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!!

Candy Belle Vintiques is on the horizon

So in my spare time, not that I have much of it I have been liasing with the girls of CushieDoo Vintage and created CandyBelle Vintiques. Our aim was to bring some vintage fun to this neglected area of Scotland and also to put our own businesses out there. So our first fair is finally upon us this Saturday 28th April and I am getting nervous flutters in my belly. Will it be busy?? Will I cope?? Will I sell anything??  We seem to have a good buzz around the fair on the social network sphere so here's hoping. I guess time will tell but in the meantime I can share what we have been getting up to during our prep and my vintage finds I am finally psyched myself up to part with.

1930's Singer Sewing machine with Bentwood lid

80's handbags

50's Kelly Bag

tins for crafty bits and bobs

purses, crocheted tea cosy and 60's camera

vintage polaroids and cameras

As it's a vintage fair I have been crocheting a storm and made some granny square handwarmers and upcycled bottle tops.

For the granny squares I made a mini "pillow and filled with rice and lentils and machine sewed to close then joined two granny squares together and popped the pillow inside and crocheted to close. 

mini pillow filled with rice and lentils

pastel shades for the granny squares

one done - 20 more to go!!

Events Galore

I have been quiet I know but that is because i am crazy getting ready for my summer events. First up is the Candy Belle Vintiques Fair this Saturday 28th April. 

Then we have The Big Beach Ball on the 5th May

Then some VSA fundraisers over the summer

Will be taking a selection of vintage goodies and crafty makes to all of these so have been busy busy busy crocheting, sewing, labeling and its not finished yet!! so having a morning off to do some blogging.

Fabric Heart Hand Warmers Tutorial

my first crafty tutorial, even though it is now Springtime and today is in fact Good Friday we still saw a touch of snow earlier in the week! Which means that these handwarmers are essential during a scottish summer!


First choose your fabrics, you dont need alot and you need to make sure your fabric is not the flimsy type so i choose a mixture of tweeds and tartans and also some pastelly cottons.

next fold your fabric in half and using a heart template draw around it in pencil or chalk and cut it out. You will be able to find free heart templates on this site - heart template. I used the biggest heart for my ones.

Embroider words using chain stitch - I opted to for BRRR!! or LOVE. Attach vintage buttons on the front of the other ones. These will be going into the microwave make sure you don't choose metal buttons!!

With right sides facing sew around the hearts with a running stitch













Turn inside out and fill with rice or lentils. I infused my rice with some smelly essential oils first to give these hearts  a luscious scent. Before you fill you may want to to give your hearts a press to give it a more rounded heart shape.









Finally close with a invisible ladder stitch ... i found this diagram useful - ladder stitch. And voila you have some cute handwarmers to keep those digits cosy! Microwave these cuties for 30 secs.

Vintiquing All The Way Home

Since we were on a rare road trip we took the opportunity to partake in my favourite activity - vintage shopping!! Today's post is all about vintage let downs and weird finds.

Glasgow is a great place for shopping vintage, loads of indies tucked away in the west end and in merchant city and half the fun is discovering these gems on foot.

Not so well known and totally off the beaten track is Saratoga Trunk, quite literally a warehouse packed to the rafters with vintage fashion dating from the 20's to the 80's.

I first visited this many many years ago, a daunting experience with the taxi dropping us off down a dark, gloomy part of town and and a big steel door with a handwritten note on the outside to ring the bell. Quite intimidating but once inside we were rewarded by the sheer volume of vintage - rails and rails of dresses, tops, fur coats, miltary jackets from WW2, not to mention the shelves upon shelves of fabrics and curtains. The experience was truly amazing and the owners were so friendly and helpful. However ...

Who would've thought a Vintage shop lurks here

After our great first time experience I was really looking forward to visiting again but my second time was not so fun ... The guy was really stand-offish and followed us everywhere. Maybe he thought I was going to stuff some Victorian bloomers down my top and run off into the sunset. He even stood and and watched when trying on clothes!! The prices this time were also crazy inflated, I wanted a small teeny tiny bag of clear buttons, but guess how much?? £2? £5? £10? nope nope nope, he wanted £45!!!!!!! Ok maybe some of them were Art Deco glass buttons from the 30's but even if those were taken out it should never be that much. Then I found one half of a pair of retro curtains - retro 70's orange and yellow floral print, £45!! Needless to say everything got put back gently and we made a sharp exit. Which is a huge shame as I was really looking forward to going, mega dissappointed.

Not all was lost, we were informed about another store in Merchant City called Mister Ben, very retro and based on the cartoon. This store had a good collection of clothes, millions of bags and accessories. Prices were very reasonable as well, you would definitely find a bargain in there. I ended up with a 70's snakeskin shoulder bag for £10, so one happy customer.

Weird Find of the Day - retro washing powder

Day 2 of vintage hunting had us heading back north to Aberdeen via Perth, Dundee, Brechin and Montrose, stopping off on all those little towns just to visit the charity shops. I think we must've visited about 30 charity shops in one day! That is some hardcore treasure hunting, my legs felt like they were going to fall off after all the walking! Poor Mitchell had to drive the whole way as well as get dragged around the shops.

Weirdest find had to be the retro washing powder still intact in the box, I don't think I'll be using this to handwash my delicates! Before you think I'm crazy for buying these even though I have no intention of using the powder, I think they would add a nice touch to a retro style kitchen or bathroom.

Best find had to be the button box filled to the brim, lots and lots to be added to the collection. Crafters, I never buy expensive buttons so now you know how I amassed such a big button collection (the button box at I Heart Art is always admired)

Favorite Find - button box

       

 Retro Blackcurrant Cheesecake dish - yum

Retro BBQ Pork Chops dish - determined to collect them all

I'm sure many people will recognise these retro dishes, every house in the 80's must've had these along with the kelloggs bowls. Were these a collect the stamps from petrol station thing?? Maybe someone could shed the light! Anyway I'm determined to collect them all and as time has gone one I'm finding that there was ALOT of different recipes, spanish omlette was the one in our house! My favourite thing about them is the recipe printed on them, I wonder if anyone has tried them?