Vintage Treasure Trove

We are absolutely shattered but the day has been fantastic, so fantastic that I couldn't wait to do a lengthy post about it.  The Vintage Jumble organised so wonderfully by Jayne and Michele has gone off without a hitch.  We arrived early after a good run down the motorway and began the task of heaping all the goodies onto the waiting tables.  There was also some rather fabulous deals going on in the car park.....

This rather fabulous and very camp gentleman dating to the 1950's came from Liz The Washerwoman after a frantic email to her late last night after spotting him on her blog post!  Apparently several people witnessed my hubby wrestling him into the van with his hands placed on strategic parts!! We have named him Tristan Barrington-Havers, related to Jonty & Julian Barrington-Havers, two rather camp 1930's gentlemen I already own.  I know, mad as a box of frogs!!!

I have been after a French marriage dome for yonks, and being the eagle eyed person I am also spotted this on Liz's blog post destined for Newark.  It fits perfectly under my Victorian glass dome and I am so thrilled with it...thank you Liz & hubby. I also bought three lovely French linen sheets from Liz destined for cushions.

Andy bought this lovely old wooden crate from Michele, complete with writing on the side.

This rather gorgeous Vintage boudoir dolls head came from the lovely Viv who had a stand next to mine.  She came from Vienna.  I wish I was clever enough to fashion her a cloth body and make a vintage outfit for her to wear.

This lovely crème de menthe piano shawl and parasol came from another lovely lady called Geraldine who has the most wonderful selection of vintage textiles and trims.

This gorgeous Victorian bead work velvet cushion and sparkly bits and pieces came from Philippa Bowes , the lovely lady who made my decorated goose egg from a previous post.

All these lovelies came from Ali who had her usual fabulous selection of vintage trims and lovely French bits and bobs.

I purchased all these gorgeous grain sacks from Maud who sells wonderful vintage and antique French linens from her web site Beyond France.  Most of the grain sacks have monogrammes on them and are in lovely condition.  I also bought some pieces of mangle cloth linen always fabulous for backing cushions.

These lovely vintage fabric covered buttons also came from Maud.

A gorgeous vintage French plaster and gilt French bow from Liz.

This is what the van looked like when we returned home...a lot emptier than when we had started apart from the naughty purchases!!  Thank you to Jayne and Michele for making it such a fabulous and enjoyable day, and to all the other stall holders and the lovely customers who helped clear the van to make way for new purchases.  I am now in the process of enjoying a well earned glass of vino.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Jo xx

VINTAGE JUMBLE - BARGAINS GALORE!!!

We have been having a huge clear out ready for the vintage jumble in Rangeworthy tomorrow.  The first one, organised by Jayne & Michele held earlier this year was such a huge success they decided to do another.

Andy and I have been busy getting ready, there are boxes for 50p and £1, and even two bags of vintage eidy's in need of some TLC!!

Just some of the goodies ready to be packed in the van.

Boxes full of bits and bobs....excuse the hoover!!

Please come along if you can.  It really is a lovely atmosphere and just like an old fashioned jumble sale complete with WI ladies serving teas and coffees with the most delicious cakes.

Please click on the link for more info.  See you there.

Jo xx
PS: This is what the van looks like!!

Flags & Fairs

Yesterday I had a stand at The Market Harborough Vintage Fair organised by the lovely Ann and her hubby, Trevor.  It was held at a lovely light and airy venue very close to the town centre and there was the usual lovely mix of vintage treasures on offer to tempt buyers.  True to form I have no pictures of the day but I am sure Ann will post some pics on her blog, Vintage at the Corner House.  My Mum is staying with us for the week from Devon and she indulged in a spending spree at the fair.  My first find of the day was, yes, you've guessed it, yet another huge vintage Union Jack Flag....as if I need another, but I couldn't resist!

It is rather worse for wear but just how I like them!!

This rather fab wire work shelving also came from Briony, the lady I bought the flag from.  It is going to be very handy to use for displaying fabric for sale. I also bought some wonderful French linen from Heather from Hellish Designs who coincidentally has just started a Blog.

Please pay her a visit as her stuff is to die for.

My rather wonderful find from our local car boot sale this morning.  I spotted this gorgeous Georgian pine cupboard and it had to come home with no thought of how Mum and I would load it into the Beast!!  We had to phone Andy to come to our rescue with the van!!  Mum has spent all afternoon ironing my table and bed linen ready for the fairs...she is a real trooper!  It has been the most wonderful but exhausting weekend, hope you've all had a great one too.  Now we are off to sort stuff for the Vintage Jumble next Saturday.  Have a lovely week.

Jo xx

French Finds & Box Files

Hope you have all had a great weekend.  We have been experiencing a mini heat wave here in Derbyshire.  I love this weather although I find it quite draining.  The Pugs insist on laying in the sun even though it is too hot.  We have had a lovely weekend.  I did a vintage fair in Matlock, The Peak District on Saturday with Discover Vintage.  It was very well attended and we were busy for most of the day with only a couple of quiet periods.  On Sunday we decided to take a trip to The Old Pill Factory in Witney.  Tracey from The Vintage Bothy has a lovely stand in the attic space crammed full of wonderful antique and vintage textile treasures.  The whole place is a real treasure trove and very reasonably priced too.

Lovely monogrammed French Linen tea towels and a rusty set of Château keys.

Lovely bundles of vintage French books dating from the 1930's.

I absolutely adore this beautiful French earthenware glazed jug, I think it may be staying for a while! I also found some lovely mother of pearl buttons held together on a length of old string.

We then went onto Station Mill Antiques in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire on the recommendation of the ladies at the Old Pill Factory.  It was two floors of pure antique and vintage heaven and I would recommend a visit.  There is also a delightful cafe that serves the most heavenly toasties.  Apparently it has just reopened after a devastating fire which damaged large parts of the building.

My favourite find of the day was this beautiful 19th century French wire work basket.  It cost a small fortune but it had to come home with me.  I have grand designs for this as a centrepiece at Christmas...watch this space....... Andy isn't really sure about this one!

Box File now sold!!

This is my latest creation...a covered box file in vintage pink paisley eiderdown fabric.  I covered one recently in Kate Forman blue roses linen but forgot to photograph it and sold it at a fair.  I decided to have another go but this time with vintage fabric.  I'm afraid I cannot take all the credit as Andy helps with all the technical details like measurements, cutting the base out and attaching the ties at the front of the box.  I'm rather pleased with it...what do you think?

Have a great week.

Jo xx

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

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

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!