Distinctive Book Club: Seaside Tinkered Treasures by Elyse Major

Love the distinctive floral designs of Cath Kidston? Nodding your head in agreement? You’ll definitely want to check out Elyse Major’s blog Tinkered Treasures, which combines pastel shades and ditsy prints in what can best be described as an online haven for folks who love to ‘get crafty’.

Launch Party

Elyse shows you how to make everything from floral printed blinds for the home, to pretty wooden mini cottages made from lolly sticks – and she’s combined some of her favourite makes in a brand new seaside-themed book. ‘Seaside Tinkered Treasures’ brings together some of Elyse’s prettiest crafts in a nautical-esque publication, which had its US launch party earlier this week.

‘A Blogging Treasure’

This is Elyse’s second book – her first got its name from her hugely popular blog,  Tinkered Treasures  – and she’s thrilled to finally be unleashing it on her online readers and the general public.  She began blogging back in 2008, and saw her little space on the Internet as a place to share DIY adventures, ‘funny stories about stripping wallpaper’, and her passion creating beautiful things in general. A mum to two equally creative boys, Elyse is an interiors stylist and has seen articles focusing on interiors and crafts published in a wealth of magazines.

But today, Elyse is in the spotlight herself as we bring you the latest post in our ‘Distinctive Book Club’ series, which sees us review interiors books here on our blog.

With 35 projects to ‘bring the seashore home’, Seaside Tinkered Treasures makes a lovely addition to your own book shelf, or a stunning seasonal gift for a crafty friend. The key with this publication, though, is that each and every make combines materials you can pick up on the cheap – from the seaside and during family holidays. Better still, some projects even make use of bits and pieces you’ll find in your own home – string, twine, and scrap paper.

Life’s  a Beach

Perhaps one of the best – and most imaginative – crafts in the book, though, is the one seen on the cover image. An elaborate shell-based project, it’s a freestanding ‘Marine Antoinette figure’, which offers an ideal way to preserve those shells you scooped up from the beach during that memorable summer holiday.

Nautical Themed

From the very first project – beach ball vase fillers (pretty Styrofoam balls decoupaged with pretty fabric), to the last: a ‘hurricane sand-filled candle holder’, Elyse’s personal crafting style is evident throughout. A fan of Cath Kidston herself, she even wore one of the UK designer’s nautical themed dressed to her Seaside Tinkered Treasures book release bash.

Whether you’re looking for some quick and fairly easy makes to get stuck into this summer, or a beautiful gift, you’ll love the latest book from Elyse. In the meantime, don’t forget to head to her blog for all the latest on the new release.