Catching Up!

These past two weeks have been jam packed with so many things going on-birthdays, Halloween parties, job offers, and my first Christmas craft show. Lots of wonderful things to share with you in this post that I'll use to catch up.

First, my hubby's birthday...Happy Belated Birthday! I am blessed with a really great guy...my dearest friend and companion, and my number one supporter! I can't imagine life without him... Love you and wishing you many more!

Next on the calendar was my daughter's second annual Halloween party. This year's theme was "A Haunted Carnival". Great food, great costumes and lots of fun! Here are some pics of the Carnival's characters.

 

The Ventriloquist and his Dummy...Brent and Jess

 

Two deranged clowns...aka me and hubby.

 

 

The Gypsy and the Crazed Clown....Trish and Greg

 

 

Cotton Candy Fairy, Conjoined Twins, and the Demented Popcorn Vendor...Jeannette, Audrey, Olivia and John

 

And the Strong Man that stole the show....too cute!!

 

An illuminated Captain Spalding

 

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More thrilling news for the family this week when two long awaited job offers came through for Jess and Brent. Congrats and good luck to you both on your new careers!

 

And lastly my Christmas Show schedule started off with a bang this past weekend at the Rotary Christmas Show in Stratford. I had an absolutely WONDERFUL time. The Rotary Club organizers did a fantastic job and couldn't have been more supportive. The Rotary Complex is a lovely venue--bright, clean, easy to get in and out, and decorated beautifully. 

 

I had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people...patrons and vendors. In addition to fantastic sales, I was completely overwhelmed with the response from everyone...so much positive feedback and support. And as if this wasn't enough, I did some incredible networking that may lead to some awesome future opportunities to expand my business in directions that I could only dream of before. Thanks to everyone that stopped by my booth. It was lovely meeting you all and I look forward to returning next year.

 

Thanks also go out to my sister Jeannette for helping me on Saturday. You're a sweetheart and loved having the chance to spend the day with you! I also want to thank my hubby who spent the day with me on Sunday...couldn't do this without you! And thanks to Brent for help with setting up on Friday...yes it takes a village.

 

Here are some pics of my booth this past weekend:

 

 

 

I'm back to work on new creations for my next show which is Nov. 16'th right here in my hometown of Aylmer, ON. Diva's Christmas Day Out runs from 10 to 4 at the German Canadian Club-Saxonia Hall, and if you're in the area it promises to be a great show. Hope to see you there!

 

 



Take care.....Marian  xo    



 

 

(Not So) Basic Black

 

When it comes to fashion accessories, I seem to be working in groups of colours. First it was reds and grays, which I think compliment each other quite nicely, and this time I decided to work in blacks. Black is my favourite colour and a staple in my wardrobe. It is such a classic, elegant colour and you can choose to leave it on its own, which always makes a statement, or you can add nearly any other colour.

 

This all black carpet bag was my first effort of the weekend. I finished it off with a vintage Victorian mourning cameo brooch, adding the chain and black faceted drop jewel to complete the look. 



 

I am obsessed with hats lately and decided to add two more to my collection. Rather than add any trimmings to this piece, I decided to use a black floral tapestry as the band section of the hat. I think it turned out nicely. I'm not always sure that designs I visualize will always work out, but this is exactly how I imagined it would look and I'm so pleased with the outcome.

 

 

My second hat was designed for warmth and beauty, and I used a black boucle which always has such a vintage look to it. It reminds me of the long opera coats from the 1920s/30s...so elegant. Well, here's the perfect hat that would match it perfectly. The brim is made using a soft black velveteen.

 

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Yes, I've been busy.....working non-stop for the past two weeks and here are the newest bracelets that I just finished up.



 

 

The first bracelet is a navy velvet band bracelet with a vintage rhinestone buckle. The nautical theme is a big trend this coming spring so I opted for the navy band...it's very similar to black and looks great partnered with nearly every colour. 

 

This next creation is a repurposed vintage French shoe clip that I transformed into a bracelet. Either side of the clip is set off by a vintage art deco buckle and finished off with a strand of crystal beads. So pretty...

 

 

Vintage shoe clips are the perfect piece to design bracelets around, and this repurposed Musi clip makes a gorgeous bracelet. The pretty floral design will make this a perfect piece for spring. I decided to go with velvet ties to make this a one piece fits all item, so you'll need a friend or partner to give you a hand fastening it.



 

 My last creation is this beautiful wrap bracelet. Wrap bracelets are very popular these days and this is my "vintage" take on them. With the help of memory wire they will always retain their coiled shape perfectly. So easy to wear, you simply wrap them around your wrist. This one is entirely made with vintage beads in navy and white pearls along with several types of crystal and silver beads that give it that sparkle. A small vintage art deco pendant completes the look.

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As you can see I've had a very productive two weeks and now I'll need to get busy listing my new creations in my Etsy shop this week. I couldn't wait to give you a sneak peek.

 

I'm so looking forward to this upcoming long weekend. We're celebrating Family Day on February 18'th in Canada and I'm looking forward to some family time. I feel the need to get out and enjoy time outside of my studio-time to"fill the well"....get out and see the world!

 

Take care.....Marian  xo    

romance&ruin Fashion Accessories

When I started romance & ruin my goal had always been to add a line of fashion accessories to the repurposed  jewellery that I started with. I even listed it on my business card so I needed to introduce it sooner rather than later. I was a little apprehensive because it has probably been at least 

4-5 years since I have done any serious sewing. My wish list includes handbags, hats, ties, scarves, belts and maybe even some one-of-a-kind altered pieces of vintage clothing.

 

After Christmas I decided to get started. I discovered the most gorgeous jacquard velvet at my favourite fabric store and my mind raced with all sorts of things that I could use it for. Well, the most obvious of course was a carpet bag so that's where I planned to start. When I took the bolt to have the fabric cut, the lovely ladies were wonderful enough to share with me that everything in the store would be 50-75% off the following week (this is one of the many reasons it's my favourite fabric store). So I lugged the bolt back, scoped out all of the other colours I couldn't wait to get my hands on and left.

 

When I went back the following week I was stunned to see the parking lot was filled. And here I thought that no one sewed anymore. What a wonderful surprise.

I love fabric stores and it's as much a tactile experience as a visual one. I love running my fingers across all of the rich, beautiful fabrics. I could spend hours burrowing through the shelves filled with "ends" looking for treasures.

 

So after having all of my treasures cut I took my place in line where many of us shared plans for our fabrics, and oohed and aahed over each others finds. An expectant mom with plans to outfit a nursery, a mom and daughter planning to make bridesmaid dresses, and another woman thrilled with the fabric she found to recover her dining room chairs. I was so inspired when I left, it felt great to be surrounded by so many other creative women.

 

Last weekend I shut myself away for three days, literally. It wasn't too hard since it was a bone chilling -15 C. A perfect weekend to sew and I managed to finish four projects--a carpet bag, 2 hats and a pretty plaid tie. Check out the results:

 

 

 

I added some antique style buttons and vintage chain for a unique look....

 

...and a red floral toile lining.

 

I think the black lace on the underside of the brim adds a pretty accent when the brim is flipped up.

The rose is handmade from a black chiffon.

 

 

I love plaid and thought these colours would be the perfect compliment on this dark gray velvet cloche. I added the vintage rhinestone buckle to finish it off.

 

I absolutely love men's-wear inspired fashions and decided to make some ties that would look great with jackets or vests. I plan to add some vintage pins to give them a softer feminine touch.

I'm thrilled with the results and look forward to adding some more to my collection. 

Seems like the perfect way to pass the time on cold wintery weekends.

Can't wait to work on some more in the next few weeks.

 

Stop by my Etsy shop to see the complete listings along with more photos. I've had a great response so far...they've been "favourited" every day!

 

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DON'T miss the fantastic Valentine's Day Sale in my Etsy shop with everything

 currently 15% off.

The perfect time to treat yourself!

Just use Coupon Code "VALENTINE 2013" when checking out to get the discount.

 

Take care.....Marian  xo