Monthly Archives: September 2023

Hallmarking

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What is Hallmarking and How Does

it Affect Your Jewellery?

Hallmarking is a process that ensures the purity of gold and precious metals in jewellery.  A hallmark is an official mark either stamped or applied by laser on a piece of jewellery that indicates its quality, fineness, and origin. By looking for visible hallmarks on a piece of jewellery before buying it, you can be sure that you’re purchasing an item of the highest quality and considered value.

What is a UK hallmark?

Silver, palladium, gold and platinum (‘precious metals’) are normally alloyed with other metals in order to improve their strength, durability and colour etc. A hallmark is a legal requirement which guarantees the purity (fineness) of the precious metal. It consists of three symbols:

  • the maker’s or sponsors mark: this is a unique mark and the maker/sponsor must be registered with an assay office.

  • metal purity mark: this indicates that the metal content of the item is not less than the fineness indicated.

  • assay office mark:  this indicates the Assay Office at which the item was tested and marked (London, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Sheffield each have their own mark)

  • (optional) a year mark: a letter indicating the year in which the item was hallmarked.

The  Sponsor’s Mark is also known as a Maker’s Mark.   This is the registered mark of the company or person that submitted the piece for hallmarking. It is formed of the initials of that person or company inside a shield shape. The shield shape varies, and a minimum of two initials must be included. Everyone is unique.

My Makers Mark is:    MKC

A hallmark is NOT a single fineness mark on an item e.g. a ring with a single 925 stamp – anyone can stamp these marks on any item and they do not indicate an officially recognised guarantee of the fineness of the metal.

Which jewellery needs to be hallmarked?

Any item sold in the UK (regardless of where it was manufactured) described as being made of gold, silver, palladium or platinum (subject to certain exemptions) needs to be hallmarked. Items below the following weights are exempt:

  • Silver: 7.78 grams

  • Palladium: 1 gram

  • Gold 1 gram

  • Platinum: 0.5 grams

Items made of gold plated base metals cannot be hallmarked (including gold filled and gold vermeil items). A gold plated silver item can only be given the silver hallmark.

Click here for the Assay Office Dealers notice, you can find my copy of the dealers notice on my Hallmarking page.   It is a legal require to display this notice on a website, in a shop or on a craft/market stall. I have a printed copy that I display when I am at craft fairs and there is also a copy on the website.

There are 4 Assay offices in the UK:   Edinburgh, Sheffield, London and Birmingham.  You can register with any of the above assay offices. It may that a business chooses Edinburgh because it is closer to them and they can drop off the items for hallmarking, this saves on the postage costs incurred both ways. Once you are registered with the assay office of your choice, this registration then lasts for 10 years.

I am registered with the London Office.    One of the reasons I registered with London was due to the symbol of a leopard’s head, either that or it was going to be Edinburgh as I have Scottish ancestry links in my family.

As you can see in the picture above, my hallmark comprises of all the compulsory elements. To know more about the different marks then head over to the London Assay Office website here.

If you have any questions then just ask, either below in comments section or drop us and email.

How Hiking Mitts Can Help You On Adventures

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Hiking Mitts

I have been adventuring since I was a child, from an active and creative family. Alongside adventures with Guides, Duke of Edinburgh and Scouting, comes a love of craft making. As a parent and multiple dog owner when adventuring I wanted gloves to keep my hands warm but had to keep removing them to get items from the backpack or to hold on to the dog lead so I decided to crochet my own fingerless mitts for people who want practical yet beautiful adventure accessories.

 

Crochet fingerless gloves are perfect hiking accessories. Even during summer, mountain climbing, beach exploring, or any outdoor adventure can be chilly.

 

They are available in a variety of colours and sizes, are lightweight and easy to pack. The convenience of fingerless gloves means you are still able to access your phone, navigation device, maps, backpack, dog lead. The list is endless.

 

Warm Wrists, Warm Hands

Believe it or not but wearing hand-warming fingerless gloves will indeed keep you toasty and warm. Large arteries of the body pass close to the skin at your wrists so they can release a lot of heat. Studies have found that if we were losing heat it was because our wrists are not properly insulated.

 

Whenever someone is exposed to cold temperatures, the nerves of the skin, blood vessels, and brain sense the colder temperature and then send chemical messages along the nervous system to the arteries of the skin, hands, and feet, telling them to constrict to keep as much warm blood as possible away from the skin, fingers, and toes.

 

This helps to prevent the body from losing vital warmth through the skin and to keep the blood and inner part of the body (with vital organs like the brain, kidneys, and heart) at the correct warm body temperature. In the vast majority of people, this chain of events just causes the skin to feel cooler than normal.

 

In some people, however, it can cause severe pain and affect your daily activities or enjoyment of adventures. It is therefore important to layer up and wear warm accessories when and wherever you are out and about.

 

It’s not easy finding products for us Frosties even during the summer months the weather can be chilly especially if you are more prone than some, to feeling the cold.

Hiking mitts are available in medium and large adult sizes and I recommend you even invest in a large size which gives you room to even add a warmer pouch into the glove. A medium-size will give you a snugger fit depending on preference and they are all long to cover the wrists and forearm area for added comfort and warmth.

 

How Hiking Mitts Can Help

  • Reduce extreme sensitivity to cold. The body may react to cold-causing pain. Wear Hiking Mitts to reduce your sensitivity.

  • Lessen skin colour changes. Fingers, toes, and/or sometimes the ears, lips and nose turn white due to lack of blood flow (called pallor). The blood that’s left in the tissues loses its oxygen and the affected area turns blue (called cyanosis). As fresh oxygen-rich blood returns to the area, it often turns bright red. Hiking Mitts, Ear Warmer Headbands and Beanie Hats will keep your extremities warm.

  • Avoid coldness, pain and numbness. A lack of oxygenated blood in the fingers triggers these feelings. Numbness is the sensation that the hands and fingers have “fallen asleep.”

  • Alleviate, tingling and throbbing. The quick return of blood to the fingers triggers these feelings, but keeping a warm and even body temperature can ease any tingling or throbbing.

 

Ear Warmer Headbands

To complete the accessories look are matching sets of ear warmer headbands to keep the crazy annoying wind from giving you terrible earache and that constant battle of keeping your windblown hair from your eyes. For extra warmth look no further than my warm Aran yarn beanie hats.

Beanie Hats

Beanie Hats are lightweight so perfect for adventures all year round. Slouchy Beanies are more ‘roomy’ than a classic beanie hat so you can wear your hair up or down, whatever suits your mood or adventure.

Boot Cuffs

Boot cuffs are short ankle warmers designed to give that extra level of warmth on cold hiking adventures. I created the pattern myself and they can be worn either long or short by folding over the ribbed cuff for added versatility.  

Lap blankets

Are smaller than usual blankets designed to be over your knees while sitting around a campfire when camping or caravanning and therefore lighter and easier to pack too. These blankets can also be used in the home as a comforter / small blanket for children or as a chair or sofa throw.

 

You can shop the full range of handmade gifts and ‘Adventure Accessories’ from Sarah Lou Crafts. 

Website screenshot from SarahLouCrafts.co.uk showing mitts, boot cuffs, ear warmers and beanie hats collection.

Traveller Notebooks and Mindful Journalling

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What is a travel journal?

What is a travel journal and why do you need one? Read on to find out how a pocket-sized planner will be your best travelling companion.

 

I have always kept a journal and even in our now ‘tech age’ I still enjoy the tactile process of writing. Sarah Lou Crafts signature Cork Fabric Notebook Journals are beautiful and practical for documenting memories of your travel adventures or for planning future treks.

Why you should use one.

Plan and record all your adventures. Travel journals are the perfect way for you to plan trips, jot down ideas for places to see and record the amazing experiences you have had.

 

A travel journal is a great way to store your memories, mementoes, discoveries, and delights. You do not need to rely on a phone signal or wifi, it can be as private or as public as you like.

There is a joy to be had in writing down your thoughts, plans and ideas the moment they pop into your mind. You can take it with you anyplace, anywhere

Traveller Notebook Journals

Sarah Lou Crafts  traveller notebook journals are hand-cut and sewn. They are bound in sustainable cork fabric with a choice of rainbow fleck, flower print or leaf pattern and come with a choice of handmade rose petal paper, plain white FSC paper, lined or a mix of plain and lined paper. The choice is yours to make a truly unique gift or treat for yourself

 

They are then finished with a matching wrap tie and are pocket-sized making them perfect travelling accessory gifts for outdoor enthusiasts.

 

  • Notebook Journals

  • Handmade Notebook Journals

  • 5 inserts, plain white paper each with 16 pages (80 pages total) of EU Ecolabel FSC paper

  • or Handmade Rose Petal Paper each with 8 pages (40 pages total). 

  • Can also choose white lined or a mix of both plain and lined.

  • Hand-sewn binding with strong waxed cotton thread. 

  • Pocket Size approx. 18cm x 13cm (closed). 18cm x 30cm (opened) / 7″ x 5″ (closed). 7″ x 12″ (opened).

*Coordinating faux suede cord wrap tie. 

 

The handmade paper, from Anglesey Paper Company is a sustainable resource made from the Lokta bush. The inner bark of the plant is stripped away then pulped to make the paper and as the root system of the bush is not damaged the plant regrows from the same root system. Lokta paper is acid-free and has a low environmental impact. It is regarded as one of the world’s finest papers and is perfect for eco-conscious minded people. 

  • Each journal is carefully crafted by hand, making it a special and unique handmade gift. 

  • The cover is made from cork fabric and has a coordinating faux suede wrap tie to keep the notebook closed when not in use. 

  • Inside the journal, you will find five inserts of pages each with 16 sheets carefully bound together with hand-sewn binding using strong waxed cotton thread to ensure the durability and longevity of your journal. The pages are made from plain white EU Ecolabel paper that is sustainably sourced, and you can also choose ruled lined paper or a mix of both depending on the purpose and preference of your Notebook. 

 

Journals don’t just have to be for travelling. 

Using a handmade journal is a unique keepsake, as each one has been carefully crafted with dedication and passion for you to fill with your own memories, thoughts, ideas, plans and creativity. 

It can be used as a diary to record personal thoughts, dreams, and experiences. It can serve as a sketchbook for artists to capture their ideas and inspirations. Writers can use it as a place to draft stories, poems, or notes. Additionally, it can be a practical tool for organisation, planning, or goal-setting. 

 

Mindful Journalling

Now is a great time to take up a new hobby. In the technical age we are currently in, it is paramount that we find ways to unplug and the creative arts have proven health benefits. Your new notebook journal is a blank canvas for you to fill however you choose.

You might like to journal all of your thoughts and write at length, this is absolutely fine. Go for it and let your creative thoughts flow. Or you might prefer to use your blank notebook for Mindful Journalling.

Be it for taking notes or journalling, studies keep identifying the benefits of writing by hand and in the fast-paced world how can we enjoy the benefits of writing while keeping up with the rest of technology?

Mindful Journalling is a way of capturing information as colourful bulleted lists. You can design the pages of your journal in any layout you like. See BulletJournal.com for more insights and tips.

Even if you can take a moment each day to just write down one positive thing that has happened in your day, no matter how small it is a great start to your journal journey.

 

Share Your Thoughts

I would love to know if you journal. What would you write in yours? Comment below or tag me @SarahLouCrafts on Instagram or Threads. 

How Crafting Can Help Mental Health

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Mental Health and Depression

In this post I am going to talk about how crafting has helped me manage my depression but before I get into the crafting part, I want to give some background and why advocating for mental health is so important to me. 

Fizzy Pop Metaphor

Think of yourself as a fizzy bottle of pop. All day we have stresses that build up inside us. For each of these stresses shake that bottle (your body) a little bit. Thoughts we can’t filter and over analyse. Expectations on us as adults. People asking us to do things, at work, at home – SHAKE the bottle a little bit more. Our internal to do lists. Emotions, and physical feelings – SHAKE that bottle a little bit more. Generally we can all manage these shakes and settle ourselves again between each shake. Sometimes however the rests between shakes don’t happen or are not long enough to settle that bottle. Someone may ask you to do something or say something that is the equivalent of unscrewing that lid just a little way. 

What happens if you unscrew the lid of a shaken carbonated liquid? A jet of fizz explodes out the sides. We might shout or swear or act a little unlike ourselves for a moment, but again in many instances we can recognise matters are becoming unmanageable and we are able to get that lid quickly tightened to stop the fizz. What happens though if we do not recognise the situation escalating? What happens if we are overwhelmed by the stress in our lives which effectively unscrews and removes the lid of the shaken bottle? You know what happens, an uncontrollable onslaught of fizz, froth and mess; that is a meltdown.

The Day I Walked Away…

I am going to now open up about my own meltdown that occurred in 2017, as I feel it is important to recognise when things don’t work out and by clearing up the resulting mess we can learn to manage ourselves differently in the future. I recommend wherever possible, you get help with clearing up the mess. Either from trained professionals, or family and friends. This is going to get really personal. I hope that you stay with me.

It was a Tuesday, I would like to say an ordinary Tuesday, but then we can have a whole discussion on what is ordinary. Was it ordinary that I was living at University Hospital of Wales while my autistic youngest teen underwent his 5th cycle of chemotherapy. For the last two years (the time that Ryan has been seriously ill) I have had many shakes to my bottle. For the last 15 years I had received many more shakes of that bottle as I also advocated for his autism. That Tuesday was ordinary so far as our lives currently were. Chemotherapy cycles had become a routine. Fighting for Ryan’s life was routine after Sepsis and Peritonitis alongside the Cancer. Being a split family and living away from home were now part of our family dynamics as we managed as best we can with the current situation.

That Tuesday morning, several shakes of that bottle occurred in quick succession. I recognised this and in order to let that bottle settle, I, at first, just needed a timeout. I went for a walk. I have always walked and hiked. All my life it has been a pastime and relaxation hobby. 

The difference that day was that once I started walking the further I got away from the hospital, from the situation, from my life, the harder it became to turn around and go back. I didn’t want to go back. I didn’t want to face it anymore. I felt that Ryan’s Autism and Cancer were somehow my fault. Something I had done wrong while pregnant. If I went away, then Ryan’s illness would also go away. 

I didn’t want to deal and manage and cope anymore. I wanted Ryan’s suffering to be over and if I wasn’t there then the curse I had placed on him would disappear. The longer I walked and was away the more I became scared of how angry and judgmental everyone was going to be. It was easier to not go back. I switched my phone off and I walked. I genuinely thought at the time that things would simply be able to get better if I was not part of the problem.

Having Support.

As the evening drew on I began to realise the practicalities of my current predicament. I had no coat, no belongings, I did have my purse and phone, but could not face talking to anyone, as I felt that everyone would be angry with me. I had caused more problems. I needed someone who was not part of the situation, someone who would not judge me. I needed someone to help me start to clear up that exploded mess.

Fortunately I had someone. A friend that did not judge me. A friend that was able to cope with shaking her own bottle a little in order to help me. A friend that got me back to that hospital the next day. Once there the professionals arrived to also help with clearing up the effects of my exploded bottle. My bottle (body) had shaken and exploded so impressively, that it was in fact empty. Completely done, nothing left. I had a breakdown. Now I am going to switch analogies to a car to help explain the after effects of a breakdown. This is how I was able to describe myself with help from the therapist the days and weeks of therapy that followed.

Humans put a lot of effort into managing our lives and there are three categories we generally find ourselves in to guide us safely through our lives.

We can be in drive mode. We are focused, know our route, what we plan to achieve, we are actively heading for that chosen destination.

We could be in parked mode. Not heading for any particular destination, just happy to sit and enjoy the view. Content with our current point on the map.

Or we could be in sports mode. We are anxious, we need to be somewhere urgently, or perceive a threat of needing to get away from somewhere quickly. We gun that accelerator without due care and attention, with no concern for fuel economy or wear and tear on the vehicle (our body).

Compassion Focused Therapy.

Think of our body now as a car engine. It needs to be serviced, kept finely tuned. It needs fuel to run and security features to keep it safe. Imagine what happens to your car if you allow the fuel to run low. If you run on fumes, the engine starts to shudder, the car doesn’t work as efficiently as it could and should. That is the same for your body. If you allow that engine to run completely empty the car will cease to run and will come to a juddering halt. If you are lucky you can refuel and be on your way, but you run the risk of seriously damaging the engine. It could seize. Simply refilling the tank will no longer make the car run. The engine is now damaged and needs some repair work. The same goes for your body. Simply stopping to recharge is no longer going to be enough. Your body now needs to be repaired as well.

Everyone kept telling me to care for myself, make time for me, that I was running on fumes. I know this but what if you are on a long country back road with no service stations or fuel stops. What if you couldn’t afford to refill the tank? I took a chance to get to the next stop, but I did not make it. The day of my breakdown, the day I walked away, resulted in me being forced to be towed (professional help) to a garage (therapy) to allow the repair (healing) process to begin. I thought I had to be strong for everyone else. I am the matriarch of the family. Strong people don’t ask for help. How wrong I was.  

Thankfully I have received valuable help from the professionals. The car is functioning once again, but perhaps not quite as smoothly as it once was. The car isn’t quite the same as the one I had before. I have re-positioned that proverbial happy face mask that had slipped a bit from my outward persona that I allowed the world to see. The car looks clean and shiny, just don’t look under the hood/bonnet.

It is okay to take time out.

The day that I walked away, I needed a full escape. Everyone and everything had become too overwhelming. I didn’t care about anyone or anything that day, not even myself. Find a way to help your own mental health, before you reach crisis / meltdown mode. Whether it is your crafts, music, hiking, painting, or something else. Take 5 and do something for you. 

Crafting for Mental Health

There has been a lot of press in recent months about the benefits of crafting for mental health. I know that my crafts hobby has been invaluable in helping me cope and manage my depression. It has given me such a boost that I am now officially self-employed and running my own handmade crafts business from home. 

Lose yourself from the world for a while. 

I am from a creative family of artists and craft makers meaning crafts have always been a part of my life. Learning to sew, knit and crochet from a young age and taking up cross-stitch in my teens and early twenties. 

I took a break from crafting while I completed my university degree and when my youngest son was diagnosed with rare and aggressive lymphoma cancer. 

Through my counselling treatment and medication for my depression, I took up my crafts again as part of my therapy and am fortunate that I had my creative outlet when Ryan relapsed in September 2017. When you craft you have to concentrate on the process which means you can lose yourself from the world for a while. 

I can lose myself in my crochet. Shut everything else off. I also love that because it is a mobile craft, I can take it with me everywhere I go, so it is also now like having a comforter with me. Knowing I have it with me at the many hospital visits and appointments, even if I don’t actually do any it is there near to me.

The dark days of depression.

When battling depression there are days when you cannot face opening the blinds let alone venturing outside. 

Being able to recognise these black days and allow yourself the time you need to heal. Crafts can definitely help boost you on the black days. 

Does crafting alone at home make the isolation worse?

Sometimes it is perfectly okay to be content with your own company. I definitely prefer my own space, but it can also be important to not shut yourself off for long periods. 

Try to get out a few times a week. Pop to the shops, or meet a friend for a coffee. Attend a weekly group. I have been making myself go to a knit and natter group at my friend’s wool shop. I don’t go every week, but I have enjoyed getting out on the days I can cope.

Proven health benefits.

I recommend getting yourself into a good routine of tackling a couple of housework jobs first thing, so that you then I can craft, without worrying about what needs doing. 

Crafting has proven to reduce stress and anxiety as well as increasing brain function. There is some discussion that the cost of crafting can cause anxiety, or when projects go wrong, but emotional, mental, and tangible benefits far outweigh the negatives. 

Crafting has helped me and my mental health so positively that I have decided to build my own small business allowing me to work from home and still be able to provide the ongoing care needed to Ryan.

Mental Health is definitely a rollercoaster.

The first time I went to knit and natter I walked past the shop twice, plucking up the courage to go in. You do what you need to. Self-care is paramount. If you need help, advice or just to vent, please do reach out to family, friends or online forums and groups. 

Get Creative

  • My first craft… Cat Picture
  • Cross Stitch Embroidery 
  • My favourite thing to make are my handcrafted Notebook Journals. 
  • I taught myself to crochet in 2013 with the help of Bella Coco Crochet on YouTube.

Other ways you can be creative is to play and learn music. Especially now with YouTube being a fantastic media for online lessons. One of the best things I have done for my mental health was to join my local community town band with my clarinet. I was so nervous about joining and questioned my ability as a musician but it is so much fun to play with other like-minded amateur enthusiasts. 

If you don’t fancy music, what about photography? Again there is so much information available from YouTube and Pinterest to start you off and a basic small digital camera is not expensive with plenty of second-hand options available too. 

Crochet or Cross Stitch embroidery are easy and relatively inexpensive hobbies to start. With Crochet, you only need a hook and a ball of yarn to begin. 

For beginners, a hook size 4mm or 5mm and a 100g ball of Double Knit yarn will be enough for you to start learning some simple granny square designs and again there are lots of helpful YouTube tutorials to help get you started. MooglyBlog offers lots of free patterns and Bella Coco Crochet has wonderfully easy to follow video tutorials on her YouTube channel. 

You can buy easy beginner Cross Stitch kits from places like Hobby Craft and eBay. The kits come with everything you need to start and usually include instructions but again you can follow along to YouTube lessons as needed. 

Mend and Make was my family motto growing up. My mother was an avid knitter and seamstress. She made all our clothes, curtains, and bedding, from recycled and repurposed fabrics. We did not have ‘Fash Fashion’, cheap disposable wasteful garments such as the Primark craze. 

Do you know where your clothing comes from? Are you conscious of the working conditions and ethical manufacturing process of your clothes? I much prefer to buy second hand and make your own.  

My father was a keen DIYer and had a stash of materials and tools to fix pretty much anything that needed doing. Both my parents were and are excellent gardeners and we grew all our own fruit and vegetables. 

Hopefully, there is something here from these ideas that can help you with boosting your own mental health and piquing your crafting interests, possibly the start of a whole new hobby and way of life. 

Join the discussion. What do you think of my analogies of pop bottles and car engines? Do they help to explain the complexities of mental health? Do you have a better analogy? Connect and tag me on Instagram & Threads @SarahLouCrafts.