Custom Orders At Pink Flamingo

One of the lovely things about selling online is being able to work directly with customers to produce one off and customised pieces. Whether it's adding a personalised greeting to a birthday card, having some personalised invitations made from a design in my shops or having something made from scratch to your specifications, I love to make unique and meaningful pieces.

Here are just a few example of what you can have done and I'm always happy to have a new challenge and chance to be creative!

Personalised cards

There are lots of cards available at both my Etsy and Wow Thank You shops all of which can have any personalised greeting added. Some are also available in different colour choices or you can always get in touch for colour combinations of your own.

Or if you have an idea and want one made just for you, get in touch to discuss the possibilities.  

All Pink Flamingo cards can have any personalised greeting added

This card was custom made to a request - it's the only one in the world!

Flower labels

Last year I met Hollow Meadow Flowers at some markets I was selling at. They grow beautiful flowers here in Sheffield and arrange them in rustic style bunches, bouquets and displays. I was thrilled when they got in touch asking if I could make some labels to go with their wedding flowers - this is what I came up with.

 

 

Party Decorations

Make a party extra special with personalised decorations. A customer who bought these cupcake toppers requested a birthday banner to match - and that's what they got...

... with added elephants!

Get in touch to discuss a custom order of your own!

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Email - pinkflamingohandcrafting@gmail.com

Quick and Simple Valentine Cupcake Toppers

In the run up to Halloween last year I wrote a tutorial showing how to make some cupcake toppers for the occasion which proved to be the most viewed post of the year. So with another holiday coming up I thought it would be good to use the same method with different shapes (unless of course bats and mummies are romantic for you!).

Here then are some quick and simple Valentine's Day cupcake toppers. They're fun to play around with trying different colours and patterns too; try using old books or music sheets of your loved one's favourites.

Valentine Cupcake Toppers

 

You will need:

• various papers
• glue (I prefer PVA)
• cocktail sticks
• scissors
• pencil
• ruler
• black pen

These are the shapes I've used. If you want you could print this image and use them as templates or draw your own.

Step one

Draw the shape/s you want onto the reverse of one of the papers you've chosen. You will need to draw 2 shapes for each topper you want to make.

Step two

Use your scissors to cut out the shapes. Place the pairs of shapes 'wrong side' to 'wrong side' and make sure they match up. If one is a little bigger or a different shape just cut around them to make sure they match.

If you're making the lips or roses use a black pen to draw the details on now before you make the topper. Follow the lines in this picture.

Step three

Place one shape down flat with the 'wrong side' facing upwards. Spread a thin layer of glue all over the shape.

Step four

Place a cocktail stick in the centre of the shape (about half way up) with the remainder of the stick coming straight down.

Step 5

Take the other shape in the pair and spread a layer of glue over the 'wrong side'.

Step 6

Line up the two shapes glued side to glued side and press them together. (This is where a wet glue like PVA is useful as you can move the shapes around a little to line them up).

And there you have it, a finished cupcake topper! Repeat the steps for as many toppers as you want to make.

Unique and Upcycled Paper Bunting Tutorial

If you've read any of this blog before or seen my work you'll have seen that I love to use old paper in crafting. I love to find different ways to create new pieces which are unique and can be made to be personal for the person they're made for.

In this tutorial I'm going to show you how you can make some simple paper bunting using old papers which is something I made last summer. I had a stall at a fair outside and had a gazebo so I thought I'd decorate it in a festive way to match the items I was selling. As well as prettying up a gazebo, this bunting is great for parties and other celebrations and can be made to suit the person by choosing the type of texts they like.

You will need:

• various old papers - maps, book pages, magazines, music sheets
• string
• glue (I use PVA)
• pencil
• ruler
• scissors

Step 1

Sizes and quantities will depend on how long you want the length of bunting to be and how big you want each flag. As such I'm not giving exact measurements, just cut the paper and string to the size you want.

Cut a piece of paper into a triangle that's longer than it is wide.

Step 2

Turn the triangle over so the reverse side is facing you. Draw a line across the paper 1.5cm down from the top. Fold the paper down along where the line is.

Step 3

Turn the triangle of paper around so the 'right' side is facing you. Where the flap of paper at the top has been folded down there will be a little piece overhanging at either side. Cut these off.

Repeat steps 1 - 3 to make as many paper flags as you need. Cut a length of string long enough for all the flags to fit on remembering to leave enough string at either end to be able to tie the bunting to wherever you're hanging it (I usually leave about 1 metre at each end).

Step 4

Turn the paper over again so the reverse side is facing you. Spread glue along the flap at the top of the triangle.

Step 5

Place the length of string along the folded line then fold the glued flap over and press it down.

Repeat until all the flags are glued onto the string, and you're finished!


It's as easy as that! Now you know how to make a cheap and unique decoration for all kinds of occasions. They can be stored easily to reuse or the paper is recyclable when you've finished with them.

Find this tutorial and lots of other makes at http://bebetsy.com/author/simply-author/Pink+Flamingo+Handcrafting/

My Favourite UK Crafter of the Week - Shabby Chic by Found in the Loft

I found this shop a while ago and love the shabby chic creations in it. I also contacted the owner to ask if I could share her work but didn't hear back for a little while, but with very good reason - a (very) new baby! I'd got in touch practically at the point of arrival (great timing!) so things were a little hectic over there, but it's back to business now. So as well as sharing this lovely work, I'd also like to share a 'Congratulations!'

As usual, this post is in no way sponsored or influenced. The crafter featured is genuinely a favourite of mine; all quotes are the crafter's own and the opinions are mine. So, with this in mind this week's UK Crafter of the Week is...

Found In The Loft 

I love this name. 'Found in the Loft' conjures up images of vintage treasures left forgotten for years to be rediscovered and loved again; it also suggests something connected to your family, something familiar and comforting. And that's the feeling I get looking through this lovely work. The shop is the work of Misia who got the name for it as 'the first ever items sewn by myself were made using old fabrics, cottons and buttons found in my husband's grandmother's loft.' Although Misia now uses a mix of new and upcycled fabrics, the overall tone still has this wonderful vintage feel to it. This cosmetic purse could quite easily be made out of an old family piece re-loved to become a new useful item (you could even invent your own history for it if you don't have a loft to rummage through!).

Shabby Chic Cosmetic Pouch £8.50 Found in the Loft

As well as creating her own pieces, Misia also revamps furniture giving it a shabby chic makeover. She not only offers it for sale, but also likes to make items for her own home too saying 'there's always something that needs updating in my house'. Making and repurposing your own decor gives you a feel for what's needed by others in their homes and helps the designer try different techniques to share with their customers like this beautiful coffee table painted and distressed by Misia.

French Cottage Shabby Chic Table £70.00 Found in the Loft

Found in the Loft was started in 2011 when Misia realised that her 'personalised gifts appeared to be very popular especially amongst new parents' after making them for friends and family. Looking at these adorable elephant dolls it's easy to see why! As well as making the nursery decorations, Misia makes their little outfits too and is happy to work with her customers to create them in different colours and even personalise the dolls. (Now I'm thinking of baby and elephant having matching outfits!)

Elephant Doll £18.00 Found in the Loft

Misia believes 'that handmade and personalised presents are more valuable' and I have to agree. How much more would you appreciate a gift made just for you than (even though they might be lovely) a mass produced item? Someone taking the time to find something just for you is a great gift in itself - the old saying 'it's the thought that counts' becomes truer every time I see a customised gift. I would much rather have one beautiful and thoughtful present than lots of nice things that I'm not sure where to put (although my inner child would probably disagree - shouts of 'I want lots of presents to unwrap' can still be heard on Christmas morning! But this is soon quelled when the gifts are opened). This canvas print can be made with any meaningful words you'd like and hung on the wall is a great reminder of what's important to you.

Personalised Family Canvas Print £35.99 Found in the Loft

All of Found in the Loft's work is beautiful with a vintage yet modern feel. As well as reminding me of past heirlooms, I'm sure Misia's work will become ones for the future too!

To see more of Misia's delightful work take a look here:

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Found in the Loft Blog

Christmas at Pink Flamingo Handcrafting!

I know it's only September and summer's still in recent memory (just about!), but I feel like it's December already! I've been busily working on my Christmas cards ready to sell at the markets I've booked, in my online shops and for actual 'real' shops too. I thought I'd share with you some of my festive creations and the ideas that brought them to life.

Keep reading for a SPECIAL OFFER for blog readers!

One of the main things I liked about selling at markets in the summer was listening to customers and their feedback. One comment a heard a few times was along these lines, 'That's a lovely card. It's a pity it's for a birthday as it would have been a great thank you card for my friend'. And this got me thinking. Something I can offer with handmade cards that it's difficult to do with printed cards is a personalised greeting; so this is what I'm going to do with my Christmas cards this year. I'll display the different cards I've made for a customer to choose from and then have a range of greetings which I can add to give people more choice. And even better, the cards sold online can have any greeting added to include names, date or occasions too! (This also explains why some of the cards in these pictures don't have greetings on.)

Love Bird Robins

I first made a card similar to this last Christmas to send to my family. I love the little robins who visit my garden in the winter and wanted to add them to a card, but I'm not a great drawer so they became stylised robins! I played around with a few designs and favoured them sitting on their branches with some little hearts in between. Each card is made with a different variation of patterns and colours to make them unique - and so I can play around with all my different papers!

I also make a version using an old falling to pieces copy of 'A Christmas Carol' and have great fun reading through the text to pick out Christmassy words to use and colouring the pages.

Festive Mrs Fox

I love little foxes and especially all the cute ones that have been around recently on stationery and clothes, so I designed one of my own. At first she was on some birthday cards but to make her more festive I've sat her next to a Christmas tree - each of which is unique. I've given her eyelashes to make her extra cute and think she's perfect to send to sisters, best friends, mums and daughters.

There are some urban foxes that I see sometimes in the early mornings wandering around behind my house which I always like to watch, but they're not as cute as these!

Christmas Russian Dolls

Anyone who's seen my bookshelves will know I have a thing about Russian Dolls. I can't even remember when I got my first set (and anyone who knows me will also know my memory isn't that great!) but I've always been fascinated with them. I love the patterns and colours which are so intricate and the stories that can be told with the images going down the dolls.

There's a continental market which visits Sheffield city centre a few times each year and there's a stall there that sells dolls from the Ukraine. I can't resist looking at them all and buying a set (and a brooch, and some Christmas decorations, and a magnet, and a jewellery box...well, you get the idea). I have a few sets of Christmas related ones too so thought it only natural to include Russian dolls in my cards. Again, each one is unique with a range of different colours and patterns available.

So, there are some of the inspirations behind my Christmas range of cards. I've also started work on decorations too and I'll share the story of those as the festive season gets closer (only 98 days til the big day!).

To help you get a head start preparing for Christmas and as a SPECIAL OFFER for blog readers, you can get 25% off all personalised Christmas cards in my Etsy shop until 30th September 2013.  Just use the code XMASBLOG25 at the checkout! Pink Flamingo Crafting on Etsy

Why Buy Handmade? Some Makers Share Their Thoughts

Obviously I love handmade items. I'm a maker myself and handcraft and sell my items online, at fairs and in shops. They're also more popular than they have been for years with handmade now being seen as unique and desirable rather than a 'cheap' alternative to 'proper' products. There was a time (not too long ago) when if you wore clothes that were handmade, by you or someone else, it was something to hide whereas now people love to have something made just for them! I love that people are embracing the handmade idea and that more and more truly skilled and talented makers are getting their work out there and sharing it with everyone.

Some of my handmade work at a craft fair

Don't get me wrong, I love mass produced products as well. There are some big brand products I adore and use regularly (just take a look at my make up bag and you'll see that!) but when I'm looking for something special, unique and personal I always look for handmade.

In some people's minds handmade has always equaled poor quality and cheap, but I'm finding more and more that people are leaving this idea behind and discovering the great quality products out there. At the craft fairs I attend the standard of makers' work is unbelievably good time after time showing that buying handmade is now a true shopping experience and not just looking at hobby work (whatever the quality) that people are selling.

I'm sure if you've found your way to this blog you're already a fan of handmade, but if you need a little influence to convert to the handcrafted ethos take a look at these great reasons!

Reasons For Buying Handmade...

• a lot of items are unique, even if they are the same pattern each is made individually giving it its own character
• they reflect what the maker loves rather than just the latest trend making them more individual
• supporting local and independent craftspeople and artists
• most makers are happy to customise and personalise items to make them even more special
• there's so much choice, it's a great way to find something really thoughtful for yourself, your home or as a gift
• independent crafters love the work they do and what it to be of the best quality

 Handmade Makers Share Their Thoughts...

          Kim from Quirk and Kwizle

"Why buy handmade? Handmade items are usually one of a kind. In my case, I go to my local beach and select serpentine beach stones, tumble them and make them into jewelley. I can spend hours looking for the right colours whilst soaking up the beautiful scenery. The stones are truly hand picked and unique. "

Green Shetland Island Serpentine Cufflinks £7.00 Quirk and Kwizle Etsy

          Roxi from Not Your Fox

"When you buy a handmade item you know you'll have something that has been made with love as well as supporting the designer. Your item will already have it's own story and will be unique to you - plus you'll be less likely to see everyone else with the same thing!"

Sterling Silver Alpha Skull Necklace £37.00 Not Your Fox Etsy

         Tricia from T Lee Custom Designs

"Purchasing handmade items are some of the best quality and one of a kind design. They add so much more character to your life and give you the option to express who you are without the worry someone else might have that same item."

Black, White and Orange Clutch Bag £14.58 T Lee Custom Designs Etsy

  

          Kelly from Paint Fabric Whimsy

"Buying hand made is like holding a little bit of love in your hands."

Sculptured Fabric Rose £16.56 Paint Fabric Whimsy Etsy

Original Matted Water Colour Print £11.93 Paint Fabric Whimsy Etsy

          Sandra from Eclectic Directions

"I enjoy making something different, maybe unexpected, from its original use. It's great to be able to recycle or upcycle materials that would otherwise go to waste. Also, it's very rewarding to make something that works or looks better than the original; it helps make it personal."

Playing Card Upcycled Notebook £3.98 Eclectic Directions Etsy