Swell improvements

My dear friends,

How are you today?

I am good, but ever so busy preparing for my move. I can't believe that next Sunday is the big day! I'm ever so sick of boxes, and now realise I have far too much stuff. Oh well.

One good thing that has come out of my packing is that it has given me a chance to review some of my past pieces. Sometimes coming back to something with "fresh" eyes allows you to see where improvements can be made, and this has definitely been true for me. I've made a few little tweaks, and I am much happier with these pieces now.

Not only that, but I have also reviewed the photography of my Swell Vintage etsy shop. When I first started photographing my pieces, I was just...awful. This was because of a combination of things, ranging from the fact my camera was a bit rubbish to my poor lighting skills. However, as time continues to go by, I think I am slowly improving (my new camera has certainly helped), so I've had another crack at the pictures I wasn't too happy with. And here they all are:


Bedrock bling! This necklace is made from vintage faux silver pearl chain, and it's a real beast! It closes with a vintage "hook and eye" clasp, and is adorned with some cheeky rhinestones.



Grecian goddess! This necklace is made from an antique drawer pull, hung on vintage brass chain and is adorned with vintage faux pearl. I like the Grecian feel of it, and how bold it is - definitely not for the faint hearted!




This necklace is made from an antique drawer pull and a vintage faux pearl, linked on three strands of vintage chain. I love the rich brass colour of the chain. It reminds me of "capelli d'angelo", which means "angel hair".



The blue bird! This is one of my favourite pieces, and it's also one that I have made a couple of tweaks to. This necklace is made from a vintage brooch, hung on vintage silver plated chain and is now adorned with a freshwater pearl. Who's a pretty boy then?

So what do you think? I would really like some feedback on these pieces and also my photography. I'm always looking to learn and improve, so any advice you will have would be extremely useful!

Thank you so much for reading, and I apologise for the lack of new pieces. Once I've moved and am settled in, I promise to start keeping things current and (hopefully) more interesting. I'm also sorry for not keeping up with my blog reader! I know I've been missing out on some great posts, but hopefully I'll get caught up soon.

Thanks again, my lovely reader.

Much love,

Frankie
Swell Vintage

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Swell weekends

Hello, lovely people!

I've been SO very busy this week with my real work, and I was actually social this Bank Holiday weekend. Because of this and general laziness, I only managed to make one necklace this weekend! In my defense, it did take me most of the day. I am rubbish.

Anyway, here is my latest piece:




This necklace is made from a vintage shoe clip, hung on vintage chain and adorned with freshwater pearls. What do you think? Is it too extravagant? I quite like the regal feel of it, but then again I'm a bit too into the Tudor style.

I apologise for the short post! Hopefully I'll be more productive once I've moved and am more settled in my new place.

Thank you for reading and commenting! You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...

Much love,

Frankie
Swell Vintage

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Swell chain

Hello again!

First of all, I just wanted to say a quick thank you for all of your feedback on my pouch prototype. I can't get over how supportive and kind everyone has been, and it really means a lot. I'm going to have a go at another pouch design soon, so expect pictures and tales of more sewing machine disasters soon!

UK Vogue says that necklaces should be huge with lots of chain and adorned with gems, so with that in mind I set out to make my biggest necklace yet. I know that it's no where near the high standards of the designs in Vogue, but I'm quite pleased with the results. It took me ages, so it's quite satisfying when the final result resembles pretty closely what you have in your head:

This necklace is made from lots of vintage chain, adorned with a prism and freshwater pearls. It's good and heavy - definitely one for the braver among us. So what do you think? Should I make more big necklaces like this, or is it unrealistic to think that someone would wear this in the real world? Your feedback would be GREATLY appreciated, please!

I also had a play with another style of necklace. The very lovely Jenny of The Style PA very kindly sent me a load of old broken jewellery, so I used a couple of these parts for this necklace:



I've never been one for symmetry, so I enjoy experimenting with different chain lengths and hanging styles. This necklace is made from vintage chain and is adorned with vintage faux pearl, a purple prism and a little swallow. Do you like this style, or do you think that it would be impractical for someone to wear? Please let me know your thoughts, all constructive feedback is useful and welcomed!

In other news, I really need to start packing for my move! Not long now. I have so much to do, but not much time to do it in - eeekk!

Well, I hope you've had a lovely weekend, and that you enjoy the week ahead! Until next time, my lovely loves...

Much love,

Frankie
Swell Vintage

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Swell experiments

Hello my dear friends,

How are you? Did you have a pleasant weekend? It feels like years ago now, doesn't it?

Mine was good thanks, although busy - very unlike me. But the good news is I did manage to squeeze in some time with the sewing machine. Much like with my jewellery, I am teaching myself, so every day brings a new challenge/disaster. I finally took the plunge and had a first go at making the pouches I discussed in my last post. Here is my "prototype":




Vintage fabric from MsLegacySews
Labels made by MommieMadeIt
Jewellery by me!

So what do you think? Considering this is my first ever attempt and that I've only been sewing for about 2 weeks, I think it could have been a lot worse! Any feedback, suggestions or tips you might have would be GREATLY appreciated, please. I need all the help I can get! On a plus side, I love this print and I couldn't be happier with the labels. Once I get my stitching sorted, these pouches might end up looking ok!

In other news, I will be moving to East London on 5th June! While this is very exciting, it also means that I need to get my life (and stuff) sorted, so it's going to get busier in the coming weeks. Needless to say, I'm going to get very behind with my blog reader!

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for (hopefully) not vomiting at the sight of my appalling stitch work. Until next time!

Much love,

Frankie
Swell Vintage

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Swell stuff

Happy Bank Holiday Monday, one and all!

Have you had a nice long weekend? Mine has been rather pleasant, as I finally got the time to have a play on my new sewing machine!


This is the beast. It's small, but it's perfect for someone like me who has no real idea what they're doing. I'm really enjoying practicing, and I plan to make some nice little pouches for my jewellery from vintage fabric. I'll be posting some pictures soon!

I also made a couple of new jewellery pieces:

This necklace is made from a vintage brooch, hung with freshwater pearls and vintage chain. I like making fan necklaces. There's something quite regal about them, I think. What do you think? I'd love to know.

She sells sea shells...this necklace is made from a vintage shell, which I've adorned with a freshwater pearl and hung on vintage chain. This is one of my daintier necklaces, but I quite like its simplicity. What do you think? Do you prefer a bolder necklace, or something more simple and delicate?

I've just about finished my new collection for Trinket in Edinburgh, so now all of my focus will be on finishing up and preparing for the Handm@de fair in Winchester on 5th July. If you happen to be local, it would be ever so lovely to see you!

Wow, this post has been quite boring, hasn't it? Sorry about that. I might go and do more sewing now. Thank you for reading and leaving your lovely comments. They never fail to make my day/life.

Much love,

Frankie
Swell Vintage

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