Above: How To Make Jewellery With Tatty Devine is the first book by these artsy Londoners.
When it comes to jewellery, I'm like one of those society princesses who'll only wear Elie Saab or Zac Posen - the only jewellery I like is made by Tatty Devine.
Based in East London, Tatty's wares are inspired equally by pop culture and jumble sale finds. Founders Harriet Vine and Rosie Wolfenden started out making leather cuffs from a pile of samples they found outside a posh shop. This knack of getting creative with materials has been a Tatty Devine trademark ever since.
Left: Tatty Devine can even turn potato chip packaging into high fashion - and now you can to!
Their die-cut plastic necklaces and rings - in offbeat shapes like moustaches, dogs or fifties cateye glasses - would make you perish of twee if the colors and superflat plastic weren't so bright and modern. Plus, their stuff is all handmade in the UK.
And so when a copy of the Tatty ladies' new book, How to Make Jewellery with Tatty Devine (Virgin Books), landed on my editor's desk, I sprang into action. A little theft was involved, sure, but once I started reading, my guilt soon faded. I was too absorbed in a whole new world of drilling, sanding, and finding crazy new materials to think about anything else!
Right: Upcycle defunct fashion spex with guidance from the ladies of Tatty Devine.
What's it about? This book is less about making jewellery from scratch than it is about taking already existing objects and making them into fantastic (and endlessly eye-catching) rings, necklaces and bracelets.
The Tatty ladies walk you through the process of using jeweller's tools - drills, pliers, a hand-punch, and various types of glue - to create a huge variety of accessories.
The projects: High points include making a necklace from a toy piano keyboard, a fab bracelet from discarded guitar picks, and a killer necklace from a pair of seventies men's specs.
If you are a compulsive hoarder - and what crafter isn't? - you'll be surrounded by inspiration as Harriet and Rosie share their knowledge of how it put it all together.
Left: the frontage of Tatty Devine's shop in London's Covent Garden, via Maytime.
What else is there? I loved reading about Tatty's early days. Anyone with an Etsy shop will get a lot of confidence from reading about their transition from working at home to stock craft fair tables to having their range sold in 200 shops worldwide.
Their pluck really inspired me. Plus the authors spill the secrets on their favorite UK and online destinations for notions, jewellery supplies and vintage treats.
Craft type? Jewellery making 101. Even if you've never used jewellery making tools or materials before, Tatty makes them seem incredibly approachable.
This book presents jewellery design as the ultimate starter craft - with the right tools, anyone can do it.
