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Blogs for December 2007 and January 2008
Find out what the jewellery mob was up to before and after Christmas, and how they started the new year.
go to latest blogs
blogs for April and May 2008
blogs for February and March 2008
21 January 2008
Looking out of the window, you can definitely see that February is on its way.
The rain isn't just filling up dykes and ditches, but also one of jewellery
mob's cellar and back steps. Her first instinct on spying the torrent rushing
toward the house was to change out of her nightie in a hurry. She's had to put
her beloved cats on to one side in order to lug sandbags around. She's not
impressed and neither's the cat! Fingers's crossed nothing will float away!
This month designed for you has signed up for the handmade pledge. This is an
internet petition where people can go to pledge their support for buying, selling and making hand produced goods. As every piece of jewellery at designed for you is lovingly hand designed and crafted, the handmade pledge is a cause we had to shout about. The internet is a great place to get crafty ideas and find out about the most amazing designer-makers. We are also very pleased to have exchanged links with beadenvy lampwork and Alex Original Handbags, both of whom make fantastic one-off designs. See our links page for more details.
It's great that more and more people out there seem to be getting interested in
handmaking. This Christmas, I not only gave chutneys, jams and jewellery that I had made myself, but I was lucky enough to receive handmade soaps and chocolate truffles in return – Mmmmm what more could a girl want?!
Unfortunately, my own handmade projects have slowed to a halt since the Christmas break ended. This is partly due to laziness on my part and partly because I've run out of 6mm Swarovski emerald bicones and need to order some more (in the right size this time!). I'm resolved to get back on the wagon with at least one of them. A completed project will be a novelty for me (you should see my work box – its crammed full of half completed creations dating back to when I was around eight!) and will definitely help to drive away the January blues!
JF
8 January 2008
Christmastime! How relaxing and food-rich it was! I had a very meat-based holiday in Germany *covers her vegetarian friends' ears very quickly* and have now returned refreshed and a lot more energetic than before.
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I am happy to say that my designed for you presents really did hit the spot! And, I got a little something from our designer, too! Very large turquoise and purple hoops! Of course, I wore them proudly and paraded them through the places we went to. It felt good. To my surprise, my red and purple small hoops were coveted by my sister, who usually never shares the same taste as I. Well, I in turn threatened to steal her new handbag...
A dear friend, who has now also been converted to the designed for you range (for men), gave me a new hairstyle for the new year: the blonde and blue badger look. With this hair, I was ready to enter 2008 in style, and I did.
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German New Year fireworks are something to behold. An English friend commented on this custom a long time ago, when she described Germans as 'total pyromaniacs' during the New Year celebrations. Basically, you are allowed to buy fireworks three days before New Year's Eve, there are guidelines how to use them, and safety warnings in the media, especially when it comes to allowing kids to use fireworks, but then...you are on your own. People tend to let their fireworks off in all directions from their gardens, in the middle of the pavement, or in the middle of the road, so you have to watch where you're standing. However, although there are injuries every year, the majority of Germans survive the anarchic display of fireworks pretty unscathed. And it is great fun!
So this year we stood again outside after midnight, in very English-style fog, and watched as the sky erupted in a kaleidescope of colours. Inspired by the bead like sparks in the night, I felt that a little rhyming was in order. Unfortunately, I can't recall any of my poetry, and my friend claims that it was best to be forgotten anyway. I seemed to have tried to rhyme everything there is to rhyme with Two-thousand and eight, even 'designed for you'. Oh well...
Leaving Germany to return back to the UK, I first encountered train chaos in London, and then snow chaos on arrival. I certainly did not go to Germany to find snow at my doorstep! All I could do was snuggle up in my bed and think back fondly on glorious holidays, Christmas festivities and food.
So what to do now in the dull January days, when New Years resolutions are young, the purse is empty, and long days of work are looming without any new holidays on the horizon yet?
Well, our designer isn't put off! Working on a cheer up measure to brighten our days...and nights (!) she's created a range of 'cutie' earrings - tiny earrings that sparkle, glint and glimmer. Coming shortly - these earrings are just the thing for a treat, for a present (you can always hint...) or for Valentines day! The designer is threatening to call them 'little cutie pies' ... aaah Help! Anyone with a better name please email ... thedesigner@designed-4-you.co.uk and maybe she'll get the hint! But please do it soon!
GA
29th December
Hi folks, Christmas has happened, some of the wrapping paper has made it to the bin, the house is still unnaturally tidy, but normality is beginning to emerge! The family has returned to their various haunts, and quiet is descending temporarily.
Long put off jobs are being done, and thankfully sleep is being caught up on.
However, New Year is around the corner, with, in our neck of the woods (or to be more accurate seashore) a carnival of more fireworks and celebrations. Then, hopefully a quiet walk by or near the sea, time for reflection, then back to work again.
No doubt we'll hear more about celebrations in Germany where one of the designed for you mob returns each year, which will make our New Year fireworks look very restrained, but that must wait for the next blog.
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Our designer has been making the odd piece of jewellery over Christmas - for her own enjoyment and for her friends.
(This picture is only one beautiful example of what happens when you let the designer loose on her beads ;) - GA).
There's nothing like really enjoying your work or perhaps we should say enjoying creativity.
Mind, whether it is cooking, decorating the house, sorting out oufits to wear or using artistic talents, it's all creative. So I guess we are all creative on some level or another.
New Year, new ideas, new designs with a warm welcome to our new customers, and a welcome back to our old customers.
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We'll be back in full swing again on the 2nd January and look forward to meeting you all on our site.
Enjoy the rest of your break, we will!
JW
17th December
Christmas is nearly with us now, the usual signs are there: our designer is having an earring-making spree (for some reason she always seems to go to town on earrings at Christmas time). Meanwhile, the designed for you team are busy getting all of your orders out ready for Christmas. Our last posting date for Christmas will be the 20th December and we suggest that you ask for special delivery post to make sure all your goodies are with you to be worn over the festive season. designed for you will be having a short Christmas break but never fear, we will be monitoring your orders over the website.
It will be business as usual from January 2nd, so I've been busy working on some new fliers to advertise our new spring jewellery-making workshops. Still I've found time to squeeze in the Christmas shopping. This year, I've managed to be a bit better organised on the present front, thanks to our courses.
I've always been a creative type and this year the designed for you workshops have added a new string to my bow. A jewellery making course is a fantastic opportunity to be creative and achieve a tangible result that you can wear and enjoy (though I'm not sure I'll ever master putting on crimp beads!). Its also great to design for other people because working to other peoples' tastes can really challenge you to work outside your comfort zone. As a result, I've made a few pieces of jewellery to give to friends this Christmas – I hope they like them as much as I enjoyed making them.
I've also been organised enough to buy up new supplies for my personal sewing project (with beads of course!) I'm currently trying to design part of my own dance costume for bellydancing. Never let it be said that I set my sights low! Anyway, I'm really looking forward to settling down for a creative session while I'm away for the holidays, though it would help if I could tell the difference between 6mm and 8mm crystals in the shop, then I'd buy beads in the right size! Mind you, I'm not the only one getting confused; our designer tells me that she's been storing her precious supply of hot chocolate powder in the fridge instead of the cupboard.
JF
Hang on, I discovered the chocolate powder in the fridge after trying to put the milk in the cupboard - just a momentary blip, of course - at least I wasn't trying to make the milk bottles into earrings and the hot chocolate jar into a pendant - hey now that give's me another idea...
'the designer'
13th December 2007
It's nearly Christmas time, and instead of relaxing and cosying up at home, most people are right now trying to complete work projects during the week and join the Christmas shopping madness in town at the weekend. The stress!
Of course, the design for you elves are also busy. Tonight, I am working on our website and writing this blog, which is as relaxing as it can get at the moment. Looking at shiny things keeps me mellow. Beside me are a cup of hot plum juice (with spices) and a plate of buttered pancakes. Pure bliss!
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Last weekend, I participated in carol singing, and since we all had to wear plain black and red, I needed something red. Black I had plenty, but red was rather difficult, since it used to clash terribly with a former hair colour of mine. So, designed for you came to the rescue, and our designer made me a lovely pair of red, black and purple hoop earrings. Well, I snug the purple in, because I like the colour combination. They duly arrived well before the event, and since I loved them so much, their first outing wasn't the carol sing, but a Gothic bellydance night. I can now testify that the earrings were surprisingly light and did not get lost on the dance floor! And they sparkled and the red bells didn't ring during the carol performance.
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Yesterday, I finally ordered some Christmas presents from designed for you. No, we don't get staff discount, but I am a big sucker for our company's goodies. Well, it would be hard to work for the business if you hated the jewellery, wouldn't it? I have to whisper it so that the people in question don't hear, but I got this lovely necklace for my dear *puts finger on lips*, which is just the right mixture of conservative and 'different' for somebody who only carefully steps out of the ordinary, and a nice bracelet for *** which she will just love! So, I am now pounds lighter, but happy!
It's interesting what you discover on the site when you have to buy jewellery for somebody else. You see items which you have seen many-a-time before in a totally different light. You suddenly notice the unusual mixture of material and shapes. Even if it's not your taste, you still can appreciate the design and imagination that goes into the work, and how somebody else might just looove a certain item. And now I've probably made our designer blush, or comment 'flattery gets you nowhere, babes, where are my earring fittings?'
I've been tempted by our new 'shimmer and sparkle' range. Our designer tells me that when she hung those new earrings to photograph, they kept gently swinging like miniature pendulums, and that it was as well that the camera was set on 1/100 of a second. However, she can still see them swaying when she looks at the photographs. I just see them sparkle, and there is sheer greed in my eyes. I just wanna, wanna, wanna...
But...easy girl, you have to buy some more presents... If however, a certain somebody wants to splurge some money on Santa's little helper...feel free. You find me...here!
GA
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