Fabric Shops

Hello you...
I have been taking a bit if a break from online activities for the last week or so. I got busy in my 'real' life and was finding it hard to get a healthy balance. I'm feeling much better now you'll be glad to know, after much rest and many early nights I have a few blogs lined up from my time away :)

Fabric shops are like sweet shops for me. I want to have everything and can never decide what I actually need or want. I sometimes forget completely what I went in for, only to come out with some spangly thread or gorgeous printed cotton and a dress pattern.
I found a new shop recently. The Treasure House in Southbourne. It was a beautiful day so I thought I'd capture the juicy colours and eye-candy of the products on display.

I love this one above of all the eyes. Makes me want to buy all of them and attach eyes to everything!
Have you got any local shops that sell weird and wonderful things?

Love, me x

p.s - I had orders for three commissions this week for my canvas hearts. I am so happy to have come up with a product that people want to buy. The latest one I am making is to include some fabric from the wedding/ bridesmaid dresses, can't wait!

New Makes

I have just delivered a lovely bundle of freshly made goodies to Coastal Creatives for a pre-Christmas restock. In the mix were a few new ideas: embroidered badges and rosettes. I am working on some more of these for upcoming events like Valentines and Mothers day.

I had a little commission yesterday to make some personalised versions of these...hmmm good idea!

Once I made this dinky little brooch I fell in love with it, then had to part with it soon after. Although this is a massive close up, it is in reality only about 6-7cm accross.

I restocked on all the hair clip duo sets, these are always really popular, and each set is one of a kind. I have been using more embroidery stitches on them, inspired by this blog.



And I restocked on the large clips, these have alligator attachments so can be worn as a brooch or shoe clip too.

These little beauties are very popular too, all sold out from my last stock update - Coastal call them pompom earrings.

Lastly...dropped a few more of these in for good luck. I originally made them as wrap around bracelets, but Coastal sell them as hairbands. In fact one of my Year 11 students came into school with one a couple of weeks ago and it looked amazing. How sweet of her to buy my wares...aw!

I love this new colour combo - claret and blue, very Aston Villa!

I wanted to show these ready for sale so I could share my packaging ideas. I make all my packaging out of old card: magazines, postcards, flyers etc. I cut them to size and apply my simple labels. I love it. It is born out of pure poverty and a desire to re-use as much as I can to make in an environmentally friendly way. The reverse has a label too with my Etsy shop address (which is empty at present...oops! Bad marketing!)

This is from a series of pieces: 1,2 and 3. Framed and ready to go...somewhere.

Lastly for today. I saw a funky idea for wrapping ribbon on a Google search and decided to give it a go. Hand stamped ribbon. Yes all my presents this year will be sporting it. Packaged with old Christmas cards to my daughter from her friends. I will post some images when I have done some wrapping with it. It's a super easy and satisfying little make, I just happen to have rolls upon rolls of ribbon that I bought in a charity shop bundle one lucky day.

Have you got plans for your wrapping or making this Christmas? My creativeness is on overdrive at the moment...

Love, me x

Reflections

Refections are my favorite. At the moment we are having some unseasonably warm weather, and bright bright sunshine. Autumn sunshine seems to come in from an angle that makes photography just that bit more magical.
I have long moaned about my need for a better camera, my photography deserves one! But until I can get a new camera I will learn to cherish, adore and no doubt abuse the current crappy camera I own. At the moment I use a Pentax digital thing that has cost me more money in batteries than a Canon EOS (the coveted brand). But sometimes it does brilliant things, or the world just does brilliant things and it captures them without effing it all up.
I also use mobile cameras - my Blackberry one is so bad, and I use an old Nokia phone which has a good little camera on it and a self timer option.
I am the Queen of 'Make-Do' when it comes to most things and cameras are no exception....clearly.
Here are some pictures I took on a very sunny day in Southbourne last week:

I have taken many pictures of reflective surfaces over the last few years, I get so excited about it. On this day the light was so good I was taking a picture at almost every step!
I have always loved shop windows, displays, signage and shop lettering. I found a really cool old front style on a shop on this day too, gorgeous:



What do you like to photograph?

Me x