Meet the stallholders…coffee break with Amy Evans from Blanche and Lola

It’s so flattering when traders travel to sell with us which is why we are very happy Amy Evans from Winchester in Hampshire is back again after her great success at the Christmas and Spring fairs.

Amy Evans on her stall

Hi Amy, tell us what do you make and what is your inspiration?

I handmake one-of-a-kind or limited edition pieces of vintage jewellery and hair accessories created from original vintage treasures.

I love hunting for unloved vintage brooches and forgotten gemstones and being able to turn them into an entirely new creation.  There is so much mass-produced costume jewellery on the high-street; I think it’s so much nicer to invest in a piece which you know has been handmade in the UK, with love, just for you.

My creations are inspired by the vintage pieces I find – I’m always drawn to the cute and the whimsical – particularly animal and pieces inspired by nature – there are a lot of birds, foxes, deers and rabbits in my collections!

Amy loves to include a lot of nature imagery in her work

   

What is your favourite item that you sell and why?

I do a lot of commission pieces and these are probably my favourite thing to make and sell.  It’s so lovely being able to bring someone’s idea to life.

Amy loves making pieces for other people

What would you say your most value-for-money item is and how much is it?

Definitely my handmade button rings which I create using vintage buttons reworked onto adjustable silver or gold plated ring bands.  There is also my collection of wonderland-inspired rings created using handmade miniature teacups, teapots and plates of miniature cakes and biscuits. Both ranges start at just £5!

Blanche and Lola rings start at £5

Have you traded at “It’s darling!” before and if so when?

This will be my third time trading at “It’s Darling” and I’m still as excited as I was the first time! 

Something special for your hair

What do you like best about Bath?

Relaxing in the open-air rooftop pool at the Thermae Spa with its spectacular views over the beautiful city of Bath is one of the loveliest ways to spend an afternoon. 

Get yourself some gorgeous neck candy at It's darling!

Why do you think customers should make “It’s darling!”  their must-visit vintage & handmade fair this Summer?

The “It’s Darling!” fair isn’t your average craft fair; it’s more like a wonderland boutique of all of your favourite handmade and vintage shops all in the same place!  The fairs are really well organised and the stallholders are carefully hand-selected meaning that the fairs showcase only the best in handmade and vintage loveliness and there is always a lovely eclectic mix of beautiful goods to browse and buy.

What would you say is “darling” in your life.

My other half Jamie and our darling cats, Lily and Lola.

Amy's darlings

For more info about the wonderful Blanche and Lola please visit www.blancheandlola.com and www.facebook.com/blancheandlola

Meet the stallholders...coffee and cake with Megan and Mona

Kate Barlow aka Megan and Mona lives in Cardiff and first traded with us in Christmas 2010. We're so happy she's back again this Summer. 

HI Kate, tell everyone what do you make/sell and describe your inspiration.

A couple of years ago I taught myself to crochet using hooks I’d inherited from my grandmother. She also passed down a cupboard full of embroidery silks, buttons, lace and craft magazines going back 70 years, so that’s definitely where I get my hoarding habit from. I remember looking at it all when I was little and wishing it was mine. It’s a great source of inspiration especially the magazines from the 30s and 40s, full of interesting projects. I’ve always loved to sew and do embroidery and now I can crochet it’s opened up a whole new world! I sell lots of different things, cushions, tea cosies, corsages, pincushions, and bags …

Kate's glamorous grandparents

Tell us about where you live.

I’m based in Cardiff, where I came to study theatre design at college. That was over 10 years ago and I’ve been here ever since.

What is your favourite thing that you sell and why?

My favourite things at the moment are trios of little crotched flowers made up as brooches. They’re made from vintage rayon thread and decorated with antique buttons and beads. They can be worn individually or all together, pinned to hats and bags or used to brighten up your favourite cardi.

Brooches made from vintage rayon thread

What would you say is your most value-for-money item and how much is it?

I’d have to say all my items are value for money. I use a lot of vintage materials in my work, which usually come in limited amounts. This means the things I make are rarely exactly the same so you’re getting something unique that no one else will have, making it extra special. Prices range from £4 up to around £50 so there’s something to suit all pockets.

Crotcheted tea-cosy

Have you traded at “It’s darling!” before and if so when?

My first "It’s Darling!" Fair was last Christmas and I had a fabulous time. Everyone was so friendly and there were lots of customers and lots of sales. Other stallholders even bought a few items, which was really flattering. Unfortunately I couldn’t go to the spring fair so I’ve been looking forward to this one for a long time.

Remember Kate from last Christmas? Meet her again on the 16th July

What do you love most about Bath?

Bath is a beautiful place, I love the honey coloured stone the buildings are made from and also the Fashion Museum, a wonderful source of inspiration.

Why do you think customers should make “It’s darling!”  their must-visit vintage & handmade fair this Summer?

There’s a fantastic range of stalls on offer and your certain to take home what you were looking for, including a few things you weren’t! And you’re supporting handmade crafts at the same time.

Kate is proud of handmade 

What would you say is “darling” in your life?

My little collection of vintage handbags always makes me smile. They belonged to my grandmother and evoke images of glamorous dances in beautiful dresses. There’s even a cloakroom ticket in one of them for the Royal Lido Ballroom. Definitely a bygone era.

Kate's grandmother's vintage handbags

        

For more information about Megan and Mona please visit www.meganandmona.com

Meet the stallholders...a quick cuppa with Eirlys Penn aka Scrapiana

Eirlys Penn is another one of our amazing traders who’ve been with us since the beginning. She lives in Bath, sells the most beautiful vintage haberdashery and also writes a very popular blog, Scrapiana.

Hi Eirlys, tell us all about yourself.

I sell vintage haberdashery, textiles and other individually selected items, some handmade from scrap fabric by yours truly.

Eirlys

When and why did you start doing this?

In truth, Scrapiana was the sand-lined safety exit for my unstoppable impulse to collect old sewing items. My proper day job is writing, and I’m just beginning to combine my knowledge of vintage sewing items, my ability to make, and my writing skills - a really exciting development. I blog about my collecting, making and selling at www.scrapiana.com

Where do you get your ideas/inspiration from?

I’m a probably a frustrated curator deep down, and there are a few museums which particularly inspire me. The Shaker sewing items in the American Museum (which has just re-opened for the season) are exquisite, especially the signature oval sewing box lined with unexpectedly vibrant, almost psychedelic fabric, and the collection of different sized, beautifully shaped thread bobbins. We’re also hugely lucky in Bath to have the Fashion Museum; their Behind-the-Scenes exhibition is well worth a nose round. But all hail to the mighty V&A! Last February half-term I took my sons to London for the Natural History Museum, but the monstrous queues circling right round the block persuaded even them that it wasn’t worth it, so we scooted over the road to the uncrowded V&A instead. There was ample amusement for the boys in the revolving door alone, but they actually found the exhibits themselves interesting (big surprise) and I was obviously in seventh heaven. I keep my eye on the museum’s free lunchtime talks list and their impressive array of courses.

At the moment, I have a soft spot for the early twentieth century when labels on cotton reels, darning threads, packets of pins etc tended to sport an understatedly elegant old-gold lettering; some nice examples are reproduced in this year’s V&A diary.

Have you been part of “It’s darling!” before?

Yes, I’ve been to all of them! Do I qualify for a loyalty badge? The organizers are very charming and helpful, and the traders are a really nice, friendly assortment too. And it’s wonderfully busy, otherwise I wouldn’t be there. I’m really excited that this one coincides with the Bath in Fashion festival.

What do you remember most about previous fairs?

Possibly talking to older visitors about their memories of darning. I sell old darning mushrooms (wood and Bakelite) and they evoke strong memories - not all good - of an era before the factory sock when girls were expected to mend Daddy’s holed ones. I’m all in favour of bringing back darning skills but think Daddy should really be capable of mending his own.

Are you doing anything special with your stall?

Yes, I’ll have lots of Mother’s Day goodies: special labels to sew into your textile gifts [see picture], teeny reels of ribbon and vintage ric-rac, covered buttons, old cotton reels which will slip happily into Mum’s sewing box. I also have vintage brooches, hankies and scarves, plus some Easter and general spring-time delights too, such as vintage children’s and natural history books and cross-stitch patterns featuring bunnies and birds.

Mother's Day label

Please finish this sentence: What I love most about Spring is…the Magnolia bursting into flower, and the bustling activity of nesting birds; a pair of blue-tits is nesting in an air vent just outside my office window and I keep catching sight of them bringing more material to line it. Nature is beautifully irrepressible.

Please finish this sentence too: What I need to buy most in spring is... Bird food! Those bird parents could do with our help.

What’s “It’s darling!” in your life?

I might have to say Mittens the cat [pictured with an eiderdown I’ll be selling] as your charity’s the Cats & Dogs Home. But at this time of year, the Magnolia stellata is really the star for me – a darling little pale pink Magnolia which is currently flowering in my garden. 

Mittens the cat and an eiderdown

I planted a tiny white Magnolia stellata in our London garden 16 years ago when my eldest was born. The lovely thing about these little trees is that they flower when still very small indeed, so are great value for money. When we moved (just after our second son was born, five years later) we uprooted the poor little tree and took it with us, so it became his birth tree too. Our new home was only round the corner, so we trundled the treasured specimen there in a wheelbarrow! – along with the well-rotted contents of the compost heap, which the new owners didn’t want. That was February, and the Magnolia still managed to flower that year. Sadly, it would have been utterly impractical to do another uprooting three years later when we moved to Bath, so we reluctantly left the little tree behind. I hope it’s putting on a good spring show still.

Magnolia stellata

For more details about Eirlys and her work go to www.scrapiana.com, email eirlys@scrapiana.com or telephone  07769 655073

Meet the stallholders....a quick cuppa with Rebecca Collett from Rose Cottage Boxes

Becky from Bath runs Rose Cottage Boxes and has been trading with us since the first fair.

Rose Cottage Boxes

 Hi Becky, tell everyone about what you do

I make sustainable wooden 'useful' boxes covered in stunningly beautiful patterned tissue papers, skillfully applied by hand using a 17^th century french decoupage tecnique. Each box is painted with complimentary colours inside and covered in a deep, glossy varnish.  There are 6 different sizes to house things such as sewing kits, crafts, jewellery, make up, stationary, medical kits etc. They are also wonderful for keepsakes, memories, letters and photos for weddings, births and birthdays!

Useful as a sewing box

When and why did you start doing this?

I am a mother of two young boys. They inspired me in so many ways. Teaching them creativity spurred me to keep following my own dreams.

Rose Cottage Chair

Where do you get your ideas/inspiration from?

My ideas and inspiration are quite intuitive, following a gut feeling as well as being realistic and practical with what I sell. I enjoy mixing it up and taking parts from all our past eras. I love anything unique and different.

Take your pick

 Are you doing anything special with your stall?

I will have some lovely new spring/summer designs and some older stock will be in a worthwhile sale.

Covered drawers

 Please finish this sentence: What I love most about Spring is…the sunshine of course because it makes everyone happier!!

What I need to buy most in Spring is...some Pledge and a duster to start the cleaning...

What’s darling! in your life?

My wonderful sons, Solomon and Atticus and my house rabbits, Luigi and Loopy Lou

Butterflies make anyone happy

For more info go to www.rosecottageboxes.com, email welcome@rosecottageboxes.com

Or call  07885564969

Meet the stallholders...a quick cuppa with Amy Evans from Blanche and Lola

Amy first exhibited with us at our Christmas 2010 fair, bringing her lovely handmade jewellery with a vintage twist all the way from Winchester in Hampshire.

Gorgeous Amy from Blanche and Lola

Hi Amy, tell us about your business.


It's called Blanche & Lola. I hand-make one-of-a-kind or limited edition pieces of vintage jewellery and hair accessories, created from genuine original vintage treasures. I have been making jewellery as a hobby for about 10 years now, but the idea for Blanche & Lola came about two years ago when I rediscovered a box of my grandma’s old jewellery and realised how beautiful and wearable it would look if it was restored and given a modern twist. I still work full-time for the civil service at the moment but I hope that one day soon Blanche & Lola can be my full-time job - I absolutely love what I do and it makes me so happy to see people wearing something that I created.


Vintage key necklace

We hope your dream comes true.  What inspires you?

I am mainly inspired by all the gorgeous vintage treasures I find, such as decadent vintage brooches, gorgeous charms, pretty old keys and sparkling pre-loved beads and gemstones. I love seeing my finds given a new lease of life in a completely new and beautiful creation. I am also really inspired by nature and anything cute, whimsical and wonderful….there are a lot of birds and bambis in my collections!

A bambi necklace

Describe your last "It's darling!" fair.

I exhibited at the Christmas “It’s Darling” fair and was absolutely delighted when Becky & Cath announced their dates for 2011. It is a truly fabulous event, featuring some super-talented artisans and fabulous vintage sellers, all with a great ethos of originality and individuality. The event is really well organised and is guaranteed to be a great experience for shoppers and stallholders alike.

Look for the Blanche and Lola stall

Thank you Amy! What do you like most about the fair?

Probably being able to meet so many lovely other stallholders, many of whom I have kept in touch with since and I am looking forward to seeing again at the 2011 events. The atmosphere isn’t competitive, just really supportive and inspiring.

Birdcage necklace

Are you doing anything special with your stall?

I am going to be making lots of my limited edition miniature teacup rings. I only ever make 6 of each design and they’ve been my biggest seller so far! Priced at just £5 each they are a steal too! I’ve also been working on a new range of vintage pocket watch necklaces; they are one-of-a-kind and aren’t on my website yet so will be an exclusive!

Limited edition teacup rings only £5 each

Please finish this sentence: What I love most about Spring is...


The longer days and lighter evenings, sunshine, alfresco lunches, rose wine, daffodils and bluebells and of course, that lovely feeling that summer is just around the corner….

Pocket Watch necklace

And what I need to buy most in Spring is...pretty floral dresses and some fabulous vintage sunglasses.


Finally, what's darling in your life?
My other half Jamie and our darling cats, Lily and Lola!

Lily and Lola - too cute!

For more information about Amy and Blanche and Lola, please go to www.blancheandlola.com, email hello@blancheandlola.com and/or join her Facebook page.

Meet the stallholders....a quick cuppa with Faith Barber from Something Fabulous by Faith

Faith Barber has traded with us since the very first fair last July so we are very fond of her, especially as she lives and works in North London so has to travel a fair distance to us. Her company is called Something Fabulous by Faith.

Faith and her darling husband

 Hi Faith, please let everyone know what you do and what you've been up to

I design and make unique & limited edition luxury clothes and accessories made from gorgeous fabrics and in a rainbow of beautiful colours. Everything from simple zip purses and elegant handbags to elaborate corsages and gorgeous cover-ups. I am a freelance designer creating bespoke bridal & eveningwear and I found that lots of people liked my accessories but didn’t necessarily want to commission them, hence ‘Something Fabulous by Faith’, what you might call the ready-to-wear and made-to-order side of my business. I also design and make theatre costumes and I am the wardrobe mistress for Ballet Black (www.balletblack.co.uk). Dressing in a way that looks and feels right and enables the wearer to feel confident whatever the context works both on and off the stage, so I find everything that I do fits together perfectly.

Faith's beautiful purses

 Where do you get your ideas/inspiration from?

My inspiration varies although I am always drawn to beautiful things from any era. I am often drawn to the beauty of nature as well of design so in my creations you may notice elements from the pleating & draping on C18th gowns or maybe the suggestion of the petals of a flower.

Corsage

 What's been your experience of "It's Darling!"?

I have been at both of the previous fairs and I enjoyed them so much, received lots of good feedback and met so many great people, that I can’t wait to be there again. I also love Bath so any excuse to visit is fine by me!

Are you doing anything special with your stall?

I have some new bits and pieces for the Spring including some sculptural silk hairclips in variety of colours as well as some soft poppy inspired corsages which can also be worn in the hair; and, as always, plenty of things to add a touch of colour to any outfit.

One of Faith's new sculptural hairclips

What I love most about Spring is...that feeling of resurgence, hope and vitality that comes with the lengthening days, buds pushing open and evidence of life where previously there seemed to be none. There’s nothing like a bit of spring sunshine and blossom to make me smile even on a hard day. It’s the magic of possibility.

What I need to buy most in Spring is....a length of light bright fabric to make a new cheerful dress.

For more about Faith go to www.faithbarber.com or follow her on Twitter: @faithbarber

Her online shop is coming very soon! somethingfabulousbyfaith.bigcartel.com

Meet the stallholders..tea and cake with Hannah Daw from Iris Accessories

Hannah was another one of our original stallholders who lives in Gipsy Hill, London. She makes jewellery under the name Iris Accessories. We loved having her and are so pleased she's going to be with us on Saturday 11th.

For those who don't know, please tell us what do you make.

I make vintage button silver bracelets, necklaces and belts from vintage buckles

When and why did you start doing this? 

I started my business in April and was inspired by a course I did at Central St Martin’s and beautiful buttons of course!

Where do you get your ideas/inspiration from? 

I get my ideas from bold designs and colours, whether it be buildings or fabric swatches! I love the 50s

Why did you want to be part of “It’s darling!”? 

"It’s darling!" is an energetic, creative fair where interesting and diverse artists come together, so I love being part of it. I sold in July and loved it, especially the atmosphere.

Are you doing anything special with your stall? 

 I have now started making necklaces which is very exciting and am selling little kid’s bracelets – perfect for stocking fillers!

Describe your ideal Christmas day...

I would be in my new home with my whole family, wearing a glam dress and red lipstick, with a glass of bubbly from the off! There would be lots of drinking and eating with a lovely walk in the park to finish off

What’s your favourite cake? And kind of tea? 

Lemon cupcakes with Earl Grey

What would you say “It’s darling!” about in your life? And can you send a pic if poss? 

Here's my Christmas tree that I have just decorated with the sparkly lights on!

For more about Hannah go to www.irisdesigns.org or email info@irisdesigns.org