Tuesday 21 December 2010

THE DAY WE WENT TO BANGOR

The first Seaside Frock Vintage Fair, held at Cairn Bay Lodge on 5th December was a great success. Despite the icy weather conditions we had a fantastic turnout of visitors who came to sample some Christmas cheer in the atmosphere of yesteryear.

On the day over £500 was raised for the Kiwoko Hospital charity! A big thank you to everyone who was involved.



















Saturday 4 December 2010

LET IT SNOW!

Sunday 5th December is going to be a fantastic day at Cairn Bay Lodge, Seacliff Road, Bangor when the Seaside Frock Vintage, Craft & Collectables Christmas Fair takes place from 12-5pm. Admission is free so you have no excuse not to wrap up in your winter woolies and make your way to Ballyholme for a day of vintage loveliness! Here is a preview of the exhibitors:

Salvage Kitten

Decadence

Arbee Cards

Norma Jean

Lulu Rose

Peggy Button

Bells and Bows

Strictly Vintage

Jennifer Robinson Jewellery

Annie Rose Vintage

Button It

Ani & Lulu's Cupcakery

Gifts In A Jar

The Folderol Dolls

Cairn Bay Lodge Gift Shop

Tuesday 30 November 2010

SEASON'S GREETINGS

With all things handmade and crafty in vogue once again, we all want to send beautiful handcrafted cards to our friends and family this Christmas so, luckily for us, Arbee Cards will be selling their lovely wares at Seaside Frock this Sunday.

Arbee Cards create bespoke wedding invitations, handmade cards and stationery in beautiful, unusual, interesting, elegant, quirky and vintage designs to suit all events, styles and budgets.

The vintage range features vintage papers, lace, buttons and other ephemera and has proved very popular with Frock Around The Clock customers and visitors to St George's Market where Arbee Cards can be found on a Sunday.

So for unique and beautiful Christmas cards, and indeed cards for all occasions, pop along to the Seaside Frock Vintage, Craft & Collectables Christmas Fair at Cairn Bay Lodge, Bangor on Sunday 5th December. Admission is free and the fair is open from 12-5pm.




Monday 29 November 2010

ELECTRO CUTE at the Safehouse Gallery

Harriet Myfanwy Nia Tahany, a Leitrim based artist, is opening a new solo exhibition in Belfast next month. "Electro’ Cute" opens at the Safehouse Gallery, located on Donegal Street in Belfast, the exhibition runs from 12th – 19th December 2010. The Safehouse Arts Space Gallery was opened in 2002 as a new art space in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter. Safehouse aims to provide a gallery which nurtures new emerging art as well as challenging some of the established artistic norms.



Harriet is originally from Wales and recently completed her Masters in Fine Art at the University of Ulster in Belfast. She now lives in Dromahair, Co. Leitrim. Her career has gone from strength to strength since she won the annual Taylor Art award at the Royal Dublin Society in 2007. “Electro'Cute” is Harriet’s second solo show this year. When asked to describe her new set of works, Harriet describes a “surreal fairytale set in a strange futuristic ice age, inhabited by cybernetic sweethearts and cute bionic animal mutants”. Each work of art offers a glimpse into Harriet’s surreal fantasy world of character’s and narrative, Harriet’s invites us to engage with this new works story telling potential, presented without a beginning or an end, enduringly stir’s the viewer into they own imagination.



The works in this new show portray a commentary or warning about loss of animals and environments. Harriet refers to William Blake’s “Songs of Innocence and Experience” at the time of the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century as being intertextual to her new work, “it’s a futuristic surreal notion about the technology and nature”. William Blake used symbols of childhood in his poetry and illustrations to portray the simple rural life that was becoming threatened by the new age of manufacturing and steam powered industry. Those who are familiar with Harriet’s work will see her trademark theme of sweetness with darker undertones, which can be identified in much of her previous work.




Harriet explains the inspiration behind this new set of work, “The futuristic elements come as a result of constant environmental disregard, which has caused an ice age. The characters are only surviving in it because they are cybernetic.” A main theme is that nature has become dependent on technology. Ideas include that the world has become uninhabitable without the aid of cybernetic implants and breathing devices, mutant animals have been bred especially to support these technology dependant humans and that the world is entering a strange new era.


The exhibition is in two main media, sculpture and painting. "Electro’ Cute" opens on Sunday 12th December 2010 at 2.00 pm. All are welcome to celebrate this new collection of work and to meet Harriet in person.

DECK THE HALLS...........

If you are tired of putting up the same old Christmas decorations year after year, take a look at the Seaside Frock Vintage, Craft & Collectables Christmas Fair this Sunday at Cairn Bay Lodge for inspiration.

Purchase from a range of handmade decorations created from both natural materials and recycled textiles, so this year you can have unique Christmas decorations and help the environment at the same time.

Bows and Bells will be selling Christmas wreaths, table centrepieces and matching tree decorations made from natural materials, while Salvage Kitten will have their quirky tree decorations hand-crocheted from salvaged wool and trimmed with vintage buttons. Choose from gingerbread men, snowflakes, trees and hearts - much too nice to keep just for Christmas.

Available from Decadence are hand sewn tree decorations made from recycled fabrics and vintage buttons in traditional colours of red, green and blue while their Pulp Art range of decorations offers bunting and paper chain kits made from vintage maps, books and comics.


Natural decorations from Bows and Bells

Recycled fabric tree decorations handmade by Becky at Decadence

Tree decorations hand crocheted from salvaged wool by Rachael at Salvage Kitten

Pulp Art range of paper chain kits from Becky at Decadence

The Seaside Frock Vintage, Craft & Collectables Christmas Fair takes place on Sunday 5th December at Cairn Bay Lodge, 278 Seacliff Road, Bangor, County Down from 12 - 5pm. Admission is FREE.

Sunday 28 November 2010

I DO LIKE TO BE BESIDE THE SEASIDE


HAVE YOURSELF A VINTAGE LITTLE CHRISTMAS......

at the SEASIDE FROCK

Vintage, Craft & Collectables Christmas Fair

Sunday 5th December

12 - 5pm

Cairnbay Lodge, Seacliff Road, Bangor


FREE ADMISSION


The very first SEASIDE FROCK vintage fair will be taking place on Sunday 5th December at Bangor's award winning guest house, Cairn Bay Lodge.



Shop for unique and inspirational Christmas gifts in the nostalgic atmosphere of yesteryear, drink tea from vintage china and enjoy some festive cheer.


Our exhibitors will be selling:


. Vintage Clothing & Accessories . Jewellery . Vanity Items .

. China . Glassware . Collectables . Cupcakes .

. Handcrafted Fashion Accessories & Jewellery .

. Handmade Christmas Decorations & Cards .

. Unique Gifts . & Much More... .



 
PLUS

Visit the Cairn Bay Lodge gift shop for mementos, Irish linen, handmade soaps, vintage postcards and posters, books, bric-a-brac, antiques and works by local artists.


AND

Enter the charity raffle for the chance to win lovely vintage and handmade prizes - proceeds to Kiwoko Hospital, Uganda




HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!