Trollbeads: Something Borrowed for a Lady in Red!

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Cathryn Cook

Last month a very special person in my life got married and asked if I could provide her ‘something borrowed’ for the big day. Her wedding outfit was red and black and she had made up a Trollbeads necklace with all of her red beads, but she needed a matching bracelet.

I don’t have very many red beads, and in fact there aren’t all that many in the Trollbeads range, so I mixed mine with black and white beads and some silvers that best fit the bill – flowers, faith, hope & charity, mistletoe (they got engaged at Christmas) and a letter G (the groom’s initial). I also added two gold plated hearts, two Pia beads (the skinny silvers) and a couple of artisans (the black and whites on either end):

The bride looked absolutely stunning on the big day and the beads finished off her outfit perfectly!

I didn’t discover Trollbeads until just after I got married so they weren’t around for my wedding. How about you – did you wear, or are you planning to wear Trollbeads on your big day?

Find your Trollbeads on Amazon UK here

Trollbeads Combo: Halloween Special!

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Cathryn Cook

It’s been far too long since I last changed my Trollbeads, so here’s a Halloween special!

I don’t use my orange OOAKs (uniques) very often as they’re quite difficult to work into combos, but they’re just perfect for a Halloween bracelet!

Pair them with some black beads and spooky faces, and hey presto:

All the beads used in this bracelet are original Trollbeads except for the stopper, which is from Pia. Several are OOAK/unique or retired.

Hope you like it! Have you created a Halloween bracelet this year?

Cat :)

Filofax Pocket: Hole Punching & Living with a Smaller Format!

Posted on October 14, 2012 by Cathryn Cook

It’s been a while since I updated you on my latest Filofax antics (sorry!) – so what’s been happening? Well I got restless again, despite having claimed to have found the perfect Filofax (AGAIN!), so I moved into Pocket size! This actually happened five months ago and it’s stuck!

I’ve had a long history with pocket Filofaxes, going back to my student days, and though I was worried I wouldn’t have enough space to make all my notes, I’ve made it work by using a mixture of lined post-it notes and to-do lists in addition to the diary. It’s much more portable than the larger formats and sits nicely in the hand when writing. This Balmoral model also lies flat, so no worries about holding it open when writing – bliss!

Here’s a glimpse at my set up, although it’s fairly simple, with sections for maps, diary, notes, to-do, expenses and birthdays:

(Click the images to see a bigger version)

The one thing I really missed from personal size was the ability to make my own paper and cover sheets… but then I noticed that the Rapesco hole punch I mentioned earlier in the year was reduced on Amazon. Problem solved! The punch is neat and small and cuts really nicely. I made lots of pages from scrapbooking paper off-cuts, creating full pages, tabbed bookmarks and small memo sheets:

The only negative thing about this punch is that the only guidance mark is in the centre, meaning you do need to look carefully at where you’re punching. This could be easily fixed by making a couple of marks using tippex, a sharpie, etc. You can also move the punches to use it with personal size, making it doubly useful!

So is the pocket going to stay? You know me, I get itchy after a few months, so let’s wait and see. I’m wondering if I could go as far as Mini, as I’ve still got that bargain Finsbury to try

Have you tried pocket and mini? Let me know how you like them in the comments!

Cat

PS I get messages from people all the time asking if I’ll sell my beloved Balmoral Filofaxes – I’m sorry but I love them too much!

Filofax Update: Back in the Slimline Finsbury

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Cathryn Cook

I know, I know, just two months ago I said the Malden Personal was the perfect filofax… but surely a girl has a right to have options?

I found a fab new purse in TKMaxx so I was *forced* to switch out all my cards and coins and I needed to offset the weight in my bag. So out came the black Finsbury Slimline Filofax

It won’t last forever, but for now, the setup is the same as I had in the Malden (see here) but with less diary pages:

Filofax slimline finsbury setup

I’m also keeping a food diary at the moment and I wanted to keep this separate from my Filofax, so I’m using an extra small Moleskine in the back and it’s working well.

Filofax slimline finsbury and moleskine

I’ll keep you updated on my next move! I’m thinking of maybe trying pocket size next, but that would mean recreating all my diary entries, hmm! Then there’s the mini Finsbury I picked up last year and haven’t used yet… choices, choices!

Find a Filofax bargain on Amazon UK here.

A Foray into the Finsbury Filofax – Slimline & Mini

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Cathryn Cook

As usually happens around the mid-year mark, I’m bored of my everyday diary… time for a new Filofax!

Last year I was using a vintage personal sized Filofax and the paper size was perfect, but I found the weight a bit much for everyday use (see it in this post) . Previously I’ve also used a mini size and loved it, but sadly the rings came away from the binder and it couldn’t be fixed – hence my switch to the bargain vintage one, which I thrifted from a charity shop!

Anyway, I saw a post about Slimline Filofaxes over on Philofaxy a while back and was intrigued – the paper size of a Personal Filofax, with the depth more akin to a pocket notebook – and it can double as a wallet! I’m surprised I’ve resisted for so long, but now seemed to be the right time; I ordered a Slimline Finsbury in black.

A couple of days later, however, the plot thickened… I popped up to the charity shop near my work one lunchtime and lo and behold in the bric-a-brac corner was a brand new Filofax Finsbury Mini in purple, my favourite colour! Guess how much? The grand price of £1.50!!

So now, a quandary – which would I use? Well, the slimline arrived and it wasn’t love at first sight…at all! It was black and shiny and nowhere near as appealing as the cute little purple mini. Left confused, I decided to leave it a few days. I asked my Filofax friends on Twitter and concluded I’d set up the slimline and see how I felt.

It wasn’t long before I was in love, it’s perfect for my needs. Not too heavy, a paper size I can cope with, it lies flat and even has a few card slots for the cards I carry, but don’t need access to at all times. The quandary is not completely settled yet, as I still love the mini, but I’m thinking perhaps that will do for next year’s everyday planner. I’m not sure how I’ll cope going back to the tiny paper size though!

Do you have a mini? I’d love to hear some views on what you use it for and how you get on with it – please leave a comment on the post!

Find a Filofax bargain on Amazon UK here.

Read all my Filofax posts here.

Slimming down my A5 Balmoral Filofax!

Posted on March 19, 2011 by Cathryn Cook

Just a quick post to show off my newly skinny A5 Balmoral Filofax! This is the filofax I use every day and over the past couple of years it’s got to be rather chunky. I’m about to move to a new job, so I thought it was about time to have a clearout! I’ve pulled out all my project related notes and previous diary pages, plus some of the business card holders and to-do list paper, as I rarely use it.

Now I can even close it on the first popper (wonder how long that will last?!)…here it is, ready for a fresh start:

A5 Balmoral Filofax and Mont Blanc Pen

I’m also pleased to say that my Filofax posts now have their very own blog category! Read all my Filofax blog posts here.

To see more pictures of this Filofax and my others, check out my Flickr set here.

Why I Love: Dr Martens 8-Hole Boots!

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Cathryn Cook

I’m so excited to tell you about my beloved Dr Martens boots!

Dr Martens 1460W 8 Hole Boots Dr Martens have been around since Dr. Klaus Maertens designed shoes with air-cushioned soles to help him walk more easily after a skiing accident in 1945. On and off over the years they’ve come to the fore and I remember they first came to my attention in the 90s grunge and Brit pop era, when it was all the rage to switch out the laces for neon yellow, pink or green! A teenager at the time, my feet were growing too quickly for my parents to invest in a pair for me…

…But no matter, all these years later I finally have a pair! I went for the classic 8-hole design (1460) in a black animal print with the trademark yellow stitching and they’ve barely been off my feet since I got them (if only I could wear them to the office haha!). I usually wear them with skirts, leggings and leg warmers – the latter for extra padding because several reviews I’d read on Amazon said they might rub on the heels. Actually, they’ve been comfortable from the outset, but I’ve got used to the ‘look’ and now it’s getting colder I appreciate the extra layer!!

They also look fab over skinny jeans or under bootlegs and as they’re so classic I think they’ll last for many fashions to come! I’ve only had mine for a couple of months but they’ve had a lot of wear and still look brand new, hopefully they’ll be with me for many years!

Fancy a pair for yourself? Grab a bargain pair on Amazon UK here.

Trollbeads Black and Gold – A Classy Combo

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Cathryn Cook

Well it’s been a while since I last bought a Trollbead – since that splurge back in May in fact! I’m waiting for the first UK Trollbeads Convention in October for my next purchase(s)! However, I was lucky enough to get a couple of gorgeous Trollbeads for my birthday – Third Eye Chakra and Black Armadillo. I originally had them both on a black/purple/gold combo but have since switched to a simple, classy black and gold design:

This goes with pretty much any outfit and really shows off the beauty of the gold beads, don’t you think? These are also some of my most treasured for sentimental reasons – Daisy was a first wedding anniversary present from my husband (daisies were our wedding theme), Around The World was my prize for winning a Trollbeads ‘Be Original’ competition, Gold Endless was a leaving gift when I left my last job and Small Planet was bought by all the attendees of the first UK Trollbeads meet-up in 2008.

Clockwise from Mexico Lock: Safety Chain, Stopper, G, Grey Wolf, Space, artisan, Labradorite, Around the World, artisan, Black Diamond, Daisy, OOAK, OOAK, Gold Endless, Milan, artisan, Small Planet, Black Armadillo, C.

View all my Trollbeads posts here.

Cat's Corner

News and reviews of favourite shoes, trollbeads, filofax & creative pursuits…

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