Celebration Giveaway!

I am happy to announce the re-launch of my website this morning. After several weeks of editing the site, as well as hand making lots of new stock for the on-line catalogue, I finally have it live. Visitors will notice I have gone for a magenta and turquoise colour scheme; one of my favourite combinations for an eye-catching look. I hope that you like it too and will enjoy browsing when you have a moment.

I have had my small business in one form or another for over 15 years. When I started, it was at a time when there wasn't the fashion for all the repro vintage that seems to be flooding the market now. In fact the only time I heard the word 'vintage' banded about, was when my Dad mentioned his vintage car club that he was a member of, or someone was discussing wine or cheese! I have always loved old over new and always will, (and would prefer genuine over reproduction whenever possible), with the recycling ethos also appealing to me. The on-line side of my work is now into its 5th year (with my blog being well into its 3rd and coming close to my 300th post). To celebrate this and also the re-launch, I am having a giveaway, with the prize on offer echoing the new colour scheme at 'Nostalgia at the Stone House'.

There is one of my handmade brooch pillows complete with vintage costume brooch. A 'Spoolie' doll which I am introducing to my range again, and lots of pretty vintagey bits and bobs for the winner to enjoy. These include, a china dish, 2 postcards, threads, miniature hand knitted jumper, hanky, millinery rose and a 2009 pocket diary.

All you need to do is leave a comment to this post and your name will be entered in.

I am happy to post to anywhere in the world. Please be aware that I will need to ask for a delivery address if you are the winner. It is open to non-bloggers as well. I will pick a winner at random from the hat on Friday 23rd January 2009. Good luck!

****************************************

When I first started to make dolls, I used to produce them in a primitive/folk art/shaker style, popular in the U.S.A., but was a look that was virtually unavailable in the UK at that time. The 'Spoolie' dolls that I made were one of my best sellers. Supplies for these were quite difficult to find here, so after many years I reluctantly dropped them from my range.
I moved on to using genuine vintage fabrics and continued creating the rag dolls dressed in the best antique fabrics that I could find to buy. For those of you that prefer genuine vintage over reproduction too, I'm sure you will appreciate that my prices reflect the fact that I have used antique fabric fragments and lace, as well as authentic trims - this means each doll is completely unique and is not in the least mass-produced like so much on the high street.

I have now decided to reintroduce the cute little spoolie dolls, dressing them in pretty spriggy antique prints to tie in with the rest of the products in my range (they are ideal candidates for me to take along to the V&H fair, too.) I hope that you like their up-dated look, with each one adorned in tiny coordinating vintage trims and embellishments.

They add a sweet touch hanging from a cupboard door knob, a peg rail or from a mirror frame to give a whimsical feel.

Other additions include Violet who is dressed in a very old purple print cotton dress and a Scottish mohair jacket...

And a selection of dainty fairy dolls with special adornements and trims.

*

A touch of romance is provided in some of the Valentine inspired pieces, including this winged cherub printed brooch pillow.

A newly designed hanging heart holds a genuine Victorian greetings card to display in the traditional home. You could add you own favourite postcard, or perhaps a family photo as a personalised gift for someone special.

I developed the hearts further, creating hanging display cushions stitched with a vintage lace strap to hold your favourite pieces of ephemera for all to see, with space to pin additional brooches or hat pins.

The popular vintage gift sets are still available and include Somerset lavender soap sets...

And glamorous fashion accessory gift sets, perfect for the 'vintage-girl', which include costume brooches with carefully selected handkerchiefs and postcards to match.

I hope that you will enjoy taking a look at my re-launched website - I would welcome your views on the new look! Don't forget if you would like to enter my giveaway to leave your comment to this post.

Have a great day,

Niki x

Reasons to be Cheerful...

There I was, sat cocooned in my basement workroom, trying to focus on my work and to shrug-off some little upsets that have been playing on my mind recently, when...

The sun came out and streamed through my tiny window, bounced onto the collection of vintage brooches that I have pinned to my old mannequin's chest....

which sent hundreds of miniature rainbows scattering across the ceiling. Not a perfect photo, but it was quite magical to look up and see these temporary decorations.

Hope you are having a great week - with lots of lovely sunshine,

Niki x

(Hyacinths given to me by my daughter as a Christmas gift.)

'Tighten the Purse Strings'

Hope you are all having a great week. I've been spending my time sewing and creating, so the new stock for my website is slowly coming together. I'm excited by what I have produced so far, but am finding each item is taking longer that I would like. I have a vast array of fabrics to choose from, so narrowing it down each time takes a lot of effort on my part! My on-line shop has been re-edited with a new cheerful colour scheme and I look forward to launching it when I feel I have a enough stock to refill the shelves!
In the meantime, I thought I would update my blog, inspired by the credit crunch and tightening those purse strings! ;-))

I have collected vintage bags and purses for many years, but have only ever added to my collection when I have discovered a bargain! This little Dorothy bag is one from my childhood. I bought it at a jumble sale for pennies. It reminds me of the tiny brightly coloured zip-up purses that you used to be able to buy during the 1970's. (Do you remember them?) They had plastic beads glued onto them in wacky designs. I was always very tempted to pick them off and inevitably they always ended up with bald patches!
This version is slightly more grown-up.

And this little clutch purse has a beaded design too, but amazingly has had each bead stitched on by hand. These intricately crafted pieces were often made in France or Belgium, but can still be picked up for under £10 despite the hours of work involved in producing them. (Roll-over Monsoon Accessorize!)

It even has a little strap on the back to slip your fingers through.

*

Another beaded bag, this time slightly larger. I image the darker coloured beads would have been shiny silver metal when new, but over the years have tarnished, but still ooze glamour.

My latest addition is the tiny coin purse with chain handle bought at a vintage textile fair late last year.

And this one could almost be its mummy! I love the little glass stones set into the clasp - such attention to detail makes collecting these vintage treasures so interesting, as there is something new to discover all the time..

A metal purse similar to chainmail, which would have had a bright silk lining when it was produced during the 1920's. The flash of colour would have shown through and also softened the inside of the bag to safely hold its contents. They can sometimes be found made from pure silver, but these obviously command a high price tag.

I have found that once friends or relatives know that you enjoy collecting a particular item, they will also look out for additions to your collection and give them as gifts.

My neighbour very kindly gave me the gold brocade bag and one made from silver lurex - they had belonged to her mother-in-law during the 1950's.

And my Mum gave me this black fabric bag with the beautiful deco inspired clasp. I do use this one if I go out, as it has a handy little coin purse attached to a bar inside.

She also gave me this one which has sparkly diamante stones smothering it and a glorious silver satin lining.

*

Finally, this is one of my favourites, still in its original box. Another beaded example in lovely condition. Ideal for an evening out playing bridge perhaps?!

Funnily enough, I'm not the 'dressy' kind of girl, but I do love to search for the beautifully made accessories from a bygone era which promote sophistication and glamour, including adding to my shoe collection, vintage costume brooches and of course millinery. Taking time over the years to add to them, bargains can still be discovered to make the prize even more rewarding.

OK, I better get back to the sewing machine now...Hope you all have a lovely weekend,

Niki x

This n' That

Thought I'd just check in to my blog today, as I'm not sure if I shall have a chance to next week...

I've put all of our Christmas decorations away now and safely tucked them into the attic for Christmas 2009! The house seems to sigh with the clutter brought back down to a less indulgent level and we are enjoying the freed-up space again.

Handmade Christmas gifts from friends have found their new homes about the place, adding a splash of colour to these wintry days.

And with the new year well underway, I'm very excited about all the things that I hope to achieve.

For many of you, particularly with children, tomorrow will be the start of getting back into a normal routine. As much as I love my girls, the hours when they are at school or work is a time for me to enjoy being creative; or to be out sourcing vintage materials for my latest new ideas for my on-line shop.

Yesterday, hubby and I popped into a local town for a wander. There was a small collectors fair on, where I found these fabulous silken threads.

Two pastel coloured mohair scarves came from a vintage shop; both will be used for my next rag doll creations.

And a treat for me - I found this pretty unworn cardigan in a charity shop for £3.50. I just adore the magenta velvet edging and ribbon flowers.

A sneaky peek at a nostalgic Valentine piece that I've just completed, which will find its way onto my revamped website soon. I shall let you know when I'm back open for business, when I shall also have a mid-January sale with good mark-downs on much of the vintage stock.

Have a wonderful week.

Niki x

"Happy New Year!"

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

Let's hope and keep optimistic that 2009 will turn out to be a good one, despite the doom and gloom being constantly reported by the media.

I intend to fight to keep my little business going through these turbulent times. I have spent many hours since Christmas researching and looking for inspiration for new ideas to keep my site unique and interesting.

Now all that needs to be done is to get down to the nitty-gritty of actually producing all of my new handmade goods and editing my on-line shop for the re-launch of my website later in the month...

My New Year's resolution is to switch-off my PC after dealing with my emails and not to leave it running all day to distract me from what I should be doing! - Believe me, this will be hard! Hopefully, if I can achieve this, I will be able to work harder, as well use less electricity to benefit the environment.

My thanks to all who left a comment on my blog or sent an email to me during 2008 -

I hope that you will achieve all that you hope to in 2009 and that you will be happy, healthy, with some prosperity thrown in for good measure!

Happiness for 2009 and always,

Niki x

Looking Back...

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, enjoying the simple pleasures of togetherness and relaxation. As we draw nearer to the end of 2008 I am in reflective mood. It's been a hectic year, with very little breathing space for the simple things; but one of great highs, which make the lows easier to forgive or forget. My spare time was spent photographing and writing/editing my book, which meant there were few moments to be still, or to think about anything else!

Looking back it all seemed a bit of a blur, so this morning I decided to read through my account of the year on my blog - I've now posted a favourite photo from each month. If you can visit Heather today, you will see that she has done the same thing - I thought this was such a lovely idea to share. Very few of us have time to keep a diary now-a-days, but at least a few fleeting moments are stored forever within our blog posts....I hope you will enjoy my selection:
January - My handmade keepsake boxes

February - Flea market finds

March - Easter; time to share the bounty

April - A day out in Bath

May - My new workroom was completed

June - Flowers from a friend

July - Vintage treasure hunting

August - Our family holiday to Devon

September - Nostalgic postcards of summers past

October - My collection shared

November - Visiting family and friends in Norfolk

December - Christmas and a time to reflect

I hope that 2008 has been kind to you and that you will enjoy celebrating tomorrow night, with the prospect of a new dawn and a new year to look forward to...

Here's to love and friendship,

Niki x