Sunday 23 November 2008

Bird love

Well...... here is my take on Julie Arkell's work. I have lots and lots of cotton reels and wondered what the hell to do with them and so here is a solution. I wanted to make something that has been influenced by Julie but not a complete copy, so here we are.
I've worked on these since Friday evening, (not solidly)! These two birdies do not serve a purpose other than look pretty and I am very pleased with how they have turned out. But boy what a fiddle faddle....paper mache, fabric, wire and hot glue gun. As my daughter pointed out "Mom, the clue is in the name", boy is that glue hot!!!


In the week, I also managed to make a few needlecases, which are destined for Etsy.

Yesterday we visited Bridgnorth, Shropshire. It is such a great little town. Consisting of a low and high town.
We always head straight to The Looking Glass www.thelookingglass.co.uk An incredible mix of vintage clothes, designer hats, jewellery, gifts and designer handbags. WOW, what a shop. The owners Lizzy, Emma and Arlene are the most friendliest of girlies and always happy to help.


Beautiful vintage clothing.







I fell in love with a 1940's tweed cost and have got to have it....fatal, should not have gone in there.
If you ever need vintage fancy costume to purchase, or looking for something specific, give them a ring, they have the most incredible collection.
As I mentioned the town is high and low and is famous for it's Cliff Railway. How sweet is that carriage?
Entrance to Cliff Railway.
Bridgnorth Market.



I am always drawn to taking pictures of fruit and veg stalls. Maybe it's the colour and placement.
A good old decent Iron Monger's Shop, don't see many of those these days.

Thank you all once again for leaving your great comments about my excitable Julie Arkell post. So good of you to take the trouble to leave kind words and I thoroughly enjoy receiving each one. Thanks for stopping by.x

19 comments:

Charis Sharpe said...

Lovely pics Viv, looks like a pretty town!

Gigibird said...

Lovely birds. Great use of reels....

gunnelsvensson said...

Lovely new collage, birds and pics; yes a very lovely post indeed !!

Michala Gyetvai (Kayla coo) said...

Quirky little birds, brillint.
I must go to that vintage shop, fab hats.
Thanks Viv for sharing your day out.x

PICCALILY & BLOSSOM said...

LOVELY ahhh so creative, the birds are fab. Bridgnorth is great, its not too far from us. Its such a small world too as Emma who works in the looking glas is friends with a pal of mine.

Glad you had a lovely time. :)

Gina said...

Fabulous little birds... love 'em! Bridgnorth looks lovely... especially that shop!

monda-loves said...

I love your birds - I think you must have secretly known that you would need those cottons reels eventually!

Monda
x

BusyLizzie said...

what an amazing vintage shop & not one I have heard of! Thank you! I will certainly visit when I am next in that neck of the woods. (Love their website too!)
Lizzie x

Victoria said...

The birds are wonderful! (As are the needle cases, and the lovely pics!)

Maria-Thérèse ~ www.afiori.com said...

Everything you've done is so pretty!!

♥ visit me at www.afiori.com ♥ - creativity blog

Anonymous said...

Just came over from Gigibird and being a bit of a papier mache dabbler myself I'm a huge fan of Julie's so you have had me enthralled.

PICCALILY & BLOSSOM said...

Hi there,
I have just sorted secret santa check out my page to find who you need to send to, then you will be able to contact them and sort an address etc.

Take care SAM :) x

Alexandra said...

I love the birds you made...so pretty :)

A time to dance said...

Hello, I am Helen from 'A time to dance'..I just popped in via GIGIBIRD...I have fallen in love with you needle cases and have taken my husband for a visit to your etsy shop....hope he takes the hint...I love Julie Arkle..I met her once and had such a giggle..but that is another story...I loved the pompoms she wore in her hair...on another point...I used Black Adder as an exampe of how to use status in one of my classes last week..I am sorry to break the news...I was distressed myself...my year 13 A level Drama group....had never heard of Black Adder...I will leave you with that earth shattering thought...wonderful blog and beautiful creations...
Helen alias
Cocoa and blankets at
A Time To Dance
come and have a waltz some time

Sal said...

Hi there..I don't know how I have missed your blog...it's lovely and so now I have to read more of it!!
We went to Shropshire recently...have you been to 'The Land of Lost Content'?
Sal ;-)

bigbucketgirl said...

Wow. Lovely birds and greatlooking blog! I'm going to post this comment, make a cup of coffee and come back to read more...you're etsy shop looks very interesting too...Mmmmm.

saraeden said...

Oh wow i lived in Bridgnorth when i was a teenager and then again when my eldest boy was a baby in fact i lived just round the corner from the cliff railway !!

Sara x

Pippa said...

I love your birds - what a fantastic idea to put them on the cotton reels. They are great and look even more gorgeous in those boxes you covered.
Bridgnorth looks so lovely! That certainly looks like one to check out once I'm out of the wheelchair. I really want to go on the cliff railway!

Tamara said...

I want the needlecase...your work makes me smile, so thank-you:) Tam xo