LEARN WHILE YOU PAINT…

Dulux Colour

Dulux have a Master Class short online video which explains how to use colour effectively, the principles of good design and the effect of proper light. Use the mouse painter tool to upload a photo and see how your room will look before you start painting. http://www.dulux.co.uk/studio/masterclasses/index.jsp

SELL VINTAGE AND VINTAGE INSPIRED GIFTS ONLINE…

Sewing Patterns

If you make or sell vintage or vintage inspired gifts then you HAVE to take advantage of this fantastic ‘Christmas Special Offer’.

Head to http://www.thevintagedirectory.co.uk and look for the link to ‘Make or Sell Vintage or Vintage Inspired Gifts’, and add your business listing to the Christmas Gifts on the ‘Vintage Directory Online’ for just £10 between now and Christmas Day’!!

Now that’s what you call value for money….

ONE MAN’S JUNK…

Vintage hoovers

If you were to go into a clothing factory and have a look around, you’d see the huge amount of wastage that occurs during the manufacture of clothing. There is quite literally tons of it which usually just gets binned then ends up at landfill sites.

However now companies have been set up to redevelop and recycle old clothes and waste. One particular company works with the cotton waste and the scraps are mulched into something like cotton wool, ready for re-spinning into a new cotton yarn, which can then be used to make a new garmet.http://www.howies.co.uk/mens/features/mens-recycled-cotton-clothing.html

You can also earn some money from your old clothes and not by selling them on ebay but to companies set up for this reason. Return to Earn is just one of those – http://www.returntoearn.co.uk/?gclid=CITn7LvVj68CFc0htAodRRtsyA – all you do is request a bag from them, fill it with your old clothes then they will send you a cheque for him.

Failing that you can recyle your own clothes into different outfits, for instance, you could transform a man’s shirt into a dress. Just go here for ideas http://recycledcrafts.craftgossip.com/transform-a-mens-shirt-into-a-dress/2009/04/30/

There are lots of ideas from websites with some of my favourites below –
http://hideyourarms.com/2009/09/29/how-to-customize-recycle-t-shirts/
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Whole-New-Wardrobe-by-Recycling-Your-Clothes
http://www.retrosewing.net/design-your-own-clothes.html
http://www.vintagedubonton.com/pages/about-us-contact
http://www.thriftyprincessstudio.com/

If you do have a go at recyling your own designs do let me have some photos to put on this blog.