Vintage Postcards and Compacts

Hi bloggers, today I wanted to share with you some beautiful postcards me and the mother picked up on Thursday on our visit to Spitalfields Antiques Market. We hadn't visited Spitalfields on a Thursday before and weren't quite sure what to expect but we were greeted to lots of stalls offering a whole array of antiques and all at affordable prices!

We are always using photocopies of old postcards throughout different projects and I was particularly on the look out for postcards we could use for special occasions, such as Christmas - which is fast approaching already! So have a look at some of the beautiful postcards we found and you can easily pick these up for about £2 per postcard.

 

This Christmas postcard is very cute and I can definitely see myself using this image on quite a few Christmas cards this year.

This Christmas postcard also creates a beautiful image of the festive season and could be transformed into a tag to use on a Christmas present.

 

Mum couldn't resist this image of these beautiful ladies in a can can line up. Images such as this are great for projects such as cushions or fabric hanging decorations.

Another Christmas postcard which actually reminds me of those Yellow Pages adverts from Christmas - maybe this is where they got their inspiration from!

 

This postcard would be perfect to adorn onto any Mother's Day project, so sweet!

This winter's scene would also be great to use on a Christmas card or Christmas project.

Another beautiful image of a vintage lady - lots of great projects this could be used on. Also these postcards have the stamp left on the front of the postcard which adds to the vintage effect of the postcard.

 A stunning vintage couple postcard which is perfect for any engagement or wedding projects you may have coming up.

 

Another portrait of a vintage lady.

 

Definitely one of my favourite postcards from the day - could be used for Christmas or New Year.

While we were browsing round the stalls we couldn't resist picking up a few extra compacts for our Compact Memories workshop coming up at the beginning of September. We only have 2 spaces left so if you would like to attend the workshop get in touch quick!

Graduation Tea Party

Hi bloggers, final celebrations for my graduation from the University of Brighton occurred at the weekend and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than throwing a Graduation Tea Party.

Now, I love to put together a glorious food table, filled with tempting treats and decorated with beautiful flowers with black, white and pink accessories.

 Obviously my first point of inspiration came from Pinterest and I was determined to create some type of backdrop for the table as this was a common theme at many other parties. So I found a large bulk of fabric in the craft room perfect for such a job. I think it may have once been material for curtains or a duvet cover but this type of fabric found at our rag fairs is a great length for hanging from the ceiling.

Next I wanted to create some bunting that incorporated all the colour themes I wanted and would sit perfectly in front of the backdrop. The delicate lace detail at the top was created using a Martha Stewart border punch and has had many uses and is especially effective for bunting.

 

The final look of the dessert table was magnificent and I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed what was on offer.

 

Finishing touches to the table including food picks and serviettes rolled up into graduation scrolls really adds to the theme of the party and are so simple to make!

 

Extra details such as the mortarboard headband also finished off the look of the table, alongside photos of me at graduation and as a child. Who would of thought that little girl with the blonde hair in the picture would turn into the graduate I am today!

 The tea party wasn't only to celebrate my achievements but to also thank everyone who had supported me and helped me through the toughest three years of my life. Many Thanks to everyone who attended! I love you all!

Compact Memories Workshop

 

Its finally arrived - a brand spanking new workshop being hosted at our home in Crawley.

This workshop makes use of vintage make-up compacts to transform them into a compact photo album to carry around in your handbag.

To check out all the details, click here to be directed to the Workshops at Home page.

In the meanwhile, here are a few more close up photos to whet your appetite!

 

 

 

I made good use of my Graduation Day photos to capture those moments forever in my very own vintage compact album.

 

 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Party

 

Hi bloggers, today I am reporting back on my first children's party that I helped a friend prepare for and I'm going to share with you all the different decorations and party ideas we used. As you can see in the picture above, Alfie played the part of Willy Wonka at his 6th birthday party and the table in the background is just a glimpse of the food and decor that went into this party!

Let's start from the beginning with the design of the invitations.....

 

Each of these tickets were an invite to each guest to really get them into the theme of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Next lets look at the range of party decorations we used. First up is the backdrop to the table which are the gates to Willy Wonka's factory. For this I used two A1 size sheets of paper and each piece acted as each side of the gate.

 

 

From the ceiling we hung some spiral decorations that we found in the Pound Shop and also hung some birthday bunting along the top.

 

Balloons wrapped in cellophane were scattered across the ceiling (must use helium to create this effect), a good/bad egg sign was stuck to the wall with gold painted eggs in front of the scales. Sweets and wrappers were also scattered across the walls with balloons hanging out as gobstoppers from one wrapper. We wanted the children to be able to create their own inventions and therefore prepped an 'Invention Table' with arts and crafts materials.

 

A sweet doorway was created using lollipops and string.

 

We also created a photobooth area for the children to dress up and take photos, the crazier the better. A range of props were set up on the table including a masquerade mask, big glasses, blow up guitar and a mini Willy Wonka hat. Me and Bobbie posed for a few shots ourselves before the party (to test it out of course!)

So what about all that food on the table........

 

We wanted everything to have a crazy Willy Wonka theme so I designed some labels for the drinks bottles to read 'Wonka Pop' and 'Fizzy Lifting Drink'. I also made some food picks with Willy Wonka on to place on different food items. Lollies were collated together in painted pots with umbrellas. Bobbie made some white chocolate lollies using a smiley face chocolate mould. Food such as marshmallow cones, chocolate teddy bears and a chocolate fountain were also available. A lot of sugar!!!

 

I also made labels for other items such as 'Wonka' Chocolate bars and 'Magical Lifting Bubbles'.

 

Party bags were also designed as a thank you from Mr Willy Wonka!

 

A real life Oompa Loompa also made an appearance at the party!

 

Blowing out the candles at the end of a spectacular party.

This post was a little different to the vintage inspired projects I usually post but my love for anything Party/Wedding has really taken off on Pinterest and when I had the chance to help my friend plan a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Party I couldn't resist. So these our my first steps in the party planning direction. Don't worry I will of course still be posting about new projects I've designed and upcoming workshops. However if you need a bit of help and inspiration with an upcoming party, give me a shout, I would love to offer any guidance I can or simply check out my Pinterest page.

Photos from this event will be available on Pinterest to add to your party inspiration boards.