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!