Manchester WI Christmas Fair, Chethams School of Music, Sunday 9th December

A couple of weekends ago it was the Manchester Women's Institutes Christmas Fair. Set in the grand surroundings of Chethams School of Music's medieval Baronial Hall, it was a superb setting for vintage inspired crafts, jewellery, fashion and food stalls.

The mulled wine was flowing and christmas tunes playing, creating the perfect atmosphere for a mooch and the opportunity to purchase handmade christmas gifts from a fabulous mix of stallholders.

 

 

Gorgeous china was available from the All That Jazz stall, presented in rustic picnic baskets...

 

....and tied up with festive ribbon and candy canes

 

I fell in love with a vivid coloured tea set on the stall, as well as these super cute vintage hankerchiefs...

Bringing a touch of naughtiness to the festivities was Crass Stitch Crafts, who produce cross stitched greeting cards and other products, which the name suggests are a little crass! (note the strategically placed card over a really rude caption below!)

The Manchester WI Calendar, which featured images inspired by inspiration women of Manchester was on sale.

The Reconsidered Retro stall was packed with upcycled items, from brooches made with old tape measures, to bracelets made with recycled knitting needles!

 

 

 

Gorgeous artwork and textiles were available on the Ursula Grice stall, with products drawing inspiration from British wildlife. Whilst Barefoot Books were on hand to offer some unique childrens books, including some illustrated with hand stitched images.

 

 

 Festive touches were everywhere, with Mince Pies available from Hayley Beth's stall...

 

And handmade decorations on other stalls around the event...

Handknitted items including these tea cosies were extremely popular, selling out fast

My personal favourite of the event was the Cheshire Cat stall (http://thecheshirehat.com/)  owned buy Milliner Emma, whose vintage inspired hats were out of this world! I fell in love with this 20s looking pastel peach number below. Emma also makes custom order hats and will incorporate personal touches, such as sentimental jewellery pieces.

She also creates jewellery inspired by Alice in Wonderland, sold on playing cards.

Despite being there to represent Pretty Nostalgic, I also managed to spend quite a fair bit of money! I purchased a clock made out of a vintage china plate from Stephanie Lindsay, who revamps china, turning tea cups into candles and cake stands.

Her friend whose products also featured on the stall, upcycles old suitcases and handbags giving them that real nostalgic feel.

As well as this, I bought some handmade earrings, brooches from the Reconsidered Retro stall, and a food hamper from Fyq Deli, who brought some foodie goodness to the event.

And of course,  Pretty Nostalgic magazine was available at the fair too!

All in all, it was a great first fair for the Manchester WI ladies, and hopefully one of many more to come! Here are the co-founders of the Manchester branch, Lucy and Alex, below.

You can read more about this branch of the WI, who describe themselves as 'an eclectic mix of sisters jazzing up the WI tradition' and other WI groups in the forthcoming Issue 5 of Pretty Nostalgic magazine, hitting shelves nationwide January 2013.

www.prettynostalgic.co.uk

http://www.facebook.com/#!/ManchesterWomensInstitute

Sneeky Peek at Issue 4 of Pretty Nostalgic Magazine

Excitement is building as I await the arrival of the new issue of Pretty Nostalgic magazine - Due to hit the shelves of suppliers and letter boxes of subsribers over the next few days.

Even though I am a Regional Editor for the publication I still desperately long to see the other beautifully written and presented features of the new issues.

I have special permission to show a sneeky peek of the wonderfully festive cover of the new issue right here!

Here are also some little teasers of my two features in this forthcoming edition of the magazine, which are my favourite to have worked on to date:

The first is a look into the world of nostalgic sweet making and I got to visit a beautiful tradtional sweet shop in the stunning Peak District National Park, Mr Edwards Sweet Emporium (www.edwardandvintage.co.uk) It is a real Christmassy feature and even has some recipes for readers to try themselves. I particularly enjoyed my photoshoot at Edward & Vintage and the owner David was a charming host!

The second is a feature on Taxidermy and explores three female taxidermists working in the field today, along with a collector of taxidermy who has incorporated it into her home transforming it into a fantastic space full of character. Taxidermists Amandas Autopsies (www.amandasautopsies.com) Nicola Jayne Hebson and Holly Christian (www.hollychristian.co.uk/Holly_Christian) are profiled, along with Rachel Whylde (the collector)

I enjoyed working on this feature especially and even got to have a dabble in the craft myself - a surprisingly delicate process. Many thanks to Amanda of Amandas Autopsies for letting me attend her Stuff & Nonsense Taxidermy workshop at the amazing St Barts Pathology Museum, London.

 

You can read these and pages more of inspiring and beautiful features in Issue 4 of Pretty Nostalgic, available at WH Smiths, from the Pretty Nostalgic website and a host of Independent Stockists. A list of stockists and also the option to purchase online can be found here: http://prettynostalgic.co.uk/this-issue/

Subsriptions and the gorgeous Pretty Nostalgic Home book also make fabulous Christmas gifts for Vintage, Craft & Nostalgia lovers! 

Kopparberg Un-establishment: The Marketplace, Saturday 13th October, 12-6pm at 2022NQ, Manchester

Along with my pals Mr Sebastian Matthes and Mr Will Tramp I have co-organised The Marketplace - part of a Kopparberg Un-establishment Manchester event which is taking place on Saturday 13th October at 2022NQ, 20-22 Dale Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester, between 12 and 6pm.

The boys have done an incredible job organising a week long series of workshops, talks and events aimed at celebrating DIY culture and creativity - including a knit and crochet workshop from Stitches and Hos that I will most definitely be going along to! (http://www.stitchesandhos.co.uk/)

The Marketplace is your chance to see some of Manchester's top Vintage sellers, Makers and Vinyl Collectors all under one roof. Expect to see only the best but at affordable prices. Stallholders have been specifically selected for their attention to detail and top knotch products. I have organised the vintage and craft stalls whilst the boys took charge of the record fair - so theres something for both the ladies and gents!

 Tim Burgess of the Charlatans will be having a stall at the Record Fair. As well as the eclectic array of stalls, there will be workshops from super talented Textile and Print Designer Lisa Stannard (http://www.lisastannard.com/) who has worked for the likes of Whitney Eve and Matthew Williamson; as well as Anna Lapenkueper who makes outstanding jewellery.

There will also be a pop up polaroid studio from the fabulous The Impossible Project! (http://www.the-impossible-project.com/)

This event is not to be missed, and best of all  - its all free!!

https://www.facebook.com/events/347699271986007/

http://unestablishment.tumblr.com/

Finds of the Fair feature, Vintage Village, Stockport, August 2012

This weekend I did the Finds of the Fair piece for Stockport's fabulous monthly vintage market, Vintage Village.

You can read it here:

http://www.thevintagevillage.co.uk/finds-of-the-fair/finds-of-the-fair-12th-august-2012

Heres one of my favourite finds from the lovely Oooh Betty! stall

Sugar Junction Tearooms and Pretty Nostalgic Magazine Present: Bookbinding Summer Workshops

I am pleased to announce that I will be running a series of Summer Bookbinding Workshops at Sugar Junction Tearooms, Tib Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester on behalf of Pretty Nostalgic Magazine, whom I am Regional Editor for the North for. Not only will you be able to learn the traditional craft of Bookbinding in the wonderful surroundings of Sugar Junction, but you will also receive a copy of Pretty Nostalgic (which retails at £8 per copy) an introduction to the magazine, as well as the opportunity to subscribe or purchase further issues or a copy of their beautiful Home book.



I have been a Book Artist since my time at University and have a passion and knowledge for this age old tradition that can be used to display artists work, or transform personal collections and photographs into beautiful books. The course is suitable for beginners wanting to learn how to make a variety of book structures. We will produce a selection of books during the two hour workshop, which will run each Tuesday afternoon from 31st July until 28th August 2012.

You will also receive a handmade book containing information on all the book structures we make, useful links and pages of inspiration, as well as a pot of Sugar Junctions loose leaf tea and a homemade cake.

Contact me via email: youngsam85@yahoo.co.uk or telephone: 07920 404795 for further information and to book your place. Workshops are limited to 15 ppl per session so book early to avoid disappointment!! Tickets are a steal at £20 per person!

I will look forward to meeting you and having a natter over tea and cake and teaching you how to make some fabulous books!!

The Observer Book of Birds

The 'Observer Book of Birds' is one of my most favourite books that I own. I reall love Antique Illustrations of Birds, Mammals and Plants. I think it comes from back in my childhood. My Dad had an old and slightly battered looking Encyclopedia that I would look through when I was little, and there were drawings of all different species with their Latin names.

I often use these images to draw sketches from as I find it really relaxing. I am also in the process of decorating my bathroom with copies of some of my favourites...(pic to follow)

Quilting.

Over the Jubilee weekend, I decided I would have a go at making a patchwork quilt using scraps of fabrics I had lying around. The first and only quilt I have ever made was for my GSCE Textiles piece, and it was quite elaborate, with drawn pieces, applique and embroidery.

I had been inspired by a number of Quilting and Patchwork blogs (the two below are particularly gorgeous!)
Crazy Mom Quilts
Hop Skip & Jump

Originally it was going to be a plain everyday quilt, using a mix of white, pastel pink and floral material, which you can see in the above image...

But then I thought it would make a lovely Baby blanket, and decided I would Applique the letters of the Alphabet on it.

If truth be told I wanted to give myself lots of work on my new sewing machine! I sat engrossed for two days cutting out the letters and sewing them onto the patches! A couple went a bit wrong, so I am going to finish those over the next few days.

Last night I decided to start sewing up some of the patches. I would have done the lot as I was on a roll but then remembered I still have to applique the missing letters. I WILL finish it over the next week or so though!!

Regional Editor News & Flaming Lips - Do You Realize Parklife Weekender 09/06/2012

What a fabulous weekend i've had!I got to be a dancer onstage for the entire Flaming Lips show whilst dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz - as well as meet and share a rather long hug from Mr Wayne Coyne (on stage in front of approx 10,000 people) It was one of the most amazing nights of my life, getting to be onstage and witness the pure spectacle of their live show! (I also got to dance around onstage for the whole set - note the crazy woman on the left hand side of the video going mental!)

On top of this, I am also proudly able to announce that I am Regional Editor for the North for Pretty Nostalgic Magazine!!!

I am so excited about this, having already written features for issue one and two. I cannot wait to get cracking on more work. It is such a beautiful magazine and I am honoured to be a part of the team!! : ) 

www.prettynostalgic.co.uk

Chocolate Beetroot Mud Cake

When I told my mum I was baking a cake with beetroot in it, she simply laughed at me. Shes a simple old soul who eats simple English grub. Her idea of being adventurous is eating a Dopiaza curry from the local Indian takeaway. She is also known to only order one of two meals when eating out - Steak, or Gammon, Egg & Chips!I suppose food has gotten a lot more adventurous over the years, but I assured her it was just llike putting carrot in a Carrot Cake - she still didn't sound too convinced.

 I started out the day feeling creative, wanting to do some baking and sewing. My plan was to stay indoors in a haze of creativity, but that was shot by the need to venture out in the heavy rain to purchase some essential ingredients and supplies.It was not a good day to lose your umbrella. The walk into the city was not a pleasant one, and I never enjoy walking through the hoards of people who seem to dawdle around with their eyes shut or looking in the opposite way they are travelling in. Back at home, I cheered up at the prospect of making the cake. I even found myself singing a little song that seemed to burst out of nowhere - it went alond the lines of 'Lets make cake, lets make cake, lets make cake-a-cake-a-cake-cake-cake-cake' (sometimes I am even suprised at my own craziness)

But the joy of baking was pretty short lived when I embarked a disaster whilst melting four bars of plain chocolate in a Bain Marie.
First off, I stupidly used a bowl that was too small for the pan. Naturally the inevitable happened and the bowl kept falling to one side almost hitting the water. Stupidly I forgot that it was very hot due to sitting over a hot pan of water and preceded to burn my hands. Then, whilst wearing oven gloves and attempting to remove it, I dropped it and water from the pan got into the bowl of melted chocolate. Suddenly the gooey melted chocolate was turning hard. I looked to the internet for guidance and was told this was called 'Seizing'. 'That doesn't sound good' I thought to myself, but read on further to a section called 'How to salvage seized chocolate'. You would think with a title like that you would find a soloution to your problem of a bowl of solidfyed chocolate..but no, I was simply told, 'you cannot salvage it!

Having only bought four bars - the exact amount required for both the cake and the ganache topping, I realised I was buggered. By now the kitchen was in even more of a tip than its usual state when i'm baking. Grating beetroot is a messy business anyway, and then there was the chocolate, flour and various other messes across the worktops. I also had managed to use every bowl, pan and other kitchen item in the process. I mustered up the willpower to see through what I had now resigned to being a disatrous baking attempt. I used the chocolate supposed to be kept aside for the ganache (100gs less than required for the cake mix) Then I realised I was also supposed to use raw beetroot, whilst I had used cooked!

Still, the cake seemed to be taking an ok shape in the oven and a glimmer of hope came through. That was until I removed it from the oven and attempted to take it out of the tin. Cracks appeared everywhere, bits of the sides preceded to cave and fall off. I was tempted to through it up the wall by this point but soldiered on...
By now I was running late for the very reason I had made the cake. A meal with friends at one of their houses (the agreement being that he cook the main and I do the dessert) I rustled up a quick chocolate frosting as could no longer make the ganache and attempted to spread it on the collapsing cake.

That was even messier than the baking process, my fingers ending up caked in frosting as I attempted to push the falling sides back in place, hoping it would act as a sort of glue to the sponge! Finally it seemed to resemble a cake! Although how it would taste was still questionable.

After feasting on slow cooked pulled pork and playing with Pedro, my friends beautiful Ragdoll Kitten, the dreaded time came to serve up my disastrous dessert. I was cautious when cutting the cake as I thought it would collapse into a thousand pieces at the slightest touch. I told everyone I thought it was going to be a bit dry and that it would probably taste rubbish (they already seemed a bit worried about the special ingredient)

So I was unbelievable suprised when one of my friends began to tuck in an eclaimed, 'Oh my god, that is amazing, you really do make the best cakes EVER!!' Eager to witness myself, I tucked in, only to find the most delicate and deliciously moist sponge I have ever eaten. It was velvety and soft but also rich, with the beetroot adding a depth to it. The frosting I had rustled up had turned it into more of a Death By Chocolate Dessert, but overall it was a success! all my traumas of the day had paid off. My friend even took a piece home for her man.

Vintage Dog Cameos

Finally got around to making these pendants yesterday with some cameos and settings I bought ages ago..

I also have loads of stuff to make earrings but unfortunately my glue won't stick the back findings to anything so will need to re-visit that min project. Think I might give these as gifts (keeping on for myself of course!)

Things I am currently making....

I have a bit of a naughty habit of knitting/making things then not quite finishing them and moving onto something else!! Usuallly its not my fault and is down to me running out of wool when there is a tiny amount of work left to be done!

Here a some things I am creating at the moment:

These super comfy socks. I wanted some thick and comfortable socks for wearing around the house. I have knitted since childhood and thought, how hard can it be? Well I don't know about anyone else but for me, socks have been one of the hardest things i've ever knitted!! Working on four needles was particularly daunting, but since working on the second sock i'm getting used to it. Unfortunately, despite following the pattern and tension correctly, they are turning out to be a bit on the large side for my size 6's, so am giving them to my lovely fella.

I finished knitting this cardigan from a 1950's vintage pattern quite some time ago now...but ran out of wool whilst stitching the last part together! I find wool to be expensive at the best of times and it pains me to shell out on another ball for the tiniest amount that I need. I WILL finish it soon though.

This is what it will look like once I finish it though!! Minus the welts which I left off my version...

I've also nearly finished a jumper made from another vintage pattern. Again, I have run out of wool on the last sleeve, but am going to make a trip to the Haberdashery soon!!

Here's what the finished article should hopefully resemble!!

And finally, Bunting! With all the beautiful sunshine we have been enjoying lately(although it seems to have gone into hiding today) I though I would jazz up my balconies with some handmade bunting. Living in a modern rented apartment often really frustrates me as I want to decorate and give it a vintage feel. But you are very limited with what  you can do in a modern furnished flat. I am envious of friends who live in rented apartments in Germany, where they are allowed to decorate and furnish as they please. My friend Christina has the most gorgeous place, filled with furniture from second hand shops, upcycled creations and best of all, her moms vintage sofa from the 70s. I have to make do with what I can get away with here!