Etsy Favourites - Little Mermaid

leather mermaid fin purse by TOPKNOTNYC

czech glass fish beads by ThisPurplePoppy

crochet mermaid tail by bellaandsella

mixed media fish brooch by belleandolive

starfish hair clips by BeachDaisyJewelry

Magical Fairytale Butterfly Bobby Pins

Brand new butterfly bobby pins in a rich burnt orange.

I added two pairs of wings so that they seem to be in perpetual motion, even when there is no gentle breeze blowing to cause them to flutter.

The centre has a 'body' of beautiful irridescent glass beads that flash red, magenta and orange.

I attached these to silver-tone bobby pins but they are quite perfect for u shaped hair pins. So I'll try them in a pale yellow fabric next time and sew them onto gold-tone u hair pins to see how they turn out. 

You can find these here.

Linked to:

Annemarie's Haakblog

Flower Keyring with Red Linen Leaves

Handmade flower keyring in a jubilant mix of coral, red, lilac and caramel. 

You can see both the front and the back in the pictures above and below.

I mostly use synthetic webbing to attach the flower to the metalic split ring but this time I've opted for a cotton strip I specificaly sewed to tie in with the colours of the flower centre and leaves.

Linked to:
Annemarie's Haakblog

1970s Bag Pattern

Simplicity 7018 Misses Belts and Bags

Three belt and three bag patterns straight from 1975.

Almond Tree Blossoms

The almond trees have blossomed.

One of the first signs of Spring and possibly one of it's most glorious!

Just like a breath of fresh air. 

In The Mail - The Mitford Girls

The Mitford Girls - Mary S. Lovell

 I've been waiting for this book for what seems like ages and it's finally here! 

Now to find the time to read it.....

Red and White Flower Hair Clips

Flower hair clips in a cheerful red and white.

These floral hair accessories measure just under 2 inches and are attached to baby alligator clips making them very easy to clip into or onto hair. 
Ideal for fine, whispy little girls' hair.

Linked to:
Annemarie's Haakblog

March Bracelet

Today is the first day of March!

Starting today, tradition has it that folks wear red-and-white twisted string bracelets.

The wearing of such bracelets has its roots in ancient Greece and is always connected with the welcoming and celebration of Spring. It also acts as a talisman of sorts, as it is said to protect the sensitive faces of the young from the harsh rays of the sun.

 It's worn for a month and upon the close of March you put it on a rose bush or tree for the newly arrived swallows to find and use it in building their nest.

Mine are made of waxed cotton cord and I've added some red and white beads to two of them. I've used adjustable knot ends that make the bracelet easy to wear and secure. You can see them here.

See traditional and non-traditional March bacelets here.

Etsy Favourites - Butterflies

Butterfly Sewing Pattern Turtorial by Willowynn

Ultra Violet Butterfly Crown by VivaDelfina

Butterfly Photo Baby Girl Wall Art by SusannahTucker

Tiger Moth Statement Fiber Art Brooch by BlueTerracotta

Silk Butterfly Hair Pins by AnnaMarguerite

Black and Brown Flower Corsage

Extra large, handmade fabric flowers in a mix of brown, caramel, black and charcoal.

Linked to:

Skip To My Lou, The Silly Pearl, The Dedicated House

Vintage Fairytale Illustration

The 12 Dancing Princesses by Elenore Abbott

Beautiful 1920s illustration of the brother Grimm's fairy tale, The 12 Dancing Princesses, by Elenor Abbott.

Dove Grey Men's Flower Boutonniere

Linked to:

Skip To My Lou, The Silly Pearl, Annemarie's Haakblog

Migrating Swans

The swans have been wintering here this past month or two.

As have the flamingoes but, lately, they seem to always be out whenever I visit. It may be that they've moved on.

Here are some links I looked up and thought I'd share:

- an overview of bird migration - general information on swans - a video of swans and ducks at Kastoria lake - migrating flamingoes in Greece - a short but enchanting video of flamingoes in Asprolimni, Lemnos

Fairytale Flower Keyrings

This was a bunch of flower keyrings I did with the lilac and caramel colour combination I got addicted to for a spell. (You can see the other lilac-caramel flowers here.)

I added some coral and red in a couple of these as well. Can you see it peeking out among the petals?

 There were a couple more than the three shown in the pictures but they're all gone now. I kept one for myself, as my old one was looking a bit the worse for wear and it was time to change it. The rest I gave away to friends.

So now it's time to make some new ones!

I can't wait to see what colour they turn out!

Linked to:
The Silly Pearl, Skip To My Lou

Valentine's Day Best 8

  Every Valentine's Day, the egst team on etsy celebrates another birthday. This year it turns eight, so to honour the occassion, here are 8 of my favourite etsy shop related items in one photo: one of my favourite flowers and the items that are needed to make and send it.

So, in the photo you can see:

- my favourite Valentine's Day red flower hair clips

- the red fabric needed to make the flower petals

- pins (to hold together everything that needs holding together)

- a tea-light (which is necessary to singe the fabric)

- matches (to light the tea-light)

- the gold stamen I add to the centre of the flowers

- an array of backings for the flower to choose from (there's a comb, a plain pin or brooch back,a dual pin-and-alligator clip back and an extra large alligator clip)

- a pretty box to pack it in and send it on its way

Linked to:
The Silly Pearl

February Seas

Boxed Boutonnieres

Simple Fairytale Flower box with chocolate brown grossgrain ribbon for men's flower boutonnieres. 

As I've mentioned before, my FairytaleFlower accessories are always boxed when sent, so that the flowers arrive at their destination in perfect shape.
For the men's accessories I try to dial it down a bit, for a more muted, masculine look.

You can see some of my boxed Fairytale Flowers the for ladies here, here, here, here, here and here.

Engagement Boutonniere

One of the highlights of making things that people can wear and enjoy is that what you make gets to be part of the memories that these people will cherish for years to come. Especially when they are destined for a special day.

I just love getting pictures of my Fairytale Flower accessories worn by the fabulous people who buy them!

So thank you so much Jamel and Christie for sharing your wonderful engagement pictures!!

Don't they look amazing?

Jamele is wearing a burnt orange flower boutonierre found here.

Caramel and Lilac Flowers

Flower brooch/hair clip in caramel and lilac with hints of brown.

I love the mix of colours in these and I love the different textures of the petals as well as the fiber filament centre. It's the very first time I've tried a centre of this type and I'm quite taken with the result.

In the photo above you can see the dual backing of the flower that is both a brooch and an alligator clip, which makes it possible to wear the flower in a number of ways.

 They're not all quite the same size. The bigger ones measure about 8 cm or 3 inches across and the smaller one about 7 cm or 2.5 inches.
They are a limited edition. Only six made. 

Of which I've kept one for myself......and given one to a friend...

So now there's just four.

Linked to:
Claire Justin, Annemarie's Haakblog, The Silly Pearl

Etsy Favourites - Amethyst

SilverandFoxShop

FoxLark

ChristinaRoseJewelry

BeijoFlor

GoldDubai

Valentine's Inspiration

Marsha Hunt with an amazing 1940s heart-shaped bag in what looks like shiny gold leather.

The stuff that Valentine's dreams are made of....