endless summer

It feels like a good old fashioned summer, the days are long and warm, time passes slowly, spent outside in the garden picking herbs and flowers for the house or on long walks in the countryside watching the swifts and swallows gathering high in the sky, circling rooftops. Weekends away visiting new places. All these bring inspiration for making cards with vintage snippets or sewing lengths of stripy bunting for a garden party. 

What's been making your summer?

flowers everywhere

An extra hour to the day as the clocks have gone back for the winter months. I'm planning to use my extra time to get outside for a run across the park this morning, even if it's grey and windy. I feel like I've been stuck inside at work lately missing all the bright autumn days.

I bought this pretty loose uplifting petal tea the other day, I love the ritual of making it in my vintage rose cups, sometimes it's nice to take time with these things . On my floral theme, a beautiful pink orchid and my homemade liberty lamp brightening up the living room.  My desk is full of vintage flowers and lace as I've been making lots of vintage flower cards for the lovely Rosie B's in Chipping Norton.

What have you got planned for today? 


 

sewing room happenings

 

I found some lovely wooden shelves for my sewing room at Newbury Antiques Market, if you have never been it's so exciting and not too expensive.  There are a lot of stalls selling all sorts of vintage and retro pieces. You are bound to find something you like.

 

The butterflies I found when we visited Hastings for the day. They were tucked away in a bric a brac shop on the old town high street. I very nearly didn't buy them but I'm glad I did as they look great on my new shelves!

 

I've been photographing some of my handmade work and have just added some of my vintage floral cards to my etsy shop

 

So why no treat someone special and send them a beautiful handmade card or frame one up as a pretty picture.

 

open studio

Well, my studio exhibition is all ready to open this Saturday, here are some photos from last years show. I've made lots of new pieces; from vintage lace brooches, coin purses, jewellery pouches to clutch purses, lots of handmade cards and also three special little vintage collage pictures.

Exhibition starts Saturday 18th -27th May - details here

 I always really enjoy displaying my work alongside some vintage treasures. I recently bought a lovely 1950's glass fronted cabinet for my show and it looks great with my textiles displayed inside. I can't wait to take some photos to show you.

  

Are you on Twitter? I've just joined, so if you would like to follow me click the link in the side bar.

tuesday stuff

 

I ordered some new business cards the other day and they have just arrived. It's so hard to decide which images to use, but I went for this selection, along with a few other pictures of my work and sewing bits. I'm really happy with how they have turned out.

 

This afternoon my boyfriend and I went to listen to a talk by Carlo Petrini of the slow food movement at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford. It was a very passionate talk and very inspiring. With his mantra of good, clean and fair food stuck in our minds we are just about to cook this  for dinner.

 

I hope you are having a nice week x

garden flowers

I found these old cigarette cards in a charity shop last week,I nearly didn't buy them, but I'm glad I did as each one is different. There are about fifty of them, all with garden flowers on. I think they will be perfect for my handmade cards, but for now I have strung them up on a little washing line in my sewing room. 

 

Have a great weekend x

new spring cards

 

While I was snowed in last week I made a new selection of spring cards, just looking at them now I can't wait for spring to arrive and to get out into our little garden. I went a bit crazy planting lots of tulip and daffodil bulbs in the autumn and I can already see bunches of snowdrops peeking up through the soil, still a few more months to go I think....

 

I have a selection of my cards in my etsy shop and I will be stocking the shelves with some more soon.

 

Any nice plans for the weekend?

 

let it snow

 

The weather has turned cold and frosty with icy white skies and bare sparkly trees.

It definitely feels like Christmas is coming....so it's a good job I have finished making all my handmade Christmas cards. I've loved finding all the special pieces to decorate them, from vintage postcards, old music sheets, lace and buttons and giving them a final dusting of gold glitter. 

 

I have a selection for sale in my Etsy Shop , and also at the Old Fire Station Shop in Oxford

 

I hope you like them...

 

butterflies

I've been working on lots of lovely things for my etsy shop, some handmade vintage Christmas cards and some pretty little floral brooches. I can't wait to show you. I've been trying to take some decent photos, but it's been so dark and gloomy lately, I'm waiting for some winter sunshine.

So every spare moment I have, I'm stitching, beading, sticking and sewing my way through my days.

 

shop - found and sewn

Over the weekend I have been taking photos, writing descriptions and stocking the shelves of my Etsy shop. I have a mix of work for sale, like this pretty brooch I made from a piece of vintage lace work, decorated with glass beads and pearls ...

... and my vintage collage greeting cards, and lavender sachets made with English Cotswold lavender, which smell lovely.

 

 It's very exciting to finally have my own little shop open!

 

Take a look here. I'd love to know what you think?

 

I bought a few things for myself over the weekend too. This Observer book of wild flowers is pretty tatty, but I like it that way, a mint green doily now at home on my desk and a strip of broderie anglaise waiting to made in to something nice.

 

Thanks for all you lovely comments about my shop x

 

love

 Flowers of all kinds; retro roses and vintage snap dragons on handmade cards, a beautiful dahlias I fell in love with now potted up in the garden and lace beaded daisies I've been carefully stitching.

I have just bought some ivory silk for a wedding bag I'm working on for a friend, which will be decorated with vintage lace and silver seed beads to match her dress.

I'm hoping for a sunny weekend, as we are off on a little trip away and my sister is visiting from Paris next week ......see you soon!