Let the festivities begin...

The last of our 'made to order' items have been dispatched and the workshop has now officially closed for Christmas.  I can't believe we managed to produce so many bespoke orders in such a short space of time.  We definitely need more elves next year!

We sent out lots and lots of our favourite Vintage Jack cushion design in all sorts of vintage linen combinations and colours.  Each one completely unique!

Our Cooks Cushion has also proved popular this year.  It really is the perfect kitchen accessory for any lover of the culinary arts...

...but at this time of year, we have to admit that it is mostly these lovely festive designs that catch most people's imagination and what better way to dress your home for a truly 'Vintage Christmas'!

A big thank you goes to all our lovely customers for supporting our handmade endeavours throughout the year.  We really appreciate your support.  It makes everybody at Angel HQ very happy to think that our vintage designs are being loved, all over again, in so many homes around the world.

We haven't put our feet up just yet as our little shop of vintage goodies, in Easingwold [North Yorkshire] is open until 3pm'ish on Christmas Eve.  Do come and see us if you are in the area.  Easingwold is a lovely Georgian market town full of gorgeous boutique shops and great places to eat - so definitely worth a Christmas visit!

Oh, Christmas Tree...

Today was our first proper day off, for absolutely ages, so we decided to take the opportunity to go and get our tree.  We like to go to Padget's as we can choose our own tree, from a whole field of sweetly scented pine, and have it cut, fresh, specially for us.

We do try to leave it as late as possible and to stick, strictly, to the 12 days rule, but I am not sure there would have been much left by Christmas Eve, so I am really glad we sneaked in slightly early this year.

...now which one to choose?!

My glamorous assistant!

More gaps than trees!

"Now are you sure this is the one you want?"

It's always the traditional Norway Spruce for us.  I like a tree that looks and, more importantly, smells like a Christmas tree.  That lovely smell of pine, that greets me every morning when I walk into the sitting room for the first time, is all part of the Christmas experience.

Now I just have to decorate it!

White Christmas...

After the arctic conditions of last year, we are more than happy not to have snow here - at least not until our lovely customers have all received their Christmas parcels!

Just in case we get withdrawal symptoms, we have surrounded ourselves with lots of little white and silver treasures.  We are all twinkly, sparkly & shiny - well you just can't keep a Christmas girl down can you?!

 

Transformation!

Before we end this year, and what a year it has been, I thought I would share some photos of my design workshop and it's transformation from barn/workshop/general dumping-ground to pristine, creative space ... and then I got my hands on it!

First, some 'before' shots.  Actually, before this it was piled high with rubbish [and I am being polite here!] or, as Chris calls it, "items of architectural interest".  Honestly, how interesting can a broken saw blade really be?  It took some cleaning out and the spiders were, well less said the better really - I am still traumatised!

BEFORE!

 

AFTER!

BEFORE!

AFTER!

BEFORE!

 

AFTER!

 

Sorry for stating the obvious with the captions - if you can't tell the difference then we are all in trouble!

Now, of course, as all good workshops go, it didn't stay tidy or pristine for very long...

Ah well, it has been an amazing space and much needed, this very, very busy year!

To my wonderful man, a big thank you for giving me the perfect space for making my creative dreams come true.  I can never thank you enough. xx

Getting Creative...

As yesterday saw the last of our Make @ Angel workshops for this year, I thought it was time to share some memories and some images with you all.

These workshops have been a bit of an experiment for us but, based on people's reactions to them, I can't believe we ever doubted the appeal of 'handmade'!

Thanks to the extremely talented Manda McGrory, the workshops have been fun and full of chatter, laughter and creativity... oh, and cake of course!

We have met some lovely people and it has been a great pleasure to watch them create beautiful things and leave, at the end of a very satisfying day, having well and truly caught the handmade bug!

All the gorgeous things you can make!

Now pay attention ladies!

Hard at Work!

Lovely Happy Smiley People!

Serious Concentration!

A slightly reluctant model!

Look what I made!

We will be launching our Spring Workshop programme very soon!  If you sign up to our e-newsletter you will get advance notice of all our workshops, shop events and online sales.

A Change is as Good as a Rest!

A much needed week of rest and recuperation.  Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside, I do like to be beside the sea...

 

It may be rather dull and grey but being here, and not there, is just what the doctor ordered!

It does body and soul good to be blown and chilled, in equal amounts, by bracing sea air and long beach walks.  No time for everyday worries, just early mornings on the sand and lazy afternoons, in front of the fire, curled up with a good book and faithful friend...

I love this time of year.  The earthy smell of woodsmoke, golden canopies of autumn trees, the muffled sound of wet leaves under foot and wonderful soft, subdued light...

Come and See Us...

Very excited about our Open Day at the shop tomorrow.  Pop in anytime, between 11am and 3pm, to meet the lovely Manda [our workshop queen], view some of the wonderful things you can make at our workshops and, if you can spare the time, get creative with a FREE Taster Session.

We have also launched some lovely Festive Workshops for November and December with two all-day Christmas Stocking Workshops and some new half-day Christmas Bunting Workshops.  With only 6 places, per workshop, they are already booking up fast!

All in a Day's Work...

Keeping our website fresh and interesting, as well as updating our image library with newly launched designs, is a full time job but one I really enjoy as it is always very satisfying, as a designer, to see my work in 'print' - it makes me feel like a grown-up [almost]!

Last week I spent a fabulous day at Millennium Studios, with Kayti Peschke, photographing our new Vintage Mini's range and producing wonderful new images for our Winter 2011 and Spring 2012 Collections.

Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed myself styling each of the collections for shooting.  My husband would tell you that I can "waste hours re-arranging things" [his words not mine!] so I was in my element!  We soon got into the festive spirit ready for shooting our Vintage Noel collection... 

We shot the collections in the poshest 'shed' I have ever seen - all whitewashed floors and walls, crystal chandeliers and plenty of gorgeous natural light.  In fact, I am seriously thinking of moving in! Doesn't our Beach Life collection look great?  Makes you wish summer would stay around a little longer...

 

We ended a very enjoyable day with a bit of vintage Brit-Chic and our favourite, and best-selling, Vintage Jack collection. My [ebay-find] antique Union Jack flag made the perfect backdrop...

Watch out for Kayti's wonderful images, appearing soon on our twitter page, in our newsletters [you can sign up to receive Angel News on our website], on our facebook page and, of course, here on our blog.

It goes without saying, Kayti's images are much better than my amateurish attempts to capture our days work but don't just take my word for it, here's a sneak preview...

Jacks, Jacks Everywhere!

I really love designing our Vintage Jack range.  Individually handmade, using a different combination of vintage fabrics and antique buttons, each one of these iconic union jack designs is completely unique!  I never get tired of trying out different fabric mixes to see how they work together.  Surprisingly, it isn't always the most obvious combinations that work the best.  Now, wouldn't that be a great philosophy for life?!

Sew and Sew On...

Exciting news... I can now announce [after much secretive planning and general whispering in corners], the launch of our new MAKE @ ANGEL workshops starting on 22nd August 2011.

We have managed to convince the lovely Manda McGrory, of Treefall Design [as seen on Channel 4's Kirstie's Homemade Home no less], to come and run a series of wonderful sewing workshops for us.  These workshops will take place at our store in Easingwold.

We are keeping the workshops small, friendly and informal so there are only 6 places available on each.  A detailed description of each workshop is available to view, in store, or can be emailed on request.

Come and join us for a day full of inspiration, fun and chatter - oh, and not forgetting, lots of cake!

So Very Glamorous!

I have always loved this picture of my parents.  Taken at a New Year's party, they look so glamorous, almost like movie stars.  Just look at those adoring looks my Father is giving my Mother!  She died a few years ago and I miss her dreadfully, but I think this picture shows her exactly the way she would like to be remembered... sophisticated, girl about town, worshiped by her dashing young fiance/husband [I am not quite sure whether they were married or not at this point].

She was an amazingly strong and fearless woman and, whilst we didn't always see eye-to-eye [this coming from another strong-minded woman], she was the glue that kept our family together and we have all been a little lost, my Father most of all, since she left us.

We love...

Supplying gorgeous shops with our vintage linen designs!

High on the list of gorgeousness is the wonderful Cabbages and Roses.  I have already been tempted by their wonderful summer sale - I have been coveting one of their linen day bags for ages!

You can now get our lovely boxed, vintage linen, lavender-scented 'Mummy' hearts in their stores and on their website and, what's more, they are in the sale too!

A Whole Lot of Loveliness...

The fabulous Etsy remains a constant inspiration... just look at this amazing hand-crocheted dress and these absolutely gorgeous vintage shoes!

Tea Dance anybody?

 

Off to the Beach?

If only!

This gorgeous image, featuring our best-selling BEACH LIFE cushion, was styled by the lovely Selina Lake for Country Homes and Interiors magazine.  The bright, bold colours always make me think of summer holidays on the beach.  All very rockpools, flip-flops, deckchairs and beach huts!

So we will keep wishing and who knows... maybe!

A Vintage Bowl Full of Summer

What can be better than a breakfast of Dorset cereal [we are absolutely determined to win one of those campervans!] and blueberries all served up in a fabulous vintage bowl.  I recently sourced some lovely vintage cups, saucers, plates and bowls for the shop but these handpainted bowls are sooo beautiful, I just couldn't bear to part with them.  They are old but have no makers marks so I have no idea who manufactured them...

Small is Beautiful...

A sneak preview of our just launched Vintage Mini's Range.  We have had great fun developing some of our most popular designs for a smaller [30x30cm] cushion.  Each one individually designed, from our constantly changing collection of vintage linen, and handmade in our workshops in GB, we think they are great for both giving and collecting...

What a Week!

Our fantastic VINTAGE SUMMER SALE has been on for almost a week and we have had a fabulous response both in store and online.  Our twice yearly sales are always popular.  It's our way of rewarding our lovely customers, for all their support, as well as giving us the chance to refresh the store with lots of new, and interesting, home accessories and vintage finds.  This sale has been no exception and things are selling out fast, so if you are after 'something lovely' at a great price...

VINTAGE SUMMER SALE!

It's that time of year again... when we launch our fabulous VINTAGE SUMMER SALE!  This summer we are offering a wonderful range of vintage-inspired, home accessories and gifts at an amazing 40% OFF!  If you can't make it to our lifestyle store, in beautiful North Yorkshire, then here's just a sample of some of the gorgeous designs available...

Sale starts, in store and online, 

Saturday 16th July 2011

A Window for Summer...

Yesterday I spent a few happy hours designing new window displays for the shop.  Feeling very summery [it's amazing what a bit of sunshine will do to a person], I went for a bright, garden-party look complete with wonderful, vintage French day bed, piles of gorgeous linen cushions, in zingy citrus colours, all topped off with a rainbow of paper lanterns!