Archive for the ‘Alex’ Category

Look at this! The building is going up sooooooo fast. It arrived from Austria on a lorry, pre-fabricated in lovely sustainable natural wood, and the guys from KLH wasted no time and have put it up in a couple of days. The contractor are Neilcotts, and the site manager is a super chap called Adrian. I can’t stay away so I’m there every few hours. Adrian showed me around this morning. They’re doing such an amazing job!

I’m supposed to be working on New Collections, so it was back to the workshop for a bit of hard labour…

But it hasn’t been all in the workshop. I had a free food day the other day. Breakfast meetings in town, lunch meetings, then over to the Royal exchange for the Press Launch of London Jewellery week. We’re taking part this time opening the new shop of course, but I was there in my official capacity of ‘Ambassador’ to LJW. But hang on, if that’s true, who’s that scruffy bugger on the hunt for canapees?

Liberty came and filmed me. An interview for their web-site. I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to watch these films…. is that really me? Ah well…

I popped down to check up on the new building in Snowsfields the other day, they’re certainly making a mess!

The actual building has been pre-fabricated in Germany, see KLH, and should arrive this week! Very exciting.

We’re hoping for a grand openning during London Jewellery Week in June!

P.S. Saw my mate Lloyd’s play at the Old Vic on Friday and loved it. We took all the kids along to see A flea in her ear (we got the tickets at half price, there’s a deal on), and everyone had a great time. It was really funny! Good old fashioned slapstick, a bit like Faulty Towers, (I think John Cleese was a big fan). Anyway, if you get the chance I really recommend it. Look out for Lloyd Hutchinson, he’s brilliant, and say Hi from me!

We’ve decided not to pass on the VAT increase to you. I have a theory that all politicians do is put a spanner in the works and make things worse. This annoying VAT increase is a bit of a nightmare for us here at AMHQ, but we have tried to make things easy and fair by having no price increases for you. We’ll pay the extra VAT ourselves, we don’t see why you should always have to fork out when the powers that be muck things up.

No extra VAT here!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

It’s back to work and business as usual, but we all had a wonderful (and well earned) break. All in all 2010 was a good year I think. Here’s my favourites

Best music; Zorbing by Stornoway, my daughter Verity and I saw Stornoway at Jo Whiley’s Little noise sessions at the Islington Union Chapel, they did Zorbing without any PA or anything, it knocked our socks off and it’s something we kind of share together. Write about love by Belle and Sebastian, I just love B&S and this was such a fave hit from this year.

Best book; Edmund’s of course, The Hare with the Amber Eyes, but he’s a friend so how about Any Human Heart by William Boyd? Or God’s own Country by Ross Raisin?

Best holiday; Suffolk again I guess, although our week in Majorca was great fun with Eric et Lydie. Oh yes, and LeJog, cycling. That was amazing…. Not sure if it was a holiday or not…

Best movie; The Illusionist? Nothing really stood out this year…

Best grub/restaurant; Anchor and Hope again of course, although Koya is a near second. Moro is always fab and they gave Connie some work experience so they are also top of my pops.

Best piece of jewellery made; Two turtle doves, but I’m still not there yet. I’ll try this one again in 2011

Best wine; Mac Forbes Pinot noir. Bruna Sorg sweet desert wine

Best TV; Laughing my head off at The Inbetweeners, nothing changes when it comes to teenage boys…

Best clothes; Cycling clothes this year. My Rapha top.

Best all round thing; My Roberts bike, hand made for me by Chas Roberts, it’s perfect..

What’s good in 20011? Everything! The new HQ, the shop, lots more exciting plans at work. And I was just starting to think about holidays…..

Here’s the kids and co. in Suffolk on January 1st….

And here’s the new shop last visited nearer Christmas. Exciting! We should be in April/May!

More soon!

Alex

… and when it comes drink lots of beer!

Well, I did have a glass or two last night….. we had our Crimbo party in Clerkenwell. Emma and I put our feet down, and insisted on Pub, Grub, and Karaoke. And it was brilliant fun. Top female vocals, Frieda. Top double act, Mayo and Miki. Top male vocal, well, that would be immodest. Suffice to say that I had a sore throat this morning. And we have Carols in our road tomorrow. Must be on form for that!

Party season’s in full swing, My neighbour’s annual feast on Thursday. I sat between Andy Coulsdon (Tory boy spin doctor), Justin Webb (today program), Jeremy Bowen (intrepid war correspondent), I could go on… heart surgeon, QC, etc. etc. It’s a good job I can make little flowers in silver or I might have been out of my depth… yummy food and a bottle of port from 1985 oiled the wheels… until I started ranting about those pesky Tories cutting foreign workers and how much we’re suffering because I can’t employ this fabulous japanese person…. oh no, I’m off again.

Then my brother’s party, up in Primrose Hill. Our work’s do last night, and we’re having a little do tomorrow…. all in all not a bad time of year.

And… And the new building is coming along very nicely! (albeit in a blizzard) We can’t wait for it!

At last, things are starting to quieten down here at AMHQ. Our 12 Days project went so amazingly well, we’re planning even more fun for next year. But we’re pretty much over the Christmas panic here, and everyone has taken to checking train and plane schedules to see if they can get home.

So, all that remains is to say Big Thanks to everyone and HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND HAVE A FABULOUS NEW YEAR!

Alex

Hi All,

Well, Christmas certainly is just around the corner. We’re slightly manic at AMHQ. Not helped by all this trouble with cyber-attacks on Visa and Mastercard, but we’re pressing on. Don’t worry too much if you have a problem using your card. I think the system is just slowed down, so maybe leave it a while and try again later.

All of our Trunk Shows went brilliantly, and the 12 days of Christmas has been such fun! All 8 of the ‘Maids-a-Milking’ style sold out in under 40 minutes!

I had a nice message from someone who sadly missed out, so instead she’s using the image as her screen-saver!

And oh yes, here’s a little reminder of the last of our Christmas sales; Primrose Hill Designer Sale, Saturday 11th December, St Mary the Virgin Church, Elsworthy Road, Primrose Hill. London NW3. 10 ’till 6.

Anyway, here’s my top idea for a Christmas pressie. If you like our cute little bee, how about giving the gift of membership for the Bumblebee Conservation Trust? Kate Humble (Kate Yumble more like!!) loves them too, and even demi-god David Attenborough supports them. Very easy to gift, and you get this fab poster, which I for one will be pinning on the wall of my studio as soon as it arrives!

How cool is that?  I don’t know, maybe it’s not for everyone but I think it’s a really nice thing to do for Christmas. Go on, you know you love ‘em!

Alex

Here’s a little film Tom and Susie made, hope you like it!

What with a certain day looming on the horizon, we’re in overload here; trunk shows, studio sales, and Christmas fairs. We have Ede and Ravenscroft in Chancery Lane on 2nd December, and also Sefton in Upper street. Lots of special one-offs there.

LIBERTY CHRISTMAS TRUNK SHOW! On Friday 3rd we’re back in Liberty (and all week-end)

And then of course we have our CHRISTMAS STUDIO SALE starting on Friday night! We’re open at our Studios here in Iliffe Yard, London SE17 from 6-9pm on Friday 3rd. 11-5 on the 4th, and 11-4 on Sunday the 5th. (off Amelia Street and Crampton Street). We’re at number 9a, look out for my ice-cream van…..

I’m hoping to Christmas-pimp my ride (well, actually my Ice cream van) (and it’s with fairy lights), and we’ll even tidy the studio up!

We always have lots of nice things at our Christmas sale, and there’s plenty going on in the surrounding studios.

By the way, I just made a necklace for my old friend Jenny Eclair who is suffering away down under in I’m a Celebrity. Hubby Geoff asked me to make a locket for her, then he jetted off to spectate from a posh hotel. I think she won it in a challenge on Sunday, but I was out so managed to miss it all. Here’s a very bad pic of her wearing it…..

It says; ‘Time flies………..’ (and on the inside) ‘when you’re having fun’, and is full of jungly things! Although  rather think she might have preferred a Big Mac!

Anyway, I don’t mind being stuck here right now. I love this time of year, and especially all this snow!

See you at one of the trunk shows or at our studio sale. Oh yes, and my brother organizes a Christmas fair for his local church in Primrose Hill so I’ll be there next Saturday (11th December). More about that soon!

Best,

Alex

Here’s a nice idea for a Christmas Pressie…… Carol Woolton’s new book, ‘Fashion for Jewels’.

It’s just my thing, an intelligent book about fashion and jewellery, informative and interesting with lots of beautiful pictures. Carol kindly includes a nice little bit on us too and we’re very flattered to be in it.

If you’re into jewellery and interested in fashion, it’s worth a look.

Alex

Hi there,

We thought it might be fun to do a little film about buying gifts for Christmas pressies. To be entirely honest, it’s really aimed at Men, being the ones who are generally lost at this time of year. So ladies, point your blokes in this direction, and men, hope this is at least a teeny bit helpful. Big thanks to Emma, Suzy A, and Tom behind the camera, and of course to Little 15.

P.S. We’ll probably be making some more of these as the big day approaches, but as Jutta from Little 15 says, “Don’t leave it too late!”

Happy Shopping!

Alex and the gang