An 'Altered' Advent Calendar !

I wanted to try to do an advent calendar of sorts for my blog & facebook page but it appears I am 3 days too late !!

So to catch up I will post 1 & 2 today, 3 & 4 tomorrow then 5 & 6 on Thurs (6th) & we will be all caught up !!

So the theme is the A-Z of Altered Eras !!

********** 1st December = A **********

Well 'A' has to be for Altered Eras !! 

Altered Eras was born on Etsy as a sister shop to my previous incarnation where I sold online but mostly at events & fairs.

But I never REALLY felt I was making things I liked, things I would buy or that were 'me' 

& so my focus changed & Altered Eras was born !!

So maybe 'A' could be for 'about' too & where better to read about it all than here - http://www.etsy.com/shop/AlteredEras/about/ 

- My Etsy 'About' page !

A could also be for Acorn

The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives .

The Norse legend that Thor sheltered from a thunderstorm under an oak tree has led to the belief 

that having an acorn on a windowsill will prevent a house from being struck by lightning.

The acorn is a symbol of strength and power. In the fall, these tiny yet hardy little nuggets 

drop from the oak trees to land on the ground. 

Most will be eaten by passing wildlife, but a few will survive to form a new tree in the spring. 

Because the acorn only appears on a fully mature oak, it is often considered 

a symbol of the patience needed to attain goals over long periods of time. 

It represents perseverance and hard work.

swarovski pearl acorn earrings

And lastly - because its not all about me - a DIY project, recipe or gift

A is for 

Apple (Dried) & Orange Slice Ornaments

Easy peasy as (apple ) pie (sorry) !!

Simply dry the fruit slices then glue together with dried berries, greenery or cinnamon sticks (etc) & attach twine or ribbon ...

Then hang on the tree or as an extra special addition to your wrapping.

They will smell wonderful too :)

Classic Book Necklace Giveaway !

Win a Classic Book Necklace of your own.

Choose from Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Pride & Prejudice & Dracula.

************ NOW CLOSED *************

What do I win?

Featuring an originally designed pendant (by Altered Eras) manufactured in cream coloured acrylic to represent a vintage book.

On 1 'page' is the iconic quote from whichever is your choice of novel and the other shows the relevant title of the book & author.

These are printed using quality methods directly onto the acrylic meaning they won't peel or scratch off; giving you an incredibly hard wearing, unique necklace. The pendant measures approx 35mm x 22 mm. 

I have surely attached an antique bronze plated bail & it hangs on a bronze plated etched cable chain of 17 inches. I have included an extender & little bronze key charm at the end to complete. It fastens with a bronze plated lobster clasp which allows the necklace to be clasped along the chain to be shortened if necessary.

So pretty with a touch of steampunk drama! A truly unique piece that any fan of The Classics would be  proud to wear ...This original design is under the ownership of Altered Eras & has UDR with Intellectual Property Office. 

How can I enter ?

Anyone can enter - I will send internationally to Europe, USA, Canada, Australia & New Zealand.

TO ENTER ( mandatory) :

Number1 - Browse my Etsy Shop and tell me what your favourite item is and why. Please post this here along with your choice of pendant (above) should you win.

FOR ADDITIONAL ENTRIES (optional) :

Number2 - Like my Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/AlteredEras (If you already 'like' my page, just let me know so it still counts as an entry!)

Number3 - Share my Giveaway on Facebook.

Number4 - Follow me on Twitter. (Again, entry still counts if you're already following me!) - @AlteredEras

Number5 - Tweet about my Giveaway.

Number6 - Opt-in to my email newsletters where there will be discount codes for my online shops, giveaway notifications, new product launches and more! (Just follow this link - http://eepurl.com/fm6go )

There will only be one randomly picked winner for the necklace prize & it will be picked using a random number generator (each entry will be issued with a number).  

Each thing you do is equivalent to one entry, so there is a maximum of 6 entries! If you do all 6, please leave 6 separate blog comments to indicate each one!

The Giveaway ends on Wednesday 14th November at 8PM GMT.
***** EXTENDED TILL 9AM THURSDAY 15TH NOVEMBER GMT . *****

**************** NOW CLOSED ******************

I will be contacting the winner over he next few days (before sunday) so please check those inboxes !!

Winner will be randomly picked (using a random number generator hence the need for separate comment for each entry ) and announced by Sunday 18th, and will have one week to respond to my initial email so please ensure that there is a way for me to contact you by - Facebook, Email, Twitter etc... Good Luck!

If I need a necklace now or I dont win - can I buy one?

Absolutely, yes !! 

Just visit my Etsy shop & the literary lovelies section to see all the literary styled  items I make.

NB - Altered Eras reserves the right to extend the expiration date of the giveaway.

New Venture - THINGS BRITISH - Exciting New Shop in London...

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Altered Eras can now be found in a London shop - Things British, Kingly Court, Carnaby Street.

  Here is a slideshow of a selection of the wonderful designer makers that can be found there...

THINGS BRITISH was created to support and promote a community – a thriving network of designer makers from all corners of Britain. From ceramics to furniture, jewellery to glass, metalwork to textiles - designer makers played a massive role in the social, cultural and artistic history of Britain. For centuries Britain was a nation of makers and society was built around such skills. In these modern times, however, life is very different indeed.

"Few people today can say that they possess the skills required to make even a basic necessity in life, let alone any niceties."

Practical making skills that formed the basic fabric of our society are disappearing and have all but been replaced by mass production and a society where a "disposable" attitude had become almost standard. It is only in recent times that people have started to think seriously about reviving and preserving these skills - before they are lost forever.

"Out of a population of more than 60 million people, less than 0.01% professionally practice making skills today."

Designer makers are a part of our culture and society that need to be recognised and celebrated. Making skills have started to grow and bloom over the last few years. THINGS BRITISH aims to help support, nurture and preserve British crafting skills and jobs and to celebrate our ever-evolving British cultural society.

THINGS BRITISH is an innovative, contemporary new business designed from the start to help and support British designer makers by providing a much needed network of retail shops and support. THINGS BRITISH is more than a shop - it’s a gallery, a museum and a fun place to socialise and learn about British craft.

THINGS BRITISH aims to become the largest retail brand destination for things handcrafted, unique and special, backed by an appreciation from the public that eagerly wants to support and buy British. 

         * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I think you will agree that this is an exciting new venture that shouldn't be missed!
Want to see more? find more pictures here - 
Things British - Products In Store

Or want to apply to join? More info here - 
Things British - Info for Designer Makers
 
Check here for more updates coming soon!
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Art Nouveau - what is it?

Last week I posted a few new Art Nouveau Necklaces to my Etsy Shop - an artistic style I just LOVE - so thought it might be good to explore the genre a bit...


So asking the question - What is Art Nouveau - this is what I got...





Art Nouveau Anglicised to /ˈɑːrt nuːˈvoʊ/) is an international philosopy and style of art, architecture and applied art —especially the decorative arts —that were most popular during 1890–1905. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art". It is known also as Jugendstil, German for "youth style", named for the magazine Jugend, which promoted it, and in Italy, Stile Liberty from the department store in London, Liberty & Co., which popularised the style. A reaction to academic art of the 19th century, it was inspirated in natural forms and structures, not only in flowers and plans, also in curve lines. The architects tried to be in harmony with the natural enviroment. It is also considered a philosophy of design of furniture. They must be designed according to the whole building and making part of ordinary life.

The style was influenced strongly by the Czech artist Alphonse Mucha (the above picture is the Mucha Lithograph Zodiac from 1896), when Mucha produced a poster, which appeared on 1 January 1895 in the streets of Paris as an advertisement for the play Gismonda by Victorien Sardou, featuring Sarah Bernhardt. It popularised the new artistic style and its creator to the citizens of Paris. Initially named Style Mucha, (Mucha Style), his style soon became known as Art Nouveau.

Art Nouveau was most popular in Europe and the British Isles, but its influence was global. Hence, it is known in various guises with frequent localised tendencies. In France, Hector Guimard's Paris metro entrances were of art nouveau style. . Art Nouveau was also a style of distinct individuals such as Gustav Klimt, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Alphonse Mucha, René Lalique, Antoni Gaudí and Louis Comfort Tiffany, each of whom interpreted it in their own manner.

Although Art Nouveau was replaced by 20th-century modernist styles, it is considered now as an important transition between the historicism of Neoclassicism and modernism. Furthermore, Art Nouveau monuments are now recognised by UNESCO with their World Heritage List as significant contributions to cultural heritage. The historic center of Riga, Latvia, with "the finest collection of art nouveau buildings in Europe", was included on the list during 1997 in part because of the "quality and the quantity of its Art Nouveau/Jugendstil architecture", and four Brussels town houses by Victor Horta were included during 2000 as "works of human creative genius" that are "outstanding examples of Art Nouveau architecture brilliantly illustrating the transition from the 19th to the 20th century in art, thought, and society".

Those involved in the Art Nouveau or New Art Movement wanted to take art away from its classical forms and create a new type of view on art in its various formats. This movement lasted in Europe & North America from approx the 1880's until World War I.It tried to break down the barriers between all types of art, from the traditional, like paintings and sculpture, to arts and crafts, including jewelry, textiles, doors and wallpaper. In this, the Art Nouveau Movement may have succeeded, because both traditional art and non-traditional art from the period are remembered today as being representative of the Art Nouveau period.

Art Nouveau pieces have many curvilinear lines incorporated into their designs and are more organic, focusing on vines, flowers, leaves, insects, birds and, in many cases, women's bodies and faces.

As with any movement when creative human beings interact, there were not clean lines of demarcation in Art Nouveau. For example, the effects of the Industrial Revolution influenced the direction individual Art Nouveau artists took, although artists did not all go on the same path. Some artists embraced the new technologies that were created during the Industrial Revolution. Architects were particularly blessed to have innovations such as steel-reinforced concrete, electric lights and elevators and more ceramic tiling for decoration. On the other hand, some Art Nouveau artists disliked the changes that the Industrial Revolution brought to society and chose to seep their work in mysticism or ancient mythology.

In addition, the Art Nouveau period did not start in 1880 and end with the advent of World War I. Some experts do not set the starting date of Art Nouveau until the 1890s, and artists and architects in some countries, such as Spain, were using Art Nouveau styles well after the end of the Great War.

Art Nouveau was then succeeded later in the 20th Century by the emergent Art Deco style, which incorporated more geometrical shapes and had an even more stylized appearance. However,Art Nouveau still holds somewhat of an influence in certain decorative arts, especially jewellery.

And talking of jewellery, here is a selection of my new necklaces, all representing this WONDERFUL artistic style -

http://www.etsy.com/listing/63083061/art-nouveau-poppy-necklace-the-poppy

http://www.etsy.com/listing/63084307/art-nouveau-poppy-necklace-the-poppy

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78934224/art-nouveau-female-figure-necklace-love

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78936927/art-nouveau-reclining-female-necklace

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78964374/art-nouveau-repousse-necklace-flowing

Well, this is my first blog & I'm not sure where to begin...

I have just started a new sister company - Altered Eras - to my main business - Heavenly Handmade - primarily because I wanted to keep the two things separate.

I design & manufacture handcrafted jewelry & am now concentrating on Steampunk & vintage - styled designs.

So far, I have made a number of Steampunk pieces & these are for sale on my Etsy store (another new venture), but there are many more to come & a few are halfway there ... :)

So far, with Heavenly Handmade, I have sold at local & craft fayres & on Ebay (.co.uk) but I think I plan to sell my new creations mainly on Etsy. Will need to see how it goes... A local shop has approached me to sell a few pieces through them but I am conscious of costs - again will see how that goes...