Laura Brennan Art

I have another artist for you to take a look at, I discovered Laura Brennan and her work at the Blackpool fair last weekend and I just had to share her work with you.  

Record Clocks

Laura designs and makes lots of different items including prints, cushions, record clocks and furniture.  

Stunning Prints - I love the colours Laura uses.

One of my favourite items from the stall were her beautiful cushions which are made out of recycled materials.  Laura then screen prints onto the fabric and I hope you agree with me that they are fantastic.  Her designs are really original and eye-catching.  

Recycled cushions with screen printed images.

Laura also transforms vintage furniture into new beautiful pieces.  Laura hand paints the furniture in an array of beautiful colours and then she adds detailed images.  I love the beautiful pastel girly colours she uses in her designs.  My favourite piece from the fair was a gorgeous pink dresser which she had decorated with a pretty bird design. 

My favourite piece - I love the hand painted bird design.

More furniture by Laura.

Laura has a Facebook page and she also takes custom orders for portraits, go over and take a look and let me know what you think. 

Laura xxx 

ASOS Marketplace Sale

To make way for some new vintage stock I have decided to discount some of my items that are listed on my ASOS Marketplace.  If you like vintage clothing or you are looking for some new jewellery i have some items reduce by 25% and 50%.  I would really appreciate it if you could spread the word to anyone else you know who may be interested, here are some of my top picks,

Laura 

xxxx

Black skirt with Waist Detail £18 now £13.50

LOVE Necklace £10 now £7.50

Blue Dress £28 now £14

Floral Ribbon Bracelet £8 now £4

Lily Greenwood

Whilst at the fair in Blackpool the work of Lily Greenwood really caught my eye so I thought I would share some of her fabulous work with you.  I bought 3 small postcards from the stall and I have taken her contact details as her larger pieces of work are simply stunning and I would really like to purchase a piece of her original artwork in the future.  Lily paints under her grandmother's name, her name is Liz although she does not mind being called either.  I only had a quick chat with her on Sunday and she was really friendly and approachable.  

Lily uses mixed media in her designs and on her website she explains that she predominately uses acyrlic on canvas although she often combines inks, watercolours, pastels and collage.  

I was particularly drawn to the art because it is based on nature and a lot of the work features butterflies, flowers and birds which is right up my street.  When I got home from the fair I got straight online to look at Lily's website which is really informative.  It also has links to her Facebook page and Etsy and Folksy shops.  Lily has a studio/shop in Manchester's Craft and Design Centre which is based in the Northern Quarter.

I have posted a few of my favourite designs below, my personal favourites are the butterfly images, I love the detail that Lily has added into each one.  

One of the postcard designs I purchased. 

I love the contrasting colours in this painting.

I love this Kimono inspired design.

Make sure you pop over and have a look on her website and take a look yourself.  

Laura xxx

* All images copied from www.lilygreenwood.co.uk

A Weekend By the Sea

This weekend had a stall at a handmade and vintage craft fair in Blackpool.  I really enjoyed meeting lots of new customers and some traders.  I took some pictures of the event and I will be blogging about some of the lovely stallholders this week so keep your eyes peeled.  

Blackpool Tower - Such a shame the sun wasn't shining.

My new stock was well received at the fair, my tote bags proved popular as did my new range of heart motif t-shirts.  I have been customising t-shirts all week making hearts from lots of pretty floral fabrics.  Lots of people were buying them for festivals and holidays.  I am limiting the designs to 1-5 t-shirts in each fabric.  I will hopefully have them online on my ASOS Marketplace in the next few days, however if you can't resist head over to my Facebook page.  

Brand New T-Shirts

What have you been up to this week? What do you think of the t-shirts? 

Laura xxx

My Week

I have had a really busy week so sorry for my lack of blog posts.  I have recently started volunteering at my local community centre and I working with some teenagers on a project using recycled goods to make clothes.  It is only in its initial stages but it is really exciting, they have some fantastic ideas and it has been really good to see their responses to the brief.  As the projects continues I will try and get some photos.  

On Saturday I had plans to travel to Jersey for the day but due to problem that happened on the runway in Jersey my plane was delayed so I ended up not going.  Instead I went to a new restaurant in Liverpool called Tribeca.  It is based on Smithdown Rd but the chain also has a bar/restaurant in the city centre.  The decor inside is amazing, unfortunately I didn't take lots of pictures as my camera battery ran out.  They sell a huge selection of pizza's, most are £5.95 so it is really good value for money.  If you live nearby it is worth a visit.  

Tribeca Liverpool

The rest of my week has been spent flyering for some of the upcoming fairs I am going to, working on new designs and ranges and replenishing stock. Here are some pics from my week. 

Working hard on the sewing machine.
Vintage fabric ready to be transformed.
A finished bag ready for ASOS.
My favourite print so far. 

A sneak peek of my new range of t-shirts and vests.
Brand new headbands using vintage fabrics and buttons.
Getting pictures ready to upload on ASOS. 

What have you been up to this week?  I would love to hear from you.  

Laura xx

Laura Loves .... the Sales!

Wow what a week! I have been really over the last few days preparing for all the upcoming vintage fairs I have lined up, my sewing machine has been over worked this week as I have been making lots more floral dresses and some more tote bags.  Today I decided to take a break as lots of the high street shops have started their sales and with discounts of up to 50% I have been mooching online and I have decided to pop up some of my favourite sale picks.  

Oasis Chevron Dress - £65 now £35

Oasis Placement Print Dress - £85 now £55

Miss Selfridge Aztec Print Shopper - £30 now £15

Miss Selfridge Stud Bucket Bag £45 now £20

Miss Selfridge Geo Print Tee £25 now £12

Urban Outfitters Deena & Ozzy Shoes £85 now £45

Warehouse Daisy Print Midi Dress £45 now £17

Let me know what you think of my sale picks?  Have you bought any bargains recently? 

Laura xxx

P.S. Don't forget if you follow me on Twitter don't forget that I have a 15% discount code for you to use until Friday.  My user name is lauraloves1.  As an extra special treat I will also be adding a pair of button earrings in with all orders.  

Laura Loves ..... Eyelashes

 Before going on a night out I always put on a set of False Eyelashes and I would like to share some of my favourite lashes with you.  

I always use DUO glue, I bought my tube in MAC about a year ago and it is absolutely fantastic, gone are the days of eyelashes slipping and moving and believe me a little really does go a long way I have still got lots and lots left and it has been well used by me and my friends.  

Duo Glue - Available from lots of retailers including MAC £10

Now on to the actual lashes, I don't know about you but I think they complete a look.  I tend to wear them mostly on night out but sometime I treat myself to individual lashes so I have a fuller look day and night.  I feel false eyelashes make my eyes stand out and open them up and I kind of feel lost without them!  

MAC 12 Lash £10

I sometimes go to MAC and have my make-up done for £25 on special occasions and as you get the fee back in products I often treat myself to a pair of lashes.  At £10 they are more expensive than the other lashes I use but I usually get a number of wears out of each set.  My favourites are Number 12, I feel they suit me well as they are full without being over the top.  

Eylure 107 Lashes

Another favourite of mine is Eylure 107 lashes which are available from Boots for £5.35 a set.  Boots also do a triple pack for £13.75 which works out better value if you are a lash fan like me!  Also Boots often have special offers on such as Buy One Get One Free which also makes them better value.  

My last review is for the Girls Aloud range of eyelashes.  I have tried every set in this range as my sister bought my a gift set for Christmas a few years ago.  My personal favourite lashes are 'Nicola' and 'Cheryl'.  The lashes are also made by Eylure and I love them.  I recently discovered a set of 5 eyelashes in Home Bargains which are almost identical and they cost the same as one pair of the Girls Aloud range but on my last few visits to Home Bargains I have failed to find them.  

Do you wear falsies? Which brand is your favourite? Do you have any recommendations for me to try? I would love to hear from you.  

Laura xxx

Laura Loves Haberdashery

I have recently set up a Haberdashery page on Etsy to sell everything crafty people need from buttons to vintage patterns.  Over the next few weeks I will be adding lots of items but I will be mainly specialising in Vintage supplies.  I use a lot of vintage buttons, fabrics and patterns in my designs but I have decided it is time for a bit of a clear out as my workspace is getting a bit cluttered!

I have created a Facebook group for you to follow to be updated on new stock so please feel free to join.  If you would like me to search for anything specific get in touch.  Here is an example of some of the stock online at the moment.  

La Mode Nautical Buttons - Original Packaging £1.50

I have tonnes of buttons for sale, most of the vintage ones are still on their original packaging.  

Vintage Buckle £1.50

I have seen the vintage buckles used in lots of different ways to create jewellery and even headbands. 

Vintage Knitting Pattern £2

I am thinking of buying some studs and spikes for people who want to customise items and possibly placing some fabric and lace in the store.  What do you think? What type of products would you like to see on sale? I would love to hear your feedback.  

Laura xxx

500 Followers on Twitter!

To celebrate reaching 500 followers earlier than hoped on Twitter I have decided to run an exclusive discount code for my followers on my ASOS Marketplace.  For 15% off until Friday follow me on Twitter and you will find the discount code.  

My twitter name is lauraloves1 -  Leave me a comment with your username and I will follow you too, I love reading tweets x

Laura Loves Birmingham

As you may or may not know I am from Birmingham, although I do a lot of fairs around the country and I love lots of the cities I have visited.   I recently took the time to take in some of the sights of my home city.    

The Birmingham Bull in its Jubilee finest.

I like spending time in places such as the Botanical Gardens which is such a lovely time to spend the day especially if the sun is shining.   One of my other places to spend the day is just outside Birmingham in Stratford Upon Avon.  I spent a lot of time there when I was at university as it was a great place to gather inspiration and to work.  I particularly love the Butterfly Farm in Stratford and a pub called Cox's Yard.  I was lucky enough to trade there last year with the team from Sutton Vintage and Arts Fair. 

A view from the Bullring.

 Another favourite of mine is The Custard Factory in Digbeth which is home to a number of fantastic independent retailers and business including The Frock On Vintage Studio a celeb favourite, GET A GRIP printing studio and The Vintage Salon to name a few.  

The Custard Factory

Have you ever been to Birmingham or any of the places featured in the blog? 

Laura xxx

Vintage Fair Update

Just a quick post, hope you have all had a good weekend, I have spent most of today on the sewing machine.  I have a few vintage fairs coming up in the next few weeks so I have been really busy working on new ranges of stock.  Today I have been making lots of tote bags using vintage materials.  Here is one of them and they will all be available on my website in the next few days.  I would love to know what you think of them.  

Handmade Tote Bag - Made using vintage fabric lots coming soon. 

My next fairs are in Blackpool, Erdington and Sutton Coldfield.  I really cannot wait as I have lots and lots of new items to sell.  I will post the details of each below.  

My next fair is in Blackpool, it is the first time I have traded at the event and it sounds fantastic over 100 stalls, a vintage tearoom and live entertainment.  The event is being held on the 23rd and 24th June in the Pavillion Theatre, the events Facebook page has lots more information.  

After that I will be trading at the Highclare School Summer Celebration in Erdington, Birmingham.  

The event is being held to celebrate the school's 80th Birthday and the Queens Jubilee.  The event will also have a funfair, donkey rides, funfair games, food stalls and a Pimms tent so it is a real family day out!  If you would like more information, head over to their Facebook page.  

On July 1st I will be trading at Sutton Vintage and Arts fair.  I uploaded a blog on this event a few days ago and it really is fantastic.  Over 80 stalls, live entertainment and cupcakes and it is only £1 entry.  The Facebook page has lots of information on the event.  

If you live near any of the events it would be lovely to hear from you or see you at the event, Laura xx

Laura Loves .... Marina & The Diamonds

"Primadonna girl, yeah.  All I ever wanted was the world."

Marina - Very Marie Antoinette

Whilst  in my workspace I have been listening to lots of Marina and the Diamonds.  Her first album 'The Family Jewels' is a regular in my car cd player and on my ipod and more recently I have had 'Primadonna' on repeat, it is my current favourite on the new album Electra Heart mainly because it is so catchy!

Marina's Latest Album - Electra Heart

I also love Marina's style, I watched her recently on Channel 4's Sunday Brunch, her style was reminiscent of a 50's housewife with a hint of Marie Antoinette.  

Loving the classic styling and simple accessories.

I also loves Marina's recent outfit choice for the 2012 NME awards.  Her dress is classic and very pretty and I like the simple accessories she wore with the outfit.  I am currently designing ranges ready for Autumn and Winter and at the moment classic styles such as the 50's housewife will be featuring heavily so expect lots of florals, accessories and much more.  

Have you listened to Electra Heart? What are your favourite tracks? Do you like her style?  Do you have any ideas for Autumn/Winter ranges?   I would love to hear your thoughts.  

Laura xxx

Laura Loves ... Miss Selfridge Summer Picks

"Sun is shining, weather is sweet, make you wanna move your dancing feet." Bob Marley 

Even though the weather has been awful over the last few days and like Winter I have started to get ready for my Summer holidays.  I have recently been looking online and I have been really impressed with the Miss Selfridge summer range.  Here are a few of my favourite picks.  

Bikinis

Stripe 50's Style Bikini £26

Black Floral Bikini £26

I really love the style of these bikini's, I really like the retro shape and I think it would flatter almost all body shapes.  At £26 I think they are pretty reasonable.   

Sunglasses

Printed Sunglasses £10

Rimless Aviators £12

I love floral prints so when I saw the first pair of sunglasses I fell in love, they are gorgeous and have been added to my wishlist.  I also like the rimless aviators which are a constant feature in my summer wardrobe.  

Dresses

Paisley Maxi £42

Peach Ruffle Sun Dress £32

I love the pattern of the maxi dress and maxi dresses are often a staple feature of my summer holiday wardrobe as they can be dressed up or down.  I chose the ruffle sun dress as again I think this is a versatile dress that can be worn day or night and as it is simple in design I will dress it up in lots of bright jewellery.    

Jewellery

Laura Loves Ribbon Bracelet £5

Aztec Ribbon Bracelet £6

I will of course be accessorising throughout the trip with some of my own jewellery.  I love stacking up bracelets on holiday especially brightly coloured pieces as I think they help to highlight tanned skin.  Over the next few weeks I will be uploading lots of arm candy on Facebook and ASOS Marketplace so keep your eyes peeled for updates. 

What do you think of my picks? Are you going away this Summer? Have you picked up any Summer essentials?

Laura xxx