See(d) you at our wedding...

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.

Wave the words of love....

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

Pick a place, any place...

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.  

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

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...

 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

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!!

Car Booty = Vintage Beauty

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 ..

A year in the life of Vintage Twee!!

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??

                                                         

Carrie on glamour with Simply Love Vintage...

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

Sweet sensation for St Valentine

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

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!

Girls will be girls!

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.

My True English Beauty...

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!