Welcome to my Blog.
Please feel free to browse my ramblings below and leave a comment if you like, they are most appreciated.
Jo xx



Wednesday 27 July 2011

And The Winner Is!!!

The results of my give away are in.  Thank you to all of you that left me such lovely comments, and a big hello to all my new followers.
I won't keep you in suspense any more......


Aided by my glamorous assistant with a hairy arm.


The winner is...Delia Hornbook of Dee Dee's Vintage Retro Delights, Congratulations Dee, please email me with your address, hestanesta@hotmail.co.uk. and I will pop the bits and bobs in the post to you.
A big thank you to all of you who entered, I wish you all could have won.


After all that excitement I have also been busy making this week for my web site.  I have made a pair of these sweet little lamp shades covered in vintage eidy fabric, a bit of a sod to do but I am rather pleased with the outcome.


This is a larger one also covered in vintage eidy fabric.  Remember the lamp shade frame from my last post, the one that came with the Cherub? I stripped off the dreadful silk covering that came with it and Voilà!! this is it, re-covered.  


This is a hard one to part with.  I recently bought some gorgeous French fabric from the lovely Shirley from Simply Château and decided to have a go at another giant bolster cushion.  They look stunning displayed on a large bed, and I really want to keep it but have put it on my website.
Enjoy the rest of your week and let's keep our fingers crossed for some sunshine at the weekend.
Jo xx

Wednesday 20 July 2011

Giant Cushions and a Giveaway!

At last I have got round to sorting out my giveaway.....bit late (sorry) as I'm already on 108 followers!  Here goes....vintage style heart shaped wire basket, 12 vintage quilt patches, some vintage lace, lavender pillow, a piece of eidy fabric, some shoe stretchers and  last but not least a vintage single eiderdown cover in paisley and plain pink!  Sounds like the generation game but without the cuddly toy!  Hope you like it.


Sorry, the pictures haven't come out all that well.


To enter the giveaway just leave a comment, it is open to everyone, here in the UK and abroad.  I'll announce the winner in a week.  Onto other news, I have also been busy making giant cushions.


I bought a vintage grain sack dated 1934 and thought there was only enough to make one cushion.


As I began to cut the sack in half I realised there was writing on the inside of the back panel also and it was the same as what was printed on the front.  I managed to make these two large cushions, two smaller ones from the remnants (on my website) and also two small lavender pillows.


For the conservatory I also made a large Toile and Vichy check cushion, although I will probably have to move it at some point as the sun light is so strong (when we get some that is).


I have also made this large bolster feather filled cushion from a gorgeous panel of vintage French fabric that I have had for ages.  I have reluctantly taken the decision to sell it and it is currently on my website.  The paws to the side belong to Hattie.


This little chap was a recent find on a certain auction site.  He was advertised as a 1920's lamp for repair.  He came with some dubious wiring and a Bakelite light bulb holder and an even more dubious looking peach coloured silk shade!!  The wiring and the lampshade have now been consigned to the bin although I have saved the frame of the lamp shade to recover at some time.  I took a chance buying him and thought he was made of stone perhaps?  He appears to be made of bronze although very weathered.  I am no expert on metals but the base underneath is a bronze colour and he is fairly heavy.  So all in all my hunch paid off and he is now sitting safely under my old glass dome and not part of a dreadful table lamp!
Have a great week everyone and remember to leave a comment to enter the giveaway.
Jo xx

Sunday 10 July 2011

Sorry It's Been So Long!

My apologies everyone for not posting sooner but life has sort of got in the way once more, and between further bouts of 'black dog' I have been raced off my feet.  I attended Amy and Annie's lovely Vintage Fair in Hatton last Sunday, and it was a real success, raising £800 for Muscular Dystrophy.  If you go to Blighty Boutique or Annie The Felt Fairy blog spots then you can see photographs of the day.  Yesterday I was in Olney attending a Vintage Fair organised by Ann and Trevor who run the Northampton Vintage fairs.  It was a really lovely day and great to catch up with old friends as well as meeting new ones and making a few sneaky purchases! Once again I failed to capture the day on camera but I am sure Ann will do a post about the day.  Now onto new purchases...some are staying but some will either go on the website (that I neglect badly) or will go to the fairs with me.


The gorgeous wooden hat box came from the lovely Wendy of Ticking Stripes.  I had had my eye on it for a while and she finally succumbed and very kindly sold it to me.  It has some original labels on and is a real beauty.  The lovely French wire work basket came from Amanda from Charente Vintage.  Amanda lives in France and had come over to attend the Olney fair, and very fortuitously my stand was next to hers!!  Yes, that was fatal as she had some lovely French treasures, several of which accompanied me back home.


The beautiful little lead crystal pots came from our local car boot of all places.  I have grand designs on filling them with sparkly bits and pieces!  The rather grotesque theatrical mask is one of three that I picked up from a local auction and came from the Stratford Shakespeare Company.


Here are the other two.  I think they date from the late nineteenth, early twentieth century.


Another French treasure, the most beautiful fine linen monogram sheet and it is huge!


We also found this beautiful late Victorian photograph album, presented to Elizabeth Hinds for her 21st birthday in 1901.  Isn't it sad that there was obviously no one in the family to pass it onto?  All that lovely family history ending up at a car boot sale.  Some of the pictures are missing, but someone has also written down who the people are in the photographs.


Some beautiful flowers I have displayed in a vintage watering can.....wish I could grow roses like this. I will leave you with some pictures of our village scarecrow competition.  Our neighbours have successfully defended their title from last year with the Apollo moon landings!


Apollo rocket complete with astronauts.


Houston we have a problem!!  They borrowed our dry ice machine for the rocket smoke and were playing 'Theme for the common man' at full pelt ready for the judging.


Nick and Carols Overseal Base camp.


Catch of the day over at the bungalow.


Justin and Marie did Dr Who, the Tardis and a Dalek!  It's amazing what compost bins can be used for.


The Apollo rocket complete with crash test teddy strapped to the side!  As you can see everyone had great fun and there were many more scarecrows dotted around the village.  The gauntlet has been thrown down for next year...watch this space!  Have a great week.
Jo xx
PS Will sort out the give away this week!