Pearl and Earl's Postcard

MOVING TO A NEW BLOG

2011-08-14T14:36:00.000+01:00

>>WE HAVE MOVED - VISIT OUR NEW BLOG HERE

We know that of late we have been a little quiet on the social front… We have been busy working on a lot of new projects, and the success of our Nostalgic Events decorations have kept all the team on their toes!
In addition we are giving our techno elements their second update this year – and after a few months of Blogger Glitches.. we have been working behind the scenes to move to wordpress and our own dedicated BLOG sites... NOSTALGICCHIC.com is our new Pearl and Earl blog address - which also contains all of our past posts
If you currently follow our BLOGGER BLOG – then please take the time to CLICK HERE to see our new blog – and then click on the FOLLOW US button to move on over to our new format. We think that Following, Commenting and Feedback will all be easier, as we love to hear what you have to say.
We have lots of new ideas and news to share over the coming months, so hope you will join our new network…
love Mrs P x

New Decorations Arrived

2011-07-16T16:34:00.000+01:00

We have been overwhelmed by the demand for our new Nostalgic Decorations.. we thought you would like them, but had not planned on how just how successful they would be.
We are thrilled to let you know that another container arrived yesterday, but they are selling out fast. Our favourites? The Giant 19inch heart and the tea stained edges of our new Vintage Ivory Colourway.
We are photographing some of the new items and will share them as soon as we can... but for now it is all hands on deck, shipping and packing!
>>SHOP ALL DECORATIONS

Our Striped Paper Straws

2011-07-04T18:57:00.000+01:00

I know... we have GONE ON AND ON about them - but I cannot tell you the toil and trouble required to find and finally receive in hand our very own Paper Stripey Straws (TM). They may not all be striped (we have dots and hearts too) but they are all eco printed with water based inks and are a delight to add to any occasion!

WE LOVE THEM!

Our favourites this week are the sunny yellow striped straws, which looked delicious with an old school lemonade and one of our bright and sunny Paper Decorations... but our packaging is also rather groovy, showing off the colourful paper straws in all their glory.

We offer trade discount to bars, restaurants and event companies - so please ASK US if you are interested. Our retail collection will be available from Autumn 2011, and you can always pre-register your interest on our Trade Pages.

Our first hit sold out almost instantly with back orders - and our second hit is due in next week. Book yours early we say.. and turn a simple glass of milk into a nostalgic joy!

Jacqueline Wilson Commission

2011-07-04T18:32:00.002+01:00

Those of you who follow us on Twitter may be aware that we have been commissioned by Dame Jacqueline Wilson to create a crafty piece to coincide with the launch of her new book Sapphire Battersea.
Jacqueline Wilson is a legend - and the most borrowed author in British Libraries, selling over 25 million books in the UK alone. Most famous perhaps for her character Tracy Beaker, she has very loyal young fans (including my daughter!). I cannot tell you how thrilled and utterly honored I was to be asked to complete this challenge for her.
Sapphire Battersea is due out in September 2011, and it is the second book based on her Victorian Heroine Hetty Feather, as she continues her adventures and passions in the Circus and beyond. Sapphire (Hetty's Stage name) is an accomplished seamstress, who creates all her own costumes. My challenge was to design a Victorian style sampler that could have belonged to Sapphire, chronicling her life and adventures.
I cannot show / tell you any more until the launch - but the finished piece will be seen first at the book launch and will be available to fans through The Official Jacqueline Wilson Mag.. there are lots of events this Autumn for Jacky's fans, including her very own festival.. so this really is a very exciting project.
The piece is all stitched up.. and I can't wait to share it with you all.
>>Buy Sapphire Battersea here
>>Buy Hetty Feather here

Festival Homage

2011-06-27T14:20:00.002+01:00

This weekend it was Glastonbury... those who follow on twitter will have had my minute by minute posts of what was a truly nostalgic musical feast it was - before the fallow year next year.
The summer solstice start to the festival season was surely one of the greats? With us all shaking our booty to the gold jacketed glory of Beyonce and her rock solid thighs on Sunday... Ceelo Greens mammouth shoulder pads, The Kaiser Chiefs, Coldplay and Gwenyth, Mumford and Sons and even U2 finally doing a festival... let alone the sideline shows of Morrisey, Kool and the Gang et al....
They even have a whole Craft Field these days.... and built a whole tower block out of polystyrene!
Craft blogger PERRI LEWIS has a full crafty low down from her adventures.

For me the festival always reminds me of my youth - when it meant that Uni exams were over, we rocked and then had 3 months off! Now I feel lucky to get a mere 3 minutes off... but hey.
Me and Mr H will keep on rocking ... and in homage I made up this YOU ROCK quick cross stitch mini pattern for Granny Knits .. and have reframed 2 of our best selling 100 secrets to life to hang in my office

No067 Get Wellies Muddy

No075 Rock at a Festival

Think my blog may take on more of this 100 secrets feel to make sure I am living up to my own standards!

NOTHS Award Winners

2011-06-27T13:12:00.001+01:00

This year was the inaugral MAKE AWARDS from NOT ON THE HIGH STREET and we were thrilled be one of the 4 finalists in the tough business category of Entrepreneur of the Year.
Whilst we did not clinch the award - the winners were friends of Pearl and Earl - the lovely Jackie and Sherrie from The Letteroom. The ladies are full of energy and will no doubt continue to grow their business with gusto. WELL DONE LADIES
We were thrilled to reach the finals from over 2000 partners who work with Not On the High Street. We are only in our third year and have come such a long way since launching in 2008. We are still a small family concern, juggling our business, passions, creativity and family life ...
Mr H and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our lovely customers, supporters, trade customers and suppliers who have helped us thus far - including NOTHS who have exposed us to a whole new audience.
2011 has been a breakthrough year for us - we have been lucky enough to win some wonderful awards and more importantly our business continues to grow and break its own records in incredibly tough times. We have introduced new technologies to our sites and back of house and launched 2 new sites and a whole new concept in Nostalgic Events. We also have some very exciting collaborations in the pipeline and cannot wait to share!
We have not got everything right and our customers soon let us know! We could not learn and grow without this valuable feedback. So thank you.
Congratulations to all the winners and may 2011 continue on an upward curve!

Retro Biscuit Love continued...

2011-06-27T12:36:00.000+01:00

I have already discussed at length my 'Love of the Custard Cream' and indeed my families addiction to retro biscuits... and I have been working on some Cross Stitch Kits which pay tribute to these classics.. Whilst browsing Etsy the other day Mr H discovered someone else who obviously was partial to these teatime delights too. WHATNIKKIMADE creates screen printed super sized cushions of her favourite tea time treats...
We love them A LOT and are trying to find space on our ever full sofas to justify purchasing a couple for our collection!

How to make Cake Pops

2011-06-27T12:05:00.001+01:00

As promised here are the basic premise of how to make cake pops.. now the Americans love to use cake mixes and ready made frostings in a lot of their books on cupcakes and pops. I have used my own cakes and buttercreams - and Ange (aka BAKERELLA) does these in her CAKE POP book too.. but for the first attempt I used Betty Crocker Devils Food cake and a Betty Crocker vanilla Icing

You will need:
Betty Crocker Box of Devils Food Cake (9x13inch tin)
Betty Crocker Vanilla Frosting Tub (3/4 exactly)
I Bag of Coloured candy coating drops (>>BUY HERE)
48 lolly sticks (>>BUY HERE)
A flower oasis or polystyrene slab for drying!

Make up the cake mix and cook as instructed
Let the cake cool
Crumble in a bowl until super fine crumbs
Add in 3/4 of the frosting tub and mix
**do not add too much as the mix will be too wet
Mix well and roll into 48 balls
Put in the fridge for 2 hours
You take then take out and shape in other cutters (see my hearts) or you are ready to coat
Put the candy drops in a bowl and melt in microwave as instructed
Make sure bowl is not too wide as the deeper the dip the better!
Dip in the lolly stick and then put in a ball
Dip the whole ball in the coating **not real chocolate does not melt or coat as easily as the candy coatings and they taste delicious!
Put the stick in the oasis to allow to set ** you will see that I did not have an oasis so put holes in a box.. it worked but was not the easiest solution!

Ta da... simple cake pops. We also made some from our own cake recipes - and they were just as good but a bit harder to get the consistency right. Some ended up too moist so we couldnt have them on sticks :(

As a lot of the cake ingredients and decorating bits are not available in super markets - we have pulled them together in a special section of our MIX TAPE store. Let us know how you get on. Prizes for our favourites on our facebook page.
>>SHOP BAKING ACCESSORIES HERE

Cake Pop Lady

2011-06-24T10:17:00.001+01:00

This week I received my CAKE POPS book by the American blogger BAKERELLA, who is credited with taking a cake ball and making it into a crafty phenomenon! I have been an avid fan of her blog for a while, and her party tips and tricks are super inspirational..
With her coloured candy coatings, sweet trimmings and edible pens she creates some amazing spectacles like the POPCORN pops (white chocolate, food dye pens and mini marshmallows)... Mini Robots (cheerios!) or even the simple delights of the pink and chocolate balls.
YUM!... so I set about buying all the things to make my own and experimented with BLUE ones (see top pic) for my boys.... I have posted a separate post taking you through my 'how I made that'.
Ange's book has super easy instructions and her happy words and style sure rubs off on you!
If you also follow her blog you will be aware that she is currently very poorly and has just had her second kidney transplant... her attitude is as positive and sunny as ever, and I am posting this today for you to hopefully share in her talented delights..
Ange GET WELL SOON... and gosh almightly your pops taste good!

Liberty Special Editions

2011-06-24T09:02:00.001+01:00

We are super proud at Pearl and Earl that our Granny Knits craft kits are part of the craft mecca we know and love as LIBERTY LONDON... and the team have asked us to design a bespoke cross stitch piece to make up and sit in the department to promote our wares.
So I worked on a design using the Liberty Logo, my London Skyline and Union Jack Floral design, but using our new JEWEL palette. Today my lovely Aunty Ann delivered the finished wool stitched panel ready for me to turn into the finished piece.. and I am more than a little thrilled with the results.
Pics are not the best, as they were from my phone.. and the dreary day did nothing for the colours. But it is a delight and I will aim to produce more professional results with the cushion tomorrow!
Meanwhile it was a Liberty day.. as the Quadrille preview book list that came my way today included a snap shot of the new LIBERTY HOME SEWING BOOK. Plus they are doing a programme of STITCH events in store to celebrate, and using some of their new Autumn Fabrics LIBERTY ROCKS... including some patchwork classes..
Will keep you up to date with the project progression, but for tonight I am feeling rather giddy with the gorgeousness of it all.

Midnight Jam Making for Dad

2011-06-21T20:37:00.000+01:00

After our bumper crop strawberry picking at the local PYO.. work has been madly busy *quietly drowning in artwork* so I set about being a mad woman, making my annual runny strawberry jam at midnight to "wind down"....
You can see that the fruits of our labour nearly boiled over my jam pan.. and also made the most delightful flower pattern in the deathly hot bubbles!... yes I did lose the plot slightly.
Anyhow... recipe complete it is Mr H's favourite - so along with some homemade meringues, treacle popcorn and our sloe gin stash... we used some of the new DIY PRINTABLES to create these SUPER DAD labels for our presents on fathers day...
He was chuffed and we tucked in too!

Sussex Strawberries in the Rain

2011-06-21T20:23:00.000+01:00

Saturday was our annual Strawberry picking extravaganza!.. we are super lucky around Arundel to have a wealth of nurseries and farms which supply a lot of the main super markets - but more importantly our local stores.
We have 2 or 3 favourites, but when we go with the kids we tend to visit Roundstones PYO - as they are super large and have a couple of tractors which take you up to the best picking fields. For the kids the tractor ride and secret sneeky strawberries are what makes the event - but for me it is the start of my jam making marathon... so we were picking at speed as a large set of very black rain clouds loomed overhead. We managed to make it back
As the years have passed we have been donated many jars at the request they be filled with jam! So this was more of a pick as many as I could! Prices have gone up - and it is cheaper to get your strawberries in the 2 fors that they have at nearly every super market at this time of year - but honestly the fresh ones that have a little extra pectin and flavour still make the best jam.
PS - the farm shop is not as good as others in the area - so you really do need to PYO.

see looming clouds over approaching tractor!

Rock It Dad

2011-06-13T11:12:00.000+01:00

Sunday is Fathers Day - and as we have finished our record breaking pile of personalised prints - we have been musing some alternative gifts.
We love this 3 CD Haynes Manual guide to rock - which is a perfect side order to our NO DANCING DADS print... well no one said anything about air guitars did they?

You can still get the unpersonalised print in time for Fathers Day... or choose from one of our other manly prints, like our HE WHO DARES WINS

Laduree Obsessions

2011-06-10T20:39:00.000+01:00

For those of you who are regular readers... you will know that I am a fan of baking - and have had an obsession with Laduree Macarons since I first went to Paris aged 12 and thought they were the most glamorous things I had ever seen... The wonderful story of Ladurée began in 1862, when Louis Ernest Ladurée opened a bakery in the very heart of Paris at 16, rue Royale... starting the trend for the Parisienne Salon du The. Their website today is gloriously fabulous and a joy to visit.
The counters are like apothecaries and jewellers at the same time - and this school girl visit started my obsession with patisserie and I love that recently (like many old school crafts) the modern Parisienne Patisserie has a seen new breed of modern twists on old classics...
Laduree however still cannot be touched for their simple delights and the way that they over package them is not one for the eco-chic among you! But for me - I have kept every single box and upcycled it into a new use reminding me of their perma pleasure..
For my birthday my husband bought me their new cook book - which after many years they have disclosed a number of their until now super secret recipes! The book itself with its gold leaf pages is a delight - wrapped in glassine paper and boxed as if the most precious of jewels..
My first attempt at delicate orange flower and rose macarons however was not of the standard (see bottom pic) but they looked pretty enough and tasted divine.
I have a long way to go as a patisserie chef .. but am certainly enjoying the journey!
Laduree Sucre can be purchased here

An Alternative Deckchair

2011-05-22T12:46:00.000+01:00

Last weekend I decided to reupholster one of our old kitchen chairs.. now I am by no means an expert when it comes to this! But I am happy to play! But this is now my 6th chair so after Mr H had used a bit of brute force to take off the old school fabric, I used the old fabric as a template and cut out some new bits.
Using fabric tacks I tacked the DECKCHAIR STRIPED FABRIC from Granny Knits in place, and with a glue gun added a bit of our signature BRIGHT BOBBLE TRIM to the edges and the back.
I loved it so much that it is no longer in the kitchen, but now has pride of place in our hallway.
This the upholstery book I use for reference..
No chair / stool is now safe in our house, they are all up for an extremely colourful makeover!

Things to do with Streamers

2011-05-22T00:34:00.001+01:00

ribbon and flower gift wrap

I LOVE paper streamers.. when I was a child we used to twist them and drape them everywhere at Christmas - and the reels just seemed to go on FOREVER...
So when we launched NOSTALGIC EVENTS I set about sourcing these in our colour palette to festoon onto every occassion...
Last week they arrived and yesterday I played and played with the colourful array.. and this is what I came up with!
I am in the midst of writing lots of DIY Party tutorials .. and so full instructions will follow...
Each colour comes in a 25m reel and at less than £3 each you get an awful lot for your buck .. and plenty of paper to play with! Cheaper than ribbon, bunting and paper chains for sure!

monster red flower

giant pink bloom for a centerpiece

mini rosette and ruffled hand stitched garlands

Nostalgic Events Launch

2011-05-21T16:22:00.000+01:00

Well it is no surprise that "We Love a Good Do" here at Pearl and Earl.. so it was only a matter of time before we launched our own collection of things to host the most chic celebration!
Most of the celebrations in our lives have had a DIY spin on it - from the home designed wedding invitations and stationery and every kids party in between... my approach has usually been based around a "theme" which we inevitably go to town on in our own mad cap nostalgic style! From our pumpkin bread rolls at Halloween to the DIY paper bunting for the Royal Wedding...
Inspired by Amy Atlas the Dessert Bar Queen from NYC (see top pic).. we thought maybe there were more of you out there who loved and craved these nostalgic accessories for your event/wedding/party and wanted something "a little different"
Hey presto.. we designed, we sourced and now the first phase is here!
Starting with a collection of NOSTALGIC DECORATIONS including a plethora of honeycomb PAPER BALLS, PAPER BELLS, PAPER HEARTS, GARLANDS and STREAMERS these are exclusively designed and made by us... including our new PAPER STRAWS..
We stock 11 colours and 12 shapes and sizes - but can do bespoke designs in up to 26 pantone matched colours for wholesale, trade and catering clients... but for now they are simply delighting us here at Pearl and Earl HQ ready for the Wedding Season and dare we say it Christmas!

The Mix Tape Launch

2011-05-21T15:18:00.001+01:00

Welcome to THE MIX TAPE.... we love (like most) music, books and film - but as a very small business we could not hope to compete with some of the big guns on price. So we have teamed up with the clever folk at Amazon to bring you an exclusive edited shop of our current favourite categories and finds. This is by no means extensive, but it is exclusive, and Amazon update the prices on all the products to be the latest deals.

It includes random finds to share, mix tapes of memories (not always cool) and books to suit your mood.. all nostalgic and chic of course!

Every month we will be reviewing our favourite new books and finds.. and will also be looking for volunteers - GUEST DJS - to select their top 10 favourite Amazon finds - and why they love them and think you will too.. winners get a £50 voucher to spend at Pearl and Earl ..

This Weeks Favourites with Fathers Day in mind:

The cellotape dispenser in the shape of a mix tape £11 and Dad Stuff Book £5.28 - both available on the MIX TAPE

Little notes for ref: the shopping cart is separate to our normal store - as the orders are processed, managed and dispatched by Amazon directly. So our gift vouchers, coupons and offers are not valid in this section - but that is also why you get the best price. You can however spend and buy AMAZON GIFT VOUCHERS here - and browse items from your Amazon wish lists... and the rest of the Amazon store once you go to check out.

A Right Pair.. for Mums and Dads

2011-05-21T15:08:00.000+01:00

Last month Mr H and I were sitting debating the things that we always seemed to say... parenting not only our Children - but also ourselves!
Rules of the house if you will.. so I did what I normally do and put it down on paper - and hey presto this pair of prints was born!
The MOTHER KNOWS BEST seems to have perhaps a more traditional parental tone - whilst the ASK YOUR DAD is more of an 'alternative'.
Either way these prints work best as a pair..

Embroidered Penguin Classics

2011-05-15T11:49:00.000+01:00

Of late I have been working on some new embroidery and quilting designs - experimenting until I get it right. Part of the process has been to seekout contemporary embroidery "Style Muses" .. to see how they are taking this oldest of crafts into the modern age, maybe picking up a little inspiration along the way.
In the case of Jillian Tamaki, I just stopped and stared. I am totally in love with these embroidered pieces, and had to share with you her stunning work. She is an illustrator and comics artist by trade from the Canadian Prairies. Now living in Brooklyn, NY she is a regular contributor to editorial with her free style of illustration. However one of her recent commissions/challenges was from Penguin to transform 3 classic titles - Emma, Black Beauty and The Secret Garden into her freestyle illustrative style, but then make them up as embroidered works. It took her a little over 2 months and these are the results.
What is amazing is that she is a novice stitcher!.. So what truly inspires me (apart from their gorgeous colours and textures and free flowing illustrative style) is that with a little time and care you can create something truly stunning with a few stitches and a little creativity. Perhaps not in the same league as Ms Tamaki... but none the less I am inspired.
The covers of the new limited edition books will be sculpturally-embossed with full wraparound images and french flaps. They will be available for sale in October, 2011 - and you can CLICK HERE to pre order / buy them

New Fathers Day Posters

2011-05-11T13:11:00.000+01:00

Based on the success of our NO DANCING DADS print from last year (still in our Top 5) ... we decided to add a few more into the collection, ready for FATHERS DAY next month.
So here you go ... a sneaky peek at some of our NEW PRINTS, which will be up and loaded later today. All our standard prints are £15.. and the little certificate at the bottom makes a nice frameable card for just £5...

Cocktails Required

2011-05-11T13:03:00.000+01:00

Its been a week of long nights working on the launch of our new art collection for Fathers Day... as well as dealing with a BIG stack of orders from our site and the NOTH CATALOGUE which went out this week..

I am also on a diet :( and normally when working late, I am rather partial to a glass of wine. So bless my daughter when she came to my desk last night with a 'Healthy Cocktail' to keep me going... Water with a slice of lemon. Rock and roll..... love her x

PS - note the brilliantly cool new MIX TAPE SELLOTAPE HOLDER Mr H bought me for my birthday in the background.