Busy, Busy, Busy.....

I found this little set of drawers the other day, just ripe for a make-over! Using vintage wallpaper, they now look like this....

I stuck vintage buttons to the knobs, for added interest.
(If you would like a tutorial, I made some similar covered drawers a few months ago; please click here.)

I added some vintage Lilac flowers to one of my handmade lacy lampshades.

And another quick make-over was to glue the Victorian scraps that I bought last Sunday at the Flea Market, to my very chippy painted cupboard.

Before:

And after:

I may add more roses, but not sure?...

Flea Finds!

I know it must look like I am always shopping, but I promise it isn't so! For the first time the Royal Bath and West Showground booked the Antiques Fair and Flea Market on the some month, so I have had double the fun in January, visiting them both!

Here are my purchases......

A dinky set of china cups and saucers and matching jug and sugar bowl, with a country cottage look. A very cute 1930's perpetual calender with Scottie dog statue....

This Goldilocks and the Three Bears ensemble - Consisting of a vintage tin and three little chalk -ware figures. Awwwww!

Yummy Victorian Rose scraps, which I shall use to decorate a cupboard in my living room.

This very sweet trading card for Hoyt's German Cologne. Three bundles of vintage gathered trim and a pretty framed print.

And finally this gorgeous angel panel painted on glass and a cherub wall pocket.

Pretty Postcards.

The other day I was thinking about the slightly kitsch postcards that I used to receive as a child from my old Auntie, who holidayed in Spain in the 1970's. They would feature pretty Spanish ladies in fabulous dresses, embroidered with vibrant silken threads.

They have inspired me to try something similar. I have a collection of old Edwardian postcards, printed with lovely ladies, so I have been embellishing them with vintage millinery flowers. The first one that I tried was a little over-the-top. I got carried away and kept adding more and more!!...including lace, buttons beads and flowers!

The next one that I created was slightly more restrained....

They are fun to do and all that is required is a few pretty embellishments and some glue.

They can then be placed in a picture frame or perhaps mounted on a greetings card blank with photo corners for a special gift card.

Here are some other items that I have crafted over the past week.

(Available at www.nostalgia-stonehouse.co.uk )

Gifts from Afar.

I have just received a beautiful gift from Jen of the glorious blog 'The Cottage Nest'.
After I admired the little glitter houses that she posted on her blog at Christmas, she suggested that we could do a swap together and I would send her one of my fairy dolls in exchange.
Well this sumptuously wrapped parcel arrived today....

I actually gasped when I opened the box, because there on the top was the journal that I had also admired on her blog. Jen makes the most exquisite covered journals and I feel so lucky to own this very vintage looking one! Everything was so beautifully wrapped with great attention to detail.

There were also three fabulous interior magazines that I can't wait to read tonight....well I have already had a sneaky peek and they look VERY inspiring.....

And finally the little glitter church and cottage - Such a surprise to receive two! The colours of them are just too perfect....I'm not sure that I can hide them away until next Christmas.....I think I shall display them in one of my cabinets, along with some of my vintage dolls.

Thank you so much for your kindness Jen, I love everything!

All the Fun of the Fair.

Yesterday I visited the Shepton Mallet Antiques Fair. It made a change for me to be buying there, rather than selling. I was able to visit all the stands that I wished without having to rush back to my pitch! I found the pretty pink cotton bedspread with hand crochet inserts and frilled edge - I may use it as a tablecloth or possibly a curtain. The rose wallpaper is French and will be useful to line small cabinets. I also found the small scale vintage trims for my handmade dolls.....

Teeny-tiny buttons, also for dolls and some pretty rose printed cigarette cards.

These colourful vintage greetings cards and postcards. A delicate china cup and saucer decorated with pansies and a French bonbon box perfect for storing the tiny buttons.

This stunning French fabric, featuring roses in baskets and a collection of flower holders which make excellent note stands - I love the verdigris finish they have acquired over time!

I Love Gingham!

I was inspired be Donna and Carol, who have both recently posted some lovely photographs of their kitchens . They have wonderful collections of tins and enamelware that I share a passion for. I also love old gingham fabrics which I use everywhere in my kitchen!

I have it behind chicken wire in one of my wall cupboards. And it is printed on this lovely set of enamelware canisters......

I also have the same gingham as a curtain on my floor standing unit....it hides a multitude of sins! I added a length of hand crochet lace to the bottom hem, to give it more of a country look.

I have various gingham inspired accessories....

And of course I have it at my windows!

Well...everywhere really!!!....

I just find gingham so cheerful!

Paperweights

I recently treated myself to this new book by Kaari Meng. I was inspired to have a go at making the paper weights that she suggested were very easy to create.

I found these two glass weights in a charity shop for 50 pence each. I carefully peeled away the old photographs from the underside.

I had a look through my collection of vintage fabrics and found some old French Toile de Jouy. I have a passion for cherubs, so these two images appealed to me.

All that was required was a small amount of glue around the outside edge of the fabric, once it had been cut to size, to secure it to the base of the weight.

I also gave the little glass trinket box (left) the same treatment, using a vintage floral fabric and the two small jewelled frames hold other fragments of pretty fabric.