exhibition weekend

I spent Saturday morning finishing off the final touches to my show, I always really enjoy setting up my exhibition adding a few of my vintage possessions that have inspired me in my designs. 

The doors to my summer house studio opened at 12pm, the sun was shining and lots of visitors came out to see my new collection, including two of my lovely friends Natasha and Clare. 

Natasha, also know as Candy Pop took some great photos of my work which you can see on her beautiful blog - here. We all enjoyed cups of tea and slices of homemade cake and chatted about our favourite vintage finds, a perfect afternoon!

My Show continues until May 13th, details can be found here. I hope you can make it.

business cards

Well here they are, my new business cards. As you can see I couldn't decide on just one image, so I went for a selection, to show a few examples of my work. I'm really pleased with how they turned out. They have a lovely vintage feel to them. What do you think?

see what I made

I've been meaning to get some business cards printed for ages, so I have spent the afternoon sorting through pictures of my work, trying to decide which ones are the best to use. I've finally narrowed down the selection, actually it's really nice to look back at work that has now sold and remind myself of what I have made. It's easy to forget when you start working on the next piece.

I also found an amazing set of teacups, saucers and side plates in a charity shop earlier. Only £5 too!

I'll take some photos to show you.....tea anyone?

oxfordshire crafts guild

I have recently been accepted into the Oxfordshire Crafts Guild , I'm really looking forward to taking part in fairs and exhibitions throughout the year along with other members who specialise in a range of crafts; from wood and ceramics, to jewellery and glass.

tea and lavender

Here are a few more photos from my show....you can never have too much bunting

 These little lavender bags made using vintage fabrics and Cotswold lavender smelt lovely as you walked into the summer house.

 my mum's cat was keeping an eye on everything and thought all the comfy cushions and chairs were for her.

Enjoy your bank holiday weekend.

open studio exhibition

 My open studio exhibition finished on Sunday, thanks to everyone who came to see my work. I was really pleased with how the week went and it was nice to talk to everyone, I enjoyed hearing about all the weddings and other occasions that my bags and purses were bought for. I had some lovely comments and it was great that people appreciated the vintage fabrics, lace and buttons that I use.  

 One thing I love about a show is creating an atmosphere around my work by using my favourite vintage finds, like my stockman, Singer sewing machine and sewing box.

 My Singer sewing machine which belonged to my great grandmother got a lot of attention.

The garden again proved to be a popular place to enjoy a cup of tea and some home made cake.

I've got so many more photos of the week to share with you now all the hard work is over.

bright & breezy

 After days of dark winter skies the sun has finally come out and I'm thinking about new designs. I've got a cup of tea, the latest Vogue and a brand new sketchbook .....So lets see ....

I also need to tidy up my workspace, I always seem to find bits and pieces I have forgotten about, like these vintage buttons and postcards.

I thought you might like to see this finished bag. I love the colour and texture of the shot silk I've used.

faded tones

A few bits and pieces to inspire my designs. I love their faded tones of creams and bronzes.

The stem of honesty is beautiful with it's flat silvery discs.

The pocket watch was given to me by my grandad, which I treasure, the little frame I bought last weekend.

Satin bow purse with pink vintage gloves

Bronze drawstring purse, made with shot silk and Victorian handmade lace. The colours work so well together.

open studio

Envelope purse and button purse. I enjoy working with reclaimed fabrics like Victorian lace, antique buttons and silk scarves, their faded colours and worn edges add to the character of my designs.

During the show we served tea and cakes using vintage china in our garden cafe.