Bajoran Earrings

Hello everybody!

I've decided not to hide my light under a bushel any more where Bajoran earrings are concerned.

For those of you who aren't familiar with this particular piece of jewellery, a Bajoran earring is a stud worn on the right ear, linked with a chain or chains to a top piece (cuff, stud, or hoop). The chain can be decorated with crystals, beads, swirls, and sometimes the lower stud has a drop or dangle from it, usually very short. They are both a male and a female adornment.
For about six months I've been wearing mine habitually and getting the occasional compliment about it. Now, however, I've decided to take the plunge and make them for others. In silver, of course.

This madness was prompted by one 'I looooooove it! Where did you get that?' too many. And of course the disappointment of ladies' faces when I said I only had one, and that was mine, mine, all mine. Ahem.
So Eccentric Raven Jewellery's Facebook has pictures of some options for your very own Bajoran earring. They are of course very soon coming to Blogger too. And no, you don't have to be a Star Trek fan to wear one.

Style icons

I thought I'd share a little bit about my style.
What I wear varies from day-to-day, but I have three enduring inspirations:

• Asian fashion
• Hippy Style, a la Kate Winslet in Hideous Kinky
• My mum

Things I love about Asian fashion:

• It's always so bright and happy- looking through Caldmore in Walsall or the Alum Rock Road in Walsall I'm confronted with more colours on a single piece than in most Western clothes stores
• It's comfortable- my kameez has plenty of scope for moving my arms around, AND covers the salwar's handy elastic waist.
• It's cool- or warm- depending what you need.
• It just looks so glamorous- for well inside £30 I can buy an outfit I'd be happy to wear anywear. Comfortable enough to go shopping or work, and sharp enough to wear in a meeting, or, if chosen carefully, to a wedding.

Things I love about hippyishness:

• Practically everything can have a spin put on it
• Nobody cares if you haven't blow-dried your hair to within an inch of its life, and there's no need for lots of makeup (in fact, you're an infidel if anything but kohl goes anywhere near your face!)
• Bright and happy again- can you tell, my mood depends on what I wear?
• 
  

Things I love about my mum's style:

• It's totally unique, but she always seems to have her finger on the pulse. 
• She can do classics really well
• She carries off short curly/wavy hair in the style of Anna Chancellor in Crush, which is something I'd always admired but never got up the courage for
• She managed to get complimented on how she looked at the school gate, having made the morning run still in her pyjama top.
• Her jewellery collection is just that: a collection. She's got more jewellery than my whole office/workshop! And it ranges from casual beady stuff to some really beautiful classy pieces.

Anyway, check out the chunky copper necklace I made earlier. Not sure which of those three inspired it.

All the best

ERJ

The joys (of creativity) are back in town!

Sorry, I couldn't resist the corny title, but then I've always had a soft spot for Thin Lizzy.
Anyway, hope you guys are all OK and the citizens of Penrith whose lives touched mine are not too disheartened by my absence. (For those of you who don't know Penrith, it's a little town in Cumbria with a castle really good for clambering all over and having picnics on). Anyway, the citizens of Penrith may (or may not) be missing me because Eccentric Raven Jewellery is back in Birmingham where it belongs!!!!
Big cheer!!!
I spent an awful awful lot of money at the weekend at Cheltenham Rock'n'Gem'n'Bead show. I had a really lovely time there though, and managed to get most of the things on my list. There were a few little bits that eluded me, though, but I'll hunt 'em down! Luckily none of them were for ongoing orders, so all's well on that front. Speaking of ongoing orders, now is a good time to place orders. Obviously you're a little bit late for Mother's day (unless you're living in Birmingham), but you've got plenty of time for all those other occasions. Time to order your special little gifts for Passover, Easter, and Beltane.
And don't forget to look out for details of upcoming Eccentric Raven events to be held in Birmingham! Get in touch if:

• You're a venue and you want to
• raise awareness of your site
• bring more people into a venue or place or worship
• reach more people- be they potential events customers or potential worshippers
•  add to your calendar
• You're an artist or potential trader
• and you want to test the market and adapt your goods
• established, wanting to reach more clients
• wanting to try your hand at something a bit different
• and you want to see how your work is received before you go into business
• wanting to add to your mailing list/social media following
• wanting to build a name for yourself in the local community

Anyway, got to dash, beads to fiddle with!

Best wishes

ERJ xx

After the Fair!

Hello all!!
Well, ERJ was really pleased with how the Made in Penrith Spring Fair went.
We had a deceptively steady trickle of interested members of the public, and everyone had a really great time. For the student entrepreneurs, it was a fantastic experience and a first 'baby step' into commerce.
I was kept busy all day running around like a headless chicken- organising extra tablecloths, leaflets, change for traders, bags, mailings lists, etc., etc..
And THAT was on top of making jewellery, selling it, and chatting to customers about my products. It's always so great when people are interested in what they're buying, rather than just picking something up because it's pretty. I had all kinds of questions fired at me:
How long does it take you to make these?
Why is this stone that colour?
What's the cultural significance of these bangles?
What kind of crystal is this?
If I wanted something for arthritis, what crystals might I choose?
I think I might have to take my Crystal Bible with me next time, because I can't remember what the healing properties of hemimorphite are off the top of my head!
And, best of all:
How on EARTH did you come up with that idea? I love it!!!
Anyway, I'd best be off
Best wishes
ERJ
PS
I look forward to being back in Penrith soon to see some old friends, Fair customers, and to have a good look at the castle!

Latest! Made in Penrith Spring Fair!

Upcoming event- Made in Penrith Spring Fair

An exciting new event is coming to Penrith, hosted by St Andrew's Parish Church.

The 'Made in Penrith' Spring Fair will give local artists and craftspeople the chance to sell and showcase their wares, from mittens to necklaces.

The hope is that the day will help build links between the Penrith community and students at University of Cumbria's nearby Newton Rigg campus, who are playing a key role in the organisation. Harriet, 20, says “it'll be a great opportunity for the students and townspeople to mix for a day”.

Some of the goods on sale will include jewellery, photography prints, and home-made truffles (mmm!).

For some students, this may be the first time they've sold their work commercially. Others are dab hands at pricing, packaging and selling.

It's hoped that this might even become an annual celebration of Penrith's creativity. Becca, 19, studying at Newton Rigg, says “ It's a really nice idea, because it'll give a chance for local small businesspeople to promote their individuality”. The event will also encourage more footfall into St Andrew's, and hopefully more engagement with the Church. St Andrews' Rev David Sargent wrote: “It is something we are very keen to develop in St Andrew's as a large community space in the centre of the town.”

The Made in Penrith Spring Fair will be running from 10 am onwards on Saturday March 12^th, 2011, in St Andrew's Church, Penrith.

If you are interested in holding a stall on the day to sell your own products, please e-mail either Sophie Merrick (student organiser) on sopmerrick@hotmail.co.uk or Rev David Sargent of St Andrew's Church on revdave.sargent@talk21.com. Alternatively, you can telephone Sophie on 07948992841. 

Upcoming Event: Made In Penrith Spring Fair

Eccentric Raven Jewellery is really excited about an event happening in Penrith, Cumbria, UK.
The fact that the event's been pretty much single-handedly organised by ERJ is quite beside the point, by the way. The Made in Penrith Spring Fair is happening on Saturday 12th March, 2011 at St Andrew's Church, Penrith from 10 am onwards. ERJ will be there, along with a bunch of other student enterprises and local businesses, from truffles to cakes to crochet hats and gloves. The event's going to have a great flea-market feel to it, and any visitors will be able to pick up artisan hand-crafted goods at student prices, as well as smaller gifts ideal for souvenirs and keepsakes.
Really hope to see you there! More detailed articles are going to be in the Beacon Magazine, published by the Church, and I'll post the full article on here too.
So make sure you're in Penrith on Saturday 12th March and bring your pocket money!
Best wishes
ERJ

Spring Fair 2011

Hello all
I think this is the first blog for Eccentric Raven, so first and foremost, welcome. I've just come back from Spring Fair 2011, having battled a tummy bug to get there, and managed to buy some lovely materials from one of my long-standing favourite suppliers of crystal beads. So we can hope for some fantastic new items with some of my show finds. I make a solemn promise now that I will, definitely, absolutely, honestly, keep you and this blog up-t-date with latest news about Eccentric Raven Jewellery. For more frequent updates, search for us on Facebook.

Goodbye for now
Best wishes
ERJ x