Came across this lovely site the other day - Layla Grace.

The company does a high-end collection of items for home, women and children, including things like bath products, baby wear and nursery furniture, but strangely enough, I was browsing for apron designs when I found it.

I am a big wearer of aprons, on account of cooking a hundred times a day, and since I am often clad in one, I like to treat it as a proper dress item. But nice aprons are curiously hard to find, given how useful they are. I tend to make my own out of vintage dresses, or use vintage patterns from the 1950s, but Layla Grayce has some really pretty ones at good prices, including this gorgeous Amelia Audrey number in black and cream. 

These aprons are clearly made by one of the firm's artisan manufacturers and strike me as very like the artisan ones I've found on Etsy but been unable to afford.

A different artisan is responsible for this 'Roman holiday' bracelet made in Amazonite and vintage brass, and costing a tiny 49 dollars. This is one of a collection of very girly, pearly jewellery items on the site. Excellent for weddings and coming of age gifts etc. 

Layla Grayce also does gorgeous pyjamas, including this design by Bedhead, which are - heavens be - actually in flannel. Apparently Bedhead are well known in the US, having been used in various sitcoms, but I must say the name is new to me. It is so hard to find nightwear that is both warm and pretty, and I am seriously tempted for winter, especially as my favourite Derek Rose pair just fell apart after 17 years faithful service. 

I don't know the history of this company but I'll hazard a guess: two women who were friends and became mothers at about the same time were fed-up at the practical but ugly things on offer in the line of nursing covers, diaper bags etc and decided to either make or source their own.

I might be wrong, but Layla Grayce has a woman's touch about it - pretty, floral versions of these kinds of staples, along with things like brocade computer bags and floral rucksacks, so you can carry out your daily tasks without sacrificing all sense of style. 

Anyway, it is well worth a wander around the site - it is a very yummy shop, particularly if you're on the hunt for unusual things or a pampering item for yourself. And I wish I'd discovered it a fortnight ago, when I ended up toting around a bog-standard brown ripstop rucksack on top of my summer frock.

Those of you who know me personally know that I have a passion for beading. With that in mind, I've now opened a store on Etsy, selling my beadwork jewellery.

Called Sabisuki (Japanese for 'a love of patina'), at the moment this consists of necklaces, but in the future I'll be adding bracelets, brooches and other accessories.

I've been a beader a long time - I started out about 25 years ago when I was at college, making regular trips to The Bead Shop in London's Covent Garden and making endless pairs of earrings for myself and my friends. Over the years, my beading style has evolved into something complex, asymmetric and richly detailed, using a variety of vintage and modern beads on interwoven strands, often with multiple charms to give movement. 

Basically, since I know the value of a good accessory, I make what I would like to wear myself. That way, I feel honest about what I do. I also never repeat a piece - each item is unique. The truth is, I couldn't make the same thing again even if I tried - many of the beads are one-offs, handmade or vintage, or recycled from vintage clothing, so a design can never be precisely replicated. 

In the early days, my favourite beads were lampworks and foils, and I still have a real fondness for these, with the addition of baroque and cultured pearls and semi-precious stones such as agates and quartz. I'm also mad keen on vintage materials of all kinds, and often buy damaged clothing and jewellery just to recycle the materials. This jewellery style is also a good way to use old or broken jewellery of my own, such as rings that no longer fit. 

Having started out simply stringing, I later taught myself wrapped techniques and how to make my own chains and linkages, enabling me to create articulated jewellery, mainly in sterling silver wire. Then, following a trip to Brittany some years ago, I became enchanted by seashells and seaglass, which I often drill and wrap with wire and beads. I also make my own beads in fabric and polymer clay.

I've made a lot of jewellery for family members and friends, and now it's been suggested that I make some for sale, so here are some examples. I have about nine items on Etsy today but more will be added shortly, as I can get them photographed. I hope you like my work, and if you fancy something custom-made, do get in touch.

:) Trish