Red Hot Sal

I’ve got so much jewellery, it’s downright silly. I tend to go back to the same designers but it is great fun to find a new range that I like. I’m going to share one of my favourite designers with you. Her name’s Sally and she lives in England, in the countryside somewhere north of here. (You can tell I’m a London girl at heart!)

Sally makes her fabulous lampwork beads by hand and her company goes by the name of Red Hot Sal. She doesn’t do this as a hobby, lampworking is a full time job for her, and it shows in the quality of her work. Her beads are made from melted Effetre glass (also known as Moretti glass) from Italy and Lauscha glass from Germany which is unsurpassed for its sparkle and brilliance. What I love about her work is that it’s so vibrant, fun and funky. You can buy individual beads and customise your own necklace, earring and bracelet sets, or buy sets ready-made by Sally. Sally is happy to make jewellery and beads to order, although she does get very busy in the run up to Christmas so you need to get your Christmas order in early.

You may meet Sally at bead fairs across the country – check out her website for events. I met her at a bead fair and was amazed at the huge selection she had – she’s got hundreds. And she’s a lovely lady too! You can sign up for an email newsletter on her site. Sally teaches individuals to make lampwork beads – one of these days, I’m going to get myself out of the city and learn how to make these little bits of eye candy.

Check out some of the pieces I’ve bought. And get your credit card out!

Handmade wedding shoes & jewellery

This year is all weddings, wedding, weddings! Julia gets married on Valentine’s Day, Jane’s hen party is in May and her wedding is in June. What a great start to the year!

I went with Jane to look at bridal shoes. It’s very hard to find a pair that you like and that match the shade of the dress (although you can sometimes get them dyed). They are expensive too, especially if you only wear them for one day.

Silvia of Admaribe makes shoes that are made specifically for your feet so you know that they will fit perfectly! These are not cheap either, but if you’re comfortable on your wedding day, then they are worth it.

If you want your shoes (or any other item) embroidered, try Goldstitch, who work with Admaribe.

Anne Gray can supply exquisite wedding jewellery and wedding favours at very reasonable prices, you can email her at anne.c.gray at talktalk.net

Bling

Don’t you just love bling? I’ve bought some from the QVC shopping channel after admiring Lizzie’s bling, and she told me to look at this site. It’s fab. I got this for less than the cost of a meal out -

and these pretty earrings -

Why wait for a man to buy you nice jewellery when you can get your own?

GAL verdict :