Thoughts of the Festive Season...

I normally don't like to introduce the festive decorations or Christmassy stock to my shop too early in the season, (which probably means I'm not a very good retail business woman!) -But having seen many shops on the high street going the full hog already, I think perhaps I should make a start, or risk being left behind...

I've brought down from our attic, the artificial twiggy tree that I bought last year - It stands on a little wooden base. I've buried the base in compost, inside a tiny old tin bath. The compost is covered by a layer of moss that the birds had kindly removed from our roof and thrown all over our garden path! Thank you birdies :)

I do love a bit of moss, don't you? - All fuzzy and soft.
The tree will arrive at my shop tomorrow and I'll start to do some decorating...

I've been painting this old refectory style table a lovely turquoisey blue this morning...It too is destined for the shop, but I'll have to wait until hubby can give me a hand, as it weighs a ton!

Another little project I've completed, was to make use of the vintage Marshall & Snelgrove mink hat that I bought from Jo on Saturday. The fur was stitched onto the hat base in strips, which was easy to unpick, to leave me with three 'halos'.

I've fastened sparkly vintage costume brooches to each one.

Three stylish headbands! 

There will be lots more pieces making their way into my shop over the next couple of weeks...

I'm also going to make time for some festive crafting...I've been able to buy some beautiful antique textile pieces that I'm hoping will inspire me to make some interesting one-off treasures. 

Some are small fragments that need treating carefully. 

I'll save some of these for use on my last batch of fairy dolls for this year, which I hope to have completed in time for the next Christmas Fair that I shall be attending. December 1st is the Vintage and Handmade Christmas Fair in Chipping Sodbury. (More details on my blog's sidebar.)

So, waiting for inspiration, I'll leave you for now with a few photos of some of the scrummy bits I have to play with...

Hope you are enjoying your week so far,

Niki xx