Treasure Hunting takes over

With another CandyBelle event on the horizon my treasure hunting has once again been met with some gusto to the point where I was getting an eensy teensy bit annoyed with the ten tonnes of rubbish treasure in the vintage room, so I had a good gut out. Things I didn't need were packed away into the trunks, purses back with purses, scarves with scarves and so on. Being an ex Visual Merchandiser I totally get that things need to be shoppable, clean and tidy but alas with the best of intentions I am back to square one after a bumper weekend of finds. I am tentatively showing y'all the vintage room, its a tad messy (to say the least) but those after my own heart should find it irresistible. Some might even call it an Aladdins cave or a hidden treasure with its drawers to rifle through and boxes on top of boxes of goodies, oh i'm drooling at the thought!

mess or aladdins cave?

sewing stuff - check out the mum and its baby singer!!

handbags and purses

one of my favourite chairs

love old sewing patterns purely for the illustrations

So you may be thinking it don't look so bad, ive edited out the worst bits! the mountain of boxes, tins and baskets on the table and the many many carrier bags on the floor, some are asda some are iceland - i didnt say i was classy! But it's what's inside that counts as you can see this one is full of lush leather purses.

I was also very lucky this weekend to have received some lovely things from my friend's granny, very very much appreciate this and I got rather excited delving into the bag of treasures and I was not dissappointed, some luvverly tins and lots of crochet threads and the like. Now I have to think of some crafty projects so they don't go to waste.

Lot's of lovely tins with crafty stuff inside

What's inside this one?

lots of crochet threads in fabby condition - what to make with these?

This is my favourite - embroidery threads, i don't think i can have enough .

it's an illness having so much stuff?? och well, its for my "business" and I do manage to list things on my etsy shop, which is doing ok at the moment. I say ok, ive had a few sales in July compared with 1 every 3 months so that's an improvement. It must be my new rejuvenised photography and I have been quite strict with myself and listing items at least every week so it all pays off in the end.

One day I will have a mahoosive house with a big airy garage with shelves!! and rails!! so everything can be organised and put away with easy access - oh how does one dream! in the meantime I shall have to do with my plastic bags and rickety rail for the now :(

time to experiment

Life at I Heart Art is as always varied, sometimes new and exciting, sometimes dull and boring. One day I could be battling with my book-keeping and the next creating nice and shiny new things. Lately I have been researching and experimenting with some new ideas for classes after the summer. This usually involves spying on the opposition, googling, scanning etsy, going out and about to see what's on trend and pinning.

Pinning?? what's that?? You may have heard of Pinterest, and you may have thought "what's the point, it's just photos" but I found it to be an extremely useful tool for keeping ideas and tutorials I find online in one place. Often I see something online and thought "ooooh I could do that" then forget about it with the next click of ze mouse so nowadays I just "pin it" and those photos and tutorials are saved on one online noticeboard. Handy if you have a memory like a sieve like moi, my board crafty board can be found here.

So what's been getting my creative juices flowing?? I have noticed a big trend for embroidery hoop art, the hoop makes a nice frame for hanging and lots of people have been doing ones with embroidery, crochet and applique. Then I had a lightbulb "aha" moment and thought about a scrapbook version for hanging. This is what I've done thus far ...

Still to be completed, I'm thinking about embroidering the cherry blossom branches, some appliqued flowers and perhaps some text. But I can't think of any nice words or phrases that sum up the photo. I don't want love (too cheesy), dream (not dreaming), hope (what am i hoping for?). Anyone have any ideas??

Moving on .... I have also spent an afternoon making some cute snap frame purses. Quite disastrous, but I did say crafting isn't about getting it perfect and there are plenty that wont be making it to the pinterest board. My first purse was too big for the frame, appears my usual sewing motto of "you can always take away" didnt work this time with my overestimation of my seams. The second came out beautifully but when it came to glueing on the frame my fingers got burned and glued my hair resulting in a late night haircut. But I think it looks not bad if you ignore the glue, no? Hopefully like goldilocks it't be just right on my third attempt!

Finally I have also been toying around with free-machine embroidery, again disastrous on my first attempt, the machine was going too fast and fabric was sticking resulting in unsightly lines. But like a trooper I plodded on and the end result is nae too shabby. 

Applique and free-machine embroidered birthday card

All of these crafts will be featuring on my next class list, join our mailing list for updates!!

Crochet Cherry Baked very well

crochet cherry bakewell and knitted battenburg

The summer window is almost complete, this week came the addition of these crocheted cherry bakewells and knitted battenburgs. I could not find a pattern for these anywhere so ended up making up my own which I have decided to share with you luvverly peeps. So one crochet cherry bakewell tutorial, fresh out the oven ...

Cherry Bakewell Pattern

This pattern is written using UK terminology and the cakes made with Double Knit Yarn and a 4mm hook.

Abbreviations

DC = Double Crochet

CH = chain

sl st = slip stitch

CO = cast on

st st = stocking stitch

Base

using light beige DK yarn and 4mm hook

Rnd 1: 6 dc in magic circle (6)

Rnd 2: 2 dc in each dc around (12)

Rnd 3: *2 dc, dc in next dc*, repeat around (18)

Rnd 4: *2sc, dc in next 2 dc*, repeat around (24)

Rnd 5: *2 dc, dc in next 3 dc*, repeat around(30)

Rnd 6: *2 dc, dc in next 4 dc*, repeat 6 around (36)

Rnd 7: in back loops only dc in each dc around

round 8: dc in each dc around

rnd 9: *dc ch1 dc in same stitch, sl st in next dc* repeat around

fasten off

topping

using white DK yarn and 4mm hook

Rnd 1: 6 dc in magic circle (6)

Rnd 2: 2 dc in each dc around (12)

Rnd 3: *2 dc, dc in next dc*, around (18)

Rnd 4: *2sc, dc in next 2 dc*, around (24)

Rnd 5: *2 dc, dc in next 3 dc*, around(30)

Rnd 6: *2 dc, dc in next 4 dc*, around(36)

fasten off

cherry

This was done using knitting, however you can crochet a bobble by doing ch2, then loads of DCs into the 2 chains and back into itself. Then use a needle to pull into a ball shape.

Using red DK yarn CO 4

work st st for 16 rows

roll into a tight coil and sew into a bobble shape.

Joining

Sew berry onto the white topping, then sew white topping to the base stuffing with polyfil before you close. et voila a cakestand of wooly tasty treats, looks rather cute on a vintage cakestand, no?

Works in Progress

Things have been a little quiet on the blogging front and that's because I have been busy starting a million and one projects and finishing none! But then this blog isn't just about showing you all the lovely edited crafty goodies, it's also about the disasters along the way.

For the moment I am putting together a new window for the shop which has been spurred on by ceramic cake stands I had ordered for a customer. She had wanted to paint them as a thank you gift for her mum and future mother-in-law.  When they came in they look fab, so i immediately decided to have a new summer tea party themed window. So i abandoned whatever else I was working on and started crocheting some cute cupcakes for the stand which are now complete! et voila:

Crocheted Cupcakes with seed bead sprinkles

However I am feeling I need some woolly cherry bakewells and battenburgs which I cannot find patterns for! So have resorted to making it up myself so no photos yet. Also plan on knitting a retro inspired tea cosy, so many ideas! so little time as always.

I also made these fabric flower corsages from my scrap box, a mammoth box I am working hard to try and reduce but no sooner do use up a load more fabric seems to find its way into the box. hmm och well. I seem to be having an obsession with fabric scraps at the moment, I can't bear to throw anything out but at the same time it does seem to be overtaking a little. More on that laters.

Fabric Flower corsages

Fabric flower corsages

The never-ending scrap box - project ideas??

The window is half complete so hopefully we shall have some photos soon of scrumptious cakes and nostalgic tea cosies. Also have been scouring for more ideas for things to do with the scraps but that's the next chapter.

And finally as promised photies of the jubilee crafting, I didnt take as many as I thought I would but the ones I did look amazing. Dont you think these ladies look fab??

Jubilee Daft

It appears that we are all going a little royal daft due to the upcoming Diamond Jubilee, which of course means queen lizzie themed crafts! All week we are hosting Jubilee inspired craft classes, which is very exciting so we'll be sharing those photos next week, in the meantime I have been making wet-felted corgi cozys, embroidered tea-towels, and queen tote bags which i'm pretty pleased to show off today...

  

Queen Lizzie Tote Bag - inspired by our humble postage stamp

embroidered tea-towel with my royal emblem

JS the 2nd!

Corgi Phone pooch

Hello I Heart Art

There has been alot of chat about my vintage adventures and I have been neglecting my "proper" business a little so I thought today's post can be a little introduction of I Heart Art and how it came about.

Way way back in what feels like a million years ago, me and my partner Mitchell came back from a gap year of sorts. I say gap year but it was really a grown-up gap couple of years where we lived and worked in Hong Kong. It was the best thing I have ever done, what was supposed to be a year away to live and experience another culture ended up being quite good for us both career wise. I ended up being the Area Visual Manager for global retailer H&M and Mitchell ended up being a manager of a language school, English Town. However, we missed Irn-Bru, pickled onion monster munch and believe it or not the scottish weather!! so home we traipsed 5 suitcases heavier and countless boxes shipped back and at this point we had ideas but nothing concrete so we floated along for a while settling back in. I had gotten a transfer with H&M and Mitchell was on the job hunt. Life happens, we bought a flat, Mitchell got a job, the business ideas were pie in the sky at this point.

Me and Mitchell during younger more innocent times in Hong Kong - we are just old and haggard now

There was a place in Hong Kong called Art Jam which Mitchell visited with his work and it totally inspired me. The idea was that you were jamming but instead of music you were given a paintbrush and blank canvas. I thought the UK needs this, how often have I wanted to do something crafty but don't because I cant be bothered getting all the materials together nor do I have the space to leave it in situ?? But as inspired as I was this was just an idea and it shelved it in the back of my mind.

Then I found a place on a exploration of our lovely countryside called Going Potty in Dunkeld. We were just passing to get lunch and we were to be on our way home before it got dark but this cute little place caught my eye. In the window was the cutest ceramic pumpkins, Santas and Christmas trees all for painting. So of course I had to go in for a look, but a look was all I had. All through lunch I kept thinking about it so Mitchell very kindly said do I want to paint?? did i want to paint??!! damn right i want to paint. so i carefully selected the pumpkin and a Santa mug for Mitchell, which took ALOT of convincing to make him paint it. While sat there, I was thinking, how cool would it be if there was a place where you could do the canvas painting but also combine with the ceramics, so we both went home that night buzzing with ideas and enthusiasm. However, this still wasn't the push I needed, my sensible head was keeping my feet back down to earth.

Mitchell on our first ever ceramic painting session

At the same time I was getting restless with work, I was working all hours and resentment was creeping in, don't get me wrong, it was a job I enjoyed and I loved the people I worked with but I kept thinking if I can channel the same energy and enthusiasm into a business of my own I can achieve anything!! At the same time   we were introduced to the people who own Smarty Art in Aviemore and Grantown-on-Spey and their ceramic cafe was really inspirational, I loved the tiles on the wall to the HUGE selection of ceramics. So with their advice and guidance combined with a bad week at the day job I got the push to pack it all in, and it was SCARY!

Our friends from Smarty Art - Annike's parents are the lovely owners of this quality establishent

Where does a person start with a business?? What comes first?? a couple of meetings with a business advisor at Business Gateway and I had a good idea of how to go about getting my business off the ground. My concept of canvas painting was a little airy fairy I must admit and I suspect alot of people didn't "get" our business idea. But hey youth and naiveness ploughed me on and I Heart Art was eventually born.

The I Heart Art today has taken a little detour from the I Heart Art I had originally planned, we have added and taken away but I like it that way. It's organic and means we have survived in that vicious and ruthless business world. It also means that I can respond to the customers and give them what they want. The journey myself and Mitchell have taken to get to this point has been tough, and i mean TOUGH, it has also been a steep learning curve but that journey hasn't finished yet nor has that learning curve but I would not change it for the world!!!

So this is how I Heart Art came to be for those curious beings who always ask me "what made me do it" and I leave you with some photies of our lovely studio.

Our first art exhibition at the studio - alot wrinklier this time with bad eyesight!

A busy studio full of hens

Our hand-painted Logo 

The studio decor was a bit vintage meets scandinavian meets industrial

no rest for the wicked

So how did Candy Belle go?? aaaahhh mazing!!! it was super busy from the word go and I sold tons of lovely stuff so am a very satisfied and happy bunny. I was sad to see some things go ... the cantilever sewing box, the 30's singer, and my treasured tins. but hey I cant keep everything so its time someone enjoys them.

It is now Tuesday after and I am still recovering, having been up at 6am and in the hotel early doors setting up and decorating and running on half a tuna sanwich and diet coke. But it was all worth it, if for nothing else but to give me reason to buy more vintage. Its becoming a disease as my friend keeps telling me, she is thinking of shipping me off to one of those obssessive compulsive hoarders programmes! I mean how bad can it be?? I was willing to sell 4 of my sewing machines out of the 9 I have.

This fair may be over for now but there is no rest for me as this weekend is the Big Beach Ball down on Aberdeen's gorgeous coastline in their Beach Ballroom. so im still in vintage mode and in much need of re-stocking = more shopping and jumble sales <3

The calm before the storm and please excuse the sainsbury bag - FAIL!!

goodbye sewing box and princess di and charles - it was fun for a while!

bags - my weakness

Mitchell's grandad's suitcases got alot of attention but those I cannot part with

typewriters went down a storm and were both sold!

Some of the other stalls had some gorgeous gorgeous things, lucky for me it was pretty busy all day so didn't get much of a chance to do any shopping, or eating or sitting. I was pretty much running on adrenaline all day. But I did manage to 
get some photos to share.








Cushions made from retro fabrics and sleek schreiber units from cushie doo vintage. I love their retro styling and I would've liked some of those tins for my craft room.

Another favourite was Nina's Apartment with homewares, kitchenalia and other bits and bobs. I especially loved the vintage signs and cushions with doilies. Great idea and so so pretty.

Hanging hearts from Storm in a Vintage Teacup. They are done in a shabby chic style.




Shoes from The Closet. An all time favourite vintage haunt of mines in Aberdeen. 

Homewares from Flourish on Union Grove.










Clothing from Wardrobe Foxes, a relatively new discovery but had some amazing pieces including a 80's novelty road block jumper which i sadly didn't get a picture of.

Finally I end with a picture of the happy shoppers and this was taken at 10.30ish so not bad turn out at all. 

Roll on the next fair!!