Wednesday 28 May 2008

'THE HAT'! HAS ARRIVED!!!!!

Yes! Yes!! Its arrived all the way from America!
Well ? What do you think? I am thrilled with it - the very thing for 'Glamorous' Gardening!
Photo is not too good -well its hard taking a pic of yourself! No one around - all at work, and I did want to show you Anna's (hatjunkie.blogspot.com/) wonderful hat.

Button, buttons and more buttons!
I had friends to visit over the weekend - Ladysnail aka (theimaginationofladysnail.blogspot.com/) and Inspector Marmalade aka ( inspector-marmalade.blogspot.com ) -take a look - up and coming illustrators! Anyway 'fiendish' button enthusiasts!!! So we got to talking and looking at my buttons - well what else on a Sunday afternoon!
This led (as it often does ) to me wondering how I could better display my buttons. For a while I have been unhappy with a tatty old lamp/lampshade that I have on the table, and I remembered seeing a magazine article and picture describing the following - so I am in the process of - having a go!!




Its a simple enough thing to do, just stick um on with PVA!








I will let you know how it turns out - its got to be prettier than the original tatty old shade!


POPPIES!! BEAUTIFUL POPPIES!!!!







Just thought I would share these with you, they are such a wonderful scarlet 'splash'! in the garden.
Makes a Girl happy just to see them!! - of course its raining now and spoiling them!









Remember the little Golly Tea towels? I made one up over the weekend. Isn't he a cheery little chap! So very easy to do, almost crafty instant gratification.









He is sat/stood next to my 'find' of the weekend, a little hand pleated/sewn cushion. Its made of a brushed nylon (I know it sounds awful - but truly its not!) in a kind of blend of pinks and reds - bit like that seaside rock you used to be able to get.

Lets hope the rain stops soon, and we can get back out in the garden!


Ta Ta for now!






Wednesday 21 May 2008

WHAT A LOVELY START TO THE DAY!!

I just had to share with you this lovely surprise I received this morning!
An exciting little package from Jennie at Falling Down The Rabbit Hole. Its soooo nice when you get something for YOU! - you know what I mean!


On closer inspection - after wrenching off the packaging in haste, this little chap emerged, he is just so delightful, and so wonderfully made! Thank you so much Jennie X
He tells me he likes the outdoors, so we shall have many an outing - he is small enough to ride in my handbag!
Thank you also for the groovy buttons and chocolate - guess what I had for breakfast!





Little bear smells wonderfully of Lavender - my favorite, how did you know!
Anyway hes not just little bear, hes called Flakey ( he is just the colour of a Cadburys Flake - and most Blokes can be kinda flakey!) - Why does it aways come down to chocolate or cakes with us! I swear we do subconsciously - its inbred in us!!
Flakey is going to sit by my sewing machine, all ready for the chance of an outing!

This is the GRIM bit!
Our old shed is in complete fall down mode - its been like this for ages, bu new ones are a fortune! I mean its not like its something important like an antique hand sewn quilt, sewing chests, or even news shoes - it only holds tools and Pauls 'vintage car' spares! So no he had to wait until I found him one within budget ( ha ha - what budget!). Anyway someone on Freecycle kindly offered us one. Well you would have thought we had won the Lottery!
What is it with Men and Sheds!
So now we are in full 'Pulling everything down with a BIG crowbar mode' - what a mess!
Hopefully this new shed will be up and sorted soon - and why does all the mess 'walk' into the house!!!



I was thrilled to find this Nursing chair at Carboot yesterday! Its almost a complete match to my 1940s suite.



Ta'ra for now!




Monday 19 May 2008

A 'BITS AND PIECES' WEEKEND!!

Hope you all had a good weekend!
I just had to show you this!!*** such an exciting find!!**** and for just £1!
I had spotted the green metal soap dish (£1) and picked up thinking it kinda matched one that holds my 'Sunlight soap' on the kitchen window sill. The lady who's stall it was pointed out this WONDERFUL - tatty green painted shaving mirror, the mirror in tact and everything.!
I was so thrilled!!! -I know its so sad!
Anyway here it is on my kitchen window sill - for now! Just a bit creepy catching yourself in the mirror whilst washing up!
These are so pretty, I know you will appreciate them. They are Foil work pictures, and in such good condition - just flung in an oddments box! How they didn't get broken!

Pretty, pretty bonnet ed, crinoline-d young lady, picking flowers or fruit from a tree.



And pretty colourful parrots!
They are so pretty, but I just can't keep every thing so I have put them on Ebay, the rationing goes - if they don't sell they are JUST SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITH ME!
Now just a little peek at my Inspirational Summer Swap - don't look Cleary!!


Yes its green with summery flowers, that's all I am saying! Its finished so I will be sending it off - all the way to America soon!
See I haven't spent all my time in the garden - well it does go dark eventually!

ETSY!!!!!

I have been busy putting bits and pieces in my Etsy shop
(VickysVintage.etsy.com)
The reasoning being that if I am to keep buying like a mad thing, I have to try and MAKE! some money! Otherwise the sums wont work out!
This is just a little Native American Fantasy Dream Brooch/Corsage.

And a little Faerie Glade Toadstool Brooch/Corsage.
The photos are not too good, I am going to have some instruction from Rich (son) with this fancy camera! Not sure it will do much good - me and technology don't mix too well!
Hope everyone Else's Etsy is picking up, all we can do is stick with it, and mention Etsy to all your friends - mine are tired of hearing of the wonderful world of Etsy!!
Ta Ta for now XX

Thursday 15 May 2008

ETSY - A SERIOUS ADDICTION!!!!!

I think its becoming a problem!!
There are such wonderful, inspiring things in the Etsy shops - I just want to buy them all!
Just look at this Hat - well its not just 'a hat' is it - its a marvelous summery feminine creation! and guess what - you can have one especially made for you - how cool is that!
I was simply looking - honest! for something 'simple' to keep the sun off me, I have decided to take a stand and not buy any cheap rubbish mass produced imports.
So Etsy is ideal - small home produced goods made with care. Anyway - saw this - fell in love! - Simple!
AND - its on its way - all the way from America - how exciting is that!
You simply must have a look at Anna's Blog and Etsy shop - hatjunkie.blogspot.com/
Etsy - annashoub.etsy.com
And such a lovely surprise today - a beautiful ring of vintage beads arrived (via Etsy) from Blissed Out. Its so gorgeous - I shall try and get a photo to show you - I haven't shown this to Hubby yet - does that mean I might - sub consciously have a bit of a guilty problem? After all its not that I NEED another ring - beautiful though it is!
SUMMER TIME IS HERE! its official -
I have put my light floaty summery curtains up!
The heavy green velvet curtains that have kept us warm all winter have been washed and put away, welcome to the sunshine!



The sunshine has brought out this little Welsh Poppy, surprisingly (to say we are in Wales ), I struggle to grow these, I just have this one little clump.
Our little cottage - disappearing behind the lush growth of the garden!
Richard (son) has been giving the cottage a freshen up with the paint, its looking Blue-er than ever - but very smart!



Just a couple of views up and down the little lane ( as you step out of our gate) -
as you can see its lovely and lush at the moment .


Don't look at the bin!







This is Hubby P's obsession - the love of his life! Yes - he's a Morris Man.
Its good fun rattling around the country lanes in her, although shes a bit poorly at the moment, she needs some jobs done, and a 'makeover' (paint job)




Ta Ta for now!







Monday 12 May 2008

ALL IN THE GARDEN IS BLOOMING! AND TREASURES TOO!!!

Well Hello!
I hope you are all enjoying this lovely weather we are having in the UK.
Wonderful weather for the garden, my plants are shooting up before my very eyes, its all looking so lush and fresh.
This is a little photo of some Aquiligias (Grannies Bonnets) I only have ordinary cottage garden ones, a pink variety and a blue. Did anyone see the really fancy, special ones on Gardeners World? I think they were showing them at Malvern Show, they were so pretty and delicate, maybe I will have to treat myself!
Weekend treasures from the Car Boot Sale!
Two cards of rather pretty kind of mirrored vintage buttons, I will put these aside until a worthy project comes to mind.
The pretty glass cake stand was in a box marked Free Stuff! Well what could a girl do but have a good noisy in the box, and came up with the pretty object. Hubby P got some Free books, the seller said he has too much stuff and was urging people to take as many as they could carry. Thankfully he only chose three - we do have a somewhat large collect of books too!
I tell you for such a little house we cram so much in - bit like a Tardis!




I bought the little Willow Pattern creamer to go with my tea set. The tea set was my Mothers - we lost her 4 years ago, it still seems like yesterday.
She used the tea set daily, so I thought it would be nice to at least look at it daily, I have it on a little shelf in the kitchen. Maybe I will look for more Willow Pattern items - they are not too expensive, I could use them every day and not worry about breaking them.

Jolly little Golliwogs!
Not very PC these days, but they were so much a part of my childhood.
I found these on a stall where the lady was selling all sorts of sewing items. These are Tea towel size, and can be used as such, or they can be made into a jolly little cushion. The sewing instructions are printed around the edge of the 'tea towel'.
I couldn't resist, I thought they were so cute!
Mind you I did go over board as usual and buy all she had! I think I will offer some on Ebay - I can't use then all!
If you fancy one for the children or whatever (your inner child!), just let me know, I will put them on Ebay for £3 (but I could just post one to you with out the ebay fuss) - it would be nice to find nice homes that are going to make them into cuddly cushions!


Jolly smiley Golliwogs! I will make one up and post some pics, I've got to have one to keep Humpty Dumpty company on my bed. (when will we grow up!!!)




Say 'Hello' to Charlie.
He who hogs all the best seats - and we are daft enough to let him!!!
Ta Ta for now!



Tuesday 6 May 2008

BUSY BUSY ALLSORTS!!!!!

Here we are again! It seems ages since I last 'Posted', its all been a hectic round of family doings over the Bank Holiday.
We had Family to visit - if 'visit' is the right word - after all family is family, and home is home, family is inseparable from home - if you know what I mean. You don't 'visit' your own home - anyway it was nice to see them and we all squashed in our little cottage, a bit sardine-ish, but we had fun!
We did all the Tourist-y things, the weather was great, we had a nice leisurely time.
This is the obligatory photo of us - Mr & Mrs Allsorts! Me grimacing behind the darkest sunglasses I could find (I had a nagging Migraine) - Gosh! I thought when I saw this, I look just like my Grandmother - how time creeps up on you!
This is where we were heading, we went for a walk to a little ancient church underneath the Menai Suspension Bridge.





We even found a little magical stone circle, Anglesey is full of these sorts of things, it was the last refuge of the Druids - lots of Spiritual Places, and we still have a living breathing Druid culture on
the island.







A little trip into Beaumaris later, in search of Tea and Cakes!
Such a pretty little town, I love the candy coloured row of houses as you enter the town.







And of course! no trip would be complete without visiting the Traditional Sweetie Shop!
I am too embarrassed to tell you how much I spent on sweets!








Lots and Lots of Carboot Sales on over the weekend. Lots of goodies for the buying. I thought I would show you one or two additions to my sewing area - so exciting!

Hubby P bought me this for my Birthday (its a few weeks off yet, but I so fell in love with this!).
Its a lovely old little chest we think probably 1940/50s - specially made to hold ( and Yes it is FULL!) sewing notions - lots and lots of old cottons, needles of every kind, buttons, beeswax,tracing wheels, all manner of goodies!









And this - well - this is an old cashiers draw, the sort that use to be fixed under a shop counter.
I just loved it, it even has little areas worn away where fingers have scrabbled for money over the years.
The felt bottoms of the compartments had been worn away, so I replaced it with some pretty, colourful felt!








I shall use it as a little tray, to hold all my sewing bits and pieces.








Just a few pics of the garden - I couldn't resist this fresh pretty delicate green of this Horse Chestnut tree, my son Will planted the seed a couple of years ago - so its known as Wills tree!

I have a thing about trees too - lots of little baby trees in pots, I just need someone to leave me some land in their Will, and I can plant my own woodland!









Another of my babies - a little Oak tree just bursting into leaf, this was again grown from an Acorn.
At one time Anglesey was covered in great Forest's of Oak - it was the tree of the Druids, a magical, special tree!








Just an update on the salad window boxes - the seed are up already! It wont be long until we can pick and eat.




Lots more exciting news - I have won Jennies ( Falling Down the Rabbit Hole) PIF, I cant believe my luck, and I am partnered with a nice lady in USA for the Summer Inspirational Swap - but more of all that later!!!
Ta Ta for now xxx