I realised this morning that I never actually came back to this blog :( I haven't restarted the jewellery, it's a saturated market and I'm just not good enough to be able to make a living out of it. The ancient history business didn't go well at all either (spot a pattern here? XD) and back in Easter I got a full time job in the civil service and moved to London!

I have however opened up a new Etsy shop for vintage books. It's called The Bibliophile and it's had a few sales :D I'm slowly but surely uploading more stuff as and when photographs get done.

And to go with the new shop I opened up a new blog, called The British Bibliophile. It's very similar to Trinkets and Charms so if you missed my random posts you are more than welcome to follow me over there!

I may come back one day and relaunch T&C with some different products, or find the time to properly develop my jewellery, but for the time being The Bibliophile is getting my attention.

Thank you everyone that followed me, I hope you're all well!

~ Katie

So those of you that read this blog and check out my Etsy shop may have noticed that A) I've stopped updating and B) my Etsy shop is in vacation mode.

This is because of 2 things:

1. I launched my "main" business back in April, doing ancient history presentations and artefact handling for schools. The preparation and marketing for this has, naturally, taken up all of my time.

2. I did a craft fair back in May at my local village fair and sold quite a lot. Not only did this decimate my stock but it also led me to wonder why I wasn't selling on Etsy when there were clearly people interested in my work, so I decided to take a break and have a think.


So basically it's a combination of no time and needing to do a lot of work. Jewellery making is a hobby but it's still a hobby that I'd like to see become successful in it's own right. I've learned a lot from my ancient history stuff, experience that I'm going to put towards Trinkets & Charms in the future.

I decided to put my Etsy shop in vacation mode to let listings of the items currently for sale expire, and so I didn't need to worry about checking for sales. I'm currently working on a proper business plan for it, because even though it's a hobby I do need to get ideas down on paper, and then I can start working on rebuilding my whole shop.

I'm hoping to be back in September, depending on various things going on over the summer. If I'm not back by then I'll hopefully remember to come and post an update here XD

In the mean time you can always follow the blog for my ancient history stuff, which covers Etsy as I'm planning on selling some things in the "educational" section over there (at the moment it mostly covers Zazzle as I'm selling ancient history-themed designs over there), my blog is here:

http://creativeclassicsforkids.blogspot.com/

See you soon! :)

- Katie
Trinkets & Charms

This is the second to last section of my “I Want That In My Home” series. All there’s left after the study is the bathroom. So clearly I’m going to need to find something new to blog about XD

So as you can probably guess, I’ve moved on to the study/home office. Since I hope to be self employed by the end of the year this is a subject that’s very close to my heart. I just hope that I’ve managed to get everything you would normally find in a study.

The first thing we need is furniture, and no study can possibly be called a study unless it has a desk.



This gorgeous desk is “French inspired” desk is from ShabbyChicFairytale, a lovely south California Etsy shop. The shop has a range of beautiful chic furniture, most of them in a similar French inspired style.



This chair may not match the desk but I love the colours! The frame is vintage while the upholstery is, obviously, more recent. This is straight from ReclaimTheThrone, and most of the shop is all about things you can sit on! Along with more chairs there’s also a settee, footstools and a pillow or two.

You then need something on your wall to help you keep track of time, especially if, like me, you constantly misplace your watch and never switch on your mobile phone.



I went for this clock because I love the shade of pink, and the pattern. It’s called “Hummingbird Vines” and is from KonaInteriors. This shop is all about clocks, in a huge variety of patterns and colours, mostly wall clocks but a few desk clocks (they come with a little stand to rest on) and there’s even a plate clock! If you’re looking for something new to stick on your wall, definitely check out this shop.

And then your desk needs a little colour, and if you have a computer on it then that colour can come from a mousemat!



This funky mousemat was created by GilmoreCreations. This shop has a selection of beautiful items in modern colours, there’s also some fabric hairbands, ribbon keyrings and leather hair accessories, so definitely have a look!

And that’s it for today. Part two of the study will be up on Wednesday!

Welcome to Wednesday! I hope everyone is having a good week :D I’m currently catching up on CSI episodes.

So on to Bedroom part 2 of the “I Want That In My Home” series. We managed to get the usual things, bed, bedsheets and cushions out the way, now we need the little details to really make it cosy.

And the first thing every girl needs in her bedroom is something soft to cuddle.



This gorgeously soft-looking bear is a from the home of ClareBear. Her shop is all about handmade cuddlies, along with other soft furry bears in various fur colours from chocolate, to grey, and biscuit, she also makes sock bears. Sock bears are a little less fuzzy but three times more colourful, especially the dotty sock one! And if you can’t quite justify buying a whole bear, she also sells little felt bear keyrings!

If you’re anything like me then you like having photos of family and friends around the place, and you need nice frames to put your photos in.



This lovely pale blue frame is by tadworks, and I love the colours! Her shop has several more photo frames in other colours including a lovely bold “dots and lines” pattern, and she also sells “desktop companions” (I also want one of these for my desk) and cute phone charms, lots of little things to compliment your things.



This stunning jewellery box comes straight from Mosabox, their shop has a wide selection carved boxes with mosaic decoration, as well as a mirror and some lovely antique bits as well. Judging from one of the feedback comments this seller is in Syria, but they state in their listings that they ship via DHL, so you won’t need to wait for months until your item reaches you.



And finally you need something nice to go on your carpet to brighten up the floor. This fantastically coloured rug is made from a huge selection of felt balls! The creator, Krita, has a variety of felt things, including loose felt balls for your own projects!

And there we have my bedroom wishlist! On Sunday I will probably be moving on to the bathroom. Or a study. I haven’t quite decided yet XD See you then!

It’s Sunday, and you know what that means! Today we’re moving on to bedroom!

To anyone new to this, I am currently running a series of blog entries on the theme of “I Want That In My Home”. If I ever win the lottery, I am going to be going on a VERY big shopping spree on Etsy XD You will also notice that I have no sense of matching styles and colours and I tend to be fascinated by both vintage and modern.

So, bedroom, first thing you need is a bed to sleep in!



I’m assuming this bed doesn’t come with all the stuff on it XD I love the carved bed posts! This bed is in the shop of VintageChicFurniture, a New York shop that also sells gorgeous vintage furniture on Etsy. Along with beds they have dressers, antique bookcases and even an antique baby cot!



And on your bed you need some sheets. I’m a total sucker for oriental themes like cherry blossoms, and this elegant set is from UrbanAccentHome. This shop also has wall decals, chandeliers, and other beautiful items to jazz up your home!



Admittedly I already have a patchwork quilt which my Mum made when I was a child, but if I didn’t I would love to have one like this, made by Quiltville. As the name suggests the shop is all about patchwork quilts, from lovely pastel ones like the one above, to bright zesty colours, and she sells patterns so you can make your own!



And finally I want another cushion to go on my bed (along with pillows). And for my bedroom I have one that at least fits in with the duvet pattern XD This elegant cushion is created by DimmalimmHome out of kimono silk!! There’s more in her shop, which also has slip-on coasters for glasses.

And that’s it for today! As before, check in on Wednesday for the second part :D See you then!

Hello everyone! Welcome to my Wednesday blog post!

So, returning to the kitchen. We’ve got all the basics out of the way with our teatowels, pottery and pretty aprons to wear when cooking. So now we need a little something to decorate it, something that cheers the place up and makes you smile when you see it.



I love this sign! I’m sure there are a whole load of stressful women out there that wish they could smack their partners over the head with this sign XD This was made by JessyKayne, who has a ton of these lovely signs in her shop, from small elegant ones that say “His” and “Hers” to larger ones that include motifs such as “I found my Prince, I call him Daddy”, covering Grandparents, Mums and Dads, boys and girls, this shop covers the whole range of family members that you will, at some point, need to buy a gift for.

Right, moving on, if you ever step in to my mothers kitchen one of the first things that will draw your eye is the number of cookery books she has, and all the folders that have recipes cut out from magazines. I’m not even sure if she uses all of them. What she needs is to condense them down in to a recipe box...



I have had my eye on GiftsandTalents for a while now because I think her shop is lovely! Her shop has recipe card boxes, trinket boxes and gift vouchers, all decoupaged and made to your specific order. The ones she lists are just examples, if you buy from her you can choose your own colours and image choices, which is why the gift vouchers are so handy! You can buy a voucher for a friend or family member and then they get to choose how they want it to look, so you both know they will receive something they actually like the look of (always my main worry when I buy a gift for someone).

And then finally your kitchen needs its cupboard stocked with lots of tasty things!



Those of you who spend any amount of time in the Etsy Promotions forum will no doubt have come across the wonderful Teaman. He sounds like an overly British superhero, flying through the air making sure everyone has their morning cuppa. And the name doesn’t lie, his shop is completely dedicated to the delicious drink that is tea. From teabag samplers in a lovely tin, to bulk buys, loose leaf selections and variety samplers, this shop really does give you a great variety to choose from.



It is impossible to be a UK blogger talking about food, without mentioning the wonderful Marmalady. She can only send food within the UK, so sorry Americans, but you can at least indulge in the photos of her lovely things! She has fudge (fuuuudge!), cakes, flapjacks, biscuits, jam and of course her namesake, marmalade, and not just plain old orange stuff as well! If you’re a bit bored with Seville oranges then try out her lemon and lime marmalade, or the pink grapefruit!



Right, to make up for the fact that I have just taunted a lot of you with British delights that you can’t have, I shall end with an American food seller. SkippingSkones is an American baker whose shop also has a range of cakes and biscuits, including these incredible “cake lollies”. These are baked fresh and you can specify your flavour from a list of twenty, including strawberry, peanut butter and plain old chocolate. She also has toffee apples, pretzel sticks and “soup mix in a jar”.

.....Is anyone else hungry now?

Crikey, I managed to remember to actually do this! I’m going to give myself a round of applause!

For those that missed last Sunday, I am currently running a new blog feature called “I Want The In My Home”, going from room to room in my imaginary house. This idea came to me after I failed to win £113 million in the Euromillions lottery. Had I won I would have spent an insane amount of money on Etsy XD So instead of shopping, I am merely window shopping, and dreaming, and blogging about it all.

So today we move on to my imaginary kitchen! Obviously I imagine buying a fridge or cooker or kitchen cupboards would be rather difficult on Etsy, unless you want to buy vintage which I don’t (no offence to vintage sellers but I’d rather have a fridge that doesn’t need repairs every other week XD) but there are plenty of little things you can buy to make your cooking area more like a home and less like a small canteen.

Let’s take teatowels as an example...



These gorgeously bright teatowels are by the California-based SommerDesigns, her shop is full of brightly coloured things from the towels above, to aprons, zipper pouches and bags, and with lots of gorgeous patterns as well.



And when you’re cooking you need something to protect your clothes and in my case I would like this gorgeous one! Handmade by the apronqueen, as you can tell by her name her shop deals exclusively in aprons. But don’t let that make you think her shop is dull because it certainly isn’t! Along with adult aprons like the one above she also sells childrens aprons and really cute “half aprons”, all of which look fantastic!

And obviously you need something to eat foot off!



This lovely plate is from the shop of chutneyblakedesigns, a Dallas crafter whose shop has not only plates but beautifully decorated ceramic photoframes and coasters, including custom-made ones for your college, and flower pots, with animal and floral prints and polka-dot patterns.



I will be the first to admit that this bowl does not match the above plate in the slightest XD But if you haven’t noticed my eclectic colour choices by now then you aren’t really reading this blog properly. This beautiful blue and white bowl is was made by KarinLorenc, whose shop is all pottery! Bowls, mugs, casserole dishes, jugs, all in simple but bright colours.



And then finally we have this gorgeous pink and white floral pattern cup and saucer (for my tea!) are from AmongstLovelyThings, she hand paints a variety of pottery, plates, mugs, coffee pots and serving trays, with butterflies, flourishes and other lovely designs.

And that is all for today! The second half will be up on Wednesday and features some yummies!