Creator Spotlight: Zigabel Earrings (Etsy)

Hey lovelies!

I buy a heck of a lot of things from local/online creators and often go back for more! I believe in supporting local business so much and think it’s something we should all be doing. I love the passion each artist or creator has for what they’re selling. Id much rather buy jewellery, art, the odd bit of clothing, accessories etc from someone personally than have the standard crap from the highstreets. As well as getting a more personalised service, you’re also helping your local economy!

Soooo, in spirit of that, I’m going to be doing a little series on my blog about local/online creators that I love! And I’m delighted for my first creator to be Sophie Howells from Zigabel Earrings!!

I met sophie through some mutual friends… I’ve only met her once, but she is so easy to get a long with, so genuine and just sweet as hell. She has recently started an etsy shop called Zigabel Earrings and the second I seen some of the bits she was selling, I fell in love!  I’ve made quite a few orders now and don’t think ill be stopping any time soon.

When you order two pairs of earrings you get the third free (not sure if this is still on!) and each time I’ve had a free pair they have quickly become my favourite pair. Probably something id never think to buy myself but the second they’re on my ears I’m obsessed.

Since my first delivery there hasn’t been a day where I haven’t worn earrings. She has started my very strange earring obsession. I’m now constantly on the lookout for weird, eccentric earrings. People that come into my work are starting to call me “The girl with mad earrings”. Which I love!! So far, I’ve bought wine bottle earrings, lots of tassels, pom poms, clay hoops, more tassels, crazy faces and even Venus sign earrings!

Every single order is personalised. Crazy stickers on the envelope and the packaging. Cute notes. Quirky drawings of her cats. Its one of the main reasons I keep going back.

One of my favourite things about her shop is that I genuinely love what she sells, each pair is different, and I honestly just sit wait for her latest creation to appear on my instagram feed, bank card at the ready.  You can tell she is grateful for every single order she gets, and it makes buying from her all the more fulfilling.

Here’s what Sophie had to say:

1.     Hi! Give me a brief on yourself and your shop!

So, my name is Sophie, I'm 20 on February 3rd and I make earrings from things I find in charity shops and from car boots and online. I love skulls and trainers and cats and diet coke. My shop HQ is the far-right hand corner of my bedroom and consists of a coffee table piled with pen pots and beads and all sorts of shit, a tray of Jiffy bags, a drawer of stickers and a pillow from IKEA that I sit on while I do my stuff. 

2.     How did you choose your name?

chose the name for my shop, "Zigabel Earrings" after my two kittens. I took the Zig from Ziggy (Zigfield) and the Bel from Bella (Bellatrix). I was in love with my cats the minute I laid eyes on them in the kitchen of someone I met on Preloved, so it just seemed right to have a name that was based on something I was utterly obsessed with.

3.     What do you sell?

sell earrings, some quite mellow and subtle earrings, and some very extravagant earwear. Skulls, tassels, cat charms, clay earrings, I'd like to say I sell quite a variety of earrings.

4.     What made you want to start selling your product?

I got quite ill at the end of 2016/beginning of last year and had to leave uni and I haven't been able to work since about May time. I'm in the house a lot and I was trying to find a creative outlet because that's what helped me with feeling depressed, I could whip out a pack of sharpies and draw for a bit and feel slightly more human. I spent a lot of time in my bed and wearing slobbish clothes like leggings or like big jumpers and things and just looking a bit scraggly. I personally liked this look, and I still rock it now, but I wanted something that was gonna make me look a bit more put together, something to make me pop. I thought that I could make my own earrings and then I'd have the full choice of what they looked like and if they were hoops and all that shit. I ordered a beginner’s earring making kit from amazon in September and started hunting charity shops for beads, and I have never looked back. 

5.     Are people around you supportive?

Everyone around me is the most supportive I think they could possibly be. I say there is support firing out of their nostrils. I mentioned being ill before and my parents think that starting my business has helped, I'm more positive and driven and have an actual purpose in life. It sounds funny but I'm supportive of myself for once, I'm so happy at how far I and my business have come. Word of mouth is a big part of my shop cos I'd have never had so many sales without my friends telling their friends and showing my earrings on their Instagram stories and stuff like that. A lot of people I know are so supportive.

6.     How are you finding running your shop on Etsy?

I'm finding running my shop dead good. I mentioned I don't work currently so I can properly throw myself into my business and try to make it dead good. It's the thing that I put all my effort and money into and if that's what it takes then that's fine with me, I love my shop. 

7.     Do you have any bestselling products?

My best-selling products have got to be the tassel hoops, and the Ziggy earrings (black cat earrings). I have a pair of Ziggy's myself and many tassels that I wear and they both look brill in different ways.

8.     What feedback have you had so far?

I've only recently had feedback on etsy, which I think is 4 5-star reviews. Someone described the earrings as "flamboyant and fun" and "definitely one of a kind" and I could no way describe what I was going for any better than that.

9.     Where do you see your shop in 5 years?

10. If you could take your shop anywhere where would it be? A stand in a shopping centre? a shop in London? What's the dream?

(Both 9/10.)

I mean I'd like to still have an online sort of shop, I might have a degree or a kid in 5 years’ time, but I hope I'll always keep Zigabel Earrings alive in some way. I'll merge question 9 & 10 together for this because in 5 years time I'd like to be somewhere with my business, I'd honestly just really like to have my shop online and maybe a small shop in just the right place for the audience I'm going for. I'd like to work with sterling silver and perhaps do a jewellery degree, so my shop might progress and get even more professional. I think the dream would be to be happy with what I'm doing, which so far, is working out for me. 

 I wish sophie all the luck in the world with her little shop. She deserves every bit of success she gets. 

Her shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ZigabelStudio?ref=search_shop_redirect 

Her instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zigabelstudio/

What do you think of sophs earrings? are there any shops you'd like me to review? Do you sell anything? 

Untill next time,

Cass x

Follow me on IG: casssrattray

Follow me on Twitter: @cassrattray
Subscribe to me on YouTube: An Unorganised Life

Another Post you might like:  Has Gay Pride gone too far?

Optiat Skincare - The Most Satisfying Face Mask Ever

Is the title too dramatic? Hear me out. 

Late last year I picked up a small sample of Optiat's nourishing hemp face mask at a bloggers event. When I first looked at it I thought it was just a standard sachet. You cut it open and there would barley be enough to cover one cheek.. but for once (kidding), I was wrong! Instead of the mask already being made and coming in a a paste.. Its in powder form and you have to make it yourself!!!! THIS is the reason I called it the most satisfying mask ever. I love love love the fact you get to make it yourself. When I was younger I used to pretend to "make soaps", Id put my dressing gown on as a lab coat and mix my soaps together pretending i'd made a brand new bubble bath or a body wash (sad, I know). So this was an absolute ball for me, right old blast from the past, put my makeshift lab coat on and everything! 

The sachet is half full and really is enough for your entire face. If you get the full sized mask (£17.95) it comes in a jar, and judging by the amount I got in a small sachet i'm guessing that is a lotttttt of pamper nights worth.  

I've recently just moved and had packed away all of my skincare so kept this out so that the day before I moved all my stuff I could use this without unpacking everything in search for some products! I had also been ill for two weeks with the flu so it was a tad risky for me to not go with something I knew would work and wouldn't irritate my skin but i'm glad to say that I went for it and it paid off! 

So, how do you use it?  

1. Open the packet and put the mix into a small bowl. 
2. Then get a tea spoon of warm water and mix it into the powder to form a paste.  
3. Apply with fingers or a brush (I personally use a brush but fingers work too!).  
4.  Leave on for 10 minutes (and if you're me...an extra five for good measure).
5. Wash off with warm water and pat dry! 

Whilst waiting for it to work its magic I had a little read! Optiat are a nature friendly skincare company and all the ingredients in their products are hand sourced, vegan and cruelty free - which is boss!! What's not to love ay. I feel like that's quite hard to find in a face mask. People use facemasks as a way to give their face an extra treatment so people are expecting results. They use them because they need them to work. So companies tend to put harsh ingredients in their masks so that people see results... so an all natural face mask that really works truly is a godsend.  

After washing it off, my skin felt amazing. It really gave it the boost it needed. Felt like it had gotten all the gunk out of my pores and reeeeally detoxed my skin. 

So what did I think overall?

Packaging: 9/10

Price: 7/10 

Application: 7/10
Did what it said: 9/10

Results: 8/10

How much would I recommend: 8/10

I probably will buy this again, £18 seems a tad steep but you pay for what you get really dont you. And with the glass jar/tube it will last a while. (Also the brand has a very simplistic packaging theme and I'm a sucker for anything that goes with my aesthetic).  

Have you tried this mask before? Or are you going to? What facemasks are a regular part of your skincare routine?

Until next time, Cass x

Follow me on IG: casssrattray

Follow me on Twitter: @cassrattray
Subscribe to me on YouTube: An Unorganised Life

Another Post you might like:  Has Gay Pride gone too far?

Has gay pride gone too far?

My short answer would be.. no. No it hasn't gone too far. But that wouldn't make for a very convincing or informative argument now would it. So here's my long version...

The first time I heard someone say this I was shocked. How did they think that?! Its people celebrating being themselves? But turns out... quite a lot of people think this. Granted, a lot of them are of the older generation, but still it’s quite a hefty number.

The word "Flamboyant" is used to describe gays lot. Gays are too "Flamboyant". Before I explain why this is so insulting to hear, I’m going to take it back to the sixties where gay pride started. 

Picture this... New York City, June 28th 1969, it was illegal to display "homosexuality" in public, for pubs and bars to serve gay people and for two people of the same sex to dance together. Men could be immediately arrested for wearing drag and women for wearing less than three pieces of feminine clothing. Folk had felt so pushed out and unwanted within the city that three years prior, in 1966, the Stonewall Inn opened and soon became known as the place where everyone, regardless of identity or sexual orientation, was allowed to be themselves, dance, drink and have a good time without being judged. A place of solace.

However, on this certain night, the police decided, despite already being paid off to ignore the fact they were illegally selling alcohol to homosexuals, that they would raid the bar with a warrant. The plan was to arrest everyone inside the bar, however their squad cars didn't show up. So this meant that the Stonewall patrons were forced to wait outside the bar in handcuffs. Don’t forget, they were living in an anti-gay era, so this is not only embarrassing but very dangerous. They then started to fight back and shout things like "Gay power!" and "Free us!". This of course drew in a crowd of people. At one point, an officer hit a lesbian over the head and forced her into the back of his car, she shouted to onlookers to do something. People then started to throw anything they could find; Pennies, bottles, stones. The crowd soon reached hundreds... a full blown riot erupted forcing ten police officers to barricade themselves inside the stonewall. The crowd then set fire to the barricade. Gay power indeed! 

This soon became known as the Stonewall Riots, sparking a global movement. June is now known as gay pride month and is celebrated all over the world. In 2016, President Barack Obama designated the site of the riots, The Stonewall Inn, Christopher Park and the surrounding streets, a national monument in recognition of the area’s contribution to gay and human rights. Another reason Obama is a legend. Thanks to that one event , we now march once a year to celebrate how far we have come. 

Now just imagine, for two minutes, that if none of that happened and either you, or your friends, or  family member, had to risk being sent to prison just to go somewhere they felt safe and where they belonged. That is so sad to me. I lived on Stanley Street in Liverpool, one of the main roads in "Gay Town" and I remember sitting by window watching the drag queens outside of superstar boudoir thinking how amazing it is that this is a thing! They can do that, and not only can they do that, they can do it whilst feeling safe and without any risk of being arrested! You can openly say "I'm going to heaven (a gay bar) tonight" without fear someone would tell the police, getting you and your friends arrested. Now, I don't know about you but that is a cause for celebration if I ever heard one.

People celebrate EVERYTHING. Birthdays, graduations, good grades, end of a school year, a new kitchen, fucking hell people even just celebrate the fact that it's a Friday... so calm the fuck down and let us celebrate the fact we can freely show our sexuality without being repressed, ridiculed or arrested.

I often hear people saying things like "I'm okay with people being gay, but just don't shove it in my face"... so in other words you're okay with it until you're reminded of it. "I'll let it slide as long as I don't see it". Which is absurd, and quite frankly hypercritical. I recently had a conversation with a co-worker where I had been in the building about 4 minutes before he said "have you seen the new manager upstairs... I would love to sit on her face". Which I was okay with, until he later said he doesn't like gays rubbing their sexuality in his face???? Surely you telling me you want to put your dick in someone’s mouth are rubbing your sexuality in mine and other people’s faces? No?? Why do straight people always feel victimised or disgusted when they see gay PDA? Heterosexuality is everywhere. Children grow up with heterosexuality shoved in their faces 24/7 without a choice. Adverts, school books, TV, games, songs, food packaging... it's literally everywhere. Now I’m not saying this is wrong but don't get offended when a same sex couple do the same. 

People say that the actual celebration has gone too far. Too sexual, too provocative. There are so many debates about why the marches are like this now, but honestly, the simple answer (sometimes) is because we can. And I mean that in the least cocky way possible. You know when you're 16/17 and drinking and have to hide it... and as soon as you're 18 you walk up to the bar and smugly flick out you ID whether they ask for it or not. You get hammered and you take advantage of the fact that you can do this legally with no consequences!! It’s a big thing right? I remember turning 18 and mannnnnnn did I go overboard. Passport flying all over the gaff, bought half of spoons a Jager bomb, went to the bar for people even when I didn't need to! Just because I COULD! Now imagine that being your sexuality. You've hidden it for so long that now you're finally out and have your freedom, you go nuts. You're free to be who you are with no consequences, around people who don't judge you. You're running to the bar with your ID printed on A1 paper, laminated, around your god damn neck ready to buy everyone you know a double vodka and a sourz.

While I do agree that a lot of pride parades are very sexual and contain costumes, floats or signs that SOME may find inappropriate, I think it’s important to remember that they are supposed to be for the enjoyment of gay adults who are celebrating their sexuality, not children. And if you are silly enough to think gay pride has ever been advertised as FOR children, then that's just bad judgment on your part. "Straight Pride" (We'll get onto that in a minute) would also be for the enjoyment of straight adults celebrating their sexuality. Would anyone ever say they were being to sexual if it ever became a thing?

"Well we don't have straight pride, so why do we have gay pride?"

I'm not going to dwell on this for too long or waste any of my time explaining every single reason why this is wrong. As much as I could... it's just really not worth my time. There is only so much one can be educated. If you don't know why this is an absurd thought right of the bat then you're either incredibly ignorant or just plain backwards. So to put it simply... the average straight person will most likely never come across a time in their life where they have to explain, defend or fight for their sexuality. Whereas, someone who is not straight will most likely have to do that for a large portion of their lives. Yes, it its vastly more accepted now, but there will always be the Donald Trumps and Ann Widdecombes of the world. Another MASSIVE reason is that straight people have never and will ever go to prison for being straight. Gay people have been and in some countries still are, being stoned or sentenced to life in prison just for being gay. So, in short... Straight people don't really have much to celebrate. The LGBT+ community have overcame a lot... let us celebrate. 

Personally, I honestly adore gay pride. My last was the best. I have never really "came out", only to close friends and then it was just sort of a known thing. But last year’s pride weekend (2017) a lot more people knew, I was single and I had also fallen for a girl and was lucky enough to spend some of my pride celebration with her. Nothing ever came of that but it was still very special. Another reason was because a lot of my close friends had came out that year, I had spoken out A LOT about gay rights and what they mean to me and it had become a massive part of my life. So being at pride meant a lot. You see people going to their first pride weekend, or people that have JUST came out, people that go just to be supportive, people that have been out for years and are getting married but most of all you just see happy people. It sounds so cheesy but everyone is just happy. It really is just a roller-coaster of emotions. The Sunday morning after my Saturday night at pride, I was in work (very hungover) and I was just beaming. I felt like I was floating. Ludicrous, I know. But I was literally skipping around work grinning from ear to ear. Now tell me how you can be against something that gives happiness like that to someone.  

Gay prides still serve a massive purpose!! Shouting the message that "We're here, we're queer, there's A LOT of us, we're not ashamed of who we are, and we deserve to be treated equally" is still massively important! Gay relationships are still criminalised in 72 countries and in 8 countries it is still punishable by death! So you may think gay pride is too in your face... but don't you think it needs to be?

I'm going to stop rambling now because I could go on forever and there will undoubtedly be more posts on similar or expanding topics so I’ll save it for then! That being said... I will leave you with some quotes from friends of my mine on why gay pride is still necessary and what it means to them:

"I'm not out to my parents, or even some of my friends. So pride weekend truly is an escape. I can drop the act and just be me wthout thinking I’m being looked at. It's pure relief."  - Anonymous 

"Of course there is the typical cookie cut answer to this, which is both totally true and still needed today. Which is, well... To have "pride" within ourselves, no matter ones sexuality or gender (if they so feel they have one).it's a place to stand hand in hand with all corners of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as our straight allies. It's a place to feel safe, have fun and to betaken seriously with no judgment. Just like any cause, we need to show the bigoted and the uneducated that we can be taken seriously (that be in a three piece suit or leather hot pants). Pride ins't just a parade in the city center, it's an everyday life." - Jamie Dean 

"Gay pride is so important to me because it shows young people struggling with who they are that they can live freely & proudly." - Kyran Wright 

"To me, gay pride is every day. But the gay pride marches and the gay pride weekend are reminders that there still a fight to be fought." -  Lisa U

"Gay pride is important because without it, how would young queer folk know its okay to come out? I don't think straight people know 1. How hard it can be to come out and 2. How many people do just that BECAUSE of gay pride." -  David / Lady D

"It's only recently that gay marriage has even been allowed and there are still people who think "well gay people are icky". It's good because it mainly serves as a constant incessant reminder that LGBT people are, like, 10% of the population and we exist, y'know. Soon as we stop standing up and yelling at the world to treat us like human beings, they're just gonna go back to the 60's asshole right wing sensibilities." - Dylan Dunkerley

Let’s all just love each other okay?

Until next time, Cass x

Big Changes.. Cutting All My Hair Off.

So I did it. I cut all my hair off.

I know I sound hella dramatic, but I used to have very very long hair. Its gradually got shorter over the years due to dying it etc. So when I cut it off it felt as though i was cutting off 10 inches when in reality it was probably about 5.

Back in 2016 I had pink hair, purple hair and then blue hair for a year. It absolutely ruined my hair. I don't regret it but it has left my hair in a bit of a state. Eventually my hair was in such a mess, it would no longer grow, I've also been trying to get it back blonde.. so getting back to health whilst trying to go blonde just wasn't working. Some of the ends had sort of snapped off so in photos it sort of looked like a had a LOB (long bob) and I kind of liked it. So in the end I just thought fuck it, let's go blonder and get a LOB.

All my life I've been told that it wouldn't suit me because I've got a round face. So yeah.. I was a bit scared. Luckily one of my closest friends is my hair dresser so I have the freedom to have 8 to 10 freakouts before the scissors come out. I honestly have no idea how she does my hair... hats off to her though because I must be her worst client ever. 1000 questions and absolutely no trust.

Anyway, its gone and I fucking love it. I ADORE it. I have this strange new found confidence as well? Which is really odd. I hate my face, so I thought it would make me less confidant but my first night out i was throwing shapes on the dancefloor like there was no tomorrow. The sort of dancing that makes you go "Who does she think she is??"... yeah, I was that girl.

 

 


Just want to say a huge thank you to chloe. You are a saint for dealing with me.
She works at Anna Roche Hairdressing in Wallasey Village and is amaaazing, so go check her out.

Website: http://www.annarochehairdressing.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annarochehairdressing/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/annarochehair 

 

Until next time,

Cass x

Liverpool Bloggers Event: CarnLIVal

A few weeks back I had the absolute pleasure of attending the christmas #CarnLIVal event ran by the lovely Katy and Sam (@KatyGilroyBlog @Little_Fickle). For those of you who don't know what #CarnLIVal is, it's a bloggers event ran by two Liverpool/Wallasey based bloggers. They've done many of these events and they only seem to get better and better. I've known Katy since primary school and was introduced to Sam when about 2(ish!) years ago. They're both incredible people, running their own freelance company, blogs, youtube channels, full time studies, part time jobs AND organising these events. I think that's pretty incredible considering I can't even manage to get up for work on time every day.

When we walked in we were told to open on of the doors to receive a free raffle ticket. Did I mention how inventful these gals are???

This is their third this year and they killed it. It was hosted in the Lady of Mann pub in Liverpool and christ was it the cutest pub ever (and had a very lovely looking bar man if you're looking for that kind of thing!) It was a lot smaller that the previous two. A small group of amazing women all coming together, having a drink and talking all things blogger.

Katy and Sam made had individual cards hanging on the wall for us!

I arrived a tiny bit late due to traffic (and an awful cab driver who told me blogging must be easy because Donald Trump does it!!!! But that story is for another time.) so everybody else was already there. I then said my hello's and had a natter with everyone. Made a snowflake for the snowflake competition... which might I add, I stand by what I said that day. NOBODY follows instructions unless its for IKEA - Not only was mine the best but it was different, okay. I then headed over to the raffle table which had a lovely twist! The girls had wrote the brand on the gifts so that we could take a photo, guess what was inside and then tweet the brand what we thought it was. This promotes the brand and makes the raffle a lot more fun... I'm telling you, these gals are clever. My guess was for Urban Decay and I only bloody went and won a UD Naked Vault didn't i?! Nearly bloody cried! I also got a scratch off map for brewery's around the world - which I WILL complete. Other prizes included, an Elizabeth Arden, Gino D'acampo vouchers, a NYX lip vault, breakout vouchers and more! No idea how they pull all this off but they do!

The Raffle table!!

Then it was time for Naughty n' Nice lucky dip! This is my faaaaaaaavourite part of #CarnLIVal. So to explain it, it's basically two lucky dips..one bag full of nice goodies and the other full of some naughty bits. And I promise you now, every single time I've come to #CarnLIVal I've won a fucking dildo. My parents are always baffled to where the hell i've been when i come home!! I won some lipsticks, a purse which I gave to holly (@nuancednotebook) because she already had the matching bag, some lube, a very very scary looking dildo, and whole bunch of wine which I then proceeded to carry around with me and drink from the bottle. I had to go to work straight after so the boys in work found the HUGE dildo in my bag very amusing.

The Urban Decay Vault I won. What a vision of beauty. 

We also did secret santa and pass the parcel. And we of course left with an amazing goody bag, packed right to the top. This time round it was in a lovely santa sack. It had tons of Kat Von D products, books, face masks, pillow mists, makeup, condoms...the list is endless and i'm sure i'll be doing posts about them all later in the year! I usually love all the beauty bits but this year the booms where my favourite. Tiny pocket book on racism, a book about the happiest people around the world and a novel.  It was such a heart warming afternoon, everyone was so happy and festive.. As I mentioned before I had to go to work straight afterwards but it sent me on my way in the best mood ever.

The three most gorgeous Kat Von D shades that we received in our goody bags!

Massive thanks to the girls for running this as always, hope you know that we all appreciate every single event you hold for us and your hard work never goes unnoticed. I admire both of you so much, i'd pay good money to have the organisation, imagination and drive that you ladies have.

Until next time

Cass x