♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ New one ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

Next, one that moves, ticks and spins!

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ A recommendation for a magazine article ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

A good friend of mine is always coming up with ways of promoting me, recommending events and generally spreading the Soobird word. Here's what he has to say... to the magazine DIRTY

Hi,

I have spent the weekend reading issues 1 & 2 of your great little book, and would like to nominate a friend/colleague of mine as worthy of a feature.

She is called Sue Atkinson and makes, amongst other things, mini top hat fascinators and other very cool items. Her hats can be found in the burlesque scene, but also adorning the heads of hipsters, revellers and even brides all over the place.

As befits your mag, the thing that really sets Sue's hats apart are the quality and the originality. They are quite simply works of art.

Sue is a pretty wild person herself too. It seems like she has 15 projects on the go at any one time.

She even manages to get kids excited about knitting. (She is a textiles teacher) But not just any old knitting, knitted graffiti, knitted coral. Amazing stuff.

Here is her website, she can be contacted through that http://www.soobird.com/page3.htm or satkinson@westberks.org

So, Please can I nominate Sue for a feature. She inspires all of us to get more creative and original, I think your readers would enjoy her creations too.

Thanks,

Edward Mather

THANKS ED!

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ Back again ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

A tribute to the late family budgie, BillyBobBen. (They are not his feathers, I got there too late!)

It's been ages, so much has happened... I say this everytime. Craft fairs, orders, ideas and life have been keeping me busy.

The newest Spitfire designs. Found them at a sale and thought I would have a go at some pads. They seem quite popular and very easy to wear. The piece is fitted with an elastic and an optional hair comb for extra security.

The larger Borneo butterfly... enjoy wearing your new headpiece Mrs Franks!

Ok, so this is the 3rd attempt at a comfortably wearable teacup. I am pleased to say it works. Like the spitfire pads, an elastic and a comb offer extra security. It's so small, the picture doesn't do it justice!

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ Getting back into it ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

Groom's Royal Flush Buttonhole in Spades and Hearts.

This design is part of a series. The Best Men have '4 of a Kind' 9s and 8s, the fathers 7s and 6s with the ushers having the remaining cards, the 5s, 4, 3s,and 2s using a full deck of cards.

Where has my energy been! I have been neglecting my creativity recently and since being back at school it feels like I have been non-stop for the past 4 weeks. Well, today that is going to change. I have almost completed an order of buttonholes that will wing it's way to Florida for a wedding in November, confirmed my space with Lina for a Contemporary Craft Fair at The Global Cafe (RISC), Reading on November 27th and managed to get Binkypops to sign up to it to. I can't wait, should be a good day out. I am also planning to enter an embroidery competition with a prize of a chance to spend a day with Diane Bates, who I think is wonderful! Oh and what else, start a range of card designs that can be framed for my stall, update www.soobird.com with a Buttonhole gallery, update Etsy with a few new things and collect some fisheye pictures from Boots that I hope have worked. I borrowed a camera from a friend, destroyed the first film and had to use whatever I could find whilst in Paris. If they do work I will be so pleased and will get them up on here. Er what else, oh and make a cannelloni.

This is all in one day... I will let you know how I get on

Fathers of the Bride & Groom

Best Man

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ A Stitched Me ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

Waiting for a delivery of cards, confirmation of an order, my new jacket to arrive for the House of Burlesque Victorian Values costume so needed to do something with my time... here it is.

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

♥ Joe & Eileen Wed 26♥08♥2010 ♥

A splendid afternoon spent in Minehead witnessing Joe (Darren's dad) and Eileen wed at St Michaels Church. We then made out way to Binham Grange, which was like an art gallery with sculptures and amazing things everywhere. I want to live there!

Binham Grange

A wire Dung Beetle

I can't remember who the artist was... it's really annoying me. They were about 6 or 7 insect homes made out of brass and ceramic pots. really unusual. Unfortunately pay day was a way off. One day I would like to own one.

Ali and Megan wearing their original 'Soobird' hair pieces. Which can be purchased in my Etsy shop wink wink.

My hat then did the rounds...

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ Borneo Butterflies ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

Found these on one of the hundreds of stalls at the Kota Kinabalu Sunday Market. The others had all gone off white water rafting whilst I stayed behind with the sick, including myself suffering from stomach ache. I managed to get a very low price and now I am turning them into shoe clips. I have 4 larger black and white ones for a hat I am making for Blakey & Laura's wedding this Saturday. Hope it works.

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ So Long August ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

8.? km high on the top of Mount Kinabalu. The hardest thing I have ever done. No stomach bug or altitude sickness could stop me though!

Well I am back from Borneo... one of the most amazing experiences. I went with 5 of my Sixth Formers (and Kay & Nicky from Ilkeston School with 7 of their students) to Borneo as part of a World Challenge. The students had been building up to this 4 week trip for 18 months. It was an action packed month of jungle trekking, mountain climbing, white water rafting and various other things. Tons of inspiration gathered and now ready to get going creating some hats based on my findings.

I imagine some kind of spiny, spikey fascinator perched on the side of the head with antenna and feelers made from spines...

On route to Bako National Parl, Sarawak. Glorious quiet beaches surrounded by rainforest containing creatures of all shapes and sizes... including Proboscis Monkeys.

I ♥ CARNIVOROUS PLANTS - got to make something based on these!

So bright and vibrant... the picture doesn't quite do them justice. Another idea for a hat.

Kept myself busy on the plane home by painting the 'Student Awards'. I can make a studio space in the smallest of places!

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ New Toppers ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

I forgot to mention the newest additions to the collection... The Spitfire, The Tank and the newest flower in my collection the Auricula. After the summer I want to try and build up a range of flowers so that there is the option to mix and match cards, flowers and colours.

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ CRIKEY I have been a little lazy blogging ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

Shoe clips - the best seller, I have sold out. They will be back in September.

Actually I haven't been lazy... I have had the busiest 2 months ever. After completing a handful of orders for weddings and parties all over the world I signed up to have a stall at http://handmadewinchester.blogspot.com/ in Winchester Guildhall. Inbetween working, exams and general stressing about this month long trip to Borneo that has been looming for the past 18 months, I had to make some new and exciting pieces to take along to the fair. I have added a few pics below, however you will find more on my website. http://www.soobird.com/

I found a teacup on the carboot and decided to have a go at making a head piece with the cup and saucer as the centre piece. I was quite impressed with how well it went. Now I have tons of cups ready and waiting to be transformed into wearable works of art. Shame I smashed this one as I was packing away at the fair, it took me ages to cut the leaves!

The second teacup, not to be smashed. Made as one of the options for a customer who is having an 'Alice in Wonderland' wedding in August. I was asked to create 8 buttonholes, a pageboy brooch, a fascinator for the mother of the bride and two hair pieces for the bridesmaids. This was one of the teacup options for the youngest of the two bridesmaids. The one below was chosen, I was quite pleased because this one is my favourite yet and I have a few weddings to attend at the end of summer!
The revamped and improved Teacup, the orginal design has been tweaked giving more options. The cup and saucer are still hand moulded from felt and stitched into place however, the customer now has the optio of selecting a fabric to cover the teacup in. Spots, stripes, velvet or furry, the options and colour combinations are endless.

A bridal wedding comb that made it's way to the USA in early June ready for a Las Vegas wedding.

Mandy's violin inspired mini topper. The perfect party accessory for the Head of Music.

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ Will You Be My Sweetheart? ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

I found some sheet music on a carboot sale amongst stacks of magazines. The lady said they belonged to her grandfather but had no idea about the songs.

The songs were written by Harry Dacre an English songwriter born in 1860. He was famous for 'Daisy Bell' aka 'A Bicycle Made For Two' a song I remember singing with my nan when I was little. I have just discovered that the other song he was known for in the early 20's was 'I'll be your sweetheart'. I didn't know this until after I had made the brooch, spooky?

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠