Lady K's crafts now in-store!

Lady K's mega talents are now on display in our Folksy Shop: http://www.folksy.com/shops/craftybirdcollective
Check out her beautifully illustrated greetings cards and upcycled car-boot boot finds!
Within minutes of adding the items to Folksy, Linda from uniquelyyours had found her beautiful teacup and added it to her blog! http://myblogfinallymadeit.blogspot.com/

Typewriter Greetings Card

Big Ben Greetings Card

Fixie Greetings Card

Get Well Soon Card

Teacup Candle- as spotted on http://myblogfinallymadeit.blogspot.com/ 

Teacup & Saucer Candle

Who' s Who Hollowed Book

TA-DA!

The Crafty Bird Shop is officially OPEN! *cheering and applause*

Please visit http://www.folksy.com/shops/craftybirdcollective for all your present (and future- haha) needs.
Kaylene's creations will be added this weekend so keep it bookmarked to check out what we are up too.

The new website is also up and running and can be perused here: http://www.craftybirdcollective.com/cbc_home.html

We also welcome commissions so if you would like a special gift for a special someone get in touch! Our email is info@craftybirdcollective.com

Here are some mouthwatering images of the things in stock

Patchwork Wilderness Cushion £15

Retro Curtain Cushion with Vintage Buttons £15

Mix and Match Cushion- Butterfly Side £15

Mix and Match Cushion- Triangle Side 

CANDY PARTY Cushion £15- all the kitsch you will ever need

A6 greeting cards on kraft card £150 each

Wicked Threads framed photograph £10

Butterflies framed illustration £10
AS SPOTTED ON http://lcgcreations.wordpress.com/!!

Chase Your Dreams collage picture £12

Butterfly Doily framed fabric picture £12

Cos he's a Fungi framed photograph £10

I hope you like! It's all very exciting...

Dial-a-hug

I'm not big into Valentine's Day and have never done anything special with my significant other but for the last few years I have sent my favourite girls a Valentine's Day reminder that they mean a lot to me. In the past I have gone to huge lengths to send it from the mysterious ? but that hasn't always gone down so well (it somewhat takes the edge off when your mother thinks it was from her 8 year old god daughter or your friend 'just wants to check' it wasn't from her stalker.) I have also stopped putting huge quantities of glittery bits in the envelope so that my display of love doesn't lead to more housework...

So this year my valentines hopefully received something that looks like this in the post...

Cute stamp set Christmas present all the way from Aus!

I found this online tutorial for little fabric wallets and figured it wasn't beyond my capabilities: http://hollandcox.com/blog/2010/06/tutorial-the-19th-street-wallet.html

And inside should have been something that looked like this! 

(They were all made of different fabrics but cleverly I posted them before I took pictures of them.)

This project was a great way to use up some of the smaller fabric scraps that, due to my hoarding nature, I had kept not so neatly tucked away. The skull fabric is by Alexander Henry and the amazingly OTT kitsch kitten fabric is a Japanese import called 'Candy Party'. Brilliant.

Tonight the folksy shop goes live so stay tuned for an EXCITING post tomorrow. Till then big hugs to everyone and lots of love xx

Action is the finest REMEDY ~ Salman Rushdie

*11.10.11 UPDATE* 

The Remedy Website is now live! 

I am very lucky to know a talented and lovely bunch of people and I feel very special (in a good way) when they ask me to be involved with the things they do. 


My friend Ange has set up her own homeopathy practice called 'Remedy' and a few months back asked if I would design the cards the treatments were sent out in (in exchange for some homeopathic remedies which worked a treat by the way...) 


Although I have been making cards for donkeys years this was the first time I had been commissioned to design something and follow a brief. 


Having done some research into the look of other homeopathy practices I knew I wanted to steer away from anything too hippy or too medicinal. Homeopathy to Ange meant "harnessing science, philosophy and poetry with dynamism, analysis, quantum and the natural world". I played around with more graphical interpretations of this but it was the simpler, photographic pictures which were working best. 


The hardest bit was finding a font and the right text to accompany the image- I think this vintage typewriter font works a treat and I love the way 'your remedy' conveys the personal and tailor-made approach to homeopathic healing.


After feeling quite daunted by the task (and photoshop), I have come out the other side having thoroughly enjoyed the process. It was a great to receive such thoughtful and encouraging feedback on what I was doing and it has really helped the way I work and my confidence (and photoshop skills) have blossomed because of it. Thank you Ange and I wish you all the best.


I feel a toast is in order so please raise your glasses for 'Remedy' and 'CraftyBirdCollective'- Bring it on 2011!

Contact angelina.mosley@googlemail.com

Logo designed by Rich Nosworthy

Dress Up

I am a big fan of stumbleupon and probably spend more time than I should on it. But it does have its rewards. I found a great post on the Talk to the Trees blog http://talk2thetrees.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-make-easy-high-waisted-dress-for.html. I have never even attempted to make an item of clothing before and I must have been feeling in a pretty cocky mood when I thought 'why the hell not?'. AND John Lewis had a sale on their fabrics so who am I to argue with fate?  (plus dress making could solve my fabric addiction/ the fact I cut up all my clothes...)

It didn't take me 30minutes to make but I did manage it in one evening with minimal swearing. I made mine slightly longer so I could wear it to work without flashing my pants and so the sash was a bit lower to define my waist more (and hide the Christmas puddings I consumed last month.) Result. So thank you Rachel for your inspiring tutorial and watch this space for more Laura Made garments!

Ta da! 

Close up detail of the beautiful fabric- goes with EVERYTHING!

Sew it goes..

I was rubbish at sewing when I was at school and I have to admit that my mum did a lot to help me out- especially with knitting (the merit I got for the knitted octopus should really have gone to her...). But then some blackout curtains were needed for Big Trev, the camper van, and in a bid to save money it was decided that I should try and make them. You can see my efforts here: http://bigtrev.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/lauras-contribution-sew-far/
It turned out I wasn't so rubbish anymore and that I quite liked it. And that guys and girls is how I come to have a rather expensive fabric addiction.

For my 28th birthday I got this rather beautiful sewing machine. Then came the discovery that ebay has  fabric shops where you can buy amazing vintage kimono fabric. When the bank funds ran dry I went through my wardrobes and cut up all my dresses. Now have no money or clothes but I do have an amazing collection of cushions and bunting so its not all bad! My own need for scatter cushions has been sated for now and I will be making some more to sell on the Crafty Bird Collective Folksy shop... get your orders in!

Mexican Paper Cut Cushion- front

This will be a birthday present for a lovely chum

In case we get lost in the wilderness...and need to rest?

What is the collective noun for cushions? A plump?

Christmas bunting that has now become an all year round decoration

Another soon to be birthday present-
check out the vintage kimono material *sigh*

I would like to thank my dear friend Patrick and his snazzy jazzy camera for taking these pictures for me last night. Cheers!

Welcome! Greetings! Salutations! Hi!

2011 will be the year that I sell the stuff that I make. Fact.
After receiving lots of praise and encouragement (I think 'It's certainly is unique' from my mother is encouragement...), AND having a kick-ass partner in crime; one Lady K (http://www.kaylenealder.com/kpictures_home.html),
my crafty mission has begun...

Crafty Bird Collective is the craft enterprise myself and Lady K have started and I will be posting links to our website and folksy store ASAP.

Having spent the best part of a year turning an old Scottish Ambulance into a campervan with by beloved boyfriend I would now like to have a way of making some pennies while being/living(!) in the van. So if having a desk job and staying put is my Plan A - Crafting is my plan B - and I believe you should always have a plan B.

Laura x