Available in taupe or chocolate brown with a red or pink heart, they are custom sewn to your specifications and are available only until 14th February 2016, making them totally perfect for a Valentine's Day gift.
Oh and HAPPY NEW YEAR, by the way.
the shark alley blog
Monday, 11 January 2016
Otters Holding Hearts
The lovely limited edition Otters Holding Hearts have just gone on sale in the Shark Alley shop!
Available in taupe or chocolate brown with a red or pink heart, they are custom sewn to your specifications and are available only until 14th February 2016, making them totally perfect for a Valentine's Day gift.
Oh and HAPPY NEW YEAR, by the way.
Available in taupe or chocolate brown with a red or pink heart, they are custom sewn to your specifications and are available only until 14th February 2016, making them totally perfect for a Valentine's Day gift.
Oh and HAPPY NEW YEAR, by the way.
Monday, 23 November 2015
Christmas Fairs November - December 2015
Here's some info on Shark Alley's forthcoming fairs if you fancy them. I'll be doing some exclusive special prices and discounts at all events.
DULWICH COLLEGE - SUNDAY 29th NOVEMBER
Once again I'll be having a stall at the very popular Dulwich College Christmas Fair in South London. Find me at LH13 in the Lower Hall from 11.30am to 4.00pm.
CHELSEA CHRISTMAS GIFT FAIR - SATURDAY & SUNDAY 5th & 6th DECEMBER
Held at the fabulous Chelsea Old Town Hall, the fair takes place from 11am to 7.00pm on Saturday - giving you a full day's opportunity to shop - and then from 12.00 to 5.00pm on Sunday.
THE HAVEN FESTIVE CRAFT FAIR - SUNDAY 13th DECEMBER
Held in aid of The Haven Breast Cancer Charity, this event takes place at The Bedford, Balham from 11.00am - 5.00pm. All of the organiser's proceeds go to support the charity.
DULWICH COLLEGE - SUNDAY 29th NOVEMBER
Once again I'll be having a stall at the very popular Dulwich College Christmas Fair in South London. Find me at LH13 in the Lower Hall from 11.30am to 4.00pm.
CHELSEA CHRISTMAS GIFT FAIR - SATURDAY & SUNDAY 5th & 6th DECEMBER
Held at the fabulous Chelsea Old Town Hall, the fair takes place from 11am to 7.00pm on Saturday - giving you a full day's opportunity to shop - and then from 12.00 to 5.00pm on Sunday.
THE HAVEN FESTIVE CRAFT FAIR - SUNDAY 13th DECEMBER
Held in aid of The Haven Breast Cancer Charity, this event takes place at The Bedford, Balham from 11.00am - 5.00pm. All of the organiser's proceeds go to support the charity.
Friday, 20 November 2015
Fairs & New Treasures
Bit of a last minute rush this one as I'm practically out the door for my first Christmas fair, so forgive bad photos and brevity.
Sparkle Contemporary Craft and Gourmet Food Fair is my absolute favourite event ever - comfortable, beautiful, warm and well-organised with hordes of lovely punters, so I'm looking forward to it, although I get stressed and nervous before every event set-up.
It opens tonight (Friday 20th November) 6.00 - 8.30pm and then is open 10.00-5.00 for the rest of the weekend.
I have a few lovely new treasures that will be on sale this weekend - with many making their debut, including these Matrioshka-inspired Russian Folk Bear brooches.
I have also been making some smaller hare necklaces, as I know not everyone likes big statement jewellery like I do. Here's my favourite piece - the moon gazing hare pendant, complete with a freshwater pearl 'moon'.
Also there are some new bird brooches - ducks and penguins (how seasonal!).
And finally, some Christmas cards - foxes and hares.
I also have Dulwich College Christmas Fair next weekend (Sunday) then two more after that and I'll be posting details about these very soon.
Now I'm off for some deep breathing.
Sparkle Contemporary Craft and Gourmet Food Fair is my absolute favourite event ever - comfortable, beautiful, warm and well-organised with hordes of lovely punters, so I'm looking forward to it, although I get stressed and nervous before every event set-up.
It opens tonight (Friday 20th November) 6.00 - 8.30pm and then is open 10.00-5.00 for the rest of the weekend.
I have a few lovely new treasures that will be on sale this weekend - with many making their debut, including these Matrioshka-inspired Russian Folk Bear brooches.
I have also been making some smaller hare necklaces, as I know not everyone likes big statement jewellery like I do. Here's my favourite piece - the moon gazing hare pendant, complete with a freshwater pearl 'moon'.
Also there are some new bird brooches - ducks and penguins (how seasonal!).
And finally, some Christmas cards - foxes and hares.
I also have Dulwich College Christmas Fair next weekend (Sunday) then two more after that and I'll be posting details about these very soon.
Now I'm off for some deep breathing.
Monday, 12 October 2015
For Fans Of Vintage
I hold my hands up - it's been a while, hasn't it?
My only defence is that if I'm quiet online, it's because I've been hatching new ideas, and that's really far more important.
So I have two things to talk about and I'm kicking off with these brand new hare brooches which are made with something slightly less modern. Something from 1880 in fact.
Years ago, my Grandmother used to do a bit of light opera and had a couple of fans from a performance of The Mikado, which she gave to me. One was black with a landscape painted on it and has since been lost in the mists of time, but the other was a lush embroidered silk and was recently discovered in my Mum's loft after she had exhorted me to 'clear your crap out' (or words to that effect).
The fan had torn, but it was still so beautiful with its carved and painted base and the lovely delicate embroidered silk. The tears in the fabric actually revealed the newspaper lining - yellowing and French - and I was amazed to discover that it was dated 1880.
I'm sure I should have done something more respectful with this - but I just wanted to give it new life and make it into something wearable and beautiful, so I decided to use it to decorate some hare brooches. Both the fabric and the newspaper could be used, even though the newspaper was very flaky and only came off in strips, so it had to be collaged on in pieces. Fragments of the silk had stuck to it, so there are lovely red smudges on some parts.
The silk was slightly harder to work with. I tried unsuccessfully to cover it with resin as usual, but it just killed it. It has worked in the past with cotton fabrics, but the silk was just too absorbent and all the subtleties were lost. So the finished pieces are only resin coated on the back so that the lovely delicate nature of the silk on the front can be shown off to its very best advantage.
Two of these limited edition brooches have just gone into the shop - click here to see.
I'll blog about the other new creations very soon.
My only defence is that if I'm quiet online, it's because I've been hatching new ideas, and that's really far more important.
So I have two things to talk about and I'm kicking off with these brand new hare brooches which are made with something slightly less modern. Something from 1880 in fact.
The fan had torn, but it was still so beautiful with its carved and painted base and the lovely delicate embroidered silk. The tears in the fabric actually revealed the newspaper lining - yellowing and French - and I was amazed to discover that it was dated 1880.
I'm sure I should have done something more respectful with this - but I just wanted to give it new life and make it into something wearable and beautiful, so I decided to use it to decorate some hare brooches. Both the fabric and the newspaper could be used, even though the newspaper was very flaky and only came off in strips, so it had to be collaged on in pieces. Fragments of the silk had stuck to it, so there are lovely red smudges on some parts.
The silk was slightly harder to work with. I tried unsuccessfully to cover it with resin as usual, but it just killed it. It has worked in the past with cotton fabrics, but the silk was just too absorbent and all the subtleties were lost. So the finished pieces are only resin coated on the back so that the lovely delicate nature of the silk on the front can be shown off to its very best advantage.
Two of these limited edition brooches have just gone into the shop - click here to see.
I'll blog about the other new creations very soon.
Saturday, 4 July 2015
Wimbledon Whites
The Wimbledon tennis championships truly mark the start of summer for me.
Coming from a family of sporty people, with Mum and Dad both being keen tennis players, I grew up with it dominating our only TV (well, it was the 70s) and it grew into a much-loved summer tradition. With the start of the tournament coming around the time of Mum's birthday and usually ending around my brother's and mine, all in all it made for happy times! And Andy Murray gave me the happiest time in 2013 by winning the championship on my birthday - the best present ever.
Watching it and bonding with Dad (off work recuperating from a back op) in between sitting my O-Levels; the living room nearly always dark and heavily curtained so we could see the ball better; Mum's home made elderflower champagne (and the year it exploded); endless strawberries; chocolate birthday cake; absolutely LOATHING Ilie Nastase and John McEnroe and their tantrums; Mum refusing to answer a ringing phone during a tense match in which a lowly Brit was about to wipe out a seeded player (they didn't); endless salads as she couldn't bear to drag herself away from the TV to actually cook (to the constant childish whine of "Oh no, Mum! Not salad AGAIN") - all of these are happy summer memories. The summers seemed hot and endless then.
Even now I feel the pressing need to 'work from home' during Wimbledon fortnight and find the sounds of the ball being knocked back and forth very soothing . . . so soothing that it makes for the perfect afternoon nap soundtrack.
(I'm well aware that all of this makes me sound ANCIENT.)
Anyway, today I plan to devote myself to an afternoon of sheer viewing pleasure and have compiled a little collection of white pieces in tribute to the tradition of wearing white at Wimbledon.
Coming from a family of sporty people, with Mum and Dad both being keen tennis players, I grew up with it dominating our only TV (well, it was the 70s) and it grew into a much-loved summer tradition. With the start of the tournament coming around the time of Mum's birthday and usually ending around my brother's and mine, all in all it made for happy times! And Andy Murray gave me the happiest time in 2013 by winning the championship on my birthday - the best present ever.
Watching it and bonding with Dad (off work recuperating from a back op) in between sitting my O-Levels; the living room nearly always dark and heavily curtained so we could see the ball better; Mum's home made elderflower champagne (and the year it exploded); endless strawberries; chocolate birthday cake; absolutely LOATHING Ilie Nastase and John McEnroe and their tantrums; Mum refusing to answer a ringing phone during a tense match in which a lowly Brit was about to wipe out a seeded player (they didn't); endless salads as she couldn't bear to drag herself away from the TV to actually cook (to the constant childish whine of "Oh no, Mum! Not salad AGAIN") - all of these are happy summer memories. The summers seemed hot and endless then.
Even now I feel the pressing need to 'work from home' during Wimbledon fortnight and find the sounds of the ball being knocked back and forth very soothing . . . so soothing that it makes for the perfect afternoon nap soundtrack.
(I'm well aware that all of this makes me sound ANCIENT.)
Anyway, today I plan to devote myself to an afternoon of sheer viewing pleasure and have compiled a little collection of white pieces in tribute to the tradition of wearing white at Wimbledon.
Sunday, 28 June 2015
Summer Sale - FINAL REDUCTIONS
The Shark Alley Summer Sale on Facebook has been a huge success and the aim of financing a bolt to The Beautiful Isle (Mallorca - my spiritual second home) has been achieved! Hurrah!
The sale will finish on the Tuesday 7th July 2015 (my birthday) and there have even been PRICE REDUCTIONS. Am I mad? I think I must be.
I've also added more items, so do take a look here in case there's something new you might like.
The sale will finish on the Tuesday 7th July 2015 (my birthday) and there have even been PRICE REDUCTIONS. Am I mad? I think I must be.
I've also added more items, so do take a look here in case there's something new you might like.
Sunday, 7 June 2015
Giant Summer Clearance Sale!
I've had a damn fine clear-out at the Shark Alley studio this month - and found all sorts of hidden treasure lurking in bags and boxes. Consequently there's going to be a huge clearance sale over on the Shark Alley Facebook page.
Shopping starts at 8pm BST on Wednesday 10th June 2015, so there's time for some relaxing window shopping beforehand. Pieces for sale include jewellery, purses, tote bags, hand-sewn felt animals and sewing kits. Prices range from £1.00 - £25.00.
Click HERE to start browsing!
Shopping starts at 8pm BST on Wednesday 10th June 2015, so there's time for some relaxing window shopping beforehand. Pieces for sale include jewellery, purses, tote bags, hand-sewn felt animals and sewing kits. Prices range from £1.00 - £25.00.
Click HERE to start browsing!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)