Razzle Dazzle 'Em With Art Deco

I've always been interested in the culture of the 1920s. I studied 1920s America as part of my A-level in History (albeit a fair few years ago now) and got caught up in learning about the glamour, liberation and razzle dazzle fashion of those interwar years, mixed in of course with prohibition, scandalous gangsters like Al Capone and the march toward the Great Depression.

2012 has been heavily influenced by the 1920s in many ways too, partly because Downton Abbey entered its 20s phase, but mostly because the new The Great Gatsby film was supposed to come out this month. Fashion designers have taken their inspiration from the much anticipated film... only for it to be announced that it will now be released next summer. Oops. Perhaps the catwalks should have featured hobbit feet and elf ears instead...

Anyway, I've certainly been taking more of an interest in Art Deco over the past few months. The sharp edges, angular shapes and black and white all make an interesting contrast to the pastels and ditsy prints I'm usually drawn to. 2012 has been an iconic year, so it seems rather magical to me that the dominating style influence of this year has been eighty years old, yet it still looks totally modern and cutting edge.

Hopefully I'll find the time to add some art deco influence to my craft projects over the next few months, perhaps with some fabulous new buttons? But in the meantime I've been browsing Etsy for some rather hotsy totsy art deco style finds. They're the real McCoy...

1. Plush Flapper Doll by Flapper Doodle 2. Chevron Art Deco Pendant Necklace 3. Up Art Deco-style film poster 4. Aphrodite Pill Box Case 5.  Verdigris Over Rose Gold Cuff 6. Art Prints 7. Perfume Bottles 8. Wallpaper 9. Aqua Blue Watch Pendant

1. Cocktail Shaker 2. Owl iPhone 5 Case 3. Dragonfly Bracelet 4. Rose Print Make Up Bag 5. Portrait of Inventor Nikola Tesla 6. Stained Glass Mirror 7. Theodora Bracelet 8. Diamante Hair Grips 9. Bauhaus Poster Print

I was soaking in the bath last night and imagining having a black and white art deco bathroom one day. I reckon a mirror and a few perfume bottles like the ones above would look marvellous! Perhaps I'll pass on the bath having clawed feet though.

Does art deco do it for you?

Have a swell Monday,






PS: Hello and thank you to all new readers and followers! x

How to Be a Thrifty Crafter, Part 1

If you're reading this, it's probably a fair bet that you're quite a crafty person. And crafty people often own all sorts of materials relevant to their creative interests, whether it be art supplies, wool and knitting needles, sewing patterns, paper or well - you name it. 

If you're like me, you also seem to gather crafting materials wherever you go. You never come out of Hobbycraft with just that glue you went in for. You often find yourself scrolling through the listings on eBay, drooling over pretty ribbons, stamps and novelty cookie cutters. And let's face it, few of us would like to tot up exactly how much we spend on craft materials over the course of the year. 

This crafting thing we do can get pretty expensive. Many retailers charge an absolute fortune for items too, leaving us feeling that if we want to finish a project to the high standards we set for ourselves, we need to spend cash.

One of my favourite ways to keep my art and craft supplies well stocked and ready for anything my imagination can throw at them is to buy from the kiddies' section of art shops. Glue, acrylic paint, brushes, paper, card and clay are all so much cheaper than in the 'grown up' sections. 

To be creative means to use your imagination to make something original. I firmly believe that your imagination is the only craft material you ever really need to make a craft project you can be proud of. Anything else is an added bonus. So I use my imagination to look at typical kids' craft supplies in a different way. Pom poms, dolly pegs, clay, balloons for papier mache, glitter, foam, googly eyes and felt can all be used to make some really professional-looking projects... and at a fraction of the cost.

Shops such as The Works, Wilkinsons, Hobbycraft and Homecrafts have great kids' art sections where you can not only pick up bargains, but bright, colourful art and craft treasures that will get you excited too, after all, they're meant to inspire imaginative play in children, so why not us! Just yesterday I picked up some stickers, glitter, a new paint mixing tray, some white acrylic paint and some card from Wilkinsons and The Works and the whole lot came to £4. Now I can play and experiment to my heart's content and not worry about wasting precious materials. 

You'll often find exactly the same product as in the more sophisticated arts section, but in different packaging. I get through a fair few paintbrushes, so I now only have a couple of expensive fine ones, and the rest of the time I buy cheaper multipacks I can use without feeling precious about them. 

Lastly, I often turn to shops such as those above for crafting related supplies such as disposable gloves, picture hanging wire, tester paint pots (brilliant - grab yourself a few!), sponges (Poundland), tin foil, wallpaper samples (those are free!) and items such as cheap lunchboxes for storing tiny beads and jewellery findings. By looking outside of the typical crafter's shopping haunts for your materials you can save a lot of money and find new ways to use interesting materials in future projects, too.

Join me on Monday when I'll be sharing a post on finding crafting supplies even closer to home... for free!

Do you shop for art and craft supplies in the kiddies' section? If you have any shop recommendations please share them below!

Have a brightly coloured, messy Friday,

Exciting News! Miss Beatrix Opens an Etsy Shop

I am pleased to announce that I have opened an Etsy shop! I have spent many hours making and painting my own buttons and am now able to present them to you.

The buttons are available in three different sizes, and while only a few are in the shop at the moment I have a whole notebook full of more designs in the pipeline, so you can expect more arrivals over the next few days.

I am also able to take custom orders, so if you have an idea for an image you'd like to see on a button just drop me a line - there's no extra charge!

Each button is individually made by hand and then painted - so each and every one is different, quirky and unique.

As a little celebration tonight's Creatives Unite will be a two hour special - a sort of Twitter party if you will - from 8-10pm. There will be virtual tea and cake aplenty, as well as a button giveaway.

Hope you can make it,







PS: Hope you liked Bea hosting in my place this week - she certainly enjoyed the biscuity fruits of her labours! x

Dotty About Vintage

While I was visiting Whitby on Sunday I popped along to visit its new vintage shop, Dotty About Vintage, and had a lovely chat with proud owner, Trudie.

I'd heard about the new shop on the block via Old Fashioned Susie, so couldn't wait for the chance to have a good look round. 

...And I wasn't disappointed! Trudie has used a really cosy space to show off a huge amount of gorgeous vintage items, all arranged by colour.

Trudie opened Dotty About Vintage five months ago, having moved to North Yorkshire with no idea about what she wanted to do! Spotting that there was an empty shop unit in Whitby, she grabbed the bull by the horns...

I had a really good chat with Trudie and it's easy to see how well her shop - and herself - have been received in the area. She spoke about loving the looks on customers' faces when they wander in and start reminiscing, and how her vintage-loving clientele get a real kick out of discovering something new each time they visit.

I really loved how the shop was well thought out, but not remotely pretentious, as vintage can often be. I found all of Trudie's prices to be reasonable, got a warm welcome and felt instantly at home, as though I'd popped round to a friend's house for coffee.

Trudie is currently working on a website, but you can poodle along to her Facebook page and say hi. (I'm sure she'd appreciate a 'like' too!)

 Dotty About Vintage is just a few minutes down the road from where I usually stay when in Whitby, which could be very convenient ... or very bad for my purse!

I did make a small purchase while there on Sunday, but I'll sort a roundup of my latest vintage finds and show them to you soon.

All pictures after the third belong to Trudie of Dotty About Vintage. Please do not use them without permission.

Making More of My Wardrobe: 1 Dress - 4 Looks

If you're wondering about the sudden cessation of #StyleMeMay posts... it's because I've been camera-less for a few days. My camera only has one memory card, and said memory card decided to stop working, so it was a hurried hop onto eBay for a new one! I don't think I've ever gone so long without a camera since I started this blog, and I'm not a big fan of the one on my BlackBerry. Anyway, luckily I had a couple of posts already prepared, so normal service can now resume!

Despite the fact that I'm taking part in the Style Me May challenge, I'm no style blogger, and the only fashion or style that usually falls within the subjects I cover on this blog is that which is vintage-inspired.

But it is becoming increasingly important to me to appreciate what I have in these tough economic times, to buy more second-hand, upcycle, and to make more of the items I already have in my wardrobe. I consider this to be part of the more simple, thriftier, make do and mend culture I'm moving towards and documenting in this blog.

When I found a dress in a charity shop a few weeks ago, it screamed my personality. £4, with its Next shop tags still attached, I wouldn't call it at all the vintage-inspired look I veer towards usually, but it does fit my dreams of tromping through fields with Bea, wearing a dress and wellies and picking flowers along the way! And in the name of making more of what I have, and having fun with different looks so I don't get bored and tell myself I need to buy more clothes (not that my wardrobe is big, to be honest!) I came up with the idea for this post. One charity shop dress. Four ways to wear it!

Look Number 1: The dress 'as is'...

 

Look Number 2: With a cardigan...

Look Number 3: A coral boyfriend cardigan

Look Number 4: With a long sleeved top underneath

These were only very simple adaptations to one outfit, and I haven't played with shoes and different colour or no tights yet, so I imagine I'll be able to come up with many more variations!

Have your clothes shopping habits changed at all since the recession kicked in? Do you try lots of different ways of wearing your clothes, or do you tend to stick to one way of wearing each item?



Trolley Owls!

Check out my new shopping buddies!

My mum absolutely loves owls, so I made one for her for Mother's Day. I haven't been able to post these earlier, though, because I made the other for a friend's birthday last week, and I couldn't risk her seeing them!

I've already been informed by my mum that having one of these wise fellas in the coin slot of your supermarket trolley ensures that you spot some fantastic bargains. I don't need to be told twice - I'm making one for myself to double up as a cheery bag charm.

By the way, my new golden rule when making anything with felt (not needlefelting) is to soak the pieces in spray starch and leave to dry before stitching them together. It stops the felt going fluffy when cut and helps keep the finished product cleaner for longer. I wrote a post about the many uses of this wonder product here.

A busy day today so this bird's gotta fly...

Twit-twoo,