Our very first guest blogger, Charlie Deighton of 'Handmade by Charlie Deighton' fame has very kindly offered to share the secret of how to make her Little Bottles of Loveliness. Perfect timing with Valentine's Day (14th February) fast approaching and Sunday 10th March being Mother's Day.
Charlie (who is featured in this month's Craftseller Magazine) is one talented lady. Living and working just outside Bristol, you're sure to fall in love with her amazingly beautiful handmade dolls, owls, cards, and paper cut art. Visit her Facebook page and Etsy Shop for her full collection. Curl up with a nice cup of hot chocolate, watch the snow falling outside (if it's anything like it is here where you are!) and read HQ's interview with Charlie below her fab tutorial. Enjoy x
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All photos © Charlie Deighton
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Instructions for Gorgeous Jars of
Loveliness...a.k.a. a very lovely pin cushion!
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| All photos by Charlie Deighton© |
You will need:
A jam jar (a canning/kilner jar with a two piece
lid is ideal if you can get one)
Scissors
Glue (good quality craft glue/PVA)
Needle and thread
Two contrasting pieces of fabric
A small handful of toy stuffing
Sewing machine (optional)
A piece of thin card/felt
Ribbon or other decoration
You can use a regular jam jar for this simple
project or if you have one, a Kilner (or "canning") jar with a two
piece lid is ideal.
1. First of all, take your jam jar lid and
cut out a circle from one piece of fabric that is approximately 5 cm bigger
(all around) than the lid. Put this to one side.
2. Next, take your piece of felt or thin card
and draw round the jam jar lid; cut this out and set aside. If you are
using a regular jam jar, cut out an extra disc using the card.
3. I think it's nice to add a bit of
interest to the pin cushion, so I appliqued a little heart onto the fabric used
to cover the lid using a contrasting fabric. I used my sewing machine to
do this, but it would work just well sewn on by hand. I love the idea of
using a tiny jam jar (like you get with your cream tea) and making a little
'tooth fairy' jar with a little tooth cut out and sewn onto the lid...the
possibilities are endless!
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| All photos by Charlie Deighton© |
4. Take your piece of fabric cut out in 1. above
and with a double thread, gather the edge of the circle with a simple running
stitch. When you have gone all the way around the edge of the circle of fabric,
gently pull both ends of the thread to gather the fabric up. If you don't like
sewing, you can skip this part...
5. If you are using a Kilner jar, place a
little toy stuffing on the top of the lid, otherwise place the stuffing on top
of the disc of card cut out in 2. above.
6. Take your gathered fabric circle and
place it carefully over the jam jar lid (and toy stuffing) or piece of card.
If you are using a Kilner jar, a little tip is to make sure that the
stuffing is concentrated in the centre of the lid, rather than the edges.
Then, gently pull the two ends of the thread and pull the fabric closely
around the lid/card and tie in place. Alternatively you can glue the
fabric over the circle/lid by carefully pulling the edges over and glueing them
in place.
7. Next take your little circle of felt or card
cut out in 2. above and glue in place on the underside of your padded lid/card
circle. Leave to dry.
8. If you are using a regular jam jar, pop some
glue on top of the jam jar lid and place your padded disc on top. Press
down firmly and leave to dry.
If you are using a Kilner jar, place the covered
lid into outer ring and check the lid fits onto the jar and screws shut
properly...this took me a little trial and error hence my advice to keep the
stuffing in the middle! Add a little glue around the inside rim of the
outer ring and put the covered lid in place. I then screw the lid onto
the jar straight away as the pressure helps keep everything together nicely as
it dries.
9. You now have a lovely little jar of
gorgeousness that you can decorate/fill to your heart's content! I have added
ribbon around the outside of the lid, kept in place with a little glue - you
could also add lace and or buttons.
10. Now, all you need to do is sit back and
admire your lovely handiwork!
If you don't think you'll get the time to make one of these before Valentines or Mother's Day - or if you want to drop some oh-so-unsubtle hints to someone else by leaving your browser open at a certain page (wink, wink!) - you can purchase them (or any of her other adorable products) directly from Charlie's Folksy Shop.
While Charlie was busy sharing, we asked her a few crafty questions . . .
1. How did you get into crafting?
I did a French and Fine Art
Degree many moons ago and like many graduates, ended up in a job that was
completely unrelated and sadly, stopped doing any art, even though it was
always at the back of my mind as something I wanted to do. About a year
ago, I decided to make a small collection of cards and other bits to sell at
our local village market and to my delight, did really well. I set up my
facebook page 'Handmade by Charlie Deighton' and also opened a store on Etsy
and Folksy and have not looked back. Exploring my creative side through
'crafting' and making cards has been a wonderful stepping stone for me back
into the world of 'art', I've more confidence now to try my hand at
painting/print making again and am looking forward to developing my work along
those lines this year.
2. Where do you get your
inspiration from?
Oh, everywhere and anywhere! I love
beautiful fabrics, simple shapes and the process of combining the old with the
new and breathing new life into old, forgotten or every day objects. My
work is quite organic and one idea flows from the next; interestingly, much of
my inspiration comes from my Art Foundation Course - I still use techniques I
developed then: combining textures and surface pattern through different layers
of paper and tissue. What's lovely now is that I'm not under any pressure
to be 'conceptual' (which I really struggle with!!), so I can just go with the
flow and make things I think are beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, rather
than worrying whether they have an underlying meaning!
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| All photos by Charlie Deighton© |
3. What is your
favourite of all your products?
I shouldn't say it, but I love them all - I'm
quite stubborn so if I don't like something, I won't make it! I really
enjoy making my rag dolls - each one is unique and has its own personality and
style. They have taken me quite by surprise, a lovely, happy accident.
It gives me so much pleasure to make a bespoke doll for someone and know
that it will make someone smile and hopefully be treasured for years to come.
Two, would be my Lavender Love Birds and Owl Doorstops - mainly because
of the endless opportunity to try out so many beautiful fabrics (from Fabric
HQ!).
4. What made you start
selling your makes?
After moaning (for far too long) that I wanted
to get back into my art, a friend encouraged me to make some cards to ease
myself in. The very same day, I booked myself a stall at our local market
(goal number one!) and got making. I think years of pent up creativity
were unleashed and I haven't looked back! I've had wonderful encouragement and
support from my friends and family and my poor husband (and children) have been
very patient with me...
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| All photos by Charlie Deighton© |
5. Advice for someone
trying to build their own business
I'm not sure I'm best placed to give any
advice on building your business..but I think the important thing is to do what
you love and do it well. I am a perfectionist when it comes to my
'craft', and take the utmost care in everything I do. Work out what sells
well and tweak those products every now and again, to keep them fresh and new.
Also, have a think about the 'style' and feel of your products - do they
reflect you, your personality, your passion?
I love to see what other
people are making and there are so many wonderfully, talented people out there;
build your network through social media - facebook, twitter and also Etsy is
great for forming 'circles' of fellow makers. Share your work and theirs
and you'll be amazed how quickly you can raise your profile, and make new
friends/contacts along the way.
Take part in local markets and craft fairs -
they are a fantastic place to dip your toe in the water and see what sells,
plus you won't be short of inspiration! Markets are also a good way to
get a feel for your 'pricing' - I think this is tricky, there will always be
people who don't understand or appreciate the amount of time it takes to craft
something beautiful...stand strong and don't be tempted to lower your prices
too quickly if something is not selling straight away.
Work hard but take a break...making cards can
become rather repetitive, so I've learnt to make them up in small batches of
6-10 and then do something different to stay motivated.
Finally, know what you are great at and don't
try to do it all! I often see work I love and think, ooh, I could do that
- but if someone else is doing it (and doing it well), walk away - find
inspiration in other people's work, but make your work and ideas your own.
6. How do you promote
your business?
I use Facebook mainly and also have stores on
Etsy and Folksy. I haven't paid to promote my craft and at this stage
don't feel the need to. I find Facebook is a wonderfully easy way to
connect with people and share my new work - you get instant feedback, or
not . . . and so it's quite easy to gauge the pieces people like.
Take great photos - the lighting and
positioning of products is important; people can't feel or pick up your work
online so photos need to be clear and accurately reflect the true colours of
your work - include close up shots to show the detail and surface texture for
example. I've just bought a fixed focus lens for my camera which allows
you to focus on the subject but softens the surrounding area - it's taking a
little while to get used but gives lovely, professional looking shots.
I have very nice business cards (from Moo),
which each have a different picture of my work - they create a strong first
impression, are visually appealing and very tactile - exactly how I want my
work to come across! I always have a little pile of them on my table at
markets and enclose a spare card with orders in the hope that it will passed
on.
I also find just talking to people is
invaluable, be it friends and family or customers at the markets - it's so
important to build a rapport with people and leave a lasting impression of both
you and your work.
7. What bit of kit would
you be lost without?
Tissue paper, pritt stick and craft punch.
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| All photos by Charlie Deighton© |
8. What are your plans
for the future?
My youngest starts school this September so I
will have a little more time to myself (I work 3 days) and my plan is to really
'go for it' and see where it gets me! On a personal level, I would love
to do some more art work and am hoping to go on a course or two to learn some
new skills and perhaps revive some old ones!
One day, this will be my full-time
job...fingers crossed x
9. Is there a fellow crafter
whose work you particularly love?
I love the work of Loopy Linnet, Lynne's
work is beautiful, quirky and imaginative. She makes beautiful fabric
appliques of harbours and sailing boats which I find particularly appealing
because I dream of living by the sea. Lynne also makes the most wonderful
papier mache mermaids amongst other charming characters, which just make me
smile - they are fabulously whimsical but modern and witty at the same time.
I like work that makes me smile - it doesn't have to be complicated but
it should make you happy!
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| All photos by Charlie Deighton© |
10. What advice can you give
others about fitting it all in?
: ) I'm not sure that you can!
As with all things, something usually has to give. I work part-time (3
days a week) and am a mum of two, so it is all a bit of a balancing act.
I am very lucky because I have a very patient (long suffering) and
supportive husband who on the whole seems happy to leave me to my 'making' in
the evenings! It can take over at certain times though and I think the
hardest thing is working to a deadline and remembering to take time to be with
your partner and children too. I don't always get it right and make a
conscious effort now not to 'craft' when the boys are around.
I am methodical in my approach
to my work. I work in small batches and so that it is easy to finish the
pieces I'm working on in one evening. It enables me to work more
efficiently and I feel more satisfaction if I've been able to finish what I've
started.
When it comes to my craft, I
live in a state of organised chaos . . . I have drawers (and bags) of fabrics,
cotton and paper remnants which to the uninitiated look
to be a state of total disorder...but to me, they are my inspiration. My
work is precise, neat and carefully put together, one day my drawers will be
too!! But for now, life is too short, there are cards to be made and
birds to be sewn - plus a little chaos is all the more reason for me to be
given a (craft) room of my own!
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| All photos by Charlie Deighton© |
