Monday, March 15, 2010

Vintage Finds From Far and Near...


Yesterday proved to be a very successful day on the buying front...Hubby and I covered quite a few miles, but were rewarded by our efforts, buying some lovely items that I shall be able to add to the shop this week.

Pretty Victorian and Deco china items, all printed with beautiful floral designs that are always popular. Here's just a few of the pieces...

This is a little painting on board that I thought was very pretty.
I also bought lots of books to add to the shelves...
As well as some magazines from the 1950's.
The gorgeous c1930's tin (with the yachts on) was produced by 'Frys' - which I should imagine will become increasingly collectable due to the recent sad closure of the long established British Company. (I was particularly saddened by this event, as the beautiful old Somerdale factory is only a couple of miles down the road from our home.)

Staying with the local interest, I also bought several old maps of our surrounding counties.

And with travel in mind, I also thought these old suitcases were fun and perfect for storage on top of a wardrobe - they'll display nicely in the shop, along with the fab 'going-away' blue wool suits that I also found.

(Again another nod to the local area - Love that old railway label!)

Inside one of the little suitcases was a surprise find of a fine selection of Victorian/Edwardian ephemera. I had a lot of fun looking through it all last night...
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Another surprise discovery, inside a rather plain silk covered carrying case, was a stunning boudoir set which originated in Japan. Looking as fresh as the day they were made, is a completely unused pair of embroidered pyjamas with matching dressing gown and sweet pair of fluff trimmed bedroom slippers, along with a sweet note from a devoted husband to his wife. I do wonder why she never wore the gorgeous set?...
There were quite a few other items, but I shall try to photograph them when they make it into the shop sometime this week.
One item that I decided to keep, because I loved it so much, was this beautiful framed embroidery of a bluebell wood. From a short distance it looks like a painting, but on closer inspection it is clear to see the painstaking hand stitches making up the dreamy scene.

Placed near the little corner table that I bought from Sue not so long ago, I think it echoes the colours nicely and serves as a reminder of one of my most favourite places at that special time of the year.
And I'm just trying to decide if I can part with this original watercolour of a bluebell wood - Its always a tough decision parting with original items, as you're unlikely to see anything like them again...It's the gold mount and frame that has me in two minds...a little 'grand' for our home, somehow...

I will be parting with these large Victorian prints though - I love them, but they are rather large, as you can possibly tell when they are compared to the height of the banister rail.

I need to do some work on their frames first though, as they have seen better days...
I've had to spend a huge part of today trying to sort out on-going hassles with the shop. If it's not been the insurance, its the rates, if not that, then the water...you would not believe my first water/sewage bill on such a small premise! So I am in the process of trying to get it lowered...lots of hassles which I won't go into right now...but such a waste of precious time.
Have a lovely week, won't you?!
Niki x

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Mothering Sunday


Happy Mothering Sunday to Mums everywhere!

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Have a lovely day!
Niki x

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Flowers for Thursday...

I'm just on my way out for another day at my shop this morning, but I thought I'd leave behind some prettiness on my blog before I left...
I'm aware that there are many new Bloggers daily joining our little (read HUGE now!) community, some of whom have recently stumbled upon my place here and kindly left a comment. Thank you and welcome to you! - I'm sure you will enjoy sharing snippets of your life with like-minded gals on the www.
If you are a new visitor to my blog, then I would just like to share with you one of my passions (I have shown my collections in past posts, so apologies to those who have seen them before)...I love to collect vintage hats, mostly from the 1950's...and if they are smothered in velvet flowers in bright colours, then so much the better!
I love to change the arrangements of them around in our home (Yes, as most of us know, hats are not just for wearing on heads, but can look fabulous on display too...Something that I had taken for granted until a lady came into my shop who hadn't thought of them as decorative items in their own right, and had only ever considered buying them to wear) Funnily enough, I don't suit hats at all, and never wear them! Occasionally I still add to my collection, but mostly now, I buy to sell-on...which can be a wrench sometimes, as there is always a new style or design to discover...



The latest hats that I have found have come from America, and will be coming with me to sit on the shelves of my shop this morning...
There's a lovely one swathed in velvet leaves with a dusting of purple and a sprinkling of forget-me-not stems...
Sold - thank you!

Perfect for Easter is this unusual cap shaped hat coated in a thick layer of yellow blossoms.

A dainty hair band with a shadow velvet leaf spray to asymmetrically trail down one side.
Sold - thank you!

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This one I love - A wire framed half-hat embellished with faux pearl berries and leaves...perfect as a fairy wedding headpiece!
Sold - thank you!
And as a touch of sophistication...black has the power to say glamour, but the whimsical berries don't allow the wearer to be taken too seriously. Hats should be fun! :)

This last one though is staying with me...I've succumbed to the allure of velvet violets once more and she'll have to nestle in amongst my other lovelies somewhere in my collection...
Who can resist?

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The flowery delights of vintage millinery have also influenced my choice for fabrics to dress my latest rag dolls. I'm working on four small dolls this week...'Rosebud' is the first to be completed, dressed in vintage Sanderson chintz and is off with me now to the shop...

Have a lovely day and thanks for dropping by...
Niki x