GEMMA SANGWINE - BEAUTIFUL ARTISAN HAIR ORNAMENTS & FASCINATORS

We're so lucky to have so many authentic artisans exhibiting with us and Gemma Sangwine definitely fits this description.  Her beautiful hair ornaments and bridal fascinators are handmade with love and incredible attention to detail, spending hours sourcing just the right pieces of costume jewellery to complement each other.

Following a childhood of making clothes and accessories, and a degree in Textiles and Fashion, Gemma went into retail, keeping the creative side going with a regular Covent Garden Market Stall.

Gemma has a magpie's eye for finding unusual things and often collects and incorporates vintage or recycled materials including antique lace and beadwork, vintage costume jewellery and natural and dyed feathers.  But she's also been known to use quirky objects like Monopoly money and miniature china tea sets.

I think Gemma is one of those people who can't look at a trinket without wondering how she can rework it to make something truly beautiful and she loves to incorporate personal mementoes for the bride into her pieces, giving them so much meaning.

Gemma's work has evolved since moving to the Cotswolds over ten years ago. Then four years ago she stumbled on the idea of making hair adornments after a friend's suggestion. These proved so popular and opened Gemma's eyes to a whole new market. With regular bridal commissions, Gemma hasn't looked back since and is now working in an area she loves.

Because of Gemma's love of hand-crafting from recycled, reclaimed and vintage materials, you can guarantee your piece will be unique and her bridal products include hair ornaments, bespoke fascinators and corsages. 

If you love her work, but want something designed and crafted especially for you, then Gemma's very happy to help.  Either meeting up or working on-line, she will note the colour and style you'd like then make mock-ups and email photographs until you come up with the perfect piece for you.

Lucy Turnbull Photography

Take a look at her commissions and you'll see just how individual and unique each of her pieces are and read testimonials from some very happy brides.

Lucy Turnbull Photography

Gemma's pieces are incredibly popular and are available in some of my favourite shops including Made in Stroud, Cox & Baloney's Vintage Boutique in Bristol, Tetbury's Qetty Bang Bang, and As Long as It Sparkles in Stow-on-the-Wold, as well as on her own Etsy Shop.

Gemma's never happier than when she's creating new pieces and we can't wait to see what she's bringing along to this year's fair! 

If you want to see a selection of Gemma's work and try some pieces as well, then come along and have a chat next week!

DAYS OF GRACE VINTAGE - VINTAGE STYLE HEIRLOOM WEDDING DRESSES

Days of Grace Vintage is where you'll find beautiful one-off vintage-style wedding dresses and accessories.

Owner and designer, Linda Duriez continues to have one of the largest collections of original Edwardian gowns in fine lawns and laces that work perfectly with fresh flowers and vintage styling.

So on 21st September at The Daffodil, you'll find unique lace gowns sharing rail space with original period pieces, fine tulle veils and gorgeous accessories. She'll also be bringing along a 1920s beaded collection for the bride that's a great alternative, especially for second weddings, and they seem to fit and suit all sizes.

There will also be a few (and very select) vintage-inspired dresses from designers Linda favours. And as there's often only one of each style available, you'll still get that exclusive look.

For headwear there'll be stunning art deco style side headbands in sparkling crystal and diamanté and a boho range using shells, flowers, feathers and buttons (completely new for The Daffodil!).

When it comes to the veils, lots of the finest are beautifully transparent and often embellished with lace and beadwork in the softest creams. But even if you don't fancy a veil, Linda has all manner of unique accessories available from her archives.

You can find out more on the Days of Grace Vintage website, find them on Facebook and follow on Twitter, but do come and see these beautiful dresses and accessories on 21st September. You can try them on and ask Linda's expert advice on fit and style.

(Thanks to Venetia Norrington of firetopphotography.co.uk for the Poltimore house pictures and props from virginiasvintagehire.co.uk)

GEMMA SANGWINE - UNIQUE VINTAGE ACCESSORIES

Quirky, eclectic and elegant are the key words that spring to mind when I think of Gemma Sangwine's work and if you're looking for beautiful handmade hair ornaments, bespoke bridal fascinators or corsages then you will love our next exhibitor!

I met Gemma a few years ago and immediately fell in love with her beautiful pieces.  Heavily influenced by vintage styles, harking back to a bygone era when people made more of an effort with the way that they dressed, and everyone wore hats, Gemma loves the shapes from the 1930s and has a collection of vintage dresses and accessories from that era. 

She puts a lot of time into each and every piece she makes, often spending hours picking through her collection of vintage costume jewellery to find the right combination of pieces. She also like using unusual materials, such as old Monopoly money and tokens, and miniature china tea sets.  A self-admitted hoarder who hates throwing things away, Gemma loves finding inventive ways of reusing things.  Consequently most of the materials she uses are vintage or recycled, including antique lace and beadwork (often salvaged from antique 1910-20's dresses) vintage costume jewellery (marcasite and diamante pieces are popular for bridal pieces/  Most of the jewellery she uses is no longer wearable as they are odd earrings, brooches that have lost their pins, broken necklaces etc) and natural and dyed feathers, all sourced either as a by product of the food industry or from a licensed game keeper in conjunction with the Wildlife and Country Act 1981.

Gemma can also incorporate personal mementoes, for example favourite pieces of jewellery, lace or fabric from the bridal dress etc..

As a child Gemma and her sister used to make clothes and accessories for their dolls, progressing to making their own clothes, which led to a degree in Textiles and Fashion from Winchester School of Art.  Gemma then went on to work in retail and admin but kept the creative side going including a regular Covent Garden Market stall selling handbags made from recycled and remnant fabrics.  As Gemma says "Fast fashion is much more readily available now, so with fashion accessories you really have to offer something special to stand out from the mainstream, and my bespoke service is part of this" and her work has evolved in response to trends and customer demands since moving to the Cotswolds 10 years ago.

About 4 years ago, Gemma was making brooches with feathers and beads when a friend suggested she make some for hair adornments.  Once these proved popular, Gemma's designs evolved, adding vintage costume jewellery, old pearl necklaces, lace and beadwork.  Her first bride commissioned Gemma after seeing her work in 'Made in Stroud'.  She opened Gemma's eyes to a whole new market and she hasn't looked back since, with regular bridal commissions, which she loves.

Gemma's inspiration mostly comes from the materials that she uses. For example, she says "the pieces made with pearls set on a round sinamay base came about as I was playing around with coiling an old pearl necklace into a tight circle and folding it back on itself. I saw that they could be made to fit on the base, and by incorporating a statement brooch, had the right balance of pearl and diamante to make a perfect bridal piece."

She continues "I respond to the materials, try out different juxtapositions, see what pieces fit together, it takes time and I'm happiest when I can just sit in the studio and play, the creativity flows and new designs evolve over the course of the day. A new product can take several days, and prototypes, before I am happy with it. I then make up collections in small batches, my favourite bit is sorting through the vintage jewellery, I'm like a magpie surrounded by sparkly things!

My love of vintage means I am also constantly referencing shapes and styles from the 1920's to the 1950's, when women always styled their hair and wore hats and fascinators on a daily basis! After the Great Gatsby film came out last year I found there was a strong trend for Flapper style hair pieces, I made some samples pieces for a photoshoot with my stockist As Long as it Sparkles, and from the back of that developed a couple of new ranges referencing the 1920's. A year later and they are still popular and selling well, I think people love to reference periods in the past when women were more feminine and life seemed more care-free."

Asked about her favourite piece she's created, Gemma responds  "Last October I was approached by two ladies who were organising a Masquerade Ball charity fundraiser at Woodchester Mansion. They both love dressing up and have quite outgoing personalities, so they were up for having some fun and creating flamboyant hair pieces. My favourite one involved using a miniature, feather covered Peacock with two smaller feather covered birds, long peacock feathers and antique beadwork, it was a great statement piece!"

So what can prospective brides expect from Gemma's bespoke service?  Gemma tells us "I work closely with the bride to produce a unique piece that reflects her style and personality. I don't advertise so all my clients come to me either from personal recommendation or because the have already seen my work in one of my stockists or met me at one of the Vintage Fairs I attend, so we will have a good starting point as they know what kind of pieces I make, the materials typically used, and the overall quality and finish.   Each and every piece is unique and the bespoke service allows clients to spend time with me developing their piece, tailoring it to their taste, trying out different options and ensuring they are totally happy with the end product.

I just finished a bridal order which started out as a fascinator with veil, and evolved to include a keepsake bouquet and buttonholes too! I worked closely with the bride to include pieces of sentimental value in the bouquet, I made fabric flowers (including offcuts of lace from the dress) and picked out pieces of vintage jewellery from my collection, to make a piece that was totally unique and individual.  I always feel privileged to be chosen to make bespoke bridal pieces, and be part of such an important event in peoples lives. 

Gemma recently completed a basic millinery course and is developing the skills to be able to make her own fascinator bases and cocktail hats.  Keep an eye on her blog for all her news. If you can't make the fair but would like to see Gemma's work, she currently has four stockists: Made in Stroud, As Long as it Sparkles in Stow on the Wold, Qetty Bang Bang in Tetbury, and Cox and Baloney Vintage Boutique in Bristol.

Her studio is in an old textiles mill in Thrupp, just outside Stroud, and is open by appointment. She will also be taking part in a Winter Open Studio on 8th & 9th November, when she and her studio buddies Victoria (her sister, who makes accessories for men, women & the home, also with an emphasis on vintage and recycled materials) and her best friend Nick (a silk weaver who she met whilst studying at Winchester School of Art) open the doors to 16A Stafford Mill to the public for the weekend.

Days of Grace Vintage

Days of Grace is the place for beautiful vintage style dresses and stunning accessories.  These one-off designs are made from antique lace and vintage textiles and are perfect for country, barefoot on the beach or beautiful summer picnic style weddings.  They’re totally romantic dresses with a boho edge and each original ranges from the late 1800's right through to the 1980's. 

At Days of Grace you’ll see exquisite beadwork, beautiful draping fabrics and laces.  Alongside the wedding gowns in the back room there are medieval style hand woven silk bodices from the 1980s.  There’s brand new fine lace and slipper satins from sourced designers with a vintage inspired twist, always unusual and completely unrepeatable. Owner Linda Duriez finds these discontinued gems from designer archives and brings them to life, each totally unique, such as her current Jenny Packham 30s inspired pieces.  A visit to Days of Grace Vintage is a delight because you never know just what treasures might have been added to their collection and with these often hidden away in store, it’s always best to ring ahead to let them know exactly what you’re looking for.

A click onto the website lets you sample some of the vintage and retro pieces available or you can find their treasure trove of a shop at 15 Fore Street, Budleigh Salterton [although they recommend you book an appointment in advance, to avoid disappointment].  You can also find their sister shop Pirouette in Exeter and online.  Based in a 16^th century merchant’s house in the old West Quarter, you can explore the very different designers showcased including Maggie Sottero, Sottero & Midgley and Annasul Y. New designers arrived recently include Amanda Wakely and Yolan Cris. A wedding gown specialist, the Pirouette range is forever changing.  Think delicate gowns, beautiful veils, hand made jewellery and tiaras. 

Whether you’re looking for something vintage or vintage-inspired, perhaps even vintage re-created, Linda will be at our fair with some beautiful dresses to showcase from both shops.  There’s something for everyone, but you’ll have to be quick as there’s only one of each gorgeous dress.