We're so thrilled to welcome Melissa Waudby of Simply Vintage to the Hochanda family! We took some time to sit down with her and get to know her before her first live show on Thursday 21st April at 10am!
How did you get into
vintage up-cycling?
I come from a long line of hoarders and make do-ers, so it
is in my blood. I can never throw anything away or recycle without first
thinking ‘what can I make with that?’. I have always been creative and resourceful, as a teenager I
tried my hand at making jewellery to earn a little extra pocket money, then
after a spell at Drama school and working as an actress i used my creative
thriftiness to make costumes and props for our theatre production company -
which usually consisted of huge wild plans, but with teeny tiny budgets!
The turning point for my career was during preparations for
our wedding in 2010, we decided to have a big celebration back in my home
county of Yorkshire after getting married in Las Vegas, with just our close
friends and family. We wanted fun, informal and reasonably priced event - that
looked lavish and different! So i pretty much organised and made the whole
thing, from the flowers and cake, to the table settings, invites, games and
more. It was exhausting but exhilarating - I loved it, and so did the guest
with many taking home the centrepieces and decorations - and others asking
where they could buy the items from!
So later that year Simply Vintage Designs was born.
I started with items made from teacups, then china cake
stands which were hugely popular at events due to the ability for customers to
choose their own plates and create their own designs. Furniture and linens
followed until i had an eclectic mix of products, which now includes cutlery
jewellery, garden ornaments and many more designs. The kits began 2 years ago with the upsurge in creative
crafting and up cycling. i now love helping customers create they own beautiful
items from everyday things!
What do you love
about working with vintage items?
The quality of vintage and antique items are just terrific.
They were built to last a lifetime and some items are still serving their
purpose 100 years on! The attention to detail on things such as tea ware, linens
and clothing is just a delight - from hand painted tea cups to painstakingly
embroidered tablecloths and napkins. The pieces that evoke an era of care and
respect for things are my most favourite items, a lace hankie that was handmade
for a wedding or christening, a tea-set that was built up piece by piece during
a marriage, the scrupulously cleaned cake knife that once graced a wedding
table. I love the memories that vintage items bring back - i show
my items at a lot of public events and I never tire of hearing ‘This reminds me
of Aunties kitchen’ or ‘My Nan served us Sunday tea in one of those’ the smile
on the faces of people as they remember is priceless.
What is your design
process? Where do you start?
I am constantly sourcing items for my own collections and
for commissions - so for my own items I tend to let my imagination wander when I
see something - which does result in a hoard of ‘things to do in the future
when I have time’.
I have a core of items I am always making but I like to try
new things and new ideas. I have a note pad that is covered in scribbles of
things to try. The beauty of my ability to store things is that I can usually
find the perfect piece of china, lace or button just when I need it.
What inspires you?
Everything around me. We recently moved from London to the
Cambridgeshire countryside and as I love nature it is a haven for me. My items
have become more nature inspired since moving here, there are a lot more animal
prints and themes emerging.
I do spend a lot of time researching the past - how things were
used in the early 1900’s, how they were made and who would have bought them.
This gives me good insight into what they can be used for now - a Victorian
sugar shaker is now a popular and useful olive strainer!
Teacups into bird feeders, milk jugs into pin cushions and
beautiful cutlery handles into jewellery - each item will inspire me into what
it could become.
What made you want to
start up your own business?
I have always been self-employed - from my days of being an
actress to the producing and now Simply Vintage. I love the freedom of working
for myself, the downside is always being busy!
Running your own business can be scary but also hugely
rewarding - I love the fact that one day I will be rummaging through antique centres
then the next I will be creating a whole range of vintage cake stands for a
show! Life is certainly never boring….exhausting but not boring!
What’s the one piece
of advice you wish you’d known when starting up your own business?
Trust in your products and yourself - and be confident!
What’s a typical day
like for you?
I am not a good waker-upper! I need at least two cups of tea
to even think about getting going. I can work late into the evening but I hate
mornings!! This is usually not good when a lot of my events and antique markets
start before the crack of dawn! I usually go at least once a week to a large antique market
or car boot to have a rummage and see what treasures I can find. So would be up
and out by 6am with the hope of finding some lovely vintage treasures to
inspire me. I really never go with a list as I like to see thing and then think
‘oooh I can make that from it’.
After a couple of hours mooching, it is back to my little
nook and the cleaning and planning begins for the items. A few more cups of
coffee and it is on to the emails and website work, plus all the paperwork for
events and shows that are coming up. I would also find the time for a scamp at the local park
with my beloved Barney, a 10 year old Springer Spaniel - always a great stress
reliever and he never fails to make me smile and laugh each day!
Later in the day I would begin making some new items or if I
have commission on I would continue with that.
I have just completed a mammoth 11 full costumes in 10 days for a
theatre show over in the UAE so that kept me pretty busy.
I hate to sit still, my fingers get itchy, so even in the
evening if i am on the sofa i like to be stitching or drawing!
Do you have any
upcycling top tips that you can share with us?
Don’t be afraid to try something different - sometimes the
best things have come out of my trying something new and just seeing if it may
work! I never worry about something failing - I can always re-make it or start
again from scratch!
Try to keep a stash of lovely things - small pieces of lace,
china, linens etc. as you never know when you may want to add a little vintage
charm to something. Although this can be addictive - I am now the proud over of
two storage units and a shed full of ‘you never know when I might need these’
things!!
What are the five
pieces of equipment you couldn’t be without?
Pencil - I am constantly making notes and scribbling ideas
in a little notebook (or any scrap of paper!) in my bag while I am out and
about.
My little drill, my husband’s laughs at it as it is certainly
not a boys toy drill - a small, medium powered one I picked up at a well know Swedish
home store a few years ago for a bargain! It has lasted me and is the perfect
size for cake stand drilling and jewellery making.
Sewing machine - from repairs of lovely vintage fabrics to
reworking of linens into new pieces - plus all the costumes I still create with
it!
A glue gun - I am always sticking and fixing and the ease of
a good glue gun is invaluable!
Rubber Gloves! I am constantly cleaning china and cutlery and
rarely a day goes by when I am not elbow deep in soap suds!
And for the future,
what’s next on your to do list?
Hochanda! I am so excited to be bringing my new ranges to
your audiences - I love demonstrating crafts and new techniques so this is a
dream for me! And of course creating new and innovative items to add to my
ranges.
Are there any
emerging trends for 2016?
Vintage is still very strong on both the high street and on
the media, the mix and match ability of china is ever popular for events and in
the home.
The trend is less focused on the florals and chintz nowadays
and more on the pretty pastels - greens, pinks and blues are being favoured
this summer.
Catch Melissa with Simply Vintage on 21st April at 10AM and 3PM, and find all your essential crafting materials on the Hochanda website to get creating!
Make sure you watch Hochanda ever day 24/7 for lots of fun and crafty demonstrations and inspiration! You can watch Hochanda live online, Sky channel 663 or Freesat 817.
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