet Emily Bedford last week and to see her jewellery up close...having spied a friend wearing a pair of her swallow earrings (silhouettes of a bird in flight, set against gold leaf - classy and very wearable), I knew I had to do some investigations for myself.  

Emily hand makes her earrings individually, rather than casting them, using gold, silver, miniature paintings, resin and enamel - so each one is unique.

I took some pics of her earrings - she also makes necklaces, bracelets and brooches (available on her website). These earrings use pictures of tiny birds, and the images used in each pair are slightly, subtly different from each other.

earrings featuring miniature paintings from the Souvenir collection

gold and silver earrings with coloured enamel from the Dancer collection

gold earrings

It was lovely to meet you Emily, and thanks for the tea!

Here is a pic of the earrings that I have my eye on (these earrings are also available with black swallow on a gold background):