Westrea Design Studio

Vintage Websites

Carolyn Maybray-Seymour — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 11:55:43 +0000

I have been concentrating lately on a couple of websites with facebook page for all things Vintage, which includes handmade products.

If you are surfing and like hand made and vintage here some links-
Websites:
Vintage Central
The Vintage Part Company
The Vintage Guide to Britain

Facebook Pages:
Vintage Central
The Vintage Party Company
Vintage Guide to Britain

Wedding Anniversay Present

Carolyn Maybray-Seymour — Sun, 29 May 2011 21:11:15 +0000

It was my parents wedding anniversay on 29th May so I decided a few weeks ago to have a crack at a felt cushion. You wouldn’t think felt would make a particularly nice cushion as crafting felt is so thin with no substance to it, but I found a fabulous good quality 2mm thick felt and doubled it up for the flower. The finished size is 16″ square and it takes an 18″ cushion really well – something people don’t realise is that you buy a size up in cushion pad to the size of cover! I then asked my friend Sarah Brown at The Tartan Trout to make me a little sew on glass button for the centre. It has turned out beautifully and my mum loves it. She is going to have to keep the cats away from it as I am sure they would have a fabulous time using it as a scratch pad!

More cushions coming soon as I think they make lovely birthday and anniversary cushions.

Designer Cushion with Glass Bead Centre

New Collectors Mohair Bears

Carolyn Maybray-Seymour — Thu, 19 May 2011 20:47:06 +0000

I am back to making my bears again, I love making these.

They are made from mohair with full working joints, glass eyes and all hand sewn. I have been making bears like these ones below as commissions for 20 years and used to have a little craft shop. All my smaller bears, those really under 14″ in height are completely handsewn. The much larger bears are partially sewn on the machine or I would be handsewing one bear for a week!

Edwin Mohair Collectors Bear

Here is my first one of this year made from pure mohair, glass eyes and moveable joints so he has an element of posability! He has already found a new home he became a christening present and heirloom for a baby called Chloe. I put a little silver St Christopher round his neck and he also had a clear quartz sewn into his tummy as he is part of my Reiki Bears collection; each bear is charged with Reiki Energy for a specific purpose. As a collectors bear he is under strict instructions that Chloe cannot play with him until she is about 14 years old and he is to watch over her from above and keep her safe. I called his Edwin, it suited him.

He is so cute!

My Donation to Libbaton Golf Club Charity Day

Carolyn Maybray-Seymour — Thu, 19 May 2011 20:28:47 +0000

Each year Libbaton Golf Club in North Devon holds a charity golf day. Members play golf in the day and then there is an auction in the evening after the presentation.

Auction Donation to Libbaton GC

This year I have donated one of my small bags. It’s made from brown soft faux suede with a cream calico lining and one of my flowers as an embellishment on the front making it really funky and contemporary, the interior has a clip for keys, a pocket and a magnetic fastener for security. I also add little extras to each one of my bags, which always come as a suprise to whomever makes a purchase over the internet as they often don’t know what the little extras will be!

Hopefully, with all the other fabulous donations of items being given by some of my local crafty friends we will make lots of money to send local children to swim with the dolphins.

Growing Our Own

Carolyn Maybray-Seymour — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:01:14 +0000

I have to say I am not a gardener. Despite growing up with oodles of space as a child, my own greehouse (kept my rabbit in it mostly), and my great grandfather being a market gardener, I didn’t aspire to growing much. In fact I did try when I was in my teenage years my father had an awful habit of walking round the garden and pulling up anything that looked like, to him, a weed! We didn’t get carrots that year. Then my parents rented out our large hidden vegetable garden to some of their friends in our village, I remember eating a lot of aubergine (egg plant) and marrow that year!

So, I was trying to get my 3 year old daughter and my two step-children interested in gardening and perhaps growing a few vegetables for themselves. I read last year that it’s relatively easy to just grow your own potatoes in a Sainsbury shopping bag, the large ones re-usable ones that are pretty sturdy. I have been recently reading about plants that don’t need full sunlight, which is what we don’t always get a lot of in the UK, but also my garden is protected by huge leylandii trees in an attempt to reduce the amount of golf balls smashing my windows from the 18th fairway that my garden backsonto!

We are going to do some patio planting and I have found the following vegetables that can grow easily in shaded areas.

Lettuce
Spinach
Parsley
Garlic
Mint
Sweet Potatoes
Carrots
Black berries
Raspberries
Strawberries
Yams
Radishes
Pak Choy
Brussel Sprouts
Beetroot

Watch this space/blog as my step-son wants me to add photos of his progress!

If you want to grown your own then join in the great RHS Challenge this year

New Facebook Store for Westrea Design Studio

Carolyn Maybray-Seymour — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:19:16 +0000

Started a new store on facebook recently. It’s an app I found that is can then be integrated into a like page, so great for businesses and it’s free – bonus!
Customers can pay by paypal. So anyone who has a facebook like page and sells products will probably find it really useful.
I am giving it a go, so will see what happens.

Want to look? – Click Here

New Two-Colourway Faux Suede Bags

Carolyn Maybray-Seymour — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 22:23:08 +0000

This is my newest design of bag, well I say new it’s a design I have been playing with for a few years now, and was never quite sure what to do with it (yes, one of those blonde moment things), but it’s classical style lends itself brilliantly to contemporary fabrics and I am really pleased the way these bags have turned out. So much so I have 3 more on the go!

Fabrics are faux suede and cotton, and the pretty floral pattern is Designer’s Guild fabric. They are supported internally with both facings and interlinings for stability and have been lined in cotton calico which is far more robust and stronger than other fabrics. I also only use pale colours for linings as there is nothing worse trying to peer into a dark lined handbag and unable to find anything. At the top there are snap fasteners, one of my small security clips for your keys, purse or anything else you need to grab hold of quickly, and the base of each bag has solid feet to protect the fabric from being damaged if placed on the floor.

These bags are really cute and I am so pleased to have found some fabulous contrasting fabrics.

I am adding these to my folksy account. So please check back for more details.

Gorgeous Designer’s Guild Large Bag

Carolyn Maybray-Seymour — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 00:15:01 +0000

This is another one of my creations that I nearly didn’t add to Folksy and I am still in two minds if I should keep it for myself. The fabric is amazing and created using Designer’s Guild fabric in a floral lattice design. The fabric is also vintage having been produced over 20 years ago and part of my “stash” from when I first started out.

The colours are very subtle tones of brown, black, beige and green. The weight is exceptional and although it has been stiffened it was only as support. In fact it almost feels like canvas it’s such a wonderful quality.

It has been lined in beige polyester cotton and it has one internal pocket and I have attached two lobster clips, one on each side so that it can be pulled into the centre and clipped together for security purposes, but also to make the bag smaller if required. Also it is easy to attach one of my eco-friendly shopping bag to these clips. One of my signature flowers is attached at the front centre.

This fabric is absolutely beautiful which is reflected in the price which you can find on Folksy.

Dimensions are:

Height = 38cm / 15″
Width = 51cm / 20″
Depth = 13cm /5″
Strap Height = 34cm / 13″
These are approximate (nothing like artistic licence is there!!)

Thanks for looking, and don’t forget to join me here and visit me regularly on Folksy.

Beige Floral Medium Handmade Designer Bag

Carolyn Maybray-Seymour — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:57:59 +0000

This medium sized bag is made from quality medium to heavy weight fabric and lined in beige polyester cotton. There is a small clip on one end suitable for attaching either one of my eco bags or your keys. For security purposes it fastens at the top with a maganetic snap. It has been embellished with one of my flowers on the front corner. It is internally stiffened to hold it’s shape. Cleaning instructions are to spot clean or dry clean only and the fabric is sprayed with protector.

Dimensions are:
Height = 31cm / 12″
Width = 36cm / 14″
Depth = 5cm /2″
Strap Height = 29cm / 11″

This bag and others are available on my shop at Folksy

Brown & Duck Egg Blue Large Tote Bag

Carolyn Maybray-Seymour — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:37:44 +0000

Brown & Duck Egg Blue Tote

This bag is made from medium weight designer fabric with a lovely duck egg blue large floral pattern. It has been lined in duck egg blue polyester cotton with one internal pocket. On each side of the bag I have attached a lobster clip which pulls the bag into the centre to create the shape above, and also for security purposed it keeps your items safe and tucked under your arm. When the bag is unclipped it it much larger. Scroll down you can see from the picture below the larger size once opened up. These are such useful bags, they come in a range of colours and commissions and can hold lots. My sister-in-law has one for the days she is playing aunty and has it stuffed with her nephew’s toys, etc. Dry or spot clean only.

Dimensions are:
Height = 40cm / 16″
Width = 51cm / 20″ (max.width)
Depth = 13cm /5″
Strap Height = 30cm / 12″

: Opened Up Large Brown & Duck Egg Blue Tote

All my makes are available on Folksy if you would like to purchase a designer item.