2.16.2011

Wedding goodies on Etsy

Gorgeous!  Just look at this wedding gorgeousness.  All available on Etsy!
meet me in the garden (to say I do), curated by splatteredwithpaint
 I love to be part of treasuries that others make.  Especially wedding treasuries.  It's like getting to be part of a wedding without having to do any of the actual work or have any of the actual stress! 

Brides, here's a great tip for you.  When browsing the best of what Etsy has to offer for your wedding, search the treasury!  All kinds of goodies, themes and ideas await you!

I especially loved the items in the treasury above, like these edible sugar butterflies for your cake
Edible Butterflies by SugarRobot, $24.95
These chandeliers are fantastic!  Perfect for a rustic outdoor wedding.
Mason Jar Chandelier by TreasureAgain, $83.50
How cute are these?  So garden-y!
24 Inch Moss Covered Letters by HouseofSydney, $125
It's fun to see what folks are doing now for their weddings.  So much personal style and creativity!

2.15.2011

Front Page Feature!

Was so pleased to wake up to this on the front page of Etsy Saturday morning.
Back When My Nana Was a Girl, curated by RachelRolseth
Love it!  Rachel Rolseth sure has a knack for treasury making.  It must be her artist's eye!  She curated another bird themed treasury that I was lucky enough to be included in here.  This is one of my favorites!

Thanks again Rachel!  :)

2.10.2011

How to wear your birdcage veil

I get asked a lot about how to wear a birdcage veil.  Most brides want the option of taking off the veil post-ceremony and wearing just the fascinator for the reception.  So the simple solution is to make sure the veil is detachable.

But from there, it can get a bit tricky.  What sort of birdcage veil do you have?  A blusher, a bandeau, a full-on-down-to-the-shoulders-head-cage?  (Not a huge fan of those personally.  Remind me too much of the dark ages.)

Here are some suggestions on how to wear a few styles of the ever so popular birdcage veil.


The "Blusher" style veil
The Blusher
By far the most popular, this veil looks great with many different hairstyles and fascinators and it's very easy to make!  Typically this veil is made with 9 inch wide veiling, gathered up into a "cage" shape.  My favorite way to wear this veil is asymmetrically, fastened to the head with comb or bobby pins 3-4 inches above the hairline (place it right where your part is if you part your hair to one side.)  It gently sweeps over the eye and gives you a very whimsical, romantic look.  You can also scoot it down a bit towards the ear even for a little more drama.
Another way to wear the "Blusher" style veil
If you have an updo, pin it in the middle/back of the head right above the 'do for a classic feel.  Position your fascinator on top of where the veil is gathered (the middle of the cage.)


The "Bandeau" style veil
The Bandeau
Very simple and chic.  Easy to position and detach.  This veil typically fastens to the hair right behind the top half of each ear with small combs attached to the veil or just simple bobby pins (my preference.)  This veil looks especially fabulous with a hair down look or a half up/half down 'do.  I've seen brides put pretty floral clips over where the veil fastens, or a fascinator on one side like this photo.
It lent some nice vintage drama having the feather fascinator on one side of her head where the part was.  The veil sort of disappeared into her long curls on the other side.  Very soft and pretty.


The "Teardrop" style veil
The Teardrop
This one is a little trickier.  Because it's smaller and will sit asymmetrically, you have to choose your fascinator wisely.  A fascinator with a headband works nicely with this little fella.  Position with bobby pins and make sure the fascinator is large enough to "float" atop the veil attractively.


The "Merry Widow" style veil
The Merry Widow
Despite the name, this veil is so much fun!  It's dramatic and glamorous.  Another cage-type veil, with larger diamonds, more shape and a stiffer feel.  The veil is typically made with 12 inch "English Veiling" but keeps with the basic design of a classic birdcage pattern.  I like this veil as more of a straight on "cage" for the noggin.  Position the gather at the crown of the head with a comb and let it wrap around.  Use bobby pins to secure and style it to your liking.  A big lovely floral fascinator looks fabulous right on top of an updo or half-updo.  I would love to make this veil sometime in hot pink or aqua.  This veil is definitely not for the wallflowers!

To Comb or Not to Comb...
I find that a veil with a comb attached is great for updo's, and then using bobby pins to further style the veil works great.  If you are wearing your hair down or your fascinator has a comb attached, you might consider ordering the veil without a comb attached.  Bobby pins will do the job just as good.

One Last Tip!
For any hairstyle other than an updo, make the comb extra secure using this little trick: comb it to a pin curl.  Take a lock of hair and curl it up into a "circle" and pin it to your head using bobby pins to make an "x".  Then slide the comb in against the scalp behind the x.  Your comb will stay extra secure!

Find my easy to follow PDF pattern here and make your own unique, beautiful and timeless veil!

Hope this helps make this part of the wedding planning process that much easier for you!

2.08.2011

Tuesday Treasury - Two of Hearts

Two of Hearts, curated by Deeds & Petunia
A big thank you to the 80's and Stacy Q for this little treasury.  I can't get that freaking song out of my head.  Valentine's day doesn't have to be all romantic and mushy.  It can also be fun with a great beat to dance to...

2.07.2011

Deeds & Petunia Feature & Giveaway Over at Studio MME!

Get on over to Studio M.M.E.!  Megan is a  VERY talented artist, writer and illustrator!  Here is one of my favorites from her Etsy shop
Limited Edition - Keeper of the Jackalopes 5x7, by studiomme $50
 She also has an outstanding Blog, and has been kind enough to include Deeds & Petunia in her latest Etsy artist feature.  I'm giving away this little number!
Joli Feather Headband Fascinator with Vintage Jewelry Finding by Deeds & Petunia

Joli Feather Headband Fascinator with Vintage Jewelry Finding by Deeds & Petunia

Joli Feather Headband Fascinator with Vintage Jewelry Finding by Deeds & Petunia
So head on over and enter to win.  Just in time for Valentine's Day!  ;)

The New Wedding Line

Posy - Romantic Flower Fascinator by Deeds & Petunia
Here I am.  I think back to where I was a year ago and have to smile.  I bought a sewing machine having no clue really what I was going to do with it, only knowing it was time to build a business around using my creativity.
Rose - Soft Romantic Pink Flower Fascinator by Deeds & Petunia
Bloom - White Peony Floral Fascinator by Deeds & Petunia
Last Sunday was the photo shoot with Rosemary Photography for the new Deeds & Petunia bridal hair accessory line.  It was pure magic.  Lots and lots of hard work, but lots and lots of magic.  And fun!  Here are some action shots.  :)
Amanda working hard and looking amazing!
Teresa getting ready
Teresa added the spice...
We shot from 11:30 or so until just after 5.  Thank goodness for coffee, bagels and muffins (carb fueled!)  We shot all of the new signature pieces in the bridal line (some of which are now up for sale on Etsy, the rest will be up soon.)  It was awesome.
Comfort before beauty on a day like this.  My socks made a good focal point too.
I feel so fortunate to have had the abundant generosity of friends at the shoot.  My good friend Teresa Salzman who is also a talented hair stylist agreed to do hair and to model, and she helped me find another friend/stylist named Anna Ott to help out as well, along with another beauty, Amanda Davis, who I've known since we were little little kids.  The girls were amazing!  They created the most incredible hair and makeup, and made the pieces come to life.  Thank you girls for all your time and all the hard work and ENERGY you gave!

Rosemary Wagner is a dear friend and an incredibly talented photographer from Seattle.  She is also the person who suggested I try my hand at veil/fascinator making in the first place!  And thank goodness.  :)



She is one of the most hardworking, thoughtful and patient people I've ever met.  Rose came in and set up, and immediately started making the magic happen.  She's such a pro.  These photos are above and beyond amazing.  I'm so grateful for her expertise and artist's eye.

Joli et Simple - Feather Headband Fascinator by Deeds & Petunia

Bleu - Hand Beaded Floral Fascinator by Deeds & Petunia

Joli 2 - All White Feather Headband Fascinator by Deeds & Petunia

Joli - Feather Headband Fascinator by Deeds & Petunia
I can't recommend Rose enough.  You have to visit her website to see her portfolio.  It'll knock your socks off.

A big thank you to two local shops as well - Orange on 6th and Vanity.  Laurel and Melanie were very generous in lending us the FABULOUS vintage fashions the models wore!  My two favorite shops in Tacoma (also on Etsy!), where I can never leave without spending money.

A few of the items are now up for sale in my Etsy shop.  I'm now trying to focus on made to order and custom pieces of heirloom quality.  I just love doing custom work so much.  A wedding is one of the rare occasions anymore that truly justifies the creation of a unique, one of a kind, handmade treasure.

I hope you love the bridal line as much as I do!  Have a great weekend!

2.04.2011

Some orange to cheer you


I had fun making these sweet little bridesmaid fascinators.  Working with the bride's ideas and inspiration (and a budget, of course!) we came up with these reconstructed rannunculus clips with orange accent feathers, gray Czech glass bead centers and paper leaves.



I quite like the vibrant orange!  A nice little punch of color and whimsy.

Custom orders are my favorite.  :)