MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014

Dear followers of my blog, 


From my family to yours... remembering the reason for the season. 

To read more please click here

Free delivery on Cyber Monday!

Finally Cyber Monday 2013 is upon us. The term itself is very new and was coined only in 2005. But since then this day has become a part of our pre-Christmas shopping offering online deals, discounts and all sorts of promotions.
As announced before this year we are happy to offer a FREE INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY on all ready-to-ship accessories at our ETSY SHOP.

It is a great opportunity to get a fab gift for yourself or your loved ones and save on shipping fees!

Happy browsing at OUR SHOP!

Click here to explore our range of designer butterflies

BLACK FRIDAY AND CYBER MONDAY '13 PROMOTION

Today is the fourth Thursday of November which means it is Thanksgiving Day in the US.

It is time for many of us to give thanks for what we have, celebrate with a family and share a little feast. And... move on to Friday, or as it is called Black Friday, which traditionally marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. To make shoppers even more excited since 2005 on-line sellers have got their own version of brick-and-mortar Black Friday which is called Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday is a marketing term for the following Monday after Black Friday, the Friday following Thanksgiving in the United States, created by companies to persuade people to shop on-line by offering them special discounts, promotions and  capsule collections.

The opinion poll I conducted myself amongst my fans and followers has shown that the majority of customers would prefer a free delivery rather than a discount on a purchase. With this in mind I am pleased to offer a FREE DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY on my READY-TO-SHIP range of accessories at my ETSY SHOP, not including the items which are currently on sale. To get your free shipping use BLACKNCYBER13 coupon code at the checkout between 28 November and 2 December 2013.

Please use this chance to purchase something for yourself that you have liked and always wanted to get or buy some Christmas gifts for your loved ones! Feel free to browse my ETSY SHOP full of silk and leather floral pieces!

Click here to explore the leather accessories range

Velvet orchid headdress from my bridal collection

I mentioned before that I am collecting Japanese silk flower making books. Although in many of them you can find some orchids, be it phalaenopsis or Lady's slipper orchid, one of those books is devoted solely to orchids, different orchids and nothing else, more than 20 varieties. One of the varieties, miltonia, has inspired me to create a bridal piece for my Blanc de Blancs collection. These striking orchids, which are also known as pansy orchids, are characterised by pointy petals and sepals and an often oversized lip.
Here is the photo or some real miltonias:

Being inspired by their unusual shape I created a bridal headband with velvet miltonias.

White orchid headband

 This designer headdress with 3 orchids made of off-white velvet perfectly completes the look of any discerning bride. Because it has a vintage flair to it the orchid headband is ideal for vintage-themed weddings.

I used some of the finest materials to create this bridal piece of headwear: silk and viscose velvet, silk organza, silk dupioni, silk pongee and freshwater pearls.
This white headband is ready to ship but a similar one in other colours can be made to order to match your outfit or a wedding theme.

There are many more different orchids to try and recreate in fabric or leather and no doubt I will be doing that shortly. My next favourite is Lady's slipper orchid. Do you have any ideas what kind of accessory this impressive and unusual flower can be turned into?

Silk roses

Please be kindly informed that we have moved! To read new blog posts, purchase our floral pieces and learn more about how to make flowers you are welcome to visit out new website.

Autumn is taking its toll on nature. The trees are showing their bare branches as the last leaves fall onto the cold wet ground. The grass is not as green any more. The days are short, grey and full of drizzly rain. Gardens seem to be hybernating and apart from a lonely pink nerine or a yellow spike of mahonia the eye does not see any bright colours.

Fortunately for us, handmade silk flowers are still there where the fresh ones might have gone. They please our eye and lift our spirits. Old English roses continue to flower despite the autumnal darkness.

Old English Rose brooch

I am often asked to do a rose tutorial. To be honest, roses are one of the most complicated flowers to be created out of silk and before  one attempts to try and make a complicated silk rose dozens of less complex flowers have to be made to gain enough experience, get to know the tools and properties of the silk, learn coloration techniques and flower shapes. Obviously a .pdf tutorial will not suffice in this case. Although a one-to-one session is ideal, in the modern world of technology the Skype lesson is next best. And now let's concentrate on Christmas pieces!

Veteran poppies

Please be kindly informed that we have moved! To read new blog posts, purchase our floral pieces and learn more about how to make flowers you are welcome to visit out new website here

It is the beginning of November and I am busy making veteran poppies! Buyers manage to find my flowers on some obscure websites I forgot I was using to sell my handmade brooches :-)

This year I slightly modernised the look of 2 brooches I am selling as veteran poppies: one of the corsages has more petals and no leaves or stems

Veteran poppy

                                                       the other one (although with less petals) features 2 hand painted pure silk leaves

Veteran poppy

I already have fresh exciting ideas for new poppies for the next year which I will present soon. I am going to play with new fabrics and probably shapes too.
Another idea which is hanging in the air is to make a leather poppy. I wonder if my dear customers like it... I am definitely going to give it a go especially that I have all the needed materials including gorgeous thin red leather for it.

As a kind reminder I would like to mention my poppy tutorial again. Using this tutorial you still have plenty of time to create a poppy (or two!) to wear or give to someone special before the 11 November.

The poppies are available for sale at my Etsy shop. The tutorial can be purchased from  my Tutorials e-store.

New tutorial out! Ever so popular poppy - let's get creative this autumn

I have been meaning to do that for quite some time and finally today I am happy to share with you my latest tutorial!

With Remembrance Day just round the corner the timing seems just right. But red poppy flower is not only for Poppy day. This stylish accessory is ideal for complementing an outfit or making a unique gift for your loved ones.

Honestly I do not know anybody who would not like poppies. But the real flower seems to be so short-lived that there is no other option left really but to capture its beauty and preserve it in fabric. And this is when my tutorial comes in handy. It is suitable for beginners as well as more advanced artists.

Although more complex designs requires special millinery tools, the design I have for you today requires no special tools or expensive fabrics but still allows you to create a fantastic handmade accessory.

With more than 60 pictures explaining in detail the whole process of creating your own designer accessory, this 49 page .pdf ebook (no hard copy is available) will teach you how to create a bright fabric poppy to be used in accessories, as wedding decorations, in millinery and much more. I have included the pattern too.

The tutorial costs only $12.99. But you as a reader of my blog can get it even cheaper! I would like to offer you a 15% discount on this tutorial till the end of the week (till the 20th October 2013). Just use the NEWTUTORIAL15 code at the checkout.

To find out what tools and materials are needed the tutorial please head to my Tutorials e-store

How to make a fabric poppy? Now you know too :-)

If you'd like me to comment on your creations and give advice what needs improvement, please share your poppies in the comments to this post and I'll be more than happy to give you my feedback free of charge.

10 reasons to buy handmade

Here are 10 awesome reasons to buy handmade gifts this year:


1. You support local artisans, and therefore their local economy and community. Supporting local business has a huge list of benefits all to itself, far too many to list here, but it’s a good thing, trust me.

2. You get high-quality items that are built to last, not all the stuff that has the “How cheap can I produce this?” mentality. It’ll probably fall apart in a year or two, but handmade items have longevity. Artisans have pride in their work, and want it to last. Even the materials are hand-picked by an individual, and what big manufacturing company can say that?

3. Your gifts are the best on the block. Cool, trendy, unique, and usually one-of-a kind, you can find some really awesome handmade stuff that’ll make everyone ask “Where can I get one?”

4. Customization! Since each and every item is made by hand, and you are usually talking directly to the person making it, you can tweak the color or size of something you are interested in, or even get a fully commissioned custom order done. This avoids you having the excuse of “it was all the store had left.” Want a cool case for your new gadget, but maybe you have some weird size the store doesn’t offer? Get is custom made to your exact dimensions! Doggie sweaters from the store never quite fit your beloved pooch? Customization to the rescue! The possibilities are endless really.

5. You’re helping the environment. It’s always a nice feeling to ‘go green’ isn’t it? Handmade items aren’t made in a waste-producing factory and shipped halfway around the world using fuel and energy. Buying handmade (especially really locally) can greatly reduce your carbon footprint on the world.

6. You gain a unique connection with an artisan. You can be in direct contact with the person who made the item with their own hands. For some reason this is just really cool. I mean, think about how awesome it’d be to meet your favorite clothing designer, artist, author, or chef. It’s kinda like that feeling, but on a much smaller and more intimate scale.

7. Let’s not forget the warm fuzzy feeling of knowing you helped support someone very directly. For example, when you purchase something from my shop, you just helped put food on the table for another meal (and I thank you deeply for that). You don’t have to pay the shop’s cashier and the various levels of management and the supplier and the designer and the manufacturer, because just one person is all those things!

8. Avoid crowded stores. How annoying is it to maneuver yourself (and your cart, and possibly kids) through packed store aisles only to fight with someone for the last thing on the shelf then wait in a line for hours with a cart full of stuff and realize you still need to get something for your mother-in-law or coworker or neighbor? Talk about stressful. Buy handmade items at local craft fairs, markets, and boutiques, or shop online to avoid people altogether.

9. Get it gift wrapped. This may not apply to all handmade goods, but a large number of sellers do offer a gift wrapping service (sometimes even free). Even if it’s not free, the few dollars it costs you may be well worth it, especially if you can’t find the gift wrap you bought last year so you have to go out to another crowded store to buy more, then find a free afternoon to clear space on the crowded dining room table for all the wrapping paper, tape, scissors, gift bags, tissue paper, and gifts. Save time and energy!

10. Get it all done at once. Find a large craft show in your area and get all that holiday shopping done at once. Craft shows usually offer a much wider range of goods than your typical store, so you don’t need to run to a bunch of different places to get everything you need. This is even easier if you shop online. Online marketplaces have goods from thousands of handmade artists all over the country, and from around the world, so you’ll have no excuse not to find that perfect gift for everyone on your list.


Source:
http://www.handmadeology.com/10-awesome-reasons-to-buy-handmade-gifts-this-year/

Where are you planning to buy gifts for the family and friends this year?

Leather flowers to cater for all tastes this autumn

Please be kindly informed that we have moved! To read new blog posts, purchase our floral pieces and learn more about how to make flowers you are welcome to visit out new website here

This week I have been working with leather. With autumn on our doorstep it seems to me to be the right material for flower making as silk flowers are more fragile and in a way more refined for decorating  outerwear.

I finished 2 brooches, both similar in shape but the colour schemes are very different.

The first floral brooch made of genuine beige leather will spice up your trench coat in classic beige shades. This leather flower also perfectly complements natural fabrics such as linen, cotton, raw silk, as well as straw and genuine leather and suede in light colours.
The diameter of the flower is about 9 cm.
Available for purchase from my Etsy shop

 For those of you who find the calmness of beige too boring I am offering this bright alternative: a floral brooch in intense colours to beat the autumn blues.

The flower is made of genuine suede of 2 hues: fuchsia for the petals and emerald green for the leaves. At the moment it is also available for purchase here.

Are you prepared for the coming autumn?

My newest creation

I do not usually share personal information in my posts but this occasion is a very special one.
Although this may be a surprise on Tuesday this week (20th of August) I gave birth to our first daughter, Eva. And even if I say so myself, she is an absolute princess. As we all know princesses can be very demanding. Therefore, if I miss a newsletter or two I do apologise in advance. You can still order floral accessories and hairpieces from my Etsy shop and get inspired viewing the pictures of my creations here on my blog

Accentuate your bridal sash with a silk rose

Lilac rose brooch

I must admit I like the idea of a beautiful silk flower accentuating a wedding dress sash. Painted by hand to match a wedding colour scheme it stands out against the white or cream froth of a bridal gown and yet complements the theme.

Hand made using a specialist technique the rose brooch is more durable than you might think yet delicate and beautiful, which makes it a great accessory even after your W-day. Wear it with a romantic outfit and it will always remind you of one really special day in your life.

Silk rose corsage for a bridal sash

The rose measures about 10 cm in diameter without foliage. The size of the brooch as well the the colour can be customised according to your preferences. To purchase the designer silk rose corsage before someone else snaps this desirable piece of wearable art please head to my Etsy store. There you can also place your custom order.

NATURALS - summer collection by PresentPerfect Creations

Please be kindly informed that we have moved! To read new blog posts, purchase our floral pieces and learn more about how to make flowers you are welcome to visit out new website.

As a huge fan of natural fibers, I am drawn to unusual natural fabrics with which I like to experiment. Flowers made of silk are gorgeous, stunning, luxurious, but in most cases are meant for special occasions, weddings and similar events. But what if I want to wear a fabric flower brooch or a hair accessory on an ordinary day with my normal clothes and not an evening gown? I think the importance of casual accessories made of fabric using millinery tools is underestimated. I know for a fact that casual corsages are very popular in Japan. Made of all sorts of fabric they are meant to spice up everyday outfits. Here are some pictures of such corsages by Noriko Endo, the Japanese artist

The idea of casual floral accessories combined with unusual natural materials (unusual in the traditional silk flower making that is ) has resulted in my capsule summer collection which I called NATURALS.

Linen and wild silk rose brooch

The main concept is simple and straightforward: I use undyed textural  fabrics of natural origin to make interesting pieces ideal for everyday wear that would perfectly complement a summer wardrobe.

Linen poppy corsage

Together with linens, wild tussah silks, cottons etc. I used genuine leather in natural tones to make several rose brooches.

Open leather and suede rose

Small rose pin

Apart form brooches and corsages the collection has a number of  floral hair accessories in it too, like this wild tussah silk orchid hair comb

Eco fashion wild silk orchid hair comb

At the moment this capsule collection comprises of a small number of pieces which are selling fast but I am planning to add more to it as the warm summer days are still with us.

A butterfly trio headdress

Recently I have created a number of butterflies in silk and lace; in fact, too many. To justify it I can say that I was just fulfilling a constant stream of orders for these beautiful creatures. And here is the last piece: a butterfly trio headdress in turquoise and mint hues

Turquoise butterfly headband

This butterfly headband will perfectly complement a summer outfit in similar hues. It is ideal for a turquoise-themed wedding too, either to be worn by a bride or bridesmaids.
I used satin, organza, pongee (all pure silk) and floral lace which I painted by hand as well as beads and seed beads in complementing colours. The thin  metallic headband is wrapped with a strip of pure hand painted silk.

This bright piece of headwear is available from my Etsy shop.

But it is not my first triple butterfly headband. Previously I made a similar headdress in shades of purple

and a white lace butterfly wedding headband

If you are willing to try and make a similar butterfly headband yourself you might want to purchase my .pdf tutorial on a lace butterfly made WITHOUT any special tools which is available from my Etsy shop. With more than 50 pictures explaining in detail the whole process of creating your own designer accessory, this 47 page .pdf ebookwill teach you how to create a delicate lace butterfly to be used in accessories, as wedding decorations, in millinery and much more. I have included the pattern too.

Lace butterfly tutorial

If you have any questions please feel free to comment below.

White butterfly for a girl's first day at school

Please be kindly informed that we have moved! To read new blog posts, purchase our floral pieces and learn more about how to make flowers you are welcome to visit out new website.

Although the summer school holidays in England have only started today the beginning of the new school year is not too far away. The department stores kindly remind parents about it with their "Back to school" display windows.

In Russia the school year starts on 1 September every year designated as a public holiday. Well, unless it falls on the weekend. For first year students  it is an important day. The parents try their best and prepare their children for this new step in their lives by investing a small fortune in the outfits and designer stationary.

In my day girls would wear a school uniform dress as well as a lacy decorative white apron. The hairstyles would vary with plaits prevailing but what most first year girls would have in their hair were enormous foam-like organza bows. Here's roughly how it looked:

To read more please click here

Denim themed weddings

Themed weddings are becoming more and more popular every year as couples do their best to create a special and unique day, memorable for themselves, their families and friends.

A denim-themed wedding creates a relaxed atmosphere as the guests are expected to wear either denim skirts or jeans for the celebration. With the bride and groom wearing traditional outfits makes them stand out but at the same time calls for the appropriate  denim accessories to complete the theme. 

One can be very original and inventive when it comes to denim accessories. Thanks to its nature, denim fabric can be used for making flowers employing the same techniques as those used for the silk ones. It is quite dense but once treated it holds the shape well. I find it ideal for simple flowers with clean lines like these camellias

Dark denim camellia brooch

Distressed denim camellia hair clip

Thinner, lighter denim fabrics can be used for flowers with a lot of petals like roses

Dark denim rose brooch

Brooches and pins can be used to decorate a groom's lapel or a bridal dress. For the hairdo floral hair clips and pieces can be created using denim. And with a little bit of effort and lots of imagination some stunning denim fascinators can be crafted for the bridal party ☺

Have you tried making flowers with denim? If not, give it a go and you'll be pleased how great they look. Wear one and get all the compliments!

Dandelion

I am sure you are very familiar with this plant. It produces bright yellow flowers which then turn into fluffy balls full of seeds.
To most people, especially keen gardeners, a dandelion is just one of those nasty weeds calling for a spray of weed killer. It is impossible to imagine somebody would want to create a dandelion by hand. But here we are. This white ball is hand crafted from scratch using pure silk. The ball measures about 4 cm in diameter. I used more than a hundred of fluffy seeds to make the dandelion.

This is the picture of this dandelion halfway through. It looks very realistic. It is as though somebody has just blown on it.

To make this silk flower requires a lot of  manual dexterity, a bit of  knowledge about dandelions but above all a serious amount of patience!
Despite its humble looks the silk dandelion is a sophisticated creation verging on a work of art.
If you want to give it a go I am pleased to let you know that no special tools are needed to create it. The fluffy seed head can be turned into a quirky brooch or an original hat embellishment.
Any ideas how you would use this unusual silk flower?

Leather rose

Please be kindly informed that we have moved! To read new blog posts, purchase our floral pieces and learn more about how to make flowers you are welcome to visit out new website here

I am continuing my experiments with genuine leather, this rich and pliable material, great for making floral accessories.
As a part of my new capsule collection I have created 2 leather roses, different in size and shape.
The new collection called NATURALS will comprise of a range of accessories made using natural materials in natural colours and hues.
So the new roses (both corsages) are created using beige leather  and tan suede. They make an essential wardrobe addition for any girl who prefers natural fabrics such as linen, cotton, raw silk, as well as straw and genuine leather and suede in light colours.

The small closed rose is about 5 cm in diameter. It is finished with a brooch pin.

Small leather rose

The large open rose is complemented with tan-coloured leaves made of genuine suede.

Open leather rose corsage

It is finished with a brooch pin as well as the small one.

These unique leather corsages will make a lovely gift for your Mum, sister or a girlfriend. They are available from my Etsy shop.

If you are interested in learning how to make leather flowers or in purchasing a .pdf tutorial on leather flowers, please feel free to contact me via this blog, my Etsy store or e-mail me at svetlana.faulkner@gmail.com.

Peter Beales: classic English roses

Last Saturday in between the showers we set off to visit Peter Beales nursery, which so happens to be only 20 minutes drive from our place. Peter Beales, sadly deceased earlier this year, was very well known as a rosarian, author and lecturer. Beales was considered one of the leading experts on roses, especially species and classic roses, preserving many old varieties and introducing 70 new cultivars during his lifetime.

Our humble collection has one of Peter Beales' roses and we've got our eyes on another one for next year.

To read more please click here

Summer: sun, fun and flowers

What do you associate summer with?

 Warm weather, bright sun, blue-blue sky. Summer storms. Walks in the woods. Or, perhaps, in the meadows where amongst the sea of bright flowers you definitely spot a clover. Usually it comes in purple pink colour

Pink clover brooch

but sometimes you come across a white, slightly lime green variety. This summer flower, so tiny and humble, is one of the symbols of summer to me.

White clover oval brooch

 Designer white clover brooch is an intricate accessory for those who appreciate unusual understated one of a kind hand made pieces. It will look equally good pinned to a white office shirt (as in the picture) or to a summer linen jacket, light cotton dress or, perhaps, a hat.

The piece is created entirely by hand from scratch  using different types of pure silk fabrics (hand cut, hand painted, hand shaped and assembled). And I have not forgotten to include a lucky four leaf ☺

The brooch is finished with a brooch base.

Has this brooch made you think better of a simple clover flower? :-)

Trooping the colour ceremony and silk flowers

As you have probably heard, last Saturday Britain celebrated the Queen's official birthday with Trooping the Colour, a fabulous military parade.

Although the Queen was born on 21 April, it has long been the tradition to celebrate the Sovereign's birthday publicly on a day in the summer, when good weather is more likely. This military ceremony dates back to the early eighteenth century or earlier, when the colours (flags) of the battalion were carried (or 'trooped') down the ranks so that they could be seen and recognised by the soldiers.

Trooping the Colour is carried out by fully trained and operational troops, watched by members of the Royal Family, invited guests and members of the public. 

Naturally I was drawn to the celebration in order to observe what headwear members of the Royal family have chosen for the event.

A lot of attention has been drawn to the Duchess of Cambridge especially that it was her last  public appearance before the birth of her first child. In this nice picture we can see her pale pink Alexander McQueen coat and matching hat in more detail. 

Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall wore the Philip Treacy designed picture hat in a sparkly oyster coloured straw with a large upturned brim.

But most of all I was pleased when I saw the Duchess of Kent's hat. She wore a white pillbox hat trimmed with purple roses and a white tulle veil.

Interestingly the day before I painted one of my roses in a very similar colour.

For me silk flowers and hats is a marriage made in heaven and it is a pity we did not see many silk flowers on Royal hats at the parade. 

Here is one of my pillbox hats decorated with an open English rose:

Silk rose pillbox

Silk flower fascinators look equally stunning. Sometimes it takes just a flower to make a fascinator, like in this black rose fascinator

Black rose fascinator

or the oversized camellia headband

Oversized blush pink camellia hat

Do you use silk flowers to decorate your hats? If not, with what do you decorate them? Please share your opinions.