Creativity

Creativity...is a hard word to define.

I have and will always be creative...I love to open a drawer full of goodies and work out what I can make.

However it seems my direction and focus had been firmly rooted in August's world.

From his room, his clothes, his toys, photos and parties.

I have had my head turned away from this world of weddings for a whole year...and to be honest it has been refreshing. 

This isnt bad, and im not going to tell you all I'm giving up VM...but I have realised a few things in the last wonderful year.

~ I create what I love in that moment

~Things I found beauty in a few years ago seem dull and boring now

~ My work is full on, time consuming, messy & solitary

~ Tiny hands love tiny bits of wire, beads, buttons!

~ I get bored easily

~ Vintage is an overused word which is used to describe everything, vintage or not!

When I started VM back in 2006, no one created these bouquets. Now you can take your pick, and your style is catered for by a whole host of different suppliers.

A lot changes in 7 years

I am very proud to be a leader in this business.

2013 will see me creating bouquets as & when I can I will not be taking bespoke orders.

When something moves me create a stunning bridal piece I will do it, and cherish every moment. Taking my time with my work has made me rediscover the joy...slow creativity is sometimes the best thing in this fast paced life we live.

Finding Inspiration

Being a Mummy is the best job in the world....however I am really missing creating beautiful bouquets.

I have just finished my last bespoke order of the year, and I have loved every minute of making it.

I have been looking back at my work, and I had forgotten about this beauty....I love the soft colours, feathers and those stunning mother of pearl buttons.

My shop is calling me to fill it, now I just to find some time in between feeds, playing and being like a love sick school girl!

Baby Magpie

So this Magpie has 6 weeks left until 'D Day'...I cant quite believe it has come around so quickly. 

We are all organized and Pip's Room is all neat and tidy ready for his/her arrival.

Would you like a look around?

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The room is not the biggest in the land, but this Magpie lived in a box room for 8 years of her young life so it looks pretty spacious to me!!

The Wonderful One and me have tried to create a space perfect for either a baby Girl or Boy. We have reused items we already had, and bought very little which is new, so his/her room fits in with our home fantastically well.

The nesting has set in, and even the drawers are neat...this however will not last long I can assure you!

Most of our Pip's clothes are Dutch, as they have lovely bright & colourful unisex ranges; which England is sadly lacking, which has made it very difficult to buy something which will suit Pip no matter what s/he is!!

So Hema came up trumps again!

I couldn't resist making Pip's bed....it made me teary thinking about the babe which will be in there soon.

The gorgeous spot blanket was a Christmas pressie from my Darling Ma, who is so excited about our arrival. However she still doesn't know what she is going to be known as...grandma is a definite no...so if you have any ideas do comment, and maybe she will find one she loves!!

I made the curtain using Cabbage & Roses fabric I won ages ago from Jeska at Lobster & Swan. You can also see our Valentines present to one another in the garden...our bird table, which we love.

Pip will never lack a good book to read, we have a lovely mixture of Dutch and English classics.

Bedtime is going to be such fun!

We cannot wait to meet our little Pip, our little year of the Dragon baby :)

On the Vintage Magpie front....I have one bouquet to complete before the Pip arrives. After that I am going to be on Maternity leave. This has been a tough decision for me, as I would love to create stunning bespoke bouquets for all the gorgeous 2012 Brides, However family will always come first. I cannot wait to be a Mummy, and understandably want to give that my full attention. 

As this Pip is my first baby, I really don't know when I will be ready to come back to my bespoke work. I will however still be selling my
'Ready to Walk' bouquets on Etsy,
 as well as lovely Vintage finds that I come across in my travels.

I will still be updating this blog regularly, so do keep reading & commenting it really does make my day to hear your thoughts.

xxx

Black & White Thank You

Do you remember this bouquet?

Well this is it in all its glory.....

Don't they look gorgeous?

This is what she had to say...

"Thank you again for making my bouquet, it is amazing and I love it as much now as I did when I first opened the delivery box when you posted it to me. I am going to take very special care of it so that I can hopefully pass it down the generations."

Look at all that divine sparkle!

Fabulous

xxx

Michelle's Sneaky Look

One American bride.......One bouquet in England.....only one thing for it......Vintage Magpie's new toy!!!

I hope this gives you an idea of the movement in the drop, & enjoy a fun way to see your bouquet in the process!!!

Vintage Magpie is Live!!

Vintage Magpie's New Website is now up and running...I'm so excited to know what you all think!

Why don't you pop over and have a browse.....I am still to update the shop with my new collection but that will happen in the next few weeks...I will keep you all posted!

Five Years of Vintage Magpie

Well doesn't time fly when you having fun!!

I truly cannot believe it has been 5 years since I started Vintage Magpie....so much has happened in those years it makes my head whirl with memories and exciting moments.....


As many of you are aware that the idea of Vintage Magpie came to me in a dream....a vision of a bride walking down the aisle with a bouquet of sparkle.....it was one of those exciting moments which have defined the last five years of my life.
I quickly started to work out how I could achieve this look....New Years eve 2005, I had moved into a new area....me and my Scottie dog spent New Years eve working on the first Vintage Magpie prototype.... just as quickly as the dream the came so did the prototype.....I have never looked back.

I remember the first time You &Your Wedding asked to photograph my bouquet.....I was food shopping with my Ma and I took the phone call......after I had finished the call, I joyfully danced a jig in the cold meat aisle!!

Since then I have worked so hard creating more and more beautiful Bouquets.....I have fought hard to make a name for Vintage Magpie....I have fought off the dreaded copy cats, which have reduced me to tears and wondering about peoples morals. But as the years have gone on I have got used to that....I am so proud of my eye for detail, the workmanship of my bouquets and the use of vintage items that I'm 100% dedicated to.

This year is going to be the best year yet for Vintage Magpie. Change is in the air, a new image a new website, a new web shop and a new exciting range of Bouquets.

Last year was a whirlwind year....Me and the Wonderful Dutchman got married and a lot of my time was dedicated to the planning and DIY elements of our day. I took a little step back from Vintage Magpie and limited my workload due to these factors. This saw me producing bouquets at a much more workable rate... I took more time to source the vintage items, making sure every Brides was happy, and their requirements met.

This got me thinking......

This year Vintage Magpie will be offering her Brides a collection of bouquet which will be released every few months. This will cater to my wonderful brides who are on a strict budget. The price range will start from £150. My VM Brides will be able to buy online and get their bouquet delivered within a few days.....this means you can buy your  perfect wedding bouquet before you even have a ring on your finger!!!

I will of course still be making bespoke bouquets.....As the  demand for my work grows every year...... this year already having seen my inbox have 200 enquires this month....... I’m having to limit my bespoke bouquets to orders over £600.... this is due to the amount of time I dedicate to your bouquet, and the length’s I will go to to find the perfect things for your design. Not to mention the increasing cost of Vintage items, as it is now such a sort after element to so many weddings and homes.

Vintage weddings are not set to go away, and in five years this is my first time I have had to change the way I work. this way, I believe gives everybody a chance to have a Vintage Magpie wedding bouquet and still gives me time to work with Brides on a bespoke level.....
The photos in this blog post shows the extremes I go to to create a unique bouquet for my wonderful VM brides....I can buy similar cheap ready made elements like this, but I will happily wire them all day so I know my Vintage Magpie Bouquets are authentically Handmade, Handcrafted, Bespoke and Vintage and totally Divinely Decadent Bouquets and this is never going to change.

I recently had a Bride to come and see me who stated that a bespoke Vintage Magpie bouquet is just like a  bespoke wedding dress; knowing that it has been made for you....the time dedicated to making the dress, made for your body, changing every stitch and working hard to get it perfect for you....and succeeding. I thought that summed up my bespoke range perfectly

Like wise with my 'ready to wear' collection of bouquets I'm so excited to see what you think of them....updates are coming very soon....Vintage Magpie is excitedly looking to the future and lovingly the past......

....My first bespoke Vintage Magpie Bouquet for a paying customer (Natalie)....I loved it....and still do....however I am proud to say my photography skills have got 100% better!!

xxx