Accessory Addict

Fall 2011

2011-08-10T14:22:00.003+01:00

I'm prety sure everyone I know is fed up hearing this by now, but I can't wait for New York for my birthday. But its not til November...which feels sooo far away. Cause I'm going to the most fashionable city in the world, at the coldest point of the year, I've been trying to sort out what I'm actually gonna wear, and I'm not a fan of thermals! My solution: pure wool lined with pure wool! So I'm constantly on the prowl for designs I can make for myself using some of the amazing wools that keep arriving in work.

I'm currently making this Vogue pattern
V1201, Donna Karan

The main part of the jacket is a gorgeously soft grey wool with a diagonal stripe weave but I'm doing the sleeves in leatherette. Its the strangest construction I've ever seen, it makes up as a bic circle, and the upper back connects in the centre to almost fill the circle! Its totally messing with my head but I'm liking the way its going.

I'm planning on making the trousers as well in a pure wool, but I'm not decided on which colour to do them.

I'm also pretty up for making a tunic dress similar to these ones(of course I've already seen some fabrics, waiting to see what else comes in over the next month or so) , its gotta have a pocket!

ASOS

Vintage

Further than this, I'm thinking layers...not quite sure what kind but definetly layers of some description! I'm away to scour the internet for ideas...or do any of you know what's best to do?

Basic Pleat Skirt Tutorial

2011-08-01T22:18:00.013+01:00

I've been wanting to do a tutorial on here for ages, but I've never quite found the right item to feature. I think this partly because I tend to use commercial patterns when I'm making clothing, but recently I've been adapting patterns I've got and have worked out ways to make things without a pattern. So let me present me with my first tutorial (if we don't count the Mandors quilt blog)...a Basic Pleated Skirt.

Tools:

1m of 60" wide heavy weight cotton or similar
1 7"or8" zip
Rotary Cutter and/or Scissors
Pins
Zipper foot
Matching thread and bobbin
Iron
You'll also need to know your waist measurements

Cut 7" off bottom of both layers of fabric along grain-line, I've used my rotary cutter as it provides a neat straight line, however this can be done with scissors after marking a line on the fabric. Then cut the metre of fabric down to your waist size, plus 1”, to give you your final panels. Making the skirt double the size of your waist allows for more options when pleating. If your fabric was folded on a bale, use the fold line to split the fabric, giving you front and back panels. If not, simply fold fabric in half and press in a line, then cut.

Using your 7" offcuts, you'll make your waistband. Add an inch to your waist measurements (for seam allowances) and then divide this by two. If you want to play it safe, add a little more as you can always make the skirt smaller! I chose to have a fairly narrow waistband so cut it 3" wide (which I'll later half) wide but it's up to you. Cut 2 pieces of your half waist by whatever width you decide.

For the front of the skirt, I wanted a large centre box pleat and 2 smaller pleats on the sides. To make these, you'll need to mark the quarters on the fabric (I find the easiest way to do this is to fold the fabric in half, mark with a pin and then again, it's only a rough guide but it's most effective!) Mark halfway between these pins (again just fold and pin, simple!). These will be your markers for the pleat folds. By using the pins you'll find easier to match them than pen/pencil marks.

Bring the two pins nearest the centre pin towards the centre so they meet, securely pin these and also at the other end of the pleat so it won't move. This creates the large box pleat. To make the other pleats, it is a bit of trial and error as it depends on your waist size. Use your pins to pull the fabric in or out until the fabric length matches that of your waistband, which is why we cut this earlier in the process. This part does take time, but it ensures a good fit. Stitch the pleats in place within your seam allowance.

For the back of the skirt, you can repeat this process of experiment with pleats. I've chosen to do the same as the front, only in reverse. So instead of the box pleat showing it's inside and the join shows. Again pleat in until the skirt matches the length of the waistband. Stitch pleats in place.

Now stitch front and back skirt panels together, I always tend to use a narrow seam allowance and use the edge of my presser foot as my guide. Once stitched, press out seam allowance and I always find top pressing gives a crisp finish.

Now the waistband is to be attached. I've just realised that I didn't take pictures putting the waist band in, but its quite simple. Stitch your two waistband pieces together. I changed my mind at this point as to how I was going to put it in, so I halved my 3"wide pieces. I figured this would my zip insertion easier. Match the edges and centre seams of both the waistband and main skirt, pin and stitch. Its worth top pressing out the waistband at this point as well. The part you have just halved will be used soon so keep it handy.

It's time to put in the zip. I know this is the point most beginner sewers panic and think nk they're going to mess up, but like most things practice makes perfect. I am by no means anywhere near perfect at putting a zip in but each time I do, I see an improvement and I'm gradually getting more confident.

Take your zip and place it right in the top corner of the fabric on the waistband, then follow down the zip and pop a pin in the fabric just above where the teeth end. Stitch sides of skirt together from bottom to this marker. Press. Pin the right side of the zip along the right side of the fabric, along the edge, keeping it behind your seams at the end. You'll need to change to your zipper foot at this point. Stitch in zip as close to the teeth as you feel comfortable. Repeat for the other side of the zip. I like the colour and the teeth of the zip I used, so I kept it quite exposed.

Normally in a waistband you would interface one half, however as I'm using a heavy weight cotton, I've decided not to. It's up to you if you would rather use some anyway. If you're using anything lighter than canvas weight I wouldn't make the waistband without strengthening it somehow. Pin and stitch your other half of the waistband in place, making sure the ends of the zip are inside for a neat finish. Press inside.

Finally the skirt needs to be hemmed. I'm using this amazing little device I picked up in Canada, it's called the ezy-hemmer and it's made my life so much easier! Just fold the fabric up to the line you want to hem and press! Simple as that! I'm assuming few, if any, of you will have one of these, so to hem just measure around the amount you want to take up and press. I've been converted to double turning up my hem to stop any stray threads so I just fold my already pressed fold and press again containing the raw edge. Just stitch a straight line along the bottom to hem, or if you have a hemming stitch use that.

And voila! You have your skirt! I think this skirts looks at bit more sophisticated than an elastic waist banded skirt, and once you've tried it a couple times, it becomes just as easy!

I really quite enjoyed writing this tutorial, and if you try it out let me know how you get on with it! And feel free to share pics of it either here or on the facebook page! I think I'll try and do some more maybe a sew along type thing with a commercial pattern or see what else I can come up with!

Oh and what do you think of the new logo and slight revamp? I felt like a change and this better reflects the way I want the blog to develop.

My Online Past-times

2011-07-13T20:45:00.008+01:00

I love the summer, but seriously, all this non-sunny weathers getting a bit boring! So if I've not been working I've been kicking about the house all day, watching countless amounts of Sky daytime TV. With the odd bit of internet browsing thrown in.

And then I discovered (when I say discovered I really mean finally took notice of) Pinterest. I will never be bored again! For those of you who are unaware of this gem of a website, its a virtual pinboard, where you can browse online and 'pin' pictures to your board to revisit and share. I'd known about it for a while but didn't get ot or the fuss, but I've signed up and haven't been off it since!

It's worth a look, so far I've seen some amazing ideas for fashion, home and food!

Other than that, my other main internet indulgence is eBay. I've honed my searching skills and have came up with 2 perfect vintage searches to suit my needs! And boy is it working (and my bank balance is feeling it!)
I've managed to bid on and win some treasures including

Vintage Balenciaga bag (£30)

60's jacket (£7.99)

And I'm planning a wee bid on this pleat dress

As well as selling some old bits and pieces of my own(that my bank balance is preferring).

How else do y'all spend time online...I'm always on the look out for new online stores and inspirations. I'll maybe put together a wee blog list or something soon...add updating my own blog to my list of online past times eh?

Bottoms Up!

2011-06-19T20:56:00.007+01:00

As you all know I've doing my best with the sewing, and before I headed off to Canada on holiday, I had mainly focussed my efforts on dresses. But whilst I was away, I tried and tried to find a pair of shorts I really loved. I spent a ridiculous amount of time in all my favourite stores trying to find THAT pair but I kept failing.

In Niagara Falls, there is a massive Fabricland. Now I know y'all must think its a bit mental doing fabric shopping on holiday especially when I work in a fabric store, but I love Fabricland. Let me put it this way; I bought 5 patterns, fabric for each pattern, tons of notions and some rather jazzy sewing aids(that I'm not quite sure who I managed to make things sucessfully without them in the past!)...the total for all this? Less that 100 bucks! BARGAIN!(even at the current exchage rate!)

Having failed in the shops, I thought why not look for a pattern and try making shorts. Patterns are the same accross the world so I felt pretty confident I would find something. I went through all my go-to pattern company books but to no avail. Finally I tried the Kwik Sew book. I've never used KS patterns and haven't heard much feedback about them. But I browsed and found a pair of shorts I really liked. So I thought 'why not' and bought some awesome jacquard to make them with.

When I got home, the first thing I decided to make were the shorts. I am now a fully fledged Kwik Sew Fan! The pattern was perfect! First, its printed on paper, actual paper! I hate the tissue that all the other companies use, mostly because I can be a bit careless and manage to tear most patterns I use. But with this pattern, no danger of doing that! Second, its sooo clear to used, both the markings and the instructions! Happy with all this, I set off to make my shorts!

I love them, I couldn't have asked for a better pair! I keep joking with everyone that they're like a nappy. The front panel and pocket panels seperate to allow you to take them on and off(sort of like a nappy) so need for a fidly zip insertation! WIN! And I love that they're a bit longer in length, cause most shorts are a bit on the short side for me. Finally, Kwik Sew have amazing sizing. Whilst most companies go for the conventional number sizing, KS use XS-XL in all patterns! Far easier to work out which size you are.

So the finished product...

Since the sucess of these, I've decided to try another pair, this time a McCalls pattern that wasn't available whislt I was away. I've also made some simple skirts, from large remnants, that I've adapted some exisitng patterns to make.

Resort 2012

2011-06-19T20:06:00.017+01:00

I've just spent the last hour or so browsing style.com. Its the proper go to site for my daily dose of fashion. I've not had the time, until now, to properly look throught the Resort 12 collections, and I'm loving the 60s/70s vibe thats noticeable from nearly every designer(or at least those I looked at!)
Here are my favourites...

YSL

Vionnet

Louis Vuittion

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs

My ultimate favourite? Louis Vuitton. There are so many of those pieces I love, I'm trying to work out in my head if there's a similar pattern somewhere so I can make my own!

Mandors Blog

2011-06-01T19:05:00.003+01:00

It's been a mental couple of months for me, finishing first year, holidaying in Canada and then the M&S Sandyhills Fashion Show...now its summer and I'm working pretty much full time. Whoever said being a student was an easy job clearly hasn't seen my schedule!

I've got quite a few bits and pieces to share with you, but I'm not gonna make a half-hearted attempt, so y'all will need to wait a wee while for me to get some posts sorted! But I'll just say that they're gonna contain my new vintage purchases(from both here and away) and my adventures further into the world of dressmaking.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with this. I done a wee post for my work's blog so check it out and maybe try something new yourselves? (If you go read it you'll understand why I say that!)

Supermarket Sweep

2011-04-20T21:31:00.001+01:00

IT"S OFFICIALLY SUMMER! WOOP!

That's right, I'm finished uni for summer, and have (successfully, I hope) completed first year. As I've mentioned before, I really love my course and although I'm glad I don't need to do anymore work until September, I can't wait to see what next year brings.

As part of our assessment we had to write a macro analysis report on a high street retailer of our choice. I choose M&S. It was really interesting finding out different details of the inner workings of the UK's largest retailer. One of the curious ideas I discovered was that their main form of competition appeared to come from supermarkets...Supermarket? Surely not, considering that M&S are known for their quality and service standards, and well, supermarkets just don't seem to compare. It's down to the convenience factor, everything under the one roof.

This got me thinking about our supermarkets as clothing retailers. I have no shame in saying that I always choose to go to Tesco, purely because I get to look at the clothes. And I equally have no shame in saying that I often buy items of clothing there, in fact at one point last year, I had hardly any free time and done my clothes shopping almost exclusively in Tesco. Albeit hard to believe, UK supermarkets are pretty good for clothes, and aren't that bad quality. When we have no issues accepting Primark as a value retailer, spending £12 on a dress in there, why should we have issues throwing a £16 dress in out trolley in Tesco?

Let me get to my point. We all know I ♥ Marc Jacobs. Well this season I'm totally in love with this dress:

It was featured in this week's Grazia and I showed it to my mum exclaiming my love for. Fast forward 2hours and we're in Sainsbury's where I found this:

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE!?

Ok, so its a bit shorter and not as full, but at £18 (compared to £315 for the MbMJ Simone dress) I'm not complaining. Oh, and it's viscose. I love viscose(don't start me, all my customers get my love of viscose, and why its amazing talk when they look at it in the shop).

So, I'm asking you all to reconsider supermarket shopping...go on, grab that £20 floral playsuit the next time your in Tesco, or indulge in 25% off all clothing currently at Sainsbury's.(I don't shop in ASDA, so I can't comment, but I'm sure George has something to offer!)

After some comtemplation...

2011-03-25T20:32:00.006Z

I've decided Paris is my favourite Fashion Week, well this season at least! This kinda surprised me, I'd always favoured New York, with Marc Jacobs, MbMJ, Proenza Schouler, DKNY...the easy, wearable classics. Don't get me wrong, I still loved AW11 NYC but Paris had the edge for me. It was exciting to see McQueen, especially with royal wedding dress rumours(that clearly weren't dispelled with the white gown extravaganza!), John Galliano's final Dior collection(and the bow of the 40 amazing Ateliers), Chanel never disappoints and this season was no exception(I loved the move to a wearable glamour and biker boots!).

My ultimate favourite? Louis Vuitton! Especially after last autumns collection of 50's dresses, I was intrigued to see what Marc Jacobs would present this year. Apart from the fetish fabics, the nostalgic feel was there, but this time further back with more of a forties feel. I am still utterly in love with the 40's and 50's. I love the glamour and the effort that were out into outfits, which we so lack today.

Here are my favourite pieces from Paris

Balenciaga

Chanel

MiuMiu

Mc Queen

Louis Vuitton

Vionnet

YSL

Maybe the other reason for my heart to be lying in Paris this season, is that its the home of Couture, the real couture houses from back in the 40's and 50's still have Paris as thier home, and it's those that I love the most. There is something exciting about a house with a history and how its been interpreted by its creative director season after season. Not that I don't love a new label, I just love the influence of the past(but I'm sure you had already guessed that).

Another Week, Another Dress

2011-03-25T20:15:00.003Z

As I mentioned in my last post, I was contemplating making a dress combining the two vintage patterns I had used. Well here it is:

The skirt is Butterick 5032 and the top is Butterick 5214. The skirt didn't quite match the top, I didn't realise there would be such a sizing difference, considering that they are both from the one company. But I simply put a pleat in centre front of the skirt and it works fine! I'm going to add some red satin bias binding around the neckline and armholes just to finish it off.

This has to be my favourite of the dresses I've made so far! It just feels like such a vintage dress! LOL but its soo comfortable, and having taken it up, the length is perfect. And obviously I'm still loving my nautical hence the choice of fabric. I don't think I'm going to necessarily going to wear the necklace with it, the neckline is lower when the dress is on, so it's just too much.

Since I'm soo pleased with it, I'm going to make it again in one of the new cottons in the shop. I've also got a pattern for a vintage coat, so I'm on the hunt for fabric for it, I can't work out what I want to do it in :( it needs to have drape, but I'd quite like it in a summer fabric(NOT LINEN!!) to wear if its cooler here. I'm just not seeing anything in the shop...might wait until I'm in Canada, see if I can get something different!

Vintage Patterns

2011-03-19T22:58:00.003Z

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I've been spending alot of my spare time dressmaking rather than accessory making. Considering in the future I want to work in fashion I feel it's almost more important to have a sound knowledge of dressmaking and to focus on that at the moment rather than just the accessories. (Having said that, I can't wait for payday cause I've got an idea for a bag, but the material is £60/m!)

I've also been loving vintage recently, but haven't really been all that impressed with the offerings of Glasgow's vintage stores :( However, a few of the pattern companies having realised how major vintage is, have re-issued their patterns that were originally drafted and for sale in the 40s-60s. Vouge has turned out to be my favourite, they have a whole section in their pattern book dedicated to their vintage patterns. It's so lovely just to look at, and hard not to buy one every time I open the book! However at christmas I made this dress(I apologise for the photo, it's the best one I have!) from Vogue:

V2902

The top is a plain black viscose satin and the skirt is a stunning leopard polyester jacquard. It was the first proper dress I made and I'm soo happy with how it turned out. The picture is actually of me wearing it ready to go out on new year's eve!

After making that, I thought I'd try the Butterick pattern book, they class their re-issued patterns as Retro(which is actually more accurate). There's one aspect of Butterick patterns that makes them marginally more desireable than the Vogue ones, the price. Vogue patterns start at about £8, the most expensive Butterick pattern is about £8, see my point? I got 2 of the Retro Butterick patterns and here's how they turned out:

B5214

B5032

Both dresses are cotton poplin prints, and the jacket is a silk/viscose/wool tweed. The jack isn't finished jet, the tweed is a nightmare to work with without an overlocker so I'm patiently trying to make it work. However the dresses are going to be awesome for summer. I can't wait for the sun to come out and stay out so I can wear the white one and not feel like your typical british person over doing it in white cause its not grey outside!

My next project is to make another dress that will an combination of the two Butterick patterns, the top of the blue one and the skirt of the white one, I've got a cute little anchor print cotton that will be perfect for it.

I should probably add that all the fabrics and patterns were bought from Mandors(where else?) and all the patterns are still available. I was lucky enough to get the last of the tweed and the blue print cotton, so these are no longer in store but all our new summer cottons and fabrics are gradually arriving so its worth coming in for a visit just to see whats in store and maybe get some inspiration and get making!

The Golden Age of Couture

2011-03-01T22:52:00.002Z

As you all know, I read an insane amount of books. Recently, I've been really delving into V&A books...because they are written to accompany the exhibitions at the Museum, they are throughly researched, relevant and to the point. They provide a solid historical reference on many aspects of past design as well as making them modern in their approach and attitude.

My favourite so far has definetly been The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957.

This title was concerned with the post war era and the effect it had on the design houses of the time. The books structure made it simple to read while providing a wealth of information on dress-making at the time, from design to fittings, to the first fashion shows to the final garment and how it was present to the public. It also documented the stand out courtiers of the time: Christian Dior, Cristobal Balenciaga, Pierre Balmain, Andre Correges, Hardy Aimes and a lovely tribute to Cecil Beaton and his 1971 exhibition 'Fashion: An Anthology'.

I know I've said this before, but I love looking at garments from the past, when dressing up was truely dressing up. I love that people made and effort to look stunning and that stunning was something entirely different from what it is now.

One of my favourite dresses featured in the book was this Balmain embroidered feather silk gown:

Considering it was created in the early 1950's before technology was even in its infacny, the detail and execution is immaculate. Dresses were really worth their money then!

At the oscars on Sunday night I was very excited about Hilary Swank's Gucci dress:

see why? I suppose it's just cause I love my feathers eh?

I've been doing alot more dress making lately and have been loving working with the Vintage Vogue and Butterick patterns currently available. I'm currently working out and original 1947 design which I'm fairly excited about(sadly no feathers). Once I finish it, I might consider a proper outfit post featuring the garments I've made. Since the weather has been slightly better the past few days(Sun, in Glasgow, at this time of the year? Yeh, I know, it's mental!) and the latest dress is cotton I'll see if the weather keeps and maybe go for it!

I think I'm moving backwards in time as the next book I'm looking forward to reading is Forties Fashion: From Siren Suits to the New Look

I'm loving the tailored dresses and their progression into Dior's new look. Oh and the fact Marc Jacob's AW11 collection was fairly well tailored hasn't influence that at all ;)

Oh and a final thought...John Galliano's sacking from Dior! I can't to see what happens next!

Primark

2011-02-13T22:51:00.004Z

I've got admit, for not being a big Primark shopper, I've spent quite a lot in there lately(which is difficult to do!) I do think thats it's more expensive now that it's been in the past, but I also think that the choice of garment, especially fashion forward garments, has been much better in the past few months. Recently I've bought the following items:

The dress version of this skirt has been highly publicised in the press but the Sauchiehall St store doesn't seem to have it in stock. I suppose I'll probably get more wear out of the skirt anyway.

Apparently I've reignited my love for Nautical. I don't think this was quite a conscious decision...I had a quick run round the shop yesterday and managed to pick up all these items; charm necklace £3, Boat necklace £1.50, set of 2 scarves £2 and this little dress £5(!):

Considering it was only a fiver, the prints cute, its shirred on the back, has piping on the bust and has button detail. I'm pretty impressed.

There are a few other items I've seen in their lookbook pictures and in the press that I'm on the lookout for...maybe I'll need to have a wander round the Argyle St store soon!

Pareee

2011-02-13T22:39:00.004Z

Have I ever mentioned how much I love working at Mandors? I'm pretty sure I've stated that once or twice in the past and not just incase my bosses ever read this. I do genuinely love it though.

Last week, myself and few of the other girls were invited along with our manager and head of department to go along to Premiere Vision with them. For those of you who don't know what Premiere Vision is, its the largest fabric trade fair in the world held twice a year in the Parc de Expositions, Paris. It's the place to go to buy fabric...all your major designers visit, all your highstreet shops and everyone else inbetween from all around the world. Split over 5 halls in the exhibition centre, it covers everything: basic fabrics, leathers, furs, trims, buttons, shoe soles, manufacturing, everything you can ever imagine in terms of garment creation. It's massive, words can't even describe. There are trend forecasting areas developed by PV's experts featuring colour palettes and fabric styles to inform you of whats coming the following year(we were at the show for fabrics for spring summer 2012!).

You weren't really allowed to take photos so I could only get a few:

We planned our trip that we could go into Paris on the afternoon of the second day. Having never visited the city before, I was intrigued as to how it would be. My expectations were of a historical city rich in architecture but with a modern vibrancy. The former was true but it lacked the modern edge I was hoping for. I don't quite know how to describe this properly, but in comparison to NYC it just seemed too subdued for me. Maybe just one afternoon wasn't enough for me...if I'm lucky enough to go back at some point, I'll let you know if my opinion changes!

I was definitely impressed with the architecture though, done as all good tourists do and took pictures of random buildings! And the Eifel Tower is quite the engineering feat, totally stunning!

Aside from having a wander round the city, we made a point of going to the MbMJ store(my need) and some vintage shopping(at Cat's recommendation). And oh my, the vintage shop was AMAZING! So cheap, not even joking, dresses for 10€! So I got myself a dress, cardi and a bag(that I've forgotten to take a photo of! Typical me!)

All in all, our trip was a wonderful experience and I would love the opportunity to return! And I've got to say a massive thank you to Mandors for allowing me the opportunity to go and the Mandorettes: Kirsty, Kim, Cat, Helen and Denise for making it all the fun it was!

Spring Summer 2011

2011-01-28T14:20:00.006Z

Amy: This post's for you ;) But only cause you moaned at me this morning for not updating more recently, which I apologise for!

I've spent a while trying to work out what I was going to write for this post. I've never really been a fan of summer as a season, I'm not really a big fan of weather to be honest. I don't like the cold or the rain but I equally don't like the sun or heat. When I was younger and we went to like Spain or Tennerife for holidays I'd spend my time in my hotel room, Air-con on, reading insane amounts of books and magazines. So as I've never been a summer person, getting clothes for summer holidays never really bothered me...and with our summer holiday having been in Canada the past 5years, I've pretty much bought my holiday clothes whilst on holiday. HOWEVER this year I'm excited! I may not love summer, but I do love colour!

The spring/summer 2011 collections were full of! Pretty much every colour was featured either in whole outfits or clever colour blocking(some designers even chose to use every colour in the one garment, hiya Moschino!) I'd saved all of my favourites using Style.com 's lookbook function and having got my Elle Collections yesterday, I went back through the images and chose my favourites. I editied it down to around 40...far too many to highlight here(I had plans of doing a rainbow type graphic but sadly my photo editing skills ain't what they used to be!), so here is my further edit.

So long as the highstreet chooses to adopt these colours this season, I might actually go and buy some summer pieces here!

2011

2011-01-05T19:16:00.002Z

I know that 2011's gonna be a good year...I can just feel it!

I'm not complaining about 2010, it was amazing...new job, uni, new friends, loads of laughs, another awesome Canada trip and just generally becoming more confident in most things! But I soo can't wait for what's coming this year!

I'm not really a fan of new year's resolutions...every year I vow to stop biting my nails and I've not suceeded yet! So I've not made one for this year! However I'm gonna make it as fashionable as possible! I also have a feeling that this blog is going to evolve a bit. With uni, I'm spending a ton of time lusting over images of clothing rather than just accessories, which has stopped me writing so much. I'm thinking that so I can update more frequently, that I'm going to look at the whole world of fashion instead purely accessories. It might also help with my degree in one way or another. Oh,and I've also started dressmaking so I'll be making more and more items that I'll hopefully feature here.

AND

It's fashion capitals of the world year!

Paris in February for Premiere Vision with my work. It's only like the biggest fabric trade fair in the world! And it's Paris! I've never been before, and I don't imagine that I'm gonna get to see very much of it but I'm pretty excited!

Possibly London for a week in the summer, but I'm not too sure how that's going to work out, I'll keep ya posted!

And, since I'm turing 21 I wanted to do something special with my family...so New York here I come(again)!

So that's what I want to achieve this year, but more than that I want 2011 to be awesome, unpredictable, a little bit random and even better than last year!

Muiccia Prada I (Miu Miu) Heart You

2010-12-09T20:14:00.003Z

I've always been slightly depressed by Cruise Collections, they kind of remind you that some people get to holiday at this time of the year but no, not students we have the whole exam thing going on! But this year I'm loving MiuMiu and Prada's cruise collections!

I ♥ My Muff

2010-12-09T19:53:00.004Z

Admit it, you laughed a little when you read the title :)

When I was little I loved Clueless. There was one episode that I obvioulsy loved when I was wee, the espisode where Cher and Dionne with Muff's.(I googled for a picture but I can't find one) So much so apparantly that my Gran made me one from an old fur coat she had. That muff's sadly disappeared over the years :(

So this year when I happened to be wandering through Urban Outfitters, which I do have to say is an ofter occurrance, I was delighted to see the mannequins with these!

So I thought to myself, we've got some gorgeous faux fur in the shop...hmm DIY?

So thats what I did, and I'm quite happy to say
I LOVE MY MUFF :)

Vintage Bags

2010-12-09T19:28:00.003Z

You might remember that in the summer I posted a blog about the vintage style bags on the AW10 runways. And that I've been pretty obsessed with them since. Well whats better than those than actual vintage bags!

I'm always a bit disappointed when in vintage shops looking at their vintage bags. Most are well used, and you can tell. I'm all for pre-loved but I do want something I can keep forever that still gonna look amazing. So with some birthday money in my purse I went a trek round Glasgow's best...and found nothing until Mr Ben. I love Mr Ben. The lady who owns the store is amazing and always has wonderful stories to tell!

I LOVELOVELOVE IT!

Do you not just think its stunning? It was dated 50/60's and I coudn't resist. It's pretty much mark free :) I just need to find a ladylike occassion to wear it!

On Saturday, I was meant to be in Birmingham at Clothes Show Live, however the weather had others ideas. Stuck in Glasgow with a weekend off work, what's a girl to do other than head out shopping! Me and mum headed out to get some more of the Christmas shopping done and I declared that since it was a Saturday we were heading to the Barras to finally visit the lovely Made In The Shade Girl's new home and their Saturday Supermercado! The Barras may have been cold, but with all their lovely sellers the place felt lovely and warm with sooo many cheerful faces braving the freezing temperatures to set up shop! You've gotta go and get yourself some handmade lovlies!

The Barras centre is also Che Camille's new home, which I had actually visited before :) however there had been some changes! Their HQ the last time was just that, now its a cosier version of thier Buchannan St shop and has the best of the selection they had before. I treated myself to this lovely little handbag.

It's soo pretty and matches a dress I just bought. It's also dated 60's so I've found my favourite handbag era eh?

Dear Marc

2010-12-09T19:08:00.004Z

My orginal post about my Marc Jacobs Saga can be found here.

[Yes again, but this time I'm not posting it to thier wall as they obv. don't care :( but I'm in need of a vent]

So I waited for 3 weeks and you're web manager Daniel never replied about my bag. I get that I'm just a customer on the other side of the atlantic who you're never gonna meet and care hardly any for since I ain't likely to be dropping some heavy dollar's your way(looks like now you won't have me spending any dollars, happy?). Well guess what, I'm worth more than that and its commom decency for you to reply to other human beings. So a wee nudge email from me and what do you say...
"unfortunately our return/repair policy pertains to customers who bought products from our boutiques
since your bag was purchased at bloomingdales, we cannot honor a return - i'm very sorry about this"
Ok so I'm glad your sorry, but it's Bloomingdales fault the bag is faulty? Um, no, your name's on it, you made it, clearly the problem lies with you, k?

Safe to say I'm pretty pissed off, and I don't really get angry, or swear for that matter.

Oh and as for contacting Bloomingdales, I tried to no avail, am I really surprised now?

I still love you Marc Jacobs, contrary to what my facebook status may have been when I recived the email telling me it wasn't your problem. I just wanna know why you don't care, when what I read about you tell me otherwise.

Marc Jacobs Intl on Facebook:
"The 10 original company guidelines set up by Robert Duffy in 1984.
1. To maintain the quality and integrity expected of a leading fashion designer.
...
8. To be grateful for our customers.
..."

Business of Fashion Interview with Robert Duffy: (with regards to the power of Twitter)
" There were some kids that didn’t have any money and were trying to do stuff and so I hooked them up with some people that might help them. And one customer’s fantasy in some country was to own this thing and he couldn’t get it, so we sent it to him."

Seems like Robert Duffy cares about his customers? Um, HIYA :) ?

So Robert Duffy (whom I also have a massive amount of respect for) or Marc Jacobs, if you ever read this a wee explaination would be nice.

Yours,

Accessory Addict

Bags

2010-11-17T20:42:00.001Z

So it's been a while but I haven't forgotten about the blog. Its just then whole economics and marketing getting in the road. However the fashion is still fierce and I'm still loving it! Woop!

Y'all know how I'm loving vintage look bags at the moment. Well I was having a wander round Urban Outfitters the other day and found these.

Quite honestly I want them all!

Oh and this little Zara bag I came across whilst doing some online browsing

It would go perfectly with my Christmas outfit!

INOTHERNEWS

Within 3hours of me posting the Marc Jacobs post, I got an email from their head office...the power of bad press eh? However I'm still not happy cause they still haven't solved my problem, they asked where I purchased the bag and if I had the reciept, which I replied to, then they responded by saying that as it was bought from an external retailer it became a bigger issue. Eh naw cause you still made the bag. And that they would get back to me when their supervisor got back to them. Funnily enough, I'm waiting on a reply. Hiya, maybe understand my complaint?

Oh and for the first time in agessss, i've made a new bag! I'll post some pictures soon!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Marc Jacobs

2010-11-02T17:12:00.006Z

I know this post is gonna turn into a bit of a rant...and I'm genuinely sorry that I'm having to post it. It's been really hard for me to write it, probably why I've put it off for soo long, as it's about Marc Jacobs(not necessarily the man himself, more the company [oh, there I go making excuses already!]).

Those of you who know me, know my pride and joy is my Marc by Marc Jacobs Jelly Jacquard Grovee bag. I treated myself to the bag just after my 18th. My mum's friend was in NYC and she picked it up there for me as there was no where over here at the time I could get it. The bag is my baby and I genuinely love it. I kept it for special occasions and was so proud to be able to tote it with me. Then a few months after I got it the flourescent handles began to crack, I was horrified my perfect bag was no longer so. Gradually the pink faded away and no is white, and pretty grubby looking. I was soo disappointed, I had spent quite alot on it and felt sure that the craftsmanship in the bag, along with the design, would have been worth the price tag. How wrong I was. I decided to email their handbags repair team to see if there was anything I could do.

So away I went and emailled explaing that the colour was coming away from the handles and due to the unique colour of them could not source a replacement myself...a week later no reply. As I'm a bit of a worrier, I sent another email asking if my inital one had been recieved. This time I recieved a reply, no apology for any delay in responding stating simply that the damage was due to general wear and tear and there was nothing they could do. I though "Oh, thats a bit breif, and hasn;t really helped". I wrote back to see if I was able to purchase new handles from them...I'm still waiting for a reply.

This got me really quite angry. Why not respond?

I waited a couple of months before my parents encouraged me to write a letter to Marc Jacobs personally. I explained what my initial query was, and that I was dishearten at their lack of customer service. More so than that I was disappointed in the company as a whole. You don't expect a luxury good to disintegrate in the way this has, and especially since I took such care of this bag, my baby! I was just soo angry with the whole thing, I've got bags that I've had for years that were a fraction of the price of it that are in far better condition! Oh, and considering I have another MbMJ bag that's still the same as when I bought it, and has been used more, its clearly not wear and tear eh? You also don't expect a luxury brand to give you dollar store treatment...in fact I'm pretty sure dollar stores respond to any questions. A brand needs to work from the core, what the consumer see's on the outside needs to reflect the etho's of the brand and how it functions. I'm sure I explained all this quite clearly in my letter.

Surprise, Surprise, I'm still waiting on a reply. I sent that letter on August 2nd 2010. That's 3 months. I don't know about you but to be thats completly disgraceful.

I don't even think I'm angry at the fact my bag isn't how it should be anymore. I'm angry at the attitude of Marc Jacobs and his staff. A company of it's stature should be able to respond to communications quickly and effiecntly. But clearly not. Maybe I've just got them too high on a pedestal but I'm pretty sure that it's bang out of order. I hold such a great deal of admiration for the company, I'm sure as readers you'll have noticed this. However it's plummeted since this whole incident. What makes it worse is that I love everything that they produce(I soooo want one of the iPad covers! And maybe the headphones to match) and I still have my style file box containing only MJ items. But I just can't get my head around their lack of interest in their consumers. I may be the one in a million that complains, but I'm just soo disapointed, and to be honest, I'm actually embarrassed to use the bag in public cause it looks pretty crappy now.

Again I apologise for the rant, but I'm fed up of companies having a perfect image in the media and noone wanting to say anything for fear of a lawsuit or something. But in this case I don't care. It may sound childish being this upset over it but the bag really does mean an awful lot to me and the fact that I don't want to use it breaks my heart.

(note: the picture is rubbish I know, I don't have my camera so my wee phone one will have to do. You can however see the damage)

Chloe Sevigny

2010-10-20T15:53:00.001+01:00

I have to admit, and I know in the fashion world this is some kind of crime, but I've always claimed to not be fussed on Chloe Sevigny...however I think I've been in denial.

I love this picture

It's true she didn't personally style this look, but when I googled her for this picture I realised that she actually is quite remarkable. There were soo many images I saw and loved, I've obviously been under a rock or something.

But back to that picture. It's a still from her new movie Mr Nice, y'kno the one about Howard Marks(Rhys Ifans), the drug dealer. She plays his wife Judy and I hope that she is as exuberant as I want her to be. I love the glamour of this picture, the martini, the smoky room, the red lips, the suit and the accessories! That floral head piece is just stunning! I QUITE WANT ONE NOW :) and the wee bow tie necklace, love love love.

I'm quite up for going to see that movie now.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

GmbH

2010-10-15T14:07:00.002+01:00

Last post of the day...I promise!

Y'all know I have my total obsession with magazines and especially my international ones but since Borders shut down at Christmas I've been at a total loss over where to get my fix...I remember one day asking my boss if she knew of any good newsagents and she let me away on a wee skive to see if I could find any :) The best I could find was WHSmith on Sauchiehall Street which is good in the respect of commercially sucessful ones(i.e. Elle, Marie Claire etc). However the slightly more harder to come by ones(V, Interview etc) I couldn't find anywhere. Thats until I heard of the launch of GmbH at the Modern Institute. It's a magazine shop with a difference.

It's only stocking those quirky magazines that you don't find anywhere. I was well impressed. There was a lovely stock of V, Interview, Tank, Dansk, Nylon, Dazed & Confused and all the others you could possibly think of.

The only downfall...it's soo far away! But I'll definetly be visiting often and what the heck, Mr Ben's is just round the corner so just make it a joint trip! :)

Check out their facebook

Baa Baa Wooly Sheep

2010-10-15T13:44:00.003+01:00

Do you not hate that's how the song should be sang now? It doesn't even make sense! "baa baa wooly sheep have you any wool?" like a wooly sheep's gonna say no! Anyway onto my point.

Shearling is big right now. And faux is the way to go! :) Wether it be on an Aviator Jacket(to keep you cosy and all that) or trimming boots or bags, there's no denying that it's everywhere at the mo.

I was out shopping the other night and discovered just how much I was loving it. To be honest I didn't entirely understand the fuss. And then I tried on some boots and I was sold! (I also think its partly down to Uni. Our end of semester fashion presntation is on an AW10 trend, mine being vintage millitary. And the aviator jacket is a part and shearling is a key fabric. So I have a lil swatch of it up in my room.)

So here are my favourite shearling accessories

YSL

Burberry Prorsum

Paul & Joe

Liberty of London how I ♥ you!

2010-10-15T13:34:00.003+01:00

Well who doesn't?

I've always loved Liberty of London...it's probably the best department store in the world(well of the ones I've visited anyway). It's soo iconic; the building, the simple logo, the prints. Oh the prints! Working in Mandors has definetly not helped, the whole seeing them every time I'm in work, and the lusting over them.

As much as I love the prints we have in the shop, I do love a browse through their online catalogue. It's always got something exclusive going on and their latest collaboration is nothing short of thrilling!

Manolo Blahnik!!!

The legendary shoe mastermind has designed prints for AW10. Featuring his stiletto heel sketches its a joy to look at. The downside, they're sold out. All that's ;eft in stock is the Rosebud print. Hopefully they'll replenish soon so I can grab some!

And with the fabric/haberdashery sectioned having jsut been expanded to fill a whole floor, I'm pretty desperate to go visit!

nana nana nana BATMAN!

2010-10-05T22:10:00.004+01:00

No nothing to actually do with Batman...but with capes! LOL I wanted a jazzy title, it's been a long day and its the best I can do!

So I've been a lil bit obsessed with capes. Maybe it's cause I used to have a poncho as a child, but they're definetly on of my favourite AW10 items. I know not strickly speaking an accessory, but I honestly don't care!

Last week some GORGEOUS Ralph Lauren tweeds arrived in work, and as staff we got a wee preview and the chance to get some. So I nabbed some and made my mum a cape using this one

So simple to make, and looks so effective! I think I'll have to be buying more to make a few. Mum's even put in an order for one as a Christmas present! I did however make myself one first in a stunning Wool/Cashmere we had in(and have now sold out of...gutted!) but the pictures didn't look great so will have to work on that!

There were some awesome capes on the catwalk and the highstreet have filtered them down really well. My personal favourite is this beauty from H&M(hmm...seems H&M keeps popping up) which I've already treated myself to(but in the camel).

What a bargain at only £14.99! I originally saw whilst in Canada but deemed it to heavy to carry home(already having far too much to return with) and hoped I would find it here. And I clearly suceeded!

Other than being so now, capes are fab for throwing on over a tee and jeans and can be both casual and dressy...I'd reccommend getting your hands on one!

Lanvin ♥ H&M

2010-10-05T18:50:00.003+01:00

So as we all know the highly anticipated Lanvin collection for H&M is only a month away from launching and judging by the trailers on (what I have to saw is flawless) H&M's shiney new site its going to be amazing! Who doesn't love Alber Elbaz? The man's a legend!

H&M have launched a competition to coincide with the Lanvin collection, the prize is the right to host an exclusive trailer for the collection. I know I'm unlikely to win, but hey it's worth a try. All you have to do is click on the widget in this post. Simple as pie!

I'll pop the widget in the side panel, so y'all can re-vote after you've gotten rid of your cookies! Oh and don't forget to tell your friends! All votes will be muchly appreciated!

I'll leave you with some of my favourites from what's currently available at an H&M near you, or on their lovely new shop online!

iPod Cases

2010-10-01T10:29:00.002+01:00

Whilst having another browse through the AW10 catwalks I realised I'd missed these when looking at the Dolce & Gabbana show...

How amazing are they! If I had a spare £400 I would well want one! And the wee detachable purse bit! Genius!

Oh and apparantly Louis Vuitton done some as well...guess where I'm off to look at!

They've Done It Again!

2010-09-30T21:30:00.006+01:00

I love Marks and Spencer, genuinely love it! Y'all know I'm their biggest fan, its in my blood, so how could I not be? Once again they have released a range of accessories that are very impressive. Channelling the major catwalk trends for AW10, any one of these could pass as designer.

Here are my picks, but it is definetly worth a visit instore.
(I apologise for the photos, but definetly check them out on their site here)

And these little beauties I treated myself to!

I hate that Marks and Spencer still holds a kind of stigma about going into. I hate that people my age still regard it as a 'granny' shop. As I've said here before, we all relied on it when we were wee for our school uniform and for Percy Pigs(or now Reversy Percy's which I'm just not feelin' sorry I'm not a big fan of the ears.) However when it comes to food shopping it's more highly sought after(not that more expensive than Tesco, might I add) and now stocks our favourite supermarket brands. It's fancy to eat their food, but not so much to wear their clothes.

Sowhy does my generation avoid it? Is it considered expensive? In some respects I think so...but when you look at the quality of their products you can't complain. You just have to have a look at Limited Collection and see that they are bang on trend with a lovely faux suede jacket(£39.50), Burberry inspired coat(£75)leatherette trimed top(£29.50) amongst others. Hmm, doesn't sound that much dearer than Topshop. What people forget is that M&S is described as a department store within the retail market, the same as Frasers, John Lewis et al. There are parts of these stores I don't visit cause they're clearly not for me, in the same way, when in Marks I don't traipse around Classic.

People's perceptions of Marks and Spencer have to change for them to continue to grow and maintain the standards they currently have in place. Their collection with the London Royal College of Art graduates shows their support for the designers of the future and you'll notice they sponsor many major fashion events. I'm eager to see what changes Marc Bolland will make (funny he doesn't seem to have done much yet), how he and his team are going to progress with the store and keep taking it forward. But I'm sure their biggest problem isn't internal, its my peer's and their attitude against them.

September 2010

2010-09-24T22:49:00.001+01:00

It seems an awful long time since I've sat down and written a blogpost. Since I came home from Canada I've had all of about 3minutes to even think about writing. So here's what's been happening!

I'M BACK AT UNI! Woop! And I'm loving it. It has a lot of business elements in it but Fridays are fashion day! Heck let's call them Fashion Friday! I'm already getting excited about week 14 when I have to do my assessment presentation on a trend, I find out which one next week.

Other than that, 2 of my Canadian cousins came back with us...so we've spent the week doing stuff with them. Monday we went a big west coast tour. We started at Moffat, then headed to Shambellie House in New Abbey for the National Museum Of Costume which was just as fab as the last time, oh and I bought 2 amazing books. Then we were off to Ayr for the Tam O Shanter experience which is shut as it's being rebuilt and doesn't open till December. So off to Troon we went where the chippy we wanted dinner at was shut. Double gutter. But we passed a restaurant we had been to before inWest Kilbride so stopped there for food. Finally, we went to Largs for a Nardini's at 8.45PM! What a day!

Yesterday we went a big walk round town. Done an M&S shop where I got 2 pairs of shoes :) more on them at a later date. Today we went to Edinburgh! Bus tour, castle, walking for miles...then back to Glasgow and to Amore for dinner.

So I think it's safe to say I've hardly had time to sit and do any form of logical blogging. I do however have a nice little list of things to blog about. And have done quite a bit of reading so I'll have loads to rattle on about soon!

Canada Magazines

2010-09-13T10:03:00.001+01:00

In my previous magazines post I promised some I sights into Magazines across the pond. And this year I've been well impressed.

When we visit Canada I always get my fix of American mags as they're so available north of the border. I've never really been to fussed on Canadian magazines, Elle Canada always seemed to be a poor mans Elle USA(for lack if a better term). Upon arriving I immediately stocked up on all my usual Americans; Elle, Marie Claire, Glamour, Teen Vogue etc. Having exhausted all those I moved on to the few Canadian ones I could find; Elle, Flare, LouLou, Fashion, and found these to be better than my beloved American reads.

I've always believed that countries without 'Fashion Capitals'(read UK and USA) have better fashion press. And I'm sure that just down to the fact they aren't biased. Although their fashion credentials may not be regarded as highly as others, they are proud of their home talent in ways that the main players aren't. Fundamentally fashion reflects the economy, I can't count how many times I've heard designers echo this sentiment. America designs for consumerism, basics work, basics sell. Britain has a heritage, this works at home therefore it sells. Paris is the home of couture so anything goes, the more extravagant the better and yes it sells. It's sad that this is the truth but it's a fact that can't be ignored. In countries that don't have this economical pressure, they're free to report on the best of everything and not feel the need to conform to any national expectation.

(I'm not necessarily saying that is a bad thing. It's good local press focus on their homegrown talent, I just don't like that they neglect what else may be going on. A lot of comes downs to what's available to buy in the country, which is the case when it comes to the high street. I don't expect to be unable to buy the high street items but with designer items being worldwide there should be no reason for them not to be featured more heavily.)

I felt the Canadian Magazines had such a good mix of pride for their own work mixed with your recognised names. It was just a joy to read. Y'all know I'm all for local lovelies so to have that was just bliss. Far from fading into background of their southern counterparts, the choice of garments and styling were of the same quality you would find elsewhere around the world. I'm seriously thinking of subscribing!

Periwinkle & Glam Girls

2010-09-06T18:19:00.017+01:00

When I come to Canada I always find it to be some what of a double-edged sword. I like that I'm able to buy different things, but life and style is so laid back here that I can sometimes find it difficults to find those weird and wonderful items. This year has been no exception. I know the few Mall stores that I'm garunteed to buy stuff from; American Eagle Outfitters, Old Navy, Boathouse and Coach(there are more but those are the main ones).

What I think most Canadian towns lack is a Downtown area. Sure there is Toronto but other than that you don't really have a high street to wander. It's just such a Mall culture over here. Knowing that this year we were going to be spending some time in a city that I hoped would have some quirky boutiques to explore. So my fabric research was expanded to boutique research. One of those that I found was Periwinkle On Bloor. Reading about it, it reminded me of what the Made And The Shade girls are up to. The store is a local designer consignment store. You rent your shop space per day, you set it up and then pay a small commission. I was quite intrigued and marked it as a place I definetly wanted to visit!

We discovered it was farily near the place where I was going to do a workshop(more on that in a later post) so we headed in early and went to Periwinkle first! The shop was lovely! Lots of different bits and pieces to see. I had a look round before deciding what I was to buy. And then I found it. Now we all know I have a bit of a thing for bib necklaces, so I could hardly resist this beauty

Made by Lipgloss&Black it has a rocked up feel to it whilst maintaining a girly edge. I love it! Click on the link and check out their Etsy page, I'm sure I'll be visiting it in the future!

Cindy, the owner, has just opened another store on Eglington, Haute Par Periwinkle, which we also made a visit to it where I picked up a silver bracelet. The second store is the smae as the first but with more sophisticated designs. The best way I can describe it is that you would go to the Bloor location for yourself but the Eglington location for your mum(or should I say mom since I'm still overe here? lol).

One thing I really love about these consignment shops(and there seem to be quite a few over here) is that they are an amzing opportunity for local designers needing an outlet for their work. Etsy is good, but as its grown so much there is hardly any way for people to find you unless they know they're looking for you. Having an actual retail space, be it small or large, opens you up to a new market that might otherwise not find you. With all the happenings at home, in the form of the newly refurbished Barras Centre and DeCourcey's Arcade(amongst other things) I'm hoping Glasgow's crafty scene will begin to expand in this way.

One other boutique we visited was in a small town called Port Colborne. Last year we were there for he town's annual Canal Days festival where there were market stalls and other things to see and do. We had popped into a shop on the main street on the Canal but it was too busy and I couldn't really get good look. This year the shop was quiet so I went in to try again. Glam Girls stocks lots of different accessories that range for well known names to unbranded items. Again the bib necklace obsession took over

I'm not entirely sure what I'm gonna wear it with at the moment but it was too gorgeous not to have! Unfortunately Glam Girls doesn't have website and the necklace is unbranded so I can't direct you anywhere. I suppose I'll just need to visit agin next year for some more!

3 Sleeps left

2010-09-06T17:18:00.010+01:00

So I've only got 3 more days here in Canada before heading home, and I've come to realise that I don't have any more room in my case for more fabric(in fact I don't even think I have enough weight allowance for what I've bought already!)

So this post is just gonna be pictures of the fabrics I've bought and the links of where I got them...enjoy!

Bee @ Niagara-On-The-Lake

The Workroom @ 1340 Queen Street West

Trendy Fabrics @ 422 Queen Street West

Canadian Thrift Store @ Queen Street West

Lilac Lane Quilts @ Alliston

Tronnow

2010-09-01T02:55:00.001+01:00

Since we go to Canada every year, we always try and do something a
bit different. This gear we decided to spend a couple of days having a bit of a wander downtown Toronto. My only real experiences of down town Toronto have been the Eaton Centre(massive mall over 4 floors with every Canadian shop imaginable!), a Blue Jay's game and last year a trip up the CN tower. None of that can really be called "experiencing" what downtown has to offer.

Those of you who know me will know I'm all for researching and working out where I want to go and what I want to do whilst travelling. So I spent many hours trawlling various Toronto websites I found from a variety of vague Google searches. I eventually happened upon the Toronto Craft Alert which quickly became a favourite of mine. It has a large amount of links to local crafty things to see, do and shop. Through looking at these sites I decided the area I wanted to visit was Queen Street West between Bathurst and Spadina(or otherwise know; The Fashion District, had I known such a district existed my searching would have been far easier!).

So on Tuesday we headed downtown using the TTC(which is far more reliable than Glasgow's transport system) and first of all landed on Bloor Street which is home to all your big names. There's Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gap, French Connection and local wonders such as Holt Renfrew(think Selfridges) and Coach(which I'll come back to later).

After having a wander about there we headed back on the TTC to Queen Street and started to head in the direction of the Fashion District. Now let me set the scene...it's 34degrees in the city and there's a weather warning out, all we wanted to do was find a nice air conditioned building to spend some time. During my research, I'd found out there were two interesting museums in Toronto; The Textile Museum Of Canada and The Bata Shoe Museum. The nearest of those today was the textile museum so we headed there. It was full of some weird and wonderful exhibits which weren't exactly what I was expecting if I'm honest. It was much more arty than fashiony but none-the-less we had and enjoyable visit.

After grabbing a quick bite to eat we finally made it to Queen Street at Spadina...the fun was about to begin! The street was lined with many fabric shops and quirky boutiques. Whilst in one fabric store, my dad described it as "it's quite like that fabric shop from that show where they all run about looking for what they need". He was quite obviously talking about Project Runway, and this shop was no way on the same scale but he did have a point. It was crammed full of fabric from floor to ceiling with hardly any room to move in the aisles. Every other store was the same. Since I'd perviously bought a whole load of fabrics whilst here, I wasn't overly bothered about getting masses of fabric here but I did get one nautical cotton and a vintage panel in a thrift store. The absolute gem in the area however had to be the smallest store we went into. Simply named Queen's Fabric & Button we went in not expecting much but I've got a thing about buttons so wanted to do my nosey. The whole store was buttons. NO JOKE! I can't even begin to tell you just how many buttons there were in this store. Every wall, floor to ceiling was taken up by boxes of buttons, the wee cupboard at the back was the same, and there was a display cabinet running down the centre with more expensive buttons. There was almost too much to fully appreciate, but I spent the whole time oohing and aahing at what was around me. With quite a bit of restraint, I spent only $40 on buttons but I'm sure that total could have been far more!

I mentioned earlier that I would come back to the Coach store... Immediately after leaving it I updated my facebook status to "had the best shopping experience. I ♥ you Coach Bloor Street!" We went in first thing in the morning, I think we pretty much had to be their first customer. I hate that first hour of work when you see no one and hardly say a word, it kills me. So me and my mum are having a browse and we hear what we always do regardless of what store you're in "if there's anything I can help you with just let me know". Now I'll be honest and say your heart kinda sinks when you hear it. You hear it so much over here that you're always kinda like "ok, whatever, thanks". But today I was genuinely interested in purchasing a bag I was just torn over two, a Coach one or a Marc by Marc Jacobs one, oh the dilemma. So having a browse around whilst thinking I saw a scarf for my Aunt which the staff told us we were more than welcome to try on and were there to offer advice on it. After a few minutes chatting about this scarf and deciding to go for it we got chatting to one of the assistants about everything and anything. I've come to realise that a Scottish accent over here is quite a novelty and this bodes well for us. We spent around half an hour just chatting away whilst I was still mulling over which bag to go for.

The reason it was such an enjoyable experience? Normally you're hounded by assistants who think you might make a purchase but in here there was no pressure. The chat we had, completely equal about us and him. Never before have I had a sales assistant be so interested in what I have to say and be soo lovely about it! They also knew their stock well and nothing was a problem for them to do for us which makes a lovely change from the British high street. So thank you Damien and Ray! You both genuinely made my day! If it hand't been for you, I probably wouldn't be the proud owner of a Kristin Satchel bag in Teal.

All in all I can't wait for tomorrow, the plan at the moment is to go the Bus tour and see the Bata Shoe Museum, so you can expect more excited updating soon!

Note: I want to apologise for the lack pictures in this post, I felt the need to upload it ASAP from my iPad and not wait for a PC. I will upload pictures to the Facebook page as soon as I can.

Highstreet channelling Handmade?

2010-08-24T23:36:00.002+01:00

First off I wrote this blog on the plane to Canada, so sorry that I'm just getting round to posting it and I'm also sorry if there are many mistakes in it, I've done my best to edit.

It's been ages since I've went a good trawl of the high street. This whole working thing kind of gets in the road, with the shops opening after you start and closing before you finish. But the past couple of weeks with a bit more time on my hands I've managed to have a wander round town and the Fort and am in two minds about some of the things I've discovered. There seems to be a lot of accessories around just now that I've been seeing at craft fairs and the likes of Etsy for quite a while now, making me wonder where are the inspiration for these coming from.

It's no secret that trend researchers and designers themselves are looking towards street style to help influence their creations, which makes me think it would hardly be surprising if they have been spending their time browsing crafty sites to see what's happening in the world of handmade.

The whole make, mend and do phenomenon is still in full swing and it's now very fashionable to be wearing/owning something that is handmade(and to a certain extent looks so). Dear readers please appreciate that there is a great difference between HANDmade and HOMEmade. There is a lot of love and care put into the creating of a truly unique handmade item and it is reflected in the craftsmanship of said item. Does it mean that high street designers are seeing this niche market and jumping on the bandwagon? Or are they just trying, possibly unsuccessfully, to filter the catwalk trends?

Its possible that I'm only notice these as its items I'm making myself. How many shops are currently selling embellished bib necklaces, with rhinestones, chiffon flowers and various other appliqué? And how long have bib necklaces been doing the rounds on the handmade circuit? Quite a while. And feathers, yes they along with fur were all the rage for the AW catwalks, are gradually appearing in a store near you. For instance, I was in Next last week and there was a feather cape(much similar to the feathers in my bib necklace) retailing at £25. The feathers were no where near the quality of those you can buy in Mandors, and the Mandors ones are cheaper at £23.50 per metre.

I'm all for the high street making these accessible, but I'm saddened at the possible compromise of quality versus pricing. Which market is killed in the process? Does the high street win or does handmade continue to thrive in the same way. I suppose only time can tell these things, but I don't want to see crafters loosing out because of retailing giants flooding the market.

It's all down to value and worth, and how these are different entities. For me handmade is far more worth it than something everyones gonna be walking down the street wearing. High streets fads come and go, but handmade will always stand the test of time as it doesn't conform to the seasonal rotation of fashion. And let's face it, handmade's always gonna be one step ahead...

O Canada

2010-08-24T23:15:00.004+01:00

So its been a week since I arrived in what is my favourite place in the whole world. I love Niagara Falls. There's something soo beautiful about the whole town, not just the falls themselves. There's the fact the whole falls area is a national park and that is you dive about 5mins away you would think you were in any old Canadian town. Then there is the spectacle that is the Falls...and the most amazing part is that they're soo thunderous even although only about 10% of the water flowing in Lake Erie goes over them. I'm yet to embark on my annual Maid Of The Mist boat ride but I can't wait.

So far we've not really done much, I want to blame the whole jet lag thing, but this year's not been too bad, but I've of course fitted in some shopping. I'll be honest, I haven't bought loads to tell you about as we're spending some time down town 'Tronnow' where I plan to do some serious buying. My main aim this year was to get some fabrics which I have definitely done.

Fabricland

Fabricland is a Canada wide chain store that specialises in, you guessed it, fabric(not that the name would have gave you any clues or anything). It have a large selection of dressmaking fabrics, quilting cottons and smaller amount of furnishing fabrics. Oh and to make things better...they had a sale on :). Another thing they offer is a Premiere Card, you buy the card for $15 and it entitles you to special perks; 20%off all year round and 40%off during promotional periods! So I signed it. Being a promotional period I was getting the 40%discount so was in the mood for treating myself so I bought the following

1x Olfa cutting board

1x McCalls Pattern

1x Simplicity Pattern

3x McCalls vintage print craft cottons

1x Eiffel Tower print craft cotton

2x bright print craft cotton

1x floral front craft cotton

1x hand needles

1x fabric pen

1x metal tooth zip

1x pins

All this for a grand total of $70(approx £45). What a bargain!

Whilst having a browse online, I came across the website for Kindred Spirit Quilting Co which was fairly local in St Catharines. So we decided if we were near by we would stop in and have a look. Oh I was in craft cotton heaven! Every wall was full of cottons, of every conceivable colour. And many a quirky cute print. I didn't go mad(although I quite easily could have) and bought 3xhalf metre cuts of these prints

The lady who owns the store, Michelle, was lovely and I got to have a wee chat with her(She mentioned to me her sister-in-law to be owned a shop downtown Toronto, and to my joy it was one oft he ones I'd marked on my map to go visit! such a small world eh?). Upon telling her I made jewellery, she directed me 4 doors down to a bead shop which I hadn't even noticed! It was quite similar to the Bead Company with a great selection of semi precious stones. I got some flat cracked glass beads and some oval white/multicoloured beads.

I've still got just under 3weeks to do some more shopping. I'm sure I'll squeeze in another trip to Fabricland and maybe the quilting shop if I ask my dad nicely! But if not I still have the wonders of Toronto to look forward to.

Other than the crafty items I've bought, I treated myself to some new Coach trainers(or should I say sneakers?) at the Lundy's Lane outlet mall so they were half price. And what has to be my bargain of the week was a DKNY bag we picked up for my mum in Canada's version of TK Maxx, Winners. The cost? $40.

'Che Camille You Are a Treasure'!

2010-08-09T18:15:00.006+01:00

Oh what a night! The mad dash from Glasgow, getting a bit lost in the middle of all the fringe stuff, then trying to find a Subway that actually some half decent fillings left! But boy, was it all worth it.

Those Che Camille don't half put on a show. The woman herself is a living legend, and she more than lived up to my expections with her wonderful fashion foray. The night started off late, the press show over ran, but by the time we were all seated and ready to go, we were up for a bit of a party. And party we did. The sound track to the evening was perfect, banging tunes in line with what we were seeing. Throw in a couple of live acts; Andy with his Ukulele(this posts title is a line from his song), the Niallist with his Che Camille rap(really got us all going, see below for the music video for this...its firmly on my playlist!) and finally a drag queen, Lady Munter, showing us how to walk!

So what about the Fashion? Ohmigoodness! I was soo impressed, we weretreated to the following designers;

Miss Dixiebelle with her Vintage Inspired Lingere
Jane Gowan and her Matchstick jewellery
Hibernate Design using Harris tweed for all kinds of wonderful(tweed joggies anyone?
Gemma Carver with her WonderWoman meets Gladiator playsuits
Little Sister Lucy with some silky lounge wear
Judy Clark with GORGEOUS tweed/denim/lace coats
Obscure Couture with their punk rock take on high fashion
M.I.A using recycled clothes mixed with african fabrics for a comtemporay twist
Christina Kean's tweed and mohair creations
Catriona Garforth showing you why you don't shop at coast for that special occasion dress
Jayne Stephens accessories made from recycled leather, suede and other bits and bobs
P Cooper Millinery stunning hats that are hand blocked and sewnClaire Ferguson who fuses lace and leather to create something special
Hayley Kruger with some beautiful leather jewellery that I'm going spend a fair amount of time google-ing!

I have to apologize about my photography, once the official pictures are up I'll link you there. In the mean time, here's some snaps that I took...

My ultimate favourites of the night were Judy Clark and Obscure Couture and Hayley Kruger. All I wrote down during these were love, ♥, google this, loveeeee, gorgeous, stunning, I want this...etc,etc, you get the point. These designers have put soo much work into their items and it totally shows. You just sit and marvel at what's being presented. Here's some links as to where you can see more:
Obscure Couture
Judy Clark
Hayley Kruger

So it was well worth the trip. I can't wait for the Barras shop to open and for Camilles next show!

You can view a recording of the show online here

Magazines

2010-08-05T21:47:00.003+01:00

A while back, on my book post, I mentioned the insane amount of magazines I read monthly, what I don't think I mentioned tho was that from these magazines I compile my style file. And it's exactly what it says on the tin.

For a good few years I ripped, cut and hauled pictures out of magazines and kept them in a small box, but a few months ago, upon realising that the box was about overflowing, I upgraded to a folder. Then my uber-organized self decided to put all the pictures in alphabetical order by designer/brand. So now I have a neat record of all things that I love and those that inspire me.

So as a new blog feature I'm going to weekly(and I promise I'll really try to) post a collage of all my cuttings. So to begin with, here are September's Instyle and Elle...

featuring: bags galore, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Holly Fulton, Next, Celine and more

featuring: MiuMiu, Gap, Louis Vuitton and others

And August 9th dated Grazia...

all bags: Mulberry, Louis Vuitton and others

And cause I'm a lil obsessed with him, I have an old Daisy perfume box filled with the Marc Jacobs cuttings!

I'm off on holiday soon so I'll have a different variety of cuttings to post.

Che Camille Goes East!

2010-08-05T21:42:00.006+01:00

The renown Glasgow haven of all things quirky and stylish has recently vacated their 6th flora Argyll Chambers location to move into...wait for it...the Barras! How exciting is that! First and foremost it's nearer my house so that makes me smile! Second it promises to be even bigger and better than it's previous home.

The newly refurbished Barras centre which has been vacant for years will be transformed into an almost mini market with 15 units housing some of Glasgow's best up and coming designers and makers. There will also be the chance of workshops and fashion shows in the gorgeous glass roofed building. The wonderful Made In The Shade girls will be moving into one of the units (check out their blog at wearemadeintheshade.blogspot.com) and making that their new HQ whilst keeping their DeCourcy's Maisonette.

This weekend the Edinburgh Fringe Festival begins and guess who's hosting a show? Yup, Che Camille are going further east for the weekend to host Fashion on the Fringe at the Forest Cafe this Sunday, so I'm making a mad dash through after work. With an amazing variety of dress and accessory designers, it looks to be an awesome show. I got my tickets today and they're 3D so I'm super excited to see what's gonna happen at the show. Expect some uber blogging come Monday!

For more details on Che Camille, check out their website www.checamille.com

AW10's return to the good old days!

2010-07-31T21:28:00.003+01:00

Continuing with my nostalgia theme, and what i was saying about the new season collections, here are my favourites bags for this season. It's definetly the return of the IT Bag, having been missing for the last year or so, evident through out all the collections. I do love an IT bag, however the lifespan of it puts me off a bit. No-one wants to be toting last seasons finest when its out of date. I do feel that as these bags are inspired from the past, they will have staying power. The worlds only just beginning to recover from the recession, so maybe it's again feasible to look at them as an investment, or is that just me trying to make myself feel better for covering such expensive beauties?

My favourites include:

Dolce & Gabbana's Miss Sicily

Louis Vuitton's Fil Japonais Chubby

Hermes' Croc-skin Kelly Mini

Miu Miu;s Flower Applique

Fendi's Feather Classico

Gucci's 1973

Marc Jacobs' Camille, Gene & Absinthe

Chanel's Classic flap with Camelia's

Along with the jewellery I kept from my Gran's, I also kept these two pairs of gloves. ***insert pic of gloves*** The lace detail is just gorgeous, they have such a nice finish to them and are a joy to wear. With statement gloves making a comeback(sure the catwalk ones a re long-sleeved but by the time they filter down to the high street, it's gonna be more about the detail than the length), I'm sure I'll be able to incorporate them into an outfit at some point. Donna Karan, Marni, Louis Vuitton and Antonio Marras were all rocking some fabulous gloves.

And finally, the shoes! All the looks are finished with the perfect shoe. Wether it be a kitten heel becoming the more practical and the block heel being the more comfortable, stilettos are retiring to make way for these heels, suitable for a true lady; Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Marc Jacobs are all leading the way.

My overall favourite collection this season was definitely Louis Vuitton. With 'my man' Marc Jacobs at the helm, it rarely disappoints. But the dresses were stunning and the accessories sealed the look perfectly! I just love how the styles from past eras ares far more flattering than anything modern on all types of person. I just hope the high street takes notice and does them justice when they adopt them. I'm all for rocking a full skirted tea dress this Christmas!

Nostalgia...

2010-07-22T22:20:00.005+01:00

I love July, it only feels like summer when July arrives, however this year all July has brought is rain, rain, rain. Its the Glasgow fair this week and next and so far, there's no been a fair day! This lack of nice weather has had it's advantages tho, it's gave me some time to do some work, I've made some bags that I plan to list on Etsy when I finally get round to writing descriptions for them.

The other thing it's allowed me to do is catch up on some reading. I'm slowly but surely making my way through a pile of books on my bedroom floor, I'll post another books post at the end of summer but I want to focus on one specifically in this post. We went up to Aberdeen for a few days the other week to visit some family. We had an awesome picnic then went to a wee town called Banchory were there was this quaint little bookshop wherein I found a V&A book titled Horrocks Fashions: Off the Peg Styles from the 40s and 50s. I just had to have it. Let me fill you in on why...

Last month, my AMAZING granny passed away. At 92 she was still wonderful up until her last days. Sorting through her house, we keep finding all these amazing things from when she was younger; a mink coat, old suitcases, jewellery, pictures, books and other treasures. There is just something about how things were made back in the day that makes these items soo special. The craftsmanship in her vintage pieces is far beyond what we have today, considering the differences in technology. It's fair to say that being surround by all these beauties from years past makes you long for summer days where you could go a walk in the park in a print floral full skirted sundress. And that's exactly what this book contains.

From what I've read (no I haven't finished it yet, I'm taking my time with this one!) Horrocks was a textile company that began to product clothing using their fabrics. They became a staple of womens clothing in post WW2 Britain. With their gorgeous prints and silhouettes I've been completely lusting over these dresses. To take things further, all the autumn collections are appearing in the [insane number of] magazines I read and Louis Vuitton and Prada are definetly channelling this look. Maybe it's just cause I keep coming across this style of dress but I'm sooo drawn to it just now.

We also took a trip lately down the the costume museum in New Abbey, Dumfriesshire where the old manor house has been turned into a haven of outfits from days gone by. The house was owned by the Stewart Family and was gifted to Historic Scotland in the 70s. The man who collated the collection had an, as he described it, obsession with clothing. The museum also has an external exhibition every year, this year Marriage In The Movies. This featured many gowns created for several different movies, displayed along with various accessories and histories behind them. The pictures I took do not do these clothes justice, you weren't allowed to use flash :( so they are a bit dull and blurry. I would throughly recommend visiting if you have any interest in the history of fashion.

So as you can most likely gather, I'm currently in love with the good ol' days of fashion. When glamour was key and looking good was your only option. I love that these trends are infiltrating the AW looks and have plans to use this new love for some accessory ideas. In the mean time, I'll leave you with some pictures of the jewellery that belonged to my Gran.

Feathers!

2010-07-22T22:12:00.002+01:00

Ever since I made that fantastic feather bib necklace, I've had such an obsession with them! I had a good scour online and found some shorter feathers, so I've been making some small bibs. The feathers aren't as full, so the small ones are much better for everyday wearing, and you can keep the big one for something special!

Made using 8mm feathers and a mix of vintage buttons

I'm gonna try and make some more and pop them up on Etsy as soon as I can!

Liberty of London

2010-07-02T20:03:00.003+01:00

When I heard we were getting Liberty of London leather in Mandors I've got to admit I was pretty skeptical, pretty much just cause of the cost. But oh! how wrong could I be? We have some gorgeous full skins in at as little as £50! And with proper Liberty prints on them! We also have some smaller cuts of skins starting at a fiver! Get in there soon and have a good rummage in the trolley and grab some, cause if you don't, us as staff will prob buy them all first!

So I had a good ol' rummage, done some drooling(not literally) and choose one skin(I'm pacing myself!) It's a gorgeous floral print that's perfect for summer.

I also treated myself to some Liberty cotton for lining, my favourite fabric in the shop to be precise. I love, love, love this print soo much. You've got to have a good look at it to really appreciate the genius behind it...

the mushrooms, tomatos, cups, can openers, glasses, radios, pears, record players...more than just a pretty circular design :)

I've got enough of the skin left to make a few more of these bags, so we'll see how that goes, maybe I'll try something new with it!

Degree Shows Galore

2010-06-16T20:03:00.005+01:00

After work today I had a wee wander up to the Glasgow School of Art Degree Show. If you have a free afternoon take a wander up and have a look round. There are sooo many talented people in that school! Unfortunately you weren't allowed to take pictures :( but the textiles show and jewellery show were stunning. I picked up a few various business cards so will research further and do a post on them later!

As I'm a student at the MET(apparantly attending night school allows me to claim that!) we got to view their show during class last week. I'd always assumed that as its a college its never gonna compare to the likes of the GSA but its got some talent emerging! Here are some pics I managed to get. Sadly its over now (Glasgow MET please let your show last longer than 4 days next time, k?)

Bibs, Bags and Blogs(or lack thereof)

2010-06-16T19:21:00.004+01:00

Yeh apologies for that. But I've been busy...I promise! :)

I've been creating a range of my bib necklaces that will be coming to a site near you soon(more details to follow at a later date). Instead of using satin as I had done before, for summer I thought that I'd go for cotton and considering the amount of cotton prints we have in stock(really, y'all should go see them, they're GORGEOUS) it seemed perfect.

Oh and we stock Cloth Magazine which is an amazing wee read. Another reason to head to Mandors, we're only of only 2 stockist of this fab wee magazine in Scotland. So in the most recent issue there was this AMAZING feather bib necklace. With my current obsession with bibs and the fact feathers are all the rage for Fall10 there was no way I couldn't make it!

(Tomorrows plan is to make another one to display in the shop, WOOP!)

What else have I been up to? BAGS! After making my large satchel I decided I wanted to do it again in my stripey pig skin. However there wasn't enough left for me to make it the same size, so I downsized the pattern and made it half the size! And I love it sooo much. I feel the notion to make loads of these bags. They're a perfect size, and with the wee tote compartment at the back are super practical.
I even made one for my mum in fabric we picked up in Oxfam Boutique on Byres Road.(her's is minus the tote bit)

In other news, my garment labels arrived! Now everything I make can be branded! Good Times :)

Oh and I love the Maisonette! Like honestly! Carrie and Clare have the best wee shop, and its housed in my favourite part of town. I know strictly speaking a notebook ain't an accessory but I had to mention my Bunty Notebook I go the other week. I'm using it as my sketchbook, so I think that sort of justifies me mentioning it! Heck I love it sooo much that I got the Beezer one too!

Thats all for now, my next plans are to make bib necklaces of kids(downsizing more patterns! Woop!) and to maybe do some more bag related bits and pieces!

Textile Jewellery

2010-05-25T20:52:00.007+01:00

As you know, I've been pretty obsessed with bib necklaces lately, so much so I'm trying to develop a range of these(more info to come). But I'm loving loads of different textile jewellery bits and pieces including these little lovelies...

Beyond The Valley have always had a fab range of cool and quirky items, and at the moment there is no dissappointment! Kapow! Wow!, ilikerope and mine are all featuring some lovely textile jewellery which are reasonably priced.

Kapow! Wow!

ilikerope

mine

I'm not a big fan of Topshop but there is this lovely necklace;

This beaded beauty is from Las

I love, love, love Mulberry but they are tooo overpriced(and their Glasgow staff are terrible, no chat, didn't care that I was in having a browse, no sales pitch, would have at least liked a bit of banter esp when I tried to talk to them!). However this season they have this amazing corsage necklace. At almost £300 I won't be treating myself.

And finally, good old M&S with this bargainous £18 flower necklace! Rocking 5 corsages and pearls, its perfect! Can't get a picture but check it out here.

These are only a few of the many out there. I would definetly recommend checking out Beyond the Valley for more as I was very impressed!

Concept, Calico, Creation

2010-05-19T18:38:00.007+01:00

I've been wanting to do a post like for a while now but just haven't got round to it!

As I'm sure I've mentioned, I've been LUSTING after satchel bags lately. I don't even know what's brought it one tbh. I think it all started when I got the Oiliy one in Slovenia and it's just slowly escalated from there. If you take a look in my Style File(actually properly filed now, none of yer shove it in the box anymore) there are loads of cut-outs of satchels including these;

I desperatly wanted to make one but wasn't sure about getting leather. Then one glorious day whilst having a chat with my neighbor she mentioned she had a bag of leather and would I like it!?! How could I refuse? I am now forever greatful to her for the two massive cow skins she gave me.

Now I had the leather, I could start thinking about actually making my satchel.

I knew it had to be big enough to store all my junk(how often do I say that?), but still portable(HA! there's the challenging bit!). I genuinely spent about 2days just working out how I was gonna have a fold over flap closing all made from the one piece. Thats where the tote pocket back section came in. Here's what I came up with;

I made the pattern, trying to use as few pattern pieces as possible. I managed to get it down to two, using the idea that I could make a cuboid like you would in primary school maths! So my pattern pieces look like this;

Happy with that, I made it up in calico.

It was pretty perfect first time round! I had another look at my leather before I went a head and started sewing. The suede back is the most stunning red and I didnt want to waste it, so I changed the format of the back tote. Making it inside out, which not only meant that the suede was on show on the back, but the pocket was now on the outside, which is probably more practical for me anyway(always in and out my bags for my beloved notebook). For embellishment, I wanted to keep it fairly simple, so I got a selection of buttons from Che Camille and popped them on the front.

At the moment, the bag is almost complete(you can't see the straps in the picture or that back but you will when I post pics on the completely finished bag), I just have the lining to sew in.

I'm really happy with how it's turning out. Although I'm not quite sure I want to stop working on it. I've decided leather is definetly my favourite material to work with, so maybe I'll try some leather jewellery next(I still have half of that skin left and a whole other chocolate brown one...think of the possibilites!)

I'm away to work on the lining, so hopefully I can post some finished pictures tomorrow, I'd quite appreciate some sunshine so I can take them outside, so lets hope for that! :)

Oh What A Night!

2010-05-19T18:27:00.010+01:00

So Monday there I was through in Dundee for the Big Top Jamboree!(see post below) And what a lovely lil day I had!

Having not been in Dundee for years I stumbled off the train not entirely sure where I was or where to go. So I set off on a wander. I've decided I quite like Dundee, its got that grey old fashioned feel about it. It also has a fairly reasonable high street[kudos :)]. My first stop was the McManus Art Gallery and Museum where I had a late breakfast/early lunch type thing, soup and a sandwich to be precise! The building is GORGEOUS! I totally fell in love with it. Made me feel all gothic-y. Oh and the food was nice too :)

After being fed, I had another wee wander before heading to Drouthy's for the actual event. Didn't take me long to find it(GPS on your phone always helps!) adn before long I was helping out with the girls!

The afternoon took the form of 3 workshops; Zine Making with Lauren, Badge Making with Nikki and Corsage Making with Palefac e aka Catherine. I didn't do the Zine Making, I'm definetly not an artist. However Badge and Corsage making sounded like a plan to me! I made a lil logo badge and these two corsages:

I'm thinking that I'm gonna make smaller corsages and make a bib necklace with them. Already got some bits and pieces I can use for it!

In the evening there was the kind of market part. Lots of little stalls all selling some lovely items!

I treated myself to

Tights for Sore Eyes

Hilary Grant

I only wish it had been just after payday so I could have got some more lovely treats! All in all I had a fab day, and can't wait for the next one!

Big Top Jamboree

2010-05-07T19:42:00.002+01:00

This is one for your diaries! On Monday 17th May y'all should head through to Dundee for the Big Top Jamboree! It looks to be a fab wee crafty afternoon and stalls and entertainment in the evening. Featuring loads of different vendors, the Cut Click exhibition, workshops and loads more.

I'm going along to help on the day so be sure to say hey!

Recent Buys!

2010-05-05T15:49:00.006+01:00

I really need to do this whole blogging thing more often, no more posting of loads on blogs on one day and no updating for weeks!

Known Faces Necklace

From the lovely CheCamille, I love this lil shop, apart from the fact its on the 6th floor(and when the elevator ain't working its a whole load of fun getting there!) But the girls who work in there are lovely, so helpful and chatty. And the items they stock! All unique and Handmade, my kinda place! If you're ever near by take a wee climb up and have a wander, you will be amazed!

Airforce Necklace

Down Ruthven Lane lies the wonderful Glorious Clothing, 2nd Hand boutique with some vintage in the mix. This wee necklace is fab, get soo many comments about it when I wear it. I love the harshness of the metal mixed with the fabric ruffel.

Vintage Style Charm Bracelet

We were away for a couple of days last week and en route back we went through Gourock wherein Sew Vintage lies. I'd read about this lil vintage shop online and asked my dad to stop so I could have a wee look. The shop is fab, very quirky with a good mix of vintage from the 40's right through to the 90's. There is also an exclusive Molly Pippins range which the shop owner designs and makes herself. Along with the vintage jewellery, CarrotCorriander Jewellery is stocked which is what this bracelet is. Its very cute, with all the different vintagey charms in antique gold. I love it! I also wanted to get a hat, but it was an either or and the bracelet won. But I will be back down to visit this lovely little shop in the near future!

I'm a lil bit obsessed atm!

2010-05-05T12:37:00.014+01:00

With leather and bib necklaces! And sometimes the 2 combined!

As I'm still doing ym handbags course, I'm obviously still working on some new creations. So the lovely Sarah who has her own handbag company VVAmore sold me a gorgeous pig skin which I've used to create this duffell bag.

I've named it the MarkieMarc, as I took my inspiration for it from both my M&S duffel bag the small Pixie by Marc by Marc Jacobs. It's pretty much inbetween the two in size. The leather is just lovely to touch and oh the smell! There's nothing like the smell of leather! I couldn't decide for ages what to use as a stap and drawstring, I didn't want to use the leather as I thought it might get a bit lost. So I got 1mtr lengths of ribbon from work in the same colours that run through the bag to create the drawsting, which I think sets it off perfectly. For the strap I used bondaweb to bond pink and yellow ribbon together and a little bit of leater to secure them at the D-rings. It's lined in a floral shirt and looks very cute. I absolutely adore my new bag! And I'm very pleased as to how its turned out!

You may remember the bib necklace I made that I blogged about a while ago, well I've made another one

using a different colour of floral material.

Keeping going with the bib theme, I've made this Ahoy! bib which is all Nautical(another love of mine at the mo) colours, buttons and other bits & bobs. It's not toally finished but I think it looks rather jazzy! :)

And combining the both, I've made a bib out of the pigskin, although I'm not entirely sure when I'm gonna wear it, or what with!

Finally I'm working on a bib from a leather remnant I got from work, so we'll see how that goes!

These Are Two Of My Favourite Things...

2010-04-27T20:45:00.003+01:00

A few years ago, I got a binder from a company called Clippy Kit, which specialised in bags/accessories that you could fill with polaroid pictures.

And I completely forgot about it until a few weeks ago when I was reading Stylist magazine(you know the free one you get at train stations, the femail version of Shortlist?) when Calypso Rose who owns and runs Clippy(the Kit's been dropped apparantly)was a case study in the turning you hobby into a business article. So I thought oooh, not looked on there for a while! So later on that night I had a wee browse and found these bags were being launched!

Instead of having slots for polaroids, they have a large one for a magazine cover! So my thinking is, when I get a new magazine I can display it to the masses in there! Sounds like a plan :)

Check them out at http://www.clippykitlondon.co.uk/

Made In The Shade Springtime Jamboree

2010-04-20T22:33:00.004+01:00

Was pretty amazing! Nuff said.

Nah I'm just kidding, when am I ever that short? LOL but yeh it was amazing, the fabulous Carrie and Clare never disappoint and this was no exception. The choice of vendors mixed with the quirky atmosphere made for a fun, unique shopping experience. I'm just gutted that I had like half an hour to browse (having to work and all that jazz, sprinting to the Lighthouse on my lunchbreak, oh the joy!) and being on a budget! However it was a productive flying visit where I got to actually meet some of the sellers I've featured in the blog, all of whom very lovely, and are more than sure to be featured again!

So here's what I treated myself to!

Dazed Dorothy, who's leather bags and accessories are what I dream about! Having been unable to make it to the In The Company of Wolves fashion show and thinking I'd missed out on seeing Dazed Dorothy's makes for this, I was proper excited to see that they were for sale on Saturday! Que me trying to work out in my head if I could justify buying this necklace,

however the sensible part of my brain took over and remined me that I was on a budget and maybe when I get paid! But I did get this lovely (I keep saying lil, but its far from it) Bow brooch which is perfect with my wee bow shorts(pictured as the background).

Corinne, who is the wonderful lady behind Dazed Dorothy has such an eye for detail, with everything meticulously placed and crafted together. I would definetly recommend checking out her website at http://www.dazeddorothy.co.uk/

Another stall I was definetly making a point of going to was Fantoosherie. Y'all know how I love Fantoosherie! I was in proper awe! Jennifer who runs it had such a lovely range with her I had problems trying to choose something. All her jewellery is made from various pieces of recycled material, as she says " I love to work with materials salvaged and scrounged (but never stolen!) as each piece automatically inherits a history and a new ethical purpose." You can check out her website at http://www.fantoosherie.co.uk/

From her I bought this necklace,

I'm really feelin' the who nautical thing these days, so this was perfect! And it's gonna go with soo much! I've worn it twice already and the comments and the "oooh! where'd you get that?" 's have already started! So again a massive thank youu!!

After that I'd pretty much spent all that I'd put aside, however I did grab this lil brooch from Florence Box Jewellery. She also had some cute vintagey looking charm bracelets and necklaces. So go have a wee look at www. florenceboxjewellery.co.uk

And finally, I loved, loved, loved the unique quirkiness of Much Too Fun jewellery, but they didn't have the necklace with them that I liked most :( but here's a wee pic of it and hopefully I'll be able to get one in the not too distant future!

So thank you MITS ladies! I can't wait for the next one!

ASOS

2010-04-11T19:09:00.003+01:00

It's been agessssss since I've had a wee browse of ASOS but there was a necklace featured in Look magazine that I quite fancied, but it's not up on their site :( proper gutted! However I did find these lovely wee necklaces!

Chanel:

These Chanel necklaces are such cuties! However there's nothing cute about the price tag! Why oh why does Chanel have to be so expensive!? I'm tellin ya, if I'm ever a millionaire I'm gonna go crazyyy on Chanel bags and jewels! The wee hat and bag charms are very much in line with the Spring Summer collection which just shows how archive trends are reninvented by the wonderful people at Chanel!

Blakegodbold:

Y'all know I love my fabric jewellery, so these are right up my street. I love the mix of textures and techniques used on the blue necklace. Although it's got quite alot going on, the same colour keeps it all in line and not over the top! And the bead work on the black necklace is beautiful, perfect for evening, or adding some glam to a plain day outfit!

The last two are making me wanna go make some corsages or something! So that's what I'm off to do! :)

New Makes

2010-04-09T20:19:00.004+01:00

So in preparation for the Sandyhills Spring Fayre at my church next weekend, I've been pretty busy making new bits and pieces. Along with most of the Spring Summer range, I'll have these new lovelies!

Nautical But Nice Necklaces

The hawk eyed amongst you will see they're pretty similar to the one I made when I got back from Aberdeen, and y'all would be right! I ordered some of the beads from bead crazy's online shop and have made these, along with one for myself. I also go beads and made this necklace(sorry that the picture of it, is the one where it's on my neck, was the best one I had!)

If you fancy coming along to the spring fayre, its at Sandyhills Parish Church, Baillieston Road Glasgow from 10am-2pm on the 17th April 2010. There's also gonna be a wee tea room with some amazing home baking(trust me I know, everyone looks forward to after church tea purely for the food!) and some other wee crafty stalls! I personally won't be there, I'm working :(

Another thing I've made recently is this Bib necklace!

I actually impressed myself with it! It's made using a Simplicity pattern and let me tell you it wasn't simple! Spent about an hour on the ruffels alone! LOL but I'm gonna make another one, possibly nautical themed(really feelin' that at the moment, not that anyone would have guessed!).

By the way, working in Mandors is making me feel proper creative! And I'm loving that! Never felt the need to make stuff so much in my whole life! I'm hoping that it continues!

Handbags!

2010-04-09T20:00:00.004+01:00

So as I'm sure I've mentioned, my handbags course is finished :( Sad times, but fear not! I'm going to it again starting next Thursday! Woop! And so are some of the lovely ladies who were on the last one as well!

So in preparation for the next 10 weeks of handbag heaven, here's the bags I've made over the past 10 weeks!

The Harry Bag

Made from Purple Suedette and lined in an amazing floral satin, this was the first bag I made! It's large enough to fit all my junk in, but still comfy under my arm and pretty sturdy!

The Gracie Bag

Named after my Granny, this bag is also made in Suedette but Grey this time, with floral satin lining. Both linings are the same print in different colours! The eyelets on the handle took FOREVER and my mum and dad began to wonder what I was up to hammering away one night. This is definetely my favourite of the two, I think it's pretty me, so I'll prob try making it again in a different fabric.

The May Bag

Named after my mum, and made especially for her. We've got a family wedding in the summer and mum NEEDED and new bag to go with a dress she has. However its an interesting colour if dress so Black was the safest option as she's wearing black shoes. Made in Black satin and lined satin nearly the same colour of her dress, it's embellished with some gemstones, but I think i'll add some more to make it that wee bit more elaborate!

My next project? A leather duffel bag! I'v got it all ready to go, just need to wait for my new sewing machine to arrive so I can get going! After that, I'm make 2 special bags, for two special ladies, who I know are on to my plan, as much as I was trying to keep it a surprise for them!

Oh and whilst I'm going on about bags, mum and dad got me this wee one as part of my easter, it's from may be from Tesco, but it's fab! Dad said he choose it cause it reminded him of the Gracie bag I'd made, and I gotta admit, he's not done too bad! Lol

All that's left to say is ROLL ON THURSDAY NIGHTS!

Henry Holland!

2010-04-09T19:23:00.003+01:00

So me and mum went a wee trip to Stirling yesterday so I could see about purchasing a new sewing machine(which I did so I'm now just waiting for it to arrive! Woop!) and had a wee wander around to see what Stirling had to offer! I'm telling you, I'm really opening up to this whole Cities-other-than-Glasgow thing! LOL

So we happened upon Frank Boutique, which I think I'd heard of before, and was very impressed by, however I didn;t get anything, but will be frequently checking their website! The other boutique we found was called The Point and was kind of wedding-y, if that makes sense? It was fab, but a bit over priced(how about £180 for a pair of Gladiators from a no name sound? Hmm thought not.) So again nothing bought.

But then, en route back to the car we passed through Debenhams, and I in my idiocy, had forgot about Henry Holland's Designers at Debenhams range! And how I loved it! Honestly the man is a genius! Some beautiful bags and shoes, and some quirky jewellery. Not to mention the prints and styles of the clothing(but I won't get carried away with them, being an accessory blog!) I'd definetly reccomend checking it out on Debenhams website.

Here are some of my favourites:

And what I bought for myself:

It's amazing this wee bag, used it today and its actually larger than it seems, and lovely to the touch.

I can't wait to see if they continue with the H! by Henry Holland range, cause it's what Debenhams has been needing....a kick into the current times!

Fantoosherie

2010-04-04T21:47:00.004+01:00

It wasn't until yesterday at work when I was wearing this necklace,

that I realised that I hadn't blogged about my other Fantoosherie necklace!

I love, love, love these two necklaces! Everywhere I go people ALWAYS speak to me about them! I can't actually count any more as to how many people have stopped me in the street and asked about them, or when in shops, assistants ask where I got them.

And thats my aim in life, to get people talking about accessories! Especially unsual ones! These two are definetly my favourites, I have them on display on the wall in my room as they're too lovely to hide amongst my other jewellery!

So thank you Fantoosherie! You have made me smile, daily when I get up and see these two beauties! I can't wait to come and meet you at the Made In The Shade Springtime Jamboree, and to purchase some more from you!

Aberdeen!

2010-03-25T23:04:00.004Z

Now, I’ve got to be honest, on heading to Aberdeen I wasn’t convinced. I like my Glasgow, it’s big enough and I have everything I need, so I’m not the biggest fan of many other cities(UK wise).

But Aberdeen has well and truly surpasses my expectations. I loved the city, the buildings, the layout, the variety. But I want to write specifically about two shops we visited.

Bead Crazy
I had read about this lovely lil bead shop in my jewellery magazine for the past few months before realizing it was in Scotland! And then we realized we were going to Aberdeen and that they had a store there. Cue me begging my parents to be allowed some time to spend there. And of course they said yes! So on the Saturday morning, we headed there, and disappeared into the shop for at least an hour! My dad abandoned us cause we were taking toooo long! But I could have spent far far longer! Their variety of beads is outstanding, and their pricing pretty perfect. And the last important part, the staff! Who couldn’t have been nicer! We had nice wee chat with them and I left feeling quite happy about my whole Bead Crazy Experience!

So thank you Bead Crazy, for giving me another reason to head to Aberdeen more often, and another place to spend all my extra money!

visit www.beadcrazy.co.uk to see some of their ranges of beads!

So what did I actually buy whilst I was there? These:

And they manifested into(amongst others):

I got two of these necklaces made from the beads, one for me, one to sell, so you might see it appearing on Etsy soon!

My Mum also got quite a few beads, so I have some new things to make for her!

Coco Violet
So after having spent half the day in the bead shop, we had a wee wander around and came upon Coco Violet! What a lovely little boutique! I was very impressed with their range of different accessories and clothing. They had gorgeous jewellery, and I didn’t know what to get! I ended up with this Aqua Girl Necklace, which I think was a proper bargain at £12!

Whilst I was there, we got talking to one of the girls who had her own jewellery range(which was stocked in the shop) called Antoinette Jewellery. Her jewellery was very quirky and very me! So fortunately, the next day we happened upon the Aberdeen Craft Bazaar, which she was at!

So yeh, on the Sunday, having found a leaflet for it on Saturday, I dragged the parents along to the Aberdeen Craft Bazaar. Where I have to say, we all bought something! But I was very glad to see Antoinette Jewellery there! I treated myself to this necklace.

Also there was I Love Spoiled Pig jewellery, which was also very jazzy! The resin mould necklaces were very quirky and there was one for everyone with their different themes! There was one that was fashion orientated that I think I’m gonna need to invest in!

You can check out all of the above at these websites:
www.cocoviolet.com
http://www.folksy.com/shops/SpoiltPig
http://antoinette.bigcartel.com

So that’s my small round up of my Aberdeen trip, given more time, I’m sure I can go exploring and find some more interesting places!

Well it’s goodnight from me guys, and enjoy exploring these wonderful websites!

I'M SOOOOOO EXCITEDDDDD

2010-03-25T22:28:00.003Z

AND I JUST CAN'T HIDE IT! etc etc

The Made In The Shade ladies just posted their Spring Jamboree line up and its looks to be an amazing shopping event! Got to their blog at wearemadeintheshade.blogspot.com to see the full line up!

However I am especially excited about Fantoosherie, Gillian Kyle and Dazed Dorothy. Gonna have to save some pennies for it, and learn the fastest way from Mandors to the lighthouse!

Woop! Oh and I promise I'll get the Aberdeen post finished and up soon, just felt the need to share the MITS news with youuuu!

Tom Binns For Disney Couture

2010-03-22T16:43:00.003Z

Don’t think I have much to say on this, the pictures do all the talking and more!

(Alice's Adventures Necklace, Thorny Heart Earrings, Mad Hatter's Wrap Bracelet,

Queen of Hearts Bracelet, Mad Hatters Charm Bracelet, Through the Looking Glass Necklace)

see the full collection at

http://www.boutiquetoyou.com/category_s/588.htm

Heavenly Handbags!

2010-03-22T15:51:00.010Z

This is sort of a Local Lovely’s post, but I want to separate it as these bags are beyond amazing!

VV Amore

I had mentioned before about the lovely lady Sarah on my handbag making course, and her having her own handbag company. But I didn’t do her justice.

Her bags are exquisite, and cause she knows what she personally wants from a bag, she puts that all into the bags she designs. She has her interchangeable lining feature, which every bag should have a form of, granted it would be pretty difficult. It’s a girls dream to be able to transfer the contents between bags without having to unload them and then stuff them into another bag and that’s what that feature makes come true!

Her 2-in-1 bags are also ingenious, who could resist a bag, that has another bag built in? And another that once flipped over is completely different design? And her feature where you can create your own, which is right up my street as you know I hate having the same as anyone!
(pictured above: Borsetto Hobo, Build Your Own and Flip Slouchy Cow)

Rocio

And a while ago I was doing my usual online, having a bit of a browse, trying to find something interesting out there in the cyber universe when I can across this amazing site. I, being me, completely forgot about it til I was cleaning out my Favourites and rediscovered it!

They are a Glasgow based Handbag design house, and treat their bags as art as much as they do an accessory. And I’m in LOVE. Honestly, sit down, relax and spend some quality time flicking through their online shop and you will be amazed!

Each bag is made from Acacia wood and carved into intricate designs which you immediately register as stunning, but even after looking and looking at them, you don’t seem to get bored.

I think if I owned one, I couldn’t use it. I’d wanna display it to everyone who came to visit, maybe as a focal piece in the living room, I’d be too scared to damage it! (I haven’t heard back from Rocio with regards to pictures, so haven’t included any, but go to their site and be amazed!)

Again all pictures in this blog used with the permission of their owners, and many thanks to the wonderful creators of these bags for adding some more sunshine into my accessory world!

Sloveniaaaaa!

2010-03-22T15:35:00.004Z

Ok, so I’ve been pretty quiet lately. Too quiet to be honest. But life’s been pretty good, although insanely busy!

I got a new job, leaving Weso wasn’t easy, but I couldn’t refuse a job in Mandors! Once the place of my once weekly fabric splurge, now the place of work! Started on Tuesday and loving it already!

Handbags on Tuesdays nights are coming along lovely! Sad times next week as its the last night! :( But I’ve finished two bags already, and am working on a further two. One for my mum, and one for myself which I’m venturing into Leather for! Oooooh, its all sooo exciting! I’m also looking into getting a new sewing machine, so will be researching that soon enough!

I also dragged along my Dad to the Craft fair that was on at the SECC the other week(the actual name of it escapes me at the mo!) We had a fab day, I made him take part in a jewellery workshop and I have to say he wasn’t to bad! So I got two bracelets from it instead of one! I managed to get some jazzy supplies, so will be getting busy crafting with them! I was also pretty excited about the Cardonald College Stand, which was plugging their Millinery courses, their hats were gorgeous!

And my final reason for being sooo, sooo quiet is the wee Ski Holiday I had to Slovenia!

It was a fab week, good people, good snow, good times! Whilst there, I got some inspiration, and a lovely new bag! When I was little my Aunt and Uncle bought me Oilily perfume, and we found some in resort, then we found Oilily bags and there was no way I was refusing! I got a gorgeous blue satchel bag that’s gonna be home to my Uni stuff! The other thing we found porcelain jewellery! I was fascinated, but the pictures I got were rubbish, so I’m gonna do my research and get posting about it! Last weekend I was in Aberdeen, and on the lookout for things to ramble on about. So the next post is gonna be all about my finds!

Finally, I’ve been working on some posts, that I’ll eventually get round to posting. I’ve discovered the Windows Live Writer thing, and have a side panel full of unfinished drafts! So once they’re all done they’ll be posted!

Lady Luck Rules OK!

2010-02-28T22:38:00.002Z

Is no more! Yes people, sad times as after 7 years the indie favourite stops trading today!

I am completely gutted, I loved all the quirky designs, and the innovative techniques that they used to create their lovely pieces! No longer will we be able to get our personalised necklaces and brooches, no longer will my day be brightened by a LLROK newsletter to my inbox.

LLROK you will be missed, but I can't wait for your next venture!

Local Lovely's...Etsy Styleee

2010-02-22T18:46:00.013Z

Now this blog is pretty much a cop out. Yes I’m featuring local Scottish sellers, but I really haven’t done any legwork! Lol, that’s why I’m thankful for Etsy’s local feature! Some of the shops I’ll direct you to have been in my etsy favourites for a while now, others, are more recent, say in the past day or so, in preparation for this post! Lol

Here goes with my etsy favourites! :)

Breagha I love the fact that these are quintessentially Scottish due to the fact they’re made for Harris tweed. In my head, tweed sums up Scotland just as much as tartan does, just without the cheesiness! My favourite items in the shop are:
Orange Poppy Purse(pictured)
Herringbone Harris No More

Cotton Petal

Lately I’ve had bit of an obsession with fabric, and jewellery made from fabric, and this shop has some fab fabric necklaces! So, my picks from this shop are:
Royal Blue and Luminous Pink Embellished Bib Collar Necklace(pictured)
Reptilian Bib/Collar Necklace

Dazed Dorothy Dazed Dorothy has been a favourite of mine for quite a while now, exquisite leather clutches are what they’re best at, and with their other accessories, who could possibly resist? My ultimate favourite ever Dazed Dorothy piece has got to be the Fabulous Kitsch Leather Wrap Around Clutch Bag(pictured)

MischaM More fabric jewellery now. I love the colour schemes, with the slightly muted tones which compliment the style of the various items. They are definetly statement but they’re not overly in you face! I’m finding it pretty difficult to choose a favourite, but its got to be the Graphite sparkle bib necklace(pictured)

Renatarenata When you first get to this shop it feels soo clean and fresh! And then there’s the lovely bursts of colour in the jewellery, it’s a real treat I always develop a wee smile when I go to browse! Full of lovely summery candy colours, it’s where I’ll be looking for gifts for summer birthdays and the like. My favourites are:
Turquoise Brown Felt Necklace (pictured)
Streaky Purple Felted Bracelet

Tastykaeru Some more felt now! I only found this shop tonight, and can’t work out how I missed it before! The designs are lovely, the colours are stunning and the details beautiful! Again very difficult to choose favourites but I think they have to be:
M e r (pictured)
E m b e r
A r g e n t

Gossimarwings
Again this one I only found today, but I am very glad I did! There are some fabric necklaces, some gold/brass necklaces and butterflies galore! Its another shop that brings a smile to my face. Here are my favourites:
American Dream Statement Bib Necklace(pictured)
Teal Delight Statement Flower Fabric Necklace

So that’s my pic of local etsy finds. I’m planning on going a wander this week and seeing what actual shops I can find and pass on to your lovely selves! In the meantime, go browse and hopefully find something to brighten your day.

But don’t forget, your favourite etsy shop will always be www.etsy.com/shop/accessoryaddict :p

Many Thanks to the lovely owners and creators of the shops in this post for the use of their pictures, and sorry that it's taken me soo long to post this, life's been a little crazyy!

It's been too long

2010-02-21T19:17:00.003Z

And I'm sorry for not updating sooner!

I've finished the office! WOOP! and it looks fab! Head over to the facebook page for some pictures, but here's a couple of how the jewellery is displayed:

Also I've been busy making new items, whilst waiting for some new bit and pieces to arrive from far and wide!

If You Come Down To The Woods Today You're Sure of A Big Surprise:

Lace Lovelies

Some of these are available to buy on etsy, but the rest I jsut haven't got round to putting the rest on!

On another note, I've finished my first handbag! It looks pretty good, I've impressed myself! Lol its not exactly as I'd hoped, as I couldn't get the bag feet I wanted :( but its still lovely! I haven't taken any pics, and I don't have the camera at the mo, but they'll be up as soon as I have it back!

Well thats all for now! Laters! :)

New Items!

2010-02-12T20:20:00.006Z

At the request of the ladies on my handbag course, here are some new pictures! These are of the new items I've been making over the past couple of days. I've just recieved 2 out of 4 packages with lots of supplies so I can make some lovely new pieces soon, so I'm pretty excited about that!

You'll also notice that i've moved away from the plain whit background, as the new jewellery has abit of a vintage feel I thought a book would be better suited. I'd originally wanted to go with some old, almost yellowing, manuscript but couldn't find any :( but I'll give y'all 4 guesses as to what the book is :p

You Crack Me Up Earrings

You Crack Me Up Necklace

Green Goodies Necklace

Sealed With A Bow Necklace

Floral Fancies Necklace

Frilly Fancies Necklace

Floral Fancies Necklace

Momma's Gonna Buy You A Mocking Bird Necklace

Also, I've been naming the various pieces of jewellery, so they're more in ranges rather than individually named. With the new names in place, I've been making purchase/care cards that I can pop in with any orders which look pretty jazzy :)

In other news, I've been renovating my garden hut. Yes it's outside, yes it's my childhood play house, and yes it's pretty chilly out there but it's gonna be my new office! It's all painted so its wait til it's properly dry so I can move in! I can't wait, I'm thinking office warming/jewellery party out there in the summer!

That'll all for now, but let me know what you think of the new designs!

Alexander McQueen

2010-02-11T19:55:00.003Z

He's Shocked, He's Rocked and now he's Gone.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8511115.stm

In memory, here are some of my McQueen favourites

So sad, and will be soo missed, especially in upcoming Paris Fashion week.

Karl Lagerfeld

2010-02-08T15:24:00.004Z

Is A Living Legend. Enough said. Not only the mastermind behind Chanel, and the reinvention of the 2.55 but his own label is just as amazing. I'd found these bags a while back and completely forgot about them, until today Cocosa had them in their Karl Lagerfeld sale. And at almost 70% off their regular retail price, what a snatch!

Whilst I'm talking about bags, there's a lovely lady on my Handbag Course who already has her own handbag company, VV AMORE. Her bags are AMAZING! She designs with functionality in mind and her X-Change lining idea is what every girl should have! Check out her website!

Oh and the Marks and Spencer duffel bag I was lusting after in a previous post, well I treated myself to the blue version. And I love it! I didn't think I'd be able to fit much in it, but how wrong I was! This weekend I was hauling around 2notebooks, 2 books, pringles, all my regular junk(and trust me that fills most bags), sweeties, hat, gloves,scarf, jewellry and full makeup bag! And I still had room for more! Was very impressed!

Local Lovely's

2010-01-30T21:48:00.006Z

So these past few weeks I've been stalking quite alot of Scottish Blogs. I've got to admit, I've never been one of those proper patriotic people (which really annoys people, and I don't get that) that I'm pretty sure is down to my whole obsession with Canada thing. But anywayyy back to my point. Lately I've really been trying to find some jazzy local accessories, so here's I've came up with!

(Oh and I've chosen not to include pictures in this blog, as I don't have permission from any of the creators. But please click on the links and view at your leisure!)

Fantoosherie

(http://fantoosherie.blogspot.com/)
I’ve mentioned Fantoosherie before as I own two of their amazing necklaces! Each time I’ve worn one of their creations I’ve had people stop and comment, which is what I love most about them! They’re completely unique and add that extra something to every outfit!

Lemonart

(http://lemonart-lemonart.blogspot.com/)
If I had slightly more money to spend on jewellery, here is where I would go! Using textiles and Perspex, she creates small but beautiful pieces of jewellery. Each design differs due to the cut of the textile, which makes sure no one else has the same!

Lost In The Forrest

(http://lost-in-the-forest.blogspot.com/)
I first found out about LITF back in September and I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before. It’s quirky designs are a favourite of mine, fair do’s I only own one item, but there is more of a grown up feel to them than most of my quirky pieces! I was supposed to go to a textiles workshop with Emily Chandler (who runs LITF) over at the Maisonette but it was cancelled which I was gutted about, but I can’t wait til it’s rescheduled!

Flora Fauna

(http://florafaunacraft.blogspot.com/)
I can’t really say too much about Flora Fauna, as I found it via an Etsy Local search. I had a quite wee browse and I have to say was pleased with what I found, I quite fancy getting one of the crocheted bracelets!

The Maisonette

(http://wearemadeintheshade.blogspot.com/)
Owned by Made In The Shade ladies, Carrie and Clare have created a fab wee home from home upstairs in DeCourcy’s in Cresswell Lane. I find myself visiting at least once week and never leave empty handed! I’m not sure my bank book’s necessarily as a big a fan of the shop as me! But the friendly atmosphere coupled with the variety of wares, I just can’t help myself! It’s a must stop place when you’re over in the Byres Road area, so if you find yourself there, pop in!

Rachael Albert Boutique(http://www.rachaelalbert.me.uk/index.htm)
Also located upstairs in DeCourcy’s, this wee shop is a wee trip to the past. Very 50’s, rockability inspired it sells loads of independent designers and the owner, Kat, designs and makes some lovely pieces, so I would recommend going in and having a wee chat with her about what you might like. It’s where I’ve picked up my Fantoosherie Necklaces, and where I plan to pick up some more!

The following, are some boutiques that I would recommend a visit to…

Vintage Guru, Byres Road. For ALL your vintage needs, and I mean ALL! I’ve never been in and not bought anything(hey, that sounds familiar!)

Pink Poodle, Byres Road. I’ve to got to admit, I do sometimes find it a lil expensive for what they sell, I’ve had some good buys. Excellent for semi-designer items.

Cocoberry, Duke Street. Duke Street is coming up in the world! This boutique opened a few years ago and although small, it packed full of semi-designer finds that will make you swoon!

Shoes In The City, Duke Street. I’ve been a fan since this store opened, and find the owner Carla to be one of the best boutique owners! She knows exactly what her customers want and never disappoints. She also has loads for all ages, which means even when I’m in looking for a gift for my mum, I can get myself something too!

Barnardo’s Boutique, Wilson Street. Don’t be put off by the fact it’s a charity shop, cause it’s no ordinary charity shop! It’s got to be the best in Glasgow, it even has a dedicated vintage wardrobe in the back! It’s guilt free shopping as when you’re getting something back, you’re helping out the wider world!

Mr Ben’s, Kings Court. The original place to go for Vintage in Glasgow, you can’t lobe vintage and not visit here! It’s like dressing up in mum’s closet but only you cn buy and keep what you like!

Jodie’s Jewellery Boutique, Argyll Arcade. Quirky, but don’t go in unless you can handle massive amounts of pink! Which is pretty much why I love it so! It’s fun, and stocks some great designers, well worth a visit for gifts for yourself and others!

This list is in no way exhaustive, like with my M&S posts, I might make this a regular feature, so let’s say once a month I’ll fill you in on new places I find online and in person! Also if you know of anywhere I should go visit, then point me in their direction and it may well end up on here!

Spring Summer 2010

2010-01-29T20:42:00.011Z

Here's some of the Jewellery that I'm featuring this Spring Summer! Some of them are available at the Etsy Shop, and there are more items pictured on the Facebook Fanpage!

I'm Gonna Make this a Seasonal Thing

2010-01-29T11:36:00.010Z

Y'all know I have a bit of a thing for M&S, and that I love their bags! So each season, I'll feature those that I'm feelin'! Oh and I found this, something I wrote a while back...

"Days of Change At M&S

In the recent history of Marks and Spencer's 125 legacy, its safe to say that it has been regarded a bit of a Granny's Galore store. Sure we all relied on it for our school uniforms and fix of Percy Pigs, but other than that, we would never admit to shopping there.

However, I've found myself, increasingly so, being won over by their latest collections and especially their handbags. Nowhere on the highstreet can you get a leather Luella look-a-like for £49! And we all know luxury and quality are two of M&S's greatest attributes. There are even Chanel look-a-likes for as little as £15, along side mock-crock handbags Victoria Beckham couldn't be ashamed to be seen with.

So M&S, congratulations! You are well on you way to regaining your deserved crown and title of King of the High Street. And with Staurt Rose's departure in 2011 and the intorduction of new Chariman Marc Bolland, who knows what lies ahead in M&S's fashionable future? I can only hope that their creative team of designers can continue the fabulous work they have now re-established for the next 125 years!"

So for Spring Summer 2010, here's my favourites!

Limited Collection:

This bag was around last season but in different colours, however with the Pink and Blue, its definetly relevant for 2010

(Also In Blue)

(Also in Bright Pink and Yellow)

Autograph:

There's also a Tan version of this, however it differs slightly in the details

Portfolio:

And finally, I love these Limited Shoes!

Marc Jacobs, New Purchases and some new makes!

2010-01-21T17:06:00.005Z

My Mum and Dad were in London at the weekend, so I very nicely asked if they could go to the Marc by Marc shop and pick me up some stuff, which they did! I love the Jacobs by Marc Jacobs line, as it's still the same quirky designs, and good quality you would expect from the MbMJ line. So here are my new items!

this is a rubbish pic, but the bag is huge and the best colour!

Not the one I wanted but still amazing!

And I've taken to using this as a pencil case! lol

Whilst they were away, I went a wee wander round the West End, and we all know that my favourite place to go is DeCourcey's arcade! I got this gorgeous new necklace from The Rachael Albert Boutique...I loveloveeloveee it! It's made by Fantoosherie and you can check out their blog here.

And finally, at my bead shop, I had been waiting for them getting in a specific bead, and they had it! So I made this necklace;

Handbags!

2010-01-21T16:46:00.003Z

So Tuesday Night brought the first night of my Handbag Course at the Met! I was genuinely giddy (what a word!) with excitement. So much so I got the time wrong and had to run from the train, only to find I still had plenty time before it started! So it was fab! We had a wee intro bit and after the break got to designing! XD

I honestly wasn't sure what to do. I wanted something unique, that I could use everyday, that was big enough to humpf all my junk around in that was still noce to look at! HA! So I thought back, and thought back and then it hit me! Alexander Wang AW09, the bag of the season! Not unique tho. So I've re-worked the shape and decided to go with some embellishment on the front. I'm not the best at drawing in the world, but here are me sketches...

Last night I was sitting about, not doing anything very productive, so I whipped out my sketchbook (I feel quite arty being able to have a sketch book, never thought I'd be ale to say that! lol) and started to think about another bag. AW07 was when I first really got into the whole fashion thing, so I looked back through all my old cutting and came accross the Prada Tessuto Clutches from that season, it's handle was built into the bag(with an option of a longer strap) and a cut out of the Burberry Prorsum Knight bag which I adored. So using both of these as my inspiration, I've came up with the following...

Again, apologies for the drawing!

I'll keep y'all updated with how they get on, and post pix as soon as they're finished!

Etsy!

2010-01-13T22:31:00.005Z

So the festive period is well and truely gone, and I'm only just getting around to posting!

Santa was very good to me this year, bringing me a Marc By Marc Jacobs watch and my coveted Vivienne Westwood boots I featured in an earlier blog, but the black version! And boy have those boots came in handy these past few weeks! With the snow only now easing up, I've avoided falling whilst managing to stay chic in horrible weather we've had!

I also go some jazzy jewellery from friends but more importantly! I've been making more! We went away for New Year, which meant a new outfit, and no beads to go with it, but a trip to the bead shop and a few hours later I had THE perfect necklace! (Oh and on that day too, I headed into Vintage Guru on Byres Road and got thee most amazing Bag!)

And the most exciting news of the New Year...I'VE SET UP MY ETSY SHOP! woop! woop! go check it out at http://www.accessoryaddict.etsy.com/ go check it out and let me know what you think!

Now a quick look forward to the beginning of 2010...

Jan: Handbag Course, Textile Workshop (at the Masionette, WOOP!), UCAS application deadline(and I've already sent mine so let's wait and see)

Feb: Ski Weekend(not very fashion-y but I have new ski gear to wear which makes me smile!) and LFW!(although I'm not going :[)

March: Actual Ski Holiday and hopefully a Spring Fayre!

I'll leave you with some pictures of some of the things I've talked about above!

Marc by Marc watch:

Vivienne Westwood booties:

Beads I Made For New Year(terrible photo, colours look crap!):

Vintage Guru Bag:

My Jewellery

2009-12-18T20:43:00.008Z

I really should have posted this far earlier, but as I said in the previous post, Idon't know where the time has went!

Here are some pictures of the Jewellery I'm currently making myself. Some of them are unsold so if there is anything you like the look of, let me know and I can sell them to you. If I don't have them in stock, I'm able to make them quickly and get them to you soon. Unfortunately, nothing is available in time for Christmas, but why not treat yourself in the new year with money Santa might bring!

Small Bracelets £5

Large Bracelets £6 and Matching Offset Necklaces £8

Earrings to match above sets £3, and whole set can be purchased for £15

In the new year, I'll set up and Etsy shop to make selling easier!

Let me know what you think or if you would like to order anything!

Miss Marc has gone pirate for spring!

2009-12-18T20:09:00.005Z

And thats soo exciting! Too of my favourite things combined; Marc Jacobs and Pirates!

Some bags from the SS10 collection:

And here are some pix that I should have put up ages ago!
The necklace I got for my birthday:

I still don't where it's from so can't add a link :(

And another necklace I got the other week from French Connection, that goes fab with my new Christmas Party Dress!:

So what else is new? Nothing much to be honest! I've been pretty tied up with work and Christmas that I've had barely any accessory time. So after Christmas I'm gonna have to catch up! LOL

Oh one thing I do have to mention is that I've applied for a Handbag course at The Met from January. So expect me to be going on and on and on about bags from then! Unless I'm lost in Mandors choosing fabric! :)

Shoes...

2009-11-29T00:04:00.003Z

I can't say I'm a big shoe girl. I don't even really know if shoes class as an accessory. hhmmm? What do I mean by that? Well, shoes tend to be a necessity, unless you're spending the day inside, and every other accessory is nominal. You don't have to take a bag with you, you don't need to wear a necklace/bracelet/ring. But shoes, you need shoes. You aren't going to walk around in your bear feet, are you?

So this week I've found myself mulling over various pairs of shoes. Especially these ones!

Yes, the McQueen SS10 Armadillos, which have had alot of press this week(thanks to the eternally and interestingly stylish Daphnie Guiness). At first glance, HIDEOUS!! But I read on, and slowly grew to like them, now I love them, and I dont know why. The look ridiculously uncomfortable and I can't inagine what they must be like to walk in. Oh and the fact they make your feet look horribly disfigured. But there is something about them. I'm completely fascinated. I wouldn't ever wear them, I would however frame them and put them on display in my room!

I don't think I ever thought that much about a pair of shoes. Every season there are the Loubotins I wish I could afford or the Jimmy Choo's but my love for them lasts until I turn the page. I've never wanted to frame a pair!

As for my own current collecton of shoes, I feel that as a female, its relatively small. I have the few pairs of heels that are only worn on special occassions, the one pair of boots that only come out in the winter and the various pairs of Converse, and the couple of pairs of flats. I do however want to add these Vivienne Westwood boots to that.

In Glasgow, with the lovely rain everyday, who wouldn't want plastic boots? I think they would be extremely useful! And to own a bit of Vivienne Westwood would be fab!

Well, I'm off to consider those shoes some more, and to work out in my head what shoes really mean to me. :)

It's been too long!

2009-11-25T20:53:00.004Z

So I have lots to post! I was considering putting a contents in so y'all could decide what you wanted to read! LOLZ. So here goes:

Fashion Show @ Work:

Last night my work held a fashion show, showcasing the Tearcraft Jewellery and Accessories. Some the items were completely stunning! Soo many I wanted to buy! But the evening went well and I'm sure all those who came enjoyed themselves! I have some pics from the run through which I will get round to posting ASAP!

My Birtdayyy! :)

I turned 19 on Sunday and had a fab day! Didn't get much that I can blog about other than a Suzy Smith bag and necklace. I don't have a pic of the necklace yet but here's the bag:

I also got a jazzy Pink M&S Duffel Coat which may be the cosiest coat I've ever owned!

Clothes Show Live

I really, really, really wanna go! Like properly but I don't know if I can go. I mean I can get there, if I want to spend £200 on flights or take the bus, problem is I hate buses and can't afford £200. Can you say dilemma!? LOL but I have entered their Young Blogger Of The Year competition. If you get a chance, head over here and rate my post(named Days of Change At M&S by Hazel Berryman), would be much appreciated!

Scotland's Weather

Gets better every year, eh? I hate the rain, means hoods all round, and hoods always seem to be toooooo big for my head and I end up blind walking into everyone in the street. Not fun. But it's meaning I get to wrap up in cosy scarves, hats and gloves! What an excuse to get some new ones, including a new pair of Gloves from Pink Poodle on Byres Road!

And Finally... how sad is it that Luella has had to close due to the recession? Ms Bartley's quirky prints and leather luxuries will be greatly missed from LFW! Let's hope no other undeserving victims will be claimed in this horrible fianacial climate!

As the say on the Looney Tunes;

THAT'S ALL FOLKS! :)

Jewellery Party!

2009-11-16T10:14:00.005Z

Well it's been 3 days since the JP and I'm finally getting around to blogging about it!

It was a fab wee night, after a horribly stressful day! LOL but I am pleased with how it went. Sold plenty of things and have a good few orders to be getting on with! Thanks to all of those who came along, I hope you enjoyed your evening and that you enjoy your purchases!

Have also been busy making the jewellery for Just... For You. I'm really pleased with how the necklaces have turned out, they look fab! Only have the Junk Bracelet and scarves to finish before heading over with all the stuff, so will let you know when it arrives!

I feel thats not an awful lot to say on all that but here are some pic's of the table, my jazzy business cards(thanks to the wonderful Graeme Sharp for them) and a sneak peek at the necklaces and beaded charm bracelets for the store!

Proper Lil' Business Woman!

2009-11-09T20:42:00.004Z

Soooo today was funnnn! Went over to the West End to see about selling my jewellery and came away with a proper order! So happy! Can't wait to get started on it! Feel like I've properly accomplished something today! WOOP!

Andd yesterday I set my table for Friday(as I've said before not that I'm over organised or anything) so as a bit of a sneak peak, here's a pic of how it looks from where I'm sitting at the mo!

Also when I was out and about I popped into Jodie's Jewellery Boutique in the Argyll Arcade, and as is normally the case, came away with something new! I got a No2 necklace which is a cat playing at a fish bowl! Oh so quirky! I love No2 jewellery, its totally random which is soo me! So here's the necklace, and the Jodie's Jewellery Bouique Bag cause its too cute and I love carrying it around!

I also noticed a new shop on Buchanan Street whilst I was wandering around. It's called Maia and its rather Jazzy! Its a small gift shop, sort of Papyrus style with an Ice Cream Parlour and Cafe! I didn't have anything in the cafe, was in a bit of a rush for the train after spending a while browsing the gift shop! I picked up the following bracelet and bangle along with a wee notebook to use as my order book!

So I would say today was pretty successful! And it's been an awesome day!

Tomorrow I'm working :( but its all extra pennies! My friend is also popping round in the next couple of days to take pics to make me business cards! Me with business cards! I'll feel like such a grown up! LOL!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

2009-11-07T22:32:00.002Z

SOOO EXCITED!

remember the M&S bag I was going on about that I couldn't find anywhere...? Well its online now! WOOP WOOP! and its soo pretty, and after checking my bank account tomorrow, and hopefully finding that they're more in there than I think(a girl can dream!) I think I have no other choice but to get it!

Here's the bag:

And they're is a whole load more beautiful bags in Marks just now. I'm soo excited about them!

On another note, I just got some old beads from my Granny that I'm going to turn into some lovely bracelets for the Jewellery Party, which is less than a week away! Scary, yet exciting!

So much to sayyy!

2009-11-05T17:45:00.004Z

And barely any time to say it! LOLZ!

I'm still majorly busy getting everything sorted for the Jewellery party...next friday! Scary! Went to Borders the other day and got a whole load of display stuff, so my table's gonna look awesome, if I don't say so myself!

Oh and pay day was last week, so being me I hit the shops! Got almost all my Christmas shopping done, not that I'm over organised or anything, only have my parent's gift to get, so I'm well chuffed with that!

Along with the Chrsitmas presents, I treated myself to the Gap snood! Never have I been so cosy! I'm feelin' that its gonna be scarves everyday from now on, so the Snood's now in rotation with the new scarves from lil cuz and my jazzy ones from last year!

So what else have I been up to? Me and mum had a wee Christmas Shopping day yesterday on Byres Road and I got some jazzy stuff for myself. Got an "H" for my room, some bunting for both the JP and my bday party, got a rather funky vintage jumper which I'm saving for Christmas and a bangle, which I'll post a pic of below. Mum got her Christmas shopping started with a Necklace for my aunt, a bag for me from my gran(think that's for my bday tho) and my gift from her and my dad for Christmas(wil keep the details on that a secret atm).

I love love love the West End Byres road area, here's a few of my favourite shops;
Pink Poodle, Made In The Shade Maisonette, The Wooden Heart, Sentry Box Toys, Just... For You, Vintage Guru, Glorious and pretty much the rest of Decourcy's Arcade.

And to finish on an exciting note!!! When we were in Just... For You we were talking to the owner and she's asked me to bring over some of the jewellery I've made to show her and she may stock it the shop! Mega excited about that!

Anywayy folks, happy Bonfire Night!
Laterzz

Lace Effect Bangle from Pink Poodle

BUSYYYY!

2009-10-26T21:24:00.008Z

like properly! So thats why there has been a lack of posting!

So my reasoning for being too busy to post? Jewellery party prep! So far, I've made about 77 items, not including earrings, which I'm pretty proud of! Obviously I'm not posting pics of the stuff just now, don't know who's reading :p. But I do have pics of the fabrics I had mentioned before. I've used them to make some scarves with, which I will probably sell at the JP.

Also have been lusting over snoods this past wee while. My lil cousin was on holiday and brought me back to lovely wooly scarves(one hasn't left my neck since) which has made me feel the need to wrap up! So there's one in Gap I'm feelin so when pay day comes around....!

Oh and some exciting news! My work is having a fashion show again this year, which I've been asked to help organise! WOOP! It mainly features Tearcraft accessories as opposed to lots of clothing, so its right up my street! I can't wait to dream up some combinations and get people thinking! So hopefully I'll be able to update with how that's going!

That's all for now, here's the pics!

Turquoise Zebra Print

Yellow/Black Japanese

Close-up

Bags!

2009-10-19T20:46:00.008+01:00

Soo finally I'm gonna do my bags! lol have still been doing my jewellery party prep, and I am sooo excited! However, I hate that ebay allows me to spend money without leaving the house...so my paypal account is taking a mega hit but my feedback rating is getting larger! Every cloud has a silver lining eh? Lol maybe not.

Here goes!

Coach

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Marc by Marc Jacobs

J by Jasper Conran

I'm not entirely sure where this is from, my auntie bought it for me when i was really little :)

Marks and Spencer

Pink Poodle

Handbag Party at a friends

River Island

Shoes In The City

Shoes In The City

Tesco(!)

Cocoberry

Marks and Spencer

And just cause I think this picture is well jazzy, my Marc by Marc bag in some UV light! It's my baby that bag, lovee it soooo much! It's the best thing I think I've ever bought!

Quiet!

2009-10-12T21:30:00.002+01:00

I've been far to quiet this past week, which I apologise for!

However I've been pretty busy! I've decided to have another jewellery party sometime in November hopefully so have been trying to get some stuff together for that. I've currently made about 40pairs of earrings, 15 necklaces and 10bracelets. But I've still got soo much more to do! so on Wednesday(my day off) I'm going out to see what I can find. I went out last week too and came home with a whole load of stuff, including some stunning fabric(and it was a proper bargain!) but I've had no time to take some photos so they'll appear in a future post hopefully!

Also last week my mum came home with the little pink M&S bag, that I'd featured in a previous blog, for me which made me a very happy bunny! So in honour of that, my next blog will be all about my bags!

So that's all for now...I'll probably update later on tonight but until then, prepare yourselves for my bags! Which are my favourite things in the whole wide world!!

DIY!

2009-10-03T23:44:00.004+01:00

Sooo this weekend I was all about DIY. I had initially intended to go up to the fort last night to get Paper for invites and fruit flakes to make Cabana Cake in work. But letting me loose in hobby craft is dangerous! lol. I got some bright pompoms, a H patch and a mini doll's house photo frame thingy. Then I headed to Topshop and got a plain Blue beanie.(Along with the things I had set out to get and books from Borders.)

So I rushed home(partly to watch Derren Brown just FYI) and got to work...and my end result, a customised Beanie!

Then today after work I want to the ArtStore in town for a wee browse, which ended up with me buying beads and charms to make a "Junk" necklace to match my bracelet(sorta). But after getting home and starting it, I wasn't feelin' it. So, I used two of what I got today and the guy in frame from last night to make a quirky wee necklace. And then some other of the charms, and pearls I had in the house to make a bracelet.

So yeh, thats whats new this weekend! :]

Marks And Spencer!

2009-10-01T18:32:00.017+01:00

Has anyone seen Marks and Spencer's bags lately?

OhMiGoodness! Some stunning pieces, especially in Limited Collection and Portfolio. However I can't find the one I really want online :[ its a lovely wee multicolured, feathered clutch.

Here's a few of my favourites!

Portfolio:

Quite Marc Jacobs

Chanel-esque

Limited Collection:

Sooo Luella

Quite Past Season Marc Jacobs

Chanel-esque

Very Louis Vuitton

Mui-Mui stylee

Ooooh Marks and Spencer I'm impressed!

Bracelets

2009-10-01T14:34:00.005+01:00

Made By Me :]

Gift

Craft Fair

Made by a Friend

Joid'art

Thomas Sabo

Gift

Marc Jacobs

Disney Couture(at Jodies Jewellery Boutique)

Send In The Clowns

Craft Fair

Also Made By Me! :]

Don't think I have a favourite Bracelet, I love my Thomas Sabo charm bracelet(gift from my Gran for my 18th) and the charm bracelet I made myself.

I wear loads of bracelets every day, mixing some of these with cheap beads, bangles and twisted up necklaces, all depends how I'm feeling that day!

Necklaces

2009-10-01T13:17:00.016+01:00

A few of the Necklaces I own...

Craft Fair

Pink Poodle

ElsieBelle

American Eagle Outfiiters

Ebay

Urban Outfitters

Boutique in Helensburgh

Jodies Jewellery Boutique

Jodies Jewellery Boutique

Spirit and Truth

Marks & Spencer

Shoes In The City

My favourite? The Double Heart Tiffany Necklace.

Why? My Mum and Dad got me the necklace and "Return to Tiffany" Heart for my 18th, from the 5th Avenue store when we went to New York. The other heart was from my friends and is engraved with their names on both sides. It's soo special to me and soo unique.

Made In The Shade

2009-09-29T22:13:00.007+01:00

So on Saturday, Made In the Shade took over the top two floors of the Lighthouse in town for their Homecoming 2009 craft fair. My only problem...I get half and hour for lunch :( But I was determined to get there! So que 1.30pm, me being sent for lunch and literally running to the Lighthouse! And boy, was it worth it!

43 exhibitors over the 2 floors all selling their wares. So I had a lil browse before deciding what I wanted to buy(it was before pay day so I had to choose carefully!). In the end I went for

"Ahoy" Anchor Lady Luck Rules OK necklace

Bow Canary Yellow necklace

"Charming" Lost In The Forest bracelet

Also there was Lemonart, and if I'd had the money, that's where I would have spent it! So next time I'm feeling flush, I'm heading to their site to see what I can get!

Accessory Addict

Fall 2011

Basic Pleat Skirt Tutorial

My Online Past-times

Bottoms Up!

Resort 2012

Mandors Blog

Supermarket Sweep

After some comtemplation...

Another Week, Another Dress

Vintage Patterns

The Golden Age of Couture

Primark

Pareee

Spring Summer 2011

2011

Muiccia Prada I (Miu Miu) Heart You

I ♥ My Muff

Vintage Bags

Dear Marc

Bags

Marc Jacobs

Chloe Sevigny

GmbH

Baa Baa Wooly Sheep

Liberty of London how I ♥ you!

nana nana nana BATMAN!

Lanvin ♥ H&M

iPod Cases

They've Done It Again!

September 2010

Canada Magazines

Periwinkle & Glam Girls

3 Sleeps left

Tronnow

Highstreet channelling Handmade?

O Canada

'Che Camille You Are a Treasure'!

Magazines

Che Camille Goes East!

AW10's return to the good old days!

Nostalgia...

Feathers!

Liberty of London

Degree Shows Galore

Bibs, Bags and Blogs(or lack thereof)

Textile Jewellery

Concept, Calico, Creation

Oh What A Night!

Big Top Jamboree

Recent Buys!

I'm a lil bit obsessed atm!

These Are Two Of My Favourite Things...

Made In The Shade Springtime Jamboree

ASOS

New Makes

Handbags!

Henry Holland!

Fantoosherie

Aberdeen!

I'M SOOOOOO EXCITEDDDDD

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Sloveniaaaaa!

Lady Luck Rules OK!

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It's been too long

New Items!

Alexander McQueen

Karl Lagerfeld

Local Lovely's

Spring Summer 2010

I'm Gonna Make this a Seasonal Thing

Marc Jacobs, New Purchases and some new makes!

Handbags!

Etsy!

My Jewellery

Miss Marc has gone pirate for spring!

Shoes...