Hello there, Today marks one year since my very first sale and the 'birth' of The Vamoose! As a small thank you to all the support you have given, I'm offering the chance to win an item, any item, of your choice from the shop. All are welcome to enter, just be sure to follow the guidelines below and ensure the product is in stock. EDIT: This giveaway has ended. Thank you so much to everyone who took part! I ended up randomly selecting two winners. Congrats to Meredith who chose the serpentine and metal necklace and Anabela with a pom pom necklace! To enter: leave a comment with your name, a link to your chosen product from the shop and an email address so the winner can be contacted. Increase your chances: Posting about this giveaway with a link on your blog, twitter or facebook entitles you to an additonal entry/comment. Please ensure to include the link to your post in the comment. The giveaway will be open for a week until Wednesday, 24th November and a winner will be chosen at random. Not sure what to choose? I've compiled a collection of products below as inspiration for your selection. Simply click on an image to be linked to the product page.

pom pom necklace in soft green

tourmaline and silk cord necklace

agate slice necklaces

metal and serpentine necklace

onyx cubes and brass necklace

sesame jasper and metal necklace

pyrite cluster necklace

citrine drop necklace

turquoise nugget necklace

Good luck everyone! And don't forget, your comment requiresyour name (surname not required), a link to your chosen product and an email address. I look forward to seeing your selections! Image source: personal photographs

I was sorting through a few things this afternoon and came across this photo taken a year ago today. It feels like a lifetime ago and I'm still popping out those pom poms... source: personal photograph 4.11.09 | dress and blouse from H&M

Last month I was very lucky to receive a great big package from Kate of Hello Lindello. With such wonderful thrifty finds it's no wonder she has her own vintage etsy shop and blog worthy personal style.

Fabre's Book of Insects / amazonite cubes / chalcanthite specimen / amethyst notecard / Niagara River Gorge stereoview

I have a somewhat nostalgic curiosity for insects so receiving an old copy of Fabre's Book of Insects was a real treat. Illustrations accompany the text, separated by crisp semi-transparent paper.

full-length floral dress / delicate lace bolero

amazonite cubes / chalcanthite cluster specimen / vintage earrings / floral fabric covered case The chalcanthite specimen is especially beautiful in person with a name that derives from the Greek, chalkos and anthos, meaning copper flower *

image source: personal photographs links: hello lindello* | hello victory!

Hello there, I'm back from my holiday to Italy and feeling pretty inspired! I played tourist for 12 days around Florence and Tuscany with lots of walking, cramped car journeys and finally found time to devour Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie. I don’t read nearly as much as I should. Prior to my trip, I had been working on a collection heavily inspired by marble stone columns, grand Renaissance interiors and Romanesque carvings and sculpture. Italy has done well to fuel my fascination. Read on for a short taster of my latest inspiration and development.

The Cathedral of Siena was a notable favourite. Ornately decorated inside and out, Siena’s Duomo was built between 1215 and 1263 and features the most amazing gothic sculpture and vast frescoes.

seraphinite specimen / natural turquoise / marbled fabric swatch / self-made japser and brass necklace

Currently obsessing over anything remotely marble-esque. My attempt to marble fabric didn't turn out so bad, although I definitely need more practice. Black and white was the easy choice but I plan to experiment further and make an attempt at replicating the feather-like patterns found in the seraphinite specimen. How incredible would a full length skirt or dress look in that pattern?!

This large slab of seraphinite stone is one of my favourite specimens. With its feather-like patterns in forest green and silver striations of mica, the stone gets its name from the Latin word "seraphin," which means first order of angels.

Back to Siena’s Duomo, the striped columns consist of black and white marble, those being the symbolic colors of Siena, etiologically linked to black and white horses of the legendary city's founders, Senius and Aschius.

Pictured above is one of the initial samples made prior to my trip. Inspired by marble columns and pillars, the necklace consists of jasper beads paired with brass tubes and discs. Parts of the collection are almost a progression from the tribal/heishi style I had last been working on. I'll save the remaining images until I have a more cohesive collection to share. Expect lots more semi-precious stones, this time in shades of deep purple and black, paired with super soft navy suede and layered metal. Things should be getting a little more anti-pastel around here. And before I forget, thank you to Hannah and Landon for the blog feature/interview while I was away. One of my all-time favourites, their blog, flickr and everything else is not to be missed. You can read the interview here. image source: personal photographs links: visit here for further information on Siena's Duomo

Utterly charming and refreshing, Oh Comely is a London based magazine focusing on people's quirks and creativity, rather than money and what it can buy. Issue 2 is out now and it is an absolute honour to be featured!

I couldn't resist showing you a preview of the magazine.

beautiful editorial titled the colours of summer, photographed by Luke Newman

an interesting article on the Rorschach inkblots, testing the charm of the Royal Mail and four illustrators remember what went missing...

Issue 2 is out now and available to buy at all W H Smith shops and selected boutiques across the UK. I'm not entirely sure about international shipping but they have an online shop here for those interested in a subscription. What do you think? Anyone already a fan? links: oh comely magazine / further info