Tuesday 12 July 2011

How I came to London & a little artist feature

Before I moved to to London 5 years ago to go to college
I worked part time and sold customised vintage handbags on ebay
The place in Wales where I am from is FULL of little old ladies
So the charity shops were full of vintage handbags
I used to buy them and customise them, I actually started doing it as I couldn't find a bag in the shops I wanted
I loved doing it so much and the feedback I received was so lovely!
I even customised one just for a man getting married in Vegas as a surprise to his wife to be
That was really special
Everyday when I finished work I would sit down and customise late into the night
I loved it
Over time the charity shops I visited all of a sudden didn't have ANY bags, someone seemed to be buying them all up
It was so strange
I realised when I moved to London who was probably behind it
When I went to shops like Topshop and Urban Outfitters I saw bags that I'd see in charity shops for a few pounds marked up to around £40 each!
Ridiculous!

Anyway, the point is I love the idea of reusing something and giving it a few life!
I love to to think there is some epic story behind the original item
I used to imagine the bags I'd buy maybe belonged to a little old lady and her handbag was a gift from her husband
And that bag was her BEST bag, when she used it she felt like a million bucks!
And now it was in a charity shop
I felt I took it from there, made it look all pretty and sent it on to a new owner ready to make new happy memories
I know it sounds a bit far fetched, but that's how I felt
Even the first piece of jewellery Paul bought me was a second hand ring
And of course, I imagine some crazy romantic story behind that too!
haha

Anyway this leads me to this artist, Kim Songhe
She creates chandeliers and most of her work is made up of recycled materials that some people may consider junk
And most of the chandelier frames that she uses are old and found in the rubbish
I just think they are really sweet and fun
And I love a bit of kitsch!

















Love this!
I was so obsessed with Trolls when I was younger





















































































Had to put Hello Kitty in there somewhere!

2 comments:

  1. very nice post claire.. I never think about stuff from charity shops in that way but I probably will now :) its amazing that you can custom handbags and give them 'new life' well done x

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  2. The chandeliers are awesome, but...fire hazards much?! I'm way too paranoid right? Lol. I'd love, love, love to go to Wales! My nanna was born there.

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