Vintage Images

I have found a truly fantastic site! If you enjoy crafting with vintage photographs, papers, labels etc (ephemera) then you will be in your element here. I stumbled upon this site whilst looking for vintage fashion photographs, mainly for inspiration and also to consider using a nice black and white pic for business cards. Whilst googling around I found that most sites charge for their "photo stock". At Vintage resources there are many pictures that are free to use but only for personal artwork. For a small donation there are hundreds more pictures available in sets. For the time being I found great inspiration flicking through the images that were contributed by the sites visitors. So if you have any old photographs lurking in your attic why not share them with the rest of the world too? Below are a few of my favourites...... Whilst compliling this post I found a link (not sure how??) to what can only be described as a "sister site" maybe. Here you will find lists of artists and members of the site that have used its contents for their love of vintage. It really is jam packed with beautiful images from the past and certainly shows that possibly time can really stand still (even if it is only whilst I take a lunch break!).... Enjoy

IM BACK AGAIN!

Hi there, long time no see!
I have been away for a while but have still been productive.... below is a little taster of my new makes and all available in my little Coriandr shop.....thanks for looking and have a great day!

TUTU'S GALORE!

CeeGee Jewellery Designs

.....and the next VIP is Carolyn from CeeGee Jewellery designs. Again here is yet another shop that makes me ooohhh and aaahhh so much. I love Carolyn's flair in her designs as she uses such beautiful focal beads. Another plus is the quality in the sterling silver. I bet you dont leave this Coriandr shop empty handed....PLUS...take advantage of her generous 10% discount running until 6th July!

Frute Juce

Most of my recent posts have been to promote Coriandr by being part of the Coriandr Express. Each week a group of us have taken it in turns to promote that VIP. This week it is Alison of FruteJuce and her shop is a varied treasure trove of handmade items! I have added the pictures below as a taster for her lovely goods but I highly recommend a click over to her shop as she has a 10% discount running until the end of June.... so what you waiting for?

Snapdragon Beads

As you can see from the picture, Snapdragon Beads are most definately stylish! The creator of these beautiful pieces is Alice and she really puts her heart into her work. Alice's sweet shop sells earrings, pins and pendants in stunning colourways. Take a look here for her handmade items.

Myfuroshiki

This is a fantastic new idea (to me anyway!). Gorgeous printed fabrics to make make bags & create decorative wall hangings and wrap gifts. This sweet shop offers a range of fabrics including their own designs, hand printed & tie-dyed onto cotton cloths, as well as a selection of gorgeous prints & woven checks that they have sourced.
myfuroshiki tsay "they are fun, fuss-free, affordable & eco-friendly. No tearing, no scissors, no sticky tape, no waste. Just one or two simple knots & even the oddest shaped object can look impressive. It's the wrapping revolution!"

Colour Spectacular!

Our Corandr Express VIP at the moment is Debbs Elliman. Not only is this one of the most colourful shops at Coriandr it is also one of the well stocked. Debbs says "I kiln fuse my own dichroic glass for pendants, earrings and cufflinks etc.. I also make bracelets and earrings and I decorate jute and tote bags". I dont have a favourite as I just love ALL things beady and sparkly so below I have added some pictures of Debbs handmade work.

You can also read here a review of Debb Ellimans shop, very much worth a look!

Mrs Toad!

And yet another VIP on the Coriandr Express. Mrs Toads shop at Coriandr is full of charm. Here is a little bit about the owner...
"Hi, I'm Catherine, an 18 year old student from Shropshire. I have always enjoyed making things, and have been sewing since I was small. For the past five years I have been designing and making beaded jewellery, as well as hand stitched felt brooches. Recently I have begun making my own felt, using wet and dry felting techniques and Merino Cross wool, which I use to create my felt cake pincushions."
Take a look at this cupcake sweet shop for wholesome handmade goodies!

Nicsknots

I am excited to blog about the new Coriandr Express VIP Nicsknots. In her cute little shop you will find handmade bags, purses and knitting needle rolls. All the items are made using gorgeous fabrics and are just so girly!

Nicsknots also has a hilarious blog that I enjoy reading and here you can stay up to date with her new creations.

creativesque

Our next VIP on the Coriandr express is the lovely Stacey-Ann with her colourful shop Creativesque. The sweet contents of Stacey-Ann's shop took me back to my childhood when everyone I knew had a handmade gift created by me.... always a bookmark. Everyone I knew read books and appreciated my thoughtful artwork (ok scribble...i cant draw). I personally think that sending someone a bookmark is a great idea. You can write a little message on the back that will be read every time they pick up their book! As you will see Stacey-Ann creates lovely handmade items simply for the joy of being creative with paper, including these bookmarks along with teeny-weeny envelopes and original watercolour greetings cards.

Coraindr Express VIP

Kicking off the week with a fantastic new VIP on the Corainder Express! Below is a little gallery showing the gorgeous Shamus who has the improtant job of modelling his owners handmade goodies. His owner is Lynne of Pirate Pixie Crew (and the brains behind the Coriandr Express). With a fantastic sense of humour Lynne's shop is stocked with colourful items such as hats, purses, arm and leg warmers and even dreadlocks! Check out the handmade treasures this shop and find a 10% off for the whole of June!

Meet Christine

Today on the coriandr express we have a very colourful VIP! She goes by the name of Kitty Ballistic and has a store full of quirky goodies sure to put a smile on your face!

Christine is Marlon's (see kitty's shop banner) younger sister. She might be a slip of a thing, but she has hidden depths. She doesn't like giddy people, and gets vexed when people make fun of the fact that her name rhymes. She longs to move to the U.S. or New Zealand, where this isn't a problem.*Christine is handsewn in felt, and lovingly stuffed with polyfill. Her determined gaze is thanks to safety eyes, but she is not intended to be used as a children's toy (but that's more to do with her personality/lifestyle than anything else). Christine is just over 4 inches (10cm) tall, and would ideally suit someone who enjoys reading or working at a computer whilst being watched by a small, intense felt vegetable. :-)

Below is a little gallery of some of Kitty's fantastic handmade items. As you know im a lover of all things beaded and her jewellery items are second to none with great colour and talent. Check out her shop for truly amazing bargain!

Tweet Tweet Tweet

I have recently joined the thingy known as twitter! I have to say that although I cant understand properly about the twibes thing, I have been increasingly impressed with the way it helps me to keep in touch with whats going on. As I am one of the train riders on the Coriandr express (promoting handmade lovliness), Twitter has been fab to post links to many friends, keep in touch with fellow train riders and overall keep up with gossip and seeing what the rich and famous have to say too! Anyway....... As im in a twitterpating mood I would like to post a few pics of Julie Mills' gorgeous handmade scarves and purses.... Perfect for chic chicks!

Julie is a talented lady and whilst using high quality fabrics for her items she has a keen eye for wonderful colours. Go visit Handmaid and see what Julie has to offer in her super shop on Coriandr.

Time out

I have had a stressy week so took some time out this arvo with my lovely camera. Here are the results.

Bluefish Handmade

The Coriandr express has the talented Izabela from Bluefish Handmade. Crochet is something I just havent been able to get my rough fingers around, so bluefish is just like a heavenly delight to shop from! It oozes handmade smushyness, comfort and cosyness. Izabels jewelly items are elegant and sophisticated and I doubt you will find a match on the high street. This is the beauty of Coriandr..... so much talent and uniquness that you will always find something to your liking. So take a few minutes to browse as I am sure you will not be dissapointed.

More from bluefish tomorrow.

Listing frenzy

I have got so much jewellery made and have tried to have a blitz listing them today. My Coriandr shop is looking a little better for it but I still have lots to list!

Coriandr is a fantastic place to buy and sell handmade crafts where there are hundreds of amazings items for sale. I am taking part of the Coriandr express that is a train full of people helping each other to promote their craft, the coraindr site and the amazing handmade goods on offer. Our friend in the VIP carriage is Kev of Dig the earth and his cards are not only colourful, quirky and fresh but are eco-friendly too!

Concentricity Card in Rubine Red
digtheearth
£1.00

Carousel Card No.1
digtheearth
£1.00

You cant get better HANDMADE value than this on the high street!

Birds nest

I have really loved making my sweet little nests pendant and earrings.

As I sit making more of these with different coloured eggs I ponder..... I have never seen a bird making a nest! Have you ever wondered how they start to build? How do those first beaks full of straw and sticks balance there without dropping to the ground? What about chicks making there first nest....if they cant get the hang of it they can hardly go to a nest seller? This is the kind of daft musings I have whilst working on something! So off to youtube I go. There are lots of vids on there to explore but after being captivated for and hour this has to be my fave.....


This is quite a long vid but also quite funny.... Mr and Mrs have a few disagreements on what goes where!

Dig The Earth

"to forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves" - gandhi

Good Morning!

I have a shop on the ever-growing site Coriandr where I sell my jewellery (and eventually other handmade goodies). I am excited to be part of the coriandr express which is a promotional train with its own blog. Here you can find amazing handmade items for all tastes and budgets. One of my favourites is Dig the earth. The artist (Kev) produces cards retro style in his geometric illustrations.

*****TO CELEBRATE THE LAUNCH OF CORIANDR EXPRESS (http://coriandrexpress.blogspot.com/) ALL GREETINGS CARDS ARE HALF PRICE DURING MAY*****

Kevs work is vibrant and he is the "king of Ecofriendly"! As he describes his cards himself.... Litho printed in Yorkshire on 100% recycled white board. Each card comes with a 100% recycled C6 brown craft paper envelope inside a clear biodegradable bag. The bag is made from corn starch which is fully biodegradable and compostable, breaking down to just CO2 and H2O – as green as you can get!

Other gorgeous items that Kev produces are his line of ornate mirrors with detailed hand drawn designs.

This 10" square pine mirror frame has been lovingly decorated with hundreds of tiny hand drawn spirals, using waterproof permanent ink.

Coraindr is a fantastic site for all handmade items and a very friendly community for sellers too.

Lost in the WWW

As you will see I have now opened my online shop to sell my creations. This was the easy bit! I have spent HOURS and hours sifting through pages and pages of appropriate websites to help me out with marketing etc. Needless to say I have been going to bed and dreaming of a clicking mouse! I am a bit of a techo-hijit and learn as I go along but boy do I get lost with all! Anyway Im plodding on and trying to cut down on the hours I spend sitting at my computer and spending more time creating.....and erm catchng up with housework (suppose).

How do you organise your time with having an online shop? Even if you have no sales?

My new shop!

Well here it is..... I am still listing items so bookmark the store and please keep checking. Soon to be filled with lovely goodies for gifts or something special for yourself.... without breaking the bank!

Click here to go straight to Sweet Treat Shop

Thank you for looking...... Have a great day!