SARAHDReW's blog

here's some lovely magazine pictures...

2011-03-18T15:00:00.000Z

From this month's Devon Wed:

Other cool, Wed magazine shots from this year here:

new shop, woohoo!!

2011-03-18T14:47:00.000Z

Very excited about getting a cool shop space in St Austell's Market House, right in the centre! It's a lovely old building (bit dilapidated, but being done up!) and I'll have room to display loads of quirky recycled/vintage goodies as well as picture, photos, and maybe even some clothes...Then in the back part we'll have room to run affordable, recycled craft workshops every week! Busy planning decor and new stock now, something along these lines:

Bright, bit 60s, bit girly and retro: any ideas wlecome! Going to plan a cool, garden party shop opening end of May (lots of Pims, vintage dresses and cream teas) so keep your eyes open for that. And will have some free workshops on to get evrybody in the making swing of things! Cannot wait..

2011-02-23T21:38:00.008Z

Here's a link to a lovely real bride, Linzi, who wore my hydrangea headdress last year. She looked very lovely and the wedding looked like such a cool, fun day!

http://www.rockmywedding.co.uk/a-real-rock-my-wedding-bride-part-1/

Here's some more real brides (above) who looked completely gorgeous in SARAHDReW accessories last year. You really cabn have whatever you like: the more crackers and colourful the better! Just done some cool retro bits and bobs in VIVID colours (with beads from a 50s necklace), some soft pink deco stuff and of course plenty of vintage sparkle: keep a look out, taking more pictures tomorrow to put up here x

2009-11-29T14:24:00.004Z

Been lax, lax, lax doing this blog so will promise to do better! Good New Year's resolution along with eating less cake and doing yoga...

Quick update below of the fairs and events I'll be at this Christmas: if you're about, come along and say hello and bring some old jewellery if you fancy doing a bit of jewellery recycling and having it made into something lovely, sparkling and new!

Tom sorting out a lovely new site for me, so keep an eye out for excellent special offers on the run up to Christmas so you can afford to treat yourself as well as do a bit of unique, bargain Christmas shopping...

Things that have been popular for all the glamourous parties this time of year (half a lager down the local pub probably, but we can dream) are; lace necklaces and earrings, vintage necklaces and cuffs, and been doing some really sparkly pieces with swarovski crystallised: asymetric, modern shapes in very twinkly crystal: few photos below:

event dates:

5th/6th December: Fowey Christmas Fair, Fowey leisure Centre, Cornwall, 10 - 4pm: original, affordable jewellery for presents as well as more statement pieces to treat yourself to. Lots of yummy food stalls and Christmassy things going on as well.

10th December: Falmouth Shopping evening, at Falmouth Hotel 6pm. entry £3 including glass of fizz. Mini recycled jewellery workshops for £3: come and make some pressies from your old jewellery!

13th December: workshop, 'Make your own recycled Christmas presents' at the White Hart Hotel in St Austell, 10 - 3: bring your old and vintage jewellery and odd quirky buttons and stuff and transform them into lovely, cheap pressies. £28 to include all materials and coffee and mince pie!

14th December: opening of Christmas exhibition at Stoneman Gallery, Penzance: lots of antique, lace and vintage crystal jewellery and crazy evening headdresses...

See you there!

2009-07-23T23:58:00.006+01:00

on the telly on tuesday night!

If you get chance to tune in to BBC2's 'Coast' programme on Tuesday night, you'll be able marvel at me busily foraging on Crantock Beach in Newquay for bits of very useful rubbish to make into, lovely, glamorous, contemporary jewellery!

I haven't seen it myself yet, so I'm not sure just how embarassing it's going to be: but I did enjoy doing it and having chance to waffle on about why I like collecting and using driftwood, sea-plastic, sea-string, pebbles and shells in my jewellery. I think there's a bit (it's only a couple of minutes long) where I'm making a cuff on the beach, crocheting silver wire with seastring like these ones below:

There's plenty of these in my gallery stockists (I've been very busy; crocheting-mad) at a special offer price of 20% off (normally retail price £39, now £31.20) or you can order them from us via phone 07951 960647, email: sarah@sarahdrew.com or through my site www.sarahdrew.com.

To see more info about the 'Coast' program you can go to: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mvlc Let me know what you think!

2009-07-19T17:23:00.002+01:00

fashion editorial in 'Cosmobride' and 'My Green Lifestyle'

There's a lovely photo in this month's Cosmobride, in the Dollshouse story, of this asymetric flower headdress. The model's wearing a soft sort of french revolution dress and the headdress looks great with it: it's £155 to order and you can have whatever colour flowers you like! To have a look at what else is in Cosmobride this month, go to: www.youandyourwedding.co.uk.

We're also featured in 'My Green Lifestyle, a great ecological online magazine: just go to www.mygreenlifestyle.co.uk to read it online. Any questions about pieces featured, please just email me at sarah@sarahdrew.com.

autumn course dates in Cornwall

2009-07-11T23:55:00.007+01:00

Just a quick update on the lovely, eclectic, Vinatge Jewellery and Tiara courses we've got booked for Autumn: all are chosen for their beautiful surroundings and delicious food to make sure you have a completely relaxing, treat day out making:

19th September: Browns Hotel, Myafair, London: http://www.brownshotel.com/

26th September: The Cove, Penzance, Cornwall: http://www.thecovecornwall.com/

17th October: The Old Parsonage, Boscastle: http://www.old-parsonage.com/

7th November: The Hotel Tresanton, St Mawes: http://www.tresanton.com/

14th November: Mid Cornwall School of Jewellery: http://www.mcsj.co.uk/

All materials (such as freshwater pearls, swarovski crystals and antique brooches) lunch (not at MCSJ) and coffee are included in the price so all you need to do is get yourself there and enjoy a wonderful creative day. If you'd like to arrange a special group workshop or hen day please just call or email me and I can sort it out for you: 01726 68433 or sarah@sarahdrew.com

I'm going to be at Hidden Art at Trereife house, Penzance on 22nd and 23rd August if you fancy coming along to see some of the new things I've been working on and get an idea of what you could make oat the workshops. I'll be taking some kitsch sea-plastic necklaces(see left) with vintage brooches; sustainable twig tiaras (below) and necklaces, big bling sea-glass rings and a special recycled 9ct gold collection.

I'll also be at the Newlyn Fish Festival for the first time on Bank Holiday Monday (31st August): it's supposed to be a good day so looking forward to that: see you there!

Brown's Hotel Vintage Jewellery Workshop: new date!

2009-07-01T13:12:00.004+01:00

Just a booked a special treat workshop day at Brown's Hotel, Mayfair, London! It's aVintage Tiaras and Wedding Jewellery themed workshop, to be held on Saturday 19th September: it's £125 for a full day course to include all materials, vintage brooches and crystals/pearls, coffee and their delicious, prize-winning afternoon tea (for lunch!).

The idea is that you can bring 'something old' such as your Mum's brooch perhaps, to make into a special headdress or jewellery for the big day. If you choose to come along as a creative hen day, all your friends and family can make gorgeous vintage jewells to match their wedding outfits as well! If that date's no good, just let me know and they're happy to book in different days to suit your hen party plans. Any questions, just email me at sarah@sarahdrew.com.

more workshops: make your own wedding jewellery and tiaras at lovely, Cornish locations!

2009-04-22T16:00:00.004+01:00

Had the first Recycled Jewellery Course this Saturday at the Windswept Cafe in Newquay: it was great!

future workshop and fair dates and details

April

Tuesday 21st: Cornwall College St Austell

www.cornwall.ac.uk

Friday 24th Golden Mill, Grampound www.goldenmill.co.uk/courses.html

Thursday 30th Archie Brown’s, Truro

www.archiebrowns.co.uk/

May

Saturday 2nd: Golden Mill, Grampound

Saturday 9th: The Cove, Lamorna,

www.thecovecornwall.com

Tues 12th

Thurs 14th Cornwall College, St Austell

Sat 16th www.cornwall.ac.uk

June

Friday 12th Golden Mill, Grampound

Saturday 27th Windswept Cafe (TBC), Newquay

www.windsweptcafe.co.uk

July

Saturday 25th Golden Mill, Grampound

10week Fashion jewellery: £54

Recycled Jewellery

£75 including drinks/lunch/cakes!

talk and taster session: £3

Beach-find jewellery

£140 for weekend: drinks/lunch/cakes included

Vintage Wedding jewellery and Tiaras: £49 including drinks and lunch

Adult Education week: free taster sessions: call 01726 226626 for more details

Beach-find Jewellery, £75 including drinks/lunch/cakes!

Recycled jewellery, £35 including lunch and coffee

Beach-find jewellery

£140 for weekend: drinks/lunch/cakes included

The idea is everybody brings a bucket, collects materials from the beach in the morning and we make them up into contemporary jewellery in the afternoon.

It was a lovely sunny day on Saturday, the cafe is very chilled with gorgeous views and we had a delicious lunch and drinks included: all for £38.

Here's a link to the cafe site: http://www.windsweptcafe.co.uk/. The next one there is booked for 27th June: I'll put a list of other venues for workshops below; and I'll put some pictures I took on the day on blog later.

Here's a comment from one of the participants:

"Hi Sarah
just a quick note to say thank you so much for Saturday - I came home absolutely buzzing!!
keep me posted for any further workshops I have some friends who'd be very interest in coming along."

I've sorted out more courses at some of the best venues in Cornwall including:

* The Hotel Tresanton ( http://www.tresanton.com/) in St Mawes: 'Vintage Wedding Jewellery and Tiaras' 7th Nov
* The Cove ( http://www.thecovecornwall.com/) near Penzance, 9th May
* The Golden Mill, Grampound: http://www.goldenmill.co.uk/: 'Beach Finds' and 'Wedding Jewellery' 2nd May
* Mid Cornwall School of Jewellery: www.mcsj.co.uk: 'Wedding Jewellery', 14th Nov

Wanted to make sure that if you come on one of the courses you will:

* have a relaxing, 'treat' day in a fantastic location
* have a delicious lunch
* enjoy a laid-back, creative group atmosphere
* get value for money: workshops between £38 and £85 (depending on venue lunch etc)
* as well as learning a new skill which you can use to save (or even make) money: making jewellery for presents or even to sell for eg

Another course that's coming up soon is 'Vintage tiara and Wedding Jewellery' Course at the Cove on 9th May: this is aimed at brides and their friends/families who want to

* make something individual to wear on their wedding day: perhaps using family brooches for 'something old'
* save money and learn a new skill: £58 for the course is a lot cheaper than buying a tiara!
* perhaps have an unique hen weekend: making their jewellery to wear on the wedding day on the Saturday; and spa treatments, lazing by the pool the next!

Of course, anybody is welcome and people may come who are thinking about setting up a business making jewellery; or they might just like vintage style jewellery to wear and give as gifts: have a look at my Picasa album to give yourself an idea of what you could make on the day: http://picasaweb.google.com/sarahdrew50/RecycledJewellery#

The Cove is in a fantastic position, set in the cliffs over Lamorna Cove. The course would be £58 including coffee and lunch; we can offer overnight deals from around £30per person (£120 for 4 bed appartment).

Here's some more dates: just call or email me if you'd like to check anything or arrange a private workshop for a hen party or group of friends: happy making and might see you in Cornwall soon!

future workshop and fair dates and details

April

Tuesday 21st: Cornwall College St Austell : Fashion Jewellery: £54 for 10 weeks
www.cornwall.ac.uk

Friday 24th Golden Mill, Grampound: Recycled jewellery: £75 including coffes and lunch www.goldenmill.co.uk/courses.html

Thursday 30th Archie Brown’s, Truro: Talk and taster workshop: £3
www.archiebrowns.co.uk/

May

Saturday 2nd: Golden Mill, Grampound: Beach Find Jewellery: £140

Saturday 9th: The Cove, Lamorna: Vintage WEdding Jewellery and Tiaras: £58 including coffees and lunch; www.thecovecornwall.com

Tues 12th
Thurs 14th Cornwall College, St Austell: free taster sessions; call 01726 226626 for details
Sat 16th www.cornwall.ac.uk

June

Friday 12th Golden Mill, Grampound: Beach finds: £75

Saturday 27th Windswept Cafe (TBC), Newquay: Recycled Jewellery: £35 including coffee and lunch; www.windsweptcafe.co.uk

July

Saturday 25th Golden Mill, Grampound; Beach Finds: £75

beat the credit crunch and do it yourself!

2009-04-06T21:37:00.002+01:00

Booked lots of courses in so you can have a go at making your own for all the fashionista, sparkly divas on a budget at the moment. Courses cost from £35 and you can go away with loads of jewellery.

The first one coming up on 18th of April is at the lovely Windswept Cafe on Fistral Beach: http://www.windsweptcafe.co.uk/ If you fancy actually making something gorgeous from all those bits of seaglass and appealing pebbles you collect, come along to this Recycled Jewellery workshop, and take home some lovely, unique seaside jewels!

The cafe is in a fantastic position, right on Fistral beach: so after a sustaining coffee and delicious brownie, we can take to the shores in the morning, foraging for seaside treaures such as:
* lovely opaque seaglass,
* bright seaplastic,
* worn driftwood
* smooth pebbles
* quirky seastring

Then it's back to the cafe with our horde, scoffing some delicious lunch and a laid-back, creative afternoon making our finds into stylish, wearable jewellery.

I'll go through wirework, crochet anbd stringing techniques from scratch so the workshop is perfect for complete beginners with extra challenging projects for more experienced makers.

The first workshop this year is on Saturday 18th April, 10-4pm

Course cost: £35 including lunch, coffee /tea and cakes!

call or email Sarah for details and bookings: 07951 960647 or 01726 68433

Bring a bucket and see you there!

Autumn update in the land of beads

2008-10-23T17:24:00.004+01:00

Christmas present collections
We’ve got some nice sparkly wintery collections ready for Christmas! Lots of
· chunky, irregular Swarovski pendants in sparkly clear and moody dark colours
· vintage brooches on dress rings and customised on necklaces
· plaited semi-precious stone bracelets in smokey quartz, onyx and garnet
· quirky hammered silver chains with antique charms and chunky stones
· black-black crocheted statement necklaces and cuffs for dramatic evening wear
With the credit crunch in mind, we’ve tried to keep prices reasonable with lots of pieces to retail for under £10 and under £20. Just email or call if you’d like to see the collections or have a look at some images.

Credit-crunch reductions: 1/3 off selected retail prices
We’ve knocked down prices on selected jewellery and tiaras to help you still afford a treat in these testing times!. We know a lot of people are nervous or struggling in the current climate so we’d like to help out with a bit of sparkle if we can! We’re finalising the reductions now and will follow up next week with a list of sale items: they should show on the website price then anyway. Just let us know if you have queries at all or would like to order anything. sarah@sarahdrew.com or 01726 68433

new recycled jewellery and retailers recycled fair at Wadebridge
On Tuesday 28th October we’ll be hauling lot’s of lovely recycled goodies to the Greener Retailing Show at the Royal Cornwall Showground in Wadebridge. We’ll be taking all our new darker sea-plastic necklaces on suede, slate and sea-glass jewellery along with our popular antique collection. It’s on from 9.30am – 3.30 pm and looks like it will be a good day! To book your free place please visit www.greenerretailing.co.uk or call Jo Lake on 07737772181 for more information.

new bridal collections for 2009: vintage/quirky/sleek...

Our antique collections have been really popular so we’ve developed them further with:

· Vintage leaves: diamante/crystal and silver leaf asymmetric headdresses, cuffs and chokers

· 50s filigree: big, bold necklaces, encrusted with Swarovski crystals and vintage brooches set on crocheted silver wire

· Quirky: handmade hammered charm bracelets and delicate necklaces with vintage quirky charms: pretty goth...

· Sleek: contemporary, sterling silver collection: linea with big, clear rock crystals

· Structured lace: heavy, Prada-like lace structured into chokers/cuffs and little caps with wire, and loads of pearls

upcoming fairs and parties

We’re building up to a busy Christmas with Fairs and parties galore! We’ll be at the gorgeous atmospheric Fowey Christmas Fair on 6th and 7th December, taking lots of sparkly, vintage Christmas treats complete with gift-wrapping for you to peruse!

Our special handmade Christmas present parties are booking up fast. We’ve teamed up with Rachel Grigg, a textile designer who makes lovely bags, cushions and decorations to provides a nice cross-section of presents to buy, mostly for under a tenner or twenty quid!

Quite a cool idea to kick off a work do: we can come to your shop, you can choose lovely sparkly goodies and perhaps a new bag, then go out on the town to show them off! Oh yes, and you could order some presents for other people too...

Just let us know if you’d like to book one and we can get you in the diary: quick!

collecting at Crantock for 'Coast'

2008-09-16T17:45:00.004+01:00

I was very pleased to be asked by 'Coast' to be filmed talking about my jewellery and collecting reclaimed materials at Crantock last Friday. It's for their 'postcards from...' section of the programme and I talked about how I like using materials such as sea-glass, sea-plastic, string and driftwood from the beach in my jewellery.

Felt a bit daft on camera, being filmed with my little green bucket, looking out to sea. But it was good to discuss why I like using these thngs and the connection with where I get them from and the finished piece of jewellery.

There were a few curious dogs about, and a lifeguard hellbent on getting on camera, but aprt from that it all went very well and is due to be shown next spring: I'll keep you posted...

pebbles and fimo...

2008-05-26T10:57:00.003+01:00

Been a while since I last blogged: sorry about that. Been busy making orders and sunning myself in Andalucia! Picked up some nicely eroded pebbles there though, with loads of holes so I can connect them in a chunky handmade chain. That's when I get time though: busy time of year for sparkly tiaras and pearly necklaces for weddings...

Using a lot more pearls at the moment for wedding jewellery: brides seem to be going for bolder, simple looks to match striking, structured dresses. Our vintage collection is still very popular: brides are putting out asymetric spider or wild vintage headdresses with slinky Jenny Packham style dresses. Combs and grips are also going well to go in softer , more modern bridal hairstyles...

Bridal fairs are about finished now: the last one we did at the Jubilee Wharf in Penryn was great: a bit contemporary and alternative with eco venues such as Crasken Farm (www.greenerthangreenvenues.co.uk) beautiful hedghrow flowers from Fleur Parkinson (www.fleurparkinson.co.uk ) and wooden rings from Justin Duance and lovely precious rings from Mirri Damer (www.mirridamer.com ). The cafe's lovely there too: Miss Peapod's: nice food, cool music and very kid friendly with great toys and proper menu for the little monsters (www.misspeapod.jubileewharf.co.uk/peapod-home.html ).

And just remembered that we won an award!! Best accessories designer in the South West: I was well-chuffed! You can have a look at the other winners here: www.westcountryweddingawards.co.uk Was voted for by customers so nice to feel a bit appreciated!

Half term this week so desperately trying to think of interesting activities: fimo was good! Been wanting to do some for jewellery anyway and got it out with my lads: was a bit envious of the ones they did! Mine were a bit neat and boring: want to do big abtract pieces like they did but it's hard to fake...maybe will just pinch their ones. Swords coming out now so will maybe have to keep a bit of an eye on them! Won't leave it so long next time...

Sunny skies and chunky stones...

2008-02-06T21:10:00.000Z

What a difference a sunny day makes! Actually got to go out without my big white duvet coat on, look at some boats and half-heartedly shouted at scavenging seagulls (after my treacle and cheese sandwhiches) with some lovely Cornish sun on my back. It just lifts your spirits; and it's so nice not to have wet jeans bottoms...

Makes a difference with design ideas: can't bring myself to consider black and berry colours now. Got some lovely big (1.2 mm) light green jade beads that I just want to put in everything. They're lovely and heavy and make a nice clicky noise when you move them!

Going to use them to make a necklace along with a gold vintage brooch with turquoise and diamante stones: might put a cosmic swarovski bead in silver shade with it because I just love them. Nice that they're irregular but still really sparkly: the silver shade looks really vintagey as well...

And got some fresh looking BIG chunks of rose quartz: might put those with the yellow porcelain roses that I love: or maybe even the coffee coloured ones.

Getting ready for the Truro bridal fair at the Hall for Cornwall on Sunday 9th Feb: feel like doing loads of fresh colourful things so hope some adventurous brides will be coming along!

Done some BIG jewellery for the fashion show (Elegant Bride from Falmouth are doing it http://www.elegantbrides.co.uk/) so you won't miss it on the stage. Quite into BIG jewellery anyway at the moment (in case you hadn't notced!)

Anyway, need to get on: have to make a vintage centre for a rose on a lace choker for Bride! in Penzanze (http://www.brideincornwall.com/): it's quarter to 10 and I still have to fit in my nightly weetabix; life in the jewellery fast lane eh?!

new site and networking...

2008-01-13T19:08:00.000Z

This is the momentous occasion of my first blog: not very familiar with this mode of communication, so just hope I won't be too boring or long or cringeworthy...

My new website will finally be launched on Wednesday 15th after lots of cyber primping and faffing: have a look if you get chance and let me know (honestly) what you think: http://www.sarahdrew.com/.

I wanted to have a blog not just to keep my site up-to-date with offers and news but also to get in touch with other designers and like-minded jewellery enthusiasts to share ideas and information about good supplier websites and new techniques: it'd be nice to have a bit of creative networking without the stiff business cards...!

I also teach at Cornwall College and the Mid Cornwall School of Jewellery (http://www.mcsj.co.uk/ ) so it's nice to have chats about new projects and I'm happy to share ideas we generate on the courses. And if you ever get stuck making anything, let me know and I'll help sort it out if I can!

Now I'm going to forage my way through a box of last year's receipts for my tax return so that I can get on with making lovely summery jewellery guilt-free, to cheer me up during these dark, wet January days! Lots of deco bridal asymetric headdresses; butter-jade (nice soft citris yellow), porcelain roses and antique 50s crystals for nice fresh retro looks.

If you need a winter pick-me-up, we're giving away free sterling silver earrings with every necklace bought before the end of February: something for free is always good at this time of year!