Blue Flamingo takeover.

We love small independent businesses here at Belle and Blue. 
Why wouldn't we? We love little boutiques and online stores offering one off and unique items. We love them that much that we have decided to let one company take over our blog every few weeks! They could offer anything from clothing, jewellery, vintage or antiques! 

So, not to let you wait any longer, we introduce our first independent business, Blue Flamingo!

Blue Flamingo introduce themselves as 'the brand your wardrobe's been missing' and they really are! If you are like us and can't help yourself shouting 'WANT!' at a computer screen then you need to take a look at the items they have to offer. 
They are a brand offering vintage clothing to really make you stand out! Not only that, they also offer gorgeous handmade jewellery and accessories.  Ranging from jewelled headdresses to floral crowns, there's something for everyone! We are personally in love with the floral crowns and all at bargain prices too!

It's all the more exciting as they will be launching their website this Monday! Until then you can find them on ASOS Marketplace.

So, if we haven't already persuaded you to take a look, then here's some amazing photography showcasing what Blue Flamingo have to offer their lovely customers!

Don't forget to share the love and pay Blue Flamingo a visit on Facebook. 

You can also find Belle and Blue on Facebook here. Tell us what you thought of this blog and if you would like to be the business featured here next week then send us a little email to info@belleandblue.co.uk. We'd love to hear a little bit about your business so send us a brief description!

Moustache you a question.

Why, hello there - it's been a while! We've been very busy over the past few months planning exciting things! And the latest new item at Belle and Blue are our retro moustache paper straws! Perfect for weddings, events and parties - they are guaranteed to provide giggles and perfect photo opportunities! Everyone will love them! We have plenty of colours available and we can work around your requirements!
Contact us at info@belleandblue.co.uk for more information!

They are available to buy at http://folksy.com/shops/BelleandBlue
You can also buy single packs over at www.belleandblue.co.uk

Cupcake case table decoration.

We've been very excited to share this DIY post with you all. Would you believe that this is made using cupcake cases! The outcome is pretty splendid, the perfect vintage look. 

Everything you need to make this beautiful table decoration is cheap and easy to find! 

So let's get started!

What you will need:

Cupcake cases. Any colour is fine!

Candlestick holders. We got ours at a car boot sale, an absolute bargain!

Pearl headed pins. You can find these in most craft shops or online (We got ours from good ol' Ebay.)

Polystyrene ball. Also available in most craft shops! You can use any size you want, we used a 10cm ball.

Glue gun.

 

To start off, take your first cupcake case and poke a pin through the centre. Gather the case together as we have done in the picture below. 

 Take your glue gun and glue the bottom of the cupcake case, just under where the pin pokes out. Stick the pin into the polystyrene ball (careful not to glue your fingers in there with it!).

 

 There is no set pattern to do this, you can start where ever you like. Just leave a couple of centimetres in between each pin and make sure you space them out. Any large gaps can be filled in later if need be! Don't forget to leave a gap at the bottom so you can attach it to the candle stick once you have finished. The decoration can be attached to the candlestick using your glue gun!   

And there you have it! A simple, yet beautiful table decoration that can be used for any occasion such as weddings, vintage tea parties or just around your home.

So sweet.

Take a look at the latest item at Belle and Blue! Everybody loves sweets! Let this retro sweet gift give you a blast from the past. Loaded with treats from the classic Refresher bars, Push Pops and Dib Dabs to Lovehearts, Magic Dust and Sherbet Fountains.

This gift is guaranteed to make anybody smile, no matter what age they are.

Sweets may vary with each pack. If you have any special requests, please don't hesitate to contact us at info@belleandblue.co.uk.

Head over to www.facebook.com/belleandblueonline where you could get the chance to win your own sweet gift bag and a lovely vintage hanging heart!

Look out for our next DIY post coming soon, it's a gooden! 

Prop til you drop.

We're very happy to launch Belle and Blue Prop hire! We have a growing collection of all things lovely and vintage - things to make your event even more special. From weddings to birthday tea parties, we can arrange items to suit your needs and budget!

Take a look at www.belleandblue.co.uk/prop-hire and have a browse through all of our items. We have vintage suitcases and china, jars and more! 

If you see something that takes your fancy, you can enquire at prophire@belleandblue.co.uk. 

So what are you waiting for! Go take a look!

Car boot and charity shop treasures.

Hello everyone! We hope you enjoyed the glorious sunshine on the bank holiday weekend! (Didn't last long, ey!) We spent the Monday waking up bright and early to make our way to our local car boot sale. We're pretty pleased with what we managed to find - some amazing bargains - that we thought we'd share them with you! 

We thought this little teacup and saucer was so cute and a perfect addition to our vintage china collection!

These two glass candle stick holders are going to be used for our next DIY post.. keep an eye out!

This vintage glass dish was an absolute steal which we nearly left behind! Bargain! 

We also picked up some old sheet music for another crafty project. We do love Bob Dylan! 

And finally (we've saved the best til last!) we bought these two amazing suitcases to add to our ever growing collection! We love them!

Here are some other charity shop bargains we've managed to find! 

Vintage doily bowl.

Hello! We're back again with another crafty idea for you lovely people.
This is a nice easy one and has a brilliant outcome. We have been inspired by all things vintage lately and want to share it with you.
We are going to show you how to make easy peasy doily bowls, so get to your grannies house and steal..ahem, ask nicely for her doilies or have a root through some charity shops. We found them nice and cheap in an antique shop.

Here's what you will need!
Doilies, doilies and more doilies.
PVA glue and plenty of it (Fabric stiffener can be used but it's quite expensive. PVA works just as well).
Cling film.
A bowl.

Firstly, make sure your doilies are all nice and clean as you don't want a bowl with a big tea stain on it. (Unless you're going for that look, of course).
Cover your bowl with cling film and put your doily over the top. Then go crazy with the glue! Add a little bit of water to your PVA to make it easier to spread. Don't be shy - slap it on as it will dry clear so don't panic about how much you're putting on!

Wait a few hours until its completely dry! With all this nice weather we are having you can pop it outside and it will be dry in no time!

Once the doily feels solid enough to pull off the bowl, remove the cling film slowly (it should come off fairly easily) and voilà you have a nice vintage doily bowl to fill with goodies!