Ladyboss Collective

Hey Edinburgh folks! Have you checked out Ladyboss Collective on Candlemaker Row yet? If not you need to pop in to Edinburgh's snazziest nail bar and concept store.

Ladyboss Collective was opened in May this year by Amber Vermeulen after studying Fashion, spending a couple years working in hospitality and doing some traveling she decided it was time to open her own 'dream store'. She had been playing around with Nail Art for a while and it dawned on her that it was the missing link to making her dream come true. Not long after qualifying as a trained nail technician an opportunity to open a pop up shop arose and she jumped at the chance! Through her art school connections and working in hospitality she already knew quite a few creatives on the Edinburgh scene. She teamed up with a bunch of her favorite boss ladies and the 'Sassy concept nail bar featuring a gaggle of the best creative Ladybosses' was born.

I caught up with the Ladyboss herself for a wee chat and to get my nails done in the shop. Amber had done my nails once before and came recommended by a friend and before this appointment she asked me for three words for things I liked so she could create a custom design for me. I didn't make it easy for her and chose; Cats, Space and Vintage as my three words. I had seen some universe nails she'd done on Instagram a couple weeks before and loved them and we all know I love cats and anything vintage. Amber did not disappoint! She had all her cat decals at the ready, including some vintage/antique looking ones and showed me a couple for her free hand cat designs too but I settled on the decals that had a strong resemblance to Grumpy Cat.

Space Cat Nails!!!!!!

We sat and had a catch up while she layered up the varnish and glitter to create the universe effect on my nails and then positioned one cat on each hand, we done want over kill now, and then added more glitter to make them merge with the design. 

We chatted about why she started Ladyboss, how she stocks the shop and what inspires her. As mentioned already she has a lot of contacts in the local creative community and uses them to her advantage, she chats to everyone who comes through the shop and reaches a few folk that way as well as recommendations from people already supplying her. She also makes the most of social media and says 'I sometimes randomly message people I like and ask them to get involved, there are so many talented people out there often it seems you just have to ask'.

Some of the huge selection of stock.

Amber finds her inspiration for her designs in all sorts of places but likes to keep up to date on the nail art trends through Instagram and Pinterest, while I was in she was showing me a practice nail she'd been working on for a festive Christmas jumper design and it was awesome. She's great at working with people to find out what their style is, when I walked in for my first appointment with her I didn't have a clue what I wanted and walked out with stunning blue Mexican Día de Muertos nails, perfect for my summer holiday. 

Some of Amber's other designs

So if you're out and about in Edinburgh then you should pop in and say hi, check out her amazing stock that ranges from prints through clothing (vintage and new), jewellry and zines. There are some amazing stocking fillers and presents to be found and maybe a wee something for yourself too. Obviously I would totally recommend making an appointment to get your nails done while you're there as Amber is a pro! You can check out the Collective on her website and check out her Instagram for her latest designs and whats going on in store. 

Ladyboss Collective - ladybosscollective.co.uk - 23 Candlemarker Row, EH1 2QG 

Out of the Blue Flea Market

A couple weeks ago I popped along to the Out of the Blue Flea Market at the Drill Hall on Dalmeny Street in Leith. It’s an monthly event with different stall holder each time. It starts at 10am and carries on until 3pm on the last Saturday of the month, 28th of November this month.

Me channeling Lucy from Narnia

I’d been once before a couple years ago with my cousins and now that we are living in Leith I really wanted to go back for a nosy. We turned up at 11am and the Flea Market was in full swing. The Drill Hall was buzzing, the café was busy with folk drinking tea and chatting and we walked through into the main hall past the display cabinets full of local artists work for sale.

There were stalls selling all sorts, from home wares to haberdashery and, my favourite, vintage fashions. As usual I was drawn in by the shiny things and started riffling through boxes of old brooches and necklaces, swooning over the 50’s sewing boxes that we have no room for in our wee flat. Martyn was more interested in the records and petting the dogs that were there.

I like to have a plan with this kind of event, the rules were once around the hall looking but not buying and sussing out sellers, then second time around if it’s still there then it’s meant to be and then you buy, with possible haggling if required.

It took a while to get around the hall as we were chatting to the stall holders (one of them told me I looked like Lucy from Narnia) and having a good rake around the clothes rails. We pick a lovely set of 3 Pyrex dishes from the 70's that had never been used and were still in their original box for a tenner, I nabbed some clip on earrings that I plan making into collar clips and the Ladybird Book about Stamp Collecting for a friend. Martyn grabbed some music equipment and a Soul Jazz Records bag for under £25, he was very chuffed.

Over all it was a resounding success and I'm looking forward to heading back to Out of the Blue for the Vintage Kilo Sale held by Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fairs on the Saturday (21st November). 

Out of the Blue Flea Market - Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny St, Edinburgh, EH6 8RG 

Wish list Wednesday - Tunnock's Tea Cake Cushion

It’s Wednesday again already! This week I am featuring Nikki McWilliams’  Tunnock's Tea Cake Printed Cushion. She has created many amazing biscuit based cushions including Digestives, Malted Milks, Rich Tea Fingers and Party Rings but my favourite, and the first that caught my eye, is the Tunnock’s Tea Cake cushion. I love Tunnock’s tea cakes, they are amazing, generic tea cakes are never as good as a Tunnock’s tea cake, one of the main reasons I give blood is to get a tea cake at the end (that and the saving lives).

Look how big they are! 

The tea cake cushion is 16” in diameter, made from 100% and has a concealed zip, they are so big and fluff, they’d look amazing on any sofa, chair or even bed as a statement piece. Personally I’d love a couple Caramel Wafers on my sofa and the Tea Cake Cushion on my armchair.

Some of the cushion range

Nikki is Dundee based and also has her own blog and one of the best Instagram accounts in town! She launched the homeware and accessories label in 2009 and id inspired by 'a love of British culture, contemporary Pop-Art and her fascination with the ritual of the Tea Break'. Not only does she produces beautiful cushions but you can also pick up biscuit based brooches, necklaces, pocket mirrors, stationery and amazing prints on her website - nikkimcwilliams.com as well as over 60 stockists around the UK. At Christmas time last year I fell in love with the Gold and Ruby Jammy Heart Foil print but Santa didn’t deliver, maybe next year.