Back in Business

Hi bloggers and hasn't it been a long time! The past month has been a blur of revision and deadlines and I can now finally scream with excitement that university is finally over. These past 3 years have gone past so fast and I have honestly learnt a lot about business which has helped contribute to the type of business that I would like to create. If that will happen in the near future, I am not sure, but for now I am enjoying this free time to be creative, design some new workshops and teach others the beautiful art of crafting!

Talking about teaching others, yesterday was our first Vintage Follie workshop at the house this year and I think everyone was craving some creative time. So we set up the tables, got out the vintage china and had a glorious day of crafting, drinking tea and eating plenty of cake.

Project:Vintage Hanging Pocket

 

The best way for me to tell you the story of the day is in pictures so sit back, relax and scroll down through the pictures.......

  Table of inspiration -  full of books to get those ideas flowing

 

 

 Tables set up with the essential tools

 

 Trolley set up with papers, paints, old pattern papers and more......

 

Table full of fabric, lace, ribbons and trims

 Vintage Brooches

So what were the results of this fantastic day............

 

The first to finish was Julie B with this beautiful wedding inspired hanging pocket

 

 

Next to finish was Pauline, loving this floral finish

 

 

 

This beautiful hanging pocket by Lynne definitely has a vintage romantic look about it

 

 

 

Joanne added some Paris chic to her hanging pocket

 

 

 

Craig's vintage classic gentlemen pocket worked really well and I absolutely love the added touch of the vintage pocket watch.

 

 

 

Mum also got to finish off her pocket on the day and the rosette is the perfect finishing touch

 

So thats a wrap for another craft day and a step in a more creative direction.

I now have a lot more time on my hands to get back to grips with the blog, so expect some changes and a lot more blog posts.

I want to finish off this post with a message of Congratulations to the girls at Trends with Benefits who won Best Crafting blog as part of the company blogger awards, well done girls! I would like to thank everyone who voted for me and it has definitely been a boost to be recognised and shortlisted.

New Workshop: Vintage Suitcase Hanging Pocket

Hi bloggers, I can finally announce the new Vintage Follie workshop will be coming up in June and this one really is gorgeous. Inspired by the pockets found in old vintage suitcases this hanging will let you store a few essentials in the pocket and you can hang it on the side of a notice board or on the knob of a chest of drawers or perhaps on the back of a door ( though its so pretty you won't want to hide it). To find out a few more details and also details on how to book, click here, or if you have any specific questions, leave me a comment or email me at vintagefollie@hotmail.com.

I will be posting a few more sneak peek photos on the lead up to the workshop so keep checking back.

Hope to see some of you there!

Sewing Spool Photo Holder

 

Hi bloggers, I have a little step by step project for you guys today. I actually made this cute little photo holder a while ago but when I saw it on my shelf this morning I couldn't remember if I had shared it with you before so I thought I would post it today with a little guidance on how to make each element.

 

So first of all you will need an old wooden spool. Ideally needs to be a wooden one as the effect isn't the same with a plastic spool.

 

Next you will need some of these, washi tapes! Very much on trend at the moment and you can pick them up in many different places, not just craft shops. It's up to you how many you want to use, I just decided on one but you could layer up three or four.

 

Just wrap it round the spool

 

Next you can grab a bit of lace and wound that round the top part of the spool.

 

Once you've decorated the spool, its time to make the flower. For this I used a Sizzix flower die cut such as the one above. You will also need a compatible machine as well such as the Sizzix Big Shot. If you don't have these available you could also buy decorative flowers pre-done to put on the top of the spool.

 

I cut my flower out with fabric and this is what it will look like when it is cut out. To make it into a rose, follow the instructions below carefully.....

 

You need to start with the thin end and with the correct side facing you so that it appears on the inside of the rose, you will begin to roll the end in and you will need to continue to roll it with your fingers until you get to the other end. You will want to keep it quite tight so that it doesn't come apart. No need to glue anything yet just keep rolling it.

 Once you've started to roll it, it should look a bit like this.

Once you have got to the other end, you're flower will look a bit like this and you should have a small round end left. This will be used as a base to the flower. 

Using a heat gun, add a small dob of glue to the circle base and then sit the flower on top of it and it should set almost instantly.

 You should have something like this when you have finished. To add an extra detail you could add a pearl or a bit of glitz to the middle of it.

 

Moving onto the wire photo holder. For this you will want a strong bit of wire, I used garden wire I bought in a DIY store. It needs to be strong enough so it can hold the photo. To create a circular shape you may want to wind it round something like the lid of a small bottle. You will want to go round it twice and then leave a straight piece at the end which will be stuck inside the spool.

 You should hopefully achieve something like this and obviously don't worry about it being perfect. Its meant to look a bit vintage and worn so if its not a perfect circular shape its fine.

 To add a bit of colour to the wire, we are going to use some Adirondack alcohol inks and you will need an applicator tool as well. I used the colour Rust.

 

To apply the ink, place the nib in the centre of the felt on the applicator tool and squeeze a few drops onto it, which will be plenty. Then just dab it onto the wire and you will see the colour appear. If you want it stronger just keep adding more layers once each layer of ink has dried.

 

It will start to look a bit like this.

Once all the elements have been completed you just need to put them altogether. To stick the wire photo holder to the spool, add a bit of hot glue, using the glue gun, to the bottom of the straight bit of wire and then stick inside the hole in the spool. Then simply add the rose using the hot glue gun again and maybe add a leaf or other embellishment of your choice.

 

Beautiful!

If you have any questions, just leave me a comment below and let me know how you get on with it.

Vintage Party Hats

 

Carrying on from the tea party theme from my last post I wanted to share with you these beautiful vintage party hats. Recently I have been experimenting with project ideas for craft parties and these hats would be a perfect project for a birthday party celebration. Just imagine gathering all your closest friends for a tea party and then being able to craft at the same time. All you need to do is pre-cut the hats and then lay out all the different embellishments you can add to it. Once everyone has made their hat, you can all pop them on and celebrate in style!

 

 

 

What do you think about craft parties? Would you like to make these vintage hats at a birthday tea party?

Teacup Bunting

 

Hi bloggers, I have some tea party inspiration for you today and also a bit of exciting news to share with you, but I will save that until last. But for now check out this teacup bunting, which will look so pretty hanging above a tea party table.

To make each teacup you need a  Brenda Walton Sizzix Teacup die, which is available at Crafts U Love. You will also need to own a Sizzix Big Shot machine to put the die cut through. But trust me, once you have one of these machines there are plenty of different die cuts you can buy to make lots of different shapes and 3D items.

 

 This is what the die cut will look like and each part will assemble together to form the teacup. Instructions can be found on the Sizzix website once you have clicked on this particular product, but it is very easy to assemble and before you know it you will be addicted to making lots of them, which is perfect for your teacup bunting.

 

 

 So now for the exciting news. If you have had time to scan your eyes to the top left of the page, you may have noticed that I have been nominated for Best Crafting blog as part of the Company Style Blogger Awards 2013. I am so thankful to everyone who has nominated this blog and hope that it really does inspire everyone to be a bit more crafty in their life. I would very much appreciate anyone who votes for me in these awards and you can do so by following the link at the top left of the page. Many thanks to you all and continue to be creative!

Vintage Bracelet Cuff

Hi bloggers, sorry for my absence over the past few weeks but I am glad to say I am back with some new vintage inspiration and today is about these beautiful vintage bracelet cuffs. I have been fascinated by these cuffs that I have come across on Pinterest and thought to myself that I needed to make one so I finally sat down in the craft room and put one of these glorious creations together. There are so many different designs you could do with this to match clothing or a theme you are looking for. I decided to keep it quite neutral so that it would fit in with my sort of style and could easily accessorize my blouses.

To fasten the back of the cuff I used buttons but you could also use poppers, which may be easier to do up when you are trying to fasten it with one hand! And they are pretty easy to make for even those of you with the most basic sewing skills. I have recently been improving my skills through experimentation and it may not look the neatest but it will do the trick for those ever changing fashion trends. Most of the layers were stuck in place with either fabric glue or a glue gun and then buttons and little tidy ups were fixed with a bit of hand sewing.

 

 Put your mark on what could be the next big fashion trend. We've already had the detachable collars, why not detachable cuffs. Get creative!

Vintage Paper Cones

 

Hi bloggers, I hope everyone had a choctastic weekend and managed to fit in a bit of crafting. Me and mum were lucky enough to receive these beautiful vintage cones filled with Easter goodies. The crafting gene definitely runs throughout the whole family as these were beautifully put together by my sister. She currently doesn't write her own blog but you can check out her Pinterest page here to see what inspirational ideas she has been pinning. Below are a few more close up pictures of each of these cones. They are a great alternative to a gift bag and could be used as a decoration for the home after the gift has been received. Lovely!