BLOG FRIENDLY BRANDS! Can Your Product Help Us Hack House-moving? Plus- 17 Crazy Cool Retro Futuristic Homes You'd Love to Live In

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Hello blog-reading brands! Want to do some blogger outreach and be seen on this blog which averages 14,500+ unique visitors a month worldwide? (source URLspy.co.uk) 

We, the Smyth family, are, fingers-tightly-crossed,  buying our first home at the end of October. We've already started sorting, boxing and tidying up our beloved, little seaside rental we've lived in the past four years. I thought it might be worth while putting my blagging-bloggy feelers out and asking, "does your brand have any products that can make moving house easier?". Feel free to email me on kitschandink@me.com and we can work something out that benefits both parties.

In the meantime, how about these real life retro futuristic living spaces and buildings? Architectural swoon. 

The Evolution of Modern Jewelery Making

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Jewellery is a universal form of personal decoration that dates back to prehistoric times. It is said t o have originally been worn for protection or as a mark of status. One of the most important developments in the history of jewellery is the evolution of metalworking practices, which became more complex to allow for more intricate designs.

Gold was (and still is) one of the most valued metals – so cherished that it was often buried with its owner after death. Find out more about the history of gold here.  Nowadays, jewellery tends to be worn to represent religion, symbolise love and commitment or simply for ornamental fashion purposes. This article will concentrate on ornamental jewellery.

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 Technology and use of materials

Although still popular materials, technology has allowed us toevolve past the use of just gold, silver or platinum in jewellery making. In the 1920s, new technology allowed machines to cut and polish gemstones and create sharp lines and edges, generating more complicated gemstone cuts – and in the 1930s injection-plastic moulding techniques were developed which meant glass jewellery became more affordable. In later decades, lost wax casting was introduced which made it possible to mass produce pieces of jewellery.

Contemporary technology now means that almost anymedium can be used to fabricate jewellery. This allows for more elaborate designs as creative jewellers evolve the trade to keep abreast of fashion trends. The result is eclectic fashion accessories and fascinating styles.

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Tatty Devine, for example, burst onto the mainstream accessories scene in 2012. Producing handmade acrylic jewellery, the brand started in London's Portobello and Spitalfields markets making jewellery from found objects like guitar plectrums. Its designs are about expressing personality in a fun way, and the items are certainly unique with the most popular piece being their personalised perspex name necklaces. There are now two permanent Tatty Devine stores in London, a concession in the Oxford Street branch of Selfridges, numerous pop-up shops and over 300 stockists worldwide. They were even recently awarded MBEs for services to the fashion industry.
 

Photo from Liverpool Design Festival

Photo from Liverpool Design Festival

We’ll also see creative uses of materials and unusual designs in this month’s London Fashion Week, where the world’s best fashion and accessories designers come together to present new collections of work – including the weird, wacky and wonderful.

Holly Fulton, winner of the Swarovski Emerging Talent Award for Accessories at the 2009 British Fashion Awards,combines unusual matters in her jewellery. Last season, for example, her accessories used burnt black petrified wood withagate attached to jewel encrusted tops. There’s much respect for her in both the jewellery and fashion markets, so much so that even home appliance manufacturer LG is capturing her designs on a new washing machine (find out more here).

2014 and beyond

So where is the future of jewellery design headed? Well further advancements in technology mean that 3D printing is now feasible. The technology, called laser sintering, is made possible by  companies such as German-based manufacturer EOS, and is already being employed by trade supplier Cookson Precious Metals.

 

This amazing video shows how a 3D printer works

 

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The method means more personalised jewellery will soon be available on the high street as complex designs can be can be created more quickly, and can be more easily altered.

Moreover, a report from industry insiders suggests that 2014 jewellery trends will be focused on the unusual and surreal and will also take Asian and African influences. It looks like we have an exciting year ahead and we can’t wait to see what jewellery designers conjure up.

Caves & Boats & Monopoly & Ice Cream- Our Fermanagh Lakeland Lodges Weekend Getaway

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This is going to be incredibly clichéd, but if you are looking to get away from it all, the piece of paradise to escape to is the Fermanagh Lakeland area. I'd stayed in our family touring caravan in Castle Archdale in the early 90s, but had little memory of the holiday, and visiting as an adult with more perspective on the beauty of nature, I felt like it was part of my county I'd never explored before. 

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Lough Erne is situated in the very far west of Northern Ireland, almost on the border. Fermanagh Lakeland Lodges had invited us to stay with them for the weekend in one of their lakeside houses, and with the summer drawing to a close, we welcomed one last adventure before school started back.

The drive from Belfast took just over two hours, but with the majority of the journey being the M1, it's very smooth sailing. If you enjoy driving, as I do, it's a pleasant trip, even as you reach the rural areas the roads are an easy drive. 

The Lodge reception will email you directions the week before your stay, and we found the location using those with no problems, and without a Satnav. Check in is quick, easy and friendly. We arrived at our lodge and got unpacked. As its self catering, I suggest picking up bread, milk etc in one of the towns before you get too far out, as the nearest petrol station is a fifteen minute drive or so.

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There was a lovely welcome hamper for us, with local produce, the finest being Tickety-Moo ice cream, made just down the road. The lodge itself has everything a family would need for a self catering stay. The kitchen has a freezer, fridge, dishwasher, oven, microwave, and a bread bin which my son seemed to find absolutely intriguing. The house is on several levels, with an entrance hall, downstairs lounge area and two twin bedrooms with a bathroom. Up one level is the kitchen and dining area, and balcony with the beautiful view you see above. The top level has the double bedroom and another bathroom, plus a storage room.  

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After our long drive, we had an early night. After a great night's sleep, we headed off on Saturday morning to Enniskillen, one of the nearest towns, to pick up food for the rest of the weekend. It's a bustling town with plenty of charity shops, which pleased me, and a great deli butcher where we bought burgers for Saturday night.  

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Our chosen activity for the day was a visit to the Marble Arch Caves, a Geopark with a tour of an underground cave system. It's well worth the visit if you are in the area. 

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After our underground adventure we travelled back to the lodges, to explore the grounds a bit. There's a lovely walk along the lakeside and back through the woods. After such a busy day our son was worn out and almost dozed off getting a piggyback! 

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He soon perked up when we stopped at the playground though. 

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 We picked up Northern Ireland Monopoly from reception, much to my husband's delight. I hate Monopoly and refuse to play it at home, but I was suckered in by the novelty of buying local properties so agreed to a game, which he won. So I now hate Monopoly again! 

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Sunday morning brought the highlight for my husband, the Lodges' boat rental. As well as canoes, rowing boats, bikes and other activities, you can rent a motor boat to take out on the lough. We life jacketed up, got our instructions and off we went. 

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A huge thanks to the  staff at Fermanagh Lakeland Lodges for a superb weekend. We were already talking about coming back next summer on our drive home. If you fancy a getaway yourselves, check out their website for excellent deals. 

They've out together a Relax and Rewind package for autumn which includes your stay, use of a boat, a welcome hamper and waterside picnic. World of Kitsch readers can get an exclusive 15% off with the code  

76980 

Time to treat yourself and your family before the winter. 

Something Special Tea Party- Join in With Me Online to Win a Prize Exclusive to World of Kitsch Readers

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Hello, next Thursday, 12th September, Mister Tumble's team from Cbeebies' Something Special are getting all techy & having a Twitter Party for everyone, Mums and Dads and little ones who like to fiddle with iPads, like mine does. There will be lots of prizes to give away and I will be giving away a prize just for my followers too, so you've an even better chance of winning.

i would love to invite all Michael's friends, but I've only supplies for six, so he's bringing his best friend and his sisters, and hopefully my friend who has two little ones can come too. If you're one of Michael's friend's Mummies reading this, don't worry, the birthday is next month and everyone in the class is invited to that one (Lord, help me). 

Anyway, the hashtag to use on the 12th is #somethingspecialparty and it kicks off at 4pm. Join me on Twitter, I'm @rudedoodle for my own giveaway and to spy on our games and crafts. 

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Kitschy Cool Fashion at Heatons This Autumn

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Heatons is an Irish Department Store, but readers outside the island can order on the website, and orders over £30 are delivered free. 

I'm crazy about   their leopard print cardigans which start at £6.00 each as some colours are in the sale. If you watch my Vine channel you'll see I'm very attached to my two green versions.

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Heatons' website has lots of well priced fashion to carry you through autumn. 

love these wellies

love these wellies

For Those Who are Expecting, In Love, Suffering Man-Flu, or even just Hung-over: You Need a Sick Note

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This is such a World of Kitsch service, I just love it. Sick Note is a personalised gift service with packages of goodies to get your loved ones better. 

You can choose a themed pack, such as the expectant mother, or bearded man packs, or you can put together a bespoke selection of gifts by hand from the treats available. 

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The gorgeous cloth bags can be with your recipient within 3 hours of purchase, if they live in central London. Same day delivery applies to the rest of London, and elsewhere in the UK is 48 hours. Packs like the Hangover one they sent me, would be great to give a hen or stag before they head off for a crazy weekend. Visit Sick Note for a nosy,

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