Autumnal Awesomeness: Dates for the Diary

It's September already, and before we can even do a double blink and a triple wink, it will be Christmas. YIKES!  

August is usually my quietest month of the year, but this year, just as I was preparing for a restful time sitting in the sunshine and eating ice creams, you all went completely bananas and kept me super busy with mucho orders for cherry shoes...

...And dapper chap slugs:

I must just mention, that in between orders galore, I've started on some rather marvellous Christmas-y delights already, which some of my wonderful customers in le shoppe have already had a sneaky peek at. The rest of you, are just gonna have to wait, until the golden harps arrive to finish off the slug de la resistance!

Anyway enough Christmouse talk for now, here are some dates for the diary over the next couple of months...

First off, this Friday (6th Sept) and Friday 20th September, I will be teaching a bunch of lovely peeps how to make these...

  

This Friday's workshop is now all booked up, but there are still a few spaces for the 20th, so book your place now, before they all sell out: Tea and Biscuits Workshop

Then, on Sunday the 6th October, I will be heading up to London to sell my wares at The Crafty Fox Market. I haven't been at any London events to trade for aaaaaaages, so I am looking forward to catching up with all my creative buddies there, and seeing all my fabulous London customers again.

October's workshop will be Halloween themed, so we'll be making leather Mexican skull brooches/keyrings. As October is looking to be pretty busy, we'll just be holding one ghoulish workshop on Friday 18th October... You'll be able to book online later this month- keep your eyeballs peeled (not literally, that would be disgusting) on the website.

At the end of October, I'll be heading back up to London, with my extremely talented and amazingly wonderful sister, Rachel.  We'll be sharing a space, and selling our creations at Made London, One Marylebone, from the 25th to the 27th October.

Here's a peek at what my sister does: 

and her website: http://www.rachellarkins.com/

You can find all the info on Made London here: http://www.madelondon.org/

Soooo, I think that's plenty of lovely dates to pop in the diary for now. I feel exhausted just thinking about it all- I think I need a little sleep!

Busy Bee Lovings 

xx

Strawberries and Pimms Workshop

Last Friday, I closed the shop early to panic over how I'd fit 8 people into the shop that evening, around a table, to teach them how to make a leather strawberry brooch/hairslide, while simultaneously drinking Pimms and eating crisps. 

So I dismantled a really heavy table by myself, and narrowly avoided dropping it on my sandal-clad toes. Dashed home to pick up another really heavy table (a different shape this time), rushed back to the shop, praying that it was the same height as another not-so-heavy table, and hope that the table cloth would cover both. It did. The tables matched in height. I'd scavenged enough chairs, and the Pimms was all mixed and ready to guzzle by the time 8 lovely ladies arrived at 7pm, raring to go!

 

And here are those 8 lovely ladies, all in action, stitching their very own 3D leather strawberries, to make into brooches and hairslides... 

 Check out Suzie's incredible strawberry dress on the right- she wore strawberry earrings, hairslide, and even shoes, and also came with a gift of strawberry sweeties for me. Talk about embracing the strawberry theme!!

Here's Ianthe, concentrating on her stitching technique...

 

By 9.30pm (I knew we'd over-run a little!) everyone had finished their very own fruity accessory, and here they are modelling them:

Here's Kate with her finished brooch, looking very pleased with her handiwork!!

Jennie's brooch is almost camouflaged with her amazing Cath Kidston train dress!

Emma and Charlotte looking super doops in their strawberry creations:

Emma and Alex pleased as (Pimms) punch with their magnificent stitchery...

And last, but by no means least, Ianthe looking jubilant that she's wearing her fruity creation!

Sadly Suzie skipped off home, before I got a chance to snap her with her finished brooch, and her amazing outfit.

Anyway, all in all, a fab evening, and everyone did amazingly well- I was so impressed with everyone's finished brooches and hairslides!

Here's what they had to say about it...

"Had a fabulous evening, love my hair slide!! Looking forward to another one soon!! Thank you!" 

- Emma B

"Thank you so much for a fabulous craft & Pimm's filled evening! Can't wait to show off my strawberry brooch today. Looking forward to attending other workshops soon xxXxx"

- Ianthe

"Thanks for a lovely unique evening , I love my strawberrys... Ps that last pimms packed a punch= sore head this morning xxxxx"

- Jennie

"Had a great time & love my brooch, thank you xx"

- Kate

"Such a fun evening, thank you! I'm wearing my brooch with pride."  

- Emma L

"Very pleased with my hair slide. Looks great and was fun to make too! I recommend one of these fab workshops!"

- Charlotte

If you'd like to join us for the next Strawberry & Pimms workshop, you can book online here: http://lovefromhettyanddave.bigcartel.com/product/strawberries-and-pimms-workshop

You will learn how to make a pair of 3D leather strawberries, and turn them into a pair of cute earrings or if you are feeling a bit more adventurous, an adorable brooch/hairslide.

Friday the 26th of July from 7pm - 9pm

Suitable for beginners, £20 per person.

8 places available

This workshop includes all materials, Pimms and lemonade, ginger beer and nibbles served vintage style, on delightful mismatched crockery.

Hope to see you there.

Strawberry Flavoured Lovings

xx

 

Shop Shenanigans

Lummy cripes I'm tired.

It's been a busy day, in fact, it's been a busy fortnight.

With only a couple of days left til the grand opening of Love From Hetty & Dave HQ, I thought I would give you a sneaky peak of how it's all looking...


Rather fabby I think, although more than one family member has exclaimed it looks as though my brain has exploded in the shop. I'm pretty sure this is exactly what it looks like inside my head!


Mega thanks goes out to my amazing sister who stepped in, just at the right point this evening, to merchandise, before I collapsed with exhaustion. And wowzers, did she do a good job!?!

So, unfortunately due to shop duties, I won't make it to the We Make 'Meet the Makers' evening on Thursday, which I am rather gutted about, but just can't fit in a trip to London. Nevertheless, a pair of severed hands and LOVE/HATE rings are on their way up, to go in my show case.


If you happen to be in the Farringdon area on Thursday night, you must pop in to meet some lovely creative people:


And for all you gorgeous Bournemouth based people, I look forward to seeing you on this Friday between 6-9pm for the opening!


Whooooopla!

Super excited lovings

xx

So Far, So Good.

We've been busy all week, getting the shop ready for the grand opening on Friday 8th October:


If you are in Bournemouth, do pop along to 864 Christchurch Rd in Pokesdown, between 6pm and 9pm, for drinkies, nibbly bits and you can see what all the fuss is about.

Alongside the leather jewellery and accessory goodness, handstitched by Love From Hetty & Dave, there'll be other British designed and handmade goodies for sale, as well as vintage bits and bobs, and other treats we rather liked and threw into the mix.

Look forward to seeing you then!

Tired Shop Lovings

xx