Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone, Wishing you all a Fangtabulously Creepy night.  We're watching The Rock Horror Picture Show and I may even get Wing to do the singalong version with me! He's been getting in the spirit with some Halloween comic book movie specials here.

Don't forget your sparkles ......................................................... xxx

New In This Week ....

We'll be adding new items to the shop weekly from now on and here's what's sparkling new this week! Click here to go shopping.

Vanessa's Wedding

 And at last I can share the fabulous photos of Vanessa's wedding.Yes those gorgeous dresses being worn in real life!
Dan Jones is the brilliant photographer who caught these images on camera, excellent job done here.
The incredible pom poms and by The North Pom, this is how to decorate properly with poms, you want hundreds and this is the most spectacular vision of brightly coloured pom poms I have seen.

Vanessa and her super talented entourage made everything look totally beautiful for this wedding, the attention to detail was incredible and Vanessa even set up a crafting group to help with all the decoration making for the day. It's a great idea and you can continue on afterwards for the next wedding or event.

Even the beers were specially brewed and labels by Vanessas husband Mr B and they wrote the table plans on the windows of the village hall with glass markers. There are just so many wonderful ideas from Vanessa's wedding and all of it 'home made' which makes it all the more fantastic.


You can read more about Vanessa's wedding and her creative daily life along with her little son Joel's adventures here. 

Note: having creative friends and a designer husband to be is very handy indeed, value them greatly always. Congratulations Vanessa, Mr B and Joel!!!!!


Credits and links: 

Dresses: Us Alexandra King!
Photography: Dan Jones Photography
Pom Poms: The North Pom
Shoes: Rachel Simpson
Bus: Cumbria Classic Coaches 
Venue: A Local Village Hall - village halls make the best venues for DIY weddings.
Photobooth props, table numbers and decorations: all made by friends, family and Mr B (Vanessa's husband)

The Eclectic Wedding Extravaganza

Coming to Birmingham next Sunday 4th November at the Fazeley Studios is the Eclectic Wedding Extravaganza. Don't be a looser like me and miss out!

We were going to be here but unfortunately had to pull out. I really wish we could be there as I have wanted to meet these people for such a long time, they are all a massive inspiration.
Anyway, it's totally going to be an awesome day that is completely different from any of the normal icky wedding fairs you usually get dragged to!

Sassy, Jo and Vikki have put together an amazing day with only the most amazing and highly skilled exhibitors. For starters these three alone are worth travelling for. Sassy aka Asassynation is the photographer that makes everything look wow factor, sparkles, fireworks and all.

Assassynation, The Couture Co.

Jo of The Couture Company is someone I have admired for ages, the craftsmanship in her designs and dresses is perfection and I know I shouldn't be saying this but she really can make the dress and corset of dreams come true.

Liliia

And if it's romance your after, take a look at Vikki's dresses of Liliia. They don't get more etheral and goddess like than this.
The other wondrous people there will be Elbie Van Eeden, the coolest hair and make up artist in the world.

Elbie Van Eeden

Restoration cake, Mary Antoinette would have lost her head all over again. Yum Yum.

Restoration Cake

Steve Gerrard and Lisa Devlin photographers  ..... If you read Rocknroll Bride you'll know this crowd well, they are some of the best in the country if not the world at making your wedding day better than any you can imagine.

Madeline Bride, as you know this lady is the finest Milliner in the business (in my opinion) and she is so lovely.

............. plus there are loads more fantasticly cool people to meet and spend the day with.

So the point of the day is for you people looking for inspirational and hugely talented people, to meet them all in one place. Everyone has been encouraged to make their spaces exciting, fun and relaxed for you, there's a fashion walkabout and even a treasure hunt! ..... and best of all there are no vulture's doing the hard sell on you. A proper fun day out for all.

Read what the day will involve here
Here are all the Bad Ass Mother Flockers aka amazing suppliers.

And here is where you get tickets ................... go forth and have fun in Birmingham. Flockin wish I could be there!

Friday Friends - Lindsey Wilks

My very own tea cup and saucer painted by Lindsey, check out the stripe and dotty bunting and the hidden bow in my cup! 

Rose glass for my rose lemonade, I love the pinks and greens together

The Peacock pin or bonbon dish, perfect to keep trinkets, sweets, anything in. Have a set of six and serve ice-cream with all the trimmings!

This weeks Friday Friends is someone I am so pleased to have met and a super talented lady who is divinely modest about her skills. The lovely artist and designer Lindsey Wilks.

I first met Lindsey when she came to the studio to chat about dresses, I'm always really interested to hear what everyone does and Lindsey coyly told me she painted porcelain. I'm not the biggest crockery fan as it's usually a bit dull, but took a look at her site and was so excited (and relieved) about what I saw.

Fabulous explosions of colour, beautiful painted scripts and typography to die for. Lindsey has a definite style and flare and there is nothing twee about her gorgeous colour popping works of art. She told me she just loves painting flowers but the little details she adds are so much more than this. The tiny gold hand painted dots reflecting the opulence of gilt edged Louis XVI designs, I think they would sit perfectly in Sophia Coppola's Mary Antoinette too.

The plates and tea cups are a florists dream, heavily laden with roses, blossoms, Lillie's, all together with personal swirling messages that make these items such an individual gift for someone. Lindsey is currently painting all of her wedding plates that are going to look stunning, you don't really need flowers with these around.

The best thing (I like to be practical about pretty things!) is that you can properly use these, they are all fine to go through the dishwasher, eat your tea from with steak knives, and this kind of crockery is worth getting excited about. I just adore the absolute gorgeousness of it all!

You can see and buy Lindsey's work here in her etsy shop. or click on the pictures above.  Just in time for Christmas presents.

Thank you Lindsey for sharing! x

Tropical Yellow Bridesmaids

 The second instalment from Vanessa's wedding wardrobe. You can read about her smokin' wedding dress here. 
Vanessa chose a fabulously bright yellow, fuchsia and fresh green over sized Amy Butler floral print that when you see the pictures, couldn't have been a better choice. For ages the print tormented me from the corner of the studio whilst I worked on other dresses, it was especially vibrant during the grey weather at the beginning of the year.

The design evolved when Vanessa and her lovely maids came down to the studio (all the way from Cumbria!) and went from a sheer silk round necked bodice to the gathered strap design with the sheer keyhole back. This design worked really well on both the girls and I love the fine edging on the sheer silk. Anna worked wonders with her beautiful stitching here.

Teamed with huge three layer pink underskirts and a pleated silk belt to match some divine Rachel Simpson fuchsia pink shoes.

The pictures of the wedding are coming next week ...... if you click the Rachel Simpson link above there's a preview!

The Glitter Bow Bags Have arrived!

Our long awaited glitter bow bags that we have been so excited about have arrived. They are in the shop now in all of these sparkling gorgeous colours.

Each bag is made in England, the bag section is put together by an excellent manufacturer based in the South of England and we prepare all the quilted linings and bows etc here at the studio. The quilted linings feel so wonderful.

They really are so, so sooooooooooooo sparkly and match the shoes from Kurt Geiger, Miu Miu, Charlotte Olympia .... the list goes on, the glitter is found on shoes everywhere. And this (as a self confessed bag unenthusiast) is the first bag I have been really excited about to use myself.

The glitter is amazing! I love it! Hope you enjoy the sparkles as much as me. Here they are in the online shop. 

P.S. THEY ARE ON OFFER FOR TWO WEEKS AT £95 AS A SNEAK PEEK UNTIL NOVEMBER 5TH. xxx

Sunday Night Reads - The Pattern Making Primer

The Pattern Making Primer - All you need to know about designing, adapting and customizing sewing patterns.
By Jo Barnfield and Andrew Richards
Published by Rotovision and Barrons
ISBN: 978-1-4380-0083-1
Available from Amazon Here: 

This book landed on my desk this week, a long awaited pattern cutting book by Jo Barnfield and Andrew Richards and what a lovely looking pattern cutting book it is.

I had a very minor role offering a few words of wisdom on running your own label and the brilliant Jo and Andrew are based at Bath Spa University and City of Bath College. I'd recommend both for studying fashion.

Pattern cutting books in general an be a little heavy going, it's the technical side of design that took me a long time to get my head round.
The basics of pattern cutting is simply like a big jigsaw with only a few pieces. All the pieces fit together to make a garment. As long as one piece fits to the next you on the right tracks.
It took me three years to understand this until someone uttered the words above and it clicked.

The Pattern Making Primer is beautifully clear and easy to follow with great illustrations, covering every garment detail from cowls to collars and capes. It includes the basics of block building, darts and adapting patterns and gradually works you up to the more complicated details of patterns and cut throughout the projects. I'm going to learn a thing or two also.

What I really love is the look of the book, it's amazing how this makes it far easier to follow and with current designs that you can relate too in your own wardrobe I think this book will be an essential on the bookcase for beginners and professionals.
If you are thinking of studying fashion or just really want to learn pattern cutting get this book.

You read more from Jo Barnfield and her extensive knowledge on all things fashion design here on her blog.

Get Your Glitter On - New Collection

Today I'm very excited about our new glitter accessories collection. I fell in love with this glitter fabric a while ago when the wonderful Janine Basil sent me some snippets. It had stayed in my sketchbook for nearly a year until the lovely Caroline (a fabulous bride) and Kurt Geiger collided with the silver glitter bow pumps that will forever be one of my favourite shoe styles. You can check out all the current glitter shoes that we'll be matching our accessories too here.

Photography Copyright Assassynation 

So then we made the bag to match for Caroline (above) ......

And then the bag was so gorgeous I decided that every accessory must be designed in glitter ......
And then in every colour. Yes there is a dress involved too!

The first collections in Pumpkin Spice, Ruby Reds and Sparkling Silver will be available online on Monday.

Ivory Lace Dress: Fifties Style Nicole

Today I'm sharing this simply chic and beautifully understated ivory lace dress, The Nicole. Worn for a wedding earlier this year, the dress was made with Elizabeth Taylor in mind, an event set in the Hollywood hills or an intimate gathering in Vegas with a blue tuxedo and Cadillac to go.

The dress has a sweeping just tipping off the shoulder neckline in a corded lace that I love using every time for its gorgeously tactile patterning and texture. Lined with a silk under-dress and nipped at the waist with a pleated silk belt to enhance the smallest part of the feminine curves. The fullness of the skirt finishes the silhouette in a bell with fine pleats from the waistband and a deep sheer scalloped hem.

With it's fitted sleeves to the elbow I would most definitely be styling this dress with a pearl bracelet, pearl tipped nails and matching pearl, pointed toe stilletoe's. No necklace as the collarbone should be shown off bare, but round pearl earrings and a simple fifties shoulder length veil swept away from the face. Oh and to finish off our new pearly queen glitter clutch. The pink silk of the bow lining adds just the right hint of colour.

All very chic, a little chocolate box fifties but oh so devastatingly gorgeous. Goodnight x

 The Nicole dress and Pearly Queen bag will be coming to the shop soon!

Vanessa's smokey grey dress ....

(I'm resisting 'shad of grey' here, my girls are way too intelligent for it to even be a joke).
 Today I'm going to show this first instalment from a colour popping, Pom Pom filled wedding up North. This is where that soft grey tulle dress you all love originated and Vanessa's beautiful deep grey and coral wedding dress was a dream come true to work on.

The dress made in a floating soft tulle in smokey grey was an inspiration making all colours around it totally pop. Vanessa art directed her wedding to the finest detail and this was also the case with the wardrobe, she really knew how she wanted everything to look resulting in some stunning ideas.

Vanessa's dress was then studded with coral Swarovski crystals, trimmed with metallic gold edging to the underskirt and finished with a coral silk belt all the match the gorgeous Rachel Simpson silk and leather shoes.

Coming up next in the 'Vanessa series' will be the bridesmaids .......... These are totally gonna brighten your day :)

N.B A few of you may have noticed that things have been quiet online for a bit and this is down to us loosing complete internet connection for 30 days! The mast has been damaged and the lovely 'three mobile' are less that quick about fixing it. It's still not how it should be but we are slowly getting up to date out here in the countryside.