Pink Robot Geeky and Vintage Skirts!

I have decided to develop and refine Pink Robot as a brand, by launching my first proper product. I have always been a "butterfly crafter"- I blame Pinterest and wonderful publications like Mollie Makes!- so my plan is to start with one product and expand. 

One project I've really enjoyed is making cute little unusual skirts for my girls. I have never really chosen to dress them in traditional "baby pink" clothes, so I love the reaction they get from people. The skirts are nothing like the ones available on the High Street. It's great to know that nobody else will have the same one, making it special and unique. 

I have 2 ranges- one range crafted from modern fabrics (which are unusual and largely geeky!) and another range made from reclaimed vintage and retro fabrics. 

Records, from the original range

Here is a selection from the vintage & retro range: 

Amazing Return of the Jedi vintage Star Wars fabric

Roland Rat- a blast from the past! 

Who doesn't love Postman Pat?!

Beautiful, bright Care Bears fabric for all you 80s children!

Hollie Hobbie- cosy for winter

People have been asking if I will branch out to making other items along the same geeky/ vintage theme. The answer is yes- eventually. I want to establish Pink Robot through making customers happy with my skirts first, then I'll move on to include other products in my range.

Click here to visit Pink Robot on Facebook! 

There is a giveaway on the page at the moment, to win a skirt PLUS one for a friend. Enter now! Competition closes on Sunday 12th October. 

Upcycled old book crafts

I've always liked crafts which make use of something old and unloved, and turn it into something beautiful, meaningful and useful. Today's upcycling craft project involved giving this old book a new lease of life... 

This copy of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women had certainly seen better days, so I rescued it from a nearby charity shop for next to nothing. As you can see, even before today I have used its pages to make gift tags, pictures as presents and even as part of the presentation for my Pink Robot "woodland" range of brooches.

I have one of these gorgeous heart pictures displayed in my own house- I used a heart-shaped hole punch to capture meaningful words which applied to myself, my husband and our lifestyle- for example, our picture refers to "tea", "Scrabble", "sewing" and "guitar". I have given these as wedding gifts (especially to far-away couples, or as a token gift when we can't attend a wedding), house-warming gifts, and gifted them to show family and friends what they mean to me. 

New baby/ baby shower picture: This one is a perfect gift for someone who has had a new baby, or to give at a baby shower. It's really bright yellow (the camera hasn't quite picked up how vibrant this yellow is) so is perfect to celebrate a baby boy or girl. The white frame makes the cheerful background stand out. I chose a beautiful golden heart in the corner, to finish this piece.

New baby/ baby shower gift

Close-up shows a golden heart in the corner

Wedding pictures: These ones contain words which capture the excitement of a wedding. Something like this would be a beautiful gift for a bridesmaid to give a bride. The golden, embossed background combined with the white frame really says "bridal" to me, and the purple heart in the corner adds a feeling of "royalty". The close-up picture gives a better idea of the flock-style pattern. The other design gives a simpler feel, using only 10 hearts. 

Golden embossed wedding hearts

Golden embossed wedding hearts close-up

Wedding picture using 10 hearts

New home pictures: These pictures make a really different and personal gift when visiting someone's new home for the first time. I tried out two different designs here- a simple one using a floral background and nine hearts, and the purple one using 40 hearts. The purple one is actually one I gave to a friend a while back (I couldn't capture the green colour in the one I made today on camera.) I think both are beautiful and unusual. 

Floral new home picture

"New home" with 40 hearts

The best thing about these is that you can make them really personal. For example, if you know the recipient well, you can seek out words that mean something to you... an "in-joke", their hobbies, whatever makes them unique. Below is a picture using words to describe a friendship. These are time consuming to make, but they are one of my favourite crafts. 

"Friendship"- show a friend what they mean to you!

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New Pink Robot brooches on Etsy!

As you know, I'm gradually stocking up my Etsy store with my handmade items, under the brand name of Pink Robot. Kilt pins are priced at £4.50, and the fabric brooch is  £4. Here are today's additions... 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/181943968/navy-and-cream-fabric-flower-brooch-with?

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/181954735/ivory-rose-kilt-pin-with-green-and?

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/181943464/pink-shell-kilt-pin-beaded?

Pink Robot: my new Etsy shop

Introducing Pink Robot: my new Etsy shop! Click here to visit... 

In preparation for selling at craft fairs, I decided that the only sensible thing to do would be to promote my goods online too... and where else, but Etsy?!

So far, I've properly branded and packaged a few items, and listed them on Etsy. All Pink Robot items come packaged with a teeny cute signature robot charm, as you can see! 

"3 wishes" bracelets in various colours- make three wishes when tying this friendship bracelet on to a friend's wrist. You never know, they might come true! Adjustable, and you can buy these in loads of colours, with either silver or bronze beads, for only £2 each. 

Lace flower kilt pin- a hand-rolled lace flower with a blue bead, accented by pearl, blue/grey, white and clear glass beads. I think this would be really pretty as an alternative wedding accessory, but it would look equally cute on a coat or bag. This is on sale for £4.50. 

Russian Doll (matryoshka) kilt pin- back to my matryoshka obsession! I reclaimed these purple floral enamel beads from an old, unloved bracelet. They are now nestled beside a cheerful little Russian Doll charm, on sale for £4.50.

Paris kilt pin- I originally had the idea of using an Eiffel Tower charm in a piece of jewellery when I was designing garters for my friend's lingerie store- Dahlia's Boudoir Boutique, in Langside. Lots of people I know got engaged in Paris (myself included!) so I was inspired. The pearls, white and glass beads really complement the look of this pin. This kilt pin is yours for just £4.50!

Apple felt brooch- Part of my woodland/ forest range. I modelled this felt brooch on the apple picture I made for my daughter's bedroom (you can read about this by clicking here.) I love the detail of the pips on the apple, and already this item has been favourited by a few people on both Etsy and Pinterest. I'm selling this for £4. 


Toadstool felt brooch- This cute felt toadstool is also part of my woodland/ forest range. I have a lot more brooches still to add to this, but I haven't packaged them up yet. I think toadstools are adorable in every form, so why not have one pinned to your clothes? Like the apple brooch, this one is £4. 

Come along and have a nosey in my Etsy shop... Pink Robot! I chose the name from the Flaming Lips song "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots", in case you were wondering!