things of joy....

oh if only i had took photos over the last ten years of all my flea market finds.  it is a thing that brings me joy. that wednesday morning excitement of getting ready as fast as i can....which is hard for me by the way. yes getting ready as fast as i can so i can catch all the bargains at the flea market. the thrill of the find, the joy of taking it home and carefully washing it in hot soapy water......pegging the freshly washed linens and aprons out on the line...for that moment contentment.

i suppose what i can do is back track so i will try and post images of my last ten years of finds on here...which nearly all live in the button tin now. but for now let me start with what i found last week at the market.

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"mighty swell" sale and march treats....

hello there!

two bits of good news for you lovely gals.....

1.a "mighty swell" studio sale

2.march open studio workshops with me

*gemma 

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saturday march 2nd 11am-4pm

***"mighty swell sale"***

a great chance for a rummage around my studio the button tin...
i guarantee you will find a bargain, as i sell original samples & artwork at less than half gallery price.
there's absolutely nothing wrong, it's just i like to make way for new work so everything must go!!!
i will also have the odd bit of bric a brac too and sewing supplies...you know what they say? one mans junk......
i promise it may be worth something one day!!! when i am long gone like picasso....i won't say van gogh, i am not that troubled! (i don't think i am!)
hopefully see you down here, no need to book just turn up and find something button tinny...
a lovely opportunity to find a personal gift for someone really special or just a treat for your home.

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***mothers day march offer***

first of all let me just start by saying i think we would all agree that mums are not just appreciated on one day but everyday of your life together and beyond.  my mum is my best friend, a sister i don't have. my mum is the reason i love sewing so much. and my mums reason she loves sewing so much was
her mum...my nan-nan. with out these too very special mums influences, i would have never created this button tin world around me.
here at my studio i do get a lot of mothers and daughters coming along together and even grandmas...all generations together, i think that this is integral in preserving traditional skills, art & craft...and more important it's ***family.
through out the whole of march i will be offering £10 off all my workshops so they will be *£45 instead of *£55
see the ***workshop page on this blog for more details

i really hope you can both make it

xxx

***two posts in one night!!!

***hello again!

so i guess we know it is that time of the year when we go....

1. all lovey dovey

2. all lonely and melancholy

or

3.happy to be single

anyways which ever you are feeling this is still a nice little project.

it was really exciting to be invited on to a live radio show on bbc radio sheffield last week to talk about the beauty of handmade gifts....it was really good fun.....especially when one caller thought it may be a good idea to embroider his y-fronts for his mrs.....i think it may be better just to stick to the more traditional vintage hanky!

***look

 i wanted to share on here how to make this little gift if you missed the show...

see it as my gift to you xxx

here we have a lovely little project to hand sew with love.......

cast your mind back....in the olden days in those old fashioned movies ladies used to drop their hanky and hoped that dashing man of their dreams would pick it up for them as they fluttered their eyelashes and giggled.....or during the war the wives of soldiers used to spray a hanky with their perfume and send it away to their husband at the base.......aaah how romantic xxx 

i think we should salute that tradition and instead of sending a card this year why not hand embroider your own personal message of love on to a vintage hanky and spray it with your favourite perfume.

all you need is a pretty vintage hanky...washed and ironed of course....

a cute little saying...i love you or to my darling or you are my sunshine, something like that or even a pet name that you call each other like flower, petal.....(love bunny) any thing he he!!!!

with a pencil lightly write your message in the centre of the hanky.......

then with your chosen thread colour of choice stitch over your hand writing with back stitch....

and hey presto finished easy peazy!

spray a little perfume and gift wrap in beautiful tissue paper and a bow, i promise this will melt the heart of your fella or misses!

the hanky then could be framed or even displayed with little tacks on a wall.

here is the cute little "how to" feature that the local press ran last week too x

thank you

love gemma 

x

***location, location, location...

***hey there....i wanted to fill you guys in about this....

over the last year i have been working as a contributor for national, Handmade Living magazine. this involves using the button tin as a giant prop....well it is full of so many beautiful things! 

i style the shoots for products carefully sourced by the lovely editor Charlotte Brett. these products are handmade projects made by other designers featured in the mag. i set the scene and create a story with all my button tin thingys!!!! 

then you see the finished scenes on the pages of the magazine. 

it all comes together when Georgina Humphrey Photography | Equine & Wedding works her magic as we work together to create beautiful shoots for the magazine. georgina is an amazing photographer, she captures the magic of each project every time! 

here are just a few examples of the work we have been doing together......you regulars at the button tin may be able to recognise some of the props used in the shoots here!!!!

***see handmade living magazine here

***look

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calling cards...

wow it is january again, after a nice little break spent in wales i am back inside the button tin. it was so lovely to be in the mountains with the sea in sight...a time to think as you feel the rhythms of the waves as they cleanse your mind, choppy and fresh....a new start...water washing away the year that passed...

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to ease slowly back in to the studio i thought it would be nice to make my new calling cards...to get me back into the swing of things...as lovely new year memories of polish vodka and gin, and jools holland tinkering the ivories dance around my mind. alas i cannot moan really, as the reality of things here are quite a beautiful one. as i sit inside the button tin i truly do feel grateful for the last few amazing years here.

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i admit i am not the best at blogging...so i have a good few years of amazing things to share with you.....not all at one of course but i promise to post more often! at best will try!

 so here is what i came up with a series of calling cards made from doily embossed paper that i made at the printing studio when i was at uni many many many moons ago! also i am obsessed with collecting those beautiful cigarette cards at the moment so some of the cards you see are made from those too and vintage fabrics of course...

take a look xxx

thanks for looking...

speak soon 

x