Can you remember your favourite childhood book? Hands down mine was ‘The Folk of the Faraway Tree’ by Enid Blyton. And the mischievous Saucepan Man was my favourite character. I was thinking about this the other day when I came across the Rock N Retro site. I love their tartan Alice bands and it reminded me of an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ cassette I had when I was little (even though the term ‘Alice Band’ is from ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass, apparently).

I had a good rummage through the Rock N Retro website and found another little gem, this super cute ‘Fairytale Necklace’. The little unicorns come in three candy colours - pink, blue and yellow. And at only £3.49 they’re an absolute bargain.

To indulge your inner child check out www.rocknretro.co.uk. All items are thoughtfully handcrafted by Sarah Morrison.

Up and coming designers Lucy Bennett of Roc and Doll and Natalie Pond with her self titled label, look set to host South Yorkshire’s first ever fashion disco. The two designers are to launch their Autumn/Winter collections at The Cooper Gallery in Barnsley on the 25th of September from 6.30pm to 9.30pm.

The disco themed night will include disco sets, drinks and nibbles and the new collections will be unveiled and available for sale to the public. You can also look forward to a prize draw at the end of the evening with each label’s key piece being raffled off. And if that doesn’t get you hot footing it across the Pennines, all sales on the night will be subject to a discount!

For more information you can contact the Cooper Gallery on 01226 242905. Natalie Pond can be contacted at natalie@nataliepond.com or you can phone Lucy Bennett on 0798 939 1441.

[Pics: above left from the Natalie Pond Collection, above right from the Roc and Doll collection]

You know how we’re always moaning about the craft scene in the UK? And how much we envy the craft revolution taking place in the US? Well, the crafty people over at LoveCraft have really got their act together and have organised a craft market for later in the year.

According to the LoveCraft website, they’re currently accepting applications. Take a look at the Events Section of the Forum for more details.

Thread is a fashion and lifestyle event taking place at the Paintworks, Bristol on Oct 8th, 2006. As well as an exhibition it will also be open to the public and exhibitors will have the opportunity to sell their products.

The people at Thread are currently looking for edgy, talented indie designers to showcase their wares.

More details are available in the Forum.

I came a cross a really interesting site the other day. Scarletroom is a Live Journal which sells jewellery made from reworked vintage components. The way it works is that the designers post a number of pieces onto the site. Visitors/shoppers can then ask questions about the items and in some cases ask for adjustments to be made.

What makes the site even more interesting are the cute category names like ‘Alice in Wonderland’, ‘The Punk Princess’ and ‘Weekend in Paris’, along with the quirky graphics and images.

It’s definitely worth checking out at http://scarletroom.livejournal.com.

I went to the newsagents the other day to look for a magazine. The women’s mags were full of headlines such as ‘Sleeping with your Ex - What you Need to Know’, ‘Such and Such a Celeb’s 3-day diet’ and ‘Find out Who this Cellulite Belongs to’. Who cares! I’m so bored of reading this silly, inane drivel.

It was therefore extremely refreshing to come across Uplift on MySpace. Uplift is the thinking woman’s magazine. It offers intelligent views, is filled with interesting features, promotes creativity and questions the media around us. What’s more it’s beautifully presented with a glossy cover and top notch illustrations. And you get all of this for just £2!

The first edition has features on ‘Celebrities: Love and Loathed, ‘Bedroom Dancing’, ‘Reclaiming the Night’ and much more besides.

The magazine is available to buy from select boutiques throughout the UK or you can buy direct from www.upliftmagazine.com.

If you’re into emo, goth, punk, rockabilly, girly or glam, chances are you’ll find it at Punky Pins. Their jewellery is handmade from vintage gumball charms and will take you right back to the 80s.

Their super-duper-funky Junk Bracelet (top) holds a whopping 40 charms, from vintage to new and in a rainbow of colours. Oh and each one is totally unique so you’ll be purchasing a one-of-a-kind piece of jewellery.

And at the other end of the spectrum are these tiny Hippo Studs. Super cute!

To satisfy your kitsch itch head over to www.punkypins.co.uk.

The pearls that I received on my 18th birthday are still among my favourite items in my jewellery box. There’s something special about pearls. I’m not sure that I can explain exactly what it is. Their classic appeal, timeless quality, exotic allure, sense of glamour, decadence? Maybe of all of these.

I was looking at the Samariad website and was fascinated to see the different types, shapes and sizes of pearls. Like the graduated fresh water pearls in shades of peacock, slate and pewter (above left). And the rich saffron and caramel fresh water pearls (above right), mixed with citrine and vermeil. Of course Samariad doesn’t only focus on pearls. Sterling silver, vermeil, semi-precious stones and luscious chunks of glistening glass can also be found in abundance.

For the full range go to www.samariad.com. There is a category on the website where all profits are donated to the Good Samaritan Fund. This is a fund very close to the hearts of designer Beth Abdallah and her sister. But I’ll let you read about that yourselves.