I collect therefore I am

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?

Serious Booting Time is Back!

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!

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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!

Vintage Bauble Giveaway and new blogshop!

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

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

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.

Car boot treasure

Just thought I'd share with you my latest finds and purchases. 4 crocheted afghans -these were a bargain so I bought all 4. They aren't exactly Cath Kidston colours - in fact they look like very 60s colours to me. They're all made of wool though and are warmly autumnal.



This was a real crockery finding weekend - the blue and white patterned plates match the cups and saucers in the picture below and there were 6 tea cups and saucers and 6 smaller coffee cups and saucers. Just lovely. As are the pink patterned vintage plates too.

This tin was unusual in that it looked like a 1930s design but was in great condition and had 3 opening drawers.



I struggle to define my taste sometimes as although I love the beautifully embroidered tablecloths and old faded quilts, I also have a penchant for 50s design. I was drawn to this partly hand painted tureen...



... and was even more thrilled when I'd bought it to "spot" these in a bag under a table. Unfortunately somebody must have had fun smashing cups as there are 12 saucers but only 2 matching cups. So if anyone has any ideas for the lonely saucers (or indeed has the cups without saucers) please let me know!



Favourite find were these lovely old tins. Words not needed. Couldn't leave them there - they need me to look after them.



And now the pink set - I thought initially that this was some of the utility ware china - see side bar that I collect and it was very reasonably priced. There were 54 pieces of this including two perfect tureens! When I googled it to find it was a 1930's Wedgewood design so wouldn't have been cheap. I'm convinced this has sat in somebody's cupboard for the last 80 years as it is perfect. It has now replaced my cheap IKEA set bought only a couple of years ago which already shows every knife mark.



I've been wanting a little yacht for some time - all I need now is the new bathroom to replace my turquoie monstrosity. I've been sorely tempted to photograph it and see whether anyone could claim to have one worse than mine!

There were also some lovely little 50s religious pictures and this St George picture which you can see better in the picure below.



I'm not sure why I couldn't resist this tin biscuit barrel but its just so reminiscent of my sixties childhood when boys were obsessed with guns



Finally I found this lovely little 30s handerchief box.



This really was a great booting day - and I haven't even mentioned the kitsch Russian dolls and my other set of china, fabrics and linens. It was only when I got home I realised I'd acquired 4 new tureens! Which is just silly!

Have a great weekend!

Love Wend

Show and tell Monday!

I knew yesterdays car boot would have lots of people standing but also that it would be packed with punters so arrived by 6.15 and was well rewarded by the thrifting gods for my efforts.



One lady was selling lots of embroidered cloths and doilies etc. These are the best but they are wonderful! Beautifully laundered and pressed, all had little stickers with the sizes on but she was virtually giving them away so I filled a bag!



The colours are delightful and the stitching is beautiful. One of them still has the transfer showing through so has clearly never been used or washed!



Included in her piles was this blue cloth which I'd learned the day before is a "huck a back" towel. These are made from Irish linen and are highly absorbent but take up much less space than our fluffier counterparts. I haven't tried using them to dry my hair yet but I might just hang a couple in the bathroom for aesthetic purposes!



On top of that is a butter maker pat. The box was full of various bits of an icing set which is what I thought I was buying! When I sorted out all the bits the butter pat maker was lying underneath!



I did like the colours of this old hunting tin ...



but was horrified when I got it home to find painted on the back in pink nail varnish the legend "my pocket money"! Now I have ruined more than one lovely tin by over zealous rubbing and scraping to remove the last vestiges of old labels and glue and was very wary of approaching this in the same way. The paint is so thin that it is easily damaged. Still it was alreay messed up so I gingerly tried some nail varnish remover and - it worked! Don't ever try the little yellow sponges with the rough green surface as they can wipe the paint off in seconds!



One guy was selling off the contents of his mother's home very reasonably (actually I don't think he had a clue what things were worth) and I picked up this huge lovely old enamel bowl - for £3! And that was the moxt expensive purchase of the day! In the picture you can also see some Vernon Ward paintings - I managed to score 4 of these!



I laid everything out on the red trolley in the garden when I got back so that I could have a good look while having my coffee in the sunshine. I'd picked this up at the second car boot of the morning - this one starts at 8.30 so I can be one of the first at that one too! I didn't know I needed a trolley but did think it might come in useful at some of the vintage fairs. I was thrilled to find it wheeled across the car park perfectly! I wasn't sure about the paint job and there are a couple of scars but I have a tin of good old Farrow and Ball's French Gray and was going to make that the reason why I needed to be in the garden for the rest of the day! Until I realised that it might fit my kitchen very well just as it is so I'll wait a while...

What else can you see - oh yes the bobbins and the tins. Oh yes - more tins - I just can't help myself (there's probably a name for it - there's certainly no cure!)



A couple of old biscuit tins and this is a lovely little cutie ...



And last but not least, my favourite bits - the absolutely delicious woolwork cushion cover - in perfect condition and a full 18" inches square and the "impossible to find" mega bobbins. MEGA BOBBINS! MEGA BOBBINS!. Oh joy - I've been after some of these for ages. 50P. 50P!



And the best bit of all - the bowl was the most expensive item. But "what about the trolley?" I hear you say. To which I reply - 50p!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday treasure hunt

Today started bright and breezy and I had high hopes for a good car boot. I wasn't disappointed! The small hamper was part of the haul and the round plate is a tin cocktail platter (obviously I'm always having cocktail parties so this will be incredibly useful and I don't know how I've managed without it previously!) The gravy boat is another piece of Beryl "Utility ware" which I keep picking up.



The fabric at the front of the basket is actually a Tootal scarf from 50/60s. Although these were made for men I have lots of them and often wear them as I love all the colours and patterns. At the back of the picture you can see some old baking tins - these have a scalloped pattern at the base of the tin to create a pattern on your pastry presumably. If anyone knows of a good way to clean these up so that I dare use them please let me know! In front of those are some terracotta plant pots which I pick up when I see them as I manage to lose some every winter.



Two unpleasant looking plastic bags yielded lots of sewing items and I was thrilled to pick up this Lexicon which I have plans for...



I loved this pretty biscuit barrel - unfortunately cracked but still displaying nicely...



I looked at the thimbles and was intrigued to see lettering around the edge - one saying "Use Hudsons Soap" and another "Lyons Green Label Tea" - has anyone seen these before? Were they earlier years freebies do you think?



These next two items I picked up at a charity shop yesterday - the decoration inside and outside this tea cup is delightful and I couldn't leave it on the shelf.



But look at this coffee cup stand! Have you ever seen anything like it? Where on earth do you display something like this? Perhaps now I need to find an old fashioned china cabinet! (Although Niobe has threatened to leave home if I bring home another piece of furniture) - Now there's an idea...She's currently in the middle of her Duke of Edinburgh practice camping somewhere in Derbyshire - one more day to go...It might be sunny in the daytime but it still seems a bit chilly for camping to me!



Almost forgot - I've been meaning to post about the colour swap I did run by "Dolly Dollop". I was partnered with "Lissy Lou and the two little boys" who sent me green items some jams, a lovely handmade heart, cup and saucer, some coloured papers, Cath Kidston tissues, some buttons and a candle. These gits were all wrapped beautifully in green tissue and floral wrapping paper. Thank you Lissy Lou! This was my first swap and was good fun.







I sent Lissy Lou pink items - we were asked to stipulate our colour choice. I think she liked them!



Hope you have had a successful weekend!

Love Wend