New Blog and Website!

Now I can share with you all my new wesite and blog!

Go check out www.nellystreasures.com

Eeep its very exciting having my own proper space now. I hope you like it too.

Let me know what you think and please keep in touch xx

Website!

Hey y'all I know I've been absent a little while but do not fear I am building a website! ooooh yes indeed and it shan't be far away and you can purchase lots of my crafty makes and read blog posts there too!

I'm super excited so watch this space! xx

A few dresses for the summer

Ah the sun is shining so I've been busy in the garden and not writing any blog posts it seems! 

I had a crazy busy 2 weeks to be honest. It was my boyfriend's birthday so we popped up to London to go visit the Lichtenstein exhibition in Tate modern. He's been a favourite of mine since I was a kid, such easily accessible imagery and bold colours. The exhibition completely blew me away, especially his early work when he was drilling holes into metal plates to make all those dots! 

This weekend I also took part in the Big Lunch event - 'What are you bringing to the table'. I ran an all day workshop where you could come and make your own woven placemats and coasters out of old magazines and comics. It was crazy busy and we met loads of fun people and made tonnes of placemats! I'm waiting on my friend Mike to send me all the pictures from that day, so there will soon be a post so you can see what we were up to.

In the mean time here are a pile of dresses I've made recently for the shop using old duvet covers and vintage sheets. Oh just ready for festival season!!

 

 

Uom papa Jum papa...

So I've been reading an awesome book this week ( Glamorama- Brett Easton Ellis) so much of my crafting time has gone out the window. I've read most of his work and he always does this to me!

I did however manage to knock up a huge pile of new jumpers at the beginning of the week that I can share with you. A screen print/ applique mash up! I've screen printed onto a few vintage pillowcases and sheets; love the mix of patterns, and then stitiched them to the jumpers. Uber fun!

  

 

There are also a very limited number of hoodies too!!

I've just dropped all these bad boys off to the shop in the Fashion Quarter but will be adding a few to the online folksy shop the begining on next week too! Watch this space!

Mr Peng and a Sign...

It was my friend Kirsty's birthday last week and she's absolutely obsessed with penguins. So I pulled out the ol crochet hook and made this little fella for her. 

She says she's gonna make him a little pipe cleaner cane. 

 

I also painted up a wooden pallet for the shop so we can display our opening hours on the outside of the building. A helpful addition I hope!

I used charcoal on the back of computer print outs of the letters to transfer the outlines to the wood and then painted them in with regular acrylics. I then outlined all the letters in black and then white to make them 'pop'. My lovely dad let me use his garage workshop as I totally do not have room to be doing this in my craft room!

To seal it and make it weather tight I coated it in 3 layers of varnish. Took forever as you have to leave 16 hours in between coats but definitely worth it. For the back I used teak oil to preserve it as I didn't want to waste all my varnish and it works well looking after outside furniture.

Satchel Loving

Monday Monday. Ah most people dread this day; back in work, up early. I however can never wait for this day of the week to come round again. Although it is a day of work for me too, I work from home and get to spend the whole day sewing.

Today has been no exception.

I've made a couple of satchels out of offcuts of leather than were kindly donated from Alys the Pocket Pirate. I also raided the big bag of old pillowcases and vintage sheets. Here's what I came up with!

I have a bag of vintage buckles that my grandmother had given me a few years ago and have never used them on a project up until now. I think this is a good use though. I also added rivets to the holes for the buckles so the leather doesn't take all the wear and tear of use.

Inside I added a small pocket and the front is lined with a contrasting fabric on all of the bags.
 

 

 

 

I think this last one is my favourite. I'm totally smitten with this buckle and I also quilted the fabric on the front.

I haven't yet made straps for all of them. I've added loops so it will be easy too but haven't yet decided what to use. I'm not sure the gold chain I have will match but I don't have enough leather to make straps. I will hunt something out I'm sure!!