Alice and Charlotte

Long Time No Cushion Pics...

2010-06-02T05:50:00.000-07:00

...here are some of my latest creations!:

Latest Designs...

2010-05-04T14:30:00.001-07:00

http//:www.aliceandcharlotte.co.uk

CHERRY BLOSSOM - I love the stuff!!

Two pink dragons for twin girls, Annabel and Evie, born on St George's Day 2010:

Three little sheep for baby Dan (also born on St George's Day!):

Boys Labels & Hollywood Stars...

2010-04-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

...and for the boys!:

Plus some Hollywood Stars (oh and a Heart) for a bit of birthday glitz...:

Bespoke commissions and new designs are now available to view on my new gallery page...please partake in a perusal:

http://www.aliceandcharlotte.co.uk/decorating_and_murals.html

New Labels - aaah, the excitement!

2010-04-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

Woooh! The new labels for the back of my cushions have arrived...they're really sweet - here is the girl version:

and here's a little bee for Abigail Grace who was born yesterday:

Side-project!

2010-04-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

A fun side-project...a friend of mine has asked me to help with some of the scenery and promotional material she needs for a theatre production she's putting together - for starters, here's the cartoon cover for the play's flyers:

The play will be on soon at The Old Sorting Office in Barnes...more details to follow...

Bunnies & Frogs!

2010-04-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

Updated Postcard

2010-04-03T11:16:00.001-07:00

http://www.aliceandcharlotte.co.uk

One-off Designs

2010-04-02T01:16:00.000-07:00

Cushions are available to buy online through
http://www.aliceandcharlotte.co.uk
but until I upload my latest creations to the Gallery, here are some sneak peeks:

My Website is LIVE...

2010-03-24T01:12:00.000-07:00

...and ready for action...!!

www.aliceandcharlotte.co.uk

Marketing

2010-03-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

Promotional postcards - wow, some actual marketing activity!!:

and a few more recent additions:

Chicks & Cows...& SWANKY MAISON!!!

2010-02-18T06:01:00.000-08:00

Introducing RED...:

...and a 'moooo' for a new born, Tabatha (birth date added too!):

Plus...**NEWSFLASH**...
...my cushions are now available through a FAB new website called SWANKY MAISON - here's a link to the store:
http://www.swankymaison.com/

...and a link to my 'shop':
http://www.swankymaison.com/about/alice-and-charlotte.html

...and here's more info about the site:
Swanky Maison is a limited company which sources and showcases high quality, unique and handcrafted homeware and gifts. Selected for their originality, incredible skills, and passion, we aim to help small producers and craftsmen who either don't have the time, money or expertise to create their own online shop, or who simply want to benefit from additional online opportunities. Our partners prefer to spend their time making their handcrafted homeware, not selling it. They leave that to us and giving them more time to concentrate on their art.

The result is a really great online gallery for those looking for something just a little bit different, either as a gift for someone special or for a treat for themselves.

We pride ourselves on the quality of both the service we provide and the goods our partners create. We are very discerning in our choice of partners and personally select everything you'll find on this site. We love it all and hope you do too!

and its founders, Cath & Emma:
Swanky Maison was founded by busy working mothers, Emma and Cath. Like many career women, once their children came along, Emma and Cath found working for other people didn’t offer the flexibility, fulfillment or understanding a working mother needs. They were forever feeling guilty, whether at home or at work, and fed up with missing out on the important things in life: sports days, nativity plays, class assemblies and helping out on school trips.

Looking to improve their lives, Emma and Cath put their heads together (over a number of glasses of wine) and came up with a plan.

That plan was Swanky Maison; a business that they could run by themselves, for themselves, an idea that would help pay the bills but offer a better work/family balance, a venture that would combine their skills and experience with things they are really passionate about.

Cupcakes

2010-02-13T07:15:00.001-08:00

A Trio of New Born Baby Cushions

2010-02-09T11:14:00.001-08:00

Online Cushion Shopping

2010-02-07T03:59:00.000-08:00

I have finally 'set up shop' on the handmade craft sites MISI and ETSY...as well as FOLKSY - links below:

http://www.misi.co.uk/handmade/aliceandcharlotte.html

http://www.etsy.com/shop/aliceandcharlotte

http://www.folksy.com/shops/AliceandCharlotte

...and my very own website is coming soooooon!

In the meantime, some new designs & colours:

Yellow!!!

2010-01-27T08:12:00.001-08:00

Latest Cushion Pics...

2009-12-08T06:25:00.001-08:00

Wedding present for the young at heart...!!
Ballet Shoes

Bouncing Bunnies

http://www.folksy.com/shops/AliceandCharlotte

2009-12-05T02:40:00.000-08:00

Please visit my shop at - http://www.folksy.com/shops/AliceandCharlotte

3 cows, 1 dinosaur, 1 bee and some sheep!

2009-11-26T10:58:00.000-08:00

Latest cushions - 3 'mooooos' for 3 sisters:

1 dinosaur, 1 bee and some sheep:

Frilly Friday!!!

2009-11-20T07:59:00.000-08:00

STOP...RETHINK....general consensus is that a cushion without frills is like an iPod without tunes! A few prototypes later I've come up with THE solution: frilly sewing-machined edge with an open-able back - it works! Cushions are now available with or without frills and I still get to use my sewing machine!
Eg's below:

New STYLE, new designs...New New New!

2009-11-16T11:00:00.000-08:00

Having reunited myself with my sewing machine, I've spent the last few weeks working on a new cushion style - I've decided to ditch the frilly edges and go for a much smarter machine-sewn finish with a back that can be opened...the cushions are still 30cm x 30cm, the designs and names still hand-sewn but I'm really pleased with how they look and I LOVE using my sewing machine. I also machine-sew the 'Alice & Charlotte' labels onto the back which looks great! Here are a few of my latest commissions, showing both the front and back...:

Don't want to leave the boys out!:

Latest Cushions...sheep, trains & tennis balls!

2009-10-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

I made the Claudia cushion for a friend of mine's 1 year old daughter...hence the '1':

Here are the trains for Harry & George:

And finally...tennis balls (amongst other things!):

More to come soon...things have been busy at the 'cushion factory' and daytime TV is my best friend!! ;)

Bracelets

2009-10-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

A totally unrelated sideline to my cushions...I love making these bracelets and with the combination of colours, they go with absolutely anything and everything...especially my pink fluro nail varnish ;)
More piccies to come....!!

Latest Cushions...

2009-09-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

A few pics:

Butterflies & Kit-Cats

2009-09-23T15:16:00.000-07:00

It was my sis's birthday yesterday and amongst her many other (millions of) presents, I accessorised a mini-birdcage I found with butterflies...it's pretty and is now hanging from the ceiling in our sitting room:

I don't think our boys have noticed it....yet! George & Kenny caught on camera this evening next to the jukebox! (they're currently kit-cats - 1/2 kitten / 1/2 cat...with eyes for butterflies!):

Ancient Artwork...

2009-09-19T15:48:00.000-07:00

...well, not that ancient - a few bits + pieces from the last few years. Mostly carried out in the safe surroundings of my own four walls (and ceiling) & my family home (thanks kind parents!):

Ceiling clouds in my flat (still 12...at heart!)

Olives at home

And - Bathroom bubbles!

Kitchen Cat Shower!

2009-09-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

Genius cat!! Mine are still drinking from the loo...!!

Monkeys, Bees & Bags

2009-09-16T04:08:00.000-07:00

Been a busy bee in the cushion factory...here's a bee for Beatrice and a pair of monkeys for Florence and Pandora (born on Sat 12th Sept - birth dates hand-stitched on!)

I was over the moon this morning when the delivery man arrived with my carrier bags and tissue paper - blue & pink of course! I can't really think of anyone else who would take the time to post (and get excited about posting!) a photo of carrier bags on their blog...but here they are!!

Labels

2009-09-14T01:57:00.000-07:00

The Alice and Charlotte labels I ordered have arrived, they look so pretty - miracles do happen (Royal Mail)...I have a very pessimistic feeling that my business cards may T A K E S O M E T I M E....!!

Latest cushions pics to come later....

Business Cards and Lambada

2009-09-07T16:49:00.000-07:00

Having completed a Photoshop course last year (love Photoshop), I did some freelance business card designing...well...I had one commission (as well as designing my own of course)! This was for one of my fellow personal trainer trainees (another course - 2008 was the year of courses!!) who is a professional and amazing Lambada teacher/dancer - here's her website and below is the card...it all matches...cunning! http://www.patriciacruzlambada.com/

And here are mine - blue for boys, pink for girls...they came with badges too, I still have hundreds!!

On a final, kitten-related note, my sister and I have 2 and here is 1 earlier today 'helping' reply to a few emails:

Folksy!!

2009-09-06T16:32:00.001-07:00

Despite promising myself that I'd wait until I had at least 12 cushions finished, photographed and ready for uploading to 'Folksy', I just couldn't wait any longer...so they're there, on Folksy, ready to be commissioned :)

http://www.folksy.com/shops/AliceandCharlotte

As was the fashion this w/e, I spent a lot of time searching through my old sketch books and notebooks (I studied Architecture at university...once upon a time!) to scan photos and scribbles of various things...I came across some photos of a model I made while doing some work experience at Foster + Partners many summers ago - quite proud!

Oooooh, one more thing - I also found, amongst many, this PC of Robbie (dare I say his name!) picked up from the National Portrait Gallery on a rare cultural outing - I LOVE this picture, so on-trend with the union jack!!...he's making a comeback...isn't he??

Back To The Beginning...Part 2

2009-09-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

...handbag making & accessorising was only the start - there was no escape for my CLOTHES!!!

Back To The Beginning...Part 1

2009-09-05T17:02:00.000-07:00

Having spent this evening scanning photographs of some of my earlier creative endeavours (within the last 10 years!), I thought I should share them...I spent a couple of months back in 2002/03 making handbags, make-up bags and purses which I sold at Spitalfields Market and a handful of pre-Christmas craft fairs - most of the bags I made from scratch but some were shop-bought and accessorised with ribbons and swarovski crystals and various other bits & pieces - butterflies too!

My all-time favourite is the satchel type bag (pictured at the bottom) with the dragon motif, swarovski crystals and blue/pink ribbons - I still use it and it's stood the test of time well!! In fact, it was spotted by someone in a bar one evening who commissioned me to make one for her, the best form of advertising!

Individuals

2009-09-03T13:12:00.001-07:00

The banners on the heart cushions can be personalised with a message of up to 12 characters - a perfect gift for weddings, anniveraries, birthdays, anything memorable or that requires memorising!!

Latest batch!

2009-09-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

Here they are.....individual pics to follow....

2009-08-25T15:41:00.000-07:00

Today's creation is my most expensive yet as my beloved bike was stolen in the 10 minutes it took me to purchase embroidery threads (dark brown to be precise!)...criminals!!

I had meant to include these Winnie the Pooh pics in my Children's Bedroom Painting post...it was a voluntary job in Stoke Newington for the charity Kids Company - the family was over the moon, sweeeeeet!

Today's creations

2009-08-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

Focusing on farmyard animals today...pets tomorrow!!

Children's Bedroom Painting

2009-08-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

I created this bedroom for a dinosaur-mad 4 year old last November...there's more to see at http://www.aliceandcharlotte.co.uk

2009-08-24T01:52:00.000-07:00

I much prefer making my 'name' cushions as they're completely bespoke...

Cats, dogs and farmyard animals today...!

2009-08-24T01:41:00.000-07:00

Twins! Charlotte and Samantha - I just need a Carrie and Miranda commission and the foursome's complete!

Blog beginnings...

2009-08-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

Started blog, finished Freddie, time for bed...