Unloved vintage metal reinvented

This Christmas was an interesting one for us as it was our first in Cheltenham where we have finally settled after 20 years in Berlin. Needless to say, I tried to fit in a few festive markets. My first stop was the Cheltenham Christmas market which was disappointing. Well, it would have been wouldn't it? What did I expect after 20 years crunching through the snowy landscapes of fairy-tale German Weihnachtsmärkte, gluhwein in hand, assailed by wafts of cinnamon, toffee apples and waffles? Cheltenham's was literally a damp squib by comparison, not that that could be helped.   

The Cheltenham Connect Christmas Craft Fair on Bath Road was rather more successful.  All those small stallholders wearing silly elves hats and deer antlers selling lovely handmade items chimed better with the Christmas spirit. There was a complete absence of tasteless tinsel and I even found a couple of stalls selling goods made using recycled materials! I have already written about the Christmas hedgehogs. Another stall to catch my eye was being manned by Jim Blenkinsop - above.  

Jim is a self-employed engineer who creates extraordinary works of art with his wife Helen (an artist and bridge teacher). They call their enterprise "Or(e)" and they use unloved vintage metal ware to create contemporary objects with a twist. 

The binoculars below have been converted into candle holders

                                          

In this picture the candlesticks have been tweaked and improved with the addition of the coloured balls. 

                                              

These "birds' claws" were once sugar tongs desperately in need of a new purpose, as no one ever seems to use tongs these days. 

  

                                               

Jim and Helen seek out pre-World War 2 quality metal on ebay and at car boot sales - they describe this metal as their single common denominator. In the picture at the start of this blog article, Jim is standing in his garden next to a bird table that he made from a 19th century scroll saw originally used in New York for cutting veneers to make marketry.   

Below, 1930 vintage secateurs ("really beautiful metal" says Jim) have been reworked by him with Helen's creative input into these birds. The bird legs were once forged steel woodworking bits. 

                                    

and well, you decide what has gone into the next creation!

            

                                           

Jim and Helen welcome commissions and can be contacted on jimblenkinsop@mail.com or 07980447673.  If you have any unloved metal items you would love to be turned into something entirely new and decorative, Jim and Helen are the people to contact. 

A handmade gift for a royal baby?

Handmade shoes using recycled materials "Emily" £89

I think I cooed like a wood pigeon when I first picked up these handmade baby and toddler shoes. The quality is superb, they are unbelievably soft and there's an underlying feel of permanency to them.
These shoes would last for generations. Neatly packed away in their luxury handmade cushioned boxes, they are the stuff of family heirlooms. Vevian is the place to go, I reckon, if you want a present for the next royal baby. Listening Pippa?

They are designed and handmade by Vivienne Lopez (see below, at her work bench).

When I discovered from Barbara Pani, who runs anecdotes design in Folkestone's cultural quarter (yes, it does have one) that the shoes are partly made using discarded materials, I was hot in persuit of the story. 

Vivienne later explained to me how she uses recycled materials in her handmade baby shoes.  She is fortunate in being allowed to take away the so-called spaghetti pieces left over after the soles for women's shoes have been cut out of leather sole boards by Gina Shoes. Full marks to them. Vivienne then spends hours grouping the pieces by colour because leather being a natural product, no two pieces are ever exactly the same. That done, she works her magic cutting, hand sanding, polishing and buffing.

   

"Emily" in the presentation shoe box made with recycled cardboard

The recycling of materials does not end there. And this is what I find so utterly charming about Vevian. Yes, owner Vivienne could buy in the cardboard needed to create the cushions inside the beautiful handmade shoeboxes. But instead she corrals her nearest and dearest to collect cereal boxes, packaging etc which she then cuts on a press machine to the correct size. The shoeboxes are gorgeous in their own right and are the perfect presentation packaging. 

It is no surprise that these heavenly shoes have featured in Vogue and at the relaunch of the children's shoe department at John Lewis' Oxford Street flagship store.

Vivienne is a mother of two small children; she launched the brand in 2008 and runs it with the support of her husband and extended family. The shoes are not cheap costing between £89-£95 pounds a pair, but, honestly, what price heaven for baby feet? And especially when recycled materials have been so inventively used in the process.

From top left clockwise, Matthew £95, Emily £89, assorted shoe boxes and Jessica £95  

http://www.vevian.com

Networking for Craftspeople

Image courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Since I began writing this blog I have been struck by how many craftspeople are failing to put themselves out there!

It pains me to see artists and makers of handmade goods red nosed and shivering as the fickle public idle past their stands barely bothering to make eye contact. Going to markets or selling your goods through the odd shop or two isn't enough to promote a craft business; all sorts of strategic strings have to be added to your bow and networking is one of them.

Networking is vital for lots of reasons, not least for bringing you into contact with people who can inform, inspire, enthuse and chew the cud with you.  You'll meet other professionals in different fields, people you can discuss your problems with informally and who may provide new sources of business at the same time.

Imagine this - chatting over breakfast coffee and croissants to a high street shop manager who might be quite interested to allow you a small corner of his shop front to help pull in customers....or to a small business owner who might commission you to make something beautiful and handmade as incentive give-aways for customers. Networking events mean meeting potential clients. They are not just about boozy fat men in grey suits showing off about their car dealerships and carpet cleaning franchises (not there's anything wrong with those...). They are fun to attend and present business opportunities you might never have dreamt of.

If you are not already networking outside your group of artist and crafts contacts then you should be.
Simply google "networking events" for your area and a vast plethora will appear. The Federation of Small Businesses and your local Chamber of Commerce are quite expensive to join (around £150 and £80 annually in my area) but they provide an array of fantastic help to small businesses for example in the form of legal protection costs, debit and credit card payment discounted transaction fees, a free business banking service with the FSB, discounted roadside assistance and free training...to mention just a few.

There are lots of other kinds of local networking groups and women's ones too and they are much cheaper to join than the Chamber of Commerce or FSB but without the same incentives to join. They put on worthwhile training events though and provide good opportunities to meet other people.

So take my advice, brighten up your (sometimes) lonely, hardworking day and do a spot of networking. And if you are doing so already, tell me about your favourite networking group and how it has worked for you.

How to balance creative work with joyless admin

 

Jessica Hall's company Bluebird Designs does a great line in enamel jewellery using recycled silver.  I remember how vibrant and delectable her designs were when I visited her stall at the Renegade Craft Fair late last year in London. She had come a long way for that - because home and studio is in Incline Village, Nevada! 

Before she opened Bluebird Designs she took courses in jewellery-making in North Seattle, Hawaii and San Francisco. Her "original bird" was made at a weekend enamel workshop in Hawaii - and from then on she was hooked.

Jessica has always been conscious of recycling and buys her recycled silver from Hoover and Strong.

How does a woman working alone manage to balance the time-consuming demands of both the creative work and the joyless admin? Jessica says she's learnt to pay heed to the moments when the creative juices are flowing freely. But it's clear the business side weighs heavily.

 "I'd have to say it's a constant juggle ....there are days I just want to sit and cry and pull out my hair in frustration and exhaustion....but I realize how lucky I am to have found such a passion in life and have it be my career as well".

It is a source of admiration to me the way Jessica, and so many of her colleagues in the business, run their businesses single-handedly, battling with the bureaucracy and yet still turning out imaginative works of art.

Jessica has promised herself a sketchbook for her nightstand (bedside table for we Brits) so that the ideas that seem so often to come to her in her dreams can be quickly jotted down. Jessica's friends - please note!

Although Bluebird Designs produces a variety of enamelled animals, Jessica's best seller is  her "Signature" bird.
  

She's experimenting with various avenues for sales purposes but has an Etsy shop, her own portfolio website, sells through some retail outlets and makes a point of appearing at markets and fairs.

 You can sign up to Jessica's newsletter at the bottom of her home page right here http://www.bluebirddesigns.com/

Hot Stuff for Father's Day presents

Look carefully at what Tony Watts (of Square Pear Furniture) is holding in his hands. Do you remember those heart shaped sweet/candies we used to love as kids? They were slightly fizzy and had silly messages stamped on them like "real love" and "kiss". Tony Watts' award winning Hot Stuff Trivets made from locally sourced timber just have to be inspired by the original ... Here's a closer look:

Wood Trivet £30-£45

SquarePear furniture offers an expanding range of quality furniture and homewares, each piece designed with a quirky childlike feel and made with care and expertise.

I am featuring Tony on this blog because he uses timber sourced from his local timber yard (which keeps his carbon foot print to the absolute minimum) and because his trivets are a delightful reminder of childhood deliciousness.

Tony manufactures his goods entirely himself, has a multi award winning joinery background and has also studied architectural conservation.

He says of his work:

 "I approach every product with the idea of making something I have never seen before....breaking boundaries I guess."  

Maybe that's the reason why I fell for his Chunky Jigsaw Coasters and Trivet. They're clever, innovative, lovely to use and I, er, just want them.

Chunky Jigsaw Coasters and Trivet £25.45

Tony sells his inspired products through Notonthehighstreet.com and it's well worth checking through the range if you're looking for something handmade from locally sourced materials with a touch of masculine appeal. Such as these:

 

Nice Biscuit Board Platter £35.00

Compact Cassette Door Wedge £14.95

Six gorgeous gift ideas for May

Six wonderful gift ideas from people featured on the blog this month. I've drooled over their work - now it's your turn! And, another plus, they are all made from recycled, vintage or ethically sourced materials.

Presenting - in no particular order of preference:

Rodology's Lady Emily Pendant £16.00

Grace Lane's A Threadbare Production Animal Figures
£170-£200

Amy Bluett, Fabric Bag £11.00

Sherie Cordaz - pendant $20-$25

Judson Jennings "All Forked Up" $27.49

Vevian - "Emily" shoes £89.00

The lady that inspired "Love It Back"

Sherie Cordaz

In summer 2013, my husband Nick and I and our two boys Edmund 17, and Toby 13, were on holiday in a sweltering New York. One day we visited the High Line, a public park built on an historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan's West Side. In the shade of a railway arch, Sherie Cordaz sat at a stall selling handmade pendants and earrings made using her own original photography, discarded wood and small amounts of sterling silver. They were exquisite and sold under the company name of "Shoosh". Below is the one I bought and I wear it frequently.

I can't say that I had a damascene moment as I stood in the railway arch but the fact that Sherie spoke as enthusiastically about using discarded wood to make her jewellery as she did about her own photography stayed with me. A seed was sown.....and by the end of our American holiday I was wondering what else there was to discover about a craft where recycled materials are so imaginatively used.  So, Sherie, thank you - because you started me off down this fascinating path.

Vintage Fabrics with Tales to Tell

Amy Bluett of Anecdotalist; maker of handmade bags, banners and other fabric goods

A while ago I was visiting the Vintage Pop Up Market in London’s Spitalfields when I found myself coming to a dead halt by Amy Bluett’s stall. It was draped in handmade bags and banners adorned with vintage materials and above swung a banner spelling out Anecdotalist. 

I moved in to find out more.

It was a cold day and we both had red noses but Amy’s articulate passion for her fabrics-with-a-story-to-tell animated us both – this was clearly a case requiring a blog posting! 

Amy set up Anecdotalist in October 2012 to sell items made of fabrics with a past – sometimes mysterious, sometimes avant-garde, occasionally run-of-the-mill but certainly worth recounting by Amy to her customers hence the name. A thoughtful, informed person, Amy's whole ethos, including her products made from recycled materials, is entirely in synch with the zeitgeist’s cutting edge.  

Mr Darcy in Steampunk Wonderland

Rod Barker Benfield

What would Jane Austen, or Lewis Carroll for that matter, have made of Rod Barker Benfield naming his steampunk-style wares after them, and of his market stall inside a lovely old London pub?  

It would have seemed a strange, if entertaining, Wonderland indeed.

Lewis Carroll brooch £12.00

But to me, as I arrived at the Boutique Market at the Rocket Pub in Acton, it all made perfect sense. An atmospheric Victorian pub setting, a beautiful sunny day and Rod selling his delicately reworked old watchworks. Alongside him, other stall holders selling everything from Spanish doll brooches to naughty underwear biscuits decorated with lace-fine icing to general bric-a-brac.

Rod is the sort of guy who welcomes you with a warm friendly bear hug and a bushy-beard-brush on the cheek! First and foremost a photographer, he has a creative mind, a good business head and a clever idea - the watchwork accessories are unusual, extremely well-priced and truly desirable.

Lady Emily Pendant 16.00

Mr Darcy Cufflinks £24.00

He sources old broken watches from eBay, flea markets and jewellers, extracts the innards or individual components.


He then effectively reinvents them to produce these intricate pieces of costume jewellery. 


The inspiration for names came as he was reading a Dickens novel prompting  him to think along literary lines. He unexpectedly discovered that fans of Steampunk enthused over the accessories and he's more than happy to accept this embracing of his work. His cufflinks, brooches and pendants retail for between £10.00 and £30.00 and seriously, they make fantastically good gifts.

Lady Anne Earrings £24.00

Rod plans to extend the range to use computer parts and even discarded board game components. He'd also like to use watches like Rolexes to produce a more financially rewarding item that could be sold through higher end stores like Selfridges.

Lewis Carroll brooch £12.00

Lewis Carroll brooch £10.00

Creatives like Rod deserve our support: producing attractive costume jewellery by adapting discarded wristwatches.  

You've just got to love it back. And buy one.

www.rodology.co.uk

Upcycling tiny tea-stained thieves

Grace Lane and two of her mice

I spotted Grace Lane and her collection of hand-made animals at the hugely popular Crafty Fox Market at the Dogstar in Brixton just before Easter.

Perhaps a little diffident, she has an attractive, almost fey presence which works well in tandem with her magical array of animal characters, "A Threadbear Production".  The animals aren't just magical, feckless even! They all look entirely capable of "borrowing" a button off your coat, a few stray hairs off your collar or the silver paper off your chewing gum wrapper. This is because they are modelled after miniature thieves.

Count the items Grace has "recycled" on her borrowing bears!

Grace has long been inspired by her passion for Mary Norton's book "The Borrowers" about a family
of tiny people who live by borrowing off the Big People. Each animal is unique and kitted out in once grand (now threadbear) materials that might well have been snitched from an aristocratic pile of cast offs. The vintage fabrics include Harris Tweeds, silk velvets and organic linens. They are all accessorised with "found" objects.  Grace makes clever use of discarded junk like old match boxes and minuscule silver foil hats and she distresses and stains the fabrics with tea to achieve that long-lived in look!

Grace is in her last term of university at London College of Fashion studying Costume for Performance.  She enjoys playing with scale and finds second hand, vintage and recycled materials have a much richer quality to them that works well. Her artistic relations often lend a hand in the creation of the animals; her mother with the sewing, and her uncle by providing the odd bit of vintage fabric or embroidery. By the way, the standard animals sell for around £170-£200 although commissioned ones may cost a little more.

Grace has plans for "A Threadbear Production" and may animate a few of the characters so remember, you read about her first, here!

"Cheap Trash Can Look Beautiful"

What words to kick off my first post on my blogging foray into the world of creative recycling! Because they say it all. Any material can be used by a clever mind, imagination and nimble fingers to create something magnificent. Enter sculptor Robert Bradford.

Sniffer Dog

The works featured here are made up of layers of thousands of discarded children's toys carefully chosen by the sculptor at car boot sales and thrift shops. Bradford says he began using toys as his central material about five years ago after he had spent a few moments staring into his children’s cast off toy boxes. 

Girl with Flashing Eyes

He realised the toys were strong enough to be screwed to a wooden armature to allow him to build any shape or form.   

 “I like materials that are more obviously malleable, that have already had a life, have been part of other peoples lives."  

The sculptures range from large (over six metres high) to small and are made out of every conceivable type of modern plastic toy.  The results can be fluid with movement and purpose much like the Sniffer Dog above. But they can also seem quite alien and sinister, like the Girl with Flashing Eyes.

Bradford says his works provoke all sorts of emotions, that people are stimulated, amused and sometimes scared by them. Sometimes there is outright laughter! 

Toy Boy-Girl

Bradford is adamant that he is not an eco warrior; he would rather think of himself as watching from an involved distance.  He’s also too lazy, he says, to spend much time on recycling although he dislikes waste and having too much stuff around. 

Toy Angel

Bradford's reputation has grown from the southwest corner of England to spread much further afield thanks to shows in London, New York and Amsterdam. His work is increasingly in demand - buyers include Prada and Ripley's Museum. Sculptures can sell for up to £12,000 each.

His work is currently showing in Thessalonika, Frankfurt, France and Herne Bay in Kent.    

www.robertbradford.co.uk