Ideas

Not convinced about the treasures you can find at our charity shops? We challenged the experts to take our bargain finds and turn them into treasures.

Cotswold Care Hospice is proud of the standard of goods we sell in our shops so we put ourselves to the test.

We asked a group of professionals to visit our shops and create something truly stunning.

Fashion consultant Kate Parker was given the challenge to come up with stunning party wear from our nine charity shops. She opted for sequins and glitter.

Kate matched her finds with accessories and shoes from LK Bennett, Phase Eight, Keith Scarrott and Jigsaw to create truly stylish outfits, from as little as £3.50 for a top and £10 for a dress.

Photographer Simon Walden of www.filmphoto.co.uk did these stunning fashion shots for the December issue of Cotswold Life magazine.

Make-up artist Kate Kelvin and hair stylist Ashley Williams from Peter Hickman in Dursley joined the team for the fashion shoot at Berkeley Castle.

Interior designer Vicky Walker, of Boxhouse Interiors, was given a £50 budget to create a Christmas table setting with piece she found in our shops. She created an adults' table and a children's table - and had £3 to spare.

Take a look at her fabulous creation featured in November's Cotswold Style magazine. It was photographed by Simon Walden at the Great Hall in Berkeley Castle.

Fashion consultant Kate Parker proved anything Mary Portas could do she could do too. With outfits sourced from Cotswold Care Hospice shops she created these hot summer looks.

Photographer Simon Walden, hair stylist Ashley Williams and make-up artist Kate Kelvin transformed four nursery nurses from Imagine Co-operative Childcare in Cam.

The photographs, shot at Cotswold 88 hotel in Painswick featured in the Western Daily Press' Weekend magazine.

Cotswold Care Hospice would like to thank the following people, all who give their time or premises free of charge to support the charity:

Photography: Simon Walden, www.filmphoto.co.uk

Fashion consultant: Kate Parker, wwwkateparkerstyle.com

Make-up artist: Kate Kelvin www.kkmakeupartist.co.uk

Hair: Ashley Williams, Peter Hickman, Dursley 01453 545476

Interior designer: Vicky Walker, Boxhouse Interiors, www.boxhouseinteriors.co.uk

Venues: Berkeley Castle, www.berkeley-castle.com, Cotswold 88 hotel, www.cotswold88hotel.com

Thanks to Cotswold Life, Cotswold Style and the Western Daily Press for allowing us to reproduce these articles.

Cotswold Style Article

Western Daily Press Article

Cotswold Life Article