Vintage Twee

There's snow business like the wedding business...

2012-02-11T15:50:00.001Z

Photo by Foley Photography

Despite the flurry of snowfall last weekend, the aptly named "White Memoirs Vintage Wedding Fair" went ahead at Stockport Town Hall on Sunday, proving that not even forces of nature can stop browsing brides and their love of all things vintage!

Organised by Rachael from The Social Butterfly Events, the fair was the first of its kind to be held at the historic town hall. Joanne and the Vintage Twee stall managed to make it to this local affair in spite of the mountain of snow on her doorstep- and didn't have to resort to tobaganning down the hill she lives on either!

Photo by Foley Photography

It was great to see and chat to so many individual brides all with some fantastic ideas for their upcoming summer weddings. And Joanne got lots of positive feedback on the new Vintage Garden Range which had it's first public outing at the fair. Comprising of a new display and the recent additions to the Vintage Twee collection, you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd just stumbled upon a welcoming afternoon tea party. And with Joanne dressed in a stunning (but hardly thermal) 1950's style dress from Vivien of Holloway and beautiful red peep toe shoes, the Vintage Twee stand really stood out. Also with its debut appearance on the stall was the hand crafted Vintage Twee bunting, cleverly made by the newest member of the team, Yvonne. Assisting Joanne, Yvonne looked beautiful in a floral print dress and cute red cardigan, making sure the Vintage Twee brand resonated throughout the day.

Photo by Foley Photography

There were some fabulous stall holders there, all delivering high quality products and services. Favourites of Vintage Twee included Perfect Days Vintage who offer a fantastic range of vintage china and prop hire, Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe, specialists in bespoke bridal accessories and The Vintage Beauty Parlour where glamorous owner Bethany Jane Davis was kept busy doing demonstrations of her perfectly styled vintage hair do's and classy make up.

Trying not to eat any of the scrumptious array of cakes and scones on their display, Joanne and Yvonne concentrated on showcasing the new bridal rosettes, delicately made from vintage music sheets and perfect for special members of the bridal party as well as talking to brides about how Vintage Twee can custom make items to co-ordinate with colour schemes and themes.

Photo by Foley Photograhy

It was a busy day had by all and by the time the last bride-to-be shuffled out in the cold early evening air, all the stall holders agreed it had been a great day and for Joanne, it was lovely to be part of a fair local to where she grew up. Special thanks go to Amedea and Scott from Foley Photography who were exhibiting too and were kind enough to take the photos of the Vintage Twee stall and items that you see on the blog.

Time to stock up on hot chocolate and homemade cakes ready to do it all again on Sunday 19th Feb at the the St Georges Hotel in Harrogate for the Vintage Wedding Fair - see you there!

To quote Joanne "it's always summer in Twee Land!"

A tribute blog to 2 special ladies...

2012-02-02T20:32:00.010Z

They say that you're lucky if you can recall your earliest memory.. and even if you think you have, how do you know for sure it's your first? Here at Vintage Twee, the one thing owner Joanne and I both remember as clear as day are the trips we used to make to our Great Aunt Ediths house in Yorkshire every month. The inspiration behind the creation of Vintage Twee which is now a firm favourite on the bridal circuit, our wonderful Great Aunt was born on this very day in 1919, making her an amazing 93 years old today. We used to be fascinated by her antique tea trolley, two little girls daintily arranging the vintage china cups and plates, sneakily stealing some of the delicious buttercream from her homemade butterfly cakes, getting ready to serve to anyone who'd let us! Those magical Sundays went by in a blur of good old fashioned hostessing and weren't complete without the delicate sugar bowl, quaint milk jug and lots and lots of floral patterns!
We're lucky to have some inspirational women in our family and Great Aunt Edith is definitely one of them. Persuing her passion to be a nurse, she sacrificed her maternal instincts and focused on helping those who needed it. In the 1940's she'd progressed to becoming a matron and successfully ran wards for 40 fantastic years. She was strict mind you and took no nonense off wayward young nurses hoping for an easy life! In fact, one of her favourite stories to tell is how when she was in charge of the Burns Unit, a little 5 year old boy told her in secret that whenever she was away from the ward, the nurses would help themselves to her best rose design teacups and enjoy lengthy tea breaks! Sure she didn't let them get away with that too lightly...

Great Auntie Edith- doesn't look 93!

In between being an inspiring matron, the eldest girl of 4 sisters AND a wonderful tea party host, she loved to bake, garden and spend time with her family. Today, she still lives in Yorkshire but unfortunately suffers from dementia and her previously accurate memory now is somewhat jaded. Randomly she recalls things from 50 years ago as clear as day, living in her own world and believing that all her deceased sisters are still alive. It will be a sad day when we lose this family treasure but until then, we wish her a very happy birthday and a huge thank you for some wonderful childhood memories that led to one little girl finding a passion and turning it in to a successful and enjoyable busines .

A final note in honour of another charismatic and driven woman in our family, our dearly loved and much missed Grandma, Phyllis. Friday 3rd Feb would have been her 78th birthday and knowing her she wouldn't have stopped for a minute to sit down and rest! She sadly passed away 3 years ago but will always be remembered as a woman who showed us what you can acheive with a lot of hard work, a desire to succeed and a cheeky smile. A business owner until she was too ill to do so, she was a trooper who did what she loved and loved what she did. Rest in Peace, Grandma and happy birthday xxxx

Still popular after 93 years!

See(d) you at our wedding...

2012-01-21T20:04:00.001Z

We all know that favours are often one of the most debated items when it comes to putting together the wedding plans... what on earth do you give people that reflects you two, is something to keep, is suitable for men, women and the little ones.. AND doesn't mean you have to scrimp on your dress budget to pay for it?

Well, the answer may in fact just lie in the earth in question. How about delivering something that symbolises new beginnings, is eternally beautiful with timeless elegance, and will ensure a yearly reminder of your big day for years to come? Sounds virtually impossible and expensive you might be thinking... but have you thought of the concept of giving seeds.... of course!

Vintage Twee has designed the wonderful new range, "Seeds of Love". Stunning neutral coloured favour bags made from environmentally friendly recycled cardstock with a handful of your favourite flower or herb seeds nestled inside are the ideal gift for wedding guests. Eco-friendly and supporting the growth of natures finest, the idea of giving seeds stems from era's gone by when in fact the guests would give the happy couple seeds from their very own crops. Now we're not suggesting you present your nearest and dearest with a fist full of sprout seeds but something maybe more... how can we say it, wedding appropriate like roses, lavender or even sunflowers. Meaning they can go away and take a little piece of your day that they can grow as a permanent reminder is both romantic and unique. With their twine and sage green detailing they look earthy and homely, like something you'd find on a vintage kitchen windowsill!

To complement the bags are the fantastic Seeds of Love Place Settings with their brown inked edges for that rustic feel. The brilliant double tag allows the guests name to be written on one, with a beautiful quote on love and marriage on the second. Embellished with an vintage ink print of a little bird, these tags can be tied on to your table cutlery or glasses and will be guaranteed to be an instant talking point. For those money-savvy brides amongst you, you'll spot that the second tag could also be used for printing the menu choices, thus saving you the cost (and space!) of menu's on the table! Meaning more room for lots of lovely vintage decor, of course..

The bags start at just £2.50 per bag whilst the place settings are a fantastically priced £1.25 each. All items are showing on the Vintage Twee website, www.vintagetwee.com and can be customised to suit your needs.. Just drop Joanne a line with your ideas and she'd be happy to help you, giving expertise and guidance on how best to make your wedding day decor exactly as you want it.

Vintage Power at your Baby Shower

2012-01-07T17:58:00.003Z

Happy New Year to our faithful blog readers! We took a little break for a few weeks as 2011 drew to a close but rest assured regular blogs on the fabulous Vintage Twee products are back with a boom for 2012.

And speaking of boom…. Are you one of those ladies expecting the patter of tiny feet this year? Maybe you’ve just had your wedding and are starting to think about moving on to making your party of two a trio… ? Or perhaps the wedding is still to come and as your little miracle grows in your tummy you’ve decided you just can’t wait to start checking out cute baby-inspired things?! Well, no-one can blame you either way and Vintage Twee not only looks after our lovely brides but mums-to-be as well! With a great new range of fantastic baby shower décor, gift tags and much more, they’ll ensure you claim the prize as being the most stylish new mum about town.

Baby showers are the latest craze from the US to sweep the UK. The idea of throwing a party to celebrate the imminent arrival of your mini-me is surely a fab excuse to splash out on some luxurious food whilst your friends hand deliver you beautiful baby gifts. So why not decorate your tables and canapés with some gorgeous Baby Shower Quote Flags, cute New Baby Cupcake Sticks and dainty Drink Me Doily Tags?

Each item is available in a range of baby-themed colours from simple buttercream to the classic light pink or vintage blue. Decorated with delicate coloured ribbon they can be customised to your chosen colour scheme and add a touch of vintage chic whatever you choose to do with them.

Heart warming Quote Flags

And of course when the little one arrives, why not tell everyone about it by sending them a Baby Announcement Postcard? With a stunning vintage picture on the front, the reverse has space for all the details everyone will want to know!

Not to leave out those who want to surprise the new parents with a little something, the Hello Baby Gift Tags are a perfect way to decorate your present- check out the gorgeous hand or footprint designed tags which are guaranteed to increase the “aaaah” factor of any gift!

All items are now available on the Vintage Twee website and of course, Joanne welcomes any customised orders. Have a browse through the range and get ready to celebrate your baby in true vintage style.

Gorgeous vintage font used for your important info!

Something Old, Something New...

2011-10-22T12:30:00.000+01:00

Most brides, especially those planning a vintage themed wedding, are on the lookout for that significant and precious item that will hold the prestigious title of being their 'something old' on the big day. Many brides choose a family heirloom to represent this age old tradition, such as a veil or accessory that once belonged to their great grandmother, or special piece of jewellery to tuck away in their purse. The 'something old' tradition is one that continues to be the most thought out of the 'somethings' as it represents the sentimental connection the bride has, and will continue to maintain, to her family.

Dealing with all things vintage, it is not unusual for Vintage Twee to be asked by brides to contribute to their 'something old' in the form of some kind of keepsake or décor for their big day. However, when asked to make a bridal bouquet, consisting entirely of the infamous vintage music sheet paper roses, the challenge was embraced with open arms and I set to work!

The bouquet contains over 30 vintage roses, a selection of which have been adorned with pearl centres and draped with a string of ivory pearls, which have been carefully intertwined between the delicate leaves. The stem of the bouquet is covered with a champagne coloured satin ribbon and has been adorned with a hand tied ribbon and lace bow which is embellished with a vintage jewel.

So a bride's 'something old' was actually 'something new' for Vintage Twee and will be available to purchase in the Boutique very soon! It is a perfect alternative to traditional flowers for those brides having a vintage or music themed wedding and, unlike real flowers, it wont perish and can be kept for many years to come as a momentous keepsake of your wedding day.

If you would like to enquire about our new Vintage Paper Rose Bouquet in the meantime, please do just email joanne@vintagetwee.com!

Nobody puts Twee in the Corner...

2011-09-13T20:49:00.000+01:00

Ok, so after recent discussions about my forthcoming blog post with a certain someone (no names mentioned Nia Fiori..), I've been set the challenge of trying to relate today's random entry to Vintage Twee in some way, shape or form. And, true to form as most of my brides can vouch for, I rise to any challenge set me and embrace it with open arms! And in the absence of my Chief Blogger Emma who is currently sunning herself in Rome, I am alone in this task at hand...

So how (and why?!) do we get from celebrating the life of Patrick Swayze, which sadly ended two years ago on 14th September, to teapots, doilies and party picks? Read on and I shall reveal all...

I wanted to write a post dedicated to Mr Swayze, who has and always will be, my hero. I was mortified the day I woke up and found out he had gone, it was like a flashbulb memory moment when you know exactly when and where you were when you hear about something significant that happens in the world. Ok, so people die all the time – it's a fact of life and I didnt even know the man - but for some reason he remains in my heart, connected to happy memories of the first time I watched Dirty Dancing at the age of 9 years old (I know, bad parents!) as a pneumonic child who was missing the annual family Boxing Day party. I got a new desk for 'making things on' at Christmas that year (Vintage Twee Reference Number 1) and I specifically remember watching the infamous 'lift' scene at the end through the gaps in the shelving that my dad had only half assembled.

From that moment on, along with a trillion other young girls, my childhood games revolved around recreating a holiday camp, where I would be the girl that Johnny Castle picked out of the crowd to dance with in front of my disapproving parents and jealous older sister (sorry Em). And admittedly, it wasn't that long ago I dreamt of the same dance at the age of 27, wearing that gorgeous pink dress and silver heels, kicking gold fairy dust into the air as he spinned me around...

To be fair, I've only really ever seen two of his films, and the second is of course Ghost. Cue the tears from 20 minutes in and the weird recollection and recital of Sam Wheat's account number by heart. I even took my sister to see Ghost the Musical in the West End last month to celebrate her forthcoming 30^th birthday (again, sorry Em).

Despite our reservations about Richard Fleechman's ability to portray the mighty Patrick, along with his 'blonde' version of Molly, we were pleasantly surprised and had an amazing night watching the show. Of course tears were flowing from the first line of Unchained Melody and I awoke the next day full of new romantic ideas for my range! (Vintage Twee Reference Number 2).

Patrick seemed like a loyal, honourable and loving husband who I think would be a role model to any modern man today. If I was asked the ultimate ideal dinner date question then he would, without doubt, be in the top three. I am lucky enough to have a signed print of him which is going to be framed and put up very soon on the walls of my new studio (Vintage Twee Reference Number 3) to remind me of the smiles he brought to me that Christmas I cried because I had to stay home and miss the family party and the chance to gorge myself on seconds of chocolate gateux and trifle.

So as strange as it may be for me dedicate my blog to a man I never knew, I thought it would be inspiring and insightful on this day to share with you the connection Patrick had with me - and my very first 'making desk' - that ultimately started off the romanticist world of Vintage Twee. Kind of. :)

(that's at least THREE references to Vintage Twee Fiori so mwah ha ha! I did it!)

Wave the words of love....

2011-09-02T20:30:00.015+01:00

Being lost for words is something one should never be at a wedding, especially if you’re the groom looking for some last minute inspiration for your heart rendering speech! And sometimes the simplest of words are the most effective - the ones that make us think, make us smile and most importantly, give us food for thought. Each night at my local tube station a member of staff posts a “quote of the day” at the entrance to the escalator and as I’m on my way home after a stressful, busy day at work, reading one line of inspiration will, without fail, make me laugh, muse or at the very least wonder where on earth they got that one from!

If you’re looking for a way to bring some love inspired citations to your wedding day or love themed event, look no further than the latest Vintage Twee product, Love Quote Flags. Designed to be used as centre piece decorations, buffet/candy table trimmings or alongside name place settings, these old fashioned styled flags have been printed with a different classic quote about love by some of the most inspirational people of days gone by. A neutral buttercream colour means the flags can be customised with your choice of bow to match your theme- currently available in red, dusky pink, light pink or ivory but let Joanne know your preferred colour and she’ll do her best to match!
With 8 flags costing just £5.50, they come carefully packaged in cellophane gift bags to keep them in pristine condition until your big day. Each flag measures approx 16cm long x 8cm (widest point of the flag) and look stunning individually or clustered together to make a nest of quotes and a real talking point for your guests. Perfect for any event where you want your guests to be entertained by literary genius’s and let their own imaginations run wild!

Make sure you don’t miss out on adding a special vintage touch to your main event by pitching your flags on every table! www.vintagetwee.com

Featured quotes shown above include:

'A woman knows the face of the man she loves like a sailor knows the open sea' Honore de Balzac

• 'Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold' - Zelda Fitzgerald• 'True love stories never have endings' - Richard Bach

• 'Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile' - Franklin P Jones

• 'Brief is life but love is long' - Alfred Lord Tennyson

Love My Dress (and hair... and make up...)

2011-08-10T22:01:00.004+01:00

There aren’t many opportunities on a Wednesday night in Newcastle to don your best frock, sip on champagne and style your hair like Rita Hayworth but the extremely glamorous “Love My Dress Soiree” was THE vintage affair of the summer and demanded nothing but pure style and vintage tributes.

Joanne wearing a
dress from Vivien of Holloway

The UK Wedding Industry Networking Event was hosted by the lovely Annabel of the fantastic Love My Dress blog, a blog which has supported Vintage Twee since the early days by regularly featuring our products. It only seemed right that such an evening demanded the highest level of preening so Joanne and Nia, from Nia Fiori Designs booked themselves in for a morning of pampering by the extremely talented vintage hair and make up artist, Bethany Jane Davis. I was priviledged to receive regular updates of the transformations in to 1940’s beauties as they were taking place and resisted the urge to post pictures of the girls in heated rollers… but if anyone wants to see them I will be accepting bribes…!

Held on the banks of the River Tyne (yes, there was singing and several mentions of the words “Fog on the….”) , the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts was filled with glamorous flapper girls, vintage decor and props, chaise lounges, antique furniture and a fab display of cake pops, cupcakes and other sweet treats provided by the Boutique Baking Company http://www.boutiquebaking.co.uk/. Joining Joanne and Nia was Katie from Perfect Days Vintage who rocked a 70’s inspired red dress, gold heels and a statement leopard print hat, all three of them posing in the retro digital photo booth for some memorable snaps and a reminder of how fabulous they looked!! http://www.snaparazziphotobooths.co.uk/

Amongst all the champagne and canapés Joanne got to personally thank Annabel for her support of Vintage Twee – lots of brides mention they found us through her website so it was lovely to be able to show our gratitude. Also attending the event was the editor of Wedding Magazine, Catherine Westwood, another industry professional who recognised Vintage Twee’s potential in the early days and offered numerous features in the magazine – thank you Catherine!

The first 120 lucky people through the door managed to nab themselves a luxury goody bag filled with treats from contributors… including a pack of the infamous Vintage Twee party picks! It really was an evening to remember and showcased the best the wedding industry has to offer in a wide range of themes. According to the girls it was hard to snap out of the bubble they were in when the night drew to an end… so they “forced” themselves to go for a pizza on the way home just to bring them back down to earth!! I can only imagine the faces in the pizza parlour when their late night customers appeared to have just stepped off the set of Breakfast at Tiffanys!

Ok... I didn't need a bribe after all!!!

Pick a place, any place...

2011-07-24T16:18:00.002+01:00

Planning every last detail of your special occasion is no doubt the part most party organizers love - what's on the menu, how will the theme transpire, who's sitting where? Now Vintage Twee may not be able to have any influence over how much red wine your mother consumes on the big day but these brand new place name settings will at least ensure she does it in the correct seat! Guaranteed to be the talk of the table, there are 2 new themes to choose from, each one being a simple way to add an authentic vintage feel to your seating arrangements.

The Victorian Style range depicts portrait images of young men and women from the 1800's with a design for every person in your party! Each image has been aged, embellished with vintage lace and mounted on to gift tag style cards and is completed with natural coloured twine to allow them to be tied to wine glasses, napkin rings, cutlery or tea cup handles. Unique and interesting, they're sure to get everyone wanting to collect the whole set!

In contrast to the Victorian Style, the Vintage Rose collection show 4 different designs taken from vintage postcards and greetings cards. Using pastel coloured satin ribbons for the ties and delicate sparkling accents of gold glitter to highlight the images. Additions of the ivory pearls finish off the look whilst the font used for the name of each guest will be that of a typically authentic vintage typewriter.

Priced incredibly reasonably as follows, these name place settings are the perfect way to make sure the theme for your big day doesn't slip up when it comes to the detailing.

-Vintage Rose - £1.25 each http://www.vintagetwee.com/shop-stationary-place-rose.html

-Victorian Style - £1.50 each http://www.vintagetwee.com/shop-stationary-place-victorian.html

And don't forget, if you require a specific colour of ribbon or have an idea in mind of something you'd like, Vintage Twee would be happy to discuss any amendments and

provide an estimated costing as soon as possible.

A Perfect Day with Vintage Style...

2011-06-29T20:13:00.001+01:00

If ever a match made in vintage heaven was to be had, it’s definitely the blossoming relationship between Vintage Twee and the latest company to hit the market, Perfect Days Vintage. Last week, Joanne met the very creative and stylish Katie Mitchell from Perfect Days Vintage for a glass of wine and a chat about how together, they can offer any bride or event organiser the ultimate vintage service.

Perfect Days Vintage is the brainchild of Katie who has followed her passion for all things vintage and beautiful and turned it in to a successful business hiring out a range of props dating as far back as you want them to! As a young girl her fascination with antique fairs, eclectic and unusual items led Katie to invest in real treasures which today include a classic1960’s record player, a fantastic 18^th century walnut dining table, original china tea sets and an incredible vintage typewriter. Perfect Days Vintage now has the props to be able to transform any event with authentic vintage themed style… and if you need further proof, ask Katie to tell you about her own wedding of which you can easily say the theme was decided quite early on! They cater for weddings, christenings, corporate events, photo shoots and much more, clearly showing the quality and validity of their items. Of course, if your longed for item isn’t currently in the Perfect Days Vintage collection, they will do all they can to source your heart’s desire for you, making them not only style guru’s but complete and utter time savers too! And just in case you thought their services ended there, think again. Perfect Days Vintage can also help organise elements or the whole of your event for you, taking complete control of the reins from start to vintage finish, a skill Katie found she had whilst organise her own wedding.

So, you take a company that organises events and rents out vintage props, mix it with a company that recreates vintage table décor and a foolproof formula is born! Hoping to be able to work together in the future, Joanne and Katie have been taking the time to show how the items can work seamlessly together, giving the look, feel and individuality of a really customized event. For example, the pictures here show Vintage Twee’s ever popular Eat Me Party Picks being used alongside Perfect Days Vintage fabulous decorative cake stands. Music lovers will grab the opportunity to showcase a vintage gramophone and can be seen here teamed with Vintage Twee’s music sheet favours. Or, the favourite idea the girls have come up with so far see’s the magnificent vintage typewriter placed conveniently next to the beautiful Vintage Twee guestbook. With paper at the side, all the guests have to do is write their message and pop it in the book, their words becoming the beginning of a story.

For a truly professional and memorable service, Vintage Twee cannot recommend Katie and the impressive Perfect Days Vintage highly enough. Be sure to check out their website for further information or contact Katie on info@perfectdaysvintage.co.uk and turn your vintage dream in to a 21st century reality!!

The Biker, The Stationer, The Jeweller and the Twee...

2011-06-16T21:41:00.001+01:00

Claire's method of transport- the Vespa!

Celebrating our own fabulousness is often an overlooked pastime due to busy work schedules, family life and just trying to deal with everything life throws at us! So when the idea floated about for a light hearted afternoon of tea, cakes and conversation, four busy ladies jumped at the chance to close the laptops, put down the glue guns and indulge!

Getting together to whip out the vintage china was Joanne of Vintage Twee, Claire from the lovely English Wedding Blog, Anita Mistry of the fantastic It’s a Mistry Design Studio and of course the hostess herself,Nia of Nia Fiori Designs. The location was perfect. Nia’s home is in the beautiful town of Hayfield, Derbyshire which, with its rows of stone

cottages, rolling hillside and according to legend, in 1760 even had its own witch, proved to be the perfect place to pour the traditional British brew and set the world to rights with a slice or three of cake. Joanne brought along some Vintage China plates which she has gathered from antique fairs, shops and markets whilst Nia provided the gorgeous tea pot and cake stands. Showing that the modern woman really can do everything, Nia spent the morning baking and turned out an incredible rum fuelled carrot cake with lemon and orange icing not to mention delectable scones with clotted cream and jam! The ladies chatted about how each of them followed their dreams to become self employed despite nerves, trepidation and downright fear! Hearing Joanne talk about it this evening co-incided with a conversation I had with my own boss today who came across a book her grandmother owned in the 1920’s and was madly inspired by its words. The book was entitled “Willpower” which, as you can imagine was probably very unusual and quite possibly frowned upon for a young woman of that era to be reading. The phrase which stuck in her mind from the book and which she repeated to us all before a day of sales today was, “I can, I will, I dare, I do”, So for all the budding entrepeneurs out there, remember that line and it will take you as far as you will allow yourself to go! It took her grandmother to the ripe old age of 96….

Don’t forget to check out the websites of todays lovely ladies for bridal inspiration, advice and calligraphy from Claire, beautiful, unique jewellery from Anita and a range of stunning stationary from Nia. Of course, Vintage Twee will be uncovering some summer delights very soon so keep an eye on the website as you read it here first!

Nia "road testing" her own baking..

If music be the fruit of love...

2011-06-07T20:47:00.002+01:00

You can’t get more romantic than the charming theme of music and wine for your wedding.. . just take a leaf of out of April and Edwards lyrical book whose wedding took place on Saturday 04^th June in an exceptionally tuneful style. Vintage Twee was honoured to be chosen to make the table plan, table names and place settings for this stunning wedding and relished at the opportunity to have free reign to design something the guests and happy couple would remember long after the champagne stopped flowing.

April’s criteria to Joanne was that the décor must be fitting to the music and wine theme her and Edward had opted for, representing their musical background. Joanne quickly formed an idea of how she could use vintage inspired idea’s to encompass all aspects of romance, history and of course, the lovely grape. Starting with the table plan, a black and cream colour scheme was used to tie in with the vintage music sheets, circa 1930’s. Each table was named after a favourite wine and shown in a scripted font complete with delicate pearl heart to soften the image. Continuing the colour theme and style through to the table names, vintage lace edged the placards and a pretty bunch of grapes were added in the corners. Being the unique bride that she was, April was spray painting bunches of the tasty fruit in purple glitter to place on the tables so Joanne added small purple diamantes on to the printed grapes to accentuate and really set them off!

Choosing Vintage Twee’s rose music place settings for the female guests and the very imaginative idea of having corks as a place setting for the gents (bride’s own idea!!), really completed the look for the room and ensured the wedding was as swinging as the theme! As a thank you to her beautiful flower girl niece, April asked Joanne to create a card she could keep as a memento of the day- as you can see it turned out to be another feather in the Vintage Twee cap and we think it looks absolutely great!

Joanne was touched to receive a text off April the morning of the wedding to thank her for the items- as any bride knows there usually isn’t a spare minute in between being hoisted in to your dress and trying not to ladder your stockings!! As a wedding gift to the couple Joanne included the book from which the vintage music sheets were used which came complete with an inscription from 1937 and is truly something to treasure.

Don’t forget Vintage Twee are happy to custom make your orders to complement your theme.. don’t be afraid to share your ideas as Joanne will be able to offer advice and a specialist vintage eye to help you create your vintage dream.

Fanciful favours for summer

2011-05-16T19:58:00.000+01:00

Cute polka dot's add the fun element!

With wedding season fast approaching, Vintage Twee have 2 new additions to the popular favour box range to tempt brides and party planners alike! Starting off with the fabulous Polka Dot favour boxes which couldn’t be more perfect for 1950’s glam appeal at your special event. The stunning box design has a lift off lid which is perfect to pop a delicious treat inside. Standing out in cornflower blue with white polka dots, there are 3 designs to choose from to complete the look on the top of the box. Choose from a mini heart of pearls, a beautiful vintage lace bow or a cute tea rose and ribbon- even better, why not have a selection of all three?! All you need now are retro sweets or mini cakes to complete your polka perfect favour!

Perfect for summer favours

The second new addition is a beautiful butterfly themed favour holder, different in shape from the standard box and thoroughly gorgeous! Keeping up with the current trend for all things winged, they are ivory in colour with touches of vintage pink and sky blue. Each box has been embellished with a hand pressed butterfly shape and finished with co-ordinating ribbon, an ivory pearl and a hint of vintage inspired floral paper. These unusual favour boxes would look great at any English Garden themed party, summer wedding or even a baby shower!!

Priced at a mere £1.75 each for the Polka Dot and £2.00 each for the Butterfly, don’t miss out and secure your orders today!!

Royal wedding with all the trimmings!

2011-05-05T21:33:00.001+01:00

My husband Lee and I with our Union Jack chopping board!

It’s been almost a week since we all proudly hung our Union Jack bunting from the rooftops and toasted the Royal newlyweds as they started their journey in to married life. In lieu of any street parties in our area, Vintage Twee and family decided to host a little themed bash all of our own!

The day began in full swing at the hands of Mother Twee who decorated the front room with kitsch paper chains and newspaper photo’s of Wills and Kate. My husband and I, escaping London and it’s thousands of tourists, were pleasantly surprised to see that we could still be in the thick of it whilst safely 200 miles away from the bustling capital! Joined by the lovely Nia from Gallery6Studios, Joanne, Mum, my husband Lee and I, sat down to watch the most anticipated ceremony of this century. I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous when I saw Kate step out of the car in her beautiful vintage inspired gown looking every inch the lacy princess. In fact, feeling like I had the rare opportunity to show my solidarity for other brides, I revived my own 7 month old veil and proudly perched it on my head for the entire ceremony! I was stopped short by my fellow revellers of wearing my actual wedding dress….

As anyone worth their salt knows, a natural part of any celebration is definitely the food served after. And Mother Twee didn’t let us down with a Royal Buffett to be proud of! Complete with all the British favourites including HP sauce, cheese and pineapple cubes, home-made cupcakes (thank you Nia!) plus jelly and ice cream, the 5 of us really did indulge in the process of carrying your food around on a Union Jack paper plate. Joanne of course was on hand to provide the table decoration, whipping up some patriotic party picks which no one wanted to throw away afterwards! Working carefully around all the Vintage Twee orders ready to be shipped out the following day, we enjoyed every mouthful of our British banquet and more than one or two top buttons were guiltily undone!

Take a look at our pictures which make me want to do it all over again! Prince Harry will be receiving a strictly worded letter urging him to pop the question very soon …

Vintage Twee themed party picks ruled the buffett!

Car Booty = Vintage Beauty

2011-04-25T20:52:00.002+01:00

Never has the saying “One woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure” been more appropriate than this weekend! Joanne decided to check out the local car boot sales of the North West to see if she could find anything more than redundant audio cassettes and broken kids toys- and she did well! Aided by Daddy Twee who is renowned for spotting a bargain, the two set off on a mission to find hidden treasures in need of a little tender loving care.

First to be snapped up was a stunning Brass Letter Rack for the unbelievable price of £1.00. Ornate and decorative, after a bit of elbow grease and patience it now looks as if it’s been standing proudly on the mantelpiece of a stately home instead of spending the last 20 years lying in somebodies cellar! Perfect for displaying Vintage Twee Bridesmaid postcards, it will be making an appearance at a craft fair very soon…

Following the bargain trail, Joanne picked up a beautiful Vintage Sadler China Sugar Bowl which quite conveniently was a vintage dusky pink colour with gold gilded edges- perfect Vintage Twee colours! Dated 1922 on the underside, it will be a welcome addition to the props Joanne has collected for the Vintage Twee photoshoots. And priced at 10p… who could resist?!

Also to be used for photoshoots was an amazing early 20th cenutry vintage butterdish which we’re sure you’ll agree is absolutely stunning. Unfortunately it had one corner missing which usually would put most people off… but not Joanne! She added this delightful dish to her growing collection for a mere £1.00 and will be sure to photograph it from an angle which definitely shows off its best side!

Plenty of vintage pieces of jewellery were discovered which will become features on Vintage Twee Table Plans and Wedding Guestbooks, as well as a whole host of vintage music sheets dating back to 1919. These will be transformed in to the trademark Vintage Twee Paper Rose Place Settings and romantic Rose Cones , ensuring these long lost music sheets get to live again. Accompanied by the purchase of a selection of lace doilies at a rock-bottom price of 50p each, it proved to an extremely successful shopping trip for under £10!

The only item of the day that so far has yet to be fully restored to its original glory is a cream, lace and pearl 1920’s handbag that sadly, is proving to be a challenge. It’s deeply stained with rust and tea (understandable after being over 90 years old) but for an absolute snip at 50p Joanne found herself drawn to it for more than just the price tag. If anyone has any ideas on how this could be re-invented please get in touch!

Help us restore this antique gem!

Be sure to check out the Vintage Twee website to see all the fabulous products that will be created using both inspiration and materials from purchases this weekend. And as Joanne is hoping to hit another barrage of car boot sales over the next few bank holidays there may well be more treasures still uncovered that will shortly be making their very own Vintage Twee debut ..

Cupcakes and lovely-Ness!!

2011-04-18T21:11:00.002+01:00

When you think of the Wirral, it probably doesn’t automatically conjure up images of idyllic flowered gardens, beautiful landscaping and lush lily ponds. However the award winning Botanical Ness Gardens defies anyone to not fall in love with this romantic and awe inspiring venue, proving that the perfect place to hold your wedding lies just around the corner..

Vintage Twee was recently invited to exhibit our items at the latest wedding fair alongside Roses Tea Rooms, a company whose original and top class wedding and tea party catering has earned them new premises on site at the lovely Ness Gardens. Starting the day with breath-taking views over the River Dee to the Welsh Mountains, Joanne got stuck in helping decorate the gorgeous Roses Tea Rooms cupcakes with Vintage Twee’s infamous Party Picks, ready to showcase to the public. From all accounts it was hard to resist the frosted treats with lemon, chocolate fudge and the more unusual but delicious beetroot and ginger varieties! All handmade by their extremely talented chef Raf, there was even homemade marshmallows and honeycomb…diet? What diet? Roses use all locally sourced ingredients and everything is made on site, fresh on the day of your wedding/event. Take a look at their mouth-watering website and you won’t fail to be impressed with the range of treats available.

Vintage Twee has been working with the lovely Roses Tea Rooms right from the very beginning, when they gave a “new starter” in the business (us!) the opportunity to be displayed at the events they catered for. An amazing working relationship has now bloomed and it was great to get the chance to work in person alongside Amy and Christina who were representing Roses at the fair. Good laughs were had by all and after consuming way too much sugar for a Sunday afternoon, Joanne and the girls crammed in to a photo booth on the stand next door for the obligatory photo! Provided by Cetra Studios, the booth can be hired out to capture your party guests in true photo-finish style with memories to keep for all!

Vintage Twee would just like to thank all the people involved including Jen, the wedding co-ordinator at Ness Gardens, as well as Amy and Christina from Roses Tea Rooms for making Joanne feel so welcome! A great day out mixed with delicious food, interesting people and gorgeous surroundings- hoping to book our space for next time already!!

Joanne, Amy Christina and Jen striking a pose!!

Shiver me timbers landlubbers, there be treasure ahead!

2011-03-24T21:06:00.001Z

Talk about forbidden treasures!

Sat nestled amongst 2000 deliciously tempting chocolate coins sounds like any woman’s idea of absolute heaven and Joanne is no exception! This week she found herself knee deep in the chocolately treats as she produced a whopping 235 mini Treasure Chests for a very special kind of party. Altogether now… “Oooh- Arrrr….”

Contacted by Jo Bircumshaw back in August 2010, Joanne was asked if Vintage Twee would do the honour of making the unique party favours for the “Pirates and Pearls” MS Society Ball, presented by the lovely Calum Best to be held on Saturday, March 26th at Mere Golf and Country Club, Knutsford, Cheshire. The purpose of this fantastic event is to raise money for the MS Society, helping the sufferers and carers of this debilitating condition with much needed funds for respite. Jo, the organiser of the Piratey themed party spotted the eye catching Vintage Twee Treasure Chest favours in an edition of Cheshire Life and swiftly ordered 140 of the cute boxes. As the popularity for the event increased, the boxes multiplied and soon there were enough gold coins, pearls, skulls and crossbones piling up that Joanne could have filmed Pirates of the Caribbean 5 in her studio!

Each guest of the event will enjoy swashbuckling banter with the party’s very own Captain Jack Sparrow before being seated at the Captains Table for a delicious meal and goodies. Treated to fire entertainers before dancing the night away to live music from local band Beaver, at the end of the evening the guests get to keep their own Treasure Chest as a fitting memoir of the bash.

As you can imagine this has been an absolutely amazing opportunity for Joanne and Vintage Twee to take a step in to the world of mass production (still, all created by one pair of hands! Oh, and a little help from Mum and Dad who faithfully filled up the treasure chests with coins until they started thinking they were actually about to board the Black Pearl themselves!). We’d like to wish Calum, Jo and the team the very best of luck for Saturday night and hope they raise lots of pieces of eight for this well deserving charity. And not forgetting a hearty thank you for choosing Vintage Twee to provide the Treasure Chests and we sincerely hope the guests feel like they’re taking a little piece of buccaneering booty home with them!

Long John Silver would be proud!

A year in the life of Vintage Twee!!

2011-03-10T21:20:00.002Z

Yesterday marked the anniversary of a particularly special day in the life of Vintage Twee- it was the grand old age of one year old!! It seems almost unbelievable that this time last year Joanne had just about started cutting, sticking and being badgered in to making her big sister’s wedding invites (thanks, sis!). Now, here we are celebrating a year of creativity with a cosy Vintage Twee birthday party!

Just a small piece.. oh go on then, make it a big one!

Gathering together on Little Underbank in Stockport, Joanne was greeted at the bash by Nia and Shaun, the duo behind the fantastic Gallery 6 Studios. http://www.niafiori.com/ http://www.gallery6studios.com/ Swiftly joined by Claire from the popular English Wedding blog http://www.english-wedding.com/ , the four of them popped open the champers and attempted to salvage a glass each from the bit that Shaun didn’t feed to the floor! Traditional birthday balloons decorated the room and of course it wouldn’t be a birthday party without a cheeky slice of deliciously calorific cake… The high point of the day though was the amazing collage board that Nia had thoughtfully made, presenting in true celebrity style all of Vintage Twee’s best bits! Spending the next 3 hours chatting and putting the world to rights, they all discussed how far they’d come in their respective businesses and how they’d managed to turn what once seemed like pipe dreams in to reality. It was a real celebration of all the hard work, long nights and trips to the Post Office Joanne has made in the last year but I think we’d all agree it has certainly been worth it to see this special business flourish.

I’d like to add how very proud we all are of Joanne and her achievements this past year, she always was the creative one in the family and when we were kids she could turn her hand to anything if it involved a glue stick and some glitter! Not sure if mum and dad ever thought they’d be packaging up rows and rows of miniature cardboard teapots whilst watching Corrie of an evening but they’ve been invaluable to getting all the deliveries out on time!

So, all that’s left to say is here’s to many more years of Vintage Twee and its rise to global stardom with Joanne and her antique treasures at the helm. HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY VINTAGE TWEE! xxxxx

Jazz hands, Claire (left) and Nia??

And the award for best actress goes to...

2011-03-02T23:42:00.003Z

This week was the much anticipated, celebrity event of the year, awarding the silver screen’s finest with that recognisable golden statue. If you were one of the millions that tuned in to the Oscars, you may have failed to notice glamorous young Joanne in her pearl earrings strutting confidently down the red carpet and wondered to yourself just how she managed to keep her “English rose” skin tone over in sunny LA.

"I'd just like to thank...."

Ok, so maybe Vintage Twee didn’t quite make it to the star studded Oscars but this week was quite possibly the beginnings of a new relationship with a camera of the motion kind. Joanne had previously agreed (in one of those moments where you agree to something without really thinking it through, e.g., signing up for a 5km run when you can barely trot round the block) to filming two adverts for Warrington Market to be shown on prime time TV and soon found herself panic buying the Spanx and hoping she didn’t fluff her lines!

Working together with Steve Pickering, the marketing manager for the fantastic Warrington Indoor Market, Joanne is the star of the latest advertising campaign which will be shown every evening the week before each of the markets, right before the North West settle down with their cuppa’s to watch Emmerdale. The first advert will see Joanne, in full party mode, introducing the Fair Trade Market to be held in Warrington on Saturday 12th March whilst the second will prove that Vintage glam really is the look of 2011 as she demurely promotes the Vintage Market on Saturday 30th April. Kitted out in a stunning floral dress and looking every inch the vintage beauty, Joanne enjoyed every second of the filming (despite wondering if the camera really does add 10 pounds) and is an interesting mix of excited, nervous and downright terrified to see the finished version be screened next week!

Make sure you don’t miss a) the advert and b) the unique, fabulous fairs, on from 10am-4pm, so pencil them in your diaries now! Joanne tells me she’s sharpening her quill ready for the barrage of autograph requests sure to come pouring in as she is aiming to flutter her TV lashes at the Vintage Market in April! Come down, say hello and purchase something from the brilliant Vintage Twee range (Joanne has assured me she’ll stay grounded despite the fame….)

The link to the adverts will follow for all Vintage Twee fans not living in the North West and it will be put on the Vintage Twee Facebook page once it's available.

Joanne would like to add thank you to Steve and colleague Paul for the wonderful opportunity to be part of the best indoor market in the UK and is looking forward to the offers flooding in from Tinsel Town!

Carrie on glamour with Simply Love Vintage...

2011-02-18T21:02:00.004Z

If you have ever pictured your wedding, tea party or special event appearing just as if it was straight from a bygone era, then Vintage Twee recommend you take a look at the beautiful website, http://www.simplylovevintage.com/ Owned by the lovely Carrie, her eye for all things nostalgic and eclectic is prominent in the vast array of vintage crockery, linen, cutlery, glass and vintage inspired accessories she has for hire at your convenience throughout Dorset and parts of Hampshire.

Choose from authentic mis-matched rose patterned vintage tea cups, stunning cake stands and fantastically floral table linen to compliment your vintage theme. All products will be packaged perfectly to make it easy for you to set up- the team will even box them up table by table to make sure Auntie doesn’t end up with too many tea cups and not enough plates! The sheer originality of these delicately decadent accessories are sure to enthral your guests and have them marvelling at your fabulous taste in décor.

If however, your talents lie purely in the idea of a vintage inspired party and not in turning that idea in to a reality, then fear not! Simply Love Vintage also offer a “Styling” service where they will come and transform your special occasion in to a vintage wonderland of pure elegance. They offer an initial consultation as well as accompanying you to your venue for a site visit plus all the help you need on styling your big day. Trust Carrie and her team to wave their vintage wands and adorn your venue with as much or as little as you desire leaving you to relax, get glammed up and enjoy the day!

Carrie can be contacted at carrie@simplylovevintage.com where she will be only too happy to discuss your requirements. And if you are lucky enough to be at the following places, pop over and check out the gorgeously cute range of items available to create your dream vintage party!

Simply Love Vintage are attending two wedding fairs in Dorset as follows...

1. The Crown Hotel Wedding Fair, Blandford Forum Dorset
Sunday 6th March 2011, 10am-3pm

2. The Kings Arms, Dorchester, Dorset

Sunday 27th March 12noon-4pm

A Bouquet of Love from Mr B...

2011-02-14T10:54:00.000Z

Well, the day of St Valentine is upon us (cue the 'oh there's the postman, struggling to get up my street with all my cards' jokes) and I wasn't planning on writing a blog today. However, after a knock at the door at 9.30am this morning, I have gone against all my better judgement and given in to the little man carrying his bow and arrow and flying around my home town of Stockport.

A special thank you this morning to my husband Christopher for the beautiful delivery of a massive bouquet of pink and red roses and the delicious box of chocolates (which shall be cracked open as soon as it's gone past an acceptable hour in the day to indulge in a box of Devon's finest...).

Unable to be together today, I had an emotional start to the day which involved an 8 hour time difference, a broken web cam, black screen and just the sound of his voice all the way from San Francisco. Giving up on modern technology, we resorted back to the invention of Mr Graham Bell and he opened half of his gift from me on the telephone. I thought I had been clever...I had emailed the little English Toy Soldier company in California to arrange for a gift voucher to be sent to him for Valentine's Day so he could feed his WW2 obsession (while I was at a safe distance..!) My other couple of surprises have yet to arrive thanks to Royal Snail Mail but are hopefully on their way and will bring a smile to his face without a doubt!

Roses being my favourite flower and inspiration behind many of the items I create for Vintage Twee's range, I had to post some pictures of them on here as an everlasting inspiration and memory of their beauty. Ok, ok, and to brag a little too... :)

So I dedicate today's spontaneous blog post to my Mr B and his old fashioned romantic ways, that I not only appreciate and love, but also thank from the bottom of my heart as one of the main reasons why Vintage Twee was born in the first place.

Ok, enough of the mushy stuff! On a final note, Happy Valentine's Day to my other sweetheart – mum – and thank you for the lovely rose cupcake bath bomb! Enjoy your Valentines Day xxx

Sweet sensation for St Valentine

2011-02-08T21:22:00.001Z

Ladies, it’s that time of year again when we succumb to the demands of commercialisation, renounce our feminist ways and resort to peeking behind the curtain as the postman arrives on Feb 14th just to see if he has anything in a red envelope. Yes, St Valentine’s day is once again upon us and try as we might, we just can’t help but gush over the deep red roses in shops and secretly hope our partners don’t take us seriously when we say “don’t get me anything…”

Vintage Twee decided to join in with the romance, after all, what better time of year to have an excuse to tell someone you love them in a unique and special way? Especially if it involves cupcakes…

Take a look at the new and specially designed best selling party picks, guaranteed to whet the appetite of your loved one or your wedding guests! Hand crafted in love themed colours since as ivory and pink or ivory and red, they have cute captions to include, “Love is Sweet”, “I Do” and “Eat Me”. Should you have a particular message for a particular person they can of course be custom made to suit!! So if you fancy spelling out your love in cupcakes (but without scrawling on the cakes with your less than professional icing bag), secure your bags of party picks today!

Now talking of all things sweet, coming soon are the new Sweetie Jar labels which are currently just available as custom orders. Ideal for popular candy tables and sweetie jar favours, they are the perfect accomplishment to your sweet treats and can be embellished with tea roses or pearl hearts to add the vintage touch. Email joanne@vintagetwee.com with your desired sweet labels to match whats in your jars!

Come and see for yourself the latest additions to the Vintage Twee collection at the following fairs this weekend! Meet Joanne and the beautiful creations that are taking the table décor world by storm!

Vintage and Craft Fair
Warrington Indoor Market
Saturday 12th February 10-4pm

Vintage Valentine Event
The Old School Rooms, Haworth, Yorkshire
Sunday 13th February 2011 10-4pm

A Bird's Eye view of all things chic and unique

2011-02-01T21:17:00.023Z

Fur shrug courtesy of Lovely and Vintage

On Sunday 30th January, Vintage Twee had a stand at the most coveted event of the year so far, the Vintage Chic Wedding Fair. Located in Birmingham's newly renovated arts and media hub, The Custard Factory, the venue for the fair, The Old Library was built in the 1850’s but fell in to disrepair during the mid 20th century. Luckily for us vintage wedding lovers in 2001 it was renovated after receiving funding and now stands as one of the cities most versatile and unique event space- you can even hold your wedding here!
Helped by the lovely Nia of Gallery6 Studios, Vintage Twee began to meet future brides from the Midlands and the fair was soon in full swing with talk of all things lacy, vintage and tea-related! In particular our Party Picks proved to be extraordinarily popular with packs flying off the stand! Now coming in a range of colours, they are an easy way to add a little fun to your special occasion!

Now, proving the desire for something unique at your wedding is still burning strong, the stalls were an amazing range of the loveliest vintage styled products any bride could wish to see! A few Vintage Twee favourites are pictured here and as you can see fun was to be had! The exhibitors all had the same thing in common- the responsibility to provide brides with that special something to make her wedding day full of elegance, glamour and of course, vintage chic!

Cotton and Crumbs

Vintage Glamour Days

Beautiful tea cup ring

One of our favourite vendors was the talented Amy, from jewellery company, Blanche and Lola. Creating the most beautiful jewellery from authentic vintage pieces, each Blanche and Lola creation is individual- you will never be caught wearing the same thing as anyone else!
Hand crafted and original, combining vintage with modern, the collection includes the gorgeous tea cup ring, the vintage carousel necklace and stunning pearl necklaces. A new contender on the vintage jewellery and accessories market, be sure to check out the website for that special piece for your big day!

Vintage Carousel Necklace
Available from Blance & Lola

Lovely vintage necklace, perfect for brides
Available from Blance & Lola

So it seems we have Mr Alfred Bird, the inventor of our favourite winter warmer, custard, to thank not only for the sweet yellow dessert we all love, but, for the fantastic Custard Factory where we got to meet some great people, share a passion for all things vintage and of course, dress ourselves up all girly and gorgeous!

The Art of Tea

2011-01-23T19:56:00.000Z

Today has been one of the nicest Sundays I've had in a while. Sometimes you have to make the conscious effort to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of every day life to indulge yourself in a moment of relaxation in whatever form suits you. Of course, you cant take this creative tea lover completely out of her comfort zone...therefore what better than to combine the two loves of my life – art and tea.

Nestled away in the leafy suburban town of East Didsbury in Manchester, lies a hidden treasure called The Art of Tea. With it's old couches and armchairs, high beamed ceilings and antique mirrors, this place resembles that of a 1940s living room, complete with mismatched chintzy china and teacups. The walls were adorned with the work of talented local artists and the bar displaying all kinds of delicious cakes and pastries to tempt your tastebuds. My friend Charlotte and I ordered two hot chocolates with whipped cream and marshmallows (there is no other way to have hot chocolate, correct?) and shared a piece of strawberry cheesecake which came beautifully presented with a little fresh strawberry on top.

But venture further back into the depths of the café and you will find a whole different trove of treasures...as one of the best second hand bookshops I have been to in Manchester lies tucked away just waiting to be discovered. We were welcomed by the friendly owner, humming Sinatra classics as he tidied and restocked the many books that filled the small space. The shelves are lined with old copies of Charles Dickens novels, Penguin Classics and the Bronte sister's best sellers...their dusty book jackets and gold leaf pages calling us over to thumb through. We resisted the temptation to purchase the whole set of Shakespeare plays and just enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by all this lovely literature in such a warm and inviting place.

I can say with some certainty that I will definitely be returning to the wonderful place known as the Art of Tea, having finally found somewhere that I can enjoy – with or without the company of a good friend, book or my trusty laptop.

The Art of Tea, 47, Barlow Moor Road, East Didsbury, Manchester, M20 6TW.

Open 9am-11.30pm Mon-Sat & 11am-10.30pm Sun
tel. 0161 4489323

Festive Frolics

2010-12-24T11:36:00.000Z

'It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air' - W.T Ellis

I love this quote and couldn't agree more with Ellis who sums up the true Christmas spirit in one simple sentence. December would just be another month and Christmas another day if it wasn't for the way in which it ignites a nostalgic spark in all of us that keeps us toasty and warm throughout the freezing temperatures of the winter season.

We all have one thing that awakens that Christmas spirit inside of us and for me, it's baking. I always remember making chocolate cornflake cakes with my mum and sister on Christmas Eve whilst watching Mary Poppins & fighting over who gets to lick the spoon. Having eaten many chocolate cornflakes cakes in my 27 years, I decided that 2010 would be the year that I would start off my very own Christmas tradition and do something that I will always be known for.

After much deliberation & justification behind my choice (that is being a red head and representing my fellow ginger people) I decided that I will pursue a Christmas craft career into the art of gingerbread men. So, in true festive spirit, I enlisted the help of my sister Emma and new brother-in-law Lee who were here visiting and we set to work to create some little masterpieces for a Christmas party later in the week hosted by Anita from Itsamistry Design Studio.

Ok, so not everything went to plan and I severely miscalculated the flour-syrup ratio, ending up with a sloppy paste-like mixture that couldn't be picked up, let alone rolled out. We were also missing one major cog in the gingerbread production wheel which was that of the gingerbread cutter himself...! Being creatives, we were not defeated and of course just had to improvise and Lee drew up a perfect gingerbread man card template to use instead! Once they were baked we set to work on a 'Tonight Matthew, I'm going to be....' decoration task and after an overdose of glitter icing and jelly tots, we finished up with the likes of Simon Cowell, Elvis and Cher (the original of course) on our baking tray. And the bonus? They were not just edible, but delicious!

And so my brand new Christmas tradition has been born. Of course, to avoid looking like a 5 year old had made them, I baked a fresh batch for the party yesterday (with an actual gingerbread man cutter and the right amount of flour this time!) and decorated them according to who was on the guest list. That would be Anita herself from Itsamistry Design Studio, Shilpa from Mistry Marketing Events, Nia from Gallery 6 Studios and Sarah from TinTrunk. We were also joined by Toni from Lady, Behave! who escaped a personalised gingerperson but unfortunately Alan from Village Vintage Clothing wasn't so lucky and got his delivered by Sarah, which was complete with beard and braces! Now, I apologise for any offence caused but felt the world needed to see my handiwork...go on, post a comment and vote for your favourite one...if I can reach 20 comments, I shall post my secret gingerbread recipe on the blog... :)

Itsamistry's Anita complete with her trademark
matching jewellery set

Shilpa from Mistry Marketing Events in Christmas Party mode

Gallery 6 Studios Nia and her paintbrush and palette

TinTrunk's Sarah in vintage black and white...

So the moral of this festive tale is to always take some time to think about what puts 'Christmas in the air' for you...and when you have figured it out, capture it, bottle it and bring it out once a year to release your own true Christmas spirit.

Vintage Twee would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year xxx

Left to right: Shilpa, Anita, Nia and me!

The Spirit of Christmas

2010-12-21T18:52:00.000Z

With Christmas just around the corner, the chilly air is filled with the magic and mystery of reindeers with glowing red noses, Santa and his amazing chimney act and snowmen that come to life in our back garden when we are sleeping at night..

But what about the other, darker kind of unexplained phenomena that we don't naturally associate with this jolly time of year? One of the most famous and quoted Christmas tales of all time is that of 'A Christmas Carol', where Charles Dickens brought an element of the supernatural to the festivity period through his Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet To Come. The book was written in 1843 and, being a true literature lover, (as well as Ghost Whisperer fanatic at the moment!), I decided to indulge in Dicken's interest in the paranormal and tell you Vintage's Twee's very own tale about a Victorian ghost a little too close to home...

Since being a little girl, I have always been fascinated watching my dad carry out his daily profession as a gent's hairdresser and I often still call in to visit him in the barber shop he has occupied for over 20 years based in Heaton Chapel, Stockport.

However, even now at 27 years old, I cannot walk to the kitchen to make my dad a cup of tea without closing my eyes tight at the sight of the crooked door to the shop's cellar. I can recall my dad's colleague locking my sister and I down there as a joke when we were young, as well as the story of a customer's dog who came out with all his hair stood on end. Tony's Barber Shop is well known in the area for it's terrifying ghost who resides in the cellar and has driven out many past female tenants who occupied the rooms above my dad's shop. The building itself dates back to the 18^th century and was occupied in the 1840s by Irish navvies who had been employed to carry out the heavy work during the building of Stockport's railway line. The men were said to be a nuisance to the neighbourhood with their constant drinking & the prostitutes that they brought home. When the work was done and the men left Heaton Chapel, the women and their children remained, some of which residing in the property on Manchester Road that is now my dad's barber shop. The council had to fumigate the property as it was in such a mess and when doing so, they uncovered a host of bones under the floor in the cellar.

Source: Taken from
'Supernatural Stockport' (1991) by M.Mills

Many years later, the house was occupied by a Polish family during the First World War, who experienced many sightings and presences of the ghost connected to the building. They experienced the figure of a man stood at the foot of the bed, invisible hands drawing the quilt off the daughter's father as he lay in bed and the opening and closing of the young girl's vanity box on her dresser. It seems the young sisters who lived in the house were MUCH braver than my sister and I would ever be and followed the man to the cellar, where they watched him descend the stone steps carrying a lantern and disappear through the wall. It has been said that the ghost that haunts the building is that of the man who killed the prostitutes and their babies and buried their bones under the cellar floor.

Now I'm never in there long enough to find out if this is true, but it seems that the ghost has a distaste for women as he seems to haunt all the female tenants of the building yet my dad has never had a problem in the 20 years he has been in there. Perhaps the male dominated environment of the Barber Shop keeps the ghost at bay? Or maybe that padlock dad put on there is working...

So there you have it! Let's hope the Heaton Chapel Phantom doesn't know the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and try to teach us some Christmas cheer...or I'm going to have to seek out Melinda Gordon to cross him over!

Trumpet Blowing Tuesday

2010-12-14T19:24:00.000Z

At this time of year, it's all very easy to get buried under mounds of wrapping paper and sellotape, as well as feeling like you're wasting all your time stuck in queue after queue – be it in the shops or on the road. However, Vintage Twee has been hitting the headlines the past couple of weeks within a variety of different magazines and online blog articles and I thought I would take a mere moment away from creating my Christmas gift tags to share the good news with you this week!

I was delighted to discover that one of the biggest bridal magazines in the country, Wedding, had featured not just one, but two of my items in this month's issue! My 'I Do' Cupcake Sticks had made it to number 5 on their Wedding List and I realised what popstars must feel like when they discover what number their single goes into in the charts...(which this week makes Vintage Twee equivalent to Rihanna - beating Katy Perry, JLS and Jacko...whoo hoo!)

About to put down the magazine and indulge in the beautiful free Crabtree & Evelyn hand lotion that came with this issue, I noticed something else which looked vintagely familiar a few pages later. My Popcorn Cone Favours had been featured as part of a retro themed photo shoot which made me squeal with delight! So far I've had some great feedback from the articles & some orders for both of these items which is fabulous and I'm very proud to have had my work featured in such a significant publication in the wedding world.

From national to local news...Vintage Twee was also snapped at the Vintage Village Fair at Stockport Market Hall last month. Thinking that I had escaped the lipstick-less exposure when the article didn't appear in the Stockport Times that week, I was informed by my lovely Twitter friends @TinTrunk and @Itsa_mistry that the dreaded photo had in fact found its way onto page 28 of this weeks paper...drat! It was, however, a great article on the fantastic vintage and craft fair held every second Sunday of the month at Stockport's historic market hall and drew in the crowds for last Sunday's Christmas special event on Dec 12^th. However, I was very disappointed that nobody brought their article to be autographed, despite my Twitter requests..grrrr...

AND finally, to finish on an international note, Vintage Twee was contacted by online German magazine 1001hochzeiten.de who are currently working on a series of articles about themed weddings and would like to feature my Enchanted Fairytale Favour Boxes! I shall keep you posted on the date this shall be online to view...although make sure you have your interpreter at the ready as unless you're fluent in German, you shall have to just look at the pretty pictures!

Enough trumpet blowing for now, Auf Wiedersehen! xxx

Girls will be girls!

2010-12-03T22:34:00.018Z

Recently, Joanne was asked to source some beautiful images of early 1900 ladies for a lovely Vintage Twee brides favours. On a hunt in North London trawling the antique shops and book stores, a real vintage treasure was uncovered. Weighing in at a hefty few pounds, the Girls Own Annual dated 1899 is a fantastic collection of handy tips, hints, articles and pictures aimed at young ladies entering the prime of their lives.

The impeccable condition of the book means it has the ability to transport you back to a time when it was most important to please your husband, run the home and look beautiful. Not much has changed there you might be thinking! Compiled of one penny articles on homemaking, general tips and anecdotes it really is the most interesting read this year! Scattered throughout are images of those elegant Victorian ladies which are so perfect for the real authentic touch to the Vintage Twee range.

Unfortunately, there is a problem with acquiring such wonderfully unique items when usually your first thought is how you can tear it up! There really does seem to be something so spellbinding about this annual that its now taken up permanent residence on the Vintage Twee bookshelf and most definitely isn’t about to see the scissors anytime soon! And so, the hunt for a replacement begins… lets just hope the next purchase makes it to the shop floor!

On a final note, don’t forget to enter the competition running on this great blog http://www.chronicallyvintage.com/ to win some Vintage Twee Christmas baubles! The competition is only open until Sunday 12th December so enter and you may become the proud owner of a set of hand-crafted vintage inspired decorations.

A Pinch of Love from Haworth...

2010-11-22T13:12:00.001Z

After weeks of denying that it's that time of year AGAIN, Vintage Twee was officially (and surprisingly willingly) thrown into the Xmas spirit this weekend at the Christmas Market Craft Fair in Haworth, Yorkshire, home to the Brontes and Heathcliffe himself! It was a fantastic day with some amazingly talented exhibitors and before long I found myself singing along to the festive sounds of Wizard and The Pogues (and dancing on the spot in an attempt to keep warm) whilst showcasing the latest Christmassy creations from my collection.

The real Christmas spirit however lay about two feet away from me on the stall next door, in a mass of beautiful little organza bags, hung like cute stockings just waiting to be picked. I was completely captured by the imagination and creativity of both Lianne and Sue from the fantastic Strawberry Kisses, creators of these beautifully handmade gift bags which provide a unique way to send a sentimental message for almost any occasion.

And my favourite thing about these wonderful little nostalgic tokens? Each one comes with a beautiful and touching verse appropriate to the occasion and written by the girls themselves, something very rare to find amongst the commercial nature of the greeting card industry these days. And look what I found for all the brides-to-be! A Pinch of Luck for the Bride which contains a real sixpence, a lucky horseshoe, silver heart, glitter and dove table confetti all wrapped up in beautifully blue organza bag perfect for her something old, new and blue!

At only £4.99, these little bags are a truly lovely keepsake for someone special and I cant praise the girls highly enough for the passion and love that obviously goes into every single one that they make. You can visit Strawberry Kisses lovely website here to see their complete range (including a hilarious Bah Humbug bag with a badge for the Christmas party pooper) and pick out a Pinch of Love for your someone special.

On one final note, I also want to say thank you to my other neighbours Vicki and Andrew from Tranquillity Within with their beautiful and natural handmade organic skincare range (and highly amusing conversations!) and The Wee Bakery for their scrumptious cupcakes which were thoroughly enjoyed during the X Factor results last night! And of course, no Christmas event is complete without a picture with Santa...despite my protests of 'I'm too old!' and 'No it's not Christmas yet!'. Thank you Santa :) Now where's that Bah Humbag badge...

A Whole Village of Vintage...

2010-11-15T14:08:00.005Z

Vintage Twee donned her fur coat and seam stockings yesterday to step back in time and exhibit at the fantastic Vintage Village within Stockport's historic market place.

TinTrunk and her vintage curiousity collection

A trove of vintage treasures in a beautiful glass hall over 750 years old, The Vintage Village had
everything from authentic and upcycled clothing and accessories to jewellery, homewares, collectables and of course a wealth of handmade crafts created by some extremely talented local people.

Close your eyes and listen to the sounds of the old classics echoing through 'The Glass Umbrella' (as the majestic market was once referred to); open them and see the wondrous sights of the elegance and beauty of the 1940s and beyond, captured by the ladies in their hats and gloves browsing vintage china teacups & saucers.

Beautiful vintage teacups from vintage china company 'Tea'

The crowds also flocked in from those visiting the nearby 1930s pop-up grocery shop which was in town for this weekend only for the BBC to film their current TV series 'Turn Back Time'.

Whenever I attend a fair, I am always amazed at the level of talent amongst craftspeople like myself and often left in awe of the beautiful items that they create and offer to us. I had the true pleasure of being located next to Anita and her stunning jewellery pieces from Itsamistry Design Studio and opposite Zoe with her handmade jewellery, cards and gifts from Honey Bee Designs (pictured below)

Itsamistry Design Studio

Honey Bee Designs

Sweetpea family

Take a stroll round the corner to find the fabulous Sweet pea family with their hand stitched, knitted and crocheted accessories including the cutest mittens, hats, hairbands, bows and scarflets, as well as gorgeous gifts for around the home.

Like a magpie to gold, I spotted 'Tea' amongst the many vintage traders and their lovely collection of china, as well as Sarah from TinTrunk and her wonderful collection of vintage curiosities ranging from the 1920s to 1980s.

Lady, Behave!

A true gent - Lady, Behave!

I also snapped the fabulously named Lady, Behave! (and her suited and booted young assistant!) with some amazing millinery and headwear.

All in all, it was a fantastic day and Vintage Twee was very well received in her home town of Stockport, with some very complimentary comments and an unprepared, lipstick-less paparazzi moment for the Stockport Express newspaper!

Let that be a vintage beauty lesson to be learnt ladies...always keep your red lipstick and pressed powder to hand for sudden starlet situations...

The Vintage Village at Stockport Market Hall is held on the second Sunday of every month from 10am-4.30pm. The next fair is on Sunday 12th December, contact mailto:info@villagevintageclothing.co.uk for more details!

Beauty and the Twee...

2010-11-05T13:19:00.001Z

The beauty of handmade items is that everything can be tweaked, twisted and tailored to fit and one thing that Vintage Twee is proud of is the ability to put a different spin on many of the items that are sold. When I did a charity event in Stockport a couple of weeks ago for the Alzheimer's Society, I met the lovely Katie, manager of Salon 21 Tanning and Beauty in Romiley, Stockport. A beautician by day and dance teacher by night, she shares my love for all things vintage and girly and loved the entire range! With a wealth of female clients, many of whom are pampering themselves for special occasions such as weddings, she thought my items would prove very popular and invited me along to her salon with a view to becoming a stockist of Vintage Twee goodies. Half an hour (and a very near leg wax) later I left with a price list and a mission to come up with a beauty inspired take on some of my most popular items.

With a focus on looking fabulous, I created some of my signature tea holders (see above) complete with detoxifying fruit and herbal tea bags, to boost body and mind, and featuring quotes from iconic vintage beauties such as Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. I then transformed my English Recipe Cards into bundles of Vintage Beauty Secrets containing tips from the 1940s on how to look good on a rationed budget. Each pack contains 4 cards on how to achieve Sumptuous Skin, Alluring Eyes, Shiny Starlet Hair and Red Siren cheeks and lips, all hand tied together in vintage lace bow and embellished with buttons and tea roses.

These new items make lovely gifts for bridesmaids and female friends alike and are just in time to buy as Christmas stocking fillers too! These, plus select items from Vintage Twee's traditional range, will also be available to buy in the salon as from Saturday 6th November so if you're in the area, pop in and take a look at our amazing display! If you aren't local to the salon but would like more information or to order/stock any of this range, please do drop me an email!

Now, where did I put that price list...

Will you be my bridesmaid?

2010-10-24T14:03:00.000+01:00

Dearest brides-to be,

I hope this postcard finds you well! I am writing to share some wonderful news with you which I thought you would love to hear!

Vintage Twee has been busy creating a new (or old...) range of vintage postcards with a difference...designed especially for you to send out to your nearest and dearest ladies as a special invitation to your day. Step back in time to the old fashioned days of correspondence with these lovely vintage postcards from the early 1900s, reproduced as beautiful invitations for the bride to send out to her chosen bridesmaids and Maid of Honour. The postcards feature different images of classic vintage beauties and have been printed with the words 'Will you be my bridesmaid?' and 'Will you be my maid of honour?'.

They are available in two designs – with this text printed either on the front of the postcard or on the reverse in the space of your own personal message. The back of the card also reads: 'Postcard' and has a space for your stamp and of course the address of your lovely ladies!

These postcards are truly elegant and are the perfect touch if you are planning a vintage or traditionally English themed wedding. They will be available to purchase from Vintage Twee's website and Etsy shop from next week for a mere £1 3s 12d each (that's £1.75 to me and you...). Or correspond with me through joanne@vintagetwee.com if you have any enquiries!

I shall sign off until next time but will be sure to write again soon!

Yours truly, Joanne xxx

My True English Beauty...

2010-10-17T22:15:00.000+01:00

This week the blog entry comes from my good self as my sister and co-blogger Emma Louise 'Gregory' (as from last Sunday!) is currently sunning herself in Hawaii on her honeymoon with her lovely new husband! It was a fantastic day and Emma looked stunning, I was extremely proud and I had to show you all how beautiul she was!

She wore a vintage style ivory wedding dress and gorgeous jewellery by Yarwood White and held a lovely trailing bouquet of roses in dusky pinks and cream. Us bridemaids were donned in 50s style halterneck satin dresses with full underskirts from London boutique Viviens of Holloway and beautiful ivory heels (that I kept on for a miraculous 14 hours!!!) She really was a true English beauty and I would like to say congratulations again to Emma and my new brother in law Lee!

So, at times like these some would say it's very useful (and economical!) to have a sister who can take care of your table decor and favours! Of course, it was my pleasure to have Vintage Twee provide this service as my gift to the happy couple and I had been working with them for the past few months to come up with the perfect arrangement for their day. The theme of the wedding was vintage, with beautiful birdcages as the centrepieces on each table at the reception and so we worked this into the design of their table plan. The wedding also had a travel theme (this being something pertinent to both the bride and groom) and I created vintage style luggage tags as place settings for each guests. The favour boxes were taken from the design of my Simply Vintage range and adorned with a string of pearls and burgundy satin ribbon to match the bridesmaids dresses and the table names were edged in lace for a truly classic look. Everything looked beautiful and we had some lovely compliments on the decor during the course of the day.

All in all, it was a roaring success and I'm so proud to have been able to add an extra special touch to my sisters wedding day. And I managed to leave the business cards and Blackberry in the hotel room all night. Lots of love and congratulations to Emma and Lee!

Feast your eyes on these festive baubles….

2010-09-27T19:33:00.000+01:00

You may think that Santa’s still a long way off delivering his pressies, but at Vintage Twee it’s been at the forefront of Joanne’s mind for the last few weeks! It’s most definitely time to cast aside those half broken supermarket baubles and treat yourself, your wedding or your Christmas party to an array of Vintage Twee’s festive creations.

The first Christmas range from Vintage Twee offers the most beautiful and delicate baubles, absolutely perfect for a Christmas wedding or event. They enable you to envelope all the things we love about this magical time of year… the romance, the colours and the festivity. Made from pieces of vintage patterned paper which is cleverly decoupaged on to each bauble and sealed with an antiquing medium, they really will complete your party look in style. Different styles include the Vintage Pearl and Satin Ornament, and the lovely Vintage Music Sheet Christmas Ornament. As always, Vintage Twee uses real vintage materials where possible and this is no exception! The music sheets used to creative these unique ornaments were rescued from a charity shop where the only place they were heading was the bin! Taken from a 1940’s music book, it became all the more special when Joanne found the pictured note written inside the front cover. What more romance could a girl ask for at Christmas?!

Available from the Vintage Twee Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/vintagetwee and priced at an extremely reasonable £4.50 per bauble, they go on sale this week!! Be the envy of your friends and guests and hang up a little bit of vintage history year after year…

Sparkle down the aisle with Yarwood-White..

2010-09-21T21:07:00.002+01:00

As my own wedding is creeping nearer by the day (19 to be precise!), all thoughts have turned to the finishing touches to my outfit… the jewellery. As a wholehearted supporter of handmade wedding accessories, I used my never ending stash of wedding magazines to scour for the perfect place to buy them from.
It didn’t take long before I spotted the stunning Yarwood-White jewellery and eagerly went online to check out the range. From tiara’s and headdresses to earrings and necklaces, Clare Yarwood-White has hit the nail on the head when it comes to making beautiful, eye catching and affordable wedding jewellery.

My vintage chic wedding demanded classy, individual and memorable jewellery and I desperately wanted something I could keep forever and hopefully pass on to future generations. After countless hours gazing at the choice on http://www.yarwood-white.com/, I chose the gorgeous Fern Drop earrings and the Modern Heirloom bracelet- the magpie in me was drawn to the sparkling crystals! My correspondence with Yarwood-White has been professional and timely, each email I have received from Clare and her team has instilled in me nothing but confidence in their products.

Like an excitable little girl on her birthday, when my order arrived I couldn’t open it quickly enough! The jewellery is even more beautiful than it is on the website, the delicate crystal and pearls just ooze glamour and sophistication. I tried them on with my wedding dress at the weekend and was mesmorized by the bracelet twinkling under the lights and the earrings peeping through my hair. I love them so much that I have now decided I need more! The lovely Clare is helping me design a bespoke necklace to compliment my dress- I literally can’t wait to see it!

Vintage Twee wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Yarwood-White jewellery for any brides big day, party or just as a well deserved treat! The products are made from quality materials and packaged beautifully. They make you feel truly special and valued…. and it won’t make a huge dent in your budget!

For a chance to meet Clare, check out her gorgeous accessories and discuss any of your own requirements, pop along to the Oxford branch of the Ellie Sanderson Boutique on Thurs 23rd Sep, 5pm-9pm. Clare will be there along with other fabulous accessory designers, glasses of bubbly and free hair trials by Philosophy Hairdressers! Yarwood-White are also pleased to advise there will be 10% off any orders placed on the night! All I can say is ladies, be prepared for the hardest decision of your lives..!

Dracula Spectacular...

2010-09-07T22:04:00.000+01:00

It’s never too early to start thinking of good reasons to have a party.. and with the outdoor season almost over, thoughts have turned to the spookiest excuse to have a get together! All Hallows Eve is only 8 weeks away and Vintage Twee have today launched the limited edition Halloween Party Picks. Inspired by all things vintage and gothic, the picks can be used to decorate and entertain your party food. Pop them in devilishly decadent cakes, gather them in ghoulish savouries or add a cherry on the end and drop them in to glasses of pumpkin punch!

As pictured, popular choices are the “Devour Me” and “Bite Me” picks, each on a red background with a black bow. Displayed here on Victorian lace, inherited from a very generous Vintage Twee supplier, they add a touch of glamour and boudoir to your party. Choose your own words and colours and be as dramatic as you like! Tailor them to guests names or keep it traditional with as many spooky references as you can think of!

At just £3.00 for a pack of 8, they are the perfect way to get your guests talking! And with the new found craze for the “Twilight” saga, theme your party to something vampire-ish and find yourself inundated with RSVP’s!

Contact Joanne for your custom made orders and remember, all good things must come to an end..! (just not a sticky one..)

My Secret Kitchen... shared with Vintage Twee!

2010-09-03T21:42:00.001+01:00

There aren’t many of us out there who can resist the sweet temptation of a melt in the mouth cupcake.. and Vintage Twee is no exception! At the recent Bakewell Craft Fair Joanne was lucky enough to meet Jo and the fabulous baking company, My Secret Kitchen. The family run business is a mere 3 years old and based in Swindon, South West England. As well as other foods, the cakes are individually designed with ingredients sourced from all over the world to make sure they are unique and delicious! Fun and absolutely scrumptious (think sweetie style with classics such as jelly tots on the top!), the company prides itself on using intense flavours, steering clear from supermarket supplies. This means that each product is bursting with quality and personal touches.. something you can only get from true home baked food!

Suffice to say, it was one of the highlights of the Vintage Twee day and if anyone is interested in holding a “Tasting Night”, please contact the lovely Jo on jo.secretkitchen@gmail.com to arrange! Think a group of your favourite girls having an excuse to eat tasty food all night and not feel guilty as they are only samples… (no one needs know about the huge order you place the next day!)

Coming up next week will be some sneak previews of the latest Vintage Twee products which will include a beautiful Christmas range! Never too early to start thinking about getting yourself some stunning decorations to bring in the festive season in style…

Set the table in style....

2010-08-17T20:41:00.000+01:00

As we all know, things move fast in the wedding industry and Vintage Twee will not be left behind! Introducing the latest range of vintage inspired table décor, the first of four new products are the beautiful Vintage Paper Rose Place Settings. Guaranteed to add a touch of timeless appeal to a vintage or music themed wedding or event, these place settings will certainly catch the eye of even the most difficult to please guest!

Each rose is hand crafted from layers of 1920’s vintage music sheets, sourced from antique shops or craft fairs. The delicate petals have been scalloped and accentuated with brown ink to really add an authentic feel- there’s nothing like music and rose’s to really make an event special!
You can see your guests name clearly displayed on the leaf shaped place setting card and you can choose one of two ways to attach the leaf. Why not nestle it amongst the petals, unobtrusive and space saving, it’s the perfect way to achieve maximum effect whilst allowing room on the table for other items. Alternatively, you could incorporate them fully in to your tables and use pretty vintage lace to tie the name card leaves to each individuals napkin.

Not just limited to name place settings, the roses also make stunning decorations without the leaves, or how about treating your guests to special corsages?

A lovely keepsake for your guests, each rose is most definitely unique… and remember, as they are made from genuine vintage music sheets they will definitely be limited edition! The lace used may also differ slightly due to only using vintage lace as supplies are limited! Rest assured though it will always compliment the rose and be just as beautiful!

They are priced at an extremely reasonable £1.50 per rose and as always, Vintage Twee will be happy to discuss any special requirements you may have. As per the well know quote, if you want to say anything, say it with flowers!

"I Do" love a cupcake...

2010-08-11T20:54:00.000+01:00

Firstly, we’d like to apologise for the lack of blogs over the last ten days! Things really have been incredibly busy and despite wanting to write up every single event the days keep ticking by in a blur of tea, cakes, weddings and parties! Ok, that doesn’t sound so awful…

Although Joanne has been crafting away dispatching orders to lovely brides across the world, she has still found the time to design a fantastically simple and effective take on the popular Party Pick! A great idea for brides looking for something to make the guests smile, the original Party Pick has been altered to show how versatile and fun they can be. Pictured are the “I Do” Cupcake Sticks, ideal for popping in to your cakes and other sweet treats. We can imagine how stunning they would look if you were having individual cupcakes for your wedding cake and are something the guests can remove and take home to remember your special day. Of course, as with the majority of Vintage Twee’s products, they can be customised to match your colour theme and have the wording of your choice. So whether your wedding is classic vintage buttercream and dusky pink or modern, bright fuchsia and turquoise, the Cupcake Sticks can be made to complement your colour scheme perfectly. Adding the cute embellishments just finishes them beautifully and will ensure the transformation of your cake stand, buffet or tables!

Priced at just £3.00 for a pack of 8, what are you waiting for?! Check them out in more detail on Vintage Twee’s Etsy shop http://www.vintagetwee.etsy.com/ and don't forget to message Joanne if you have any requests!! joanne@vintagetwee.com

Once upon a Fairy Tale Favour Box...

2010-07-30T22:37:00.001+01:00

No matter how grown up we become on the outside, we at Vintage Twee strongly believe there’s a little girl still nestling inside all of us. Which is exactly where the inspiration for the latest Vintage Twee product has been drawn from. For who can resist a Fairy Tale…. Romantic and enchanting, it’s the perfect way to tell your very own love story!

Joanne has created these stunning Enchanted Fairytale Pillow Favour Boxes, ideal to add the finishing touch to a special and memorable occasion. Each box has been hand crafted in to the shape of an adorable little pillow, notice the gold tassles embellishing each corner! Decorated with excerpts from a classic book of English Fairy Tales dated early 1900’s, the boxes are vintage in style and depict the words associated with this genre that we have all come to know and love. Traditional fairy tales are chosen including Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty and quotes such as “Once upon a time…” and “Happily ever after…” are shown in a beautiful vintage font. Bringing the enchanted forest back to life, a touch a decorative reindeer moss and a deep green gemstone is added and finished with a sprinkle of vintage gold glitter and a small pearl heart (gold glitter on loan from the Fairy Godmother of course…) Complete the love story by filling them with confetti, candy or even some magic beans! Your guests will be transported in to a world of romance, heroism and imagination… you may find they start requesting a ball gown and handsome Prince to accompany them to the ball!

Priced at an extremely reasonable £2.25 per box, you CAN afford the favours of your dreams! Of course, they can be custom made to your requirements so choose your fairytale script, colour and quantity and they will be magically winging their way to your wedding or party!

Give your tea bags the display case they deserve!

2010-07-26T21:20:00.001+01:00

As promised, the creator of Vintage Twee, the lovely Joanne, has been busy crafting away this week on the design of the latest vintage-inspired product! We are pleased to introduce the beautiful Vintage Tea Jars and Table Name Holders, perfect for weddings or that all important tea party.

Each jar is carefully altered using the finest vintage lace and material in stunning shades of ivory and white. Providing a fantastic excuse to display your tea bag needs in the kitchen, the front of the jar reads “tea” on a gorgeous lace-decorated label and strings of pearls add that complete vintage feel. Whilst they wouldn’t look out of place on a glamorous 1940’s sideboard….bring them in to 2010 by displaying them in neat rows on the windowsill!

As we at Vintage Twee like to ensure that all our hand crafted items have more than one use, these unique jars work not only as the perfect gift for a special friend or a treat for yourself, but also as amazing centre pieces for a either a tea party, English Garden or Vintage themed wedding. They could be filled with rose petals and placed in the centre of the tables, use 4 of them grouped together to give maximum effect! The labels can be customised to read words of your choice… how about reflecting the theme of your wedding in the words by using them to display your table names? Or go for simple classics such as “Love”, “Honour”, “Cherish” and “Respect”. Maybe you’d prefer to stick with the tea theme and label each jar with a different flavour of tea? Of course, it would only be right to fill the jars with the corresponding tea bag and ask guests them to help themselves! (Approx Size Per Jar: Height 5.5 inches x Diameter 12inches)

It would be lovely to hear your feedback on our new items, feel free to comment on the blog post or to email Joanne for any further information. We welcome any special requests- if you would like your jars custom made in particular colours, embellishments or wording, just email with your ideas and we will do all possible to help!

Fabulous Forties, Fun and Frolics!

2010-07-19T20:54:00.000+01:00

If you’ve ever watched “Goodnight Sweetheart” and wondered what it would be like to step back in time to the 1940’s…. then you should have been at the Meltham Memories event this past weekend! Vintage Twee had a stall in the Tea Rooms and had the most amazing experience reliving those war time days. From re-enactors dressed as American and British soldiers through to elegant ladies in their fox furs, this event had it all. We were delighted to be surrounded by treasures from this memorable era, even including being served corned beef hash at the local café! Organised by Pam Howarth (see left) from the vintage shop, Oh La La, there were tank displays, parades, singers… and not forgetting the brilliant make up artistry of The Vintage Beauty Parlour who recreated that 40’s look for so many women. Pam and her son Adam certainly had their work cut out- they served tea and cakes to over 700 people during the course of the weekend!

Vintage Twee’s top selling products of the weekend were the Heart Posies, Recipe Cards and Tea Bag Holders. These products just keep on proving to be a hit with our customers and it re-assures us to know we are doing exactly the things you like! A top use for the Heart Posies is to fill them with pot pourri and hang in the living room or bedroom for a sweet scented experience!

On the hunt for the next live event… keep checking back for regular updates!!

The gorgeous and glamorous Joanne, working those fab vintage gloves!

Remember the 1940's with Meltham..

2010-07-15T21:07:00.001+01:00

If you love all things nostalgic and beautiful just like us Vintage Twee girls, then you can’t afford to miss the fantastic “Meltham Memories” 1940’s event this weekend, Sat 17th and Sun 18th July at Meltham, Huddersfield. Situated in the historical county of Yorkshire, this incredible event will have you blinking back 70 years in a heartbeat. Think vintage vehicles, parades, performers, dancing and a huge sense of community spirit. This year they also have a vintage fair in the Town Hall, selling all manner of hats, shoes, uniforms and jewellery. And guess what….? In the Vintage Tea Room you’ll find Joanne, displaying and selling the latest and greatest products from Vintage Twee! This includes our current top selling item, the cute and unique Party Picks! From 10am-4pm, come along and we’ll raise a mug to the live music from up and coming star Natasha Harper, daughter of the famous Paul Harper. If some reason none of the above convinced you to swing by, then how about getting your hair and make up done vintage style? Bethany Davies will be on hand to give you that 40’s starlet look and in case you want to remember it forever, there will be a professional photographer present so you can get your portrait done!

Picture courtesy of Haworth Vintage Fairs
http://www.haworthvintagefairs.co.uk/

Almost time to go, but if you haven’t yet ordered your copy of Vintage Life.. don’t delay! We received our copies yesterday, turned straight to page 44 and there we are! The column looks great, big thank you to Vintage Life Magazine for the opportunity.

Discovering talents in Vintage places!

2010-07-12T21:30:00.002+01:00

July is certainly proving to be the month where potential brides and party-throwers decide to choose their table décor! Vintage Twee has barely the time to make a cuppa in between replying to all the lovely and encouraging emails we are receiving from our fantastic customers! Some of the ideas our ladies have for their orders are truly beautiful – coming soon will be pictures of the stunning table plans, favour boxes and place card settings Joanne is busy crafting!

Like little girls on Christmas Day, Vintage Twee absolutely cannot wait for the soft thud on the carpet indicating the arrival of Vintage Life magazine! Out today both online and in print, it houses our first ever column and we shall be thumbing the pages excitedly until we see our name in lights! We have already received some feedback from the lucky few who were sat down by 11am, tea in one hand, Victoria sponge slice in the other and Vintage Life propped up in between! They love our article on how Vintage Twee was born, what we do and what they can expect from future issues. This in turn has led to some interest from other independent companies wanting us to write articles and possibly blogs for them! The conversational style of writing seems to be proving popular….after all, who doesn’t like reading something that reminds you of a cosy chat with your best friend? So, this week I will be working on setting up my very own blog which will track the growth of my seedling writing career, upcoming nuptials and everything else in between! Of course I shall still be in charge of blogging, press releases and any articles for Vintage Twee – it’s the old adage of women and multi tasking again! Joanne and I have lots of ideas for future products which will hopefully be able to combine both of our strengths – unique hen party memoirs and souvenirs to start with….

Further updates to follow along with the blog address once I’m up and running. In the meantime, pop online and order yourselves a copy of the entirely retro and energetic Vintage Life for some true vintage inspiration!http://www.vintagelifemagazine.com/

Where there's tea, there's hope!

2010-07-08T22:42:00.001+01:00

Despite the on-going heat wave, sales of our Tea Bag Favours are rising along with the temperature! If you haven’t had the chance to check out one of our best sellers, read on for all the information you will ever need to know!

Inspired by the thought of finding a wedding favour that was special, unique and useful; Joanne was enjoying a warming cup of tea and had her Eureka moment! The Tea Bag Favour was born there and then, originally formed from a scrap piece of card and scored, cut and stuck until it was just perfect. Then came the fun part of finding the beautiful patterned card to create the base, poring over reams of lace, pearls and embellishments for the decoration, and finally, searching through hundreds of famous quotes about tea to adorn the front! Recent themes for the quotes have included English Playwrights/Authors and Alice in Wonderland…. who can forget the infamous Mad Hatter quote of, “ Clean cup, clean cup, move down!”. And for something altogether more sophisticated, how about the Noel Coward quote of “Wouldn’t it be dreadful to live in a country where they didn’t drink tea?!” We couldn’t be more in agreement Noel.

Each favour comes complete with an English Breakfast, Herbal or Fruit tea bag and is encased carefully in a dainty cellophane bag to preserve it. They really are something different to give to your wedding guests and will certainly raise a smile and a nod of agreement around the tables! We’ve also found they provide perfect presents to pop in to a birthday or get well card as something to really cheer someone up. Postage cost is kept to a minimum as they are light as a feather… recession proof gifts for everyone!

Watch out for some stunning new designs coming up for the summer and don’t forget to ask if you would like them custom made in colour, design or quote for your wedding, party or event!

Take a peek at the enchanting Emporium...

2010-07-05T22:49:00.001+01:00

There's nowhere better to go for a taste of true Britain than the capital itself, London. This week the Vintage Twee girls are united in the leafy suburb of East Finchley, north London to promote our products to the greatest tea lover of all... Her Majesty the Queen! Well, ok, maybe we haven't quite gotten to Buckingham Palace just yet, but we're sure if we did Her Royal Highness would love the ethos behind our work- unique, vintage and providing something special to decorate even the most prestigious of tables!

In our search for the perfect place to launch Vintage Twee south of the border, Joanne visited the very welcoming Lucinda Cooper and Helen Hodge, owners of the Emporium Tea Rooms, close to the beautiful Muswell Hill. The Emporium Tea Rooms is an astounding and nostalgic step back in time to a place where the tea is sipped, homemade cakes are on offer, and the atmosphere is entirely retro! As well as serving delicious food and drinks, classes and parties are on offer for both adults and children and encompass a range of the most fantastic ways to spend your days that we can think of! Events such as the “Storytelling and Pudding Evening” and “Traditional Afternoon Tea” party packages are available, not to mention indulging in crafts such as knitting, painting and crocheting! There's even an option for the Hen Parties- fancy group tuition in cupcake decorating complete with a Strawberry Cream Tea? Lets face it, who doesn't? Then contact the team and book yourselves in for some guaranteed giggles and gorgeous girly fun.

The ladies wholeheartedly support local talent and sell handcrafted jams, sweets, toddler clothing and toys – most of which have been made by the craftspeople of the surrounding areas. Joanne took along a selection of our goods and we are now pleased to announce that Emporium Tea Rooms are official stockists of our popular Tea Bag Holders, Eat Me Party Picks, Recipe Cards and. Tea Pot Gift Boxes! A visit to the Emporium is an absolute must whether you live in London or not so don't miss out on this fabulous little gem of a shop!!

http://www.emporiumtearooms.co.uk/

Can't resist a cute cardigan..

2010-06-29T22:21:00.000+01:00

June is drawing to an end and we are well and truly in to the wedding season! There are some lucky people who have hit the weather jackpot these last few days.. we all know too well the gamble we take with the chance of precipitation in the UK! I’m an October bride and am keeping my fingers crossed for anything but gale force winds and thundering rain!

Now that the England football team have checked in for their flights back to our little island with their heads hung in shame, we can all finally get back to concentrating on all things girlie! Vintage Twee had a stall at the Craft and Vintage Fair at Broadstone Mill in Stockport on Sunday and unfortunately, it was more than a little quiet! All the regular stall holders commented on the effect of the England-Germany game being on and assured us it wasn’t usually that quiet! On the plus side, it did give Joanne the chance to meet the lovely mother and daughter combo Linda and Tracy who run the family business, Little Stitches. The ladies make gorgeous hand knitted baby clothes to include cardigans, jumpers, hats and mittens. They are amazingly priced (cardigans start from £5.99!) and are made with such love and care its tempting to buy something even if you don’t have children!! Catering for special requests such as premature babies and taking colour and wool requests in to consideration, you can get something really special and beautiful for your little ones. Have a look at the website and get ready to coo in delight at the cuteness!

tbray31@ntlworld.com

http://tracyslittlestitches.vpweb.co.uk/

Speaking of cute, its time to go for me now as my new kittens have just woken up and are eyeing up the side of the sofa as a potential scratching post…

Lovely Lily Millicent...

2010-06-24T21:11:00.000+01:00

As relative newbies to the technological advances in the world of internet communications, Vintage Twee has recently signed up to the fastest growing social networking site currently around- Twitter! Joanne and I have been tweeting away, realising that it’s a fantastic way to promote our new products and meet some like minded people!

One person in particular we have met is Caroline, the wonderfully talented creator of “Lily Millicent”, a range of hand crafted jewellery and accessories made from re-worked vintage jewellery. Ranging from the delicate and dainty through to the fantastically ornate, Lily Millicent’s special creations are made from authentic 1920’s – 1960’s pieces. Each new piece combines a sense of history with the beauty of having something new and unique… something no girl can resist! Caroline herself was spurred on in to the business by searching for something special for her own big day - I think we can all relate to that! Perfect for weddings, tea parties, the start of a family heirloom or just to show off, check out the website for some stunning trinkets, charms and most notably, the very “on-trend” headbands! If you like what you see, contact the lovely Caroline on mail@lilymillicent.com

News from the Vintage Twee HQ today, we have made it on to the Wedding Ideas Blog! http://www.theweddingideasblog.co.uk/ Good news for us as it features our top selling products including the Pillow Talk Favour Boxes and Vintage Music Sheet Rose Cones. All of these products are perfect not just for weddings but also for summer tea parties! Who could resist popping a few “Eat Me” Party Picks in to the cocktail sausages?! Or decorating the tables with some Alice In Wonderland quotes on the popular Tea Bag Holders? And don’t forget to do it all wearing a sparkly Lily Millicent stunner…

http://www.lilymillicent.com/

All things bright and Vintage-y!

2010-06-23T19:13:00.000+01:00

It’s almost safe to start dusting off the barbeque equipment and chilling the cider.. this weekend should be a scorcher! With that in mind, we’ve booked a stand at the Broadstone Mill Open Studios Craft and Vintage Fair in Stockport this Sunday. It’s a great way to spend a couple of hours, browsing the stalls of the north-west’s most creative people! The fair has been running since May 2009 on a monthly basis and is growing in popularity each month, attracting a huge range of people, all wanting to find that something special for themselves, a gift for others, or just coming to admire some of the handywork of the stall holders! You will find vintage clothes, accessories, decorations, hand crafted items and Fairtrade confectionary!! Any excuse to indulge…

We believe that word-of-mouth goes a long way in the business world and want to make sure that as many people as possible get to see Vintage Twee’s work in the flesh. We’re also starting up a mailing list so that Vintage Twee fans can be the first to receive details of our new products and info.. if you would like to be included, please drop us an email on joanne@vintagetwee.com!

Will the real Carrie Bradshaw please stand up..??

2010-06-21T21:02:00.000+01:00

The hot weather seems to be staying put for a few days so if you’re in need of some interesting reading for the sunbeds, look no further! We are proud to let you all know that coming up in next months issue of Vintage Life Magazine (issue 3), Vintage Twee has its first very own column! Yes, the budding journalists that we are have been given an amazing opportunity by the kind people at Vintage Life and we shall be aiming to spread our Twee word bi-monthly! The magazine is out online and in print and from now on will feature a column, written by us, on a different Vintage Twee product per issue. There are also some fantastic features in the mag, including how to recreate retro hair styles and make up- think 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s for ultimate glamour! The link to the magazine website can be found underneath this picture from Issue 2, do check it out and watch out for us in Issue 3 on sale in July!

http://www.vintagelifemagazine.com/

On a personal note, I’ve been trying to think of the design of my table plan for my wedding in October.. it’s extremely handy having a massively talented and creative sister! Joanne and I are going to sit down and work it out over the next couple of weeks, of course pictures will follow once done! So far I’m thinking cream, burgundy, lace trim and pearls… and a whole host of Bridezilla seating arrangement moments! Hopefully I won’t prove to be too much of a tricky customer… : ) If you would like us to create you the most unique and special table plan for your big day, don't hesitate to drop us an email.

England... famous for football or tea???

2010-06-18T20:43:00.000+01:00

As England so far are proving to be more than disappointing in tonights’ match against Algeria and making us all wonder just WHY they are paid so much, I thought it would be time to write a quick blog to tell you about Vintage Twee’s latest outing today!

Proving that Yorkshire isn’t just good for tea, Joanne visited the town of Haworth and the beautiful vintage clothing and accessory shop, Oh La La Vintage. Run by the lovely Pamela who Joanne met at the last vintage show back in May, the store is a never ending treasure chest of all manner of gorgeous gifts and treats. And now it houses a selection of Vintage Twee products! Pamela so kindly allowed us to have a display in her shop, complete with business cards and a range of our hand crafted décor. This is brilliant publicity for Vintage Twee and we’d like to extend a massive thanks to Pamela for the opportunity. Of course, it’s always good to return the favour so Joanne is busy providing a bundle of Vintage Music Sheet Rose Cones for the Vintage Fair this weekend in Haworth for the team to decorate the tables with. The fair is actually held in the Bronte School Rooms where Charlotte Bronte herself once taught! So if the allure of all things from the past tempt you in to a trip out this weekend, make sure you visit!

In other news, we are gradually increasing our Twitter followers!! Between Joanne and I, we regularly update Twitter with new products, what we’re up to and a whole host of trivia! So be sure to find us and sign up!

2010-06-13T21:00:00.001+01:00

The weekend is drawing to a close and we thought we’d update you on what fantastic things happened!

During the craft fair at Gawsworth Hall a couple of weeks ago, we were fortunate enough to have a lady stop by our stall and chat to us for a few minutes. Angela, from Macclesfield was admiring the work and we were all having a good old gossip when she announced she had lots of vintage lace at her home she was looking to put to good use. She was really keen on donating this to us and actually left the fair and came back, arms bursting with three bags of beautiful Vintage lace, some dating back from the Victorian era! As you can imagine, we were like kids in a sweetshop, pulling out the most gorgeous, delicate lace in fantastic shades of cream, gold, white… it was stunning! Angela then invited us to her house, an offer Joanne accepted this weekend. It was a treasure trove of hand spun lace, antique goodies and the most amazing pair of elbow length gloves from around 1920!! Those gloves are definitely going to get an

airing at the next craft fair! Angela and her husband John had acquired this from a variety of sources including Angela’s mother, a lady who used to work in a textile factory in the 1930’s- 1940’s and generous hospices that Angela volunteers at. After allowing Joanne to ransack their home for over 3 hours yesterday we want to thank them so very much and have donated a Vintage Twee gift hamper to the East Cheshire Hospice in Macclesfield to raise money for their next raffle.

We’ve also been talking lots about our next ventures and are looking at doing lots more exciting and collectable products in the up-coming months. Themed party picks, Christmas tree decorations and a Valentines range are all in the pipeline.. watch this space!!

2010-06-09T22:50:00.002+01:00

As the weather has turned from glorious English Garden in to damp, stay inside drizzle, here at Vintage Twee we’ve not let the drop in temperature stop us from getting creative! In fact, now is the perfect time to make sure you’ve got all the little bits and pieces together to make your wedding truly unique! If you’re struggling for ideas and are the traditional, romantic type (of course you are, you’re getting married!), then have a look at these gorgeous teapot favour boxes. We’ve been filling them with neatly tied small bags of dolly mixtures but they could be paired with anything. A nice idea would be to place them around the table filled with sprigs of lavender or pot pourri and have them as beautifully scented additions to your centre-piece!

2010-06-07T20:03:00.003+01:00

It’s been a busy weekend in the Vintage Twee world with the launch of our brand new website! It’s taken a good few weeks to come to terms with the in’s and out’s of creating a website and it’s definitely no mean feat! However, it’s all up and running now and even the most techno-phobic of us out there should be able to navigate it with ease!
As a starter for ten, here are my favourite parts of the website and the bits that you should definitely check out. Firstly, the pictures! There are photo’s of all of Vintage Twee’s handmade products, under the heading “The Boutique”. The photo’s are in medium thumbnail sizes but you can click on them and open them up to be bigger and be able to see all the detail. Ordering couldn’t be simpler, just click on the Quantity and add the amount you want! This will then be added to your “Shopping Cart”. At any point you can view your order by simply looking underneath the gift tag styled tabs on the left hand side of the page and finding the “Shopping Cart” info. From there, you can check out and review your order in one simple step.

Don’t forget to check out where and when Vintage Twee will be making our next appearance by clicking on the “Outings” tab. This will give you up to date information on our next craft, wedding or vintage fair, plus any other events we have coming up. In order to see just how fantastic our products are, it’s always good to pop down and say hello, meet us and have a good old chat! That way you can see for yourselves the quality of the work and the dedication and passion that goes in to making each and every piece. Plus, it’s a good opportunity to discuss any ideas you may have for your wedding or party and get some inspiration! There are tips-a-plenty for ideas on favours, decorations, etc. Why not pop the “Eat Me” party picks in the buffet food for something different? Or ask us to tailor make the Conversation Starters to a topic and questions of your choice?

Finally, remember to click on the “Correspondence” tab if you have any questions at all about any of our products. Anything can be custom made to order to fit in with your colour scheme, theme and of course, to incorporate any ideas you have of your own. We pride ourselves on professionalism and customer satisfaction.. and being pro’s on all things vintage, wedding and tea related we can deliver every single time!

There are of course lots of other facilities on there ranging from how Vintage Twee came about through to links to all the lovely people we recommend to you as suppliers. Familiarise yourselves with the website and of course pass on our name to anyone you think would just love to have a look at some gorgeous, hand made, unique crafts!

http://www.vintagetwee.com

2010-06-04T22:13:00.014+01:00

Apologies for the time lapse between this post and the last, however here at Vintage Twee we have been experiencing some change in infrastructure! My name is Emma Linder, sister to the extremely talented Joanne. From now on this blog page will be my responsibility so expect a little fact, a little fun and a whole lot of fabulous ideas to make your wedding, party or home look sublimely special.

First up, Joanne and I were extremely pleased to attend and showcase Vintage Twee at the Gawsworth Hall Craft fair this past bank holiday weekend. True to form, bank holiday Saturday was a complete wash out, the rain pelted down on the marquee and all the stall holders had frostbite! But the next morning, everyone was there at 8:30 am, feeling positive (and maybe doing a little sun-dance in the hope of enticing our solar friend out!). Luckily, the next two days were great and we both met some amazing people. You just never know who you’re going to meet in life and what effect they will have on you and I just love that thought. We were lucky enough to be positioned between two fantastic stall holders, Laura, from Cherish, a lady who has created her own skin care range from scratch, and Wendy, from 1st Unique gifts- a really talented artist who makes special and personalised gifts for all ages.

http://www.cherishskincare.co.uk/

http://www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk/

Trust me, I bought a face mask from Laura and could practically feel it drilling in and unclogging my pores as I sat watching Eastenders! Very worth it when you wash it off and your skin feels like its been re-born!

Vintage Twee got lots of really positive feedback from the fair, every single person who stopped by the stall was amazed at how each item is carefully designed and presented to such a high standard. Our most popular items were the Vintage Music Sheet Cones and the Tea Bag Holder Favours - they went down a treat with all age groups! Remember, all of these things look fantastic at weddings but also as décor around the house.. I personally have a bowl of the Vintage Rose Cones in my living room and its always a talking point with visitors!

Coming up in the next post… info about Vintage Twee’s new website plus a few little tips and secrets from my own upcoming wedding…....

Vintage Music Sheet Rose Cones

2010-05-27T11:01:00.006+01:00

Yesterday I went to replenish my dwindling stash of vintage music sheets from a local house clearance place I stumbled across by chance a couple of weeks ago. While I was there, one of the owners asked if I played the violin (hence the reason for buying the sheet). Unfortunately my talents dont stretch that far (!!!) so I told her what I use the sheets for. She asked me to bring some of my items down to her shop as the BBC are coming to film the place next week for a documentary on antiques and she would like them to adorn her front window with! So, I whipped up a few of my infamous cones and am going to drop them off there tomorrow to display in her shop window. Fingers crossed they make prime time tv in the near future!!! I made lots more for my craft fair while I was at it and photographed them this morning for all to see! They will be available to purchase from Friday 28th May from my website and my Etsy shop!

Wedding Blog Features!

2010-05-20T10:56:00.007+01:00

This week I came across some fantastic wedding blogs, whose content and style I felt reflected the my work in different ways. I decided to contact them to see if they would be interested in showcasing any of my products to their different audiences of brides-to-be and was so pleased to receive positive replies! I thought I would share the articles that they wrote on Vintage Twee with you as they are so lovely and I felt they truly captured the essence of my work and what I represent.

Love My Dress - "Love My Dress is the UK Wedding Blog and Style Diary for discerning Brides-to-be and fashionistas seeking inspiration on all things glamorous, vintage and extremely very gorgeous.". I thought this site was fantastic and would be a perfect place to seek out brides who love all things vintage. Annabel has been so kind to write a very in depth article on many of my products - have a look at it on her homepage here: http://www.lovemydress.net/blog/2010/05/vintage-twee-vintage-wedding-favours-table-decor.html#more

Little Miss Wedding - "For people who are looking for something ’boutique’, unusual, fantastic or ridiculous – Little Miss Wedding strives to give you ideas and inspiration, and reviews of top UK wedding suppliers". This website is really beautiful and it showcases "British wedding photographers, designers, and creators of everything lovely" - so I had to ask. Emmie has written a fantastic article on Vintage Twee - visit her site here: http://www.littlemisswedding.co.uk/accessories/vintage-twee-gorgeous-handmade-vintage-favours/

A big thank you to Annabel and Emmie for the features! I have an upcoming feature also with http://www.english-wedding.com/ whose style again captures another different aspect of my work. Check back for a link to this soon. Happy reading!

'Afternoon Twee' Gift Hampers

2010-05-17T22:14:00.005+01:00

Today I have been creating items for a forthcoming craft show I will be attending on 29-31st May at Gawsworth Hall in Macclesfield. I decided to make up a hamper containing a few of my tea related items, which I thought would make a lovely gift for someone special!

Each hamper contains a set of my Afternoon Tea Recipe cards with traditional recipes for 'Scrumptious Sandwiches' and 'Classic High Tea Cakes', a decorative tea bag holder complete with tea bag, a teapot gift box filled with dolly mixtures and a pack of my 'Eat Me' Party Picks, perfect for picnic food.

The hampers are also decorated inside with vintage lace and flowers. They will be going on sale on my Etsy shop on Wednesday 19th May for just £15.00. I can custom make these on request so please email me if you would like one making up!

New! Popcorn Cone Favours

2010-05-12T13:05:00.004+01:00

This week I have been working on some new items to add to my Etsy shop! Have a look at these cute popcorn cones, ideal as favours for a retro wedding or for children's birthday parties! They are heart shaped and made from beautiful decorative paper which can be customized to your preferred colour. They can also be personalized with your child/guest's name on the front instead of the word 'popcorn' and be used to fill with sweets of your choice! These cones will be available on my Etsy shop on Friday 14th May. If you like what you see of course, you can contact me anytime :)

Country Homes and Interiors

2010-05-06T18:32:00.003+01:00

Today I received an email from Rhoda Parry, editor of Country Homes and Interiors magazine, who I contacted in hope they would be able to do a feature on my products. Rhoda let me know that she has written an entry on her blog all about Vintage Twee! Her colleague also informed me that my Alice in Wonderland party picks are going to be featured in a picnic shoot for an upcoming edition of Country Homes and Interiors! Very exciting news and Im really grateful for their support and interest in my things. Thank you!

Read Rhoda's blog here: http://countrydays.wordpress.com/

Haworth Vintage Fair

2010-04-28T22:06:00.003+01:00

The Bank Holiday is approaching and so is the eagerly awaited vintage fair in the beautiful village of Haworth, home to the Bronte sisters and Wuthering Heights! I have been looking forward to this for a while now - the fair is taking place on Sunday 2nd and Monday 3rd May in the Old School Rooms where Charlotte Bronte once taught.

I love the place having experienced some lovely memories there and was so happy to receive last minute confirmation of my stall today. I'll be selling items from my range which are also currently on my Etsy shop, along with a few new vintage treats I have created over the past few days and am excited to be taking with me!

The fair is on from 10am-4pm and I will just be attending for one day only on Sunday 2nd May. My wonderful friend Charlotte will be helping me out - again - thank you :) which means I MAY be able to sneak off for 10 minutes to buy some supplies for my work...

York Bridal Fayre

2010-04-21T12:52:00.005+01:00

So here is my first post! And it's to let you know that I will be attending a bridal fayre this weekend at the Merchant Adventurer's Hall in York, UK. The venue is a 650 year old Medieval building set in the centre of the historic city of York, making it a perfect choice for me to display my vintage inspired wedding collection!

The fayre is on Sunday 25th April from 11-3pm so if you can come along, please do and say hello! You will be able to see all my lovely things in person and my displays may give you ideas for your wedding day or event. There's even the promise of jam tarts and brownie treats...used to not only display my cute Alice in Wonderland party picks, but to feed hungry guests aswell!

A few of my items will also be available to purchase and take home on the day and there will be discounts for people who place an order on the day. I hope to see you there!

For more information on the fayre, you can contact the Merchant Adventurers Hall on 01904 654 818.