♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ 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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♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ 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.

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♥ 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.

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♦ ♣ ♥ ♠ 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!

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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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