Teaware Crush: Midwinter Pottery

Posted on: August 25, 2011

My keen interest in collecting vintage crockery started when I created my decades themed Pop-up Tea Shoppe for the Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair which was traveling down south for it's London debut in April 2009. Continue reading »

The logo'd tea tags we designed for the Lady Luck's Pop-Up Tea Shoppe.

The logo'd tea tags we designed for the Lady Luck's Pop-Up Tea Shoppe.

After pitching my Decades themed Pop-Up Tea Shoppe idea to Judy I had 8 weeks to source crockery from the 1930s through to the 1970s. Each of my 5 tables would have tableware exclusively from a particular era, along with parlour games and a waitress styled in the fashions from the decade. I also taught myself to bake and handmade all of the teatime treats. I like a challenge! After this incredible experience I developed a love for Midwinter pottery and in particular the two ranges which completely revolutionised tableware in the 1950s. Continue reading »

Hackney Wick Open Air Art Market

Posted on: August 19, 2011

Ooh we do love a market in East London don't we? Check out the newest arrival which is right on my doorstep in Hackney Wick. Continue reading »

Fantastic old photograph of a London market used on the flyer for the Hackney Wick Art Market.

I recently picked up a flyer for the newest arrival on the East London market scene which opens for business at 11am tomorrow. The Hackney Wick Open Air Art Market’s 22 stalls will set up opposite local gem The Hackney Pearl where granny’s kitchen collides with a continental bar. The flyer reads… “A community market for local people with artists, designers, crafts, vintage books and music.” They accepted my pitch to sell ‘thrifted’ art but alas I haven’t got everything together in time so I hope to launch my little local stall of found arty treasures at their 2nd event on 22nd September. If anyone pops along let me know what it’s like!

Make Flower Headpieces at New Gallery Jumble

Posted on: August 17, 2011

An excellent reason for an Eastender to travel south of the border... Continue reading »

So, so, so pretty!

So, so, so pretty!

The New Gallery Jumble is a self-proclaimed carnival of up-cycling, handmade, vintage and free workshops in the heart of Peckham. Appealing to me on every level, so why haven’t I been yet?  I guess I can’t quite face trekking to Peckham, even though I know it’s not that far there are some places in London that feel a million miles away and I just can’t face it. That was until I spied their new free flower headpiece making workshop. WOW. Continue reading »

Make Pretty Sewing Stuff with the Seaside Sisters

Posted on: August 15, 2011

Last Thursday night I spent a fun evening with the Seaside Sisters at the Fabulous Fifties event at the Museum of London. Along with crafting, drinking & listening to the amazing band they told me about their latest workshops... Continue reading »

Looking forward to making these on Thursday at Craft Central.

Looking forward to making these on Thursday at Craft Central.

The Seaside Sisters have just launched a whole summer series of crafty workshop events! I’m looking forward to crafting and eating homemade cake at one of them this Thursday at Craft Central.  The super sassy Linda will teach us how to make lovely pin cushion storage jars and haberdashery tapes from recycled materials. Continue reading »

Hopping back aboard the Thrift-ola Train. Toot, toot!

Posted on: August 15, 2011

I really don't want to do one of those "gees I'm sorry I haven't blogged for a while" posts, but... Continue reading »

Screenshot from the Vintage by Hemingway blog

Screenshot from the Vintage by Hemingway blog

I also can’t side step the fact it’s been 7 weeks since my last thrifty/crafty musing. Eek. Or product upload. Double eek. Some of you might know that I started an internship at Vintage by Hemingway which rather pleasingly turned into a paid position. In my absence at Thrift-ola I clocked up over 100 blog posts for Vintage here including live blogging during the 3 day event at the Southbank, running their Twitter feed, organising competitions, co-ordinating street marketing teams and dipping my toe into helping with a few of their design projects. All in all it was a pretty amazing but all-consuming 4 months. Now the festival has finished I’m still freelancing for them on an exciting new project which I can hopefully reveal next week but I’m also hopping back aboard the Thrift-ola train and will attempt to work on both at the same time. Let’s see how that works out!