Mollie Makes Feature

This week I popped over to my lovely new stockist Number 83, in Westbourne, which is just the other side of Bournemouth.

When I got there, it was so brilliant to hear from the delightful lady behind the counter (gigantic apologies- I've forgotten your name!), 'Oooh, I've just been reading about you in the latest Mollie Makes magazine'.

Way back in 2007, I got my first bit of press, and I have had plenty since but I swear, it never ever stops being exciting seeing your name in print!!

So, thanks Mollie Makes for another great piece on Love From Hetty & Dave! 

I've met some lovely new customers this summer, who have holiday-ed in Bournemouth, and come to visit the shop having discovered me through the magazine. 

I love seeing the realisation on husband's and boyfriend's faces when they arrive at the shop, and suddenly they've figured out why they HAD to come to Bournemouth for a sunny break!

Until next time!

Pressy Press 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

 

Amazing Animal Shoe Workshop!

Due to the mega popularity of the animal shoes, we've decided to show you how it's done at our Animal Shoe Workshop...

Join us on Sunday the 19th of May, at our Bournemouth shop/studio and customise your shoes, with creator behind the Love From Hetty & Dave brand, Zoe Larkins.

You will learn how to re-invent your shoes with leather details as well as stitching techniques that can be used to customise all the other shoes in your wardrobe!

Sunday the 19th of May from 11am - 3pm 

at

Love From Hetty & Dave

864 Christchurch Road

Bournemouth

BH7 6DQ

Suitable for beginners, £40 per person

Advance bookings only
8 places available

You will need to bring a pair of plain ballet pump style shoes or heels in your size to customise.

Examples of what you could do:
White shoes - Pandas, Mice or Bunnies
Brown shoes - Foxes or bears
Black shoes - Cats 

You get the idea... or contact us if you have any problems!

This workshop includes all materials except the shoes, sandwiches, tea and cake served vintage style, on delightful mismatched crockery.

Book your place here: 

http://lovefromhettyanddave.bigcartel.com/product/customised-animal-shoes-workshop-19th-may

Looking forward to helping you pimp your pumps!!

Tippy Toe Lovings

xx 

A Not Very Brief History of Love From Hetty & Dave: Part 1

Soooo, the other day I was perusing all my sales on Etsy from waaaaaaaay back, and was reminded how it all began, and as I re-count this story at least 3 times a day to customers in the shop, I thought I'd tell you lot about it too, so here goes....

In 2001, I just about scraped a third in my Silver and Goldsmithing degree at Rochester. In all honesty, I chose the wrong course- I should have done fashion or textiles, but was too lazy at the time to change it!  

Anyway, having collaborated with my best friend for her fashion collection, and making the handbags and accessories for her final show, I discovered how delicious it was, working with leather. I never worked with metal again, which was a massive relief as I was rubbish at soldering!

Shortly after graduating, we're talking a matter of hours, I disappeared out of Medway and back to my hometown of Bournemouth, where I spent the summer (and maybe a little bit longer) labelling video tapes. Pretty glamourous stuff. 

I did, in fact, get to the point where I could stick the spine label on one handed. I considered entering the Guinness Book of Records for my speedy labelling, but alas, I soon started to get the shakes from drinking copious amounts of instant coffee. 

I was soon promoted to printing vinyl CCTV signs, apparently labelling videos wasn't mentally stimulating enough for me, although I believe it was more to do with placing me in a work area far, far away from the coffee machine, thus saving the company a considerable amount of money on hot beverages.

Every evening, after my tape labelling day job, I'd go home and play around, experimenting with leather (NOT in the kinky sense), until I came up with a simple handbag design, with a folky, South American inspired design:

Front...

and back...

Then I did start experimenting in the kinky sense, and made these rude little ladies...

Here's a photo of me looking super young, demonstrating how to pass out on a friend's floor, and spill the contents of your handbag...







I called my brand 'Love From Hetty & Dave', after an old photo I got in a junk shop while I was living in Rochester. On the back, written in felt tip pen: 'To Mary and Bill, Love From Hetty & Dave'

No idea who this adorable couple is, but I presume they are Mary and Bill- Hetty & Dave probably took the photo, and sent it to them.

Aaaaaanyway, in 2005, I realised that the old folk of Bournemouth were never really going to appreciate my kinky handstitched works of art, and I made the move to London, where I worked as a customer services manager for an online fashion retailer. 

How I got this job, I will never know, as I could barely send an email, let alone do anything else that involved the internet. Luckily, I'm a fast learner, and managed to get by, despite phoning my dad, crying my eyes out, on the second day! 

I moved into a teeny, tiny bedsit off of Portobello Road, and worked my fingers to the bone every minute I wasn't at work, stitching my appliqued leather handbag creations to sell on Portobello Market every Saturday.

As it turned out, nobody was prepared to spend the money (which really wasn't very much) on a handmade leather bag, by a new, unknown designer. Looking around what people were selling on the market, I quickly sussed out that jewellery was what sold, and soon I had scaled my designs down into brooches and necklaces.

Bearing in mind, that craft seller websites like Etsy didn't exist at this point in time, or if they did, nobody really knew about them, the only way of selling my product was through markets, and after listening to the advice of the other stall holders, I moved over to Spitalfields Market, where things really started to take off. But that's a story for another day...

 

For now, I'll leave you with pictures of my Leather Tattoo Swallow handbag design:

And the Leather Tattoo Swallow Man-bag I made for Marc Almond of 'Soft Cell', in 2005...

 

 

Next time, whenever that will be, all about what happened when I started trading at Spitalfields...

Market trader 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