...preparations for The Linen Garden shelves...
a little request....
I receive, each week, a handful of emails from students, businesses and home-makers with little questions seeking advice on working as a maker. Therefore I thought it would be interesting to introduce to The Linen Garden a little weekly business post where I answer a question you have sent in. Soooo, all I need is a question from you, your name, name of business, and a short description of your business and email it to me at info@vickytrainor.co.uk or leave a comment below. I look forward to recieving your questions.
I was interviewed by Marna of Little A Designs last week and you can see my natterings and question answerings over on her blog at the moment by clicking here.
Houseplant revival!!!
...I have lots of obsessions...
...currently on the list is an obsession to de-clutter my house - which I am doing slowly layer by layer. This isn't because I want to live in a minimal, considered and everything in it's place abode, far from it. It is because I want to start hoarding again. I am a seriel hoarder.
I am increasingly falling back in love with house plants. I am enjoying filling vases with pruned foliage from the garden, wonderful new and fresh leafy clusters. So, I am about to launch into a 'plant in every room' task, whether it be a succulent, a cheeky cheese plant or an invasive palm. Do you share my new passion??....
image credit can be seen by clicking on each photograph.
Wednesday I 'flew' to London....
...well if ever there has been a week or two of hopping on board various exciting roller coasters, this week, has most certainly been a giddy journey....
*A few days in my caravan on the cliffs of Whitley Bay looking over at St Mary's Lighthouse - popping out to the rock pools between showers and easterly winds - it was cold but the view and sound of the sea was resting.
* received a lovely collection of old and new lace ready to be laundered and re-loved and then hung on pretty washing lines waiting to be folded and labelled for the shelves of The Linen Garden. I love receiving deliveries like these - when you are not too sure what is inside.
*Pretty bookmarks.
*The sorting of fabric. I find this process so difficult. I always want to keep it all.
* Wednesday I flew to London (I say flew as I had not been on a train for ages and forgot how fast they travel - my goodness). To attend the book launch party of, (Love My Dress blogger), Annabel Beeforth's new book Style Me Vintage-weddings...and may I proudly brag that if you turn to page 83 my pretty little stationery linen sits decorating this page.....eeeek!
I used to shy away from 'networking' but I love it now....any excuse for a teeny fraction of a social life and it was so fabulous to catch up with lovely, lovely, lovely people....I really should have some pics to show you but I am sure they will fly around the internet shortly - and I am proud to say that, yet again, I managed to not enter the photo booth - does anyone know what a 'phobia of photo booths' is called??
P.S. I made these limited edition bookmarks for Annabel's book signing....
tending the flower beds...
The flower beds in the studio are in full bloom
now that Spring is in the air.....
Pretty Pastel Style
For those of you who are makers/designers/creative potterers
will understand my feeling of exhaustion when I say that I have just come back
from exhibiting at a fair. But my
tiredness is softened by a layering of lingering excitement still present from
attending Selina Lake’s launch for her new book
Pretty Pastel Style.
Selina has used a selection of my makings in her
styling projects over the last eighteen months or so and I am so thankful to
her for the magazine features that have come my way from her styled shoots and one of my decorated hoops features in the book too.
The event was an intimate affair, full of colourful details, design and hand
mades, laughter and smiles, friends new and old were greeted with hugs. Echoes
of eeeeks and ohhhmyyy’s were rebounded around my little table as I met
industry folk who I had known for years but had never ‘actually’ met in person. I lovingly enjoyed seeing profile pictures
from Facebook and Twitter approach me in all their three dimensional sparkling glory.
As a designer maker who works from home (and whose social
life evolves around the school run) an event like Selina's is so good for the
soul. To receive feedback about your
work and brand, to discuss ideas, to share your passion in design and making and combined hoarding habits, to make new contacts and most importantly form new
friendships.
Most importantly, this beautiful event, re-affirmed my
approach to exhibiting at fairs. Yes,
you hope that you sell a selection of your makings, and it is good to do just that, we all need to earn
a living, but how many of us can become trapped into the ‘sales’ of product and
forget about selling ‘ourselves’, our little characteristics our excitable
animations that make us who we are. The
personalities and smiles behind the businesses I met were equally as decorative
and joyful as their products, so much so, that not only did I want to take lots
of object d’art home with me but I also wanted to pop a few people in my bag to
take home too as the room was full of the most amazingly friendly, creative and
inspiring ladies. The icing on this
pastel cake was that I got to spend the 550 mile round trip with my very dear
friend Jane from Tea With Ruby and I thank her from the bottom of my heart for
the laughter all the way down the M1 and back again and for helping me
construct and de-construct my table space (I never do anything simple at fairs, which Jane discovered, after the fifteenth unloading journey from
the car in sleet)
So I will waffle no more and let you breeze your way through
my little diary of images – I would love to know what you think, please stop by
again and say hi and I will plump the cushions on the chair for you and pop the
kettle on……..milk? one lump or two?
(this little set of images above of The Vintage Drawer is thanks to
The rather candy colourful Clover's Closet
It was an absolute delight and pleasure (and I was a little bit star struck) to meet Love Lane Vintage (especially after being inspired by Lucy Haywood's hoarding journey for the last few years).
a wonderful discovery meeting Mia Fleur for the first time
Peach Blossom, Felt Mountain Studio, Mabel and Bird, Anna Wiscombe (sorry Anna my photo of your beautiful work was blurred) if there is one thing you do over coffee is pop over to these ladies stores - so much to 'need' and 'want'.....
Now where do I start when finding words to type for Nicky Grace - absolutely love her energy for life, her styling, her home, her fabrics and one day I will own one of her patchwork throws and live in her summerhouse without her knowing - an absolutely lovley lady whose personality is as vibrant and colourful as her work - I hope to meet Nicky again very soon on my travels....
and Nathalie's (of The U in Cute) pattern filled table top was just an explosion of delightfulness
Oh my!! Oh my!! The intricate detailing of Sesame & Lilly - whom I have known as an internet buddy for nearly a year and it was sooo so so good to finally meet her - a maker with amazing style and skill and she is also a very beautiful lady who wears rather fabulous necklaces - who I hope to meet again with Jane very soon for a spot of car booting in York.
Yvestown - didn't get a minute to be able to learn how to crochet a coaster with this beautiful lady...
And Abigail Warner - I have no photos of your stand but it was so fabulous to finally meet you after all these months of working together on 'snippets'....
Image credits: Vicky Trainor of The Linen Garden and The Vintage Drawer
Facebook Page: Vicky Trainor Stationery
Pretty Pastel Style
Firstly, I hope you have your Mollie Makes calendar displayed...ooooh you have? - Fabulous! That means that you are looking all month at one of my lovely linen hoops - I know - exciting isn't it!!!
...this is how my studio looks at the moment - washing lines of lace, this month, are being over run with washing lines of printed fabrics from scarves, handkerchiefs, samplers and furnishing delights. It is how my year is starting to develop in style. A mixture of varied scaled florals on heavy and whispering silk fabrics. All will be making the journey with me to Kingston on Thames to the 'Pretty Pastel Style' Book Launch of stylist and author Selina Lake. I will be exhibiting my own making collections of The Vintage Drawer as well as lots of lovelies from my vintage and haberdashery store The Linen Garden.
So, it would be rather lovely to meet you all and say hello, I am travelling all the way from the north to the south with my lovely friend Tea With Ruby to exhibit all my hoardings and makings - I will be at Selina's book launch on Friday March 22nd at Market House, Market Place, Kingston-on-Thames, 11am-6pm. More information can be found here.
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