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

 

London Calling

Recently I came to the conclusion that I work waaaaay too hard, and actually, I do deserve a little break from time to time, so last weekend, I shut up shop, and headed off to London for a couple of days, to catch up with old chums, and have a bit of a mooch about.

Here's a picture of me mooching, and looking a bit cross:

 

This is what I did...

* Bumped into a customer on the bus, who was sporting a ladybird brooch on her bag

* Hung out in an old man's pub, and watched a pool competition, while simultaneously admiring the amazingly high gloss ceiling!

* Went to Soho to stock up on chains and findings, then popped over to Spitalfields to grab some blue leather for a Union Jack heart brooch order.

* Ate some delicious Turkish food.

* Popped into Lazy Oaf where I had a quick catch up with lovely Gemma, and tried on this AMAZING pineapple dress, then couldn't decide whether to buy it or not, so left it... for now!! I have a funny feeling that as soon as the sun shines, I'll be getting my purse out!

* But most exciting of all, finally made it to George Moore Menswear shop in Bowes Park, which I'd been wanting to go to for years...

No ordinary menswear shop, this place closed down about 13 years ago, but the owner who retired, and now lives above the shop never cleared out the window display. 

I love old, abandoned buildings, and when they still have all the  stuff in, even better! Just wish I could have had a peek inside the door, to see if all the stock was still on the shop floor.

Check out these delightfully mouldy underpants!

I'd like to think that the shop comes to life in the dead of night with ghosties and ghouls, shopping for faded ski gloves and mildewed undercrackers...

I hung about George's for a while, wondering how the local residents feel about this peculiar museum piece of a shop and gazing at the windows above, it's tattered grey nets fluttering in the breeze, I hoped to catch a glimpse of the gent that owns the shop. No such luck, so I headed off to my next eery destination...

Next stop was Postman's Park, a Memorial of Heroic Self Sacrifice, close to St Paul's.

The wall is lined with tiles, telling the heroic tales of all kinds of people...

Just lovely, and poignant.

If you are ever in the vicinity, you must, must, must go and have a look. 

Sooooooooo, that was my lovely, if somewhat weird and creepy weekend!

If you're fond of an eerie tale, check out this blog- one of my faves for peculiar stories: http://www.messynessychic.com/

That's all for today! Back in the shop this weekend!

Creepy Lovings

xx 

Hedley the Hedgehog

I told you I'd keep you posted on the rugby playing hedgehog commission, so here ya go...

When my lovely, loyal customer Sophie commissioned a brooch of a rugby playing hedgehog called Hedley, I must admit, I did do a little LOL, but it didn't really surprise me, as a while back, Sophie asked me to make her a rosy cheeked cricketer brooch, to wear while she served up cricket teas!


Anyway, meet Hedley the Hedgehog, mascot of Hitchin RFC...


Here's Hedley before and after stitching and stuffing...


Sophie tells me Hedley the Hedgehog arrived all safe and well this afternoon, just in time to be worn at tomorrow night's youth section Halloween party at the rugby club.

So that's another commission, done and dusted.

Next? A tartan sausage dog draught excluder!

Hedgey Lovings

xx

Strawberry Fields Forever

So, it seems like I might just have a teeny tiny obsession with strawberries.

First came the brooch, then the mouse amongst the strawberries purse.


Next the earrings and necklace.


The shoes...



And in between, amongst other strawberry designs, the upcycled strawberry table cloth skirt.


Then, this week, having spent a day making strawberry brooches and babooshka dolls, the two designs merged...


I thought I'd do a little google image search to see what other 'strawberry heads' were out there, and discovered this beautiful image by ELSA BESKOW-KORT.


It got me thinking, 'I want a strawberry dress like those ladies!' and then, on closer inspection, 'I want to ride around (albeit very slowly) on a snail too!'


Obviously the snail part might be a little tricky, but I am off to hunt down a lovely, juicy red jumper, to customise into a strawberry top for winter, complete with leaf collar.

Will keep you posted on progress!

Strawberries and cream lovings

xx

Facial Hair Growing Antics

Since the boy has been growing a moustache and gone all dandy, I thought maybe now was a good time to bring back the moustaches...


So the brooches are back in a choice of black or brown...


And the double sided necklace is available HERE.

Brown on one side, black on the other- how very versatile?!


And did you know, that when one has a moustache, cup and saucers designed especially for one's facial hair can be used for drinking tea, to avoid melting one's moustache wax... FAB!


I now know what to get the boy for his birthday!

Bristle Faced Lovings

xx

Soft Boiled Egg and Soldiers, Anyone?

It's been a busy couple of months, what with the gigantic Japan order, but last Friday saw the first 500 fly off, which was a huge relief. Just another 550 or so to go now!

So anyway, I have been desperate to do some new designs, and last Sunday, after a visit to the Russell Cotes Museum (or as I like to call it, Russell's Coat Museum) and their Food For Thought Exhibition, I had a brain wave.


On seeing Diane McLellan's fab food paintings, more specifically her 'Boiled Egg and Soldiers' painting, I decided it was time for something a teensy bit Easter-y, and this is what I came up with...


Yup, drippy, dippy soft boiled egg brooches, with a choice of white or brown bread soldier!

But I didn't want to just leave it at that... I've made retro red and white polka dot egg cups too:


And what better way to decorate your neck this Easter, than with a dippy egg necklace!


So, as from today, all of these eggy delights are available to buy on the website here.

Over the next few weeks, I will be having a bit of a product cull on the online shop, to make room for exciting new products, so if there's something you're after that you've been eying up for an age, now might be the time to grab it!

Anyways, off to bo-bo's now- it's been a busy day.

Scrambled Egg Lovings

xx

B

Gee-Gee Jewellery

After writing about equestrian loveliness, and my A/W Balmoral look, inspired by the Queen, I thought it was about time I started designing some new jewellery, and recycle a few old ideas too.

Here's the double horseshoe necklace, you can buy here:


And a pair of lovely horse head brooches, which are available to buy online here:


And going along with the idea of the pony club, I think the 'Best In Show' rosette is one of my faves.

I've worn mine on my LBD, my pea coat, and on my plain vest. The possibilities are endless, and they are only £4. Get one here.


So giddy up fillys, and gallop over to the online shop and get accessorizing your A/W wardrobe, for that country classic equestrian look.

Posh-o Horsey Lovings

xx

Alphabet Goodness

It took me a-a-ages to make all 26, but here they are, and how gorge do these circus inspired letters look in juicy metallic colours?


So, you can get wear your initial in necklace...


Or brooch form:


So do I need to spell it out?

Don't be...


Get yours here!!

Letter Lovings

xx