Fabulous Fridays... The Interview ~ Vintageellie

It's Friday! - I think we are all happy about this - so we have a brand new interview for you. We are pleased to present you Vintageellie, two sisters who run the professional business Bespoke Vintage Castle!

With over 55 colours unlimited fabrics, exceptional designs and an excelent quality service, they offer unique items created with love and creative flair, from wedding centerpieces and supplies to childrens personalised items and chic home furnishings.

Let's meet them:

1. Speak a bit for yourself or introduce yourself. Besides crafting, what else do you love doing?

Hello, my name is Lizzie (Elizabeth) and with my younger sister Jazzie (Jazzmine) last year October 15, I officially started Bespoke vintage castle and at the time MADE my younger sister do it, now we share the vision and are equally inspired and passionate as to what we can achieve.

Besides crafting, I am a wife and mummy, which takes up a lot of my time and a voluntary youth worker with my husband. We travel, giving talks to young people and help raise money charity work with youth and vulnerable young women.

Jazzie, besides crafting, likes music playing piano, singing and songwriting.

2. How did you start crafting and how long have you been doing it?

We have both been crafting all our lives, our mum was a fashion designer in the 80's, hence Jazzies studying textiles - now its genetic! Jazzmine is into fashion, designing, and being abstract with her art. 

I have been into making and up cycling from being a teen. We went to a lot of car boot sales the three of us and practically lived in auctions! My mother, sister and me we were always trying to find antiques. Its a hobby that when we have the time now we still try and do.

3. What are the problems you faced as a crafter until now? Do you have an advice for someone that thinks to start or is new to crafting business?

The one problem I have had is when I was trying to book a stall at a popular event and venue. I was talking to the organizer for months and being completely ignored. In the end they basically said "We will get back to you". They have standards and only want people who have shops and things they like and not people that work from home. At that time I felt discouraged and that my work was not good enough and I should stop, but my husband encouraged me and then I decided not to let one person change my destiny and it would only make me more determined to work harder. 

My advice to anyone starting a new business would be: Once you have a vision, go for it, aim at you're dreams and don't stop till you get there! 

4. What's your favourite crafting category?

My favorite thing to craft is wedding bouquets and hairpieces. The sky is the limit with imagination and ideas you can literally creating anything to put on someones head or for them to hold! 

Jazzie loves making boys bow ties best.

5. What is your main source of inspiration? How do you propel your creativity?

We are inspired in crafting from the antiques I have seen at car boots and vintage fairs. I love history - it is my greatest inspiration and I research period living customs and traditions. We also adore the Victorians, Marie Antoinette, and classic french living. The rustic timeless and ornate things they used to have back then are our ultimate inspiration. I love the fabric manipulation of grand silks and the luster of the Georgian color palette. In fact this is why we work with silk, dupion, cotton, satin, taffeta, organza, chiffon, vintage buttons and brooches and lashings of original Nottingham lace

Jazzmine says shes inspired by things around her, the littlest things in nature, or events daily life inspire her colors, work and design.

I propel my creativity by my research and I love watching the great British sewing bee and Kirstie Allsop "Homemade, home". I also watch wedding TV and bridal programs to be up to date with current trends. We both love pinning on Pinterest and reading in the library. 

6. Tell us about your crafting space. Do you have a favourite material and tool?

We both work from home and I have converted a room into a work space. Initially I was in my dining room  now in a room, but I know I will have to rent a little space soon as a studio, as clients are increasing and I am taking more orders,which is fantastic! 

My sister has a room at home that's full of crafts, paint and fabric. Sometimes she comes to mine or I raid her stuff, but all of this will go to our studio, once we have a space.

7. So your crafting space transmutes to an online shop. How do you promote your e-shop, which social media you use?

We are taking over social media. It's confusing to keep posting, tweeting, pinning,liking.whew.. 

Here are our links: Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Polyvore, Blog

8. How long after listing an item into your e-shop you had your first sale?

It took us 4 weeks to make our first sale! It was supplies glass mirror plates and then a week later we sold a tutu skirt to my first international customer (USA)

9. Where do you see your business in 10 years from now?

Oh my, in ten years time! Well, we have agreed that we would love for us to be a brand name, like Vera Wang or Jenny Packham. We want to have a franchise in every city and be interviewed on TV, be the next Sondra Celli or Thelma Nadine and be on a reality TV show. We would love to be in fashion shows and on runways, own our very own wedding boutique and make lots of money by selling to celebrity clients! Also we want to have written a book and done radio interviews. Ten years! I think that's achievable and we will probably do more.

10. How did you find MISI? What else would you like to see being added to the site?

I first heard about MISI recently through my auntie. She said we should come here as were brave enough and we are fans now, and follow MISI on Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook! 

The site is improving as it goes along. I like it just as it is and we are willing to move along with any updates that happen, were here for life!

Visit Bespoke Vintage Castle

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5 Tips to Avoid a Crafting Catastrophe

We all enjoy crafting.  We craft for many different reasons.  Some of us enjoy wearable arts, paper arts or altered arts.  Today’s crafter enjoys using many different mediums in their crafting which makes mixed-media crafting very popular.

Craft projects can fail for a number of reasons.  Many of those reasons can be avoided.  How you ask?  By following..

1. Plan your Project

Big or small, you want to plan out your craft project before starting your fun.  Think about what you want to create, the materials and tools you will need and the best place to create the project.

There are many different paths you can take to achieve your finished project and you want to think about the best way to achieve your goal.  Gathering all your materials before starting your project will allow you to have everything you need at your fingertips.  This avoids hunting for a missing element, which will disrupt your workflow and lead to projects taking a longer time to complete. 

Crafting projects that are planned have a greater chance of success than those that are not thought through.  Think about all the steps that you need to take to finish your project.  What will you do first?  What will be the second step?  Thinking through all the steps will allow you to find the best way to accomplish your goal. 

During this planning phase, you need to test the techniques and products you want to use in your project.  This will help you determine if you are using the right techniques and that the products you are using will yield the results you are trying to achieve.

If the techniques are new to you, practicing them before you use them in your project will help you increase your skill level.

2. The Right Tools/Products for the Job

Crafting should be fun.  If you are not using the right tools and products for your project, you can become frustrated and the project may not turn out like it should.  We have all tried cutting paper with a dull craft knife and we know how much “fun” that can be. Using the right tools can make the project easier.  If you want to avoid a craftastrophe, using the right tools is a must. 

Using the right product is equally important as using the right tools.  Read all the information you can about the products you use.  Visit the manufacturer’s website and the check out the best product for your needs.  For example, regular craft glue can turn yellow with age.  Use that glue with fabric or in an important collage, and the glue will yellow with age.  The project will be ruined.  If your project is something that will be temporary, you may not worry about the aging of the finished project.  But, if you want your artwork to last, knowing the characteristics of the products you use is important.

3. Use Quality Products

Sometimes, spending a lot for a product does not mean that it is a quality product.  A quality product does what it says it does and beyond.  Using a quality product also makes crafting easier and there is a less chance of something going wrong. 

Inexpensive clear craft glues can turn yellow over time, but so can more expensive ones.  Inexpensive cardstock can be flimsy and take away from the look of your project.  How do you find out about the quality of a product?  Research.  Google is a great place to start when you want to find out information about a product.  See what others are saying about a project.

Keep in mind that some rubber-stamping inks fade and there are others that keep their colors over time.  It is true for all inks and some paints.  Asking other crafters and reviewing Internet posts will help you find quality products you will love to use.

4. Keep it Clean

Avoid having food and drinks around your crafting space.  Accidents can happen and accidents can lead to cross contamination of the foods and liquid.  There is nothing worse than having your project almost completed and spilling (insert your favorite liquid here) all over it. 

Are you the type of crafter who gets your inked fingers all over your work?  Do you get glue over everything?  One of my favorite tips to keep it clean is to have a damp cloth next to you as you work.  That way, you can keep your fingers and hand clean as you work.  If your fingers are clean, your project can be kept clean as well. 

5. Follow Instructions

For those of you who are recreating a project or technique from a craft magazine, blog or other source, keep in mind that manufacturers and craft designers take great pains to write project instructions to help you create a great project.  They thought about the project design and the materials they used so you will have an easier and more enjoyable time crafting.  They picked the materials and tools listed in the project because they were the best materials and tools to use for that design.

Craftastophes can happen to the best of us, but with a little thought and planning, you have a better chance to create a project of which you can be proud!

source: bellacraftsquarterly.com

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