Show cancelled

Unfortunately due to a foot & mouth outbreak in Surrey, The Gower Show has been cancelled. This is because the show is predominantly agricultural and all movement of livestock is banned. Hopefully it will be rescheduled - watch this space!

In the mean time, if you would like to purchase Green Beach jewellery, email me on greenbeachinfo@aol.com for an e-catalogue and up to date sale prices. I also hope to list a selection on my ebay page by tommorrow night.

Daytripper

I'm back from a little jaunt where my family traded the beach for a lake; I was happy to have a change of scenery whilst beading but even happier to return to our sunny coastline this week. The Gower Show is now forefront in our minds and if you are planning a daytrip, I just wanted to let you know about the greener and probably less stressful way to get to the show this Sunday (5th August) at Penrice Castle Park, Reynoldston, Gower (8:30am onwards ).

There is a 'Special Bus Service' from Swansea with additional Gower Explorer bus services (route 118) which will run from Swansea Quadrant Bus Station to the Showground (main public entrance-east).
According to the show website, these will leave Swansea at 09.00, 10.10, 11.20, 12.30 & 14.20. They will call on request at all stops in Walter Road, Uplands, Sketty, Killay and Upper Killay then non-stop.

Special return buses will leave the Showground from the same stop at 13.05, 14.50, 16.00, 17.10 & 18.20. This will mean passengers for Killay, Sketty, Uplands and Swansea will leave in a westbound direction and return via Reynoldston and Cefn Bryn.

See you there

Ella

Oh and we'd love to see you at the Gower Show

This blog was supposed to be about how we'll be featuring at the Gower Show on Sunday 5th August. There will be the last chance to keep the summer feeling going (has it started?) with the last of our summer collection at greatly reduced prices. See you in the craft tent - we'll be there bright and early in the morning...............

Now onto what's exciting me at the moment. I popped into Pebble (you know where we sell our jewellery locally) and was gobsmacked to see a new beautiful range of 'climate neutral' clothing produced using solar power in Byron Bay, Australia - Bird. Now I'm guessing the journey of the products have been offset; Jane at Pebble said that they arrived in super compostable packaging. Shipping aside, the range is beautiful, as is the website. Bird is the brainchild of a local girl now living the dream it seems. Jealous, me? I've got my wellies ready for the Gower show and well Rachel from Bird's got, endless sunshine, I guess. Whose got the best coastline though??????

Ella
(P.s. I think Bird may be exclusive to Pebble in the UK.)

From Accra to Swansea

Whilst Accra, Ghana was sadly on the news with regards to an attempted drug smuggling by two 16 year old British girls, I was opening my box of beads from that very place - which looked like they that had also been checked for any abnormalities by customs. A fragile star pendant came a cropper but otherwise, the new stock is exciting and we have ordered some UK beads to compliment them.

A farmer from Organics-to-go contacted me this week asking if I wanted to take a bag of produce, as he had a surplus. Of course I could not refuse and for a change from the usual nuisance calls, it was nice to be asked.

A writer for Swansea Life and Swansea Business Life magazine is looking to interview Green Beach as part of a feature about Swansea being on the 'crest of an eco wave'. I'm looking forward to rabbiting on about my favourite subject. This has renewed my idea of opening an ethical boutique locally. Cardiff have one (Oyster clothing) - would enough Swansea folk be interested - leave your comments please. Opening a shop is a big ask, so perhaps the web shop can be developed first.

Peace
Ella

[Pic:- starfish beachcomber necklace - available in a frosty version in the new collection]

Collecting ideas naturally

You may have noticed that our web-shop is still not up and running. That's because making and designing is so much fun (time consuming too) - so we are focusing on that, our next collection, plus running up extra hemp beachcomber necklaces for our local boutiques (Pebble) because they have sold out. As well as approaching Howies, I decided to see if a bigger fish would be interested in selling our jewellery online, so I sent some stuff to Natural Collection, via my old mate Al (previous known as City Hippy). I am looking forward to getting some feedback from these well-experienced ethical retailler's. Our idea is to concentrate on one-off pieces for boutiques and through our own mail order service, but also to produce, for a wider audience, a more marketable 'natural' collection using hemp.

Ella
[Pic - sorting out our orders for Pebble]

The worry lines are gone

I had been a little worried lately about the lack of communication from our Fair Trade bead suppliers in Africa. However Christine assured me that they had come through for us fine in the past and we needed to have faith. Finally this week I had the email I had been waiting for - the beads are being shipped. They have had power problems again and were very apologetic, I even felt a bit guilty for doubting them. So now I can get the focus back on the next collection. Will have news shortly on a show we will be attending in August, which I'm really excited about.

Check out my skincare review at New Consumer, after I received some lovely products from award winning green e-department store - Natural Collection. I wrote this review awhile ago but I'm still loving the Skincare cafe range, especially the moisturiser [See pic]

Ella

Turn your TV off

Treat yourself this Friday & Saturday to a night of music, comedy and drama courtesy of the 'Ostreme Players' based in Mumbles, South Wales. Featuring one of our assistant Green Beachers, turn your TV off and lend your support.

The Summer Repertoire starts at 7.30pm both Friday 29th and Sat 30th June at the Ostreme Centre. Tickets £5. For further information see local press or read Mumbles village diary here.

[Pic: Oystermouth Castle - the Ostreme Centre is located at the foot of the hill of this historic castle]