please stand by ...

... we are experiencing some technical difficulties (no, we DID pay our bills :P) ... We hope to have the shop up and running in a jiffy but in the meantime, do take a look at our flickr photostream.

If you have any product queries, please leave us a message here.

xoxo, Ruth

-: the starfish spirit :-

When I was just a child, you encouraged me to make a difference. You showed me the way and led by your example. Now that I am grown, I want to thank you for BEING the difference to me.

You mattered to me.

I am sure many of you have heard of the Starfish Story. It is said to be adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley (though the original had a more pessimistic ending) and given the first inspirational twist by Joel Barker. For this Father’s Day, I have created a limited edition The Starfish Spirit handphone strap. It will come packaged with a card bearing the above italicised words on one side and a blank space on the other for you to write your personal message.

To order, either check the item out in the e-shop or leave a comment here.

s.a.l.e

Not all four letter words are bad. Not especially if they read SALE.

Now on, at Sparkle Thots. Do check back on a weekly basis. They change every week!

This week's offer, now till 8th June... (yes, this week's longer than 7 days)

1. Chloe $18 (UP $20)
2. Princess Love $18 (UP $19.20)
3. Starfish $16 (UP $18)
4. Tina Vina $32 (UP $35)
5. Circle of Life $18 (UP $20)
6. Daisy $24 (UP $28)
7. Daisy Chains $28 (UP $30)
8. Twirl $24 (UP $28)
9. Joined In Unity $28 (UP $30)
10. Twirl $24 (UP $28)

Have fun shopping!

Pearls on Gold

Do you love pearls? Or did you always have the conception that they were accessories more befitting of your mum (granny even)? Well, I love pearls. I remember as a child, I had this long strand (it seemed long then!) of pearls that I loved. As I flip through the old photos, I see countless images of me wearing them.

Now, I am rediscovering my love for pearls. And I share my interpretation with you.

And till end of May, these will go at a special introductory price. To order, leave a comment here. Please note, all prices stated are in SGD.

1. Love, Nature $28 (UP $32)
2. Joined In Unity $28 (UP $30)
3. Twirl $24 (UP $28)
4. Ariel’s Flowers $20 (UP $24)
5. Solitare $24 (UP $28)

Tina V

A request for something with onyx dangling off gold hoops resulted in this pair. I’m loving it! Maybe I’d keep a pair of myself.

Ssh.

Tina V is a luxurious pair, she is made of gold plated findings with a faceted round onyx dangling off a hammered gold disc. She measures in at a 1.5inch drop excluding earhooks. Perfect to complement the LBD and quite the classic that never goes out of fashion.

from the bottom of our hearts

wow.

We have had an amazing month thus far. We have quite a few items sold out and are busy processing your orders right this minute. We are busy checking our inventory and making sure the store is reflecting it accurately. Do give us some leeway if something sells out while your order is being processed. All orders are manually cleared after payment. We are working to upload and list new items within the next day or two so stay tuned.

Meantime, happy shopping! For 1 week only, all purchases ship with a little extra something. So hurry on in and shop today.

with lots of love, Ruth

mr postman stopped by...

Psst… look what the postman brought in?

New limited stock of The Old Oak Tree! Woot! In silver and gold too!

We have restocked the shop. Do check our store for more goodies. Shop shop away.

Please note : due to the public holiday on 19th May, all purchases made from now till then will be shipped from 20th May onwards.

daisy chains

Hello! It’s Monday and I’m back. With more than I expected. I was thinking of taking a short break from crafting but I couldn’t keep away from them. So up till late last night, I was busy twisting and twirling wires at my workstation.

I must say I absolutely adore the results. Simple, elegant necklaces to adorn the necks of mothers and daughters! I do hope to list them soon. But if you cannot wait, drop me a line and tell me which you’d like. I am most likely to list them in sets.

This particular piece, Daisy Chains, features freshwater pearls in two different shapes (flowers and ‘nuggets’). Stranded on gold plated chains, they are pretty and elegant. Simple enough for everyday wear and everything else in between.

It was made in tribute to all mothers. And the children that they groom and whom they sacrifice so much. It reminds me of the ‘traditional’ daisy chains that mothers teach their children to weave. I like the idea of interaction taking place!

Hope you had a great Mother’s day with your mum and / or children.

Happy Mother's Day

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. ~Sophia Loren, Women and Beauty

Happy Mother’s Day.

We are currently packing the last bit of orders for posting on Monday. If you are still searching for a gift for Mother (or for gift-ing yourself), better late than never. Get your order in by Monday and enjoy the 15% Mother’s Day discount on A Mother’s Heart.

Bubble Gum

Oddly enough, this piece has been with me for a while. Everyone loves the colour but no one has been brave enough to take her home.

In any case, I’m looking for a wonderful owner for her. She is pretty in pink yet with a touch of jazz. Sure to liven up your mornings. I see her layered a top a white cotton blouse, sashaying to the cool weekend mood. Grab her now. Especially for Sparkle Thots’ blog readers, she is going at a 20% discount. Just quote “BLOG IT” in the comments box on check out and wait for our revised invoice.

Shipping charges still apply. In case you were wondering, 20% off means Bubble Gum retails at $36. So what are you waiting for? She comes packed in a pretty organza pouch with a handmade gift card. Only ONE piece available. Offer good till 11th May.

If she does not catch your eye, and you still have not found the perfect Mother’s Day gift, check out “A Mother’s Heart“. 15% discount applies on all items within this range!

Featured!

Thank You for the feature!

It was a really busy weekend so to return to the computer to find such a lovely article sitting in the mailbox was truly a welcome sight. Thank you for featuring us!

Do check out Fabulously Broke In The City for quirky personalised takes on this mad world of balancing finances and wants we have.

-- change --

This piece, Change, features an antique gold plated pewter butterfly with two carnelian faceted rounds dancing around it. Strung on a 16 inch gold plated chain at an approximate drop of 1 inch and wing span of 1.5 inches, she flutters her way to your heart.

Large but not overpowering. Change has a certain calmness about her that speaks volumes of grace.

One of a kind. Comment to reserve… or wait till its released in store. Your choice.

EDIT :: Change has been bought by K.

odds and ends

The boxes of goodies have been packed. All three stacked in a row. One for bracelets, one for necklaces and one for earrings. The bounty looks good. And it is with a smile I start at the table decor.

Which rack to bring? I love them all.

Halfway through it dawned on me that there was no name plaque. Nothing to loudly proclaim that this space was proudly decorated and, dare I say, feminised by Sparkle Thots! So off to the trusty printer I went and got this done. Printed on lightly scented paper with a slight shimmer, the sign is ready. With it I stake my place, inviting you, one and all over for a bit of girlish delight.

I think tomorrow really promises to be a day of fun. What with the light refreshments and drinks? In a lil house in Chip Bee Gardens too! With other creative vendors, I join in inviting you over for the day.

So remember, once again…
76 Taman Warna Road, 10.30am to 6.30pm

PS:
Online customers (and friends), the store still remains open if you are not able to make it in person. It has been restocked! I do ask for your understanding if something sells out during tomorrow’s sale and I am unable to finish the deal. All internet orders, paid and closed before midnight tonight will be honoured :- I will remove the item from inventory and not bring it for the sale.

PSS:
Tomorrow will mark the launch of a special mini promotion that we are having with Little Odd Forest. Each purchase will be entitled to a little extra something. Good for both online and offline purchases. Now surely that will get you going? (More details of the promotion will be out shortly!)

the store has been updated!

A tonne of new goodies have been loaded in store. Many of them are OOAK (one of a kind) pieces so do hurry on over to take a good look. Or if you like to see them IRL, drop by 76 Taman Warna this Saturday. Do note it is a one-day-only sale. Not over both days of the weekend.

***************************

It has been crazy busy in the lead up to the fair this week. Many late nights (no thanks to Jayden!) and (relatively) early mornings but it is all worth it. I had the pleasure to meet up with customers for an assortment of reasons, some of which due to minor repair to items due to wear and tear. And they have been such amazing customers turned friends. You girls really make my day!

Am looking forward to meeting you all again this Saturday. And the new faces too of course! Cheerio for now.

-- anniversary --

It’s my third wedding anniversary today. And I ended up beading something subconsciously. And it shows. This mini lariat necklace came about. Made of carved river shell rose pendant, a trio of freshwater pearls, the 19 inch chain can be looped long or short round your neck.

I had roses everywhere! On the wedding invites, the church bulletins, the red packet box, the albums, hand bouquets, pew decorations, corsages… I think you get the picture. Either the fresh ones or the handmade paper variety. And the colour theme was white and pink.

The third anniversary ’stone’ is that of a pearl. 3 to signify the three years.

Only available in limited quantities and via the blog. Leave a comment to reserve. Fastest fingers first. Retails at SGD 48, inclusive of free shipping (registered post no less).

It IS a real beauty. I think you’d forgive me for keeping one piece for myself.

and the winner is

… Phoebe.
I found this nifty random integer generator at Random and used it to select the winning comment. The integer selected was “3″ and it belonged to Phoebe. Fields input of 1 integer between 1 and 12.

Image is clickable to the full size.

Congratulations Phoebe! We will be contacting you shortly. For everyone who participated, thank you and I sure hope you had fun. Do check your mailboxes too as there is a small ‘thank you’ gesture coming your way as well.

So till the next time, happy shopping at Sparkle Thots. And thanks for all the love!

By the way, if you are new to the site, this mini-giveaway was what this whole post was about.

3 more days!

Psst... three more days till the close of the mini-contest giveaway! Its not too late to get your entry in.
Hop on over to Sparkle Thots to browse for your favourite item and tell us all about it here.

Girls' Day Out

After a 2 month hiatus, its time to get the engine started… This time we are headed to Holland V!

Poppy Girls’ Day Out @ Chip Bee Gardens!
26 April, 10.30am to 6.30pm
76 Taman Warna Road
Chip Bee Gardens, Holland Village

Do drop by and visit. We will be sprucing up the collection just for this outdoor sale. It would be fun I am sure. Come shop in the comfort, try on the jewelry, dresses and much more. The Little Stars collection has been getting a lot of attention over here and the full product range would be present then. As well as loads of new stuff not yet online.

Sneaks will be released soon. So MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Cash please. Credit cards accepted only for purchases above $150.

cow's a jumping

Hey diddle diddle

The cat and the fiddle

The cow jumped over the moon

The little dog laughed to see such a sight

And the dish ran away with the spoon.

Just restocked the shop… and loaded this cute lil piece up. I am sure that the young and the young at heart are equally well versed with the words of the children’s rhyme. And this piece just brings back fond memories of mommy teaching the words. Except that this particular cow is stuck on the crescent moon and would not be going anywhere for a while.

Wear this for a fun weekend out to charm and delight. A cute little conversation starter I am sure. Available exclusively at Sparkle Thots.

mesmerising

As any beader / jewelry maker would have you know, the bead stash is NEVER enough. There will always be some thing new that catches the eye. And you would be compelled beyond reason to get it. Same with me.

I have recently acquired a stash of faceted rondelles that catch the eye in the most remarkable of ways. They show off the natural beauty of the stones so beautifully that it is really best to leave the design simple and let nature mesmerize you.

This particular piece features labradorite. Labradorite is a fascinating mineral. It has a smoky gray look, somewhat dull until it catches the light. Then the colour play with light starts with flashes of blue dancing all over begins. Gorgeous in real life.

Will be stocked soon. I promise.

Meantime, two new pieces in store. Go sneak a peek. And remember to take part in the contest!