Discount on WEDDING ACCESSORIES AND FABRIC FLOWERS

As the May promotion continues I am happy to offer a 10% discount on my line of wedding and bridal accessories and fabric flowers. The offer is valid till 23 May 2013. To redeem your discount please use 13WEDDING10 coupon code on check out at my ETSY store.

Double cherry blossom wreath

Handmade fabric flowers are ideal to decorate bridal hairdos, wedding dresses and shoes. They add finishing touches to bridal hats and fascinators, which are the modern alternatives to a classic bridal veil.

Pearl silk peony fascinator with a veil

You may choose fabric flowers if you wish to have a keepsake of this very important day in your life. For example, a groom's buttonhole, a mother of the bride's corsage, a maid of honour's wrist corsage etc.

Calla lily boutonniere

Whilst I would suggest you get your bridal bouquet from a florist, I would recommend the accessories (especially those used for hair and clothing) be handmade from fabric. In this case the choice of  attachments (comb, headband, hair clip, shoe clip, brooch pin etc.), colour options (blue rose, golden peony etc.), types of flowers (lily-of-the-valley, cornflower and similar are not found at florists) is almost endless.

Large assymmtrical rose in golden silk

If you opt for a themed wedding, for example, a sunflower theme, you could not do without handmade miniature fabric flowers. Imagine trying to decorate your hairdo with these huge blooms!

Silk and velvet sunflower for hair

Gone are the days when the wedding was only associated with whites, ivories, creams. Nowadays weddings have a colour scheme or a theme to them and these options are endless. They create opportunities for new ideas and interesting interpretations.
Whether you love the idea of a traditional white wedding or would rather go for some brigther unusual schemes,  handmade fabric flowers will work in both cases. The choice of colour, size, type of bloom can be customized according to your preferences. Remember, if you can see what you want in my portfolio of designs please contact me to discuss your ideas either via this blog or my Etsy shop.

Promotion on brooches and corsages

Continuing with my May promotion I am offering a 10% discount on brooches and corsages till 16 May. 

The brooches and corsages can be made of silk or other fabric as well as real leather. Gone are the days when we used brooches to decorate a jacket lapel or a dress. Now they are embellishing belts, handbags, clutches, hats and all sorts.

Leather and suede brooches do work really well with leather handbags and belts, like these fantasy camellias:

To spice up summer hats I would recommend to pin either a bright large flower, like this silk poppy: 

or an intricate, dainty clover corsage: 

Silk flower corsages are a natural choice if you are invited to a wedding. They'll never wilt and they'll make a great keepsake of the event too. As in most cases the colours can be customised according to your preferences and chosen colour scheme. Here are some corsages I offer at my Etsy shop:

For these designs and many more please visit my Etsy shop here. If you would like to learn how to make silk flowers I am happy to share my know-how, knowledge and skills through individual Skype classes. Please contact me via this blog or e-mail me at svetlana.faulkner@gmail.com to discuss the details.

Special offer on hair accessories this week.

To give my customers an opportunity to get ready for the summer season and purchase new floral accessories with a discount in May I am running a series of promotions on 4 lines of accessories. Each promotion will run from Friday to Thursday. The following lines are taking part:

• brooches
• hair accessories
• bridal accessories
• hats and fascinators

The choice of a line is random and will be announced each week on Friday on my Facebook page . 

So we'll start with the hair accessories.

Till 9 May I am happy to offer a 10% DISCOUT on my hair accessories range. To get it please use HAIRMAY10 coupon code on check out at my Etsy shop

During last week I have added some new pieces to the line. One of them is this purple butterfly headband    

made of lace and naturals silks in shades or purple and mauve. This purple headdress will complement an outfit in similar hues for a special occasion or a romantic night out. It is perfect for purple themed weddings as well.

Another romantic headpiece to my range is the turquoise and chocolate brown silk and velvet headband with a fantasy dahlia flower. This original bright piece is ideal to complete a summer look. 

Of course we should not forget roses as popular summer favourites like this English multipetal rose hair clip.

In most cases I am able to offer these designs in other colours to suit your preferences. You can coontact me via my blog or my Etsy shop to discuss a custom order.

For the full range of hair accessories please head to my Etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/PresentPerfectStudio

For hot news and announcements feel free to join my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PresentPerfectCreations

keep your eyes peeled to this page for the new announcements.

And...

happy shopping! :-)

Little princess' teasure box

As well as their Mummies little girls love to get dressed in new pretty outfits for special occasions. And what can be the best compliment to that outfit if not a cute designer custom-made hair accessory? 

I have made floral accessories in silk and other fabrics as well as fascinators in sinamay for young ladies.

One of my long-standing favourites is this original silk and lace butterfly headband in sugar pink. I painted all the fabrics by hand  using colours for silk. This allows me to create the accessory in an array of colours to perfectly match a little girl's dress. The butterfly is decorated with ostrich feathers and Japanese seed beads.

 This is an example of a delicate floral headpiece accented with pearl beads in a matching colour. I used pure silk fabrics of several types and painted them by hand. A headdress like this one is ideal for little bridesmaids at weddings.  Other colours are available to order.

 This alice headband decorated with a distressed denim camellia flower is a versatile hair accessory for the coming summer. Not only will it complete little princess' denim outfits, but it will also complement her light romantic dresses and skirts with floral prints. I would recommend it for everyday wear. To get  your own complete set of denim accessories you can order a brooch and hair clips made with the same fabric.

My latest creation for young ladies is this elegant triple bow of sinamay and birdcage veil on a headband. I embroidered the centre of the bow with Japanese seed beads and covered the headband in Indian dupioni sik in a matching colour. 

 This fascinator is perfect for special occasions and can be made to order in other colours to complement an chosen outfit and to complete the look.

I have more ideas to add to the collection of little princess' accessories so keep your eyes peeled for them :-)))

Fantasy fabric flowers

Last time I was talking about how realistic silk roses can be. The pictures I shared showed the variety of form and colour one can achieve when making them. In this respect painting silk by hand comes in handy by allowing for the gradation of colour, which mimics flowers in the wild.

But who said that we have to be restricted by any limits and only create realistic flowers? No one.

Depending upon the project I often require a fantasy flower to complete it. For my fantasy flowers I frequently use  precoloured fabrics such as the gorgeous Indian dupioni with its soft sheen, or satin silk, viscose velvet etc. I stiffen the chosen fabrics as I do the white ones (see one of the ways to do it described in my post here) and then use them to create fantasy blooms that can only be limited by the imagination.

Thus,  for making black flowers I believe it is easier and better to simply use black silks rather then dye them by hand as it is almost impossible to achieve a really intense rich black colour. 

Birdcage veil with a black rose

 I use lace, beads, feathers, freshwater pearls and other components to decorate my fantasy flowers and make them look more striking and spectacular.

Black orchid corsage

For this large rose I used soft satin in golden sand colour which makes it a perfect accessory to go with any earthy-toned clothing, such as browns, yellows, oranges, yellowish green and ecru.

Golden satin rose

Unlike the warm golden rose this one is created using silvery coloured silk and is set amidst hand painted double organza leaves in mauve and grey hues. The organza I used is enriched with a silver lame thread.

Bridal rose hairpiece

For wedding floral pieces sometimes it is best to use pure white, cream or ivory silks. By combining fabrics with different textures I add interest and volume to these flowers.

Bridal peony veil on a comb

Natural silks, lace, beads, ivory freshwater pearls... What can be more bridal? :-)

White rose halo

Should you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to share them in the comments below. I really appreciate your feedback.

A mini tutorial on how to make realistic rose leaves

A lot of you have commented on the 3D effect my silk leaves have wondering how I manage to achieve it. So today I decided to share a mini tutorial on shaping silk rose leaves with you. For this tutorial you will need a flower iron.

There are different ways of shaping silk leaves and I am showing just one of them here. 

1.
 I have cut 3 serrated leaves out of gorgeous Indian dupioni silk and coloured them as well as a square of thin silk for the lining, a strip of  thin silk for assembling the branch plus 3 paper wrapped 26 gauge wires. Do not forget to cut your leaves (and petals!) on the bias, as it is really important.

2.
 First we need to glue the leaves to the lining. This will give the leaves more body, conceal and protect the wire and more important let us shape the leaves into 3D. To do this I have taken a piece of plastic and spread some PVA glue onto it with a brush (a toothbrush in my case :-). The layer of glue has to be thin and even and should not appear on the right side of the leaves.




3.

Put a leaf onto the spread glue and gently pat it with your fingertips to let the glue cover the surface of the leaf. In case if you fabric has the right and the wrong side to it put the wrong side onto the glue.
Lift the leaf up and turn it around to check if the whole area has been covered with PVA. If not do the missing patches with your fingertips. Then place a piece of wire on top of the glue as in the picture.

4.
Carefully transfer the leaf with the wire and place it onto the lining. Tap it with your fingertips to make sure the whole surface has stuck well to it. Do not forget to place your leaves on the bias as you can see it in the picture.
 Do the same thing with the other leaves adding fresh glue to the piece of plastic n between leaves.

5.
Cut all the leaves out carefully. Now they are ready for shaping. It is important to do it while they are still damp. If you have a lot of leaves to make or you need a pause make sure to put your leaves into a plastic pouch or under a plastic folder to prevent them from drying out completely. The best way to have them is slightly damp, not wet with fresh glue and not bone dry. To make smooth curves on either side of the central vein (our wire) we use a narrow spoon tool head which in my case looks like a little flat hammer.

6.
With the hot flower iron make smooth and long curves from the top of each serration towards the central vein as shown in the picture. You can alternate the side, for example, do the right side of leaf by shaping the wrong side and then turn the leaf around and finish it on the right side; or do the whole leaf on the right (or the wrong side).

7.
I have tried different variations here as you can see.
Now when the sides are done it is time to accentuate the central vein of each leaf. To do this we need the split spoon with a single groove in the middle. Gently slide the flower iron along the wire on the right side from the top of the wire to the bottom. Do this for all the leaves.

8.
Now our leaves are ready to be assembled into a rose brunch. Use a strip of thin silk for that. Start with a top leaf, attach the folded in half strip to the bottom of it on the reverse side and wrap about 2 cm of wire. Then attach 2 other leaves ad keep wrapping for as long as you need the branch to be.

9.
Adjust you leaves on either side of the twig, shape the wire with your fingers to make it curve naturally. And voila, your rose leaves are ready to be attached to your rose!










I understand that however clear I was trying to explain you might still have questions about one thing or another. Please feel free to ask them in the comments below as well as share your impressions about his tutorial. Should you be interested in other sides of silk flower making I would be glad to know about them and plan my future tutorials around those hot topics :-)

For the fresh news from the exciting world of handmade fabric flowers please subscribe to our newsletter if you haven't done this just yet. Should you wish to learn how to make silk flowers I am happy to share my know-how, knowledge and skills through individual Skype classes. Please contact me via this blog or e-mail me at svetlana.faulkner@gmail.com to discuss the details.

Realistic looking silk roses

The rose is often called queen of all flowers. And indeed who can resist its variety of form and colour, the velvety petals and sweet scent?

I love roses, both real and made of silk. In our garden we have 5 potted rose bushes and 3 old  climbing plants. David Austin varieties are probably the best for spectacular blooms and they are  often  scented. Just flicking through the pages of his catalogue provides endless inspiration for a silk flower designer!

Last week I finished two pieces with English roses, a hair clip and a corsage. They are both multi petaled flowers but look rather different, one being open with stamens and the other being packed with small frilly petals.

This English rose hair clip can add a romantic touch to your summer look or your bridal image. 

Made of pure silk of several kinds, hand shaped and hand painted the rose hair clip is a unique accessory which can be customised in colour and size to match your outfit or your wedding theme. It can make an equaly nice brooch, or a hair comb, be mounted on a headband, sewn onto a dress or your favourite summer hat. Being hand crafted the rose hair clip is an exclusive one of a kind accessory.

The other English rose looks equally spectacular with its swirl of petals in the middle and a circle of outer petals.

Again made of natural fabrics and painted by hand the rose is customisable and can make a versatile accessory. Here I have it in rich mauve and burgundy colours set against shiny leaves and finished with a brooch base. It makes a great and unique gift too for any rose lover.

As with all my creations the English rose brooch is shipped in a gift box ready to be presented. In addition I can offer a complimentary gift wrapping service on any gift order and post it on your behalf to your addressee.

I would love to read your comments about my roses and ideas you have on where else they can be used either as accessories or decorations.

Leather and suede flowers

As I have mentioned before the techniques similar to the ones I use for silk flowers can be used for genuine leather and suede in order to make floral accessories. Although there are some specifics when working with leather I use the same set of tools to shape leather petals and leaves. 

I must say that leather being such a rich and luxurious material requires less work done to it to make an accessory when compared to using silk. In my experiments I have tried both leather and suede and as any natural material they proved to be great to work with.

I would like to share several of my latest leather accessories with you.

This fantasy cornflower brooch is made of intense blue leather and decorated with faceted glass beads.

The fantasy camellia in rich berry colour is made of both suede (the petals) and leather (the leaves). It is finished with a brooch base. The corsage is available from my Etsy shop. Not only great for a jacket or coat lapel this handmade fantasy camellia brooch is perfect to decorate your belt, handbag or hat. It makes a great gift too, especially for the forthcoming Mother's Day.

The aster brooch is similarly created with genuine suede for the petals and leather for the leaves. This corsage in grey blue colour with navy blue leather leaves is a perfect accessory to go with denim clothes this coming spring/summer season. I can also see it complementing floaty cotton dresses ;-)

Alternatively it can decorate your jacket, belt or a handbag. And again you can consider it a nice gift to your Mum or a friend. This fantasy aster brooch is available here.

I would be pleased to hear your comments on these leather accessories or ideas of how to incorporate them into our outfits this coming season.

Thanks for your time!

Happy Easter everyone!

I hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend. We spent Sunday doing very little, in fact nothing apart from hot cross bun baking (with stem ginger and dark chocolate chips) and little soft sheep toy sewing. The sheep turned out to be really sweet. Just look at her:

I am really becoming addicted to these soft tilda toys! I just have to make sure I do not sew too many to clutter the house :-)

Earlier this week I finished a hairpiece with a black rose. It is a evening fascinator completed with French veiling and decorated with a  large silk rose set amidst lace and velvet leaves.

The hairpiece is finished with a thin metal headband.

As with most of my creations I can offer this fascinator to be made to order in other colours to perfectly match your outfit. Please head to my Etsy store to check this fascinator out or alternatively place your order for a bespoke piece. It would be lovely to hear from you :-)

Hairpieces galore!

It is very cold in England. Despite the fact that the astronomic spring arrived in Blighty last Wednesday we continue to suffer from strong winds, snow and overnight frosts. People are desperate to see a bit of sunshine and the social media are full of signs of their despair such as this one:

So to cheer us all up we've made a photo shoot starring my friend Katya from Moscow, wearing a number of my floral accessories and cocktail hats.

One of my recent wreaths is this double cherry blossom open wreath which is perfect for a romantic, countryside or beach wedding. As the name suggests it will fit any size as it fastens up with a pure silk ribbon at the back.

 My long time favourite, the black silk and lace butterfly hair fascinator is decorated with beads and ostrich feathers. The  butterfly is finished with a thin headband and available to order in other colours to match your dress. 

Another perfect bridal hair accessory is this delicate fantasy clematis flower set against classic spotted French veiling and embellished with ostrich feathers. For the flower I used pure silk of several kinds, as well as thin floral lace. The clematis veil fascinator is finished with a hair comb.

Now this is an unusual cocktail hat fit for a beautiful equestrienne or a woodland princess. It will look equally charming at a party or an occasion to impress. The rigid base is covered with pure chocolate silk and adorned with a long golden pheasant feather. I used seed beads, bugle beads and faceted glass beads to embroider the base of the feather and add a bit of sparkle to the hat. The piece is finished with hat elastic.

One more veil fascinator for a wedding this time with a large peony. The silk flower is made of silk habotai and silk organza and embellished with freshwater pearls. For the leaves I used floral lace doubled with silk organza. The delicate flower is finished with a comb and French veiling.

And last but not least is this fantasy flower hair fascinator made of black sinamay. I used some peacock feathers to decorate it. To perfectly match your outfit the flower fascinator can be made in an array of other colours. The piece is finished with a hair comb.

I'd like to think you have enjoyed the pictures as we have enjoyed shooting them for you. It would be lovely to hear what you liked most and why. And for now let's hope the spring is just around the corner 

             :-)