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 :)

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. 

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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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I am having a SALE!! 10% OFF EVERYTHING!

Go on - treat yourself! You KNOW you just need that lovely piece for your summer hols or that wedding you are going to!

I am having a SALE! 10% OFF EVERYTHING!

** STARTED JUNE 30th - 10% OFF 10 DAY SALE. ENDS 9TH JULY **

On 9th July I will close my shop for over 2 weeks while I prepare for & attend a local music festival so get those items you LOVE NOW - especially OOAK items!!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AlteredEras

Oh & while I am here, take a peek at some new things :) All available in my shop on Etsy :)

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...