Sania Pell

handmade jewellery love

July 25, 2011  in handmade goodness

I definitely have a love for sparkles, sequins and a bit of decorative adornement, it must be the magpie in me. A beautiful piece of jewellery can lift an outfit and make you feel special. They can also be displayed in a corner of your room when you are not wearing them and make it feel special too. I put my favourite brooches and necklaces on display in my bedroom so I can enjoy them when I’m not wearing them and they give me a glimpse of joy as I walk past them.

They have been collected over the years, some as gifts and others as treats to myself. They’re all precious to me but not in an obvious way. There is no gold or diamonds involved, the value comes from the fond memories of parties and places and friends and the makers that I bought them from originally, and the love and attention that went into their making in the first place.

The button flower brooch above is by Grainne Morton, a friend from my college days in Edinburgh, who specialises in making amazing, unique pieces from found objects. I bought it at Origin where Grainne had a stall as a gift to myself for completing The Homemade Home , so it has a special place in my heart and sits on my bedroom shelf. I love the sparkle , the pattern and the shape.

The  two lace necklaces above are by another of my friends, Emma Cassi who makes the most lovely jewellery from vintage lace, beads and sequins. Beautiful to wear, they add a delicate little shimmer in just the right way.

The  necklace below is by Aiko Machida and is an origami ball made of leather. I bought it from her at Origin several years ago (I’ve been going to the Origin craft show every year since I left college) and I always receive lovely comments every time I wear it.

You can always make your own jewellery too with a bit of creativity. The brooch above is one that I made as a project in my book The Homemade Home. It’s a simple collection of pieces of broken, vintage jewellery, buttons and ribbon threaded onto a kilt pin to create a quirky, unique brooch.

Jewellery with a handmade, feel can also be bought on the high street at reasonable prices too. These brooches are all from a favourite shop of mine – Hoss Intropia – but shops like Accessorize and Anthropologie have a good selection too. I added my own touch to the brooch above, a little fluro pink ribbon to the neutral brooch just brightens up an outfit with the right amout of embellishment. The black beaded branch was given as a gift by a dear friend and looks wonderful on a coat.

So whether handmade, homemade or high street, lovely jewellery can decorate your outfit or your bedroom and give you a lift whenever you see it.

Do you have a favourite piece of jewellery?

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what view do you wake up to?

June 7, 2011  in handmade goodness, interior styling

I think waking up and seeing some of your favourite things is the perfect way to start the day, especially if your bedroom window doesn’t have a great look out.

This is the shelf on the wall at the end of my bed. Some of my favourite prints and vases in soft, natural greys with a splash of warm yellow and a little bit of wrongness to make it right – a block of fluorescent yellow.

The framed print is one of my favourite possessions. It’s a signed print by the artist Craigie Aitchison that I bought about ten years ago as something I could really enjoy every day and that I could pass down to my children.

As well as homemade and vintage things, I really appreciate handmade work by artists and crafts people and love to support them when I can. The elegant tall dark grey vase and rounded mid-grey one are both by Sophie Cook who produces beautiful ceramics. The little white ceramic cube with the black line is by Niina Kuosmanen. I bought it from her at ‘One Year On’ at the New Designers show a couple of years back and love them as every cube is unique. The little white vase I bought at Origin a while back and I love its simplicity and shape.  Unfortunately the stamp on the bottom is unclear ( ‘MO’ I think) and I can’t remember who made it!  If you recognise it please let me know in the comments.

The bright yellow cube screen print is by Sophie Smallhorn who does really beautiful, graphic work. The vintage spectacles are a car boot sale purchase and the flower brooch is by my friend and very talented jeweller Grainne Morton. I bought it as a gift to myself when I finished writing The Homemade Home.

What view do you wake up to?

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happiness at hand

May 27, 2011  in handmade goodness, my london

The Hand Sale in Notting Hill is a craft fair that I just cannot resist, it only takes the smallest amount of persuasion and I’m there. My will power is minimal when it comes to beautiful handmade goodies and an invitation by email and a nudge by my friend Sarah was all I needed to hop on the bus.

I didn’t have long, about 40 minutes to whizz around, but I still found some sweet little objects I could not leave without. Here they are.

This little ceramic bowl is by Fliff Carr, the bird image came from an old book of her father’s and I love it.

These little spoons are from Kirsten Hecktermann; a girl can never have too many beautiful spoons!

I photographed them on a postcard of a painting by Pierre Soulages which I bought at his exhibition at the Pompidou Centre a couple of years ago, it brings back lovely memories of a birthday trip to Paris with my husband.

Lovely little things to make a girl happy. Happy Friday everyone.

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