tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79037513868190202462024-02-19T06:56:02.755+00:00WychburyWychbury is run by Lesley and Paula from the middle of England! We have brought Textile Art and Jewellery Design together to create a range of handcrafted gifts that reflect our shared passions. Our work is inspired by the natural world, ancient sites, the elements, gothic and renaissance design and pagan and mediaeval imagery.
We sell our wares at events in the Midlands, Shropshire and Yorkshire and on our website www.wychbury.org. We also have an Etsy store at www.wychbury.etsy.com.Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-72669126460533885012014-01-23T13:49:00.003+00:002014-01-23T13:49:46.341+00:00We have moved!This is the final post from me on this page as I am now moving over permanently to my new website where it's onwards and upwards and I have a new blog over there! Thanks so much to everyone who has read and followed our ramblings over here and we hope to see you over at Wychbury Designs! <br />
<br />Very best wishes<br />
Paula x<br />
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www.wychburydesigns.co.uk<br />
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<a href="http://www.wychburydesigns.co.uk/" target="_blank"><img alt="www.wychburydesigns.co.uk" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJG1QXPRmBNpthvnddbO51eVNk64HutBHOGXAaWpvf4kArKUEtye5EWrJJMMtuFp4x0MTHXvtkBMRIbF0MDjcz8YhxJYMlwWsHtKWAI1qjl9iesrSmr3Q7cjHnsekBfAjIUnapONPrrJk/s1600/Sewing+mends++Etsy+Story.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-26852078643472987762013-04-04T17:59:00.001+01:002013-04-04T18:07:29.293+01:00New things for Spring.<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">If you read my blog post about being a big <a href="http://wychbury.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/chickens.html" target="_blank">chicken</a> a few weeks back or would like to read it now, you will either relate to it or you won't. In the post I talked about my avoidant tendancies and my commitment to getting over myself and putting my creative head about the parapet with some new solo ventures. Well shockingly I seem to be getting somewhere and would encourage anyone with similar issues to really try to listen to their non-avoidant friends and colleagues and go for it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Amazingly, despite the endless hurdles brought about by my lack of knowledge and probably confidence too, I have managed to get a new web page up and running and am really excited about it. The look is very personal but still quintessentially Wychbury with the more Victorian twist I've been leaning towards with my own collections recently. Some of my favourite individual products are included in a traditional ecommerce format but what I'm really excited about are my new <a href="http://content.yudu.com/Library/A247i8/WychburyDesignsWhole/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wychburydesigns.co.uk%2Fpages%2Fwholesale-catalogue" target="_blank">wholesale catalogue</a> and some new design ideas that have come to me while I have been glued to the screen and starved of needle and thread!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">So first off here is my brand new site <a href="http://www.wychburydesigns.co.uk/" target="_blank">Wychbury Designs</a> which I did ALL by myself - I know right?? You'll see that I have a new <a href="http://wychburydesigns.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">blog</a> where I will be rambling on about all of my new stuff and sharing my latest news. Google Friend Connect is no more but do bob over and comment on my musings, you can also add me on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/117743524068851229668/posts" target="_blank">Google+</a>. Lesley and I will still both be posting over here about what's going on with Wychbury and all the stuff we are both passionate about, so you'll get the best of both!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">During the design and construction of my new site it struck me that I really wanted a section for bespoke wedding collections, not just hair clips and corsages but much more. I love to work with brides and their families and really wanted to take it that step further with my products to offer a much more comprehensive collection of work to cater for couples who share my kind of style. Truthfully I don't have a single sample made yet as I've still not got away from the laptop but I thought I could share my sketches for a start off! Weddings should be full of all the things that the couple loves - to excess if they so choose, it's their wedding! Does everything really have to match? I don't think so. With this in mind I am designing items with all the things I like included in the hope that this will give the pieces an immediete versatility allowing brides to go wild with their customisation.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOH4ZFuiQsF5JKrUs29QxuM8AWLBSyrNKXTllkUNT_Rmkuh-LmVJQgL9aHp7RP0PDFb0lqGaX1flU0cNo3ie35xdIhbQxNFsti9Er-byOKGVouYAwwP8dOKX9dEJOuutLDjaONRbImioc/s1600/sketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOH4ZFuiQsF5JKrUs29QxuM8AWLBSyrNKXTllkUNT_Rmkuh-LmVJQgL9aHp7RP0PDFb0lqGaX1flU0cNo3ie35xdIhbQxNFsti9Er-byOKGVouYAwwP8dOKX9dEJOuutLDjaONRbImioc/s640/sketch.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">My sewing is better than my painting I promise!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">When I was seven, my sister, cousin and I were bridesmaids for my Auntie and Uncle, instead of posies we carried round balls of flowers on long, wide ribbons that we slid our little hands through - similar to pomanders. I really wanted to make something with a romantic, Victorian twist that could be carried instead of a posy or bouquet and this is the first design - a heart shaped cushion with a posy of embroidered violas and velvet leaves at the top, my intention is to personalise these with printed vintage-style lettering for each bridesmaid on the back then extend the design into a range of ring pillows personalised for the couple. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">My hope is that this range will organically extend into larger floral pieces for brides and bridesmaids so I can offer a full service of hair adornments, corsages, buttonholes, favours and even table accessories for a really stunning wedding. Yes I know being stamped all over someone's perfect big day in front of everyone would usually be something I would run a mile from but this is the new me! I would love a beautiful, romantic, nostalgic, Victorian wedding with everything just the way I want it and I'm sure I'm not alone so watch this space for Weddings by Wychbury Designs!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Big love </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Paula.</span>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-76045271088548085252013-03-06T19:54:00.000+00:002013-03-07T13:28:40.820+00:00Big Cartel<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Unfortunately, the high hopes we had for the <a href="http://wychbury.bigcartel.com/" target="_blank">Big Cartel</a> shop we opened a few months back haven't really worked out as we'd planned. Having the shop accessible through our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wychbury/22100317083" target="_blank">facebook page</a> seemed like a great opportunity to allow our likers to buy directly from the tab on the page and compliment our <a href="http://folksy.com/shops/Wychbury" target="_blank">Folksy</a> and <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/wychbury" target="_blank">Etsy</a> shops but sadly sales have been very slow and not really worth the cost of the package we chose. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Perhaps with a greater focus and more effort on our part we could have driven more customers into the shop and may still manage that at some point, but for the time being we have decided to scale the shop right down to its bare bones on the free package. This has proved to be an interesting excercise during my current efforts to expand my side of the business as the restrictions on the minimum package mean choosing only the most signature elements of how I would like my brand to look. </span><br />
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<a href="http://wychbury.bigcartel.com/product/valentine-pincushion-ring" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlCRT6lZAnz7nYV5HAXMJs6g5sn63q4Uk8rzNPQvKan-Fzyn97x1lqR_KY1KBSuWA4yxhTK59VxMjLVBmvQBA7617ls94ZdAKn3Mx5oJobKuUso96jv2d97K5uJCDr00Nrtn02Xg490E/s200/Valentine+Composite.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The limit of five products have made me think about the most key pieces in my range and how to present them effectively. On the free package you only have one product image per listing so I have decided to use montages to show all the design variations I'm offering on each product. This means I am at least quartering the size of the images the customer will see by putting 3 or four tiles in one image so I needed to choose the template with the largest images possible. There are only three available on the free package so I have gone with 'sidecar' customised to show a maximum of six images.</span><br />
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<a href="http://wychbury.bigcartel.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-e3fLU0Sjj0P9dS1eU8BoIAGgOkw0P0MjL2iDLyu4dGq4nRi-OJbZJpLPo99q2xcgck4TiRgY91b5P8XZSA1783qklfKMmoYPtjGuqlMvdz68eHc6QehHQbePDgFPaZgLqtneJLNh9Y/s320/BC+Blog+1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Unfortunately, design and brand-wise the template is not that ideal. I have copied my colours and background successfully from the old shop, there is even the option to use our fave font courier new, but the heading is small - tiny in fact and the reduced size is pixelised and a bit rubbish! I really like the rollover option for the product info and price and the cart is user friendly but it just doesn't look much like a shop any more. My bio has to go onto a separate page so there is no introduction, proper header, description - nothing like that.</span><br />
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<a href="http://wychbury.bigcartel.com/product/little-viola-bobby-pins" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4DBfPapcQ2Tq7gI_rJfcjo8SITyJap_SPu7iHI5uoNRL0kzFmaOlVTa_yhaoHcuVcnrDJCl0n3wML3tTr5BuiMgpNyKg4ttgYwLtI0TahhYaPzaaKdE8jsU75Gh5Icto931a5XL8CRzs/s320/BC+Blog+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">BUT beggars can't be choosers and I do think that you can get something worthwhile from the free package. The limitations make you look at your products and think about presentation in a very different way and pare your range down into the most important elements. I really like these catalogue style composite images and think they look rather nice on both the original shop and the facebook version - I may well use them elsewhere. It may be that we still don't sell much but it's cost nothing but time and I admit to rather enjoying the excercise! What do you think?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Paula xhttp://wychbury.bigcartel.com/product/valentine-pincushion-ring</span>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-66945254215976792512013-03-06T12:20:00.001+00:002013-03-06T12:20:37.685+00:00Chickens<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Excuses excuses, yes this blog is as stale as the loaf ends you never eat but there are reasons for this, real ones...well OK, some real - some made up and then hidden from! The fact is, my kids are bigger now and I am now in a position to stop faffing about and get this business moving and shaking into something bigger and better. So why haven't I? Well I could cite lots of mitigating circumstances, health issues, commitments blah de blah but the real truth is... I am a chicken - bok bok bok!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">What if I'm not good enough? What if my brain falls away like wet cake again and I can't cope? What if no one wants my stuff? What if they do want it, buy it and then it all drops to bits? (I dreamt that one!) What if I don't know what I'm doing and mess it up? What if I go to meet people and they hate me? Any of these things could happen so just in case I will sit on my hands and do nothing, nothing at all - because I am a chicken.....BOK bok bok bok!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I haven't got my website sorted yet therefore I can't change my email address yet, therefore I can't order business cards yet, therefore I can't approach any potential clients, apply for funding, trade fairs and other events yet. All this I convince myself is completely true, totally unavoidable, just how things are - except I know it's not, I'm just a chicken - bok BOK! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Seriously though, I know that there is a legitimate mental health reason for my avoiding things the way I have been recently and my flippancy about it is really a long overdue, self-administered kick up the butt! I am most likely writing this rather self-indulgent post as a form of catharsis despite my usual aversion to over-sharing but if I don't face up to things and get to work soon I will never go on holiday ever again. This would be much, much worse, both for me and all those in my immediete vicinity (ask anyone who was near me at the end of the seven airport-free years - it was ugly!). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">So, coming up for me soon will be *drumroll* a new website with a shop, some new wholesale catalogues, a newsletter, some enhanced and glorious new(ish) branding for my range and everything getting generally pulled together into something that means business and looks like it does! I'm starting with a review of our current online presence with Big Cartel up first so you will be relieved to hear that this post will be shortly followed by some normal work related ones about what's happening with the new, improved Wychbury - relax, I'm done sharing now, many thanks for indulging me!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Big love, Paula x </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />PS I would very much like to thank Craft Soup and especially the amazing, inspiring ladies of the admins group past and present for the endless support and friendship, without whom this unprecedented display of self examination would not have taken place! Love you mad lot, please don't ever leave me pxxxxxxx</span>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-74024162453970499602012-10-28T15:12:00.000+00:002012-10-28T15:12:02.998+00:00Poppy Appeal 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighOuJrEhYcIyHFanGoejEBlK_0JsRPziV8PNA4o8462j0RBrVeMsENe4gWTWVf3vl1wHHJzkXV3W5iCQFpqlY48otBozzHgnW22Ti7U-PKFrj28aPBcAny6Uk0U2BVz_MK6KgiwBTdnE/s1600/Range+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighOuJrEhYcIyHFanGoejEBlK_0JsRPziV8PNA4o8462j0RBrVeMsENe4gWTWVf3vl1wHHJzkXV3W5iCQFpqlY48otBozzHgnW22Ti7U-PKFrj28aPBcAny6Uk0U2BVz_MK6KgiwBTdnE/s320/Range+2012.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I make and sell poppy products throughout the year and make a donation to <a href="http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/support-us/poppy-appeal" target="_blank">The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal</a> from each sale. This year things are a little different in that I have now branched out into wholesale and will be supplying some very reputable establishments in the process! The order I am currently most chuffed about is <a href="http://www.nam.ac.uk/" target="_blank">National Army Museum</a> who will be stocking my Remembrance Poppy Corsage in their gift shop from this week, right next to the RBL enamel lapel pin!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">My step up to wholesale has necessitated a review of my retail prices and in the case of the poppy range this means an increase in the donation I make too. I will now donate £1.50 from the sale of the <a href="http://folksy.com/items/2544377-Remembrance-Poppy-Corsage" target="_blank">Remembrance Poppy Corsage</a>, £1 from each <a href="http://folksy.com/items/3334330-Tiny-Poppy-Pin" target="_blank">Tiny Poppy Pin</a>, 75p from the <a href="http://folksy.com/items/3012570-Poppy-Hair-Clip-Single-" target="_blank">single hair clips</a> as well as donations from limited edition products such as my covered button jewellery range.</span><br />
<a href="http://folksy.com/items/3749534-Limited-Edition-POPPY-Covered-Button-Earrings-and-Pendant-Set-with-donation" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7jMhyphenhyphen2d-G3iyQyUhp9inMXMiUrjykMJXTZC-wA_06dqCAvSaBXDKpMEowo8lGv1AKrJQo-yNFBFHuL1JOc410dDIAzWX0lch5UjCGAq7eqrO_BMC_BQ2g_RTTcSl7iSwpa1jVsX-IsE/s320/Pendant+earring+set+2012.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The <a href="http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/" target="_blank">Royal British Legion</a> works to provide support to serving members of the armed forces, veterans of all ages and their families. The wearing of a poppy is a very personal statement with the symbol meaning different things to many different people. There are now so many fantastic designers now making contemporary, fashionable poppies to suit all tastes that we have the opportunity to make our statement more personal than ever.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7jMhyphenhyphen2d-G3iyQyUhp9inMXMiUrjykMJXTZC-wA_06dqCAvSaBXDKpMEowo8lGv1AKrJQo-yNFBFHuL1JOc410dDIAzWX0lch5UjCGAq7eqrO_BMC_BQ2g_RTTcSl7iSwpa1jVsX-IsE/s1600/Pendant+earring+set+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">As always you can follow our fundraising progress from my 2012 poppy collection by
keeping an eye on our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wychbury/22100317083" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page and <a href="https://twitter.com/wychbury" target="_blank">Twitter</a> feed. In 2011 we raised
£180 for the appeal - I hope this year will be even better!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Paula x </span>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-55121950267281021252012-08-25T12:51:00.001+01:002012-08-25T13:00:35.095+01:00Button It!<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/7856234556/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7269/7856234556_56d81c203d.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/7856234556/">Covered Button Jewellery</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/">Wychbury</a>.</span></div>
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I've been trying to find a way to make jewellery pieces that have a similar feel to my wearable pincushions for a while. Some of my favourite fabrics have tiny elements that are just the most gorgeous designs all on their own. I always thought it would be great to isolate them and translate them into something wearable.<br /><br />So far this is the kind of thing that I have been coming up with - covered buttons on things! I am not a jeweller really but my first proper job was as a jewellery solderer and assembler in a West Midlands factory. However I have always prefered fabric to metal as a medium, metal sometimes doesn't behave and once it's knackered that's it!<br />By setting textiles into jewellery, someone else has usually already done the metal bit for me and the most I will be required to do is open and close jump rings and persuade my fabric elements to stick - these things are within my skill set!<br /><br />Design-wise, I've chosen covered buttons mainly for mathematical reasons in that I can get settings to fit buttons and also so I can use the tiniest scraps of fabric and not waste a thing! I also love the irresistable neatnes that ensues once you have managed to get the design where you want it and stretched the fabric over the shell.<br /><br />The other materials in the pieces are on brand with MOP buttons, bronze metal and Morris fabrics. The construction is simple and easy to wear. The backs of every piece are metal to keep skin contact with the fabric to a minimum, reducing wear and tear. (no bracelets as they would pick up dirt!)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOXjhkyz6KA5V8LiTDXy4H6dNkqtQCcYFmA_1BVNLla9wuDhLz9wsi-vL2UGWz026Du-I8BWQMGZ3GT2K057t6_LKLyINUrFrnDwMLjjgd5PpqxELgKiDnoUQu7HT73YYV8RkPcXbrxs/s1600/7856242642_2023176a4a_o.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOXjhkyz6KA5V8LiTDXy4H6dNkqtQCcYFmA_1BVNLla9wuDhLz9wsi-vL2UGWz026Du-I8BWQMGZ3GT2K057t6_LKLyINUrFrnDwMLjjgd5PpqxELgKiDnoUQu7HT73YYV8RkPcXbrxs/s320/7856242642_2023176a4a_o.jpg" width="243" /></a>Finally, display and point of sale? Wychbury jewellery busts I made (from the backs of two photo frames, stamped and Danish oiled) will hopefully show the mix and match potential of the pieces and rectangular favour boxes to match the pincushion products for sales.<br /><br />Items available will be mainly made of one large and two small coordinating buttons either as earrings and pendant set or as a 'trio' necklace. There will also be separates available and hair clips of course, can't leave those out.<br /><br />Covered buttons on things - available soon!<br /><br />Paula x</div>
Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-53054517671175615122012-08-11T17:53:00.000+01:002012-08-11T17:54:07.894+01:00Tea and Crockery<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Over the past
couple of years, motifs of cups and saucers, teapots and cakes have dominated
the gift and home wares market and even seeped into high street fashion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Queen’s Jubilee, The Royal Wedding, The
Olympics etc have lead to an unprecedented fascination with ‘Britware’ and the
humble cup of tea has never been more en vogue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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I live in Yorkshire and I drink a lot of tea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I drink 6-10 mugs a day and can easily drain
a pot solo in a hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like regular tea
and at a pinch, Earl Grey but say a big NO to herbal tea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see my dislike of herbal infusions very
much like I see my atheism – as my loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I want to believe, I really do; what sounds nicer than raspberry and
elderflower or lemongrass and ginger?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All these combinations sound delicious and tempting but alas I am
faithless and they all taste like hot dregs to me! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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No, it has to be the original and genuine article for me,
but should <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camellia_sinensis" title="Camellia sinensis">Camellia sinensis</a> </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">be considered an inferior brew just because we have a tendency to dump
milk in it and swill it down by the gallon over here? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just because we dry the stuff out and wrap it
in paper fibre, should our Yorkshire Tea</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">™</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> be treated with any less reverence than its
fresh, green version or fancy herbal blends?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">OK, we don’t have a
tea ceremony as such here in the UK but look around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vintage tea rooms, salvaged, mismatched
china, ladies serving in handmade aprons, scones, bunting, doilies, the WI,
vintage dresses with neatly pinned hairstyles and in the middle of it all –
tea!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want a ceremony, we crave it –
choosing the appropriate vessels, tray dressings, optional cakes, the sugar
goes in a bowl, the milk goes in a jug and if it doesn’t all match it should at
least compliment to create a work of art to impress an afternoon guest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those of us in the middle of our lives and
beyond were brought up with at least one relative that observed these rites of
tea and we salute them, for they kept the cup, saucer and sugar tongs alive
long enough for this fashion fuelled resurgence.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">My grandmother’s
legacy and a local car boot sale keep me in crockery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Paternal Grandmother’s taste was for the
fashionable blue and white favoured by suave Victorians like Dante Gabriel
Rosetti. She loved her willow patterns and displayed them on a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/3866627903/in/set-72157622174606184" target="_blank">round top cabinet</a> now in my proud possession.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
own taste is more modernist, like my maternal grandmother’s whose kitchen was
filled with what we now like to call ‘Retro’ – pyrex and bold patterns from the
1950s and 60s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meakin pieces and similar
in Blue and Green are my weakness, the more mismatched the better!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is something comforting about a real
retro cup, it’s unaffected and takes you right back to an easier time when tea
was just tea.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/96006284/heather-earrings" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8p0J4H7pVN5cXXK763BhmevrJL8byZEH7b6G57-F_1TeYj7-hOSa53mP19sGmZCbcfQBAFNyLwrQDA9zzQyI29dDzdqfq0B-KsZ0i-O4rbSvR0poM7oTlVK53D6ww-bNVvzTLg5DCv0o/s200/il_fullxfull.322958267.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">At Wychbury, Lesley
has been making tea themed items for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Her earrings are inspired by the medieval herb garden and her gorgeous herbal
tea bracelets and ‘Love Tea’ necklaces are very popular gifts for our customers’
tea obsessed loved ones!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeYJQdTRzC-fAtKaqjlIhHdenKpqWdG_RDabqCi4cl-sjN5dJl555tkos3BuFkIP-0IWVRXqWu16RaKWkNblsHk7IlaqroAq2o1KQviQNBdAbo3xwlVGC4Jwi6-ArCmzlhKrdVyb639M/s1600/HTG2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeYJQdTRzC-fAtKaqjlIhHdenKpqWdG_RDabqCi4cl-sjN5dJl555tkos3BuFkIP-0IWVRXqWu16RaKWkNblsHk7IlaqroAq2o1KQviQNBdAbo3xwlVGC4Jwi6-ArCmzlhKrdVyb639M/s320/HTG2.jpg" width="242" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I love to place
these pieces with vintage china on our stall at craft fairs and the theme has
become an intrinsic part of our display.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>From time to time I add in any complimentary pieces from my own range
that may have a suitable look and recently found a ‘Willow Pattern’ fabric from
Fabric Freedom and took it one step further with a set of three tea themed
pincushion brooches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A doll’s house tea
set, a willow pattern plate for viola hair clips and a blue and white pot of
herbs complete the display.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/105099923/willow-pattern-pincushion-brooch" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0PtGVMTWWLe_iWHOSwnAz_13-Nl023miDhVm3Ywut2xhLI6JcTP5NWMVhfo4tl3OASptbp2XGfpsmA2sS575xyt8PVO40uqux-GtDuo65-9xI2p7Zf-0RdSRpmez9JvzykhEoqK5BtM/s320/7635530742_015bb44308_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">So however you like
it to drink it, whatever your taste in crockery and regardless of your feelings
about its new prominence as a fashion icon...Keep Calm and Drink Tea.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Paula x </span></div>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-83940110255423022982012-06-17T15:05:00.001+01:002012-06-18T00:14:24.319+01:00Wychbury Wunderkammers & Shop Display Ideas<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">I have a few small cupboards lying around that I thought would be perfect for 'Del Boy' style Wychbury showcases. I love the idea of turning up somewhere and opening the cupboards and selling Wychbury Victorian street style out of a box! Realistically I've converted them for some of our Wychbury stockists.<br /> It has been proven to us time and time again that our work sells much better when grouped together rather than randomly scattered in amongst other people's work. (fondly known by Paula & I as Carrots Handbags Cheese)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">This is a nice way of preventing that happening I think! (Also fits nicely in with practicing what I preach in my job. Reuse! Recycle!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">We first tried to prevent this happening when exhibiting at Created In Birmingham quite a few years ago with a pin board & then at We Are Birmingham using a wooden display shelf that my Dad had made.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6X68-tdkY7vLS_WThyphenhyphenjWa6vhduUJvUaKZZLdjMDSRwglpwYqmZA07bsknLc9ZhX8E-GaWk7D3F26q1hN5gfhEOXZGuEUpoupUl4kczqnsq7zriJK_v2UZLSgUEZBoMXfhdZXNxkaZ4sg/s1600/P1220478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6X68-tdkY7vLS_WThyphenhyphenjWa6vhduUJvUaKZZLdjMDSRwglpwYqmZA07bsknLc9ZhX8E-GaWk7D3F26q1hN5gfhEOXZGuEUpoupUl4kczqnsq7zriJK_v2UZLSgUEZBoMXfhdZXNxkaZ4sg/s320/P1220478.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> <b>Pin Board 2010</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><b>Shelf Display 2010</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Anyhoo, the first new Wychbury Wunderkammer is an Antique wooden cupboard bought from a junk shop in St Just Cornwall for a tenner quite a few years ago, now newly lined with navy felt. The second a wooden box, maybe a tool or art box rescued from a skip! Also given the felt treatment. I think the second box could do with a coat of paint, but I'm quite pleased with how they look. My favourite Wychbury display however is my antique hymn board, but I don't think I could part with that no matter how good it would look in a shop! L xxx</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/7385976728/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7094/7385976728_563b634c76.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><b>Antique Wooden Box 2012</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUt4Aaa2SEf-x-lOsdZ-C6nBMmhWbJc30U4QdELgRF2Awl2DkgfQ9h3xHbVSObBvScMTJsWEYvgXfNhmXYk2zdD0agnfdCw8wFuCM3Jal3U6mqCMGFbZFsASYVlK4xcYDDuIZBo97yyL0/s1600/7386102882_70291e58ca_o+%281%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUt4Aaa2SEf-x-lOsdZ-C6nBMmhWbJc30U4QdELgRF2Awl2DkgfQ9h3xHbVSObBvScMTJsWEYvgXfNhmXYk2zdD0agnfdCw8wFuCM3Jal3U6mqCMGFbZFsASYVlK4xcYDDuIZBo97yyL0/s1600/7386102882_70291e58ca_o+%281%29.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><b>Wooden Art/Tool Box 2012</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"><b>Hymn Board 2010</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/7385976728/">Wychbury shop display</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/">Wychbury</a>.</span></div>
<i><br /></i>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-51804250775943381552012-05-01T09:12:00.001+01:002012-05-01T10:00:20.979+01:00Saltaire Arts Trail, Ten Day Countdown...FIVE<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6984957874/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/6984957874_31a45cd4ee.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6984957874/">Saltaire Arts Trail, Ten Day Countdown...FIVE</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/">Wychbury</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsqH7Lslpxaa6Ov1J7ZFVApdgXJiPhczMfV8fei0wybmXLE9utTUwQ9ONn31XVMHJZQMrG-JdY3-ynz1oH6K_n_bWRE1sXYqummj5E0rTqSet6NOtAF1BeAUUmbUkaJtK79ERgWCWUdc/s1600/P4030037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>This post is subtitled 'Poppies and PDQ' and is slightly retrospective as I am about 12 hours behind schedule at the moment!<br />
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So the practical work I was doing yesterday speaks for itself - it's poppies, lots of them! Like their naturally occurring version, these can be an effective sedative and are soothing to make while my mind is crowded with other things.<br />
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As you can imagine, in these last few days everything gets a little taut and the ongoing saga of the SAT PDQ machine has nearly driven the chairman of Saltaire Inspired to opiates himself! We are hoping so hard to have the card machine for the weekend but it has gone wrong and wrong again. It's something we had in mind right from post-event last May and honestly never thought it would be so difficult an achievement. The banks seem to consider an event like ours high risk and range from apprehensive to downright in incredulous at the thought of taking the gig!<br />
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As an organisation, implementing a procedure for a payment method we have never used before, with volunteers, multiple venues and mobile phones has presented pitfalls galore and taken a great deal of planning to overcome. This planning has been expertly done by people with infinitely more mental capacity than myself. I actually feel rather dizzy at the sight of the process maps and bewildered when yet another worst case scenario presents itself. During the meeting last night I actually requested <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Queen-f-king-everything-mug/dp/B000BXF7MW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335860706&sr=8-1" target="_blank">this mug</a> for my tea as I first read it as *Queen of f*****g everything....UP!*. Suffice to say, if the PDQ machine has not arrived in time for the weekend then much more bad language will ensue!<br />
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Pass the Laudenum would you darling? I'm getting one of my heads!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsqH7Lslpxaa6Ov1J7ZFVApdgXJiPhczMfV8fei0wybmXLE9utTUwQ9ONn31XVMHJZQMrG-JdY3-ynz1oH6K_n_bWRE1sXYqummj5E0rTqSet6NOtAF1BeAUUmbUkaJtK79ERgWCWUdc/s1600/P4030037.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsqH7Lslpxaa6Ov1J7ZFVApdgXJiPhczMfV8fei0wybmXLE9utTUwQ9ONn31XVMHJZQMrG-JdY3-ynz1oH6K_n_bWRE1sXYqummj5E0rTqSet6NOtAF1BeAUUmbUkaJtK79ERgWCWUdc/s200/P4030037.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
Paula x</div>
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Etched Glass by <a href="http://www.vinegarandbrownpaper.co.uk/%5Bvinegar%26brownpaper%5D/ideas_etched_in_glass.html" target="_blank">[vinegar & brown paper]</a>. Exhibiting at <a href="http://www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk/location.php?ID=6_Harold_Place" target="_blank">6 Harold Place</a> and <a href="http://www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk/location.php?ID=Saltaire_Visitor_Centre" target="_blank">Saltaire Visitor Information Centre</a> - bottles for soothing elixirs of all kinds. </div>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-48159171647907155852012-04-30T09:40:00.001+01:002012-04-30T09:43:39.294+01:00Saltaire Arts Trail, Ten Day Countdown...SIX<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6981530872/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6981530872_ff907f7e16.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6981530872/">Saltaire Arts Trail, Ten Day Countdown...SIX</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/">Wychbury</a>.</span></div>
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I did prepare this post last night but didn't get round to publishing it so there will be another later on for day five in the countdown.<br />
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Day six has been all about point of sale and display and the main thing that I did was to make this rather self-explanatory ring display from an old cutlery tray. I will still have some boxed rings out to show the packaging but I'm hoping that this will make the pincushion rings more accessible on the table and encourage sales. <br />
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Oh, and I also got some <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/7127598557/in/photostream" target="_blank">moo cards</a> done! There will be more packaging stuff going on towards the end of the week when I really start panicking!<br />
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Paula. x</div>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-18436929974640025082012-04-28T21:17:00.001+01:002012-04-28T21:20:29.780+01:00Saltaire Arts Trail Ten Day Countdown, SEVEN.....<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6976124828/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7095/6976124828_5fa6846a05.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6976124828/">Saltaire Arts Trail Ten Day Countdown, SEVEN.....</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/">Wychbury</a>.</span></div>
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ONE WEEK to go, which means it's Saturday. This also means that I am doing lots of other things like trying version #17 of the keeping-cats-off-the-veg-patch design quest as well as shopping, cooking, eating and other stuff with the family. Since I am multi-tasking I am on the little table in the living room and it looks like this!<br /><br />I know it doesn't look much like it makes sense (apart from the wine) but it really does! The candle is for singeing the edges of cut petals to stop them fraying, the brooch backs just arrived in the post today and I pinched the packing material for a parcel and haven't yet put them away, the business cards came back from a closing stockist and everything else? Well it's work in progress and is very technical! I admit I lit the candle for the photo as I am currently drinking wine, watching a movie and cuddling my kids on the sofa whilst being very full of food, but hey - it's Saturday and there is still a whole week to go! lalalaaaa ♪♫<br /><br />Paula x </div>
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<a href="http://saltaireartstrail.co.uk/" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://i1070.photobucket.com/albums/u488/Paula_Perrins/White_on_Red_-_badge.jpg" /></a></div>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-26404608911514648982012-04-27T18:32:00.001+01:002012-04-27T18:39:12.877+01:00Saltaire Arts Trail Ten Day Countdown, EIGHT.....<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6972947764/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" height="400" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8153/6972947764_149ec13f0f.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" width="298" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">So this biblical rain we are having has kept me stuck in the house for three days feeling more and more cooped up with each passing second. I got to the point that the sight of another pansy or viola is likely to push me over the edge of reason!</span></div>
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<br />I don't drive so when Iain got home from work today, the fact that I was clamouring to get out must have been fairly obvious as I got whisked straight off to the garden centre. Normally I would relish the chance as I LOVE the garden centre as much as the next 40-something but today I wasn't sure, I've been looking at flowers for three days after all. But my pansies obviously look nothing like the real thing so I might become inspired, who knows AND we need something to keep the cat of the raised veg beds anyway - OK, I'll go.<br /><br />In the queue to pay, at the till, I see this big trolley full of very leggy pansies and remarked that some of them looked a bit like the ones I've been making today. I don't know if the cashier sensed that my sulky mood needed lifting but she said 'Oh those are free, take a tray if you like'.<br /><br />Anyway LOOK, pansies really do come in these colours - who knew!? It was a worthwhile visit in the end and I'm wondering if a vintage-ified picture of these in a Victoriana frame might just set off my display a treat for the Makers' Fair.<br /><br />Paula x<a href="http://www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXZ-kjvoQZPMkR56flvD4Rtsvh2wjCK381Ug6DHIqfntPj9aVnvWGblc__h_pGVE0Arar1xsA11gBozNrGt0kXufeaMnqpClrcmMmSdYfA4F_dBpJI47GRPIFBBjMiywxLvuHXcNCaBg/s1600/White_on_Red_-_low_res+%282%29.jpg" /></a></div>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-68094432845366677142012-04-26T13:04:00.001+01:002012-04-26T13:20:45.867+01:00Saltaire Arts Trail Ten Day Countdown, NINE....<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6969329722/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7248/6969329722_7eab14d5d0.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6969329722/">Saltaire Arts Trail Ten Day Countdown, NINE....</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/">Wychbury</a>.</span></div>
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Today I am embroidering and beading the little violas I cut and assembled yesterday. There are a lot of them and I have some poppies to get on with later so am sewing quite hard! I am getting through a good few needles and the callous on my middle finger is getting quite tough too! I'm feeling productive though.<br />
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As far as the organisation is going, I have a sense today that everything is pretty much nailed down. The Makers' Fair inbox has gone reassuringly quiet and everyone is hard at work preparing their stock, display and retail stuff for the event.<br />
<a href="http://www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSygXHhY4BCzWsUDLBYKa1D8LkOI8uDSYJ1ayWn4DflviA4DBGglhk6SrlS6i6wi6ihU_P4DzEoHNpZF8bfFlIk0krrIHgUhc7bUP0HY5rWv1fiQqmDfxHAJKw7D_i3B7n-pctb2vrGI8/s1600/White_on_Red_-_low_res+%282%29.jpg" /></a>Paula x</div>
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</div>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-36286290937577569062012-04-25T14:20:00.001+01:002012-04-25T14:34:29.249+01:00Letterpress Cabinet<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/7112580293/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7112/7112580293_a634f33d7c.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/7112580293/">Letterpress Cabinet #beads #wychbury</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/">Wychbury</a>.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Lovely find on holiday in Cornwall - spending way too much time filling it and colour co-ordinating instead of making jewellery for the Saltaire Arts Trail! L. xxx</span>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-50045326282350348342012-04-25T12:04:00.001+01:002012-04-25T12:15:28.497+01:00Saltaire Arts Trail Ten Day Countdown, TEN.....<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/7112105525/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7080/7112105525_6b5488c0ec.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/7112105525/">Saltaire Arts Trail Ten Day Countdown, TEN.....</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/">Wychbury</a>.</span></div>
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I am once again coordinating the <a href="http://www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk/location.php?ID=Makers_Fair" target="_blank">Makers' Fair</a> Strand of the <a href="http://www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk/" target="_blank">Saltaire Arts Trail</a> for May 2012 as well as exhibiting with Wychbury. This will be our ten day countdown diary sharing our preparations for the event. I will try and write at least one semi-substantial post a day with additional mini blogs thrown in when something relevant is occuring!<br /><br />This is the state of affairs with ten days to go. <br /><br />We have been getting involved with lots of new projects and outlets during the last twelve months and this has resulted in the streamlining of lots of my working methods. I have pared down my side of the range to the key items that I find the most joyful and productive to make. I have mainly focussed on my floral pieces and wearable pincushions and this is making preparing for the Makers' Fair so much less of a frenzy. I am already in a steady routine of making as well as being about as at home at this event as it's possible to be!<br /><br />So today I am making some little violas for hair accessories in some really delicate spring shades.<br /><br />Paula x</div>
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<a href="http://www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk/artist.php?ID=wychbury" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLa7V2VGj6pFN8xeKxePpM_LYP7UnAy3hwtNeFXyRcfNFNR2_YvvZ9wkVig3zbCB3l8HVYfpCO_RSMXbESEl2nHQznYzBWReXirOxT2z5hijdje52pZGribchkSdto4TReQ7AJaJBRJTw/s640/SAT+screecap.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-28975584176945472802012-04-16T13:27:00.002+01:002012-04-16T13:29:29.347+01:00Love Letters Pincushion Ring<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/7083629263/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7110/7083629263_3c865fbe11.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/7083629263/">Love Letters Pincushion Ring</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/">Wychbury</a>.</span></div></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I've been reading some of the feedback from some of our customers after purchasing our pincushion rings. Several lovely people have said how suprised they were to receive the selection of pins with their pincushion. All our pincushion rings and brooches come with pins that I hope compliment each design and make it more of a gift. Some of them are floristry pins or just shop bought head pins but I do like to include at least a couple that I have made myself just to blur the line between a wearable piece and a utilarian object.<br />
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This reworked version of the Love Letters Pincushion Ring is something I've had in mind for ages and is a real indulgence! I've overstamped the original handwriting print with more black ink and included a love token flower, a quill and a W 'wax seal' amongst the pins. The seal is made from some of the trimmed down bottle caps from a well know soft drinks company, melted with a little W stamp pressed into it.<br />
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S.W.A.L.K.<br />
Paula x</div>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-42049387388561608122012-03-28T11:06:00.002+01:002012-03-28T11:25:48.921+01:00Poppies and Daffodils.<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6877381604/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7225/6877381604_42745080d7.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br />
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6877381604/">Poppies and Daffodils.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/">Wychbury</a>.</span></div></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Poppies and Daffodils.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">A gorgeous day and the last performance of Edith's Wartime Scrapbook this morning was a great success (see yesterday's post). I'm still fairly jubilant about the £180....I'll say that again £180 donated to the Poppy Appeal yesterday so I thought I'd get on with some more. I will be exhibiting my work for eight weeks in the Saltaire Visitor's Information Centre in the run up to <a href="http://www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk/">Saltaire Arts Trail 2012</a> and I would really like to include some poppies in the range. Since I am obviously on a roll, I will save the info about the exhibition and the other artists included for another post.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Paula x </span>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-16439677573362420672012-03-27T13:01:00.000+01:002012-03-27T13:01:05.905+01:00Poppies 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5L2mIDpGcH-jK24l8qK3tpGBjZ7HE51sAcKwKg-H7UuZCERiogHswuG6ARp0SkOQjwA8gJtPZSsdOdtee9R4GMYmWUg0G_sD8N3MZvJFrxsXbu7OWj1kbEmJaW7S6GlCz63-dV18kvs/s1600/Corsage+card+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5L2mIDpGcH-jK24l8qK3tpGBjZ7HE51sAcKwKg-H7UuZCERiogHswuG6ARp0SkOQjwA8gJtPZSsdOdtee9R4GMYmWUg0G_sD8N3MZvJFrxsXbu7OWj1kbEmJaW7S6GlCz63-dV18kvs/s320/Corsage+card+back.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">We don't talk about poppies and the Poppy Appeal in March. We are nowhere near November, poppies aren't even out at the moment and everyone is all off the crimson and on to pastels when it comes to florals. However, my son is currently in the choir for his year group's production of WW2 musical <a href="http://www.edgyproductions.com/musicals/ediths_wartime_scrapbook/index.html">'Edith's Wartime Scrapbook'</a> AND it is nearly the end of the tax year so now seems to be as good a time as any to close the 2011 total for our donations to the <a href="http://www.poppy.org.uk/support-us/poppy-appeal-2011">Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">As you may know, I make a range of velvet Poppy accessories that we sell through all of our usual outlets but from the sale of each item we make a donation to the RBL which is the equivalent of about 10% of the retail price. Details of the donation amount are printed on the back of each item's card and we update our total on our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wychbury/22100317083">facebook page</a> throughout the year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">So without further ado, it gives me great pleasure to announce the total money collected and donated to the 2011 appeal iiiiis......</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">£180! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Thank you so much to all our customers, we hope that you will continue to support the RBL in 2012</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Paula x</span><br />
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</span>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-86524560976581444942012-03-15T15:40:00.002+00:002012-03-15T15:47:41.974+00:00Pin It.<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6838656366/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/6838656366_448fbd3d33.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">A while ago, a customer sent me an enquiry about the possibility of me adapting one of my pincushion ring designs into a brooch. I had no plans to do so at the time and wasn't really sure how to convert the design, I thought the weight would make a brooch version loll forward on the clothing and be useless so I put the idea on the back burner. However, the idea of making a whole range of wearable sewng accessories was something that had now been put in my head so I put the brooch idea to some fellow stitchers to see what they thought. We all concurred that our cardigans, other clothing and furniture were full of pins and needles anyway so why not do it in a way that looked good?</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrcziBCwF0EC8W-rUX_2tQJaWDSrlRUwOzyvL7KjHRhQRSAk_mT5bVlXR-C7_GHfIbG132GHDtZrneYIP7weuR3Ys1eLCRmfneSbvO0YhyphenhyphenKvKmwce5el5D9EzIkcMTvg_ynMss7Gqhco/s1600/brooches+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrcziBCwF0EC8W-rUX_2tQJaWDSrlRUwOzyvL7KjHRhQRSAk_mT5bVlXR-C7_GHfIbG132GHDtZrneYIP7weuR3Ys1eLCRmfneSbvO0YhyphenhyphenKvKmwce5el5D9EzIkcMTvg_ynMss7Gqhco/s320/brooches+1.jpg" width="320" /></a>You can always rely on Etsy's supply shop owners to make the best possible use of componants and it wasn't long before a search for '30mm base' yielded a brooch version of the ring from one of my favourite suppliers. So I have gone ahead and made something that I think works, it's a little shallower, the button is set a little more visably towards the front of the piece and you can wear it any way up!<br />
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I also have some plans to try a pendant version to wear on a chain and a larger brooch in a more ornate setting using the caps from milk cartons as a base.<br />
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In the words of Pinterest where Wychbury now has a <a href="http://pinterest.com/wychbury/">page</a> by the way,<br />
Happy Pinning!<br />
<br />
Paula x</div></div>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-35206195062219199172012-02-24T14:43:00.002+00:002012-02-24T14:54:38.841+00:00Pink and Blue<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6925760529/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7056/6925760529_50de94f303.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6925760529/">Little Viola Clips</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/">Wychbury</a>.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx9hmFQSGfOTK78lORSCjz3W0XopAWxMlpMtY2Mk4HoGU3q4exdQl4tGCEPgbvf9ANB7o1IWCB6xk3TEpRFb2Zl-i6jQKh0Ke0bspiXVEUMh8UWN915o_3q7ybhFQVEI4nqTvCQ2vdgBc/s1600/5857628944_f162a52978_b+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx9hmFQSGfOTK78lORSCjz3W0XopAWxMlpMtY2Mk4HoGU3q4exdQl4tGCEPgbvf9ANB7o1IWCB6xk3TEpRFb2Zl-i6jQKh0Ke0bspiXVEUMh8UWN915o_3q7ybhFQVEI4nqTvCQ2vdgBc/s320/5857628944_f162a52978_b+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I've made some new colours in Little Viola Clips that will be available in our shops shortly. In the meantime, if you love Flickr, have a look at this <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/flickrcolors/">group</a>! It's devoted to photos featuring the Flickr brand colours of bright pink and blue, I have submitted this photo and the one of my crochet blanket and there are a few of my other pics in the pool too. My daughter's birthday parties seem to be always themed around this combination too! </div></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Paula x </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
</div>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-89413666416006108192012-02-19T11:58:00.006+00:002012-02-19T16:23:03.576+00:00Hooked<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6901596609/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" height="208" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6901596609_3b34b86375.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6901596609/"></a></span>In February of 2010, Lesley and I did an interview for the <a href="http://ukhandmade.co.uk/">UK handmade</a> blog and the final question we were both asked was 'If you had time to learn a new skill, what would it be?'. Lesley answered 'Tatting' and my answer was : 'crocheting – using vintage thread of course. Also bookkeeping, I need all the help I can get with that one!' </div></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
The brain splinter I had the whole time was to be able to make vintage looking five petalled flowers in faded old threads to include in Medieval/Victorian workbox inspired accessories. I think I'd got the idea from these <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/3866930573/in/set-72157612445094147.%20">lace samples</a> I'd bought at a vintage fair.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Well this Christmas I'd asked for <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0761139850/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0761128182&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=1J9M0Z3AJ57KTXYK1CFA">'The Happy Hooker'</a> book and I bought a set of hooks from ebay but still to no avail, I just couldn't wrap my yarn around it! Once again the crochet got shelved and I resigned myself to a skill unmastered. Until my lovely friend Sharon stepped in. Almost immedietely on our arrival for tea at her house, she put a hook, some sparkly yarn and a glass of white in my hand and informed me quite bluntly that I was not leaving until I had made a granny square. She knew all along that she could teach me but I was a little resistant, I'd tried and tried after all and my loops were still tight and my yarn was still split. But with a quiet, smiling certainty Sharon insisted that if I followed her instructions I could do it - anyone can.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">She firmly corrected me when I screwed it up, when I got it right she encouraged me in a 'Of course that's right - it's that simple' kind of a way and one glass later I had a 3" piece of very wobbly double crochet in sparkly teal wool. OK then, moving on - straight headlong into the granny square, guess what - it's easy! My friend's approach is that she is 'sharing' rather than teaching, she has discovered something joyful and firmly insists to the most unsuspecting people that they share in the joy. The yarn and hook is presented as both a gift and as a binding contract between giver and receiver and you feel unable to fail. And she is right, we DO need crochet like we need those new boots or NY vanilla cheesecake, we will forgo sleep for it and work on a blanket in public unashamed.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">As you can see I have now completed my first project with the<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNC0zxy4HRKaGhlkSFWi9PQrOk83cBSDAhxRwosn9zqrMG4CpoOY9cFBzrCA2uueTD0SkdREw_z7CBwQbRDpRnZ-KBhvXRs2XzgEBpqReHfZYw5h2T09jU6Utaud9vRzrCEyLiKynG_0/s1600/Crochet+flowers.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNC0zxy4HRKaGhlkSFWi9PQrOk83cBSDAhxRwosn9zqrMG4CpoOY9cFBzrCA2uueTD0SkdREw_z7CBwQbRDpRnZ-KBhvXRs2XzgEBpqReHfZYw5h2T09jU6Utaud9vRzrCEyLiKynG_0/s320/Crochet+flowers.jpg" width="320" /></a> balls of James C Brett Twinkle as bequeathed by my tutor, mentor and possibly my religious leader! My <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6901596609/in/photostream">knee rug</a> is 120cm square and used up more or less every scrap of Twinkle Yarn I had. I have since met some amazing crochetists and discovered some wonderful online resources. I'm never going to be in their league I don't think, I will always be a fabric and thread kind of a girl at heart, but what about my vintage flowers? Well using this wonderful <a href="http://applehead.typepad.com/applehead/crochet_flowers/">tutorial</a> from Applehead, they too are becoming a reality! I am definitely needing some even smaller hooks than the 2mm one I have used so far and I may also need a magnifier if I'm honest, but my first attempts are encouraging and I am looking forward to combining them with some old pearl beads and bronze findings to combine my new skill with some Wychbury style!<br />
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Happy Hooking!<br />
Paula x<br />
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Many thanks to Sharon Lambert, Chrissie Freeth at <a href="http://folksy.com/shops/TheYorkshireCraftCompany,">The Yorkshire Craft Co.</a> , Christine Harvey of <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/RoseCottageCraftsUK?ref=pr_shop_more,">Rose Cottage Crafts</a>, and the <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/">Attic 24</a> blog which is amazing!</div>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-78293696700284394532012-02-12T17:14:00.002+00:002012-02-12T17:15:52.102+00:00Is it Spring yet?<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6863559153/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" height="369" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7192/6863559153_9bb3b28a22.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">It's nearly still light at tea time, my table is covered in spring flowers...still feels like Winter though! I'm making hair clips like the clappers this week while I wait for supplies to come in for other stuff, it's nice to be working with the flowers again but blimey it's still freezation! </span></div><div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Paula x</span></div>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-29586973409351550012012-02-09T16:13:00.003+00:002012-02-09T16:31:18.587+00:00New Design Pincushion Rings<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6846523491/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" height="200" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7203/6846523491_46fa9c482e.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" width="194" /></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I've made a series of these rings with single image designs of animals and birds. They are taken from a gorgeous linen mix fabric from Japan by Etsuko Furuya - the design is called 'Ornament'. Each image is surrounded by a wreath of stylised flowers and fits perfectly to the size of my ring designs. So far I have made hares and gulls but ponies and squirrels will also be available soon! Sadly there is a fair bit of fabric waste of the blank ground between the design elements so I will need to find a way of using them up in other designs.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The fabric itself is a more open weave to the patchwork cotton I normally use so there is a gorgeous tactile quality to the sticking in of the pins. The cushions are packed tight with quilting wadding so have a really happy level of resist to the pin points.<br />
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I've also had loads of fun creating new ornamental pins for the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzGKWBanmFayKpLnsCsqJhNYGqBLG6TwBwk0UxQ7wUKbxQjNGJfTb1TC2zKBkgblQmhmfLGUY1lZP5OhNvQpiUhz2QjdOZbD74zvMSV0B59BfZGmOYoFZEEmRYSbowuRCCa95qEO3ZHQ/s1600/Pins.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzGKWBanmFayKpLnsCsqJhNYGqBLG6TwBwk0UxQ7wUKbxQjNGJfTb1TC2zKBkgblQmhmfLGUY1lZP5OhNvQpiUhz2QjdOZbD74zvMSV0B59BfZGmOYoFZEEmRYSbowuRCCa95qEO3ZHQ/s200/Pins.jpg" width="200" /></a>rings. As usual I am hooked on the idea of the mini hatpin and was delighted to discover those lovely aluminium roses and filigree beads in a perfect 6mm size.<br />
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A customer has recently requested a brooch version of the pincushion rings and I am delighted to reveal that this will soon be a reality - several designs of brooches and pendants will soon be available.<br />
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Happy pinning!<br />
Paula x</div>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-34014396179188417612011-11-29T14:41:00.002+00:002011-11-29T14:53:19.738+00:00Comfort Sewing.<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6411396663/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" height="320" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6222/6411396663_d6701bd174.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6411396663/">Autumnal poppy fascinator bands.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/">Wychbury</a>.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">My <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6023691766/in/set-72157622174606184">loft studio</a> is often cold in winter and I drive my entire family batty by gradually migrating downstairs through the course of the season! What I have noticed in recent weeks is that my style of working has altered to accomodate this, right down to the type of pieces I am designing and producing. My <a href="http://folksy.com/shops/Wychbury?shop_section=remembrance_poppies">Remembrance Poppies</a> involve only handstitching and no machine so can be produced curled up on the sofa with a blanket and a cuppa!<br />
The Poppy range went mad this year and all I seemed to do for weeks was to sew black seed beads onto deep red flowers. What was suprising to me was that rather than being bored I was actually rather comforted by continuously repeating the processes of making such a familiar and well loved design. <br />
Designing and making individual pieces, although inspiring is sometimes daunting to me too. What if no one likes it? What was I thinking? That was really hard to make - is it worth it? The poppies though, no such worries. The are beautifully tactile, richly coloured, tried and tested and honestly - a delight to make. I'd already dipped my toe in the idea of producing other versions of the Poppy design through the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/84768340/grey-lady-fascinator-bandghost-poppies">Ghost Poppy/Grey Lady Fascinator band</a> I made around Halloween time so when <a href="http://www.gooseandthemoose.com/">Goose and the Moose</a> Gallery at Malton asked for more fascinators in other colours, it seemed a good time to make some more. I love the big faceted bead on the the 2011 Remembrance Poppies so ordered some other colours with a view to making some rich, Autumnal combinations. I've also used bugle beads instead of seed beads on some designs to add to the opulance of the design for the Christmas season.<br />
These fascinators have gone off to Malton now but I feel I have a new reason to stay by the fire and am producing corsages in these designs. These will be available shortly on <a href="http://folksy.com/shops/Wychbury">Folksy</a> and <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/wychbury">Etsy</a><span id="goog_244054291"></span><span id="goog_244054292"></span> as well as our fantastic <a href="http://wychbury.blogspot.com/p/our-stockists.html">stockists</a> all over Yorkshire. <br />
Keep warm this winter, grab your work box, put the kettle on and get comfy!<br />
<br />
Paula x</div>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903751386819020246.post-10052538532985636772011-10-14T20:58:00.004+01:002011-10-14T21:05:52.748+01:00Autumn Stall<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6243985245/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" height="320" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6168/6243985245_31da7d0c70.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/6243985245/">Filing Drawers and Gothic Mirror, Stall Design.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/">Wychbury</a>.</span></div></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">We've got a few events coming up in the next few weeks so I've been messing around with stall design. I always use this gothic mirror on our displays, I have two in my bathroom and if we have a bigger table I use both. I want to make a big feature of our Halloween/ Autumn items so have added this black metal candle stick. To get enough height I've raised the whole thing up on to my vintage filing drawers and combined this autumnal section of our display with both the poppies inside the drawers and my recently adopted old book feature on the top.<br />
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The rest of the stall probably has enough autumnal elements to pull it together but to add some coherance to the thing I've added some strings of artificial autumn leaves and places a few of the Halloween themed destash items from our <a href="http://www.folksy.com/shops/Wychcrafts">Wychcrafts</a> shop to the bottom of the sewing box display. <br />
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You can check up on where we are in the coming weeks by checking our <a href="http://wychbury.blogspot.com/p/events.html">events calendar</a> and following us on facebook but tomorrow we will be in famous Haworth for a craft fair in the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=202446073162667">Old School Rooms</a>. You can read the details on <a href="http://artsmarkets.blogspot.com/">The Arts Market blog</a>, come and see us if you are in the area!<br />
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Paula x</div>Wychburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13732448869999352305noreply@blogger.com0