1st Birthday!! And a Giveaway!

It's my Blogs 1st Birthday today!! Over a year ago I used to enjoy visiting the blogs of three lovely ladies; they belonged to Louise, Gena and Donna. After reading about the events in their lives for a few weeks, I felt the need to give something back, so I started to write my own blog. I never expected all of the warm comments that I received, how much fun the whole thing could be and added to this I have been very lucky to have met some fellow bloggers! I am a very visual person and often feel that I have little to say, but am always amazed when people have read my latest post and choose to leave a comment! Thank you!

There have been times where I have struggled to return comments; with a home to run, three children and my website, (you know how it goes) I have sometimes neglected you! A lot of my stock is handmade so I need time to sit at my sewing machine as well as the computer!! I apologise if I have upset any of you lovely ladies, but I do admit to being a lurker at times, when time is short!
I also wanted to use Blogger as a way of getting my website noticed. I had run it for a few years previously, but blogger has been amazing advertising. I would like to thank all of those who have visited my site and made a purchase over the last year - you are VERY much appreciated.

As a thank you to all who have visited my blog, I would like to enter you into a draw. The prize will be this pile of vintage fabric scraps, perfect for patchwork and other small sewing projects. They range in age from C19th French to fun 1950's florals. They are tied with antique French lace and in addition are some linen buttons and a rose corsage. If you would like to be included, please leave a comment to this post. I am happy to ship the prize overseas and it is open to non-bloggers too! (just be aware that if your name is drawn, I will need to ask for your delivery address.) I shall make the draw on Friday 6th July, so please call back then, when I shall announce it on my blog!

I would also just like to thank all who have sent me cards after my sale (see post below). Added to the beautiful flowers and gifts that I also received, I felt completely spoiled!

Special thanks to my creative daughter who designed my new blog banner - a new year, a new look! Mmmm....maybe I should change my profile pic, seeing as I am another year older!....

I'm off to to visit a vintage textile fair now (camera in hand!) Have a great day, Niki x

'Vintage Sale'

Sorry not to have posted for a while, but I have been busy organising a 'Vintage Sale' at my home, inspired by Liz's that I attended in April. I had quite a bit of stock from when I ran my own shop and also from doing the antiques fairs. I invited past customers to my shop and friends that I have made in the antiques trade.

I was totally overwhelmed by the amount of people who attended; some had travelled from Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire! Thankfully the rain that was forecast didn't appear and we saw the sunshine for most of the day.

I had painted furniture for sale under the raised deck....

And vintage goods were displayed in the cellar....



Sit and chat with friends here.....

And my Mum was serving tea, coffee and cakes in the kitchen; thanks Mum, I couldn't have managed without you!

More stock was in the living room, including 1950's millinery and American prom gowns......

What I wasn't expecting was the amount of flowers and gifts that I received! (Think I must have mentioned once or twice that I LOVE roses!!)

Thank you Debbie......................Thank you Anne.

Thank you Amanda...................Thank you Helen.

Thank you Louise.......................Thank you Clare.

Thank you Sue!............................................(Enamelware for sale.)

By the time everyone left, the quantity of stock had certainly gone down! I would like to thank very much everyone who attended and thank you for all the purchases that you made. It was great fun to do; as I work from home I don't see many people during the week, so this gave me the opportunity to talk with like-minded girls!

Please read Ginny's post about the sale; I hadn't seen Ginny for several years and so it was lovely to see her and her daughter and talk 'vintage' and all things twinkly pink!

'Shabby Chic' Style Finds.

As you can see from the clouds behind one of my favourite stands at the Shepton Mallet Flea Market, the weather did not look very promising! Ever the die-hard flea market shopper, I thought it was worth the risk! The rain stayed away most of the day and I managed to find some wonderful items....

The French pink brocade pelmet came form the seller above. It has the most wonderful bobble trim along the hem, in pink and green. I also found some pretty French millinery flower posies and pink silk velvet ribbon, which is getting very rare now.

From another vintage textile dealer I bought the French fabric covered box and the wax flower Bridal headdress in another box, with its original white satin bouquet ribbons......

Enchanting antique French lace edgings on their original cards.........

And this tiny French bed complete with a pale blue cotton fabric cover. The rust from the little metal bed has come through onto the fabric, so I shall hide it by carefully stitching some more lace and some of the pink millinery flowers around the edges. I think it needs a little quilt too!
The wonderful yellow embroidered pelmet came from Sue and will be fabulous to use as a skirt on one of my handmade rag dolls.

The gorgeous rose braid will be stitched onto a set of white bathroom towels.
And I could not resist these fragile roses made from very fine porcelain in pale pink and ruby red; they are a little chipped, but still beautiful.

I bought this whole collection of pink and aqua green costume brooches from one dealer; I love how they all look together...they will each find a place on my handmade bags, coat hangers and gift sets.

I had such an amazing day catching up with friends who visit to buy and others who have stands selling fabulous treasures!
It was also good to come home and unpack all the lovely things and decide how I shall utilise them.
Hope you had a great weekend too!

I also found more vintage postcards, a Victorian hat and the sheet music printed with the beautiful flapper's face will framed and put into my living room.

Summer Bounty

A view of my front garden this morning.

A double headed Lupin on one stem!

And a prolific flowering Clematis.

Sweat peas from a friend and pink Peonies from my garden.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Gorgeous Gifts and Fabulous Finds!

I wasn't even aware that I had entered Karla's cottage charm giveaway! - she emailed me to tell me that I had won her gift; I had left a comment on her blog and my name was picked out - now that was a lovely surprise! Even more surprising, when the little parcel arrived, wrapped in a teeny envelope and a millinery flower decoration, was one of Karla's beautiful charms - hand painted with roses - I LOVE roses! Thank you Karla, the charm is so perfect. I have added it to a vintage diamante necklace and will wear it often.
(Karla is VERY generous with her giveaways - check out her blog and see!)

My hubby has been away on business in the States for two weeks. (He would pick the half-term holiday, wouldn't he?!) Well, he made up for things by bringing these two interior magazines back for me.

I really loved these inspiring photos inside...

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Other items to come my way recently include some wonderful finds at my local car boot sale:

This miniature metal rocking chair, probably Victorian and fashioned from a tin can! The seat is the round top of the can and the rest has been cut and twisted into shape from the outside of the tin - amazing! It has even been upholstered in a fabulous gold brocade.

I couldn't resist these pieces of etched glass from an old Venetian mirror. I'm not sure what I shall do with them, but I couldn't leave them there!

This tiny French epergne consists of an etched glass posy holder in a brass stand decorated with lily pads on a pool shaped base - very Art Nouveau.

And an Edwardian angel wall plaque made from bisque, with pretty hand painted details. These items were all from the same seller - I think we shared the sames taste - don't you just love it when that happens?!

I shall add all of these pretties to my dressing table...well its hardly a dressing table...there isn't an inch of space left for doing dressing table activities! Most of the things are pieces I have added over the years from Antique fairs and flea markets; lots of French items and even a few modern pieces that have been bought as gifts for me.

This fabulous antique tiara stand is another recent acquisition. I won it on eBay, being very lucky with a low bid - I have seen these fetch well over £100. This one is missing its glass dome cover, so I was able to buy it with the last of my Birthday money, at reasonable cost. They were made around 1880 and were used to display a Bride's tiara, corsages and other mementos from the big day. This one has the wax flower headdress and it is displayed on the red velvet cushion that is surrounded by gilded flowers and a dove, porcelain roses and 6 silvered mirrors.

They are completely over-the-top and so French in style, slightly gaudy and grotesque! But I have always wanted one! I was glad to have won it and so pleased when I opened up the carefully wrapped parcel, as I had been disappointed with other eBay purchases in the past.

It's such fun spending time hunting down vintage treasures, whether on the Internet, or out and about at fairs and markets......