Haauuullll!!!

I had to run into town for a few bits yesterday and finally managed to get the 1” round labels for my Brother labelmaker. I had had them on order from a store in town who took SEVEN weeks to finally tell me they were on indefinite back order with the manufacturer, even after they told me several times they would be receiving them to send out to me within 5-7 days. Funny that the manufacturer has them for sale on their own website the whole time. From now on we’ll only buy from that store if the item is physically on the shelf ready to buy as this isn’t the first time they have kept us hanging on an exorbitant amount of time with a pre-order item.

But now I have the nice neat little labels needed for my small bridal button looping packaging as well as Thank You stickers and web address stickers for tissue wrapped items and neat business return address labels – Yay!

Now this ‘stuff’ has be niggling at me to buy for a month or so now, and I needed to go to the florist supply store to pick up a tall pillar candle anyway so I finally gave in and bought some. It’s weird! But great! It kind of looks like silly string made into mesh, the receipt lists it as Sisal, but its definitely a man made foamy concoction. It does have some stiffness to it, but I’m going to gently steam it at some point, I do want to keep some of the stiffness in parts to create a cage type feel to the finished hat.

Haaauuullll!!!!!

Finally got into the city yesterday to pick up some much needed supplies. Replenishing the basic bridal looping stock as well as adding a brand new colour, Gold, PERFECT for eveningwear and alternative bridal colours.

I needed some wide White lace for another future project, and this one pretty closely matches my Black and Pink ones so it will be perfect.

Then I hit up the millinery store and scored some beautiful Tiffany Blue Starbright straw, which is for a very special top secret project! And some more basic black millinery wire. I found another unusual braid I might have to go back for to use in the top secret project.

Mail Haauuuullll!!!!

Some goodies came in the mail today! Miyuki Drop Fringe Seed beads, in from L-R: Red Light Topaz, Matte White Pearl and Lavender.
They are tiny, only about 3mmx4mm, but they are perfect for what I need.
I’m going to wire them and use them as handmade glass flower stamen.

Haauuullll!!! New Colours

Picked up a few new colours to add to the bridal collection, Dusky Rose and Dark Red, ready for bridal buttons and roses.

New Daphne Guinness Book

Today I pre-ordered my copy of the brand new Daphne Guinness book by Valerie Steele.
It isn’t available til the beginning of November 2011, duno if I can wait that long!

Considering Valerie Steele is the director and Chief Curator of the Museum at FIT I’m hoping its going to be filled with a bazillion pictures, narrating her life, rather than words narrating a few pictures.

I knew of her, always photographed front row at fashion week, muse to many a designer, wearer of Alexander McQueen Armadillo shoes (not even in her size but worn last minute with toilet paper stuffed in the toes, go on I dare you to even get up on those in your size!)
But the first time I learned about her in depth was the March 2008 issue of British Vogue (how I miss my monthly fix of British Vogue) in a cover story entitled The Incredible World Of Daphne Guinness, where she talked about her life post divorce from the Greek shipping billionaire Stavros Niarchos, her position in the Guinness family, and how she was planning a massive auction of her couture collection for charity later that year, but how she was finding it hard to decide what to part with and what to keep.

Known for her striking platinum blonde and black striped hair, creating a headpiece effect in itself, when she wears a hat, she really wears a hat!
And now she’s the proud owner of the entire collection of the late Isabella Blow’s wardrobe including 50 Philip Treacy hats, many of which were designed just for Blow, to wear as well now too.

Daphne Guinness by Valerie Steele, Yale University Press $45, available now on pre-order from Yale Press and Amazon

Eeeeee I REALLY cant wait til November!

How To Make Flowers with Dennison Crepe Paper

A new vintage book arrived today in the mail, How to make Flowers with Dennison Crepe Paper

Haaauuuulllll!

 

Haaauuuulllll!

Today’s haul features a load of luxury bridal button looping to restock the button shop, ostrich nandu feathers and unusual oval shaped paillettes in pink & silver, and a blue & grey plaited nylon placemat……perfect for unstitching and upcycling as millinery braid into a hat (plus the plaited lengths will give at twice the amount as a basic placemat) I always hunt these out if I can find them at a bargain price, always look beyond somethings practical use and see how you can use it.