Sterling Silver Butterfly Bangle from Akino Jewellery

It's been a little while since Bling and Buy was last updated, due to a few other work commitments, but I've still been keeping an eye out for beautiful jewellery pieces. This butterfly bangle above caught my eye late last week. It's a delicate butterfly design from Folksy-based Akino Jewellery. The Japanese designer creates each piece by hand, so you might want to allow a couple of weeks delivery, but I think it's worth it for such a unique piece.

Like it? It's yours for 80 of your English pounds.

Do you think it's worth paying a little more for a handmade design?

Contemporary Jewellery from Lovedazzle

Supporting British designers is something I'm really passionate about on Bling and Buy, so I was intrigued when I heard of a new website that hand picks the best "handmade, collectable, investable, wearable art," and brings them all together on one retail site: Lovedazzle.

Below are a few of the pieces they're currently showcasing:

Orange vetch bangle by Sue Gregor, £35
Tiny butterfly studs by Hannah Louise Lamb, £29
Heart of gold locket by Nick Hubbard

For me though, it's all about the brooches. The designs of Timothy Information Limited are particularly quirky.

Unknown 27 by Timothy Information Limited, £106
Copper Oak Brooch by Becky Crow, £112
Mobile brooch A123 by Lindsey Mann (which comes with it's very own display trolley!) £445

The people behind Lovedazzle, Tony Gordon and Christine Bola, are experts at showcasing new pieces after a long history of hosting jewellery exhibitions, so I'll be definitely be keeping an eye on the site in the future.

In the meantime, why not have a browse of the site and let me know YOUR favourites?

Floral Pearl Cuff from Coast

You know those mornings you just feel a bit....blah? When the lure of the sleep button is just a little too much?

What you need is something you're really, really looking forward to wearing for the day. This bracelet has 'jump out of bed' written all over it. The tough cuff with the seriously girlie detail is subtle enough in colour to go with any outfit, but detailed enough to have colleagues and friends begging to know where you found this beauty.

Pop along to Coast and grab it for £30.

ASOS Chunky Bow Bangle

This ASOS Chunky Bow Bangle is one of the prettiest takes I've seen on the chunky bangle this season. A simple bow design in a resin material means you can wear this with an assortment of outfits without the fear of clashing colours.

I finally bought it over the weekend after spotting it weeks ago. Furthermore, it's in the sale for only £4 (down from £7). ASOS now has the option of super saver delivery, which is free if you're happy to wait up to 6 days.

Like it? Grab it now before it sells out!

Dollface wooden painted bracelet from Funky Toadstool and blog changes

A couple of things to cover today!

Taking a bit of a leap from our usual sparkly features, we've found a wooden bracelet from Funky Toadstool. The bracelet (£6) has a bit of a Japanese feel to it, with the handpainted detail that goes into the dollsfaces and floral patterns.

Wear it with a plain outfit so the colours stand out, or clash them against a floral fabric for a bit of hippy chic.

Secondly, if you're reading this in a reader you might not have noticed a few of the changes to the blog! The lovely Hello Monkey created a pretty new banner, and you should definitely check out her Folksy shop as she also does some brilliantly quirky prints too. I've also added a little ShopStyle feature on the right, and a couple of links to the Bling and Buy Twitter and Facebook pages. Feel free to invite your friends to both pages, as I'm hoping to run another competition soon :)


Do you like it? Is there anything else you'd like to see on Bling and Buy? Please let me know in the comments!

Floral flurry: Flower cuff from Nuada Accessories

There's a fair few must-have pieces on Folksy from Nuada Accessories. The Sterling Silver Large Button necklaces and silver teapot ring have both made it onto my favourites list. But in the spirit of the spring sunshine we've been enjoying this week, I wanted to show you this pink and purple felt flower cuff bracelet.

The cuff would make a girly addition to a wedding outfit, or a kitch twist to a not-quite-spring outfit. Love it too? You can buy it for £9.50.

The return of 'shag bands'

So, apparently 'shagbands' are back in fashion, although this time they're back with the more politically correct name of 'Gummy bracelets'

I remember these the last time they were in fashion, 10 years ago or so. We also used to wear them twisted together, or you'd try and jam as many up your arm as possible, so the boys couldn't snap them.

So what do you think of this retro fashion piece making a comeback? Will you be rushing out to buy these bright and colourful bands, or leaving them back in the 90s?

LucyQ Silver Jigsaw Bangle

It's close enough to December 25th to start dropping hints about what we'd like under the Christmas tree right? Yes?

Excellent, this LucyQ Silver Jigsaw Bangle is top of my list. How pretty and shiny is this stunning bracelet? It's from Pretty and Witty, who also feature other selections from the LucyQ range including the silver button bangle. I've fallen head over heels for the jigsaw bangle though, I think it appeals to the games geek in me :)

Best start being on my best behaviour now though, it's not cheap at £140.