Ticking Stripes

My misspent life!

2012-01-09T18:41:00.010+01:00

Happy New Year - a little late in the day!

Christmas and New Year have raced by with lots of time with Niobe back home from Exeter. It's been lovely to have her back for 3 weeks but she is now back to exams.

Over the festive period it has also been my birthday and there has been a favourite theme amongst my nearest and dearest ...

books ...

and more books

Having discovered the ebay wish list and heavily populated it with King Penguin books I was delighted to receive several to add to my collection.

I love the covers of these books and the fact that they were produced over 50 years ago. I'm looking forward to checking out the carvings at Exeter Cathedral when I visit Niobe sometime.

This 1950s prints book is great for me to research my fabric finds and I was thrilled to find that some of those I have picked up in charity shops are in this book! Good to find that my instincts can (generally!) be trusted.

I had been intrigued by the title of this book when I had spotted it on line months ago but had forgotten all about it. I'm tempted to leave it out permanently or to frame this quote from the front cover. It says it all for me. Apologies to all those who are tidy and organised but this book validates my way of life totally!

With chapters such as

and

I have the perfect excuse to head off to the car boot in search of more treasures!

Hope you are all enjoying this mild weather!

A merry vintage Christmas!

2011-12-25T08:04:00.003+01:00

Merry Christmas from a very behind Ticking Stripes!

Please choose your own card

1. Naff decoration made from what was described as "old baking thingy" and vintage film canister

or 2. the festive scene on my latest vintage Christmas tin!

Comfort and joy to all

Love Wend

My luck is in!

2011-11-30T23:14:00.006+01:00

I've finally got a new role with the same employer so should be safe for another year. (As far as anyone can be). I've moved into the job and am getting used to a new routine. Outside of work I seem to be in mega organisation mode and getting nowhere as something always comes up which takes precedence over what I actually want to do.

A few months ago I spotted these drawers in a landscape designer's office and asked for first refusal if he decided to sell them. I was amazed to get a call last week offering them to me for a very reasonable price. I've wanted some haberdashery drawers for years but knew I could never afford them so decided to go for it!

The drawers have a little divider about 6 cm in so you can fill the front bit with lovely bits and hide all sorts of stuff behind. I have a list of things to put in all the drawers but haven't had chance to fill them all yet. Can't wait!

I have started with a couple though - wooden cotton reel and doilies

I might have to save one for scarves. I've always worn scarves and tend to hang on to them. On my charity shop run last week I found a shop where somebody had clearly disposed of a collection which covered from 50s onwards.

As you can see I bought quite a few although I won't keep all of them. They cost the same whether they were polyester, acetate or silk!

Sorry about all the pictures - I loved them all!

Not sure I can wear this seventies one - but I am tempted!

Hope your Christmas preparations are going better than mine!

Love Wend

2011-11-13T18:37:00.001+01:00

I recently found a bag of knitting patterns at the car boot and realising they were all pre decimal bought them. I've had great fun going through them all (I know - I should get out more) and having had a good laugh thought about those who had modelled for these patterns. These folk, ladies, are probably still amongst us. So I thought it was time to out all those models of yesteryear and ask

Is this you?

Did you marry either of these men?

Did your mother knit you a natty cowboy cardigan?

Did your brother own these knobbly knees and have to go through the indignity of knitted knickers?

Why the pointy hat?

Is this your bemused looking grandfather?

Scary eyes

Did you knit your child this?

Clearly all the rage there were several patterns for these two piece horrors...

I know vintage patterns are loved by many and I can see the appeal although can't see myself picking up my pins to recreate any of these.

I love the balloon heads here with paper curls. Were these used because no self respecting child would model them? No, probably not the reason - in those days we were encouraged to be seen and not heard and definitely not to venture an opinion on sartorial excellence...I remember being required to wear a similar beret.

More balloon heads!

This lady is smiling though gritted teeth - somebody has knitted her hats from old candlewick bedspreads.

And I love these black and white patterns for hats...

I can feel the envy coming through now - you want to knit these don't you?

What - all of them?

Shouldn't those children be sharing that nougat?

And last but not least - the prototype for the teletubby costume - gorgeous!

Anyone owning up?

Love Wend

Wells

2011-11-04T21:56:00.005+01:00

A couple of weekends back I visited Niobe and on the return leg stopped off at Wells. I'd never been before but will certainly return. It is the smallest city in England with a fabulous cathedral (although I didn't get to see inside as I'd missed the start of the service - maybe next time).

Liked the name of this porch - nobody after alms last weekend!

I'm always amazed by the way in which our ancestors managed the feats of getting these huge statues raised so high without the help of todays engineering. Ropes and pulleys - wow!

The cathedral had a delightful clock where its two sentries ring the bell on the hour. A local advised that it was well worth watching so I was glad I was there in time for 12!

Around the perimeter of the cathdral area is a moat with a drawbridge! Absolutely lovely.

Autumn light shining through the trees ...

And a view through the wall of the Bishop's Palace...

What a lovely place - where the grass actually looked like grass. Look at the colour! The greenest grass ever! It's beige where I live!

Wells is also home to the oldest continuously inhabited street in England (from 1340)

Not a satellite dish, not a dustbin, or a TV aerial in sight! Delightful! Like stepping back in time. Of course a quick walk round the back revealed all those things! Need to spend longer in this place!

Oh and Niobe's doing great! What a relief!

Unwanted item in the bagging area...come back Niobe!

2011-11-04T21:28:00.005+01:00

With massive queues in Sainsburys I was persuaded by the self service monitor to try the DIY till. This was with a heavy heart. I have on several ocaasions embarrassed Niobe with my performance at these checkouts and she has banned me from using them saying its not fair to others! I must not use them unless she is there to supervise!

I only had a basket with a few bits so decided to take the chance and live dangerously. As ever despite my efforts the robotized tones came across with the "unwanted item in the bagging area" not once but several times. The gent who had persuaded me was very attentive and kept rushing back to me every time this happened. "Don't worry I'm with you" he kept saying and swiping his magic card across the screen. Mortified I continued with my efforts, becoming more and more grumpy. "God, you must have the patience of a saint hearing that noise all day" I grumbled as I tried desperately to find a barcode. "Why do you think they gave me the job?" he said. I paused and looked up to see he was wearing a clerical collar. Oh, the embarassment! I apologised, paid and scuttled out quickly, inwardly vowing not to use these checkouts again. They do do away with jobs for people after all don't they? I was relieved to get home and unpacked.

Have a great weekend!

PS - Moonlighting clergy as the austerity cuts start to hit?

The irony?

2011-10-29T22:56:00.002+01:00

Sunday school prize 1924 - favourite car boot find last week!

2011-10-23T18:25:00.004+01:00

I thought it would be quiet once Niobe went to uni but hadn't realised quite how many things I had committed to to prevent empty nest syndrome!

One of these is a cabinet at Hopkinsons, a former hardware shop in Nottingham now converted to gallery, studios, antiques, vintage and of course a tea shop. It's early days for the space and it needs to get a greater footfall but I like what they are trying to do - to help young designers, artists and business people who can hire space, a studio or a cabinet. The venture is non profit making with any proceeds being ploughed back into the community...

One floor is taken by the Shop of Originality who have a number of designers doing their thing - some including stamps...

including Amy Winehouse as you never saw her before.

One of the designers, Sarah Davenport designed the world's first rocking piano which she rocks as she plays. Yes, it does need regular tuning but its great fun and she's hoping that someond like Elton John or Jools Holland might be interested. Jamie Cullum apparently couldn't fit it in his house. There's a clip of her on Youtube if your'e so inclined...

All I have to do is keep the cabinet filled with delightful and irresistible items. That's got me looking at my collections to see what I can include. I got some of my glass together in the sunlight and started to appreciate it again.

I researched some pieces eg. the lady carrying the basket was found at the bottom of a job lot years ago and although I quite liked her I didn't think she was anything special. She's hung about in various spots being largely ignored. I might put her somewhere more prominent now I find she's an art deco figure, Lucretia made from frosted uranium glass by the German company Walther and Sohne in 1936.

Not sure I can let her go now. A quick check of e-bay suggests she's quite desirable. Might have to keep her then. I'm going to struggle to fill my cabinet at this rate!

Have a good week!

Love Wend

Recent finds

2011-10-10T20:09:00.006+01:00

Thought I'd just share some pictures of my latest find in the vain hope that one of you may also think that I found something beautiful... Often I find that my nearest and dearest do not appreciate the things I find and love. Indeed some regard me as a bit of an oddity...so I had to smile when I saw this in a shop window! Obviously I wouldn't dream of spending the £180 it cost on such an item (unlike a customer in the shop who was proudly saying she had the same up at home. However I did find a pack of the Lexicon cards in a charity shop last week for a couple of pounds. Just wondering what little bit of advice I should assemble - maybe "to thine own self be true". What is your mantra?

I digress. When I saw this raggy piece of cloth in Lincoln I was hooked. I touched it and felt its soft texture - worn thin by years and years of use and love.

I pulled it out and marvelled at the subtle shades of patchwork pieces. Parts of it had worn so thin the top layer had disintegrated...

to reveal another layer of lovely patchwork underneath. I hesitated to ask the price and when I did had to wait for the assistant to ring the manageress. I was saddened when I heard eighty and thought I would have to return it to the shelves of despair but decided to just check.

"Not eighty but eighteen! It's Victorian you see." I do indeed. Oh decisions - what on earth can I do with it. Useful or beautiful? It won't register as useful - its days of providing any useful function are long behind it. Beautiful? Well it was to me.

Reader I bought it. (You knew I was going to say that didn't you?)

It has some unspoilt parts so I've folded it and put it on the back of a chair and I stroke it as I walk past and think of the comfort it has no doubt provided in years gone by. Unfortunately our cat has rather taken to it (she's no respecter of my stuff!) so she's going to have to spend the rest of her life outdoors!

I also found these lovely little hand painted tea plates, jug and bowl. I don't even "do" tea but they also spoke to me.

As did the young lady in this picture. I'm easily pleased (especially at £2 for the china and £2 for the picture - and I rarely haggle.) I hate to think what might happen to these things if I didn't take them home and love them...

Love Wend

In praise of tablecloths and tea towels

2011-09-29T16:46:00.007+01:00

Now Niobe is settling at Exeter I'm hoping to find some time to indulge in some admiration of my vintage bits and pieces! Today with all the glorious sunshine I've had the day off work and taken advantage of the great drying weather to wash some of my new tablecloths.

Although these are probably 50 years old I think they still work well today. Love the colours on this and the fine stitches...

edged with cotton lace

Suspect this was stitched by a Scot - or is that too much of a cliche? Either way great thistles!

These four photos look as if they are from different cloths

but they are in fact four corners

of the same cloth.

Found in a charity shop this week. Unfortunately not charity shop prices but I couldn't leave this one behind! Charity shops around here certainly seem to have increased their prices and given their best stuff seems to go on e-bay these days not sure that they can justify some of the prices they are asking for!

Onto a couple of tea towels I've been sent by the lovely people at http://www.all-tea-towels.co.uk. I was asked to choose a couple from their range and in honour of one of our guilty pleasure I chose this unbleached cotton image of the iconic Tunnocks Teacake. (Can you have an iconic teacake? I think so!)

I also chose this one featuring a poster from the 1948 Olympics. This site has a great choice of tea towels should you be in need. They wash well, dry well and for me, more importantly, look good hanging in the kitchen! Have a look at their large range of styles for all tases - not easy to choose!

Hope you're making the most of the glorious weather!

My new companion

2011-09-19T08:49:00.005+01:00

I had a lovely time at Northampton's Vintage and Handmade Fair but completely forgot to take any pictures. So I thought I'd share my finds with you.

Do you know what it is? I've been looking for some of these for ages. I only managed to find one but snapped it up straightaway. It'll be known to the flower arrangers amongst you as a flower frog but either you dont see many these days or I'm looking in the wrong places. I suspect there are lots languishing in people's sheds. "And what are you going to do with that thing?" I hear you ask?

Why my dears doesn't it make just the perfect photo holder? I love this picture. Sorry it's not a good picture of a picture but you get the idea. A great snapshot of a little boy, yesteryear, seeing the world from a different angle!

In case I get lonely when Niobe's away at uni this typewriter promises to be "The good companion " in her absence. We'll see!

I haven't tested it yet and don't expect it to work for one minute so it won't come under the useful category. Or will it? I think it too makes a great display stand. It is currently holding the envelope of a letter (posted 1922) to my Great Aunt, who succeeded my Great Grandfather as Registrar of Births and Deaths locally. I don't have the letter, just the envelope but think that's lovely in it's own right.

I think it too makes a great display stand. It is currently holding the envelope of a letter (posted 1922) to my Great Aunt, who succeeded my Great Grandfather as Registrar of Births and Deaths locally. I don't have the letter, just the envelope but think that's lovely in it's own right.

Later this week I'm expecting distant cousins interested in family history coming to visit. I think they will like this little vignette incorporating her photo...

Ticking 'n tweed

2011-09-13T07:12:00.013+01:00

On Sunday I took off for a much anticipated workshop at Hope and Elvis. This one was called Tweed Bags. I've blogged about Louise's workshops before and always have a great time. I always take along my basket loaded with vintage bits and pieces that I've collected to incorporate somehow.
We were able to choose from a selection of styles.

Not restricted to tweed you could use any of a whole shelf full of fabrics to make any of these beauties...

As usual I had the problem of having to make too many decisions - which fabric, which lining, long or short handles, to embellish or not etc, etc...

Louise provides the fabrics, trimmings, equipment etc but it's always lovely to use some of your own bits.

Was I going to be able to turn these fabrics into anything resembling any of these lovely bags?

I chose a charcoal grey suit jacket which I thought would coordinate nicely with a piece of my ticking stripes and perhaps a piece of barkcloth. I'd also taken with me an old Tootal scarf to use. Normally that would be sacrilege but I'd managed to set the tassels on fire when cooking a while back so couldn't wear it anymore. Several hours later - this...

This picture shows the front bottom of a jacket with pocket as one side of the bag

with the reverse being a breast pocket. As it was a breast pocket I used a piece of vintage fabric to masquerade as a pocket handerchief. The lining was the remains of the Tootal scarf with the label being used to embellish the other side. Ticking was incorporated where I didn't have sufficient fabric/or for contrast with barkcloth being added to the handles.

The day was particularly lovely as I met Diane from heartshaped

Diane was so sweet and thoughtful - she had bought her blogging buddies gifts and mine included a bottle of sea glass which she knows I've never maaged to find on the east coast. I was really touched that somebody had bothered to do this for me!

I also met Lyn from everyday life, Nik - Diane's 'lurker' friend, and Debs from Two bones and a bagle. Debs helps Louise at the workshops - what a great job - surrounded by all that loveliness!

I can never resist taking pictures of the studio where Louise sells some of her lovely finds

and will confess to picking up a couple of pieces of Pink Utility - oh and a piece of yellow. Well - just look at the picture in my side bar - I obviously needed more didn't I?

Now looking forward to the Vintage and Handmade fair in Northampton on Saturday - hope to see some of you there!

Love Wend

The power of the text message

2011-09-07T19:31:00.003+01:00

I have an old mobile and am always having to delete texts to enable me to send others becasue I retain too many special or funny ones. But today I decided that I would actually put some of Niobe's onto a document so I could save them and clear them off my phone. Now I've typed them up I see them as a small snapshot of our relationship and I'm glad I've done it. Here are some of my favourites from the last couple of years...

Just been talking to Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee! Strange. X

Glad you’ve not crashed yet! Xxx

Crazy rain!!!! I’m wearing flipflops!

Dalai Lama on the bus! X

I need you. I’ve never had so much to do :( xx

Mum I’m so sorry, I don’t want to ruin your evening which I hope you’re enjoying but I took the opportunity of you not being there to practice on the sewing machine as I was going to use it for your xmas present. I think the needle has snapped or something. So sorry. If I remember correctly this always used to happen in textiles and didn’t seem to be too much of a problem. I’ll pay for what it takes to fix it. Sorry I shouldn’t have used it without your permission I just wanted to practice as I really wanted to make you something for xmas. Love you xxx

I’VE FINALLY MADE MY FIRST EVER BATCH OF BUTTERFLY CAKES!!

Also I could really have done with a chat today, just to let you know – not to make you feel bad or anything xx

HAPPY BIRTHDAY I LOVE YOU MASSES YOU OLD DRUNKxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (it was my 50th!)

Overnight in a cold tent I have a hoody on and socks but must admit the socks have let me down.
:( xx

Come soon, I’m cold, xx

I’m moving to the sea.x

Just had a career lesson. Want to open a tea shop in Southwold. Xx

Why is it that people say something & it goes in one ear and out the other. But then someone else says it and you believe them? Not a rhetorical question. I’d like an answer. LY.xx

What happened to the bacon butties?

I need a hug when I get home. Xx

Hi Mum. I missed you today. It’s been raining all day and all my stuff is soaking . :( Walked so far today. I am dead. I needed you in my pocket earlier :( xxx

The pocket reference is to a message I gave when she was little - that if she was ever alone and afraid and needed me all she had to do was put her hand in her pocket and squeeze very hard and she should be able to feel me squeezing back and know what she had to do next. And nobody would know...I didn't expect her to be doing it for so many years!

Does anyone else do this? I'm hoping she won't mind my sharing these!

2011-08-24T19:57:00.006+01:00

I took my vintage bike to Edinburgh but hadn't bargained for the hills and cobbles - it wasn't long before I decided feet were safer (if slower) than wheels.

Obviously I couldn't go without my car boot fix and was amazed at the subterranean car boot held four floors below ground level in a car park. It was quite surreal - very dark, very hot, very busy and quite weird. But I did manage to find a few bits and pieces particularly liking the little Susie Cooper plate on the right and the unsorted box of buttons. I paid more for these than I normally would but as I said - it was dark but I thought I could see some Art Deco ones - I wasn't disappointed!

I love looking at independent shops in other cities and wasn't disappointed although there weren't as many as I would have liked. I liked this plate found in one such store along with other similar ones. It can only be used for display as the image is merely decoupaged on but I can think of plates and images I could combine for my wall...Might have a go!

I discovered that there was an Anthropologie store too so had to take some pics - I do love their display ideas

What do you think to the jelly mould chandelier - fun - yes. Price over £900. So you probably won't be buying one. Still - great idea for the holiday weekend - empty the kitchen cupboards and see what you can do with a few bits of wire and some redundant stuff! Plus bling...Images to be posted on Monday please!

Love the display round the mirror ...

and I'd been wondering what to do with my stash of chair legs and other assorted bits of furniture...

and why didn't I think of adding odd spoons to piles of old books?

But it wasn't all vintage. Edinburgh was a real assault on the senses. It really is a cultural bubble with lots and lots to see and do. I didn't know the work of David Mach but the exhibition poster drew me in with its collaged image

followed by this amazing tryptych of larger than lif sized crucifixions in the window of the gallery made of...

coat hangers. Lots and lots of them - I had to take a closer shot to share with you. Quite amazing. As were the collages. This is a huge exhibiton over several floors with over 40 large scale collages based on the anniversary of the King James VI bible. One floor has been taken over as the artist's studio and you can watch him and his team working from lots of boxes of itemised images to make these works.

Next time I'll choose a different week when they also have the book festival...and certainly won't bother taking a selection of high heels!

Phew!

2011-08-18T19:30:00.005+01:00

Thank you for all your messages - Niobe has done brilliantly exceeding the high entry requirement and getting the place she so wanted at Exeter Uni to read Philosophy and Political Economy. I'm thrilled and very proud.

The picture is another Edinburgh shot where she has just floored the old man to the right of the picture. Her arm is raised in victory. I thought it was appropriate!

For everyone awaiting results...

2011-08-18T06:23:00.001+01:00

Tense times table

Once tense is tense
Twice tense is too tense
Three tense is quite stressed
Four tense is fraught
Five tense is frightening
Six tense is tightening
Seven tense is distressed
Eight tense is taut
Nine tense is intense
Ten tense is uptight
Eleven tense - keep your distance
Twelve tense just might...
Thirteen tense - RIGHT! THAT'S IT!
I've had it up to here with your tense times
table, it's not a proper poem it's not a proper
times table and that's the last time you make
me make a fool of myself in public...
(continue ranting indefinitely, then
fade and look sheepish)

Matt Harvey

No violence, no looting

2011-08-14T21:48:00.006+01:00

What a week! Left Nottingham last Saturday to go to Edinburgh to take in the Fringe Festival where Niobe has been performing. I was horrified through Facebook to hear of what was unfurling in Nottingham and elsewhere) as it happened. Fortunately the problems didn't go north of the border so I was able to make the most of it. But it rained and rained. And rained. Big fat rain that wet you through, rose up trouser legs and plastered hair to face. Lovely.

The opportunities for photos were limited but I tried! I managed to pull in several shows and the beauty of this festival is that many of the shows are free. Just 3 famous names - Hardeep Singh Kohli, Simon Callow and Dave Gorman and the others were just pot luck depending on whose flyer was the most persuasive! Niobe and crew put on great performances and are still up there - their last performance was last night but they have a few days free before returning on Wednesday night to pick up their A level results on Thursday. (So nice that their minds are being taken off all that tension.)

She'll kill me for including this very unflattering photo of her as an old woman whose just handbagged the guy on the floor but it was the best one I could get. And guess whose wardrobe she got the clothes from! (NOT the shoes!)It's not easy when you're asked "Have you got any clothes for an old lady in the WI in the eighties Mum?" - And that was the best I could come up with. Plus added rain hat!

More of her group flyering...

This is one of the best parts of the time in Edinburgh when the performers vie for your presence at their shows by enticing you with bits of their performances out on the streets. I was very pleased to find, as I supped a coffee on the Royal Mile that "Out of the Blue," an a capella group, (whom some of you may have seen on Britains got Talent earlier this year)were performing on the street stage right in front of me. A great group of Oxford students causing riots of laughter and applause!

On the way home I stopped at Eyemouth on the Scottish coast for a look at the sea and a bite to eat. I found a small town united in trying to trace a young man who had gone missing last Saturday night. Police divers had been in the harbour and there were posters everywhere. The shopkeepers had pulled together offering food and drinks to searchers, the hardware store providing torches and batteries and the local printer donating the posters. The locals had set up a base in the seamen's mission from where the searches are being coordinated. Despite it being very sad, it was heartwarming that this community was pulling together to support the family of this young man in a week of so many horrors south of the border. What a contrast - just warmth, sympathy, giving, sharing and hope. Inspiring.

This post may save you money!!

2011-08-04T19:46:00.004+01:00

I have just received the following e-mail purportedly from Paypal. Although I have copied it the colours and logos haven't shown up on this post but the e-mail looked very similar to the sort you would normally receive from Paypal. Something about it troubled me so I googled "Coolil and Paypal" and it seems it is a scam. I don't normally pass messages received about this sort of thing but as this one is pretty convincing I thought it worth flagging up. I have no idea what happens if you do what it suggests! I have deleted it! Hope you haven't been caught out...

Hello Member,
You sent a payment of 100 EUR To eBay

This charge will appear on your credit card statement as payment to PAYPAL *eBay

Receipt No: 7854-6541-4574-3254
Please keep this receipt number for future reference. You'll need it if you contact customer service at coolil, Inc. or PayPal.

Description Unit price Qty Amount
Road Mice Ford Mustang Car Mouse 100.00 EUR 1 100.00 EUR
Shipping and handling 10.00 EUR
Insurance - optional 0.00 EUR
Tax 0.00 EUR
Total 90.00 EUR
Total ILS 100.00 EUR
Payment sent to paypalil@eBay.co.uk

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Do you confirm this payment?

If this payment was not made by you please immediately take the following steps:

* Login to your account by clicking on the link below :
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* Find this transaction in HISTORY and click 'Cancel Transaction'

CANCEL TRANSACTION!

Vintage at the Southbank

2011-08-01T20:04:00.011+01:00

Last week I was excited as a small child waiting for Vintage at the Southbank. I had no intention of paying £60 to enter the Southbank Centre holding, what would no doubt have been, a great party with all the dressed up visitors and great music but I decided that I couldn't miss the FREE bits!

This is hardly the approach you would expect but London has brought the seaside to the city

with a row of brightly coloured beach huts with inspired interiors and other seaside effects placed along the riverside.

Each was designed by an artist

this one being inspired by a Lucienne Day design.

I had particularly wanted to visit the Vintage Village so for all you vintage lovers I'll share one or two of my favourite bits starting with the Horrckses tent...

Horrockses linens, famous from yesteryear used the occasion to launch their bedding range based on the old designs.

They also had displays of their old dress designs loaned by a collector.

The linens are going to be available through large department stores - House of Frazer etc. I can see these selling well!

Cath Kidston used the event to launch their autumn range. I'm afraid I'm not a fan of her new designs but do like to see the vintage items that have been sourced.

The peg bags and shoppers looked great hung up together

There were lots of great stalls with fabulous items but it wouldn't have been easy for the stallholders. They had had to pay hundreds of pounds for their stands so needed to sell a lot of stock to break even. I suspect that some will have struggled...

Crown paints launched their new range of colours -vintage of course! I couldn't find a paint chart but will be making enquiries. (What did we do before "Vintage" preceding any word suggested the item was more special than its non vintage counterpart?) That reminds me - I think I have some vintage items in my fridge - other than the cheese in which it's a good thing!

There were lots of other things to do with food from around the world, a roof top garden on top of the Southbank building,

the Peter Blake bus

and table tennis like you've never seen it before...

using a leather covered table with a "net" of old furniture books

and get this - a table covered with ping pong balls. This lady clearly has on her passport the occupation of ping pong ball gluer.

And I didn't have a clue how to play on this table

but this young lady was having fun!

Oh and the clothes, the hair dos (I so have to master the victory roll hair do), the miles of bunting. the dancing in the street , and the pure and simple fun that people were having were wonderful to behold. It was great and probably very shallow of me) to forget everything else going on in the world and just enjoy being part of something happy!

I should add I'm having a lot of problems posting comments - according to the system I'm not recognised! I am still checking out your posts and hoping that Blogger will sort itself out soon.

Knowing your onions

2011-07-24T21:45:00.007+01:00

Hello - anybody still out there?

I haven't blogged much lately. Lots of adjusting going on here not least because the annual round of Civil Service job cuts is back and I'm supposed to be applying for my job (again). It wouldn't be so bad (I know lots of people are going through something similar) if the time frame for this didn't keep moving. Anyway, I've been pondering and churning things over and over and have finally come to a decision. I'm going to throw caution to the winds and not apply. I'm hoping this is a calculated risk and not utterly foolhardy but time will tell. Since then I have felt much calmer and less anguished and more in control of my destiny. How am I in control? This way I don't have to suffer the ignominy of failure - and however its dressed up that is how it feels. I know I might have been successful but I might not. Given this is the third time I've gone through this I fell I have the right to be sceptical. So I will wait. I will take some extra leave to spend time with Niobe and let the future take care of itself.

So I have visited my sister who has moved to Cheshire and got to visit the RHS show in Tatton Park. Come and have a wander round...

Loving all the blues and pinks but particularly liked the garden planted up with Alliums.(Onion family). The next four pictures are all alliums and all are striking in their own way.

They are grown from bulbs so it's very easy to pop a few in in the autmn and wait for them to pop up when you'd almost forgotten about them next Spring.

Of course we all know that all these plants are grown to flower just at the right time for the show, so there is no chance of getting all that fabulus colour in my garden all at the same time.

Still we can but dream. It was nice to find some plants that were within a reasonable price range so I did treat myself to a few, and yes I have come home and planted every one!

I always enjoy looking at the "biggest veg" section and this was no exception. Just marvel at these pictures of nature's bounty...

The show gardens were inspiring and I particularly enjoyed a range of gardens put together by children in primary schools. Each was based on a country and had the same amount of space to fill. I loved this Russian one with the papier mache dolls and the ballet splippers planted up with lobelia. The children loved being involved in this apparently. What a great way to encourage some outdoor activity and awareness of other cultures.

But I'll leave you with a couple of my favourite images - the Mini covered in houseleeks and other sempervivums (or should that be semperviva for the Latin lovers?)

Wend

2011-07-05T07:32:00.007+01:00

Have you seen this man? Spotted at Snape Maltings while on holiday camping in Suffolk last week. This was a very welcome break after the pressure cooker environment I've been enjoying no enduring for the last few weeks while Niobe has been taking her A levels. I will just say to all similar Mums - "and Breathe"!

These stripes are on the possibly most photographed beach hut in the country in Southwold. Niobe wanted a "last" camping holiday before she goes away to Uni.
My bones are starting to resent this form of self abuse and cried "enough" as I tried to raise myself from the air bed each morning resmebling the actions of a beached whale. Still the weather made up for it!

Southwold's beach huts are notorious - as much for the cost as for their colour with some going for £70000 (yes seventy thousand).

I have to say though I rather like the dark more brooding huts found just across the river at Walberswick and can imagine myself whiling away the hours in a Virginia Woolf "Room of my own" type way.

Especially one like this - equipped right down to the East coast essential item - a hot water bottle for the beach! Why had I never thought of that!

Having some time way gave me the chance to sit down quietly and finally work out how to crochet a ripple - I've been going to a crochet class for several week over the spring but realised that the only way to get it is to PRACTISE. So with the sun blazing out at 5.30 I got in with it and cracked it. The biggest decision I had to make in my jamas was - what colour next?

I managed to track down a great car boot in Kessingland not far away and had some great finds - fabrics, art deco Barribal playing cards, little Kodak Brownie camera and a big old Peak Freans biscuit tin.

Not to mention this fabulous wooden hat box? It still has some battered old labels on it and is a great size. Niobe was a bit taken aback as I referred to it as my bedside cabinet in the tent. It worked a treat for my specs and lamp at night!

I'll let you have a closer look at my fabric finds - loving this grey and pink floral barkcloth

and then I found this piece - as new. Wow. Can't beat it - that feeling you get after a successful car boot! Who needs abseiling, paragliding, for their adrenaline fix? Not me!

Hope you're all enjoying these summery days. Hopefully I'll find some time to get round some of your lovely blogs soon - but that will be after the OFSTED inspection. As chair of governors I'm up before the inspectors this morning. Best go and brace myself!

Button it!

2011-06-21T15:32:00.015+01:00

Last week I was contacted by the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Buttons) when they saw that Lesley over at Printed Material was about to take some buttons to THE TIP. Those of us in the society know that TIP and BUTTON shouldn't be used in the same sentence. Aware there was no time to waste I contacted Lesley on a mission to save these souls and she very graciously relented. She'd found a use for the white amongst the pack but let me have the rest. I've never removed my whites so was delighted when the buttons arrived and poured both coffee and buttons. The sorting of buttons is a serious business requiring full attention. The resulting collection of buttons was a joy to sort through - the whites dilute the colour of the rest! (I'm easily pleased!)

I found lots of buttons that I could add to my various categories assisted by my trusty baking tin.

I have collections of 50s and 30s, floral, leather and mother of pearl to name a few.

Buttons on cards can be found in little corners around the house

Also jars of specific colours a particular favourite being green.

Lots of the buttons I find that have been discarded are these very simple but colourful Jasons buttons. I keep these in a jelly mould ready to run my fingers through as I walk past. Again - simple pleasures!

I like the cards the buttons are mounted on just as much with the manufacturere desperate to convince the buyer to by his buttons. Fashionable buttons. Exclusive buttons

and on this one - The EGO brand! Love it.

I spent a happy hour sorting through before going on to examine some of my other recent finds. (Funny isn't it how "Happy hour" means different things to different generations!)

I never tire of looking at old packaging and advertising - be it paper, card or tin. How can I use this binding without damaging the wrapper? I might just have to leave it as is...

Might leave the Water Closet paper package intact too!

I found a scruffy little book in the bottom of a box and was delighted to find it full of colour plates of birds. The book is falling apart with a lot of marking but well worth 20p!

The paper bag below was holding some 60s fabric and I don't think had been opened since then - a 60s dress had been cut out and is ready to stitch up. Far too small for me though! The shop disppeared over 40 years ago to become Debenhams.

Also managed to find some more of the chemist labels I found a couple of years ago.

and some wonderful Weldons Shilling Guides once all bound together (at some point but now just a heap of paper which I needed to sort into some sort of order). These guides are instructions to the hobbyist in a variety of areas. These are just some of the great illustrations...

Crinkled paper shades for your piano candles!!!

Lovely woolly (scratchy) drawers for babies!

And the knitted knee cap. How on earth have we managed without these? Let me know if you need the pattern!

Thrifty Thursday

2011-06-16T18:39:00.003+01:00

I've been getting way behind with everything lately and not keeping up with my blog my pictures and my finds so I thought I'd share with you some of my latest finds as those thrifting gods have been looking after me very nicely recently!

Had to include this picture - lovely tea set and Sanderson curtains with a fabulous wedding photo - not sure whether its hand tinted but I really liked the pinky contrasts!

Found the lovely suitcase at a charity shop (I can see this charity shop making a lot of money out of me as they are going to concentrate on vintage items!)
Very tempted to become a volunteer!

Also had to buy the red polka dot eiderdown with its little floral nosegays...

For the sugar glass lovers amongst you this is the best piece of sugar glass I've found so far - very large and heavy and definitely a keeper - for now!

And finally a little Lloyd Loom covered seat with original paint and fabric. It still has its label and the date stamp showing it was produced in 1955. The fabric is gorgeous and typical of the period. Love it!

I've been picking up Lloyd Loom pieces for years but try to find those with their original paint jobs. I did repaint one but they are easily ruined with globules of paint sitting in all the recesses of the weave so I learnt my lesson. I suppose they could be one of my collections! I can feel another post coming on!

Face the front please!

2011-06-05T21:12:00.005+01:00

Foot tapping,
Eye rubbing,
Nervous coughing,
Boy yawning,
Window gazing,
Birds tweeting,
Mowers mowing,
Hair twiddling,
Pen scratching,
Water slurping,
Girl crying,
Inspiration hitting - it must must be exam time!

and I'm invigilating at the university and at a school. And as I pace up and down the sports hall I struggle to keeep myself from chuckling as I reach the back of the room and recall these sketches from Armstrong and Miller.

And if that made you smile try this one...

No talking until I've collected your papers in.

With apologies to those in whom I have stirred terrible memories...

Hope you have a stress free week!

SMILE ...Julie Arkell and others

2011-06-03T06:39:00.012+01:00

Last weekend I got to see the SMILE exhibition at the Harley Gallery in Welbeck, North Notts. The exhibition comprises work by 13 artists linked by the word SMILE. Simple, quirky, fun, delightful.

The pieces explore the Britsh love of humour and hark back to earlier times, long ago holidays and the humour of everyday life.
I took lots of pictures and thought I'd share some of my favourites with you in a bid to make you smile

Jo Lawrence's glove puppets

Lucy Casson - great use of found objects and wonderfully ill proportioned mini installations

Great use of an old chair leg and a jelly mould - I may never throw anything away again!

Janet Bolton - Embroidery and collage now inspiring her 3 dimensional pieces of work

Oop - having checked the catalogue the polar bear should be standing...

Julie Arkell - her work this time being of individuals or "family groups" ready to "smile" for the camera.

Love the little gallery and promptly used the inspiration to come home and frame up some of my bits and pieces in long forsaken frames which Ipick up at car boots - I knew they'd come in useful.

Abbott and Ellwood - some of you may already be familiar with their enamelled steel brooches often of figues, animals and birds. Using similar techniques tehy are now incorporating found objects into their larger pieces.

Finally one of my faves - "Lost Adults"

The exhibition closes on 5th June. Hope you enjoyed this little skip around.

Did you have a favourite?

Wend

PS In a bid to avoid revision Niobe has been playing about with my Blogger settings.
As the optician would say - better this way, or that way?

I collect therefore I am

2011-05-29T08:27:00.008+01:00

Inspired by Lesley (over at Printed material - see side bar) I thought I'd share some of my collections over the next few months...Check out Lesley's blog for some great inspiration.

For a while I had a "thing" for art deco and went to lots of Deco fairs but couldn't afford the prices of Clarice Cliff, Susie Cooper etc.

One day at a car boot I came across this jug at my car boot and the owner wanted £2 for it. It had a bit of a hairline crack in it but I liked it and thought it would look good with some flowers in it. When I got it home I did some research on the maker, Myott. It was far less well known than the other factories from the thirties and there were very few collectors (this was in 2002). It turned out that this was actually quite a rare design and a perfect one had fetched £200. I started looking out for these pieces and finding out more by talking to one or two specialists at the deco fairs and got to the point where I knew more than many of the non- specialist dealers in terms of what was "special" and what wasn't. Over the next few years I picked up pieces wherever I could find them at a good price. I don't have a lot of disposable cash but would occasionally have a car boot or sell some of my other "stuff" to fund my habit. (So far they haven't developed a rehab place for those of us who have addictions to "stuff" so I'm safe for the time being)

Over the next few years I acquired quite a few jugs, vases, bowls etc and had them randomly displayed about the house but it wasn't until I put them all together on my shelves that they really came into their own as a collection. The different shapes have names and would be instantly recognisable to other collectors. But there was a problem around the time of entering Blogland. I went off orange! I'd never been a fan of orange but something about the iconic combination of the 1930s orange and black had appealed. But I no longer wanted a room dependent on orange. I've tried to reduce my collection - but the market at the moment is eschewing Myott and the prices have dropped (for the time being). So at the moment the orange is packed away and my shelves have morphed to include pieces from some of my other collections.

The cage with the dolls in it? Well what would you do with a canary cage bought for £3? Any suggestions gratefully received. For the moment it houses my collection of forsaken souls with a nod to the old Victorian fair ground.

It's a grey day - time to sort out one of your collections?

Ideas for the weekend

2011-05-14T07:59:00.002+01:00

If you're short of something to do this weekend here's some inspiration for you

1 - have some fun with old carrier bags and do a bit of fancy interior styling (picture taken at a shop in Notting Hill)

2 - look for old ship mastheads at the local car boot

3 - stretch some cling film between a couple of posts and get to work with a spray can or two. And yes that really is cling film, I had a look round the back! !

Have fun and enjoy your weekend!

Lace or Lycra?

2011-05-10T06:42:00.001+01:00

While in London recently the weekend I visited the Vintage Emporium just off Brick Lane. I was so taken with this place I asked whether I could take pictures to share with you...

Downstairs was a vintage shop full of clothes, hats etc. It was brimming with racks of lovely stuff!

I loved the advertising props and packaging (tried to buy some but they weren't for sale!)

Upstairs was a coffee shop which was decorated like a shabby lounge with lots of old chairs,sofas etc. (I felt quite at home!)

The framed music was a nice touch

but I particularly liked the old bike and stacked cases,

their use of empty frames

and old adverts,

but my favourite picture from here is this one - sweet!

Later, this coffee shop teased with its great name "Look Mum no hands"!

Obviously aimed at the bike enthusiast this is so much more than a coffee shop...

With a nod to vintage in it's advertising and old milk bottles for the flowers it was an internet cafe, and believe it or not, a place to get your bike fixed!

The furnishings were bike themed,

as was the art which was all for sale.

Had to smile at this framed print which will make the older ones amongst you recall something similar 30 years back if you remember the book with a similar title!

Having no bike, computer, lycra or cycle clips with me I wasn't around for long but I do like the way that businesses are diversifying to maximise their profits. I like to see that a bit of extra imagination is being used to provide give their customers with something different.

Have I forgotten something? Oh yes - cake! I was so taken with the decor in both places I completely forgot the most essential part of the coffee shop!

Not the royal wedding - in London on the wrong day!

2011-05-04T06:31:00.008+01:00

Not the right invitation

Great use for all that bunting!

Not your usual souvenir

The Queen showed me her tin collection

A right Royal celebration

Table nicely laid

Not the right cake

Did get to Windsor

and got my very own fly past!

Better Home Management?

2011-04-20T23:00:00.001+01:00

I've been finding I haven't enough time to fit in everything I want to do so decided to look at some of my Home Management books for some tips. I know a few months ago one of the magazines had an article about such books and I made a mental note to look at mine ...

As ever these have been picked up for pennies at the car boot - I was drawn to this one with its wonderful adverts at the beginning and end of the book. Love the way these ads set the books in their own time frame.

I remember my mum's mangle being kept in a cupboard at the bottom of the washer and being intrigued as to the way it worked - to the extent that I still carry the scar from testing it by putting my finger into it...

Not sure about this being a safe way of drying your washing!

Time to fly round the house on your broomstick?

This book gives great illustrations of how to design your rooms, buy furniture and cope with your movable gas (yes gas) washing machine which you trundle across the kitchen to the sink...

This scruffy looking edition is great fun giving lots of useful information. This must be the one which inspired the magazine title " First kill your turtle" as yes,it says that turtle soup must be made from freshly killed turtles.

Great info re bed bugs which can live for a year without food and travel great distances. It suggests using a blow lamp against them! Make your own fly papers by smearing stiff paper with treacle - no advise re the resulting influx of wasps.

This one reminded me of one of the two Fat Ladies who often said that recipes used to be called receipts. This book is proof giving recipes for delicacies such as potted head, dumb cake (for Christmas eve apparently) and roast cygnet (which I thought was illegal)

o

This picture shows the sort of delight you might find as you flick through - a long cherished recipe tucked into the pages which has probably been hidden for years.

Mrs Beeton was a 20p find and I intend using it as the basis of my future housekeeping. "A mistress can assist her servant in her work, and lighten it for her, without having to perform offices uncongenial and distasteful to a woman of education and refinement". Oh how I yearn not to have to perform offices uncongenial and distasteful!

Mrs B argues with herself as to the best time to start spring cleaning and urges that it should be undertaken after the last fire of winter on March 25th. But then again in "these more degenerate days" many don't begin to turn the house "out of the windows" until May (and that written a hundred years ago!). The rules were incredibly strict and each household seemed to need at least a cook and a housemaid. Mine certainly needs both. Along with a gardener and an odd job man.

So just to prick your consciences - have you cleaned your looking glass lately?

Simply sponge the surface with equal parts of gin and water, dust with powder blue and rub off with an old silk handkerchief.

Can somebody pass me the gin please?

Taste and Smile

2011-04-09T07:27:00.006+01:00

I don't think I showed you these sugar holders that I picked up over the winter. I suspect they were produced in the 60s or 70s.

Yesterday was the first day of Niobe's hols so we had an "us day". This usually involves Niobe making a cake and me clearing up after her. No change there then. The sugar packaging made me look at my containers and note a certain simialarity of style...

Turned it round and noticed the command on the back

And so we shall!

We'll skate over the things that went wrong: - the fact that by insisting we went to the wool shop before we went to the river and by having to do a detour to pick the petrol I had forgotten (don't you just hate when that happens - that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach as your realise you have the wrong shoes on for walking anywhere to get help) I made us miss the pub lunch we had built ourselves up to...

Fortunately I had with me a bowl of strawberries and the picnic blanket so we lazed by the river under a cloudless blue sky... (as I tested her on her driving theory - maybe I should have left it at the dot, dot, dot!)

Have a great weekend!

Wend

Serious Booting Time is Back!

2011-04-03T19:08:00.011+01:00

The car boot has been light on finds of late but on Sunday I struck lucky. It started with this Ladybird book which had lost its cover - although it looked uninspiring something made me look inside where I found pictures and a story which I hadn't thought about for years.

I must have read this in about 1963 -does anyone else remember it? I loved the illustrations then and once I'd seen one of the pictures the others came flooding back. Isn't it funny what triggers memory? A simple image buried for years was enough to take me back to my regular seat in the armchair curled up with a book and an apple - simple days!

Loving these vintage curtains - 3 of them. Irises and roses on a crimson background... not barkcloth this time but probably 50s.

I'm a sucker for black, white and red 50s ceramics too so this tureen came home with me ...

as did the Coronation and jubilee mugs - both pre war.

Also some bits of haberdashery including a bunch of crochet hooks which will be great for my crochet class tonight...

and some vintage advertising cards.I'll have to do a separate post about them! They appear to have been used routinely to advertise all manner of things and I was amazed to find these Ross fish finger cards!Lately I've picked up all sorts of these advertising cards - from fish fingers to batteries to stockings!

>

The little habd painted jug had to come home

and then I spotted a table groaning with Beryl ware. There was no way I could carry it all so I had to satisfy myself with a tureen and a couple of other bits

but my favourite finds were these delightful boats seen here ridng the crest of a cheap as chips Afghan!

Hope the thrifting gods have been good to you too!

Foolish ways

2011-04-01T22:43:00.003+01:00

Text received from Niobe today " There's something wrong with UCAS - I just got an e-mail and its saying my Exeter uni applications have been unsuccesful! I don't understand. What am I going to do?" I immediately switched into Mum role and phoned (getting her voicemail) ladling out advice and sympathy. I then sat at my desk wondering how I was going to deal with the inevitable fallout from this situation. 5 Minutes later text received - April fool! Imagine my response! Immediate revenge was sought and my young colleague texted her saying "Is your Mum ok - she's just run out of the office very distressed? I'm worried about her". Response received "aaaaggghh - it was an April fool joke!" Turned out this all took place in a RE lesson and Niobe was almost in tears because she thought she'd upset me as I had supposedly run out of the office!' (Sounds as if her school has been like Waterloo Road today - in joke for those who watch it!) That'll teach her!!

(almost) wordless Wednesday

2011-03-30T19:25:00.001+01:00

seen on the back of a horse box...

All the fun of the (Northampton Vintage) Fair

2011-03-23T07:00:00.004+01:00

Just pictures of the fabulous vintage fair last Saturday ...

And for me the winner of "Best item in show" (sounds like a prize bull!) is this delightful quilt by Debbie of Lalalibaby. Handstitched loveliness and backed with Liberty fabric - what more could you want?

The one with the Julie Arkell workshop pictures...

2011-03-20T21:25:00.006+01:00

By popular demand I'm posting the pictures of the Julie Arkell workshop I went to today. Like last year we made accessories and started with items made from Suffolk puffs (or yoyos for the American readers).

Julie had brought along items we could buy like her "right twice a day watches"...

We could make these little bunches of flowers brooches...

or little bracelets of Suffolk puffs which I made - but forgot to photograph while it was still light so I'll take a pic of that another day.

Don't you love the way she displays them on vintage outfits?

I loved these little what? charm? bracelets... These were made of a variety of little strips of fabric with all sorts of oddments (rammel!) attached. I've nearly finished the fabric part - I just need to find some bits with little loops for attaching. Julie seems to have used cracker toys and all sort of other bits -if you can think of anything appropriate please let me know! As the items are attached to fabric they need to be quite light.

This one shows the same sort of brooches we made last year - still looking lovely!

More gorgeous brooches...

in Julie's inimitable style...

So sweet!

I NEED one of these big flowers!

And finally Julie herself - lovely lady with a very individual style that is so totally Julie.

What a great day - meeting other bloggers and people with similar interests - marvellous!

Can't wait!

2011-03-18T08:51:00.009+01:00

There's something to be said for working 4 days rather than the five day week I'd done for 31 years. I now have flexible Fridays off (which means I can have another day if i wish). So today I shall be sorting myself out in preparation for tomorrow when I shall be at

Looking forward to seeing lots of you there for vintage loveliness and quite possibly cake...not to mention barkcloth and buttons - two of my favourite "B" words

Once home I shall be getting excited about my second workshop with the lovely Julie Arkell at the Hope and Elvis workshops. And if anyone is envious, Louise of Hope and Elvis said yesterday that there was still a space left on tomorrow's workshop. I had a wonderful day last year so can't wait.

And on Monday I shall be moving my flexible friend Friday to Monday and going back to school where I'm attempting to teach children one end of a needle from the other in a bid to make puppets. Isn't it funny how we take our own skills for granted? I have no idea where I learnt to sew - school sewing lessons were a nightmare I recall - I had no desire to make either the mandatory dirdl skirt or the mop top lampshade. I got so cross with my teacher that when she asked me once too often to unpick my work I cut it into ribbons. My parents were contacted...

Have a great weekend!

Love Wend

Useful or beautiful - or both?

2011-03-13T15:18:00.004+01:00

Please forgive the excessive number of pictures of one item,

but I was thrilled to find this huge beautiful afghan on Friday. The colours are

to die for, its pure wool,

and it's massive.

It has faults - a couple of grannies are starting to unravel but I'm hoping that my new crochet class started last Tuesday will give me the skills to put them right.

In the meantime it can only be moved carefully, gingerly, so as not to increase the holes...

I'll never be cold again!

Quilted surprise

2011-03-07T19:24:00.004+01:00

Thought I'd just share with you pictures of the quilt my mum and I made for Niobe's eighteenth birthday. Whenever I asked what she wanted she couldn't come up with anyone other than "make me something" - no to jewellery, no to gadgets.

I've squirrelled fabrics away for years and so this includes Laura Ashley fabrics from the 1970s, Niobe's school blouse, her first duvet cover, curtain fabrics, my old blouses, her blouses and a vintage tablecloth piece as the centre which draws it all together. It's quite big at 9' 6" x 7' 6" - plenty big enough for a double bed. Something to remind her of home when she's away at uni.

This was all assembled in secret - whenever she went out I went up to my mum's so that Niobe didn't happen upon it. It was laid out on her spare bed while it was planned and assembled piece by piece. Often Mum would stitch away when I was at work.

One day I had a call at work with the cryptic message "the eagle has landed" at which I shot over to look at the finished piecing. Imagine my horror when I stood on a chair to check everything was where it should be - to spot an error. More to the point imagine her horror when I said it will have to be unpicked!

I'm amazed that we managed to complete the whole thing without Niobe guessing at all that anything was under way. It was lovely to see her face when she opened it, laid it out and then identified several of the individual pieces. I still have the quilt I made for her cot 18 years ago (which was made from laura Ashley fabric from the 1970s).

I'm thrilled that making something for her has made her so happy. I think its something to do with it being the investment of time and love...

Have a good week.

Love Wend

Very Important Numbers!

2011-03-05T07:48:00.000+01:00

And why are these numbers important?

because at 5.19 on 5th March 1993 I gave birth 5 weeks early to a tiny little baby. My tiny little baby is eighteen today!

A very Happy Birthday Little Niobe!

Stop press - new Liberty fabrics!

2011-03-02T13:50:00.003+01:00

Have you seen the new range of fabrics over at Liberty? Long loved by makers/crafters their fabrics are often recognisable and have recently been introduced to the younger set through Top Shop using some of their designs.

I've mentioned before my love of certain children's book illustrators so was delighted that Liberty's latest range includes fabrics designed or inspired by a selection of them.

From the top are designs inpired by Jane Ray, David McKee, this delightful design "Tuesday Trees" - Lauren Child (in 4 colourways)

and this last one Plum Dog - Emma Chichester Clark (also in 4 colourways). Scrummy!

And yes, there's a Brian Wildsmith one for lovers of his work (although it's disappointing) and also Quentin Blake...

Righteous indignation!

2011-02-27T22:02:00.002+01:00

It's lovely to see the snowdrops in flower but recently I heard a programme about snowdrop or "Galanthus" theft. With are over 1000 varieties some are VERY DESIRABLE - so much so that individual bulbs sell on e-bay for anything up to £100! Snowdrops are now big business and there are snowdrop conventions which Galanthophiles will travel miles to (even coming over from the continent).

A couple of nights ago my brother who lives in a cottage in a tiny hamlet told me that, on the roadside in front of the cottage, his clumps of snowdrops had been dug up, halved and replaced, with the soil neatly put back around them. They were at the side of the road in front of a hedge which I suspect made the culprit think they were fair game but having planted 500 bulbs last spring he wasn't impressed. As they were still in flower they probably won't even survive. Given he's a Police Inspector I guess the hamlet's inhabitants will be having to show the soles of their shoes for footprints! He said that forensic tests suggested the culprit had two feet and not four...

How very dare they?

Love Wend

World Book Night - Such fun

2011-02-26T07:59:00.004+01:00

Not sure how I missed this but I haven't come across it in Blogland. Saturday 5th March is World Book Night when 20000 volunteers will each give away 48 copies of their choice of 25 titles. The list includes authors such as Alan Bennett, Margaret Atwood and Mark Haddon.

I do have a Big Event happening next Saturday so it might have been difficult to be involved but it does sound like fun. Each book will be given its own identity nunber (presumably to prevent them all being put on eBay) and the idea is for them to be read and passed on and for their journey to be followed via "Book crossing". I love the idea of Book crossing (finding books in random places and then logging your find on the book crossing site, reading it and then leaving it for someone else to find and so on) but have never actually found any of the books.

As Miranda's mother would say "Such fun!"

I just wondered - are any of you involved?

Have a great weekend!

Pimp my bike?

2011-02-21T18:50:00.004+01:00

Yesterday we went to Cambridge. Just because. It was cloudy and grey and not good for photographs. I took lots but I'm sure you all have your own views of "grey and miserable" right now without seeing mine.

Cambridge is known for its uni, the students and bikes. Bikes everywhere. Tied to anything and everything. I found myself checking out THE BIKES! I might have mentioned I have a vintage bike from the 50s. It has yet to be ridden to any useful purpose.

As I wandered around Cambridge it came to me - my bike lacks its own personality.
Now I'm not saying these bikes have much and it will be a challenge to decorate mine in a way that is rain and wind friendly. I can't see me adding plastic flowers to mine. But they must make the bike easy to spot in a crowd.

But in Norwich a couple of weeks ago I spotted a bike sporting a natty skirt guard and on looking at Etsy I find a design for this skirt guard over at JustDo and think this may well be my first project when I start my crochet class in a couple of weeks.

Anyone have any better ideas?

Love Wend

Hymn and her!

2011-02-06T16:45:00.009+01:00

I can't believe it's two weeks since I last posted but life seems to be rushing by so quickly at the moment I'm struggling to fit everything in. I've been a little light on photo opportunities as I seem to be working whenever it's light. Still I have managed to take some time to find some vintage treasures which I thought I would share with you.

First a hymn board. Not everyone's idea of a vintage treasure but having been inspired by Sibella Court's book I've been looking on Ebay and was thrilled to find one for a very reasonable "Buy it now" price and close enough to collect. Why? You'll have to wait until it's a little brighter so I can take pictures and show you!

I've just come home from a vintage fair where I had to buy this delightful battered drum money box. It's very small and wouldn't have held much money. If anyone has any idea as to how old it might be please let me know. It will fit in nicely on my "toy shelves"

I've been really lucky with fabrics and curtains recently. I know its not everyone's favourite clour but I love lime green/chartreuse and particularly like the smudgy rose "sketched on" in black on this one.

This lovely fabric is a pair of curtains with pink and grey roses and lilac. I might have to turn them into a set of matching cushions...

More chartreuse and more roses!

And another blue and lime ...

I also found this lovely little box which was sold to me as a letter rack. Not ocnvinced of that

I must mention Cathy at Menopausalmusing and Lesley of Printed Material who both responded to my last ist with surprise packages for me - one a packet of coloured leather pieces (thanks Cathy) and the other a little book hand made by Lesley (and thank you too Lesley)

I must also thank Amy of Blighty Boutique for her award and will try to think of 7 interesting things about myself for a separate post.

And last but not least welcome to my new followers and to all commenters. Its great to have you on board - I really do appreciate all your comments.

Hope you have a great week,

Wend

Got any old leather?

2011-01-23T22:22:00.004+01:00

Today saw me at another workshop at the Welbeck Estate at the studio of Louise Presley of Hope and Elvis - this one being run by Cath Ray bookmaker.

I'd seen Cath at a couple of craft fairs so was familar with her work - recycling old leather into the covers of new books. These leathers include an old cream sofa, a leather jacket too squeaky to wear, leather from old car seats and old handbags.

We were to make two books today one with a soft back and another quarto bound. Cath had lots of lovely papes to use as end papers but I'm a fan of the marbled papes so used those on both books. Although we used new paper I love the idea of incorporating some vintage papers - the possibilities are endless.

I must admit I missed a trick when somebody spotted this vintage crepe paper wrapper among Louise's treasures and bought it to cover his book!

And so the day was spent measuring, folding, pricking, sticking, pressing and generally becoming more familiar with a set square than I have cared to be since leaving school. (Speaking of school - one of the attendees recognised me from being in the year below her at school 36 years ago!). This pile of blocks of wood and clamps is a book press to ensure that papers had bonded with leather.

It was great to see that something which I had envisaged would need a lot of expensive tools could in fact be undertaken with some very cheap tools using a bit of imagination.

The book on the left is the soft back lined with marbled paper with 6 "signatures" (bundles of papers) hand stitiched down the spine.

And the greeny one below is the one with hard back boards covered with marbled paper and with a leather spine taken from a suede jacket. If you look closely you can see the holes from the stitching which I decided to use as a feature rather than remove its history.

I think I might have a new hobby!

Love Wend

My toy shelves

2011-01-16T23:35:00.002+01:00

Been playing with my toy shelves!

Just a set of shelves with some of the bits I pick up when out thrifting.

Lovely old childrens books...

The parrot was infused with DDT which used to kill the flies near it...

Lovely abacus - not that old ...

My drunken sailors...

French knitting doll and Ladybird books ...

My first paint box - a lovely little ebay find. I showed this to some folk at the office and they remembered having one of these paint tins in the 60s.

Odd little dolls and Russian dolls are a favourite

Lovely vintage book jackets designs...

and other little wooden dolls. I'm not sure why I'm drawn to these things other than that I didn't play as a child - I was a reader and had no interest in toys. Maybe I'm a late developer!

Have a good week.

Oh I've added one or two things to my blogshop - link in side bar

Love Wend

Let's bring back

2011-01-09T19:04:00.004+01:00

Considering Homes and Antiques "Let's bring back" survey this month I looked around my home thinking of the things I'd like to see more of. Their list included home libraries, fountain pens, teapots, wind up clocks. old phones, toasting forks, pocket watches, Georgian decanters, "the front parlour", and the Goblin Teasmaid. So unashamedly piggy backing their theme I include these pictures with my own starter thoughts ...

pewter and tarnished silver - love the soft glow on these

good quality cutlery - Mum recently gave me this heavy weight pair. I know they are over the top but have so much more about them than today's cutlery.

old wireless sets - such a wonderful sound!

old wooden frames - I'm picking these up when I see them now as I prefer them to a lot of the new ones...(Don't you just love the photo with the swimming costumes I found in my local junk shop last week?)

Wooden cotton reels and bobbins - I'm sure there's a very good green argument for not using them but I'd happily recycle them if we could bring them back!

What would you bring back?

Love Wend ( who wonders whether she is stuck in a time warp!)

What do you know?

2011-01-04T18:44:00.008+01:00

I mused on the tradition of making new years resolutions as I enjoyed the beauty that is found in decay. I was pointed in the direction of the thoughts of Pamela Redmond Satran

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …
enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
a youth she’s content to leave behind….

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a past juicy enough that she’s looking forward to
retelling it in her old age….

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ….
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
one friend who always makes her laugh… and one who lets her cry…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a feeling of control over her destiny.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to fall in love without losing herself.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
when to try harder… and WHEN TO WALK AWAY…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
that she can’t change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
that her childhood may not have been perfect…but its over…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
what she would and wouldn’t do for love or more…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to live alone… even if she doesn’t like it…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
whom she can trust, whom she can’t, and why she shouldn’t take it personally…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
where to go…
be it to her best friend’s kitchen table…
or a charming inn in the woods…
when her soul needs soothing…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
what she can and can’t accomplish in a day…
a month…and a year…

Not resolutions as such (and very Americanised) but they did make me wonder what I have learnt along the way...This year I will be concentrating on the Cordless Drill and the Black Lacy Bra. Is this liely to change my life (in a good way)?

By the way the final picture is of a birthday gift wrapping inspired by the Etc book I shared a couple of posts back. It's made from the Victorian velvet which covered my father's old writing slope before it was restored and bound with some old upholstery webbing and held together with an upholstery needle's stitch. The ends were tied with old twine. Possibly the most thoughtfully wrapped birthday gift I've ever received...(Apparently it was cheaper than wrapping paper!)

Love Wend

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T23:18:00.006+01:00

Happy New Year everyone!

I thought I'd start the new year with a "picture post" of the Rob Ryan exhibition in Stafford that I mentioned I was visiting.

What a great show! Had to buy a calendar for my desk at the office...

Love Wend

My walking stick, eye candy and me

2010-12-29T17:02:00.007+01:00

Tomorrow will be my umpteenth birthday and I propose to throw off the walking stick I've been using for the last week. It hasn't been an easy week. I'm lucky in that I'm rarely ill so my fall has rather put me out of sorts as I've been unable to operate in the same way as usual. Thanks to all those who offered soothing words and advice although I didn't have much success with the ice packs.

I'm hoping to visit the Rob Ryan exhibition in Stafford tomorrow. I won't be going in a boot and a slipper as I did when I went to hospital where I discovered my hopping days were long over as I failed to move forwards and just managed to hop on the spot!

I have spent more time in a chair and thought I'd share with you the two books that have been keeping me entertained

Etc. by Sibella Court a stylist whose work I like ...

She couldn't be asid to be a "less is more" person as she uses lots of her collections in her room sets. Reviews on Amazon vary from one extreme to another with some folk hating her style and others loving it.

The book itself is a delight with a typewriter font (which I like and others hate)and lots of brown paper interspersed with glassine paper and countless pictures.

Lots of evidence of subdued effects - feathers, mother of pearl buttons, twigs and stones...

natural bristle brushes

and who else collects barbed wire in its different forms to such good effect? (Note to self - must pick up barbed wire next time I'm out!).

I've also, in totol contrast been enjoying Brian Cooks Landscapes of Britain. Many of you will recognise his style from the countless posters and book jackets designed by him in the 1930s.

The book is a celebration of his work and is a delight from cover to cover.

These are a couple of his book jacket designs...

I love the palette he uses which is so eveocative of the 1930s.

The last photo is of one of my own Brian Cook book jackets - somewhat faded and battered but tomoorw I shall take his advice, take to the road and "See the Country"! Well the bit that falls between Nottingham and Stafford anyway!

Merry Christmas everyone!

2010-12-24T22:29:00.002+01:00

Thwarted Christmas preparations...

2010-12-17T21:46:00.012+01:00

My Christmas preparations are being thwarted. Yesterday I found myself hugging the road when I slid on its icyness. Having watched in horror as my twisted foot grew and grew it let me down and refused to allow me to stand on it. I had it xrayed and although it isn't broken I'm supposed to be chair bound for the day. This is tres hard for me - I don't do chair bound and certainly not two days before Christmas!

I thought I'd share some pictures of what should have been a Christmas shopping trip a few days ago where I spotted a new White Stuff in town. This put paid to my shopping.

I was surrounded by vintage loveliness and loved the changing rooms which were set out like a street of front doors which when opened revealed hallways all individually decorated and styled...

complete with drainpipe with added rat ...

The walls were covered with kitsch pictures

and they had even thought about keeping the children enteretained with this fish ride ...

and its own little cinema

with seats from an old picture house!

Loving the lift doors...

There were very few Christmas decorations but the pictures had been tweaked with fun

They also had a Magic Mirror - when you try on and want a second opinion you tap in an email address on a pad on the mirror and it e-mails the picture to the address you typed in! I had a go and the picture below is what I emailed to myself - I wasn't trying on - the assistant was so excited about the store she wanted to share everything with me and let me take all these photos.

And the clothes, and the vintage shopping - no idea - didn't spot the clothes and here's hoping foot has improved enough to finish everything off tomorrow. Here's hoping!

Love Wend

'Tis the season

2010-12-14T23:20:00.010+01:00

for Quality Street,

Miniature Heroes ,

Roses,

etc, etc.

Tins of calorific indulgence cover "the desk at the end" from December 1st until mid January (people take in their unwanted chocs after xmas hoping others will eat them so they don't have to break their post Christmas diets.)

But take a moment to reflect on the packaging. Take a minute to read the recycling instructions on a box of Quality Street - as follows...

"Once you've enjoyed the sweets separate the coloured outer wrapper and recycle the foil as you would a drinks can.

You can put the coloured outer wrappers on your compost where they'll decompose. This is a much greener way of getting rid of them and it'll help your plants grow strong.

Remove the window from the empty carton and put the window bit in the bin The card can then be quickly and easdily recycled... By doing these thingsa you'll be doing your bit to help look after the planet, so why not treat yourself..."

This took the whole idea of of sneaking a quick bite of chocolate into a"whole"nother sphere - the team trying desperately to separate foil from cellophane, ripping windows from the cardboard and wondering whether the office can recycling bin men would respond favourably to lots of bits of Quality Street wrappers mixed into the "Cans only" bin. Such fun! (Hey - times are desperate in the Civil Service - we have to scavenge laughs where we can)

Why, I wonder, is there a cellophane window in the middle of the outer packaging? Given anyone over the age of 3 knows what QS look like I'm not sure there needs to be a hole over which they need to stick, (with glue), the cellophane, so that we can see the multi layered wrappers within. So in this age of austerity and in a bid to live a greener life if you must send me chocolate please do it in the form of

which succeed on both counts - non fattening centres and non wasteful wrappers! A box will do nicely but I can think of a variety of useful things to do with a bucket if you must send one!

Love Wend

Eye candy...

2010-12-12T17:19:00.006+01:00

Time to get out the baubles then. I paused when I looked at the boxes which were lovely in their own right...

The one with windows overlaying the holly one is getting quite tatty and I was about to bin it when I notes the decorations around the side - so nicely faded I'm tempted to turn them into gift tags!

Couldn't help but take pictures of my baubles. Why would folk throw them out? As I've collected them over the years people complain that "they have lost their end bits" or are chipped so they are getting rid. I just smile and hand over my pennies (I don't pay much). I can always find "an end bit" (what is that bit called?) from another bauble to swap and give it a new lease of life if that is all that's wrong.

They invariably come with their old means of attaching them to the tree and that always makes me smile too - today I've removed string, wool, thread, twisted paper clips (which is a great idea for the s shape required - try it!) and pipe cleaners!

Just lovely eye candy...

With more than emough for the tree I'm working on different ideas to display them - not sure that this works - may move them into a glass trifle bowl...

After playing about I went to a craft fair and passed a shop selling these baubles.
£40!!! I had to smile smugly to myself and be glad that I am an early riser. All those early get ups to go to the car boot certainly pay off don't they?

I'm a fan of Rob Ryan's work and thought I'd share these things found in John Lewis. If you're short of inspiration see the "Please smell us" vase...

the "Believe in People" mug ...

And the Duo-mugs - (not sure what happens when you break one)carrying the legend
"All of these words are worth less than the breath to say them if we cannot be together". The words do not continue round the mug - they have to stand side by side to read the full message. Sweet!

Have a great week!

Wend

2010-12-05T09:11:00.005+01:00

Anyone wondering who won the Christmas bauble giveaway? You'll have to scan to the bottom of the post!

Earlier this year Niobe and I went over to Dublin for a few days and we accepted an invitation to meet up with Elaine (Jaboopee) who lives over there. Elaine was the first blogger I had met and we shared a lovely couple of hours drinking coffee and eating cake and chatting about all sort of things as if we'd known each other for years.

She shared with me what was still a secret at that stage - that she had won a commission to do a large mosaic for a school and that it would take several months to do it. Well, it's now installed and showing right now on her blog - link in my side bar. Just click and have a look - it's absolutely stunning!

I wanted to share with you a couple of artists I met last week at the Harley Gallery before Igot stuck in the car park. Magie Hollingworth was,I thought,a paper artist whose papier mache I love - see these kitchen implements...

and, if you prefer less colour, the black version

So why do you have a jelly mould half full of shredded fivers Wend?

Well that's because Magie uses them to make little pots which she calls "Made of money". I was intrigued as to how she got the shreddings. She explained the convoluted procedure she had to go through to get them from the Royal Mint, not to mention the security with people either side of her as she walked through the corridors of the Mint to collect her shreddings. Anyway my interest earned me a bag of the lovely stuff! (I have more in peach - made from £10 notes).Apparently it's pretty indestructible - how many fivers have you put through the washing machine?

What I hadn't realised was that Magie is also a designer for Ehrman tapestries - so for button lovers check this out!

She explained her process for designing these - apparently the company send her the wool that she needs - she has a rough idea of what she wants to do and stitches it and then sends it off to Ehrman. She doesn't even get to keep the prototype! Not sure I'd be happy with that deal!

I also fell for the work of Ros Roberts a 2010 "New designer" who makes these amazing lamps and lampbases out of discarded books and twisted and bent willow branches. These were stuuning and use very tiny bulbs for safety.

Apologies for the delay in sorting the giveaway. The winner is Cathy over at Menopausal Musing. Cathy,please let me have your address - my e-mail is on my sidebar - and I'll pop them in the post to you. Thank you to everyone who entered - I included everyone who commented on either blog. Hope you have a good week lined up!

The "squeezed middle" row

2010-11-28T21:11:00.005+01:00

The weekend started off well with a parcel from the lovel Catherine of Potter Jotter blog fame. Catherine saw my picture of my utility ware and hearing that I was in need of more yelllow came to my rescue with a jug she had going spare! Isn't blogland amazing! Thank you so much Catherine - its lovely . I'll take a picture soon when I have it incorporated with all my other bits.

I had a great day yesterday at the Apples and Pears fair in Nottingham despite standing outside for 6 hours in the snow. It was my first encounter with thermal leggings and won't be my last! It was too cold to get pictures of the fair as my hands ceased to function properly and anything needing fine motor skills became difficult.

I spent the evening thawing out and decided to go to the harley Gallery at the Welbeck Estate near Worksop where they were holding their Christmas market. This is always a good event with lovely quality items. Unfortunately the scene below confronted me when I returned to my car.

Mine is the Ka surrounded front,back and both sides with other cars - 3 to the front one either side and 3 behind. I wasn't the only one in this position - talk about the "squeezed middle" - I wasn't going anywhere until somebody decided they had had enough of the beautiful farm shop, the garden centre, the restuarant, the open studios etc. The estate is large and "nobody has responsbility for the parking" was the response when I phoned for help! With no tannoy system I could do nothing but wait until a couple turned up to the car behind after an age, by which time you can only imagine my mood! I did ask sweetly whether they always park so considerately and chuntered to myself as they loaded up their car with buggy, child, purchases etc in their own time. Imagine my horror as I sat waiing for them to reverse out when I saw somebody coming straight into the same space! I bolted out of the car just in time to prevent a repeat.

Is it me? Why do people behave like sheep? Why wouldn't anyone in the third row actually notice that they had all trapped those in the middle? And when I challenged the driver - "well everyone else was doing it"! Well that's alright then!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway! (see last post)

Love Wend

Vintage Bauble Giveaway and new blogshop!

2010-11-19T18:16:00.013+01:00

With a nod to Emma over at Silver Pebble blog (link thing not working) I thought I would share a "splash of colour" . This arrived today - a great buy from Ebay. I'm normally too mean to buy from Ebay but I did fall for this barkcloth fabric and thought I could make something nice with it. I was thrilled when it came today to see that it was a full length lined door curtain in amazing condition! I clearly hadn't studied the description properly. I now need to move some curtains around to find a place for it!

Although things are a little quiet (well relatively) on the thrifting front this biscuit tin was a great find. It's in immaculate condition - does anyone remember it from first time round? There is no clue as to which company made it but it's fab with matt black paint and glossy coloured roses in the style of the old gardening books...I love it!

Last but not least its time for a giveaway! I meant to do one when I got 100 followers but it didn't happen, nor did it happen at 100 posts, nor at my blogoversary so here goes. Last week when doing the charity shop run (so much more fun than the school run I find)I spotted an old C******** bauble and bought it. The next shop had bags of baubles including one full of vintage ones! Bought that. I then asked in the next few shops even if they didn't have them out on display. By the time I got home I was 50 baubles up for less than £10! Having see the price on e-bay I was thrilled. (I'm easily thrilled!) Sheer cheek - or vintage chic?

Some of you have asked after my treasure finds where I put everything and Niobe is still threatening to move out if I don't stop filling the house so, to try to maintain some domestic harmony, I've opened a little blogshop where I'm offering a few of my finds so that my blogging friends get a chance to buy these lovely vintage items at reasonable prices rather than competing on e-bay!

This is where the giveaway comes in. The bauble link in the side bar will take you to the shop which I will add to over the next few weeks. Anyone leaving a comment on either blog will be entered in the giveaway to win a selection of VINTAGE BAUBLES! New followers welcome!

And in case you can't think of anything to say the picture above taken at Swinderby Antiques Fair in the summer should provoke a reaction! The giveaway will close on 30th November. (If enough of you ask me to remove the gummy pic I will!)

Have a great weekend,

Wend

2010-11-19T18:03:00.009+01:00

It's been great to be getting back into the car boots. It's been a bit quiet on that front lately but I think I mentioned a while back that I found several cashmere jumpers for 10 pence each - yes 10 pence! I'm afraid at that price I wasn't choosy about size and handed over my 50 pence for 5. This one had clearly been washed at too high a temperature so the fabric had become felted but cutting the sleeves off and adding a little light blanket stitching around the arm edge was enough to turn these into a respectable pair of wrist warmers. (Hey we still have early morning frosts round here and I was pleased to have them this morning as i defrosted the car!) I just cut a little hole in the seam and overstitched it for thumbs. I like the effect of the sleeve edging over the fingers. Who needs Jack Wills handwarmers at £19 a pair? (well other than the fashion conscious youth of today with more money than me!) Just need to decide what to make with the other 4 jumpers now! I'm thinking perhaps more decoration on another pair...

11 November

2010-11-11T07:47:00.003+01:00

We will remember them...

My Folly and Glee - or "the one about the lampshade"!

2010-11-06T18:29:00.009+01:00

I just have to share this with you!

My new lampshade. I don't think I have ever posted about anything new on my blog but am making an exception here as it is made up of vintage bits of barkcloth. Lots of you will know of my barkcloth passion so it'll be no surprise that when I discovered the creations of Polly at Folly and Glee I was smitten!

I love this lampshade for its patchwork quirkiness but there are lots of other shades made from a single fabric - http://follyandglee.bigcartel.com/ I had to have the patchwork one as I couldn't choose a single fabric. When it arrived yesterday I couldn't believe how ridiculously excited I could get about a lampshade!

Apart from lampshades Polly stocks other fabulous retro pieces including chairs and stools and the most gorgeous crocheted hangers.
Take a look!

I've tried to be subtle in my decorating but I'm afraid colour always sucks me back in!

This is probably as subtle as I go and is the design on a pair of curtains I found at a car boot last summer. They aren't barkcloth but certainly have a fifties feel about them. They had the simple curtain tape that all the old curtains have but looked far too narrow for my windows. For £2 I thought they were taking a chance. I was right -they were too narrow but very long ...

... so my mum chopped the bottom off and made some tabs to add to the top! They now lie flat across the window rather than gathered and fit perfectly showing off that gorgeous fabric! Upcycling at its best! Love it!

Hope you're enjoying your weekend!

Love Wend

PS - if you like "lampshde" posts pop over to Jaboopee's blog - see sidebar.

2010-10-31T22:38:00.006+01:00

I had a great time at the Vintage fair at Northampton - photos are on lots of the other blogs. There were some great finds there and I managed to find an old leather document wallet which looked just the right size for my lap top. I took a chance and like Cinderellas slipper it was a perfect fit! The next day we went to a Camper van fair in Stafford. It was great fun looking at the camper vans and what people have done to them to make them individual

Loving the fifties china in this one...

This one was a cut above with a giant champagne glass and ice bucket and yes - you can see goldfish in the glass!

Some folk go to all lengths to impress so we followed the instrucion to look up (note the tassels around the ceiling!)...

to find a modern take on the Sistine Chapel dotted with tiny little lights in the roof!

But this one was pretty impressive with its sink and cooker in a slide out unit at the back where you could keep dry by standing under the boot lid!

I've been off work so managed to find a few goodies - these from the 20p shop! This is a basement in a very run down record shop but I keep going back and finding something else that grabs me.

This week some clean copies of Practical Householder. My mum remember this magazine - these copies are from the late fifties.

I love the front covers in particular and thought there might be some interesting adverts inside.

I didn't find much to grab me with the adverts but started to read the articles to see what I could learn. I couldn't believe some of the suggestions -

What about making your own lightbulbs by switching them on and dunking them in paint? Yep that's a good idea! Health and safety conspicuous by their absence in the fifties!

Having just paid £10.95 to have my boots re-heeled I wish I'd read this last week!

Make your own ironing board! Well it would certainly be greener and more environmentally sustainable...

Waming the soil - well that's going to be really useful this winter...

But I thought this was brilliant - make your own electric blanket. So does anyone have 85 feet of wire they can let me have to stitch to one of my old blankets please? Its getting a little chilly round here.

Have a good week!

Love Wend

Not the Horrockses Exhibition - when all is not what it seems!

2010-10-23T05:45:00.011+01:00

The point at which I despair having realised I've I turned up at the Fashion and Textile Museum to see the Horrockses exhibition - on a day when it is closed!

Marshalsea Road - when I realise I'm not Little Dorrit walking towards the workhouse - I'm lost in London. Again. Fortunately I'm rescued by a Swedish lady lighting designer - yes we had a long chat as she returned me to where I needed to be and I'm reminded of the kindness of strangers...

Not a Vintage Yard at all!

Decided to turn the day into an opportunity to explore the parts other trips hadn't reached and wandered through the LBQ (apparently London Bridge Quarter) wondering at the massive block of glass reaching up into the sky imaginitively called The Shard.

Not a gallery

Not a normal city - a vertical city - clearly there is a vision for LBQ. I feel as if Ive been tranported into another world where all is not what it seems.

I cross the river to find Brick Lane and the confusion continues as I wander into what appeares to be lovely market building (Leadenhall Market)but it's filled, and I mean filled, with men in suits. Feeling completely out of place in jeans and a tweed jacket I scurry through neglecting to take a picture feeling very much the outsider.

I emerge into a sea of glass and sport a vacant look as I face another world I don't recognise.

Walls of glass and metal surround me with sunlight bouncing between buildings but the world is suddenly black and white and devoid of colour. I walk on traipsing along Fenchurch Street and Whitechapel. Ah - names I recognise - I'm walking around a Monopoly Board. Suddenly I'm in a different world again and rather than brandishing my camera and snapping wildly I clutch it in my pocket. Lost again I ask a lady with a vintage bike with a basket on the front for help. (I find being careful in my choice of help pays dividends). This lady also obligingly walked me to where I wanted to be. "Brick Lane" she said - "you walked way past it - its not called Brick Lane at the start but Osborne Steet". Ah that explains it! Silly me!

Brick Lane was a complete contrast with lots of colour and some great street art which I'm directed to by this helpful gentleman

Have I entered the after life?

and just look at this one - wow !

Not a parking spot! Parking in the area is clearly an issue with threats of retribution should one park in the wrong spot!

The heavens open and brollyless and dripping I tramp back to the tube and make my way to Anthropologie which I love for its ideas but which is ridiculously expensive to a thrifter like me!

Not a chandelier - but a collection of upcycled bottle tops.

She muses that the release from the strictures of timetables and letting adventure in can be quite liberating as she falls exhausted into the arms of Bacchus and Morpheus...

Thrifting thrills!

2010-10-16T06:35:00.008+01:00

I've had some great fabric finds recently and I have to keep gazing at them but more of these later.

A few weeks ago I had a car boot to "thin out" and on the next stall to me I saw this. Intrigued I looked inside. Aha - a vintage picnic hamper!

I love the way there are little clips for the salt and pepper to slot under to stop spillages.

It wasn't complete - it had a suacer and its cutlery missing and there was a large gap whic I assumed held food containers. I wasn't too sure about the plastic tablecloth. The case was sound so I decided to buy it as we'd done well on our own stall.

I googled the name on the label - Brexton - which I now know to be one of the main hamper/picnic manufacturers. In fact when I went to the war re-enactment several vintage cars had such hampers on their back seats. I'm going to try to make mine a complete set. I will have to replace the plastic cloth with a nice checked 50s one though! One has standards!

These shots are just eye candy for the barkcloth and vintage fabric lovers amongst you...

Loving the pink flowers on the grey back ground on this one

Not sure what you call this fabric - anyone know? Its more of a "waffle" weave than the barkcloth

This is a lovely pair of curtains which I may have to upcycle into something else...

The colour in this one is still incredibly vibrant for its age...

And just look at this which I found in a charity shop recently - a real 50s gem

Now look at the price! Didn't I do well!

Spending some time now gearing up for the Vintage fair at Kingsley, Northampton this weekend. Hope to see you there!

Fun finds

2010-10-13T06:00:00.000+01:00

Sunday was one of those mornings where the weather didn't look promising and I wondered whether it would be worth going to the car boot. As we're getting to the end of the season I decided to go and get my fix anyway.

Can anyone tell me what possessed me to buy this little guy? Explaining it to Niobe wasn't easy! I've mentioned before that she has threatened to move out if I buy any more.

Imagine her horror then when she saw this children's desk sitting in the corner of the lounge! Again - why? I can only put it down to nostalgia and my inability to pass up a bargain! Does anyone have a couple of old inkwells - I'd love to put those back in. Its actually in good condition but it does lack any sign of nicely aged graffiti by penknife!

I also picked up a few other bits for pennies - and look! Vintage baubles! Have you seen the price of these on ebay! I seem to be picking up a few bits of royalty and this tin is in perfect condition for its age. I love old battered frames and this series of paintings by I Campbell Taylor. I've seen a few of these pictures at car boots lately with Victorian ladies busy at their needlework or doing a bit of harp practise but they have been large and wouldn't be allowed in our "public rooms!" "Put them in your room Mother" would be the message.

I spotted this set of inks and quickly snapped them up imagining long winter nights learning how to use them. How annoyed was I when I got home to find the bottles were virtually empty! I'd been seduced by the lovely illustrations on the boxes which are also reproduced on the tiny little bottles. (Lesson learned - always check the contents)

More haberdashery for my collection...

My heart quickens every time I see this shade of green. Two lovely aged kitchen implements and (yet another) tin. I call it "50s green" but perhaps its more 40s - any thoughts?

Oh and not forgetting my Royal Couple tin plates. This is another collection that is growing - tin plates sometimes known as cocktail trays...

All in all a great Sunday stash!

Goose Fair

2010-10-10T22:24:00.006+01:00

Niobe realised that this time next year she wouldn't be around for the fair so we decided to go along as it was dry and warm on Friday evening. We haven't been for at least 10 years as we aren't keen on the rides. I however love the lights and the buzz.

Fancy a bungee jump?

Or mushy peas - does anyone else know where there's a stall that just sells mushy peas? I think its just a local thing!

I love all the colours of the fair - this was on the side of a carousel horse...

There are dozens of stalls where you can win a stuffed Pickachu (no they haven't moved on!) or any other Disney character.

This is my favourite shot of the evening - such a superior looking chap isn''t he?

I've always wanted to take some aerial shots so was disappointed to see that the Big Wheel had been replaced by an "Eye" with enclosed cars. Still if that was the only way - I'd have to do it! Fortunately there were little windows open so I was able to stick my arm out for these shots and was quite pleased with the results!

As the summer cools and the mornings start to get a little chilly and foggy we locals say "it's Goose Fair weather" - usually the required clothing would include wellies and a hat but not this year.

Although we haven't had the weather you've had in the south it really was pleasant to be outside.

And where does the Goose come into it? Well it doesn't anymore. 700 years of Goose Fairs have changed this annual market of farmers trading their geese into nothing more than a huge money spinning venture. (I admit to offering double pocket money in the past rather than take Niobe and waste a lot of money - just as my father did with me!) (I know - how mean is that?) I was however suprised that there weren't the crowds there used to be. Is that due to the recession or the fact there there is so much choice these days and that people will go on holiday to Disneyland, or have day trips to Alton Towers etc? I have to say that at £4 a ride it would bust most budgets!

Still if you can be determined not to spend too much it's great for a splash of colour and a bit of local life.(Didn't see any coconut shies though or goldfish in plastic bags!)

Hope you've enjoyed your trip to the fair!

Have a good week!

Wend

Dust if you must!

2010-10-06T05:26:00.010+01:00

Last weekend was pretty busy starting with a trip to see Hamlet at the Crucible in Sheffield. With John Simm, John Nettles and Barbara Flynn it promised to be a good night and although it has had mixed reviews I enjoyed it. If you're in the area it's worth a visit.

On Saturday I went to a vintage fair at Lincoln and managed to find some lovely barkcloth (separate barkcloth post coming to a screen near you soon!). On Sunday I went to the studio of Hope and Elvis for one of her workshops. I've been to these before and always have a great time. I do wonder whether its because I give myself permission to sew and craft for a day whereas at home I always seem too busy.

Hope and Elvis is the name of Louise Presley's business. I always like to have a wander round her studio looking at her treasures. I like the way she displays her moulds on sheets of music

and love to look at her evolving inspiration board

I covet this 50s cupboard...

Louise has made part of her studio into a shop where you can buy extra supplies from her huge stash of fabrics, old toys, patterns etc. Apparently her home is in the November edition of Homes and Antiques - looking forward to seeing whether her home contains as many blasts from the past.

The purpose of the days was to make corsages or brooches and I had intended to learn some basic jewellery techniques but once I saw Louise's lovely fabrics I'm afraid I reverted to type and got stuck in! We had lots of ideas to inspire us

Ane these are the results of my endeavours.

Next thing on my wish list is an old typewriter - great fun for adding bits of text to things with their less than perfect fonts...

As the workshop finished at 4 I still had time to visit the Cleo Mussi exhibition in the nearby Harley Gallery.

Last time she had pieces for sale at this gallery they were around £95. I wish I'd pushed the boat out then. Now they are 5 times as much. Perhaps it was as well there was a little red dot by my favourite - it clearly wasn't to be!

On the way home I was feeling guilty that the house hadnt been cleaned when this little gem came onto the radio and has become my new philosophy...

Dust if you must

Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better,
to paint a picture or write a letter,
bake a cake or plant a seed,
ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time,
with rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
music to hear and books to read, friends to
cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there
With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair,
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain.
This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
old age will come and it's not kind.
And when you go - and go you must -
You, yourself, will make more dust!

How to stop a tank!

2010-09-21T21:37:00.008+01:00

I thought I'd share with you some pictures of a World War II re-enactment event I visited last weekend. I hadn't been to one of these before and had no idea what to expect. It was a free event at Rufford Park so I thought it was worth a visit.

I loved it - people were dressed up and really throwing themselves into the spirit of things. I learnt all sorts of useful things - this young man taught me that even I could stop a German Tank in its tracks (well, not even in my heyday, I thought!)but yes, two enamel plates on the ground in front of a German tank, at a distance, with the light shining right on the plates, was enough to persuade Gerry that there might be mines ahead. So bear that in mind should the need arise.

Lots of the visitors to the event also dressed up and there were stalls showing off different aspects of life in the war.

These kitchen cupboards and their contents had me smiling - I've picked up lots of these items over the years so could have my own re-enactment right here at home (I'm sure Niobe thinks we do most of the time). I'm working on getting myself one of these cupboards...

Lovin all that nostalgia!

Oh look - two Singer machines - that brought on a quick photo and i was a bit taken aback when the lady at the machine spoke to me as if she knew me. How embarrassed was I when I realised we sit only feet apart at work! I hadn't recognised her in her officers uniform! She was altering a skirt and I had a little look in her sewing tin to find the usual wooden cotton bobbins etc. This has brought me to thinking about the brass buttons that we all find in the jars and tins of buttons we pick up at car boots etc . It occurred to me that instead of me throwing these out as not being of any use to me I should be giving them to my colleague who would be able to pass them on to people trying to put together authentic uniforms of the war time. So - if anyone has any please get in touch!

I enjoyed brwosing some of the stalls and managed to find a couple of little treats which I haven't pictured yet - a lovely Tootal scarf (probably 50s rather than 40s but I wasn't going to be picky!)

Loving the hats and hair rolls...

I'm going to have to have a go at one of these rolls - doesn't it look stylish?

These girls were having a good time - singing their hearts out

while some in the audience got to their feet and fox-trotted around the courtyard

All around the courtyard were war time posters,

the graphics on some of these were great...

Freedom - still something we still all hold dear

I haven't even shown you the displays of the tanks and soldiers running around - not close enough to get good shots so finally - the "hospital"

Don't look too closely at the scary instruments...

and if you're going to the dentist soon I hope your's has something a little more up to date than this kit for his weapons!

If you get the chance to go to one of these events go! Next time I might dress up myself!

Have a good week!

Wend

Heavy Metal

2010-09-19T07:58:00.001+01:00

As a teenager I rather enjoyed heavy metal of the kind that you got on big black discs kept in a cardboard sleeve with a fabulous picture on the front (called an album for thse youngsters out there!)

Now I'm drawn to another kind of heavy metal in the form of architecture

and sculpture...These pictures were taken while in Scotland last month.

This is Glasgow's tallest tower...

The first and second pictures are The "Slug" - Scotlands Science centre in Glasgow.

This one, for obvious reasons, is known as the Armadillo or the Scottish Exhibition Centre.

These gorgeous bits of metal work are decorated railings outside Charles Rennie Mackintosh's School of Art,

Titan - a huge old crane as homage to Glasgows ship building industry

and more lovely Charles Rennie railings. It was great to catch some of my own - "must see before you die" sights. I know they're hardly the Taj Mahal - but I wanted to see them just as much!

Love Wend

In the pink!

2010-09-13T19:57:00.007+01:00

Why oh why did I touch the "blogger designer" thingy? Hopefully normal service will be resumed once I can get my technical assistant to sort me out...

In the meantime I'm going to have to manage which for someone as virtually challenged as me isn't easy.

A few days ago "A Thrifty Mrs" commented on my picture below on Flickr and asked me to share my thoughts. I've been steadily increasing my collection (the picure in my side bar shows what it was like a year ago!)and have been able to increase it quite significantly. (There is another shelf with my tureens on it higher up too!). I use this everyday now and love mixing and matching it! Such lovely sherbet-y colours.

Ann of "Vintage at the Corner House" (see side bar) has mentioned some of her finds recently and from comments on her post it seems that there is a general lack of pink (not to mention yellow) out there. Ann has a gorgeous pink jug with a green handle - I hadn't seen any with two colours before but it's lovely. Does anyone have lots of yellow?

I'm afraid I'm cheating a little here but I found a stash of pink a couple of months back the shade of which is almost identical to the Peach Petal Grindley that the real utility fans are after. My pink is actually Wedgewood from 1934 - so its actually art deco rather than post war so is older. This means the handles on the gravy boat and tea cups are a little angular but I'm not a purist and given how many pieces I managed to pick up I'll bring some to the fair in Northampton in case anyone wants to add to their collection. I have to say the pink and the yellow certainly lift the other colours when they are together!

Has anyone else discovered the "sherbet glass" which has had a Flickr group set up for it by Teena Vallerine - "Kitschen Pink"? I know it as "sugar glass" with its pastel bands of colour from the same era.

Have I inspired you to start on another collection?

Lovely aren't they!

Love Wend

Something for the weekend?

2010-09-11T06:00:00.004+01:00

With apologies to our overseas friends... Don't forget this weekend is Heritage Open Days weekend so if you are after inspiration for something to do, whatever the weather, check out the Heritage Open Days website, www.heritageopendays.org.uk, which will show you everything that is on in your area FREE just for this weekend. This can be a great money saver especially for families as even places with a hefty entry price take part and other places rarely open to the public will also open their doors.

I'm just kicking myself as I only remembered last night and I was going to spend the weekend painting. Perhaps that can wait!

Have a great weekend!

Wend

Season of mists and horticultural shows!

2010-09-04T15:15:00.010+01:00

I rather like horticulatural shows... Although I saw the schedule for this one in advance I didn't enter any of the classes.

This was a very small village show but had the usual "biggest and best" classes - the flowers ...

and the veg

As ever I was distracted by the chippy paint on the marquee poles.

One of the flower arranging classes was "Granny's attic" which had the grand total of 3 entries - two were inspired by old kitchen scales which were lovely but did make me wonder whether I couldn't have submitted an entry given all my treasures to use as inspiration!

Its always fun for the children to have a class to enter and

so here's an idea for all those with surplus veg in their gardens right now!

Great fun!

I particularly liked the arrangements in tea cups

simple but effective

and they seemed to be flowers from the owners' gardens rather some of the larger displays which had clealry had a lot of money spent on them

but what do I know - I rarely agree with the judges choice! They sometimes seem overly critical for what is supposed to be a bit of fun - or is it?

Anyway if you're wondering what to do with a spare marrow - use the picture below for inspiration and stuff it with flowers!

Love Wend

Wordless Wednesday (almost)

2010-09-01T21:36:00.004+01:00

Seen in a commercial unplanted planter in Glasgow!