Corsages for Christmas

An update is long overdue, and what better time than the manic week just before Christmas! In between shopping, wrapping and writing cards I've somehow found time to make a few little hair accessories.

These corsage style flowers are inspired by the streets of London - out and about I have noticed more and more girls wearing fascinators and hair accessories as casual wear. This is not about weddings, it's about what you wear to work, study or play.

There are a range of colours available and I am more than happy to do custom orders. Mention this blog and I'll give 10% off!

Nautical Stripe hair clip

Cream clip with flower button

Black rosette flower clip

Cornflower blue hair clip

Antique lace corsage style clip

PrettybyKitty's first wedding!

I was delighted to learn that one of my etsy buyers used my favourite fascinator "Something old, something new" at her wedding in the Spring.

On May 1st, Victoria and her high school sweetheart Dan were married by a close friend of theirs in Queens, NY, surrounded by close friends and family. I am so grateful to Victoria for agreeing to share some of their beautiful wedding photos with me.

It is such an honour to have been a part of their special day, and I would like to send all my very best wishes to the happy couple!

Pounce!

This week I'd like to give a nod to all the new etsy sellers out there. There are so many sellers who are still undeservedly undiscovered, so I've decided to highlight a few of them here by taking my favourite pick from their shop and givine you a little intro.

All these items have been in my treasury this week, although the treasuries are so short-lived that I wanted to give them a more permanent big-up here!

Firstly we take a look at the beautiful, bright landscapes of Geraldo Serrago from Milan. Visit his shop if you want to see more of his colourful acrylics, or even to brush up on your Italian!

My second pick is RennaDeluxe from Dusseldorf. Working with a mixture of paper, vintage stamps and fabric, Renna has some really original pieces. Her flower brooches are inspirational.

FelixMcGinley has created some truly impressive fine art prints. These landscapes are so dramatic and yet I find them really calm and peaceful at the same time.

Anka of FabulaDestash brings us some fabulous finds from a bag of vintage trimmings from 1970s Amsterdam. You won't find these items anywhere else!

I'm sure that Studio35 will not remain an undiscovered shop for long. These fabrics are just amazing... all items are created by the artist and her mother in Izmir, Turkey. I love the freshness of this swirly red and blue, reminiscent of the traditional Iznik tiles. Another favourite is their Hand Applique and Crochet pillow cover

What a clever idea - pdf stationery which you can print off yourself. And what a bargain! CreativeQube have some great ideas - something for every occasion - and I'm sure it won't be long before their talent is discovered!

These cute earrings from LeafyDesign are just one variation on their theme. These earrings are so unusual - I've never seen any like it. These fiery red ones are so versatile, they could be autumnal, Christmassy or hot and tropical for summer.

I have just fallen in love with this parisisal straw hat from TRAMPmillinery. It's so simple yet the classic navy blue lines give it real individuality. It is 30°C here in London today, so I really do need a hat like this.

LighthousePortraits take us on a tour of beautiful and historical lighthouses. Here we see the iconic Gay Head Light from Martha's Vineyard, depicted with acrylic on a slate tile. Bring a touch of the sea to your home!

This vase from NocturnesArt is just so unique - I've never seen anything like it and I still can't quite figure out how it was made! As a gift, or in your own home, this vase would certainly be a talking piece.

This tropical minidress from FiveTenTwenty is just adorable. I'm still so amazed that things from the 80s have come back in such a big way, but you can see why with this cute little dress. With its cinched in waist and cap sleeves, it would make the perfect holiday dress - also good for getting those legs brown.

Coffee or tea? Anek asks us. What a good question. If you get really stuck I guess you can use this print for "eeny meeny miny mo"! This stylish little print would make a nice addition to your kitchen.

That's it for my picks this week. I wish all these new sellers all the best of luck with their shops. With such fantastic items as these, I can't imagine that they will stay undiscovered for very long, and my blog post will soon be out of date!

London calling

In my treasury this week I decided to feature some colourful items from some of my favourite London sellers. I'm always disappointed that Etsy is not more well known in the UK - most of my friends look at me blankly when I tell them about it. As you can see there are some wonderful items available from uk sellers I hope these London sellers will join me in trying to share the Etsy love!

Summer skies, Butterflies

I've just uploaded a new comb to my etsy shop. Something a bit different from the other ones I've made, this one has five butterflies wired to the comb: two in dusky pink and three in smoky grey.

The butterflies (from VV Rouleaux off Marylebone High St) are gorgeous and come in all sorts of colours. It was a little fiddly wiring them to the comb without any damage, as they are quite fragile, but once on the comb they felt very secure. I've wound a ribbon round to make sure the comb doesn't bite into your head.

Next job will be taking some better photos - maybe this weekend if the sunshine comes back!

Summer skies, Butterflies

Another Spring themed Treasury

Click on the links below to visit some of the wonderful sellers featured in my treasury this week:

SeaPinks
WallFlowerStudio

BumbershootDesigns

MiniaturePatisserie

WhitneySmith

GardensofWhimsy

HelKatDesign

LaMarquiseDesAnges

GreenIslandStudios

LolasRoom

SeaglassVintage

LittleOven

Cupcake envy

My Wednesday morning commute through Hammersmith station is best described as frenetic, as I put my head down, pull up my collar and battle my way through the swarms of people. Newspaper men try their best to thrust copies of freebie papers into commuters' hands as we rush past, usually with a muttered "no thanks" and a shifty look. This morning I took a brief glance at the front cover of Stylist, suprised myself with an uncharacteristic "Mmmmm!" and grabbed a copy. And this is what I saw:

Stylist Magazine 14 April edition

Firstly, the cupcakes. Look at how tasty they are! Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, almond. I want to go out now and buy flour eggs and milk, make some butter cream, buy sugar roses... It's not even lunch yet and I'm fantasising about getting home and doing some baking.

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Had I taken the time to eat a proper breakfast I might not have been so tempted by these lovely treats, but never mind. The headline also caught my attention. 'Turn your hobby into a business' was weirdly topical, as this is just what I was discussing with my friends over a glass of wine on Monday evening.

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My etsy page has had only three sales so far... Three! In seven months! I often look at others' pages with envy - people with 200 or 300 sales - and wonder what I am doing wrong. How do they get out there and promote their wares? It must require a serious commitment: not only time but also money spent relisting their items. Not to mention the book keeping and accounting. I realised that making my accessories and selling them on etsy is still a hobby for me, but it's a great hobby.

Orchid Comb - Happy to make one, not one hundred

I still pleasure in making my individual items, enjoying the creative process and being proud of the finished product. If I had to make 20 of the same comb or clip the whole thing might lose it's appeal. I don't think I'm quite ready for the next step yet.
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One last picture to keep us going til teatime:
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Swirled strawberry & white chocolate cupcake courtesy of Lola's Kitchen