What’s New at EANJewellery

What’s New at EANJewellery

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February – What’s New at EANJewellery

So much has been happening, I’ve not had time to tell you everything so I thought I’d jot it all down here so you can keep up to date with what’s new at EANJewellery.

Newsworthy nuggets

For those skim readers here’s what’s new at EANJewellery. I’ve given you a good old bullet point list. I don’t care what anyone says, I love a bullet point list, So retro! If you want to go into details I’ve written more below.

  • Kent Wedding Fairs: Rustic Wedding Fair, Lakehouse Kent, Penshurst Place 

  • Sustainable Weddings: Sustainability Summit and my plans towards my sustainability accreditation

  • Wedding Awards: English Wedding Awards and Guides for Brides Awards

  • Magazine features: The Kent Review, Your Kent Wedding and Inside Kent

  • Wedding Collaboration: The Union of Scent + Art is born

Kent Wedding Fairs

Pop this date for your diary as I’ll be exhibiting at the Rustic Wedding Fair on Sunday 28 April 2024. I’m excited to be exhibiting with my new collective of fabulous women “Union of Scent + Art” (more on that below). We offer Kent wedding couples unforgettable experiences as part of their wedding planning and day. How special to create your own wedding perfume, wedding artwork and wedding rings. You can with union of scent + art

2 previous wedding fairs that you may have missed me at were Lakeside House wedding fair and Penshurst Place wedding fair. Both were amazing in their own ways and it was wonderful to chat to so many eager wedding couples there.

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Sustainable Weddings

Getting to grips with how to make my business sustainable is hard. There is so much to learn and lots of hurdles to cross. With the help of the Sustainable Wedding Alliance and their recent summit I feel supported and encouraged to complete my sustainability accreditation this year. There, I’ve said it outloud now so I have to do it. I bumped into Adam of Small99 who I know from Brighton old days. He’s doing great things helping small businesses plan for Net Zero. He suggested the first thing every small company can do today is to swap out their old light bulbs for new LED ones. I’m off to order mine now. Photo Credit Zoe Mills Photo.

Wedding Awards

I’m super excited to announce that EANJewellery has been awarded “Highly Commended” in Jeweller of the Year category at the English Wedding Awards 2024. So thrilled with this award and to be recognised in the competitive world of Wedding Jewellers.

In addition to this I’m a finalist in the Guides for Brides customer services awards 2024. The awards ceremony is not until March so I’ll wait with fingers crossed until then. 

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Magazine Features

I feel very honoured to make a splash in 3 magazines recently, namely The Kent Review, Your Kent Wedding and Inside Kent. I’m especially excited to be called upon for my expert opinion in Your Kent Wedding twice in the same publication. Read my Wedding Ring Making SOS and finishing touches guide to your wedding rings.

Wedding Collaboration

I was recently asked to join “Union of Scent + Art” and jumped at the chance to join 2 other like minded women each offering a truly bespoke wedding experience. “Union of Scent + Art” is an Earth.Hive project©. We are a co-operative of creatives with a passion for nature and love. Together we curate memories of your special moments through scent and art. Susanne helps you create your unique scent for your wedding day. Hannah guides you to create your own love artwork that can be framed or made into wedding stationary. And I show couples how to make their own wedding rings in my jewellery workshop. Each of us shares a passion for sustainability and creating memorable experiences that last well beyond your wedding day. Whilst we each offer our own unique experiences for couples, if anyone is drawn to all of our offerings we can accommodate a collaborative discount especially for you. Just mention you read this wedding collaboration blog post to receive a 5% discount.

 

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Summary

So when anyone asks what’s new at EANJewellery, the answer is a lot of exciting things. If you are coming along to a wedding fair, looking to plan a sustainable wedding or have spotted me in a magazine leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear from you. Take good care, Elizabeth

 

Elizabeth Anne Norris Jewellery, English Wedding Awards finalist

Elizabeth Anne Norris Jewellery, English Wedding Awards finalist

 

Elizabeth Anne Norris Jewellery, English Wedding Awards finalist

After the success of previous years ceremonies, Oceanic events are proud to announce the 7th English Wedding Awards 2024.

These awards aim to celebrate the elite wedding specialists and businesses that continuously create magical moments that turn into lasting memories.

They aim to recognise and reward those within the wedding industry that work towards making the big day as perfect as possible. These include the caterers that provide delicious reception meals, decorators that take care of the wedding venues and add the glam in the room or florists that know how to make any wedding flourish.

Elizabeth Anne Norris Jewellery English wedding awards finalist in the Jewellers of the Year category. Elizabeth Anne Norris Jewellery will find out if they will be crowned winner and take the trophy home at an elegant ceremony that will take place in early 2024 in Birmingham.

“My small business was a proud South of England winner and Regional winner for the West Midlands in 2022.  It’d be an honour to win again. 2023 has been a fantastic year for Elizabeth Anne Norris Jewellery with many happy couples walking away with wedding rings they created themselves. My wedding couples make my job so much fun. I can’t imagine doing anything else”

A Spokesperson for the 7th English Wedding Awards 2024 said: “We’re glad to have the opportunity to celebrate the continued development of the wedding industry. The competition is tough this year but it is time to acknowledge everyone who has shown dedication and professionalism in their workplace; two key features that make individuals and businesses stand out from the rest. We congratulate all the English Wedding Awards finalists for their remarkable achievements.”

Please follow me on Instagram here and Facebook here for further announcements in early 2024!

My Small business Sustainability plan

My Small business Sustainability plan

My Small Business Sustainability plan

I have recently taken the conscious decision to make my small business, Elizabeth Anne Norris Jewellery, more sustainable. 

UK governments are legally committed to reducing carbon emissions to ‘net zero’ by 2045 (Scotland) and 2050 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). All businesses need to work towards net zero with the aim to reduce emissions and reach this target too. I want to start my small business sustainability plan as soon as possible. You can follow my progress here. My aim is to be as open and transparent as possible with you. 

My Small business Sustainability plan starts here

Why bother with a sustainability plan?

A definition of sustainability is

“meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland Report, 1987

You’ve heard it many times before but we ARE in a climate emergency. The temperature of our planet is rising due to human activity. The consequences of our actions are increased periods of extreme weather like heat waves, droughts, storms and floods. Examples of the knock-on effect of these things are more wildfires, rising sea levels, water shortages, extinction of animals, rising food prices, worse living conditions for many and loss of human life due to many of the above conditions.

It is up to all of us to do our bit today to reduce the effects of climate change for future generations. The government is calling on small businesses to lead by example in the net zero journey in the hope that others can learn and follow what might seem unachievable at this point in time. That’s why I’m starting my small business sustainability plan now.

Measuring your carbon footprint

Measuring your carbon footprint

A quick and simple step you can take right now is by measuring your carbon footprint. I calculated my carbon footprint last week and I was shocked! My current carbon usage is 10.6 tonnes per year which means there is definitely room for improvement. My high score is partly due to my having chronic fatigue syndrome for the last 2.5 years and opting to travel to work by car to conserve my energy and preserve my health. As my health improves I hope to improve my carbon footprint by making greener journeys.

Take your first step towards your small business sustainability plan…

Measure your carbon footprint here

 

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Where I am now on my Sustainability Journey

  • Right now I am at the beginning of my sustainability journey. Apart from producing award winning handmade jewellery out of 100% recycled gold or silver and using recycled packaging, where possible I haven’t taken any major steps towards being more sustainable. 
  • At the moment I am a student of Sustainability & Circular Economy”, a course run by Buckinghamshire new university, BEC and funded by the EU development fund and UK government. 
  • I’ve also joined the Sustainable Wedding Alliance who help wedding businesses become more sustainable with the ultimate goal of becoming accredited.

What are my next steps?

Looking forward, my next steps in my small business sustainability plan are to:

  1. Learn as much as I can about sustainability in business via the course I am taking and through support and resources provided by the Sustainable Wedding Alliance
  2. Put together my Sustainability Strategy and make that publicly available on my website
  3. Put my plan into action !

If you are a small business and would like to ask me anything about my sustainability journey or how to start yours please comment below.

Thanks, Elizabeth

Guides for Brides Awards 2022

Guides for Brides Awards 2022

Guides for Brides Customer Service Awards 2022

The annual Guides for Bride’s awards recognise and reward businesses that provide excellent services and achieve outstanding client satisfaction.

The Covid pandemic was a difficult time for the wedding industry, so it felt very needed to recognise its success and celebrate it.

Guides for Brides offer prizes to their wedding suppliers according to their customer service records, and there are over 20 different main categories. The very best of bridal wear, through to catering, videography, transport and unique venues are all recognised.

Image by van den Eshof Photography

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Jewellery Category

It was so exciting to find out that my small wedding business was shortlisted for a Guides for Brides award back in February this year.

The finalists all produce beautiful jewellery for weddings and special occasions so it was an honour to appear along side these companies in this year’s competition:

  • Caan Thomas Jewellery Designer
  • Elizabeth Anne Norris
  • Lover’s Rock
  • Rachel Sokhal Bridal Accessories

Many congratulations to all the finalists in this and other areas of the wedding industry.

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The Awards Ceremony

The excitement didn’t stop there as I was then invited to the awards ceremony for a night of celebration! This year, the awards ceremony was a fundraising gala for their charity partner, VOW for Girls. Held on Wednesday 9th March 2022 at the prestigious Oxford Town hall we enjoyed a delicious dinner, celebrate the successes of all our finalists and winners, and raised funds for this great organisation. Founder, Alison Hargreaves gave a speech before the awards presentation. It was a wonderful night and a chance to meet new people.

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UK Winner Category Jewellery

To top an already exhilarating night my name was called in the first of the prize categories, Jewellery. Elizabeth Anne Norris had won the best customer service award in the jewellery category. I could not be more proud of this achievement in the UK wedding industry. This was my second award in 2022 and I think I was buzzing for days afterwards. My customer services award trophy from Guides for Brides now sits proudly in my jewellery workshop in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham. I’m so thrilled to be able to help couples create their own wedding rings and to be recognised for doing a good job at it too!

Thank you so much Guides for Brides.

English Wedding Awards 2022 Winner

English Wedding Awards 2022 Winner

English Wedding Awards 2022 Winner

After being nominated for a wedding award way back in 2021 I waited patiently for the winners announcement. And was it worth the wait, yes! Elizabeth Anne Norris jewellery was awarded 2 awards in the English Wedding Awards 2022.

English Wedding Awards 2022 winner

Special pieces of Jewellery

What does jewellery mean to you? Is it something you wear or collect? Or maybe it’s something you treasure? Whatever it is, we all have a special piece of jewellery that means something to us. Thinking of that special piece of jewellery you own, were you involved in the designing, making, purchasing of it? For some people the only jewellery they will ever wear is a wedding ring and it’s one of my favourite things to design and make for wedding couples. That’s why I’m excited to announce that Elizabeth Anne Norris Jewellery won not 1 but 2 awards in the jewellery category in 2022.

The 5th English Wedding Awards Ceremony

The English Wedding Awards was created to celebrate the best vendors and most excellent suppliers for the wedding industry in England. Whether they’re providing beautiful venues to be wed at or providing amazing flowers to adorn the wedding party, these talented individuals are providing couples with the very best weddings.

Big names in the Wedding industry

Elizabeth Anne Norris jewellery was not only a winner in the West Midlands but also in the South of England. 2 Awards, how fantastic that is. I’m honoured to be recognised alongside some incredible names such as:

  • Romantic Wedding Venue of the Year Overall: : Macdonald Ansty Hall Hotel (Coventry)
  • Wedding Boutique of the Year Overall Winner: The Dressing Rooms Bridal (Halesowen)
  • Groomswear Supplier of the Year Overall Winner: Black Tie Menswear (Crowthorne)
  • Stationary Supplier of the Year Overall: Evelyn & Elliot  (Shrewsbury)
  • Event Decorator of the Year Overall Winner: Decorations by Design (Burton upon Trent)
  • Wedding Venue of the Year Overall Winner: Redhouse Barn (Bromsgrove)
  • Cake Designer of the Year  Overall Winner: Elite Cake Design (Solihull)
  • Hair & Make Up Specialist of the Year Overall Winner: Kerry-anne Hair (Milton Keynes)
  • Wedding Photographer of the Year Overall Winner: Daniella Marino’s photography (Berkeley)

 

Special Thanks

We would like to thank everyone who voted for us in the 5th year of the English Wedding Awards and congratulate our fellow nominees on their success. It’s been great discovering such wonderful wedding suppliers and we look forward to nurturing a partnership with them in the future.

If you want to see more about the awards visit Creative Oceanic Website 

Thank you so much for your support!

Elizabeth

English Wedding Awards 2022
Launch! Online Ring Making Course

Launch! Online Ring Making Course

Yesterday I told you I had announcement to make today and here it is.

 

Your complete beginners guide to creating a silver ring at home is here…

Through bite sized videos and a comprehensive workbook this online course will equip you with all the knowledge to make a beautiful silver ring to be proud of…

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Does this sound like you ?

  • You’re curious about jewellery making but don’t know where to start, unsure what jewellery tools you need or whether you’ll enjoy jewellery making.
  • You’d love to learn jewellery making but don’t want to spend loads of money or join a membership, academy or college.
  • The courses you’ve researched are too long, not available right now, aren’t near you, not at convenient times, are fully booked or require a big commitment

Imagine all of this made easy…

  1. This online course will set you up at home by following easy videos showing you how to set up your workspace. Tool lists broken down into 8 steps to follow the course. Estimated tool costs so you can plan and spread your budget as you want. Included are 5 videos, done for you tool lists, clickable links to reputable tool suppliers.
  1. This online course will guide you through the making process from start to finish with easy to follow videos so you can take the course in your own time, at your own pace. Turn your idea into reality and create a beautiful silver ring you can wear forever. Included are 1hour and 50 minutes of video tutorials and a 31 page workbook.
  1. This online course will support you all the way by joining a FB community of other students taking this course. Share your progress with others, enjoy a fun learning experience together and network opening possibilities to buy and sell second hand jewellery tools with past and present students. Included are: dedicated FB group, homework hashtags, FAQ topics
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On this course you’ll get lifetime access to:

  • Clear instructional videos showing you how to set up your workspace at home
  • Videos talking you through the jewellery tools you’ll need for this course
  • A list of my recommended tool and silver suppliers
  • 1 hour and 50 minute of step by step video tutorials walking you through my 8 proven steps to make a silver ring
  • Worth £125

A 31 page comprehensive workbook including:

  • Step by step written instructions
  • Safety tips
  • Before and after expectations for each step of the course
  • Jewellery tools needed for each step of the course
  • Direct links to researched tool suppliers to save you money
  • Top tips
  • Fun homework prompts
  • Suggested hashtags to share progress pics
  • Worth £85
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Supportive Community:

  • Learn from your award winning jeweller and teacher who’s made over 1000 rings to date.
  • The opportunity to join a supportive community over on a dedicated FB group where you can connect with other students taking this online course, ask questions and find answers to FAQs
  • Worth £££

Bonuses:

  • A tools and consumables list with estimated costs so you can budget accordingly
  • Done for you ring length calculator
  • Coupon code for a free ring multi-sizer
  • Worth £59
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Total value of the above is worth £269+

But it’s yours today for only £64.99

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FAQs 

Q: How much do I need to spend on jewellery tools. A: I’ve calculated you’ll need approx £40 on consumables and £100 on tools. Because I’ve broken down the tool lists for each step you can spread your spending and only order tools as and when you need them. 

Q: How much space will I need? A: You’ll need a table and a chair. I started making jewellery on an office desk but you can use the kitchen table, a desk or pick up an old table from a charity shop. 

Q: I’ve never used tools before and am worried about safety. A: I include lots of safety tips in my tutorials and as long as you follow those and are sensible you should be fine. If you have any concerns please contact me.

Q: I’m not based in the UK, is this online course for me? A: Yes, this course if for anyone who wants to learn the basics of silver jewellery making. Whilst there are links to reputable suppliers based in the UK you can research for tool suppliers nearer to you. Please be aware that if you order tools and bullion from abroad you may be charged import taxes. Check your local import export rules.

In making this online course I’ve scoured the internet and can’t find a stand alone online ring making course like this anywhere in the UK. I’ve also researched some of the best value tools so you don’t have to, just click the links in the course workbook, Easy! Let me bring the jewellery tutor to you, my 22 years of jewellery making expertise are just a click away. If you’re a complete beginner this is the perfect course for you. I’m literally sharing all the info you need to start your jewellery making journey at home and I know you’re going to love it!

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Still undecided?

My 100% Satisfaction Guarantee

If you buy and you’re not satisfied here is what I’ll offer you…

So confident am I that you will be able to make a silver ring after completing this course that: if you complete the course and the workbook and are still not able to make a silver ring I will offer you a full refund.

(refund available within 28 days of purchase)

I can’t wait to help you create your own silver ring and to learn my 8 Proven Steps to Make a Silver Ring. Won’t you dive in with me… ?

If this isn’t for you right now, don’t worry. Sign up to my mailing list to find out about future courses. Tick the “online jewellery courses” box for what you’d like to hear about.