"A LITTLE HELP PLEASE...?" Gift ideas for Christmas 2014

It's always difficult to know what to buy for EVERYONE at Christmas. So we compiled a little list of hints and suggestions that might give you some more options; for the female side of your friends and family, at least!

1: CHILDREN/YOUNGER TEENS 
Something cute for younger children. We don't tend to stock jewellery for children of a very young age, for obvious reasons, however we do know that they LOVE our super-cute kawaii Sweets Candy necklaces and key rings - check them out here

OLDER TEENS  

Sisters, friends, nieces, daughters and granddaughters tend to be quite easy and fun to buy gifts for; they'll generally have their own style and tell you exactly what they want or like! Jewellery is always going to be an easy and appreciated option, so here's a few suggestions!

- Our Ch'i Bands are very popular with this age range, and you can even choose which one suits their personality! A lovely, affordable and slightly more personalised gift.

- The big, bold High Voltage Necklace has to have a mention here. Extremely popular with older teens and a guaranteed hit! 

- For a sure-fire hit for a teen festival goer, we would highly recommend our classic Sienna Charms. Chunky, earthy, very comfortable to wear and not likely to fall off in the mud!

- If you know someone who's a little alternative, literary or gothic in style, we would definitely recommend taking a look at our romantic, stylish Love Me Gothic Necklace. A very individual design that's perfect for a creative soul.

UNIVERSAL FRIENDS & FAMILY 

Suggestions for the rest of your friends and family; let's start with a couple of our favourite necklaces that might be perfect for most friends, mums, cousins and aunts aunts with a classical taste...

- Our sleek Daisy Chain Necklace is one that you can't go wrong with. Simple, elegant and goes with any outfit.

- These pretty Kitsch Me Orbs add a touch of class to workwear and are a great addition for an evening out.

STATEMENT FRIENDS 

A couple of extra suggestions for those statement personalities in your life! 

- Buying for a stylish Steampunk or Victoriana enthusiast? We highly recommend one of our beautiful Reverie Choker's, perfect for a civilised afternoon's tea duelling!

Or to compliment a splendid Steampunk corset, a pretty Reverie Cameo Brooch!

- And last, but not least! For those of you looking for something quirky, bold and cheeky, for a someone who's a little rock 'n' roll, how about our brand new first edition Bad Candy Hot Pants! Whether they're a dancer, clubber or just like a bit of attitude with their clothing, these Bad Candy signature booty shorts are available in three colours and will go down a storm!

We hope that's given you a few extra ideas; of course, we have plenty more for you to browse and discover on our shop homepage at www.badcandy.co.uk and don't forget you can also visit/like us on our Facebook page to not miss out on updates, deals and offers! <3

THE BIGGER THE BETTER

THE BIGGER THE BETTER

New BIG METAL range now in store!

From the moment we set eyes on these beautifully designed pieces, we knew they had BAD CANDY written all over them!

VICE CITY CUFF http://www.badcandy.co.uk/product/new-vice-city-cuff

DOUBLE TROUBLE NECKLACE http://www.badcandy.co.uk/product/new-double-trouble

We undoubtedly have a lot of hearts in our necklace collections but this is hardly a surprising thing since they are a beautiful icon that just begs to be made a focal point and sits so well on the chest. However, because of this we are always cautious about new styles that we include. When it came to our new HIGH VOLTAGE necklaces (http://www.badcandy.co.uk/product/new-high-voltage) we felt that they not only stood out visually, but also stood apart in terms of design.

Now, the HIGH VOLTAGE pendant is BIG. So we wanted a complementary piece to polarise it's size, and we found that in the sublime flow of the Hush-Hush necklace (http://www.badcandy.co.uk/product/new-hush-hush)... 

Of course, no collection is complete without bracelets, bangles or cuffs (see top pic) so we chose to trial some great magnet close pieces (http://www.badcandy.co.uk/product/new-magnetise-bracelets) that proved to be easy, comfortable, sleek and stylish to wear. We hope you enjoy the range as much as we adore it! ♡

Bad Candy talks jewellery with Steampunk Couture Clothing...

Those of you who know us well at badcandy.co.uk, know that we're big advocates of Steampunk style. We're also big fans of Steampunk Couture Clothing and thought we'd have a little chat with the artistic brain behind the much loved designs, Kato, to find out a little more about her creative world. 

A little introduction in her own words, "I was born and raised in Wales, UK, and emigrated to America in 2007. I decided to house my designs under the name 'SteampunkCoutureClothing' in 2005 after a friend introduced me to the term "steampunk" when describing the way I dressed, my style of illustration and most importantly, the couture clothing that I was making for a small number of clients from my kitchen table. Six years on, the business operates out of Hollywood and Portland..."


We wanted to talk to her about jewellery of course, and who better placed to give a little definition to the style for those new to it and elaborate on what prompted her to start Steampunk Couture Clothing. We also wanted to know what continues to inspire her stunning collections...

K: "Steampunk jewellery takes many forms, the most popular of which is an intricate, highly-decorative style that encompasses salvaged watch parts - gears, cogs and clock faces and combines these with pearls and brass chain. This style is extremely popular and easily found when one starts searching for steampunk jewellery. There are other, more original styles being created that lean toward Victorian collars, specimen vials or mini terrariums that have a strong steampunk aesthetic."

(SCC jewellery is all hand made and cast/moulded) 

"To have my pieces mass manufactured would be more cost-affective and possibly quicker, but my specific demographic gravitate toward my work because they know it's hand-made." 

                                          From: SteampunkCouture.Etsy.Com

"My personal favourites when it comes to Jewellery have always been, for as far back as I can remember, anything that you can read a mile away! I love, appreciate and wear jewelry that not necessarily makes a statement, but is bold and simple in shape and of course is clear in it's style so that you know exactly what you would wear it with before you've had a moment to think about it. I tend to shy away from intricate, fiddly jewelry and basically anything that doesn't read well in photo shoots."

"I left school at 16 and took a foundation course in art and design at a local college, specialising in fine art in my second year. I then took a 9 month fashion and textiles course at an art school in south Wales; but leaving high school was a bigger escape and release for my creativity than I'd expected, and the freedom that came from not having to wear a school uniform any more catapulted my personal exploration of fashion and design forward. After realizing that my teachers were not there to guide me or offer advice and that I had to find my own path, I spent most of my art school days at home, messing around with various crafts and art mediums. I left with a Diploma from art school as a bribe from the head of the school after I threatened to drop out. The Diploma has never come in handy. My father is a very successful fine art painter and I inherited that creative gene while also being greatly inspired and encouraged by him.  I'm self-taught in everything that I do and I'm always learning."

"Early on I would make specific accessories for the outfit we were shooting, but now I really plan ahead and collect pieces that suit my design styles. During a shoot, I'll get all the jewellery out and choose the items that work. Styling is one of the easiest and most enjoyable parts of the job."

"I'm all about hiring other artists to work with me now as I'm struggling to meet the customer demand on my own, so I'm currently scouting for talented artists in the jewellery design word to create exclusives for Steampunk Couture. Look out for an exciting jewellery line in the near future as a result of a wonderful collaboration. This year is all about putting the "team" in steampunk!"

And with that she's gone in the flash of a big bronze ray gun! 

- Sukie @ Bad Candy

Part I: Bad Candy Jewellery in action!

All our images on the badcandy.co.uk website are shot in controlled light and on a bust. This doesn't always best show how the jewellery itself looks being worn, which is what you want to know! So we're working our way through the whole Spring '11 collection and have cornered our resident model and buyer to show you just how they sit on human form.
As you can see from the first selection of necklaces and bracelets, jewellery can look quite different and (if we're honest) better in situ' and in the summer sun! Enjoy ♡


1. The 'Pink Lotus' Bracelet - More info and availability at http://www.badcandy.co.uk/product/pink-lotus-bracelet

2. The 'Inca Collar' Necklace - More info and availability at http://www.badcandy.co.uk/product/inca-collar

3. The 'Aztec Crystal Cuff' Bracelet - More info and availability at http://www.badcandy.co.uk/product/aztec-crystal-cuff

4. The 'Queen Of Hearts' Necklace - More info and availability at http://www.badcandy.co.uk/product/queen-of-hearts

5. The 'Perfect Pansy' Bracelet - More info and availability at http://www.badcandy.co.uk/product/perfect-pansy-bracelet

More to come...

Affordable jewellery just got cheaper! For you, love Bad Candy UK

We set ourselves a mission this week to make our affordable jewellery even more so. It was a tough job as we keep everything low as it is.
So why do we do run an affordability and statement jewellery focused store? The simple reason is that we always wanted to be 'the' store that we would want to buy from. To achieve this we do several things...

- We only offer unique and/or statement jewellery that we and our friends want to wear and want to buy.
- We don't offer high priced jewellery. As jewellery becomes more disposable and trends change so fast, it has always been important to us to stock pieces that will always be in fashion and you are likely to wear multiple times, but that doesn't cost a small fortune.
- We focus on necklaces, bracelets and bangles. Anything outside of this is guided by YOUR needs, we poll our volunteer customers and friends and ask them. We love body-mod jewellery, rings and earrings etc. but we will only stock it if you desire it, so whichever directions we expand in is decided by you and for you. (Check our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/badcandyco for polls and feedback)
- We keep an eye on every fashion arena from catwalk and high street to various alternative scenes and kawaii lovers.
- We won't restock what you don't like or find too expensive and instead find another new trend or style.
- We view literally thousands of pieces of jewellery from across the world and only work with lines that have that something special that the high street misses.
- We aren't greedy on margins, we like the store to flow rather than stagnate. Plus we understand what we feel would be a good buy if we saw it in a shop for a particular price.

Our biggest extravagance by far is with regards the fact that we gift box everything for you, and deliver via very secure methods. At this point we felt that we didn't want to cut back here to bring overall costs down as we like good customer service and loving attention as much as you do. Free P&P rocks and we love being sent a present!

We did however find a way to cool down the prices of our metal statement necklaces, we felt this was important as they are the most valuable pieces in our range. So enjoy these beautiful summer days and treat yourself! Things just got better for your budget and summer wardrobe courtesy of badcandy.co.uk!  ♡

What jewellery to wear with white?

There are just some pieces of jewellery that make a summery white outfit into one hell of an eye-catching ensemble. This stunning Bad Candy 'Aquarius' necklace is one. It's made from a very bright silvery metal with a large contrasting aqua stone set in the middle. We can speak from personal experience and say that it looks phenomenal teamed with white, pastels and nude colours. When it comes to using jewellery as a statement piece, especially if you include a large item, it's best to stick to just the one and leave everything else as natural as possible. Wear with a long white gypsy skirt and pretty cami and eyes will be on you wherever you go!


Find it here: http://www.badcandy.co.uk/product/world-in-aqua