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Great British Site

Make sure you have a look at the following site

http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/

It is full of British Products and designers.

Make sure you have a look at my page

http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/lucyq

Great for Mothers Day

Insects

We have Spiders, Wasps and Ladybirds within our superb Silver Jewellery Collection.

They are eyecatching and extreemely unusual, plus so life like.

The detail within each design is extroadinary as each piece is handmade from Solid Silver.

For those men who are so hard to buy for!!!!!!

Make sure you check them out as there are more to come later on in the year

http://www.silverdesignerjewellery.co.uk/insects-jewellery.htm

xxxxx

Splat Bracelet 2
LucyQ is proud to launch the Splat Bracelet. http://www.silverdesignerjewellery.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=124 This Beautiful Solid Silver bracelet is 7.5" long with easily removable pieces. There is a simple Toggle Clasp for ease of wearability The background of this piece comes from the very popular Splat Necklet and Bangle. 'I found that I was obtaining many requests for a silver bracelet such as this one, and since launching it on the website only three days ago the bracelet has already proven to be a popular piece of Jewellery'. Please check out the website for similar pieces of jewellery to this xxxx
Return
After a very successfull show in good old Paris we have returned to much work ahead of us. We now have Stockists through out the continent and are pround to say that LucyQ is International. Paris was a complete eye opener to LucyQ Jewellery as there are new trends, styles and fashions in which one needs to adapt to. LucyQs Jewellery is fun and quirky and will mould into most Countries fashions and trends as it is fresh and appealing to most. We now have plans to develop some new Jewellery designs that will appeal to more of a diverse range of customer. To do this we will be adding stones and even some enameling, so make sure you keep an eye on the website for new upa dn coming designs for 2010. xx
Paris
We are leaving Paris tomorrow morning, at 5am so should get into the Capital at good time. It is a very exciting trip for LucyQ as it is the first International Trade Fair for the Business. The reason for going International is that we feel that we have concoured the UK as we have over 150 stockists throughout and are struggling to obtain more as many retailers do not want others selling our work within a 10mile radius. So because of this we are have to turn down business, which really isnt good for us. So Goodbye UK, Bonjour Paris!!!!
Paris
Happy New Year to you all.
Christmas was a very busy year for LucyQ in 2009. We exceeded our profits form 2008 and sold a record number of pieces of Jewellery, esp, Cufflinks. These men are so hard to buy for!!!

So its back to the depressing January glum for most but not for us. As of this year LucyQ is going International, in a week we fly over good old Paris to exhibit amongst the best at the Pret a Porter Show in the South West of Paris. We have even managed to obtain a special location in  'The Box', the Designer Area of the Show. Please visit  their site for more info http://www.pretparis.com/en

This is very exciting for us as it is a first for LucyQ as we only have a handful of stockists over seas and are hoping to contribute many more to this.

xxx


France
Well business is going exceedingly well in this festive period. We have sold that many cuff links that they are actually starting to come out of our ears.
This is great news to us as we feel that we are beginning to appeal to to the male market which has been a target of ours through out the year.

We are soon to be introducing some new male pendants that go together with the Insect Collection that has proven to be a popular range of Jewellery.

So make sure you check out the website in a few week as we are hoping to launch them just before Christmas.

xxxx
spirit of xmas - london
Well we had an amazing show as usual at the Spirit of Christmas 09 in London.
Everyday was up from last year with the top selling pieces being the following
Button Cuff links
Button Studs
Splat Bangle
Splat Necklace
Drip Necklace
Hula Ring
Hula Studs
These items mentioned are perfect gifts for loved ones at Christmas. Some being much more expensive than others, but generally these were purchased as Christmas presents for themselves.....which is fare enough.

So now things have finally got back to normal we are trying to deal with the demand of top up orders from shops.

To be honest I don't think things will settle until Christmas is over.
I don't think that I am going to get much chance to do my own Christmas shopping this year.....Jewellery it is then
xxxx


What is it??
I was out shopping the other day and I saw this amazing piece of very organic looking silver in a shop window and wondered what it may be. I mean of course it was a piece of jewellery but how did one wear it and actually look good.
I studied it for a while trying work work out exactly how it would work on the boby and what outfit would work with it, I mean being a jewellery designer myself you would think I would have some sought of idea, but no!!

The jewellery looked like someone had sneezed on top of the jewellery counter then been pushed around with someone's finger.

And I'm not exaggerating!!!

I actually think it was meant to portray a modern piece of silver art but I personally thought it was hideous. Plus it was going for an insane price of £150.
I worked out it must be a brooch, a brooch that would have to be worn with the pin showing at the front and the sculpture snotty thing hiding in ones clothes, as that is the only way one would get any positive comment about it.


Spirit of Christmas
Hello,

Thought I'd give you all an update on how things have been going within LucyQ.
Amazing!!!!!!
We have had so many orders since our fabulous trade show (international jewellery london) that it is hard to keep up to date. Our furthest stockist is now a beautiful jewellery shop in Wellington, New Zealand. It is one of our greatest accomplishments to date as we are selling the LucyQ Jewellery well and are hoping to be sending more to them soon.

Dont forget that Christmas is just round the corner and LucyQ has been working extremely hard in order to top up all her shops with delightful quality jewellery through out the country. We now have over 120 stockists in the UK which is growing every week.
Just this week we obtained 2 new Shops without even trying.

Dont forget that for 1 week only LucyQ will be  personally selling her jewellery to the retail customer at the 'Spirit of Chrstmas' show in London, and I am sure there will be some amazing discounts. Even up to %30 off the most popular ranges, so dont miss out.
http://www.spiritofchristmasfair.co.uk/

Hope to see you there!!

xx
I'm Back
Sorry to have not posted anything for such a long time. We have been having difficulties with the website and have only just about got things back to normal.

Any way so what has happened in the last 6 or so months?
So much!!
I have had 2 major trade shows, one in Harrogate and the other in London.
They were both very successful but I have to say the International Jewellery London was probably the top high light of our year so far.
The Splat Bangle within our Splat Collection won the Editors Choice Award for Overall Originality and Craftsmanship in Design. We received free marketing and advertising through this and during the show we had customers coming up to the stand just to see the winning piece. It was a top seller and through the show we received a number of new customers from all over the world. Inc New Zealand and New York. Plus Many Many more through the UK.

Please so keep a check on the website over the next few week as I intend to add many new pieces of jewellery inc Cufflinks, necklaces, Rings and so on.

These will also be posted within our newsletter which you can now sign up for through the link on the front page

xxxx
Pulse - London
Well we have now recovered from our very busy trade fair held in Harrogate held at the beginning of April.
We had a great show and are still trying to get our orders made and shipped out.
Role on the next show......
This will be held in London on the 31st May to the 2nd June.
www.pulse-london.com
We will be launching some new pieces within our collections. Including a beautiful flower bracelet, more hinged bangles and much more

If you are a trade customer please come and visit our stand LP61

We look forward to meeting you there

xxxxx
Coming Up
This is to all those gift fans out there, LucyQ is exhibiting at BCTF 5th to the 7th April. Stand DE157
I am hoping to be showing off some new designs that I have added into my current collections. Including more Button, Jigsaw and Flower pieces of Jewellery.

These are all polished to a very high standard and the quality is amazing. They will have to be seen to be believed. So anyone who is reading this needs to pop in (trade only) and grab themselves a delightful collection of jewellery.

I know this whole credit crunch is in our faces every where we go, we all have to try to look on the bright side of things. Here at LucyQ we have noticed a drop in our sales but to be honest we are happily cruising along and using our spare time to design new pieces and put more attention on the marketing side.

In the month of February we were featured in the following thanks to our new PR agency
  • Lifestyle section of the Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph
  • Jewellery Focus Magazine
  • Cambridge Evening News
  • And tomorrow 20th March we will be featured on www.greenmystyle.com
So take a look

See you all next time here at LucyQ
Now and Forever for LucyQ Designs
Four years on and LucyQ Designs is now a well established business, we are creating new pieces of Jewellery all the time and are always keeping ourselves in the limelight.

They key behind our success is Press and Marketing. We currently exhibit at all the major trade shows around the country and are looking into diversifying into Europe.

Our Gift shows for the rest of 2009 include
  • BCTF   www.bctf.co.uk
  • Pulse   www.pulse-london.com
  • Home and Gift  www.homeandgift.co.uk
  • IJL   www.jewellerylondon.com
  • Spirit of Christmas www.spiritofchristmasfair.com
Please try to visit any of these to grab yourself a delight of Quirkyness
LucyQ the Beginning
In 2004 I launched LucyQ with only about 10-15 Jewellery Designs.

Hey you have to start somewhere!!

The first thing I did was get in touch with the Princes Trust, all Business organisations and who ever or what ever I could get involved with that would help me along the way. I attended Business Courses, meetings, net working parties and so on. But it was the Princes Trust that took me into the direction I was looking for. They gave me a great grant and loan along with a Business Advisor who got my accounts and marketing up and running.

So I was ready, things were running smoothly, I few pieces of jewellery were selling and then WHOOPS I got Pregnant!!!!!!!

That was it the end of my career. I might as well give up now as having a baby will take all my time and energy away from me. But I was one of the lucky ones and had a great supportive husband who encouraged me to carry on.
I was more determined than ever, I wasn't going to let a baby stop me from having my dream career, and I didn't. I actually think that having a baby gave me more strength and power to turn LucyQ into a well established business with plenty of the best quality, quirky, sterling silver Jewellery that is found upon our bodies today.

WORK
Ok, so I was not as ready as I thought I was. I had all the Silver Jewellery designs in my head ready to go but still didn't really have much of a clue as to how to manufacture them. You see, when I was at University the tutors would concentrate on the design aspect of the course not really the technical side. I developed some weird and wonderful things from silicon, wood and the odd bit of Silver, my teachers would let my imagination run wild. But to be honest I came out of my degree with no clue as to how to make real jewellery. I couldnt even size a ring, let alone fix a chain. So I decided to get a job!!!!!!

There was a Jewellers/shop in Town named Erwin & Co. They were a proffessional Jewellers with a shop on the ground floor and a workshop in the basement (thats where I was). I managed to get a full time job here on minimum wage, and obtained a great teacher named Reg ( real Silver/Gold Smith), he showed me the ropes when it came to silversmithing. How to Fix a ring, size a ring, how to cast a pendant, secure a stone, set a stone, solder some studs and so on.

So after a year of silver smith training I felt I was ready to go it alone. Show the World what I was made of.

But to be honest I still didnt have a clue!!???!!!!
University Life
So after School I decided to go on to further education and do a foundation course. This taught me many different types of design that I could  possibly look towards, such as graphics, textiles, architecture.....etc

I tried each kind and still it was jewellery that I was excelling towards. I just  love to design on a small scale, and think up new ideas that will be noticed by others. It worked for me every time, and within each new design I would feel a great accomplishment.

So after the foundation course I then got a place at Sheffield Hallam University studying a course of 'Metalwork and Jewellery Design'. This was a very intense three year course. I would work from 9 in the morning till 6 in the evening most days. Lets just say the student night life was rare and far between for me. I would say that I was one of the more time consuming workers, but very ambitious with it. I was never happy with my work and was constantly trying to improve and change it but sometimes this would only make it worse and it would end up in the bin or even wrapped around a polisher (that was not a good day!).

I finally graduated with a rewarding 2:1 that I feel was totally deserved. However I would have loved a 1st but I don't know anyone who has obtained this within Jewellery as I think one has to be the ultimate genius designer to get a grade like this.

So after three hard years I was finally at a stage where I though I would be able to go it alone into the world of WORK.

But was I?
The Beginning
Hello, I thought I would start my blog with abit of information about myself and where I have come from.

Well I am 28 years old and live in Chester. I have lived here most of my life and love it. It is beautiful part of the country and the shopping is fabulous.

So when did the Jewellery thing start out?
I was just 16, still at school (Mostyn house school) on the Wirral and doing my A levels, DT (design and technology) It was our final major research project and I wanted to develop something abit different from the average box.
At the time I was very much into the old decades of jewellery, Celtic, Deco, nouveau etc....... so from this I designed some beautiful modern Celtic pieces. I was very happy with them and decided to produce these designs. I didn't have a clue what I was doing and just went for it. It took me weeks to develop something I could wear (these days I could make something similar in a day), but I was so proud of my creation and that was it I was smitten.....I was obsessed with all jewellery kinds and creations and knew that this was the track I was going to go down.

So that was the very beginning of Lucy Quartermaines Jewellery Design.
I will list the next stage in my life tomorrow