I’ve been meaning to blog about this since it happened but have just been too busy. However, now that I have a moment to sit down and catch my breath, let me tell you about the Tatty Devine lucky dip weekend. Last year my favourite jewellery brand announced a special online accompaniment to their Bank Holiday weekend sample sale, for all those who couldn’t make it to their Brick Lane store. They had put together boxes with a selection of their pieces, and you bought a medium or large box without knowing what was inside. Being a mailing list subscriber, I was able to snap up one of these lucky dip boxes in advance of them going on general sale and was delighted with what I got when it arrived. I had a cute ghost necklace, a pink cat ring, a necklace that said “Cool” (the Os have eyelashes) and a brooch with a cluster of 3D flowers on it. I wasn’t sure I’d wear the brooch, but I was extremely happy with my box’s contents overall so wasn’t too fussed, until… they opened the swapshop!
Over on the Tatty Devine Facebook page, a forum was launched where fans could swap anything from their lucky dip boxes that they didn’t want, or any other genuine Tatty Devine pieces they were happy to exchange for something else. I must have spent hours combing those posts to find something I wanted to swap for my brooch, but I was extremely glad I did. Not only did I manage to get my hands on an amazing Eley Kishimoto collaboration necklace, but I got a glimpse into the wonderful world of Tatty Devine fans. We are an extremely enthusiastic and friendly bunch! So, you can imagine my delight when they announced that they were doing it all again.
Just like last year, I went for a large box with four pieces inside. They had even bigger boxes this time, with their eyelash sunglasses inside, but I love my Ray Bans too much to ever wear those. When my box arrived, I was extremely pleased with its contents (see above) but, on trying them on, I realised that the chain of the charm necklace meant that the lobster got lost in my cleavage (never thought I’d have to type that!), and the Willow plate just wasn’t very me. So I waited patiently for the swap shop to open.
Once again, I spent hours reading messages from other fans and seeing what pretty things everyone had to swap. It was tricky keeping up with all the messages, I can tell you! I was very pleased I took the time though, as I managed to get a fantastic star necklace and the hothouse leaves earrings I’d been lusting after for ages (see left). We all wrapped up our swaps and posted them to each other as soon as the weekend was over. The joy of receiving more pretty jewellery in the post cannot be underestimated. So, not only do I have more Tatty Devine pieces in my collection now, but I also feel like I’m part of a community. I was always a bit of a collector as a child – looks like I am again!
UPDATE: I have another piece now. Couldn’t resist the Breton stripe anchor brooch in the Barbican’s Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition shop!
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