.comment-link {margin-left:.6em;}

The collected opinions of an august and aristocratic personage who, despite her body having succumbed to the ravages of time, yet retains the keen intellect, mordant wit and utter want of tact for which she was so universally lauded in her younger days. Being of a generation unequal to the mysterious demands of the computing device, Lady Bracknell relies on the good offices of her Editor for assistance with the technological aspects of her journal.

My Photo
Name:
Location: Bracknell Towers

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

SO much more than just a clever girl

I have been just itching to introduce you - my faithful two and a half regular readers - to Clever Girl Bek for weeks now. But I didn't want to do so until the earrings I bought from her had arrived. And they got stuck for ages in the postal strike backlog. Which has been just the teensiest bit frustrating: after all, I am not noted for my patience. Not where jewellery is concerned.


As if it's not enough that Bek's store-front strap-line includes trigger words like, "bakelite", "lucite" and "vintage meets modern", she's also one of us. Both diabetic and has back problems which make my own look like the work of a rank amateur, quite frankly. (There probably aren't all that many people who, on realising that a particular artisan is disabled, rush to purchase his or her wares for reasons which have Nothing Whatsoever to do with pity, and Everything to do with solidarity, but I'm one of 'em.)



And what wares...



Ok, so what Bek produces isn't going to be to everyone's taste. It's about as far away from safe, mass-produced, anodyne, crowd-pleasing, tiny-bits-of-precious-stones-attached-to-wafer-thin-slices-of-gold tedium as it is possible to get. It's distinctive; it's dramatic; and it's very probably addictive.



Bek's sense of humour is very similar to my own: that fact comes across loud and clear not only in the pieces themselves, but also in what she writes about them. Honestly, whether you heart the jewellery or not, it's worth browsing her listings just for the giggles.


But, if you want a nostalgic reminder of what Christmas morning was like when you were still young enough to get really excited about presents, then I strongly recommend you place an order. Dear little matchbox-style boxes; filled with shredded paper; wrapped in brightly-coloured tissue paper; and finished off with "grass" and a hand-made flower. Just delightful.


Bek has her own blog, as well. Now, as anyone who knows me will confirm, it's rare for me to view small children as cute, but Bek's little boy in his gnome outfit makes even me come over a tad maternal. (Click on the picture and enlarge it for the full cuteness-blast.)


The Editor


PS I must, at this juncture, offer a formal apology to Kate. It is All My Fault that she is no longer an Etsy virgin. I have tempted her beyond her capacity to resist. (Although she does now - or will shortly - have one very spiffy pair of gloves.)


PPS I don't usually do this but, if you're not a regular Ouch reader, please take a look at my new, illustrated blog entry. And comment. Assuming you have any views on the subject in question. Ta.

11 Comments:

Blogger marmiteboy said...

I must admit that these pieces are very nice indeed.

4:53 pm  
Blogger DD said...

This must stop. No really. Must be strong, must be strong, must be ... Oooh, shiny!

Did you get any ornaments from Leaping Lizard? The packaging on those is great too.

5:40 pm  
Blogger Lady Bracknell said...

Tell Bek I sent you... ;-)

Leaping Lizard: no, not yet. Am struggling to think where I might hang them from.

(Oh dear: if that doesn't provoke a re-emergence by the Dude, I don't know what will)

5:46 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Dude has a cold, which was very kindly passed on to him by some ch*ckensh*t colleague who is too afraid of the vile management regime in the office to actually do the decent thing, stay at home and keep it to him/herself.

But, having calculated, from the comments thus far rendered, that he must be your remaining half a reader, he asked me to pop by and say "Hi" on his behalf.

Regards

TGB

PS Oh yes; he also said something which (amongst the very unpleasing sneezing and wheezing) sounded rather like, "Leaping Lizards? Where to Hang them?? Phnarr! Snurk!! Phwoarrr!! Atishoo. Bleargh!!"

9:52 pm  
Blogger Lady Bracknell said...

Has he, perhaps, been blinded by the light...?

10:10 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Last I heard, he'd fallen in with some brimstone baritone anticyclone rolling stone preacher from the east.

8:56 am  
Blogger DD said...

How awful, mocking a seriously ill invalid!

You heartless Bustard.

9:16 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes! I love Clever Girl! She has long been one of my favorites. She just has the coolest ideas.

7:26 pm  
Blogger Lady Bracknell said...

You should convo her, Sara: you two would get on like a house on fire.

I'd stake my earrings on it.

(NB This is not an opportunity for you to manufacture an argument with Bek out of thin air and come back to me saying, "Couldn't stand the woman. Now, about those earrings?")

7:38 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

One of these days when I'm feeling flush I'm going to order one of her SWAK bracelets. I truly love them.

7:59 pm  
Blogger Katie said...

Apology accepted.

11:18 pm  

Post a Comment

<< Home