Pack it up

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

Spring Goodies from Wild Woman Jewelry.

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

Snowdrops

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!

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!!

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

Mirror Mirror

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

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

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?

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...

...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

Trades

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!!!

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!

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

And there is pansies, that's for thoughts

...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.

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


For Tatj, who loves My Chemical Romance.

Lesley. x

Mediaeval Faeves

Another one!

This is addictive!

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

Screenshots of Treasuries

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

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

New Cards & Felt Baby Shoe photos on Flickr

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

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