Wychbury

Is it Spring yet?

2012-02-12T17:14:00.002Z

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!

Paula x

New Design Pincushion Rings

2012-02-09T16:13:00.003Z

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.

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.

I've also had loads of fun creating new ornamental pins for the 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.

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.

Happy pinning!
Paula x

Comfort Sewing.

2011-11-29T14:41:00.002Z

Autumnal poppy fascinator bands., originally uploaded by Wychbury.

My loft studio 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 Remembrance Poppies involve only handstitching and no machine so can be produced curled up on the sofa with a blanket and a cuppa!
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.  
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 Ghost Poppy/Grey Lady Fascinator band I made around Halloween time so when Goose and the Moose 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.
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 Folksy and Etsy as well as our fantastic stockists all over Yorkshire.  
Keep warm this winter, grab your work box, put the kettle on and get comfy!

Paula x

Autumn Stall

2011-10-14T20:58:00.004+01:00

Filing Drawers and Gothic Mirror, Stall Design., originally uploaded by Wychbury.

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.

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 Wychcrafts shop to the bottom of the sewing box display.  

You can check up on where we are in the coming weeks by checking our events calendar and following us on facebook but tomorrow we will be in famous Haworth for a craft fair in the Old School Rooms.  You can read the details on The Arts Market blog, come and see us if you are in the area!

Paula x

'Tis the Season

2011-10-12T09:43:00.002+01:00

Ghost Poppies 'Grey Lady' Fascinator Headband, originally uploaded by Wychbury.

I've been really busy over the last few months with one thing and another and somehow forgot how easy it is to blog these days!    Not just the physical processs of sharing from other media such as flickr as I've done here, but also finding inspiration for something to say.

I mean there's all sorts right here, Halloween for a start!  I'm not really in the spirit this year, I'm not childminding any more and the kids are getting bigger and I've been there and done that when it comes to orange and black.  Also, my 40th birthday weekend felt more like August in Corfu than October in Yorkshire and Autumn just wasn't happening for me.

BUT - it's Poppy season as well as Halloween and the two came together in this piece.  The Grey Lady/Ghost Poppy fascinator band is available on folksy and although I don't want to lead folk too much into thinking this is a straightforward costume piece - I couldn't resist this retro camera shot of me, sans make up!  I love retro camera and the effect here has completely lit my pumpkin for All Hallows after all!

I am now roasting root vegetables and chopping logs on a daily basis and am actually quite psyched for Halloween.  I even went back to the orange and black to stock our Wychcrafts destash shop with seasonal supplies to ramp up the season of mellow fruitfulness vibe even more!

So I WILL go to the Halloween parties I've been invited to, I WILL be costumed and I WILL enjoy it!

Paula x

Studio Drawers

2011-07-30T21:53:00.002+01:00

Studio Drawers, originally uploaded by Wychbury.

The grand studio reorganisation continues!  Just when I thought I couldn't get any more furniture up there, Crossflatts Primary School chucked out THREE sets of trays at the end of term and I had to have them.  They  are stamped 1974, WRCC.  This stands for West Riding County Council which ceased to exist in 1974 so maybe this was when they arrived at the school which was then Ryshworth Middle.

Anyway, after a right struggle to get them up there, they fit a treat under the eaves of my loft studio. I'm just printing out lots of labels for them for work in progress, completed stock and Wychcrafts stuff - wonderful!

Paula x

Studio re-organisation, episode I

2011-06-20T14:17:00.006+01:00

Studio reorganisation, episode I, originally uploaded by Wychbury.

I get the feeling that this is about to turn into another photo diary as the re-organisation of my workroom is a mammoth task!
You may remember some time ago, I shared my joy at finally getting my wish and having my loft converted into a workroom. I blogged it, photographed it and proudly added it to a gazillion flickr groups.
Well, wasteful ingrate that I am, over the last year my poor space has been absolutely trashed to the point where I had no choice but to spread through the house like a virus, invading every surface with brooches, clips, buttons and bits of fabric!
There were several catalysts for this turn of events:

1: The Winter plus the new stove I got in my living room - who wants to be in a cold loft where there are logs crackling?
2: School holidays - there have been loads and I can't stay in the loft when I've got kids in the garden - so I spread more (even into the garden sometimes!).

3: New designs and products - there have been a lot from Wychbury this year. The design process for most makers is a space guzzling one, as you lay all your componants out along with sketches and notes you can't possibly clear away before bed as you might forget what you came up with...anyway, you'd just have to get it all out again wouldn't you?
So the combination of these factors coupled with my extreme wool-headed laziness have led to an overun house with no usuable seating or even a dining table. No dogs or small children can enter as everything is so precarious and my own family have had to adopt a whole new way of life as they search for a space to complete even the simplest of tasks.

It ends here, for a while anyway! I've gone through the place like a hurricane and filled bag after bag with literal garbage and am currently redesigning the layout with my new products and working style in mind. Stay with me lovely family, friends and readers of our blog - it won't be long now and harmony will return!

Paula x

New Leeds.

2011-06-14T15:59:00.003+01:00

So Wychbury are sneaking into Leeds! I was 23 when I moved to Yorkshire, already at an age where the time for sitting on steps in the cool part of town and peering at passers-by through layers of eyeliner and clouds of cigarette smoke were left behind me in Birmingham. However, the area around the Corn Exchange in Leeds has always seemed to me to be the place to hang out, filled with cool shops selling an abundance of all the stuff I just love to spend frivolous amounts of cash on!

The Corn Exchange itself is Grade 1 listed and underwent an extensive renovation in 2008. Now nice and shiny and full of great new businesses, the iconic round building is once again the hub of a vibrant and growing community of creative entrepreneurs now thriving even more via the blessing of our time, social networking!

On the relatively tucked away Kirkgate, Bird's Yard stands tall. Three floors of open plan shops filled with a trove of vintage and handmade treasures from a huge range of artists and curated by a staff of committed, enthusiastic and very friendly people. Not even a year old yet, Bird's Yard is effortlessly cool in that easy going 'buy a lurex belt on your way for a Saturday latte' kind of a way, everyone fits in, there's no pressure, maximum browsing opportunity and loads of fun!

Carla DeAzevedo of MausHaus has just opened Nouveau Leeds on the second floor and this is where we come in. After contacting us via Folksy about stocking our range, I got to know Carla via her participation in the Saltaire Arts Trail in May. Nouveau Leeds is a bright, airy space with one of the stunning round windows the building boasts and Carla is in the process of filling the space with carefully chosen work from some amazing loacal artists. We are chuffed to bits to be one of the first ranges to be stocked in the shop and wish Carla every success with her business. Please check out all the links below for other ranges in Nouveau Leeds and the other units in Bird's Yard and please pop down to Kirkgate, you won't regret it!

Paula x

Indie Cindy
Kitschen Sink
Zincwhite
Littlebirdy Designs
Sew You
Life's Big Canvas
And loads more.....if you are in Birds yard and your link isn't here it's because I couldn't find it! Please add your links in the comments lovely people! px

Reverting to Type

2011-06-13T11:06:00.003+01:00

John Bull Printing Outfit No.12, originally uploaded by Wychbury.

If you read our blog you may be familiar with my growing obsession with all things type, old typewriters and especially vintage John Bull Printing Outfits. Well, I am very excited to report that my latest set arrived today, No.12. this one contains an intact booklet and a long-dehydrated inkpad with the expiry date JUN 1948.

There aren't many letters but to my joy they are a different font to my previous set No.18. This discovery may herald the beginning of a collecting habit! I already knew from my Ebay sessions that many of the John Bull Outfits had image stamps included and the booklet in my new set seems to be implying that sets No. 33 and 115 contain small image stamps including floral designs. Oh yes - a pansy and an English 'Tudor' style rose - the quest begins!
Paula x
www.simongarfield.com/pages/books/just_my_type.htm
www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/3199489226/in/set-72157612...

Typing

2011-05-26T13:41:00.002+01:00

Typing, originally uploaded by Wychbury.

I - am typing! That's about it really - cards for my vintage silk and button hair clips. I stitched some of them in bed last night whilst watching 'Underworld, Rise of the Lycans'. The film's not bad - Vincent is nowhere near as terrifying as Bill Nighy himself I can tell you!....Should I be this laid back when I only have about NINE hours of making and prep left? I really couldn't say - if you are in West Yorkshire this weekend come and see for yourself. If I am under an empty table rocking then I badly need to adjust my sense of urgency!

Paula x

PS Visit our Flickr page where you can see more of our diary pics.

www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk

Saltaire Arts Trail Preparation Diary : Last but one day of making.

2011-05-25T10:09:00.002+01:00

Saltaire Arts Trail Preparation Diary : Last but one day of making., originally uploaded by Wychbury.

So the Saltaire Arts Trail kicks off on Friday night with the launch party at Salts Mill. This means that with Friday being mainly set aside for last minute organisation, that I only have two days of making left. Lesley's parcel has arrived and she is hoping to send me even more from her cottage in Wales, I'm pulling our display together and finishing everything off.

The rest of our diary will most likely come in mini-photoblog format as we snap'n'share what we're doing for the next two days. See you on the other side!
Paula x

http://www.wychbury.blogspot.com/
http://www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk/

Nearly There!

2011-05-24T21:20:00.000+01:00

So we've not blogged for a few days, mainly because things just got too hectic on the organising side of things that making had to take a back seat. The final meeting of the organising committee before the event, took place last night and everything seems to be coming together - in fact the Makers' Fair seems to be the are that is the least plagued by disaster! The catering issue was quickly solved and the only other thing that's gone wrong is that the floor in Victoria Hall is being done and the whole place smells like solvent!

So today I have managed to get stuck into making and the first installment of Lesley's jewellery has arrived so I've started thinking about how I'll present everything. Our stall recently has been taking the direction of a victorian dressing table. Much of our range is reminiscent of a bygone era, my fabric florals have a feel of the faded velvet violets on antique hats, Lesley's elegant herb garden earrings have that Victorian beauty that's both rich and understated at the same time, we use buttons and fabric that take us back to our grandmothers' heirloom sewing boxes. It seems only natural that vanity sets, glass trinket trays and old jewellery boxes have been finding their way onto our table adoorned with our work.

In Lesley's parcel today were some of the much coveted Thorn necklaces, reputed to contain the blood of Eric Northman and the thorns from the briars that strangled Sleeping Beauty's castle. I also have some coach necklaces belonging to Cinderella and a pair of scissors that I'm fairly sure chopped off Rapunzel's locks! I've decided to place a few old books onto our Victorian lady's dresser display and add in a Sweet Briar pincushion ring for the pricking of one's finger. Should fit in like Cinderella's foot!

Also I have a nice new item in my Pansy range to introduce at the Makers' Fair. These are tiny pansy and viola flowers placed onto clips and sold in pairs. Similar to the Red Heartsease clips in size but really teeny, machine stitch free versions of the single pansy.

So it's now Four days until we kick off, the red bunting will be swathing the village by the time we get to the launch party at Salts Mill at 6.30 on Friday evening and everyone will be raring to go.....or hiding under a table!

Paula xxx

www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk

Saltaire Arts Trail 2011 Preparation Diary, 8 days left.

2011-05-20T21:34:00.003+01:00

Saltaire Arts Trail 2011 Preparation Diary, 8 days left., originally uploaded by Wychbury.

Well it's been a mad couple of days on the organising side of things. A last minute panic over replacement catering reassured me that I am able to take a lot more in my stride than I gave myself credit for. I've also expanded the scope of the Makers' Fair a little to include more demonstrations and the fantastic artists involved have been really enthusiastic about sharing their skills with visitors.

With all this going on it was quite late before I picked up a needle this evening and I find myself feeling the need to tie up loose ends. It may be a result of the chaotic dream of Makers' Fair mayhem I had last night but I'm currently working methodically through a tupperware box of unfinished things. They are laid out on my sofa all grouped in stages and the mental effect as I finish them is similar to ticking a to-do list.

Hopefully I will sleep a little better tonight, safe in the knowledge that my catering is sorted and I got my beads sewn on!
Paula.

www.wychbury.blogspot.com
www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk

Saltaire Arts Trail 2011 Preparation Diary 9 days Left - Packaging

2011-05-19T00:16:00.009+01:00

No time for me to blog today, but a few photos of the finished Fairy Tale bottle necklaces and packaging. An old Wychbury design, revamped. Contains brambles from my garden and the blood of Eric Northman :)

Also a few Herb Garden Earrings displayed on my old Welsh hymn board, ready to be sent up to Paula for the Arts trail. And yup, that is David Tennant, he sometimes holds my Joss sticks for me! L. xXX

Saltaire Arts Trail 2011 Preparation Diary, 10 days left.

2011-05-18T17:47:00.002+01:00

Saltaire Arts Trail 2011 Preparation Diary, 10 days left., originally uploaded by Wychbury.

It's been an odd one today. Lots of things that I really felt should have been finished by now in terms of the Makers' Fair organsisation are still in the wind. I am getting there but some of the hurdles and obstacles that are springing up are distracting me from my Wychbury work.

I've listed a couple of the pincushion rings I've been making in our online shops today which has made the fact that I have actually completed some stock a little more believable to me but time seems all wrong at the moment. Everything is stretching out a bit too far for my liking and it's really only the writing of this diary that's allowing me to keep track of how long there is left before we launch.

So I've not done much actual making today apart from at my kids' dance class. I sew things there every week and the other mums are always interested in what I'm up to. Most know about my involvement in the arts trail so I had another opportunity to check in with my brain and tell them how things were going.

Better luck on Thursday I hope.
Paula x

http://www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk/

Saltaire Arts Trail 2011 Preparation Diary, 11 days left.

2011-05-17T17:45:00.003+01:00

Saltaire Arts Trail 2011 Preparation Diary, 11 days left., originally uploaded by Wychbury.

I'm thinking about display a bit today. We have twelve feet of table to play with at the Makers' Fair so will have plenty of space. A few of the makers I admire the most like Leigh Shepherd and Kirsten Miller of Quernus Crafts make gorgeous table top arrangements with their pieces laid out in pleasing patterns. I have plenty of pincushion rings and am applying this technique which I hope will give them more prominance on the stall.

Most of my other textile products are usually displayed fairly haphazardly in bowls or baskets or on trays, this allows me to set up and pack up quickly. A quick set up time is a must for me since I nearly always have my children with me and on this occasion will be organising as well. Laying items out in this way is more time consuming than I am used to but I am inclined to think it may be worth it.

Other news today is that I have found the 'Y' that was lost from my handmade John Bull 'WYCHBURY ...England...' stamp and can now print some cards!

Paula xwww.wychbury.blogspot.com
www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk

Saltaire Arts Trail 2011 Preparation Diary, 12 days left - 2

2011-05-16T15:46:00.000+01:00

I always feel pretty guilty that I’m the silent Wychbury girl whilst Paula is out there promoting and selling our wares, unfortunately for quite a while now Wychbury has been slotted into a very small space in my hectic life. I’ve literally been spending one day a week frantically making regular good sellers to send to our suppliers in Yorkshire and Birmingham. Pretty frustrating also as I have a lot of ideas floating about in my head but not enough time to sit and try them out!

Ever get the feeling you have bitten off more than you can chew? I’m at that stage right now! I’ve had a pretty hectic couple of weeks, for some reason I agreed to start a retail college course suggested by my place of work (The glorious Lush Cosmetics), with the London College of Beauty Therapy. No problem I thought, I can do most of it while at work, not giving a thought to how much time it would take up at home. I’ve also been involved in promoting/painting/cleaning) a new alternative nightclub in Birmingham, the amazing Vudu Club and have been working shifts there, then running back and working a shift at Lush then hotfooting it back to Vudu. Of course then I have to stay at the club and have a bit of a dance, try the cocktails and end up stumbling in at 4am. A teenager I am not anymore, and boy does my body know about it!

Today, I’m having a day off and I’m about to tea-stain a load of Wychbury cards ready for a bunch of earrings I managed to put together last week. I’m also stamping a few boxes and considering selling the Fairy Tale bottle necklaces packaged in those. Hopefully I will get a chance to photograph those properly later and share them on here later in the week! Lesley. xXx

Saltaire Arts Trail 2011 Preparation Diary, 12 days left.

2011-05-16T10:05:00.002+01:00

Saltaire Arts Trail 2011 Preparation Diary, 12 days left., originally uploaded by Wychbury.

Ok, so what's happening so far this morning is that I am drinking tea in a very contrived way, partly for the purposes of this diary and partly because it's all gone a bit wrong this morning and I need to take a breather!

It has become all too clear that I am spending way too much time cooped up working in the house and that cabin fever has set in. An explosive row demonstrated that I needed some fresh air and my husband drove me up on to the moors and chucked me out - at my request of course! I would like to reassure anyone who drove past me at Keighley Gate this morning that I am NOT mental or the victim of a hen night prank but simply blowing off steam (despite what the stripy socks, bunch of wild flowers and lack of make up might imply!).

So now my lungs are full of fresh air, my flowers are in a vase, my tea is in the pot, my vintage turquoise is out and I may shortly be fit to thread a needle and make some pincushions for the Makers' Fair!

Paula x
www.wychbury.blogspot.com
www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk

Saltaire Arts Trail 2011 Preparation Diary, 13 days left.

2011-05-15T19:59:00.002+01:00

Saltaire Arts Trail 2011 Preparation Diary, 13 days left., originally uploaded by Wychbury.

Poppies, Pincushions and Purchases.

As well as the fair itself, two of our retailers are selling at the event too and we are being visited by a third. therefore I will be trying my best to produce enough work to send these ladies with some new stock for their shops.

Today I've started a batch of new pincushion rings with some new fabrics including a William Morris print in the perfect size for the pieces. I've also been working on some poppies both for the fair and for two November Wedding orders.

I've ordered a batch of 30mm ring bases from China, 200 leafy bead caps for Tudor clips from the USA and I've chased up my velvet leaf supplier in the UK!

Paula x

Saltaire Arts Trail 2011 Preparation Diary, 14 days to go!

2011-05-14T21:33:00.007+01:00

Saltaire Arts Trail 2011 Preparation Diary, 14 days to go!, originally uploaded by Wychbury.

So today I have worked on some handmade packaging for the hopefully very busy weekend. Our fabric bags are calico and we use them mainly for jewellery purchases. The paper bags are made from that perforated brown paper that comes screwed up in cardboard boxes as padding. Both are stamped with my John Bull set and a wee squiggly stamp. I'm envisaging needing a lot more than this though - I hope so. My 1000 business cards have arrived to so I am good to go.

It's pretty late now and I've been working on a lot of other stuff today but I'm going to stitch some beads on to some stock Poppy Corsages before bed, ready for the bulk velvet leaf order I'm waiting for.

Paula x

Countdown to Saltaire Arts Trail 2011

2011-05-14T13:42:00.010+01:00

The Saltaire Arts Trail is now 14 days away! Preparations are in frantic full swing as far as my involvement in the organising committee is concerned but when it comes to Wychbury's involvement as an exhibitor at The Makers' Fair I have been as laid back as ever.

We've been selling at events for a number of years now and often treat it as a matter of routine, 'This is our job and we know what we're doing' sort of thing. The fact is though, The SAT Makers' Fair is not just another fair, it's the highlight of our calendar. Wychbury's five year commitment to promoting, volunteering and selling at the event has led to the situation I now find myself in. I am now proudly responsible for the Makers' Fair itself and May 2011 marks SAT's debut as a stand-alone event, its coming of age party and the first time our Makers' Fair and me are being allowed out on our own!

So, what about Wychbury? Well to make sure that my eldest child doesn't feel left out at the party, I've decided to countdown to the 28th with a daily diary of what WYCHBURY is doing to prepare to sell and make our mark at the event. Lesley and I will be snapping, posting, updating and tweeting every day for the next 14 days to record all our preparations and I will post a diary entry style blog at the end of every day.

Please follow us AND the SAT blog and keep a blogger tab open to get all our updates as we count down. Please comment if you are also involved in any way and we can link back and forth to us with your own preparations.

More about today's' preparations later on!

Paula x

Saltaire Arts Trail

2011-05-03T10:04:00.007+01:00

For several years now, Wychbury have been exhibiting at the Saltaire Arts Trail Makers' Fair. For us and many other artists and makers, this prestigious event is the highlight of our selling calendar. This year I am proud to have stepped up my volunteer role to become the Makers' Fair lead on the organising committee. This is an amazing project to be involved in, meeting so many talented artists and getting to know about their work and how it can be showcased in such a large scale event is a fantastic experience.

Traditionally the Arts Trail has taken place as a partner event to the Saltaire Festival, a two week long festival of food, arts, music and family activities held all over the famous World Heritage site of Saltaire, built by Sir Titus Salt. The festival is now in it's ninth year and is held in the middle two weeks of September. The partnership between Arts Trail organisors Saltaire Inspired and the Saltaire Festival has always been a successful one and one which we hope will long continue. However, this year The Saltaire Arts Trail is being brave, coming of age and stepping out on its own. Although the Makers' Fair will still take place in September, the Bank Holiday weekend of the 28th, 29th and 30th May will see the very first stand-alone Saltaire Arts Trail.

Over the three days, twelve homes in the village will open their doors to the public. Inside, visitors can discover not only what the residents of this historic village have got on their shelves but also the unique and diverse artwork of over 50 Yorkshire-based artists. Family activities with a strong message of sustanability including Teepee Building, Children's mini-trail, Dens and Mazes and our famous Garden of Easels will be based at Shipley College and on the lawn outside Victoria Hall. The spectacularly grand Victoria Hall itself will house the Makers' Fair, 48 designer-makers and artists will be selling their wares and demonstrating their practices.

You will definitely have no problem filling all three days as even more exhibitions are dotted around the village, often in places where you can get food and coffee! These include the World's smallest cinema showing the 'Wondermental' films of Cherry Kino in Super8 format screening daily, also Out There, a project investigating sustainable art practices inspired and sourced from the environment, initiated and run by Kirkgate studios and Workshops and Textile Artist, Claire Wellesley-Smith. Shipley College exhibits work by its students and other spaces will be occupied with larger projects and installations by comtemporary artists.

Please visit www.saltaireartstrail.co.uk where you can download the brochure, follow our blog, facebook and twitter and browse the galleries and artists' links. Home to Salts Mill (which has the most mesmorising website ever and houses a permanant David Hockney exhibition) Saltaire's unique architecture, history, arts and culture attract visitors from all over the world and The Saltaire Arts Trail should not be missed.

Paula x

The Stalls

2011-04-21T15:11:00.012+01:00

This is a quick post to introduce one of our fabulous stockists, 'The Stalls' of Harrogate. Run by Natasha Harris, MD of arts and crafts social enterprise OOBBAA, The Stalls is a bright, inspiring space carefully stocked with an eclectic mix of work from talented artists across Yorkshire.

Natasha is a talented designer/maker herself making retro inspired bags and jewellery. Her creativity and attention to detail are clearly evident in the shop itself as she creates thoughtfully individual displays for each artist's work. Cube shelving and glass cabinets compartmentalise contrasting styles but clever placement of large textiles and furniture as well as the 'racetrack' layout, create a flow that brings everything together and gives the shop it's signature feel. The large table and seating at the rear of the shop allow artists and customers to linger and chat whilst getting a tempting view of every item on sale.

The Stalls also hosts regular successful workshops in-house as well as a popular run of craft fairs. You can follow Natasha's blog and facebook page to keep yourself updated with what she is up to. To visit The Stalls use the Victoria multi storey carpark in the centre of Harrogate and take the 'One Arch' exit. The shop is on your immediate right as you exit and has a gorgeous sandwich shop next door.

Wychbury are delighted and proud to be associated with The Stalls and hope our relationship will long continue, happy shopping!

Paula x

Pincushions.

2011-02-10T13:50:00.013Z

I don't think I've written anything about pincushions before. This is odd since I love them - pincushions and needlebooks. I have a belief that the first thing anyone should make when learning to sew is a pincushion or a needlebook and that everyone should keep AND use the first ones they make forever. This doesn't always work out I realise, things get lost - I myself have lost a gorgeous needlebook made by the lovely Claire at Clarabella - it's here somewhere, I just don't know where. Neither do I know the whereabouts of the pincushion I made at school that the teacher took home to finish off after we stuffed them with tights!

However, I do have the one I made when I got my last sewing machine, a piece of canvas with a sample of all the stitches running across it, I also have a pincushion I made from tiny hexagonal patchwork that spent at least some of it's life stuck in an old, glass ashtray to stop it sliding off the table! My mom uses a needlebook that she actually made but the front of it is a tapestry of a horse's head that I worked from a kit when I was about eight.

Anyway, I've been a bit fascinated with wearable pincushions since the whole Alice/Mad Hatter thing and have been mulling over designs for pincushion rings. There are loads of amazing tutorials online for making rings from old bottle caps and elastic and a few designers making gorgeous versions - time for a Wychbury one!

I wanted something with a bit of Hatter-gothic appeal but still usable so I've opted for an adjustable ring base in our typical antique bronze rather than elastic. I've shortened the depth of the base a bit from the bottle cap designs so I had room to get a nice aesthetic dome into the shape without it being too high on the hand. I also wanted to achieve the crown effect from old velvet and silver pincushions so I've added vintage lace and a button to finish them off. I've also customised the pins they are shown with to resemble tiny hatpins and will be selling them with the pins included.

The first three designs are now available for listing and will be up shortly - I hope they go down well as I'm looking forward to showing them off at 'Treasure' in a couple of weeks. Here's a preview!

Here are a few links to the queens of the handcrafted pincushion and their beautiful creations as well as a couple of fab tutorials - enjoy!

PINCUSHIONS TO BUY

Namolio, divine crocheted pincushions.

Very Big Jen - beautiful felt creations, now also on rings.

Clarabella Craft, Visit Claire's blog for a list of stockists (Yorshire map pincushion is my favourite!)

Blonde's Backyard, on Folksy - very prolific designer and maker of bright, well made and well priced pincushion rings.

PINCUSHIONS TO MAKE

Finger Pincushion on Craft Gossip.com

If you like Crochet, a gorgeous cupcake pincushion on Good Housekeeping.

With beautiful 'How to' drawings, pincushions on Grey Duckling.

The definitive Wikihow bottlecap pincushion ring tutorial that I've used for the basis of my designs.

Paula x

Stitching Together.

2011-02-08T09:45:00.008Z

My little girl is called Dara, she is four years old. This Christmas she has some spending money and to my absolute delight she wanted to buy a toy sewing machine she had seen in The Works in Harrogate. The whole family had gone up there to take some Wychbury work to The Stalls, the fab shop run by Natasha Harris. Natasha stocks amazing work including many of our fave Yorkshire Artists and we were thrilled when she also agreed to stock us.

Dara discovered the sewing machine while we were rooting around in the Dr Who annuals for Aidan, my six year old and was immediately taken with the fact that it is like mummy's but PINK! So, shaky though my faith the quality of a toy that costs £6.99 was, I liked her style and went with the purchase. From what I gather, all toy sewing machines are without a bottom thread and sew in a chain stitch. If they work and you secure the thread at either end it is perfectly possible to sew small items together and certainly embroider patterns. My mum had a gorgeous red Vulcan sewing machine that she passed on to me and I have had it, unused on display in my various houses for as long as I can remember. If distant memory serves, the Vulcan sewed in a neat chain that automatically pulled the fabric round so that you could do little to resist sewing in a very pleasing spiral!

Anyway, back to the charming pink plastic machine. I inserted the 4xAA batteries as instructed and was (perhaps predictably) disappointed that they didn't in fact power the tiny pedal OR any motor that may have existed, but instead poured all their 4xAA energy into playing 'Twinkle Twinkle' very slowly and very endlessly! Never mind I think, I'm sure it will work manually - alas, the chain stitch wouldn't catch and unravelled every time.

I must admit I wasn't entirely devastated by this discovery as I had been secretly hoping for an excuse to clean up my Mum's old machine and see if I could get it to work. A load of WD40 and a new clamp from ebay, painstakingly filed down to fit and it works! Dara is thrilled to bits to be using her Nanny's toy sewing machine and so am I. I still use an electric Singer sewing machine that belonged to my Grandmother from time to time and the thought of the endless stitching running from one generation of my family to the next is nothing but wonderful to me!

It is nearly time for me to buy a new machine and I am a little sad to think that anything I will choose to buy nowadays will almost certainly not stand the test of time like the ones our ancestors used. Fellow stitchers will no doubt all agree that sewing machines are like pets, they either become one of the family - or they don't. Some we bond enough with to forgive any malfunction, oil regularly and get repaired when they break, other we smack with our hands, swear at them and grumble at the endless torment they put us through until we can afford to replace them!

What I will remember when I buy my new machine is that it doesn't matter if a sewing machine plays 'Twinkle Twinkle' or can make a stitch in the shape of an chain of crocodiles. If it makes your shoulders tense up the minute you sit down in front of it and there's no way you would ever pass it on to your daughter then it's not worth knowing!

Paula x

Craft Soup!

2011-01-30T19:35:00.006Z

So here I am again with one of my sporadic bursts of networking energy! This is a short, but very nourishing and tasty post about a group of fantastic Yorkshire ladies, some cake and a hashtag!

Once upon a time, there were some ladies who were very fond of making things, eating cake, using twitter and chatting. One day, the crafty ladies decided to venture out into the world and meet each other for real and the #saltstweetup was born.

Exploring the power of social networking and in particular Twitter, we have linked up using the #saltstweetup hashtag and in every way we can think of to skill share, swap materials, organise events, promote each other and share cake, coffee and crafty chat. Our meetings are currently taking place at the lovely Salts Diner in Salts Mill and our group is rapidly growing into the Aire Valley's premier craft mafia!

To make things even cosier I have created a facebook group for us all to bond in, the ladies voted on a name and I am very pleased to present CRAFT SOUP! This is a closed group but if you live vaguely in the vicinity of West Yorkshire and would like to meet us and join our merry band then please request to join!

If you are a member of Craft Soup then please post your business link in the comments section so everyone can a have a dunk! See you all on Saturday :-)

Paula x

Stitched Leaves.

2010-10-13T16:44:00.004+01:00

I do some work part time as a childminding assistant for a pretty large setting. This gives me lots of opportunity to devise and try out lots of creative, textile-based activities with a fantastic group of children aged between two and eight. I'm always suprised how well young children respond to being introduced to new skills that we would normally try to put them off for as long as possible due to sharp, hot or mechanical elements! Last week I was amazed at the skill shown by a little girl who isn't two for another month as she used a huge needle to thread beads, accurately and rapidly until she had a six inch long 'necklace'.

This week we have started our autumn projects and I thought it would be a good time to introduce the children to using a sewing machine. We used appropriately patterned fabrics and the children chose their threads and stitches from the sewing machine's menu and created these fantastic leaves for our display.

Paula x

Wychbury Poppy Campaign 2010

2010-10-11T19:16:00.004+01:00

We are one month away from Remembrance Sunday and you might remember my blog post of last year explaining my reasons for getting involved with the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal and making a donation from the sale of my poppy corsages.

This year, my local area has seen the funerals of several young men killed in action abroad. My husband is a registrar at our local cemetery and helped to teach several 18 and 19 year old soldiers how to correctly and honourably carry the coffin of their friend into the chapel. In my last post I drew attention to the soldiers of the last century who weren't given a choice as to whether or not to fight, but through their sacrifice earned a choice for the generations that followed. I can't help but wonder how capable some of these young men are of making the right choice when they join the armed forces, I wonder where they find the drive to leave their families and friends, babies and young wives - then I wonder even more what would happen if they didn't.

Last year we raised £70 for the Poppy Appeal and have already raised £10 for the 2010 campaign from sales from our stall. This year I have repackaged the range and added some new items too, hopefully they will sell just as well and we can raise even more money. The items, prices and donation amounts are:

Classic Poppy Corsage - £9.00 (donation of £1.00 for each one sold)

Tiny Poppy Pin - £5.75 (donation of £0.70)

Pair of Hairclips - £8.50 (donation of £1.00)

Single Hair Clip - £4.50 (donation of £0.50)

Limited edition Fascinator Band - £16.00 (donation of £2.00).

I can also make custom poppy items such as chokers, bridal hair accessory sets etc and will donate 10% of the sale price of all custom items.

The Poppies are also available in our Etsy shop priced in US dollar$ and will soon be available on Wychbury's website. I will continue to recommend fabulous Folksy though, for it's ease in ordering multiple items.

If you bought a Wychbury Poppy last year and plan to wear it again (which we would strongly encourage in the name of sustainability!), please, please still donate some change to a Legion Poppy seller.

Paula x

Indigo, Elderberry and Madder.

2010-10-07T14:12:00.004+01:00

A quick post today, in celebration of the wonderful birthday present I received last week. My good friend Claire knows me very well and sent me these beautiful bundles of fabric scraps dyed using natural plant dyes. You can read about Claire's work with natural dyes on her personal blog Clarabella and her project of sustainable creative activities the 'Out There' project.

When I finally manage to spoil the lovely bundles and unroll the scraps I will post about what I use them for - although I doubt anything I make from them will be for sale on Wychbury as I am far too selfish!

Thanks again lovely Claire

Paula x

I Can Type!

2010-10-06T12:30:00.006+01:00

Well ok, I can't - not on a typewriter anyway. I recently freecycled for a typewriter and got a fantastic 1980s gem. I stab the keys with my index fingers, then when I realise haven't pounded them hard enough I backspace and stab again! I over-type with xxxx when I make a mistake or simply slam the correct key over the top of the typo without a care. There is something very beautiful about having all your mistakes on show, etched indelibly into the paper like tattoos. The uneven, unpredictable quality of the lettering is unique to the typewriter and the typist and personalises the writing almost as surely as handwriting.

Recently I have been thinking that the medieval style of a lot of our packaging wasn't really working with some of the work I've been producing recently. I've been working with vintage fabric and buttons and have been deliberately choosing materials for the story they can tell, marks, holes, wear and tear, a manufacturer's mark on a discarded selvedge and I felt the packaging needed be a better continuation of the idea.

I love to use rubber stamps, especially lettering, our usual cards show the font from our Wychbury logo, it's called Scythe. It's flowing, inky and renaissance and the stamped version takes on a woodcut feel. It's such a strong look that even when I added 'England' in what would seem to be a completely incompatible 1950s font from the John Bull set, it still keeps the 'I should be sold from a basket of straw' vibe. It's perfect for Tudor clips and herb garden earrings but wasn't hitting the spot for my button pieces.

So, I've come up with new cards that use a combination of letters from my John Bull printing outfit, typed text and a button graphic from my own linocut. I've stitched through the stamped buttons with thread to finish them off. The results are still unpredictable, the typewriter is temperamental and the rubber letters of the stamp are old and cracked but inked on to clean, cut card seems to work perfectly with my new pieces.

I have no clue about fonts, I'm deciding what's aesthetically pleasing through what equipment I have available, trying it out and screwing up my eyes to see if the look works. If I'm honest I wouldn't know an era-appropriate typeface if I was served one in an envelope with a portcullis on it and I really don't know why I choose the lettering I do (she says, changing body of blog into verdana as usual!). So I am very excited about the imminent new book by Simon Garfield, 'Just My Type'. You can read the introduction to the book on Simon's website and my picture of the John Bull set is going to be in it - Wychbury stamp and all!

I think my fascination with lettering will accelerate when this book is released but in the meantime I've started wearing it! This BACK SPACE typewriter key ring is from Zincwhite and it's temporarily adorning my wedding finger, make of that what you will!

Paula x

Home from Home.

2010-08-15T11:04:00.014+01:00

As my erratic blogging habit demonstrates, it’s been a couple of years of upheaval for me at home and at work. This time last year I had been working hard for some time on achieving some harmony at home and it wasn’t going well at all. P enc nwc caravan park in Newquay, West Wales came up as a last minute on ebay and turned out to be a full seven days of exhaling all the stresses of the preceding months. I spent my days watching my children play in the sea, pushing my toes into the sand, reading and breathing – just breathing.

Now we are back. After another year of stress and in uncertain circumstances, it made sense to revisit the place that had eased our nerves so completely last summer, same place, different caravan – oh so very different!

I imagine most creative people are a little jarred by the aesthetic of static caravans; the lightweight, laminated, mass-produced home from home in shades of beige can make one feel a little like living in a dolls’ house. To take the factory-fitted edge off, the caravan of last year was filled with personal touches and things that had been left by the goodwill of previous tenants, it felt warm and welcoming. Even in my stressed state, the echoes of the happy holidays of those who came before us ensured that the sun would come out no matter what. The discovery of half-full pots of herbs and spices in the cupboards, butter in the fridge, some clean but well worn tea towels, fudge and wine left by the owner and leaflets with handwritten notes recommending interesting places to visit. My feet went up straight away as I sank into the sofa with a cup of coffee.

Now to P encnw c caravan 2010! This ‘Willerby Aspen’ showpiece immediately put me on edge. The lovely lady owner showed us proudly around the immaculate results of her carefully harvested nest-egg; A worryingly pristine palace of pre-ordered veneer and fablon, a faux walnut ceiling fan and precariously placed ornaments that hissed ‘smashhh meeee’ at my children. Bed linen a five star hotel would have been proud of, a HUGE top of the range flatscreen TV with not a fingerprint to be seen and a sign that stated ‘No smoking and PLEASE No felt tip pens’. Worst of all, having arrived empty handed after last years’ stocked cupboards we were a little irked to find not even a bar of soap on the sink. A search has revealed some sparse cleaning products, some very slim toilet rolls, some elderly teabags and some coffee flecked sugar.

So, immedietely after the very proud lady left, I set about setting up my temporary Wychbury workstation for my cosy evenings in after the children go to bed. I’ve brought a set of the drawers I customised a while ago and filled them with the stock that is in our online shops, postage supplies and some work to finish. I’ve brought my sewing machine, my glue gun, my fabulous new camera and a wireless dongle. I will be dropping thread on the floor, beads down the sofa and sticking my pins in the arm of the chair, soon have this place feeling like home!

To finish, after I’d set up and gone to unpack my clothes I found this beautifully comforting sewing tin in the wardrobe that was so juxtaposed with the rest of the van I can only assume someone has left it; I will leave it behind just the same to bring reassurance to anyone else having a knee-jerk over leatherette covered nests of tables with matching coasters! I also found the local shop filled with teeny old packs of buttons, threads and sewing kits (as well as a birthday card with Daley Thompson on it to indicate their potential age!).

Despite my new holiday accommodation being a little ill-fitting, I am really happy to be back in Ceredigion and hope to find still more peace in the land of bottle-nose dolphins and red kites.

Wychbury in Welsh Wales. Paula x

* PS After a small pang of guilt at writing this piece, the author would like to stress that the caravan she is staying in really is lovely as is its owner! :) This post is really about feeling out of place, I have nothing against caravans and stay in them often. I flipped out slightly because my family and I know we are way too scruffy and clumsy to be let loose in something so contrived and posh and have already spilled a drink and pulled down a blind! I PROMISE I will leave the van exactly as I found it and will not be sticking pins in the sofa or using any felt tip pens! px

Jigsaws

2010-08-01T13:01:00.010+01:00

I have been playing Alice in Wonderland on my daughter’s pink ds after she’s gone to bed. It might allegedly be aimed at seven year olds but I have become strangely addicted to the game to the point of dreaming about it and I think I have hit on the reason why. The main objectives of the game are facilitated by the player having to collect the jigsaw pieces to reassemble Underland which is falling apart.

I haven’t blogged for a while and I have re-written paragraphs several times trying to find a comfortable way to describe how my personal circumstances have led my whole world to end up in pieces. As it turns out I don’t seem to be cut out to wear my heart on my blog and I’ve deleted every one I’ve written – hence my hiding behind all the Alice metaphors!

There’s no huge drama as such, well not compared to many people, but somehow I feel as though I’ve got someone else’s life on at the moment. A series of circumstantial and emotional upheavals have left me totally upside down. A friend described the feeling that she is only too familiar with as looking down on your life and seeing a bird’s eye view of a completely unfamiliar landscape. I knew exactly what she meant, all the elements are there but they aren’t quite fitting together anymore.

I’ve tried a few times now to start putting the pieces back together but each time I have been a little premature I think! Much as I would love to get dropped straight back on to the right jigsaw piece I am old enough to realise that I have to follow the right path and open all the right doors to get there. There are lots of stray jigsaw pieces in my world and it will take time to put them all back.

So here I am, at the first jigsaw piece. Wychbury is a definite corner, a starting point and the piece that keeps the rest of the jigsaw from falling away like wet cake! I have forgotten this recently, forgotten the sense of self I get from designing and making, the pride I get from selling and the support I get from the community associated with my chosen career.

Lately, through some messed up psychology that only a professional would understand, I have felt undeserving of the right to immerse myself in something that evokes all these positive emotions. What used to feel like a responsibility, a calling even, felt like an indulgence. How can I sit and sew when everything is in such a mess? I convinced myself that I didn’t have the time or the energy for something as selfish as trying to run my own business and that a more suitable pursuit would be the excessive consumption of wine and cheesecake. This is all very well and yummy but this ‘eat me/drink me’ attitude has left my motivation feeling very small indeed!

Months have gone by in a jumble and it is time for order again…I feel a jigsaw habit forming! Paula x

Jigsaw Headpiece by Hatastic on Folksy, Towns and Cities of England Jigsaw brooch by Mr PS on Etsy and Puzzle Piece Sterling Silver Hammered Oxidised Ring by Little Bug Jewelry on Etsy.

Pack it up again - Tiara Box Consumer Testing!

2010-03-15T16:03:00.010Z

Ok, so the tiara box dilemma may have been solved! The prototype of my new handmade boxes has been sent to the first buyer of one of my Rose of York fascinators via Folksy today.

I have decided to use the same card from the Kanban factory shop that I use for our backing cards treated the same with the tea and the ironing etc. I've made a template for a custom sized box with a lid featuring the Wychbury stamp. I am looking for feedback from our customers on how the boxes stand up to mailing and their general aesthetic appeal so until the end of April they will be offered FREE with all the fascinator bands sold through any of our online shops. If the feedback is good and the design is finalised then they will be available as a seperate listing, a snip at £1.50 each including all the froo froo leaves etc.

If you buy a fascinator will be invited to leave your feedback either as a comment on here or in the feedback field of the purchase itself. Please be honest, I can take it!

Paula x

Pack it up

2010-03-01T11:19:00.008Z

As you know we like things au naturel here at Wychbury and generally use lovely muslin bags from Celestial Gifts on Etsy with our Wychbury stamp on them. However, in these dark times of unpredictable sales and fluctuating exchange rates we have been a bit, well *short* recently! This has led to me making do and mending with whatever white fabric I can find and dunking it in tea! There is something satisfying about making the packaging part of the creation. It's also nice to take stuff that would normally be binned and make use of it.

Our backing cards are made from misprinted and rejected card from Kanban in Shipley where their factory shop lets you fill up a box with whatever you like - my kids absolutely love it! We use used teabags to stain them and a combination of new and vintage rubber stamps to embellish them.

Ok, so I have a dilemma. I am now making a range of fascinator/headbands featuring my flower corsages, including a new range for bridalwear. My dilemma is that the only thing I can find to package them in is acetate boxes - which just isn't going to work with my aesthetic at all I'm afraid!

I've had a couple of ideas so far, one was to make a drawstring bag like the ones we use already but in a rounded shape with a stiffened and padded gusset to protect the fascinator - I've not tried that one yet. I have had a go at making origami boxes out of stiffened fabric. They are absolutely gorgeous but aren't really stiff enough for shipping and use a large amount of fabric - obviously putting paid to any thriftiness whatsoever. However, I'm thinking that they may work as a small jewellery box and be a perfect use for small scraps of fabric and recycled paper. There are loads of tutorial videos online on how to make them from paper and I just followed the same principle but with fabric that already has a layer of fusible backing on it - dyed in tea of course! Waaaaay too faffy to be practical but I think I'll just keep buttons in them for now!

I've just added an 'Our Packaging' set to our Flickr page for our packaging creations which I will hopefully be adding a design for fascinators to very soon. In the meantime, check out the 'Etsy Packaging' Flickr group for lots of gorgeous Etsy sellers packing their work up just right and PLEASE send me any ideas for packaging for my fascinators :)

Paula x

Sunshine Award!

2010-02-18T17:57:00.020Z

The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspires others in the blog world. The rules are:Put the logo on your blog.Pass the award to 12 bloggers.Link the nominees within your post.Let them know thay have recieved the award by commenting on their blog. Share the love and link to the person from whom your recieved the award.

Before I accept this I should point out that we also received one in January from Leigh Shepherd, a fact that I was reminded of when I just went to nominate HER for one! I am sorry for my rubbishness Leigh and THANK YOU very much for the award.

This one is from the very lovely UK tatter, Tatiana Rosa so thank you very much for this Heather. We heart your jewellery the MOST :).

I am aware that this is a fairly finite system as a lot of the people I would like to nominate for awards have already received them and twelve blogs is quite a lot to choose more than once! (Which is Leigh and Heather aren't incuded!) I am doing two nominations in one go and participation is not compulsory - just sharing the lurve! Here we go :

UK Handmade - Ok, they no doubt have lots and lots of nominations but UK handmade rocks and features Wychbury so I simply must!!

Gracie's Garden Bazaar, beautifully presented, ethereal blog - regularly updated and, well - just gorgeous!

Swirly Thoughts, by Lynsey the fabulous author of Cuteable. Swirly thoughts is her personal blog including her wonderful chickens!

우리Uri-Craft Collections, Three Malaysian cousins whose current range of hair accessories are so beautiful that their photos alone make this blog captivating.

Incy Wincy Stitches - Just so good! Tutorials, patterns and generous, unconditional sharing of the fabulous textile work of Sam Gillespie.

Wild Woman Jewellery, for having the subtitle 'For the Whimsically Audacious', a totally addictive soundtrack and featuring lots of lovely, lovely things!

Le Fresne's Castle with Rowan DeVoe, Art, photography, red hair and black cats! LOVE Rowan's photographs so much :)

Smitonius and Sonata, Mum and Daughter based in the UK and Holland, making jewellery and miniature quilts. LOVE this blog, so many fabulous things in it!

It Is What It Is by Lynn Whelan, wonderfully chatty insights into her life and her lovely, bright work.

What Does Your Heart Desire? - The Heart Gallery of Hebden Bridge. Approaching its first birthday, the Heart Gallery's blog is full of lots of things that I love about

Yorkshire and the talent therein!

Kayla Coo, Goddam, this is beautiful stuff! LOVE Michela's work.

Big Blue Bed, Dorset buttons, family and a really lovely blog!

Paula x

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T11:18:00.014Z

Ok, so I failed completely to create any new products for Vally's Day! However I will point you in the direction of Lesley's Poison Heart Locket Ring from our Folksy shop.

Sticking with Folksy for a minute, here are the top picks from my lovely Folksy friends that popped into my head straight away when I started typing this! Leigh Shepherd, Rowan Grant and Tracy Connell are all West Yorkshire ladies and all just happen to have heart themed items in their shops right now!

LEIGH SHEPHERD DESIGNS

Love Heart Tattoo Brooch

£12.00

Leigh's brooch is 'A truly removable tattoo'! A print of her original painting of a rockabilly style tattoo on a gold background made onto a vintage draughts piece, also available in 'Life' and 'True Love' version.

RUBY SPIRIT DESIGNS

Overture Bracelet in Amethyst

£12.00

Tracy also has earrings and bracelets available in this gorgeous lampwork heart design in her shop, there's a pretty clear version too but who can't love a purple heart?

KITSCHEN SINK

'WhAt KiNd oF GirL aM I?'

ViNtAgE CoMiC NeCkLaCe

£14.00

Rowan has a few more of these fab vintage comic designs featuring kissing couples in her shop but this was the one that stood out for my Valentine's feature. Possibly because the description says 'What kind of girl am I?....I don't even know his name...and I don't care...I just want his kisses!' That in itself makes it irresistable in my opinion!

See? We are talented up here in the North and not at all Grim! However, some grimness exists in my neighbour's garden right now which I won't go into for fear of spoiling your lunch. In order to sweeten the pill of having to live next door to such horrors I went a bit overboard on our Valentine's breakfast this morning - yup, I made heart shaped blueberry pancakes and am not at all ashamed to admit it!! I used up the blueberries and blackberries in Nigella's American Breakfast Pancakes and just had to turn up the faff factor by a bit of heart shaped pouring!

Have a really great day and happy Chinese New Year too :)

Paula xxx

Getting Caught up....

2010-02-13T10:15:00.007Z

...in things that I hadn't expected this week. I fear this will be another fragmented post containing all the things that went 'Blog that' and I never got around to it! NTS: Do homework as you get it!

First off the Hidden Eloise shocker! I won't go about it as I am fairly sure that thanks to Neil Gaiman and his Tweeting prowess the whole world now knows! Suffice to say though, Eloise rules the most and has conducted herself with the same poise and grace she displays in her beautiful work throughout this whole *unpleasantness*. I hope that the designer in question recovers from the fallout from what was a disastrous error of judgement on her part and that Eloise's sales go through the roof! Good luck to both :)

For those who have been working hard rather than spending the last few days on blogs and Twitter, you can catch up on Eloise's blog here (also in most national newspapers!).

Next up - UK Handmade! Fabulous magazine and blog that I though we had joined yonks ago but actually hadn't (Shop UK Handmade instead - pay attention Paula!) Karen Jinks has asked us to do an interview for a feature on the blog that will be posted soon. A lot has changed for Lesley and I over the last couple of years and it was really interesting for us to think about the questions we were asked about how we started, how we currently work and how we would like to progress in the future.

This had got me thinking about how many different 'hats' I wear in the course of an average day. Although, I flit fairly easily between the various roles in my life I rarely spend more than a couple of hours doing any one thing before I am off the the next.

Although I am acutely aware of the importance of promotion and networking, most will have fallen foul of the hidden tangents that the evil temptress 'internet' can't wait to take you off on! It's becoming fairly evident that designing/making is the area that is suffering most from this - especially when I am so easily distracted by unexpected things! I am hoping to find a few more shops in Yorkshire to stock our items over the next few weeks and have realised how much stock I will need to produce to make this happen - if anyone has a solution to this I would LOVE to hear from them!

Given the problems of time management we wahm's face every day it's easy to forget to treat ourselves! Oooh that reminds me...WE'RE in THE STORQUE! (Hahaha, yup - seamless!).

Etsy's new UK blogger Amity Roach of All Those 3hrees on Etsy has included my Purple and Crismson Pansy Corsage in her article, UK Etsy Finds : Self Appreciation on Valentine's Day. Amity is an amazing jewellery designer and if anyone wanted to treat me to her Silver Stitch Texture Ring for Vally's day than that would be lovely! Thanks so much to AMity for the inclusion.

Right, I absolutely must go and sew now.....Oh no, Twitter is rallying to Eloise's side once more - looks like things are taking a turn! Ooh look at those shoes....do I want a coffee? Damn!!!

Paula x

Colour Me Guilty!

2010-02-04T13:22:00.003Z

My post today is by way of apology to Fleas of Roots Deity Poems. Fleas has been our myspace friend for an age and a tireless supporter of our work. He has been making picture videos to go with his music and uploading them to myspace, youtube and Wordpress. Back in December he asked if he could make a vid featuring one of my textile art cards featuring the Three Hares symbol - of course I agreed and promised to link to the vid and Fleas' sites...................I forgot *cringe*!! So I am doing it right now!!

Thank you so much Fleas and sorry again for my slackness!

Paula x

Catching Up.

2010-02-02T09:07:00.014Z

Just a few bits today, I've been ill on and off for a fortnight and am desperately trying to catch up with work now that I have FINALLY filed my tax return just in time!

This evening I am taking a condensed version of our stall to a Ladies Pamper Night at one of our local primary schools - Myrtle Park in Bingley. I have done one of these at my children's school before and love the opportunity to get a bit dressed up and treat it as a proper evening out. I really hope that the mums there that haven't seen me or our work before like what they see. It's always mixture of excitement and trepidation when selling right on your doorstep. I mean I will most likely see some of my customers again! I want the right word inserted in the sentence 'Oh, look Agnes, there's that red-haired woman who sells those ***** accessories' if I am ever spotted on the zebra crossing!

Next on my scrappy agenda today is to say a huge THANK YOU to Cassandra of Gracie's Garden Bazaar for her wonderful feature on us this week. The image is a screen cap from her page and as someone who would occasionally sign off letters as 'Rapunzel Badlash' I am so so chuffed with this feature on my hair accessories. The blog itself is gorgeously and romantically written and I strongly suggest that the wistful and fey amongst you click 'follow' forthwith :) Her Folksy shop is equally lovely!

Finally (before I leg it upstairs to the studio to try and do a week's work in five hours!) we are listed on this fab new blog Folksy Weddings. It's a great resource for handmade weddings in general and a brilliant showcase for Folksy. The success of my Poppy Corsages in November shows the potential of Folksy and the more promotion it gets the better. Especially since we don't have Martha Stewart to sing its praises here in the UK!

Paula x

PS The selling event ended up with me tottering up and down a makeshift catwalk in mismatched high heeled boots! Since I am already 5'9" tall I think it is safe to say that most of the ladies there will remember me now!! I also had to stand up and tell everyone all about Wychbury - OMG! Luckily the response to our work was overwhelmingly positive so it's all good :)

Happy New Year Everyone!

2010-01-13T11:09:00.007Z

Well we have been away for what seems like absolutely ages! November was packed with craft fairs and Christmas events and both of us did extra work in other areas over the Christmas period. I am going to be working, believe it or not, in a childminding setting with a view to getting some experience in doing various craft activities and workshops with children as well as getting some fantastic opportunities doing display work. It's loads of fun and I think it will dove-tail in with my current Wychbury work really well.

For the new year I have some new designs coming through including these fascinator bands that I showcased during our Christmas events. My pansies were inspired first off by the hand tinted, fade velvet flowers you see on antique Victorian millinery - there is a great collection of hats in Cliffe Castle Museum in Keighley that I gaze at for ages at a time! Really, these pieces are another way of getting my pansies onto the head and echoing the theme in a more up to date, wearable way.

I like the idea of a cluster of the flowers as it gives me a chance to mix colours for more impact. The design is also very versatile in terms of colour and the number of flowers I use - I am going to be offering custom pieces for bridal and formal wear as well as being ace to wear every day. I am personally delighted about the fascinator's move to mainstream fashion and long may it be so!!

Paula x

Winter Art Market in Bradford

2009-11-14T11:00:00.005Z

SUNDAY 29th NOVEMBER, Anyone in who can make it into Bradford on the 29th should drop into Manningham Mills for this fabola event of Artists, makers and Wychbury! All the info is right here on the facebook page for the event, created by Andy Mitchell of Custard4gravy who will also be exhibiting at the event. The Art Market is organsised by David Worsley, Luke Owens and Tim Curtis

More links for the other artists taking part will hopefully be added to the FB page over the next few days.

TOMORROW (Sunday) we will be in Haworth, West Yorkshire for a Christmas craft fair to coincide with the annual Scroggling of the Holly which, whether we like it or not, heralds the start of the festive season. Today is Scroggleve in fact!

Paula x

Poppies Everywhere.

2009-11-08T21:35:00.006Z

Thank you to Illusio, Wild Woman Jewelry and The Cycling Artist for including our Poppies in their Remembrance Day treasuries today. As it stands the figure on Wychbury's Blue Peter style totaliser for the Poppy appeal is £48 and FIFTY EIGHT poppies, large and small have been sold so far - mainly from our Folksy shop.

This is absolutely phenomenal and we'd like to say a HUGE 'Thank you' to everyone who has helped us to help the appeal so much more than we normally would both by purchasing and promoting our brooches. The tiny poppy pins are almost sold out but there are still a few in our online shops, they will be back on general sale as soon as we get more supplies. The large ones will continue to be sold for as long as people want to buy them and we will continue to make the £1 donation to the Poppy Appeal.

Paula x

2009-11-02T13:11:00.004Z

Oh Lordy it's all go around here! The Poppy Corsages are selling really well so lots of donations to the Royal British Legion. Many, many thanks to everyone who has bought one so far :)

I have now run out of beads until the postman decides to bring me some so I can pause for a sec to mention this fab treasury we were in that, for the first time this week results in a blog NOT about poppies!! The Medieval collection was put together by Heather at Tatiana Rose. Heather is a UK tatter residing in Kent with some very priddy things indeed! A designer after our own hearts with a real medieval/goth/renaissance vibe to her work.

Call me a purist if you like but it has to be black for me so Heather's 'Christina' pendant is the one floating my gondola! Check it out.

Paula x

Poppy Treasury

2009-11-01T10:28:00.004Z

Thank you very much to Alison of Blue Forest Jewellery in the UK for including our Poppy Corsages in her 'Remembrance' treasury - we appreciate it :)

Blue Forest Jewellery on Etsy

Blue Forest Jewellery on Folksy (UK)

Paula and Lesley x

A Bit About Remembrance

2009-10-26T12:34:00.005Z

I have never been one for thinking about war, I try to be a big ostrich because I just cannot bear all the awful negative emotions that arise from thought of so much pain and loss. I think maybe I always considered the wearing of red poppy on remembrance sunday to be a too painful reminder of that. However, I am thankful that (I hope) my children will never be in a position where they are not given a choice about whether or not they join the armed forces and end up in a controversial war. I realise that choice has been earned for them by people, our own ancestors, who weren't given a choice but fought their asses off anyway and died somewhere awful. My Great Grandmother recieved the 'Dead Man's Penny' instead of her husband after World War 1, and my young Great Grandfather and his baby son (my lovely Grandad Bob) never met.

I never knew this about him until I researched my family tree and my Dad produced the bronze plaque for me to see. Also called 'the Widow's Penny' it is so heavy and cold that I can't imagine the grief my Great Grandmother must have felt as she held it.

Recently, a few of my Poppy Corsages have been bought by people who wanted to wear them specifically for the run up to Poppy Day and Remembrance Sunday itself on the 8th November. Although I never thought my brooches would be worn for this reason, now I know they are I will always associate them with remembrance and promise to be an ostrich no more!

I figure that since my customers would normally have bought a British Legion poppy pin that their donation will go unmade unless I make it on their behalf when they buy mine instead. That being so I have decided to make two brand new versions of the Poppy corsage, one large and one small and make a donation for each one sold from our online shops. The larger corsages are £8.50 and £1 donation will be made and from the £5 smaller pins I will donate 50p each.

You can make an independant donation by buying a poppy from a British Legion Seller or visit their website for other ways to give. http://www.poppy.org.uk/

Paula x

Autumn Treasures

2009-10-23T19:05:00.007+01:00

We are in no less than THREE treasuries today! All the collections are arranged around colour, magenta, purple and turquoise blue and all feature one of my pansies. Rather than do the usual and post images of the treshes here and thank the people who listed them, I'm just going to post our flickr link so you can see the screen caps. Instead I'd like to feature the fabulous Etsians who chose us for their collections today!

Since we are well and truly into Autumn now and it's a wet day here: shoes, wheels and doormats all have soggy leaves stuck to them. I reckon I need to remind myself of the more glorious side to the season, especially since I am trying to get inspired to finish my own Autumn collection before the winter is upon us!

First up is 우리 Handmade Craft Collections, three cousins from Kuala Lumpur who make the most stunning collection of nature inspired pieces that harmonise beautifully with one another. It was really hard to choose a piece to feature here as their entire shop fits the bill for my post today, but I chose this :

This is one of the Fall in to Autumn pieces from the ladies' Autumn 2009 collection and lots more pieces in this range can be found in their shop including some stunning oak leaf cuff bracelets adorned with bugle beads - gorgeous!

우리 (Uri) means 'Mine' in Korean but there is no possessiveness here, a proportion of the profits from all the ranges in this shop are give to animal charities. This is a subject particularly close to our hearts at the moment as Lesley has been actively and bravely involved in Lush's campaign to have the ban on illegal foxhunting enforced in the UK. (We may well blog about this another time when we've calmed down about it!).

The treasury 'Blue' by the very talented and acclaimed UK bead artist Lynn Davy of Nemeton on Etsy, included my turquoise pansy corsage that, until I saw it in the collection I was going to put into hibernation until next Spring - maybe I won't now! The featured items on the main page of the Nemeton shop right now, also reflect the same deep turquoise blues that the treasury does. In her profile Lynn says that her inspiration comes from the coast and countryside near her home of Bournemouth in the UK and the rockpools she says she likes to stare into are certainly evident here.

So the STUNNING autumnal piece I have chosen from Nemeton is this amazing Forest Collar. The composition of all the garden collars in this collection is just perfect and they are so sumptuous I think if I owned one I would languish around in a diaphanous gown all day gazing at my lovely necklace instead of a rockpool!

Finally, another swell of UK talent from Lorrie Whittington of Illusio Cr ea tive. Although Lorrie produces her vibrant art in a variety of mediums (And the 'inspired by the sea' textiles series are my faves!) it is this version of her 'Falling Leaves' design that hit the spot for my Autumn mood today. The colours, the lines, the movement - beautiful :)

Lorrie also donates 15% of the sales from all her Illusio shops to the NSPCC.

Happy soggy Autumn :)

Paula xxx

A little bit of this and a little bit of that!

2009-10-05T22:47:00.004+01:00

Our gothic acorn earrings are featured in this lovely treasury:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=85920

Big thanksyou's to AREjewellery who has some lovely gems in her shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5997857

Necessity is the Mother....

2009-09-17T18:01:00.006+01:00

A little more on the idea of lovely creative spaces today. I set about tidying up my loft after a couple of weeks' intensive making and was reminded of a tale my husband told me about a school friend of his who once took two hours to clear up his Lego. Rather than place the bricks straight into the box he had painstakingly built a digger with which to shovel the bricks away!

I always thought that this was fairly typical of the person in question who is known for eccentricity, however, I had a similar moment when tidying up my desk yesterday and it dawned on me with some shame that I do this quite often! I too tidy up by making things and in hindsight always have done. When I was a child I would often dismantle cardboard boxes and remake them in different sizes to fit into specific places, I'd also used yards of sellotape trying to create divisions in things so that I could 'organise' stuff. I have used bricks and planks to make bookshelves in my bedroom and converted things into other things so often that I forget what they were in the first place!

Having a space in my house that is all my own as an adult is giving me so much scope to indulge this side of me that I am suprising myself with what I can come up with now I can use a drill! I have had these cheap drawers for ages (I think they were from Focus or B&Q etc) and gradually each drawer has become redundant as I have developed habits of keeping its contents elsewhere.

Previously I had stamped the title of the contents of each drawer on in ink but they have now been changed so often there is just a smudge on each. I had the brainwave of turning the drawers around and using a drawer pull instead of the semicircular cutout there is at the moment. I resisted the temptation to buy knobs on ebay and rooted out some utilarian buttons instead - suspender buttons etc. A quick rub with some danish oil and a few labels and this is the result! I am going to use them to organise my work into our various shops and stockists - when a drawer is empty, make more stuff.

It is prettier than a lego digger I think!

Paula xxx

Saltaire Arts Trail

2009-09-14T19:22:00.005+01:00

This weekend Wychbury took part in the fantastic Makers' Fair, part of the Saltaire Arts Trail which takes place during the two week Saltaire Festival. Saltaire is near to where I live in West Yorkshire and is famous for being a model village built by Sir Titus Salt and for housing David Hockney's work in the fabulous Salts Mill

This is our forth year at the Makers Fair and the event gets better and better. As well as making lots of sales, we meet loads of fantastic people - makers and customers and get lots of new opportunities opened up for us in terms of other events, new shops etc. Please visit the artists and makers page on the Arts Trail website as there are just too many lovely people to mention! Congrats to everyone involved on a fantastically successful weekend.

Paula xxx

My Pocket Sewing Box

2009-09-04T18:07:00.005+01:00

I love this and felt the need to share! I found it on our local car boot sale last year for the standard 50p and didn't realise that it had sections in it until I got it home. I have no idea how old it is but I'm imagining it was a trinket box in its day, I now use it to carry all my tiny bits of hand-sewing in that I can work on away from the house. I sew at toddler groups, outside school, on the bus/train, in the park, cafes, on the stall at craft fairs - anywhere! This is way more atractive than the plastic bag I used to use and my needles don't poke through it!

Paula x

Counting in Fives.

2009-08-31T16:08:00.006+01:00

Just a small post today, to confess a strange obsession I seemed to have developed, more of a compulsion really! A long time ago I was commissioned to make a hair barrette of three Tudor Roses for a customer for her wedding. Before the person decided to not see through her order or indeed contact me ever again, she made a point of saying that as a history student it was very important to her that the roses were realistically accurate.

Although I am nowhere near as bad as that and understand that the Tudor Rose and indeed any Heraldic roses were presented in many different ways throughout history, there is one aspect I can't seem to shake myself free of.....they come in FIVES! Five petals on each layer, five leaves in between - FIVES!

The result of this is that not only will I spend hours on Etsy and Ebay looking for flowers and findings that have five petals and reject any that don't, I will also grab anything that does have five petals regardless of what it is! I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to my friend Rachael for seizing her children's stencil from her kitchen (and as yet not returning it) just because it had a five petalled flower on it! I will even snip out the superfluous petal on six fold findings and close up the gap with pliers - I admit it I need help!

'Irrespective of the subject I will make it apply'- 'Count in Fives' The Horrors.

Paula x

An Inspirational Workspace

2009-08-29T12:43:00.005+01:00

Well this Flickr group has been totally floating my boat this week! http://www.flickr.com/groups/vintage_inspired_studios/pool/

It has got me thinking about the importance of creating a harmonious space in which to work. Before I started demolishing and rebuilding my house from the inside, the only important thing seemed to be space itself, I had been so long without it I just wanted to be able to move. Now I have my wonderful loft and I am settling into the space, adding my treasured possesions, things that look or feel nice, things that evoke my memories and might just come in useful.

It is now very obvious to me that I draw more inspiration from the things within my reach and the space they are in much more than I realised. Yes I look to nature and the wider world for inspiration but it does not belong to me and isn't constant. William Holman Hunt nearly froze himself to death trying to capture the full moon's glow in the desert for 'The Light of The World'. The Pre Raphaelites worship of nature's truth meant also being a slave to it, the light, the weather, the physical limitations of temperature. (Anyone who has ever tried to photograph stuff for sale online in a UK winter will be only too aware of that!).

Nature's free will is the obvious attraction for artists - to capture the moments, but for those of us who can't always pick our moments it is nice to have things stay where they were left until we need them! I have a bad memory and a cluttered life and an uncluttered space in at least one area of my home means that I can place a button on top of a piece of fabric that occurred to me would be a nice combination, and know it will still be there to remind me when I next get back to work.

The spaces presented in this flickr group and others like it take the idea to it's logical conclusion. Many makers show in their pictures that they are inspired, not just by their materials but by their storage ideas, their furniture, the colours they choose for their decor. Why use a cardboard box or plastic bag when a pretty glass bowl sets those buttons off so much better!? The philosophy seems sound, create a sense of self in all things that surround you and your work and it is impossible to create anything that isn't loved, personal, handmade. This is the business we are in after all- do you think a vintage letterpress tray is tax deductable? :)

You can see the rest of the pics I've uploaded on our flickr page.
Paula x

More Tudors.

2009-08-23T18:57:00.008+01:00

Well we don't blog very often do we? And when we do it's Tudors again! Following on from the swashing buckles post we have been included in a sumptuous Tudor treasury on Etsy. Brisingr from Norway has included my new many metalled Tudor Clips in their collection so thank you very much to them.
Also the new series of The Tudors from showtime started in the UK yesterday to continue the theme yet futher!

Paula x

Swashing Buckles and the like!

2009-07-30T11:26:00.004+01:00

Draw, Benvolio; beat down their weapons.

Gentlemen, for shame, forbear this outrage!

Tybalt, Mercutio, the prince expressly hath

Forbidden bandying in Verona streets:

Hold, Tybalt! good Mercutio!

Oooh but bandying there was - at The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. We certainly arrived on the right day as it was Tudors all the way! First a display of falconry (Where fans of the League of Gentlemen will have smirked that the Kestrel was named Mr Chinery!), then a demonstration of Tudor horsemanship - all thundering hooves and lances held aloft (enough to set women fanning themselves!) Then - as if that wasn't enough, two sauve guys in big open necked shirts and thigh high boots swashed it out with swords whilst reenacting the fight scenes from Romeo and Juliet! *Thud* Beshrew me my Lord, I hath fallen into a swoon!

Paula x

Mmmmm Muffins

2009-07-26T12:57:00.005+01:00

The outcome of yesterday's bilberry picking - I had to share. OK this is the worst photo ever but I didn't know that until I uploaded it and I've eaten all the muffins now! At least you can see my 'new' Hornsea Tea/Coffee/Sugar jars in the background! (I'm pleased with those too!)

There are still bilberries left for pancakes too! eeeeeeeh!

pxxxx

Vintage Goodness, Inspiration and Lots of Free Stuff!

2009-07-25T21:47:00.006+01:00

Ok, so we haven't blogged for a loooong time! The stress of remodelling my house took its toll and I have been in a bit of a creative slump for a couple of months. Today I have had such a fabulous day I just can't keep it in so it seemed like a good time to come back! Today I went to a vintage bazaar in Ilkley to see the lovely Emma of Cakewalk, drop off some work for her shop and have a browse around.

I met lots of stallholders that I had seen at the last vintage event organised by The House of Rose and Brown and lots of pieces on their stalls I had coveted on that occasion and didn't buy. However, on that day I did buy some cute J&G Meakin cups and a jug to match a teapot I have. I saw the same stall today and the lovely lady running it was delighted to tell me that she had found some saucers to match the cups at a carboot and had saved two for me as a gift! This is my very pleasing little tea-for-two set all united!

Acts of random kindness always set you up for the day but it just kept getting better. On the same stall I found a thing, a curious thing that I was fairly sure that I recognised as a homemade device for making Tenerife lace. It is basically a cardboard or wooden circle covered in cloth and with evenly spaced pins all around it's edge. I recognised it because in my long absence from doing anything really constructive I have been investigating using flowers made on vintage flower looms in my corsages. knittingand on flickr is an avid collector of these things and has a fantastic collection of photos of them and all her other sewing and knitting gadgets.

Tenerife lace, or calado canario in Spanish is needlewoven lace made by inserting the pins into wood in various patterns (sometimes using a paper template) - especially circular ones, winding threads around them to make the spokes of a wheel and then weaving various designs into the spokes with a needle. I have a bag of vintage silk threads that Lesley bought me from Birmingham's market a while ago that I can't wait to try out on it. For now though, this is the piece of work that is on the thing right now along with a finished one that came with it - all for 50p!

My brilliant day still not over, I spent a gorgeous hour picking bilberries in the sun on Ilkley Moor on the way home (which I fully intend to tranform into muffins for breakfast tomorrow!) and then got home and acquired a bag of free fabric pieces from a freecycler.

So I end my day not entirely suprised that it is Lou Reed and NOT Simon Le Bon singing 'Perfect Day' in my head tonight - may there be many more like it!

Paula x

Declared Open!

2009-04-12T20:11:00.007+01:00

Ooooh my goodness it's been a slog but my fabulous new workspace is up and running!

I have no shelves as yet and everything is just bunged in the eaves, the place is also now half full of all the evacuated kitchen stuff. However, I have a desk, a chair, an Ikea futon (which I totally assembled myself!), some very obvious Ikea cushions with buttons printed all over them - I know, I know - buttons, in a sewing room!

I have also been able to dust off some of my old inherited furniture which has been living in the loft in the dark for years and am using my grandparents' old 1950s one bar fire to keep warm right now!

I have been working in there for three days and could not be happier! Hurray for the loft!

pxxxx

Loft

2009-04-02T12:41:00.004+01:00

My loft is finished!!! I have been too exhausted to move anything up there as yet so here it is in all its emptiness :) I just need a cover for the hatch so I don't fall down it when I am zipping round in a flurry of activity!

Paula x

Spring Goodies from Wild Woman Jewelry.

2009-03-29T17:19:00.005+01:00

Given that I am up to my armpits in my house renovations at the moment I haven't had much to say. However, I really wanted to find time today to feature the fantastic Karon Dean of WildWomanJewelry . Her shop is so fresh, bright and gorgeous that I couldn't pick a favourite piece to put a picture of here no matter how hard I tried! So here are Karon's own featured items from her shop - go looky!
Oh, and MASSIVE thanks to Karon for including us in another one of her beautiful treasuries!

Paula x

First Light.

2009-03-17T10:41:00.004Z

This is it - the first ray of light to be allowed into my roof space since it was built in 1935. This the momentous first velux window to be put into the roof of my house and the first step towards turning my dusty old loft into a useable work space!

Last night, I sat on the boards in the dust and the yellow light and looked around the space that I have only been able to plan in my head until now. The suprise is that the room isn't at all like I imagined and has a lot more aspects to be taken ito account that you might think. I have learned that the 'purlins' are the horizontal beams that hold up the roof and that the one at the front is placed lower than the one at the back. I have less headroom than I imagined but more floor space and the hatch is exactly in the middle of the house.

Now I can see exactly what I have to work with I can start to see that this really does mark the beginning of the end of the nightmare my chosen vocation has forced on my family for the last few years!

It has begun! Wheeeeee!

Paula x

In Hell.

2009-03-08T12:39:00.003Z

Well the money from our remortgage to sort out our very overcrowded house had finally landed. The main implication this has for my end of Wychbury is that I will finally have a place to work as I am having my loft converted. There is no scope for a staircase in my house so I will have a space that is only accessible via a ladder and therefore should be child-free!

This cannot happen soon enough. In recent weeks I have been working on lots of stuff in preparation for Spring. I had hoped to have had the loft done in time for me to start making again in February but alas it has not come to pass!

The result of this has been a complete meltdown of all order in our home. Nothing has a place, there are heaps and piles on every surface, tiny bits of shrapnel and detritus lie everywhere from each job that I have attempted to complete in some random and innappropriate location! My memory banks are now totally full and I cannot remember where a single thing is. Yesterday I had to retrace my steps three times to remember where I had seen the hair slide I had seen, mentally noted to put in my daughter's hair and then totally forgot where it was! Making a coffee has become a major operation as things have to be moved and piled on top of one another just to make space for the kettle.

Hopefully I will have lots of optimistic things to say as the build unfolds in the coming weeks and have lots of photos of the new Wychbury Studio as it takes shape. For now though, I am fairly sure that this is what purgatory feels like.

Paula x

Peacocks Everywhere!

2009-03-01T17:21:00.004Z

I am having one of those themed days today, you know - where you see loads of connected stuff all day. First thing this morning my online window shopping for all things pretty, took me on a very peacock related path! I found this stunning tea-cosy which I am praying I will win so I can try and turn it into a bag - (now I am trusting you all not to try and outbid me, regardless of the beauty!)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=380107134200&Category=69787

Then later on I took the kids to a farm park where a very magnificent peacock was strutting around the place. After that a craft fair in local Baildon where I found lots of peacock related goodies, then finally an Etsy conversation telling us that my new turquoise pansy bobby pin is included in this fab blue treasury by chantylace.

To tie it all in I have been wearing a peacock blue rosette hair clip and carrying my vintage bag to match all day - divine synchronicity or what? :)

Paula x

Mother's Day Event

2009-02-24T16:44:00.003Z

With Spring rapidly approaching, I have been busy trying to get all fresh and bright with some new colours - not usually in my nature I know! Hopefully I will have brightened up enough by the time Mother's Day arrives as Wychbury will be having a stall at this event in Saltaire : http://www.stallfinder.com/the-stalls-arts-crafts-fair-i3846.html

It's at our favourite venue so it's a good one to start the season with. We will also be at East Morton Institute in West Yorkshire on 28th March (times to be confirmed) for an event organised by Rhona of Green Lane Arts http://www.greenlanearts.com/ with lots of lovely local artists and crafters. Come along if you are local!

Paula xxx

Coraline

2009-02-05T14:47:00.003Z

Since I will most likely not be able to get my kids to sit through Coraline without being terrified when it comes out, I have become rather obsessed with the website http://coraline.com/

Having buttoned my eyes, explored the house and created a 'Wychwort' flower in the garden I found a movie for the incredible woman who actually knitted - on tiny needles no less - Coraline's sweater and gloves for the movie!

Althea Crome at Bugknits - oh my goodness! check it out - http://www.bugknits.com/

The other Paula xxx

Bargainous Flowers!

2009-01-17T16:11:00.004Z

Ooooh I love an unexpected bargain right next to the checkout I do! I went to the floristry wholesalers today to stock up on flowers to demolish for brooches and bobby pins and on the way out I spotted vases marked 20p each being filled with some massive, richly coloured flowers by an assistant. She asked me what I was looking for and I told her velvets.

She said, if I price this box here at £2.50 (that's about $3.70 at the moment) would I take it and save her unpacking it? Ooooh, let me think.........

Goodness knows what I will do with them all but it would have been rude to say 'no' don't you think?

pxxx

Old Ink and Paper

2009-01-15T14:05:00.010Z

In the process of trying out various branding for Wychbury, I have become a huge fan of hand stamping. Not the perfect, embossed, multicoloured kind you see on done so expertly on greetings cards: but rough, black, half-stamped and smudged. I discovered that making display cards by hand took a similar amount of time to creating a template on the computer and faffing about with spacing until my eyes were popping out of my head. The handmade results were so much more pleasing, showed off both mine and Lesley's pieces way better than before and often offered the chance to recycle card as well!

The first batch of handmade backing cards I produced were made from an old poster book of Toulouse Lautrec, made of thick, rough paper aged with a lovely yellow tinge. I kept all the glossy prints from the the pages but scrunched up the paper itself, soaked it in tea, ironed it, burned it and then did it all again until I was left with a gorgeous absorbent surface just gagging to soak up some black ink! I used some long forgotten rubber stamps that had gone all dry at the corners and used the bottom bit of our logo stamp with the tree covered up for the lettering. A bog standard blacker-than-black ink stamp from the stationers and a beautiful little tin of sticky red ink I had been given with a soapstone stamp (of a pig - my year!) from Hong Kong. The whole effect was rough, random, even sloppy but somehow when our work was pinned to the cards the pieces had a warmth to them that hadn't been there before. Now Lesley and I both make our own versions with our own card and stamps and it all comes together.

Lettering is always an issue with rubber stamping. We both own several of the gorgeous little sets of peg stamps in various fonts and they are great fun to use - especially since words are never properly spaced or in-line - a look we have come to embrace! But the only real way of repeating words like 'Tudor Bobby Pins' with any speed is to get two sets of stamps and sellotape the things together in blocks! This process has always sparked a distant memory for me.

When I was a child in the 1970s, I remembered owning and loving a simple little printing set. It had tiny, blue, rubber characters that you placed into a red plastic frame with fiddly tweezers to spell out whatever you liked (the most I ever had the patience for was my name and that was about it!) and make your own rubber stamp. The ink was a gorgeous purpley blue colour that wouldn't wash off my hands for days! I mentioned it to my husband and he said he also owned one but neither of us could remember what it was called. We googled and googled but to no avail and we started to think we had dreamt it!

Until a stroke of Ebay-related luck many months later. I am after some vintage printers trays to store stuff in when I get my long awaited loft conversion (I'll be blogging like a maniac as that unfolds!) and the search term 'vintage print tray' brought up, joy of joys: 'VINTAGE JOHN BULL PRINTING OUTFIT No.18' to which my husband and I both exclaimed 'That was it!'.

This one was a beautiful version from the toy's heyday in the 1950s and internet research and a call to my mom revealed that it was THE toy to have if you were 7-11 years old in post-war Britain! It had wooden trays instead of plastic and the letters were black rubber and when I won it and it arrived I discovered with glee that most of the letters were still in one strip and it had hardly been used. The ink tins were dried up but the residual powder was unmistakably the purpley blue still around in the 1970s when I owned my set. The tweezers were made of pliable tin and the previous owners' name and address were carefully printed - in purpley blue ink - inside the lid of the immaculate box.

Since the rubber has hardened a little with age I have had to be very careful separating the letters and placing them in the block but that has proved to be half the delight of the thing. Taking and examining each tiny character and treating them with the reverence and care a 55 year old toy deserves. The same way that I tried to keep the dust jackets on my mom’s original hardback Famous Five books, or took care with her little tin toy sewing machine when I was a child.

If I owned a brand new John Bull Printing Outfit, if such a thing existed, I know I would be my usual slapdash self and all the letters would be lost in days because I didn’t take the time to put them away. Always one to leave a huge gap in a used car’s previously immaculate service history, I hope I am worthy of my new treasure and keep it as intact as the previous owner did for many years. I still had a go with it though – it is a toy after all!

pxxx

Snowdrops

2009-01-12T20:30:00.008Z

Well despite the hideous weather here in Yorkshire, there are signs that spring is on the way. My 4 year old son came charging in from the garden the other day, very intrigued by the green spikes sticking out of the ground. Yay! the snowdrops are on their way in a multitude that will have no doubt doubled again from last year!

So, forcing myself out of the January doldrums, I started work on some snowdrop hair clips. I found these beautiful pictures on flickr and loved how the petals curved. http://www.flickr.com/photos/57309108@N00/398003162/in/photostream /.

First I had to find some white flowers so I unceremoniously destroyed some velvet roses to see what they were made of. They had a nice threefold petal in already so I just had to construct the centre.

I started with machine stitch like my pansies but the effect was way too heavy for what I had in mind. I also tried several versions with multiple beads in the middle but that didn't do it for me either. So less seems to be more and I've gone for a single, seed bead on a hand embroidered centre.

I'm getting a bridal vibe for these!

Paula x

500 Hearts!

2009-01-09T19:27:00.007Z

Our Etsy shop got its 500th heart today! This may seem a mad thing to get excited about since it doesn't actually equate to any sales but it makes us feel loved!

Valentine's day is approaching and hearts are good!

P & L xxxx

FRONT PAGE!!

2008-12-23T20:38:00.006Z

Oh my goodness, we were on the front page of Etsy with our Pansy Corsage!! http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17550287

Thank you so much to Utile Mud for including us in her gorgeous treasury. Check out her lush pottery on Etsy and flickr http://www.etsy.com/utilemud , http://www.flickr.com/photos/utilemud/

Front page, WOOOO!!!

Paula and Lesley xxx

She's a Colour Scientist

2008-08-27T17:05:00.000+01:00

Inspired by the Robots in Disguise song, we have made a new colourful Treasury at Treasury West!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=23344

Welsh Wych

2008-07-20T13:38:00.000+01:00

Thank you so much to shadowjewels for including us in her beautiful 'Song about a Welsh Witch' Treasury. Check out her shop http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5258676

Paula and Lesley x

Mirror Mirror

2008-07-19T15:10:00.002+01:00

These are our newest bobby pins made from shisha mirrors. I chopped these ones off an old fairtrade velvet blouse I had donated to my fabric stash. Shisha is Persian for 'glass' and the technique is said to have originated in Persia in the 13th century, it is now most popular in India.

Normally, the mirrors are incorporated into embroidery designs on clothing and other textiles. A small hoop, usually made of plastic is often covered with a blanket stitch and then stitched to the embroidery piece, holding the mirror in place underneath. Skilled embroiderers can attatch the mirrors using stitch alone, in a variety of beautiful decorative stitches. Here's a how-to on The Embroider's Guild website

http://www.embroiderersguild.com/stitch/stitches/shisha.html

To make my bobby pins I've used two hoops covered in blanket stitch and have stitched them together in metallic thread with the mirror in between. The size is perfect for the pad on a bobby pin to slot into the centre of the circle of stitch on the back and I'm really chuffed with them. I have an urge to wear about 20 at once! There are a few in our Etsy shop now. http://www.etsy.wychbury.com/

Paula x

Love My Greens

2008-06-18T15:40:00.002+01:00

We are featured in yipestoo's gorgeous green treasury this week!

Thank you!

Check out her gorgeous Etsy shop: AM - PM Creations.

Lesley & Paula xXx

Packaging

2008-05-21T10:27:00.001+01:00

We are suckers for gorgeous packaging and like to think our own Wychbury packaging makes the items a little bit more special, so we are really thrilled that our Daffodil Earrings are featured in lwhelan's lovely The Whole Package Treasury.

Check out her totally amazing pendants and pins. Just gorgeous!

xxx

Love Leaves?

2008-05-19T19:57:00.000+01:00

Well who can say? My heart-shaped ivy leaf cards have made it into no less than THREE Etsy Treasuries this week!! And yet - they still aren't selling! They are made using two printing blocks, one lino and one polystyrene. I print them onto painted silk, one on top of the other to get more texture. Then the usual machine stitch, hand stitch, bead bead bead!

Well I like them and so do Creative Hook who included a green one in her 'Imagine - a paradox' Treasury West list and The Birds and Bees who added the same card to her 'Green With Envy' Treasury. The lilac one is in the 'Simply Natural' list by Jessijewels in our earlier blog.

Well Wychbury Loves Leaves - and always will!

The Birds and Bees on Etsy, cute patterns, amigurumi and felted creatures http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5418609

Creative Hook on Etsy, Designs Aesthic and Eccentric - Crochet genius!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5547799

Thank you ladies!

Paula x

What Lucky Bags...

2008-05-18T10:09:00.005+01:00

...we are, to be included in Stitchy Woo Woo's Treasury!

Stitchy Woo Woo is an Etsian from our own Buckinghamshire in the UK with some gorgeous textiles, here's her shop : http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5637258

Thank you!

Also thanks to keepsakekatie (also in the UK - Hello Hemel Hemstead!) on Etsy for including Lesley's Dandelion Clock Brooch in her 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' Treasury West List. She has some gorgeously bright jewellery in her Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5542311.

Love

Paula and Lesley x

The Harvest Of Art

2008-05-16T12:11:00.000+01:00

Wychbury will have a stall at the Harvest of Art Exhibition - a sale of work by Alternative Artists. Organised by the Society of Pagan Arts, the event will be held at Maws Craft Centre, Jackfield, Nr. Ironbridge in Shropshire. on the 16th of August. Times: 10-6pm

The event is held by the river, has free parking, a cafe and free public entry!

Come and join us for a lovely day out!

Simply Natural...

2008-05-15T20:24:00.000+01:00

...is the lovely Etsy Treasury list by Jessijewels.
Here is her really lovely shop

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5543428
and her lovely treasury!

Thanks for including us!

Paula and Lesley x

Green Man Festival at Clun!

2008-05-02T16:52:00.001+01:00

We will be at The Green Man Festival in Clun, Shropshire on Monday with lots of new goodies, including new medieval flower clips and herb garden earrings.

Come and see us and say hello! (promise we won't be in the beer tent! ;)

Here's the website link for directions and info!

http://www.clungreenman.org.uk/index.htm

Lesley & Paula. xxx

Trades

2008-04-20T09:36:00.005+01:00

Wow, trading on Etsy is so much fun! I've traded with quite a few people over the last month using our wychcrafts bead store. It is seriously addictive! I've had some lovely things arrive and it has felt like my birthday every day!

I've got to mention a few people as their stuff is so good.

Firstly if you are looking for chemical free bath stuff/lipbalms etc and pure soy candles like I always do, look no further. I had a lip balm, solid perfume and melts arrive from Natures Luxuries and they are amazing! The postage from the USA to the UK was extremely quick, and I cannot begin to describe how gorgeous the scents are for this stuff! Especially the Warm Sugar Cookie melts - it's an evil drug, four of us were passing it around yesterday just sniffing it for ages but desperately wanting to eat it!

Also thank you to The Birch Tree for my daughter's awesome skirt.

Adorneth for just being the sweetest, check out her fabulous jewellery!

Gems and Dolls sell the most gorgeous soap, I had Lavender and it is the most gorgeous soap to use, and smells lovely.

Also a big thanks to the following traders for their wonderful trades and for being so generous and sweet:

Sarah In Florida
HempLAdy4U
AlluRing
Across The Pond
Joliso
AddictedtoYarn
HummingBirdEyes
TheScoopatBoops

Lesley xxx

Again again!!!

2008-04-17T18:00:00.001+01:00

Yay we are so popular right now! MASSIVE thanks to Saysie this time for including us in her really pretty 'Accessorize' Treasury West list. http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=7422

I really love the patchwork pillow covers in her shop. I am a bit of a closet patcher myself on the quiet! I've been working on the same quilt (once a flood!) for about 12 years now! Anyway, this rainbow one is gorgeous!

http://www.saysie.etsy.com/
http://www.saysie.blogspot.com

Paula xxx

Another Treasury!

2008-04-16T14:35:00.000+01:00

Big thanks to Hare & Drum for adding us to her gorgeous Scarborough Fair Treasury!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=39382

http://hareanddrum.blogspot.com/

Lesley & Paula xxx

Yay!

2008-04-15T09:19:00.002+01:00

We are in a treasury!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=7242

Huge thanks to The BirchTree :)

Check out her gorgeous Etsy Shop

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5211057

And there is pansies, that's for thoughts

2008-04-06T19:24:00.000+01:00

...Says poor, demented Ophelia in Hamlet! NEW in our Etsy store, millinery pansies given the Wychbury treatment (ie throw every textile technique you can think of at it, sew a few beads on for luck then TRY and leave it alone!). The have been painted, embroidered, beaded and stuck on a bobby pin to make gorgeous hair accessories for the Pre-Raphaelite in all of us!

Paula xxx

Vampires Will Never Hurt You.

2008-04-04T10:24:00.003+01:00

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=6047

For Tatj, who loves My Chemical Romance.

Lesley. x

Medieval Goodness!

2008-03-31T22:34:00.001+01:00

After our latest Etsy Treasury West contribution we have come over all renaissance and have just added a range of Tudor inspired hair accessories to our medieval collection. You can browse some of them in our Etsy shop www.wychbury.etsy.com and soon at www.wychbury.org

We have also joined the new Flickr group ‘Medieval Wenches’ http://www.flickr.com/groups/medievalwenches/

Hey nonny nonny!

Paula xxx

Mediaeval Faeves

2008-03-31T12:03:00.000+01:00

Another one!

This is addictive!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=5722

Screenshots of Treasuries

2008-03-30T10:00:00.006+01:00

A Forest

Sing Blue Silver

Song of the Imaginary Beings

New one inspired by our favourite band IAMX:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=5588

Mediaeval Faeves

I messed up with the first one and lost the last row of items. Bah!

I think we'll add to this everytime we get one!

Sing Blue Silver

2008-03-28T13:51:00.000Z

Yep, got another one but I was signed into our wychcrafts shop at the time when I bagged it!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=5473

It's so sad when your treasury disappears. *sniff* I got a screen shot of the last one which I'll probably post up soon.

I am on a massive gig comedown. In the last few months I've seen 30 Seconds to Mars, Megadeth, Hanoi Rocks and this week IAMX. Gigs are definitely my drug of choice.
I'm hoping that The Horrors & Patrick Wolf tour soon, but I really need another fix of IAMX.
I can't even blog about how fabulous the show was, I can't put it into words.

I can add a picture though..which may give you some idea.

Lesley. xxx

Treasury!

2008-03-25T11:19:00.001Z

I managed to bag a Treasury West spot this morning, what fun! Seriously I could have spent all day choosing gorgeous things!

Here's the link:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=5150

It has a forest theme (no shock there...)

Well, Paula and I will be dancing and squealing at Chris Corner of IAMX (ex Sneaker Pimps) tonight.

Note to self: Go easy on the glitter eyeliner and sequins.....

Lesley

Vintage Bags & Beads

2008-03-20T13:44:00.002Z

Sooo frustrating! I went to an antiques market yesterday, but most of the stalls were packing up to go home the minute I arrived. Much to my amazement most of the stalls were full of BEADS! (This is my idea of heaven) I did a fine impression of a headless chicken whilst wanting to hover on stalls and root through the vintage jewellery, but also wanted to catch the other stalls before they closed. This resulted in me not being able to find much, but I did happen upon a beautiful vintage bag with lovely bead work, allegedly circa late 40's/50's, it needs a little bit of TLC, but in remarkable condition considering the age. (Unfortunately my other half commented that it was the sort of bag his Grandma would have)

I also grabbed a few stands of old glass beads for £1.00 each - barginous!. I can't wait to go again in May, I'll definitely be there much earlier next time

*sigh* So many gorgeous beads. Some of the vintage necklaces had pretty steep prices and my usual reaction to strings of beads is to dismantle them and make things for myself or for Wychbury, but these were too pretty to break up and I probably wouldn't wear some of them, but I just wanted to own the beads and look at them and maybe stroke them for a while... I need help I know...

Lesley xxx

New Cards & Felt Baby Shoe photos on Flickr

2008-03-07T15:14:00.001Z

We've updated the Wychbury site with some new cards today, lots of Mad March Hares, Tree Moon cards and Ivy Leaves:

http://www.wychbury.org/

Also added felt baby shoe pictures to Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wychbury/

Lazy day today, although I finally planted a load of seeds which are now sitting comfortably on my kitchen window ledge, cornflowers, marigolds, campanulas and sunflowers. Just hope the dreaded white fly doesn't attack as it has decimated my Basil.

Lesley xxx

Foxgloves & Jacob's Ladder

2008-03-04T16:19:00.003Z

I made a couple of necklaces last night which I'm quite pleased with. My sister had made some gorgeous large lampwork flowers which I've added the usual brass and copper to.

Got quite frustrated as my favourite pliers are not well. (see previous comment on the last post)

Anyway here are the herbal pretties, the Jacobs Ladder pendant inspired by Patrick Wolf:

Jacob the ladder is falling down
Heaven is out of reach for us now
golden gates the closing clouds
Jacob the ladder has fallen down

Patrick Wolf.

As the foxglove loves the fur of the bee
flushed and spotted, long-throated with longing,
I love you, honey, let me smear your face with pollen,
take fur inside me mouth and belly --
oh it's been too long, the sun has swung around and around
and all my dews are gone,
but bid me and I'll open sudden as a rock-spring,
I'll bloom like a wadi, only touch me and I'm milk and honey,
your rose of Sharon, your lily of the valley

Song of Solomon

Confound it all, I love it though!

2008-03-04T10:55:00.001Z

After reading Black Lily Pie's post of yesterday http://blacklilypie.blogspot.com/ I got to wondering. Why do we do this to ourselves?

Working from home is one of the most difficult things I have ever attempted. I post on Esty forums with one hand, wash up with the other and hold the phone between ear and shoulder at the same time. I have toys on my work table and find my sewing machine bobbins in the toybox, there is printing ink on my carpet and paintbrushes on my draining board. I dash to the post office on the way to school and my laptop will no doubt pack up soon from either being next to the cooker or full of food, juice or crayons!

Seriously, I must love what I do mustn't I? Either that or I have a cog off somewhere!

Paula xxx

Buzz Buzz Buzz, and it's just because....

2008-02-28T15:38:00.007Z

Bargain found at B&Q today! A Bee Lodge for 50p! I was very pleased as you can imagine as they are usually £8.99. Unfortunately a bit has been knocked off the front and the barcode was wrong, which resulted in a ridiculously long wait at the till, but hey, something may nest in it.

Although knowing my luck it'll become a luxury high rise apartment for Earwigs...

I had a lovely real flower card with Ferns and Roses in from my Auntie Iris yesterday, which I can plant in the garden. So in return I've made her some Blue Iris earrings. I love the look of the blue and the copper together and I've just realised I've got two more of the blue lucite flowers left so I may make another pair and put them on Etsy.

Lesley

xxx

Earthquake?

2008-02-27T01:11:00.003Z

I think we just had an earthquake at 1.00am here in the West Midlands!

Lesley

Look what I got!

2008-02-26T21:14:00.001Z

Well this is Wychbury's very first blog and I am posting first!

Well, I can't think of anything at all to say about me or my stuff today so I thought I'd take the opportunity to show off a purchase I made instead. This is one of Lesley's latest medieaval creations that I snapped up quick! It's Ruby and Zoisite in vintage brass with a pair of love birds above the stone. All the links on the chain are embossed, it's all brassy and vintage and lovely.

I traded this necklace with Lesley for two tickets to see Iamx in Birmingham - much better than the money!

There's another medieaval necklace that's nearly as pretty as mine in our Etsy shop right now, http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9466277 , I nearly bought this one too!

Paula x