♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ Anna’s Splash of Colour ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

A new service is now available. Whilst at the latest fair in Newbury a lady was looking through my playing card greetings cards. She selected the cards and commissioned a bespoke piece. I think this might be the way forward.

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ Queen of Hearts Teacup ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

Just having a sort through my phone. Only 2346 photos to either file away, share or delete. I find it difficult to know where to put them all so think the next few posts are going to be a back log of photos that never made it on here. Also managed to finish a couple of headpieces today. They will soon be on Etsy as my New Year’s resolution is to create pieces and get them online quicker. It’s going ok so far...

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ New Year, new creations♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

Finally discovered an app to post to my blog! Might actually stay up to date a bit more.

So much has been happening so will post more when I have more than 5 mins. This is really a test to see if this app is any good.

Here's a few pics of bits from the last couple of months...

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ Butterflies ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

This piece was created for one of my favourite returning clients. She always has an idea, provides me with inspirational imagery and then leaves me to create with the freedom I often don’t get.

Her dress... orange, black and burgundy. A little unsure how I was going to make these colours work although I knew I would. Her other request was that butterflies, net and lots of spine feathers were included in the design. I knew I had some butterflies that I picked up off a market in Kota Kinabulu, Borneo back in August 2010. I have used the odd one in designs before but not on this scale. I knew they would be perfect and had a design in my head early on. Burgundy and black netting were added beneath the piece to add texture. Lots of feathers were cut, shaped and curled.

Here are the results...

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

Busy preparing for the Windsor Fair on Monday 4th June. Lots of red, white and blue creations are currently being made. However, at this rate I am going to sell out before I get there. More information and prices can be found here.

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ A Little Moulin Rouge @ VHL ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

These pictures appeared on my Facebook wall a few days ago. Taken by the wonderfully talented Sharon Holloway of  Vintage Hair Lounge, Southampton.  Based on the Moulin Rouge a window display was created using the products they sell and a few hats in the mix for good measure...

Check out their Facebook page to see more or follow them on Twitter.

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♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ Katie’s Hen Headpiece ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

The theme was Burlesque, the location was Bristol. Katie’s headpiece had to stand out from the rest of the Hens that were going to descended on Bristolthat weekend (and there were a fair few). It actually wasn’t that difficult, the theme was perfect and another member of the party had already had a headpiece to go with her custom made corset. It was a day of cocktails, gorillas, Hooters, corsetry, tutus and rhinestones. Brilliant!

The feathery pad was layered with turkey feathers to give it a luxurious finish. Goose feathers added a bit of oomph and the ostrich feathers and quills added that extra bit of burlesque type height that is needed in a hairpiece. My favourite bit was the pearlescent buttons and brads that were clustered at the base of the feathers and the rhinestones on the veil added that extra bit of sparkley glamour...

And to finish it off a touch of animal print, just because I know how much she likes it.

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ Queen of Hearts Buttonhole ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

From a private request through Etsy I was asked to create a Buttonhole to work alongside the Queen of Hearts. I personally really love it and now want to create one to mount on a vintage full size top hat...

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ Custom Clips ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

♣ Lorna’s Peacock ♣

I was asked to create a small clip to be worn in the hair to match the dress pictured. The Peacock style design on the fabric was the perfect starting point. Goose, pheasant and crow feathers were added along with some beige/coffee coloured strips. The finished piece measures 13cm in length and is attached to a clip, making it suitable to wear in the hair or as a bag, clothing accessory.

♣ Elise’s Black and White Wedding ♣

Something small and discreet for her sister’s wedding, but still with in the Soobird style. This is a much smaller version of the Queen of Hearts without the red cards. On a simple snap clip it sits neatly on your head, however it can still double up as a brooch or clip by requesting a brooch clasp to be added. This design will be featured in my Etsy shop very soon, it got a lot of attention at school.

♣ Hen Do at Ascot ♣

16 pieces made in total for this Hen Party. Above is a simple design taken from the more flamboyant design of the Hen’s (picture on it’s way). Due to the request being to suit 15 ladies with differing tastes this suited everybody. The clip attaches to all hair types and again doubles up as a brooch. So those not wishing to wear it on their heads could still be seen as a member of the group. Each petal was backed with race themed newspaper articles in keeping with their theme and their venue.

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ Ingredients ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

So... I have all the bits, sort of, just waiting on the blue veiling to arrive, oh and I haven’t put the Liberty fabric I am going to use underneath as a lining in the pic. Think I might have too many bits. Just not quite sure how to put them all together. Was thinking of a velvet base with the flowers and foliage gathered at the top. Rhinestones either on the leaves or the veiling, maybe even both.

hmmmmm

Watch this space!

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ The Royal Flush with a bit more umph! ♦ ♣ ♥ ♠

So... more interest in the Queen of Hearts this week. Another request for a design similar to the one sold last week, but with the Royal Flush and a fixture enabling it to be attached to a hat. Here’s the result...

I actually like it that much I am in the process of making one with some veiling. Think this will be popular at the fair in a couple of weeks.

Now to start my entry for the Burlesque Sellers team challenge. Better late than never, deadline next Saturday, got to get a move on!

♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ 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

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♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ 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.

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♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ 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.

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♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ 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.

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