What tools for shaping leather flowers should you choose? Now that we have chosen thin and soft leather for creating leather flowers it is time to talk about the right tools which are going to help us turn a flat piece of skin into a 3D floral masterpiece. Tool number one is (believe me or not) our hands. A lot of shaping can be done with just hands. In fact, some flowers are made without any special tools. Different ways of folding, … Read More
As I’ve always said cold months is that period of the year when leather flowers outshine fabric ones. Amongst other reasons I would mention at least the following two: ❀ leather is a more durable material and flowers made of leather are more weather-resistant than silk ones ❀ leather and suede flowers nicely complement winter wardrobe pieces made of thick warm fabrics and wool, accentuate hats, bags and boots. At the moment I am working on a new tutorial which will be released … Read More
This year first time ever I am taking part in Secret Santa gift exchange. To add more excitement to it the exchange allows only hand crafted presents! Over 40 artists across Europe are participating. I have prepared a gift for a girl from Estonia. We did state our preferences in terms of colour, type of craft or item we would prefer to receive. My addressee was very easy going and said that she would be pleased to get any nice … Read More
Black Friday is over and I do hope that you have been lucky enough to get some great deals on Christmas pressies for yourselves and your loved ones. If not, I have an attractive offer for you: place an order for a ready-to-ship accessory in my shop till 2 December 2014 and purchase it with a 15% discount. Hand crafted accessories make a lovely present for for romantic individuals who appreciate unique craftsmanship, originality and quality. To get your discount please … Read More
Contests are a great moving force. Well, for me they are. I have been thinking about creating poppies out of leather for a while. So when I read about a millinery contest devoted to the First World War Centenary I immediately imagined a little leather hat with impressive red poppies and accepted the challenge. Because I am only a budding milliner impeccably crafted flowers were supposed to become the focal point of my hat. To make the headpiece more unusual … Read More
A couple of months ago I was asked to give an interview to one of silk floristry schools I studied at (actually, my first one!). The idea was to talk about how my flower making skills have developed since then, where I get my inspiration from and what advice I can give to those who are thinking about joining the magical world of hand made blooms. Although some of you won’t be able to understand what I am saying as … Read More
Handmade silk leaves for restoration work I am sorry I have not posted in weeks. This is all due to a large order of silk leaves. Intrigued? Read on I have been very busy working away on a pretty big, I would even say a wholesale order: I have been making 300 acer leaves for an unusual customer. The customer, one of London’s antique dealers, will be using my leaves to restore a spectacular French timepiece featuring moving and … Read More
Undoubtedly fabric poppies have always been popular. Especially fire engine red ones, which resemble the simple wild poppies grown without any cultivation in a natural setting. As we all know the red remembrance poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem “In Flanders Fields”. To cater for all tastes I have several Remembrance poppies in my portfolio ranging from satin to velvet ones, with and without foliage, with just 4 petals or a fuller version with … Read More
It is official, autumn is here. And although the days are still rather warm and even sunny the mornings are chilly and filled with dewy cobwebs.In colder months I find that silks and other delicate fabrics tend to lose their appeal and give way to more seasonally appropriate fellow material, leather. Lately, I have been working on my new line which I dubbed Indian Summer. Those of you who live in the Southern Hemisphere may not have experienced this natural … Read More
Stiffening leather tutorial Those of you who have tried working with genuine leather know how temperamental it can be. Leather is a natural product and as a result may have imperfections such as holes or scars, the thickness and stretch can vary too. And it is completely unpredictable when it comes to shaping it with hot flower iron. For my floral pieces I stiffen leather is several ways. Today I am going to share one of this ways with you. The … Read More
