A Pinch of Love from Haworth...

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...

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...

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...