Looking for Christmas gifts?

The festive end of the year is coming closer.

Now is also the time to start looking for that unique special gift

 or indulge yourself ...

Just click below

 

 

 

Kristien

The 2014 Trend Color of the year.

"Pantone is the global color authority and provider of professional color standards for the design industries.

Since 2000, the Pantone Color Institute™ has been designating a Color of the Year to express in color what is taking place in the global zeitgeist. A color that will resonate around the world, the PANTONE Color of the Year is a reflection of what people are looking for, what they feel they need that color can help to answer. Not necessarily the hot fashion color of the moment, but a color crossing all areas of design which is an expression of a mood, an attitude, on the part of the consumers.

To distill the prevailing mood into a single hue, the PCI team, combs the world looking for future design and color influences, watching out for that one color seen as ascending and building in importance through all creative sectors. Influences can include the entertainment industry, upcoming films, art, emerging artists, travel destinations and socio-economic conditions. Influences may also stem from technology, lifestyles + playstyles, new textures and effects that impact color, and even upcoming sports events that capture worldwide attention. 

 

The color for 2014?  The captivating, magical and enchanting Radiant Orchid. An invitation to innovation, modern and versatile Radiant Orchid encourages creativity and originality. Imbued with a harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid inspires confidence and its rosy undertones emanate great joy, love and health. "

Source: http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/pantone.aspx?pg=21128&ca=10

 

 

 

 

 

 



1. At Hawthorne Threads, one of my fabric suppliers, they put together a lovely collection of fabrics in radiant Orchid hues.

Have a look:

 

 

Here you can see the fabrics separately.

 

2. Another interesting link gives an overview of how this color will dominate fashion and beauty.

Some pictures:

 

 

 

 

3. Some treasuries on Etsy

 

 

 

 

4. A small item from my shop:

 





I could go on...
Enjoy.
Have a lovely weekend
Kristien

 

 



 

 

The Perfect Small budget friendly Christmas gift.

I am already thinking about Christmas; only two months away!
What I love most about it is the preparation and search for the perfect gifts.
But having to buy many presents with a tight budget can be quite a challenge.
That is why I wanted to show you some of my "Under 20 Euro" gifts in my Zest 4 colour shop.

1. First of all: something new! A Bag or Purse Hook.
I can no longer live without it.
It is the perfect, practical, yet elegant accessory for any woman.
Just unroll the hanger, hook it on the side of a table and hang your bag to keep it away from the ground.

For each hook I have carefully chosen and cut a small piece of Liberty Tana Lawn fabric, wellknown for its delicate and exquisite patterns.
The fabric is securely locked by a glass dome, which magnifies the pattern.
Some pictures:

 

 

 

There are many more to come in the shop.

 

2. My pencil cases; roomy with a practical unique zipper pull and easy to clean.

Some examples:

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Small coin purses.

Here is the first of my smaller framed coin purses.

For the lining I used a cotton fabric instead of laminated cotton, which makes it less expensive.

 



 

 

 

Want to see more? Just go over to my zest4colour shop.

And of course I can Always make something specially for you.

Simply let me know what you would like at zest4colour@gmail.com

 

Have a lovely weekend.
Kristien



 

 

 

On Facebook!

I finally gave in...
I am not a big fan of Facebook.
I don't even have a personal account as I don't want to write about my everyday life. That is private and personal.
So I didn't think of ever opening an account until I realised I could use Facebook as a window to my Etsy shop.
Here it is: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zest4colour-purses-and-accessories/351351621656882

 

I also added some new lovely items to my shop:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you like them.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Kristien

 

 

 

 

A trip to London Part 1: Liberty fabrics

Yesterday, I came back from a business trip to London .
Whenever I am there, I always take time to visit the Liberty store, the Whaterstones bookshop etc
This time Liberty disappointed me.
I went there especially to see the Spring 2013 tana lawn collection... There was almost nothing  left!
Here are some examples of what should have been there:

 

 

 

If you want to see more, have a look at the Liberty blog.

Luckily, you can still find these lovely fabrics at Shaukat, a shop in South-Kensington and online.

 

After a delicious lunch at le Pain Quotidien I went to the Fashion and Textile Museum, to visit the Kaffe Fassett exhibition.

Now this was a feast for the eyes.

I will tell you more about it in my next post.

Warm regards

Kristien

 

 

 



Shop additions

It has been quiet here lately; but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy.
If you are still looking for a Mother's Day present, then I have some ideas for you.

I made some new pencil cases:

A gorgeous cotton fabric of red and white sweets

 

I love this one with its green-yellow-orange-brown leaf pattern.

 

 

Here, I used a fresh Liberty curduroy fabric

 

Spring / early summer is a popular time of the year for getting married. Here are some ideas for bridal / bridesmaid purses:

 

 

For this purse I used a gorgeous cotton sateen fabric

 

 

 For the top part of this purse I used a lovely Liberty tana lawn fabric from the 2013 spring collection, called Irma. More colour options are available. For the base I took a Kaffe Fassett "shot cotton", a whole new range of plain fabrics by Kaffe Fassett. Here you can see them all. It has the same feel and quality as the fine  Liberty Tana Lawn.

 

 

This is a very chique purse made of the sweetest pale pink crèpe fabric with a thin layer of soft grey-brown lace on top.

 

 

For more pictures and details you are one click away from my zest4colour shop.

 

Please let me know what you think.

Warm regards

Kristien





 

An eyeglass case giveaway!

Do you want to grab your chance to win this eyeglass case?

 

 

Then you just have to go over to the sweepstakelover blog.
Damla was so kind to offer me the chance for a giveaway through her blog.
Here is the link.
For the duration of the giveaway (14 days) there is also a 5% discount on everything in my zest4colour shop.
Just use Coupon code "SPRINGGIFT5"
Good luck.
Warm regards
Kristien

A new shop section! Sunglass / Eyeglass cases.

I just launched a new section in my Zest4colour shop!
Colourfull, delicious, funky, stylish cases for your sunglasses or eyeglasses or any other small object that gets lost in your purse.
And... just in time for Valentines day.
This could be the perfect gift (always hard to find) for men too!
To celebrate this launch you get a 10% discount with coupon code LAUNCH10 till February 14th.
Here are some examples of what is coming:

I hope you like them.
Warm regards
Kristien

A craft fair experience.

In my last post I told you about the Handmade in Belgium event.
This fair is held twice a year.
It was the first time I attended this craft fair. Here you can see my booth all set and ready.

 

 

 

 

My sales weren't brilliant; I was a bit disappointed.

I had a lot of positive comments: fantastic, beautiful, great work ... but it shouldn't cost money.
Now my motto is: "Quality comes at a price".

I use high quality materials, take a lot of time to create a product and set high standards.

So I am not going to ask a low price to have a sale.

But what shocked me most is how rude and unfriendly some visitors were. They took and inspected my items without even looking at me or saying hello. Within minutes, my booth was a mess.
Of course there were also very friendly people who were genuinely interested.
What is your experience with craft fairs?
Kristien

Handmade in Belgium event.

An exciting event is taking place for the 6th time on Sunday September 9th!
HANDMADE IN BELGIUM
Here is the flyer:

 

If you go to the handmade in Belgium website you can see who is taking part.

Of course I will be there too.

The location is also very interesting: CMine in Genk.

An old industrial coalmine is restorated and transformed into a large cultural centre.

Some pictures:

 

The building itself is worth visiting.

I hope to see you there.
Kristien

 



One & Only pop up store!

What is a pop up store?
Pop up stores have a tendency to pop up unannounced, stay for a short time, and then disappear or morph into something else, adding to retail a fresh feel, exclusivity and surprise.
Some examples:
Hermes opened up a temporary silk bar in Causeway Bay.

Kate Spade opened up an inviting igloo for three weeks in New York City's Bryant Park. It handed out free hot chocolate to keep shoppers warm.

Godiva opened a pop-up boutique for Valentine's Day this year on 5th Avenue in New York City.

I have the honour to take part in an upcoming pop up store

(23-26 th of August) , I am thrilled!

I have to tell you, it is not in New York, but in the beautiful old Belgian city Antwerp.

Here is the link to the Facebook Page.

Location: Zand 5 - 2000 Antwerp

This is the website of the lovely lady who organises everything: www.ellenaernouts.be

I know, most of you don't live in Belgium to come to the store, but all my items are of course still available online at Zest4colour

Warm regards

Kristien