Wayne Hemingway's Festival of Thrift!

Tomorrow morning me and my friend and fellow maker Sam from Hoolala are taking a road trip up North! We're off to showcase are wares at the marvellous Wayne Hemingway's Festival of Thrift in Darlington, UK. 

I am super excited as I have never done an 'over night' fair before. This event promises to be amazing, with celebrity thrifters and workshops going on all weekend from the art of screen printing to Bee keeping. 

It should take us about 2 hours to get there and so its going to be a VERY early start!

I am taking along some lovely new stock too, of which you will hear more about next week! Now if I can remember to pack my camera I shall do a little photo gallery of the event in my next blog post. 

So if you up North or fancy a thrifty weekend filled with fun, pop on over and say hello! http://festivalofthrift.co.uk/

Oooh I have been rather busy

Well its been 6 or so weeks since my last post. i have been super duper busy with the house, Realicoul and family weddings. So here is a few photos of what been happening in the last few weeks...

 Lots of new items are ready for the Christmas rush and the amazing events I have lined up.

 I have been doing a lot more work with Vintage buttons as I am currently doing lots of vintage and retro fairs. 

 I have been busy designing logos for the wonderful gift shop Strawberry Blue in Rawtenstall.

I have been adding more button themed home accessories and decorations to my stock.

I have been spending a lot of time in our local playground with my little boy and our new friends. 

We have been to my sister in laws Military wedding. ( I know this is a super cute photo right?)

We have also been flying kites!

Sooo that was the last 6 weeks, here's what's coming up before Christmas, mark your diary's folks its going to be a Realicoul button crazy few months! 

Terrible twos, Chicken Pox, and Vintage Buttons!

Well last week our little boy turned 2! I cannot believe how fast the last few years have gone. It really does fly by. It's getting a little bit more 'challenging' working from home now with Reuben. I can pretty much only work at night now once he has gone to bed. It's certainly hard work but at least I can give him all the attention he needs by day :)

My little man

Last week was also a rather hectic week filled with Chicken pox and two wholesale orders! Now that was a challenge lmao. I got there in the end though!

This weeks plans include shoe shopping for Reuben, planning my bathroom makeover and getting ready for the début vintage event at the Green Chimney in Colne, Lancashire. It promises to be a corker. It's a great little place with the tastiest food upstairs and a funky craft and vintage event downstairs. What more could you ask for?

I have been super busy making lots of gorgeous new button jewellery from my huge vintage button hoard. Here are a few photos to get your vintage taste bus going..

 I am So tempted to keep this necklace

 Tea for one?

 Beautiful unique jewellery at affordable prices

x 

The prints are ready for sale

So here we are a month later and my 'Great Tit and Button' print is finally ready for purchase! I am really happy with how it has turned out. As you may have read in the previous post this is a hand drawn piece, coloured digitally. I am rather proud of my detailed shading on the little bird. I enjoyed every step of the working process and I hope you all love it as much as I do. And of course there will be more button themed prints coming soon!

A4 giclée print £14. Photographed in an Ikea Ribba frame.

Giclée print on 280g satin matt premium archival quality paper. Printed using exceptional pure ink with a fade resistant guarantee for up to 110 years

 Available in green, blue and purple. 

It's even available as a note/greeting card. Cute eh?

And if that isn't enough cute buttony goodness for you, then here is a sneaky peek at this years Realicoul Christmas card range...

Drawing was always my first love

Drawing was always my first love, ever since I was a small child. I would wish for wet play as it meant I could stay inside the classroom and draw. All the way through my education Art was my main subject. 

Now I love making things as you all know, but recently I have had a yearning to get out my pencils and start sketching again. I decided I wanted to incorporate my drawings into the Realicoul brand. So I am increasing my range of button jewellery & accessories to also include homewear and design. There will however ALWAYS be a button involved :)

The illustrations I am working on currently all consist of British garden birds and buttons. Since moving to our new house last July I have become a keen bird watcher. My garden is full of them! We have so many Blue Tits and Great Tits, its a joy watching them from my breakfast table. So I hope you love them as much as I do as these illustrations will soon be available as prints on my online shops. 

Here is my first finished piece of the Great Tit and Button.

 First it was hand drawn in pen.

Then I coloured it digitally. (Obviously the watermark wont be on the print you buy ;) )

Lots more birdies and buttons to come, and of course I will let you all know once they are available.

More new items to the Realicoul range

YAY NEW ITEMS!

So I have been very busy since I returned from my jollies. I have lots of new stock to show you and first off is my new 'button bracelet kits'. Everything you need in a pretty little tin to make your own unique button bracelet. These make very sweet gifts. I expect they will be very popular for stocking fillers this year!

Pick & Mix hair clips, I know they are adorable right?!

More button pendants, this time its double the trouble with two layered funky buttons! 

The Crafty Vintage fair at Brockholes last weekend was A M A Z I N G! So well organised, loads to see and do and the food was pretty damn good too! I shall be returning to Brockholes in September for the next Crafty Vintage weekender. And I will also be there for the Christmas fair, of which I am VERY excited for and its only JUNE!

I am currently busy working on a S*#t load of new lines! I am super excited to get them going. As soon as they are ready I will of course be popping them on here for you all to see. Lots more button goodies for your home & lifestyle ;)

My next fair will be in 6 days! Its the Nelson Art & Vintage fair in Lancashire, Friday 5th and Saturday 6th July. I hear its going to be EVEN bigger and better than the spring one so I'm really looking forward to it. There is even going to be an outdoor Northern Soul Disco! I best dig out my dancing shoes!

Brockholes Weekender

I am very excited to have a stall at this weekends Crafty Vintage fair at the most amazing venue ever that is Brockholes. With over 70 stalls there will be plenty to look at. There will also be some scrumptious food stalls and LIVE entertainment. What more could you want for wicked weekend? 

 For those of you who don't know about Brockholes it is an amazing place. Its a floating nature reserve in Lancashire, and yes it really does float! Here is a link to the Brockholes wesite.

If you live in the North West please pop along and say hi! Its going to be a fantastic weekend!